2008 CADILLAC DTS Owners Manual

g(Mute/Voice Recognition):Press this button to
silence the system. Press this button again or turn the
volume knob to turn the sound on.
Press and hold this button to interact with the OnStar
®
system. If your vehicle is also equipped with the
navigation system, push this button to initiate voice
recognition and say, “OnStar” to enter OnStar
®mode,
see theOnStar®System on page 2-49in this manual for
more information.
If your vehicle has the navigation system, press this
button to initiate voice recognition. See “Voice
Recognition” in the index of your vehicle’s navigation
system manual for more information.
SRCE (Source):Press this button to switch between
AM, FM, or XM (if equipped), radio, or CD.
+
e−e(Volume):Press the plus or minus button to
increase or to decrease the volume.
¨(Seek):Press the seek arrow to go to the next radio
station and stay there. The system only seeks radio
stations with strong frequencies.
When the seek arrow is pressed and held for
two seconds, the system scans the radio stations that
are in the selected band. If listening to a CD, the system
advances to the next CD when multiple discs are
inserted.If you have the navigation system, some of the audio
steering wheel controls work when a DVD is playing in
the navigation radio. See the Navigation System
manual for more information.
Radio Reception
Frequency interference and static can occur during
normal radio reception if items such as cell phone
chargers, vehicle convenience accessories, and external
electronic devices are plugged into the accessory
power outlet. If there is interference or static, unplug
the item from the accessory power outlet.
AM
The range for most AM stations is greater than for FM,
especially at night. The longer range can cause station
frequencies to interfere with each other. For better radio
reception, most AM radio stations boost the power levels
during the day, and then reduce these levels during the
night. Static can also occur when things like storms and
power lines interfere with radio reception. When this
happens, try reducing the treble on the radio.
FM Stereo
FM stereo gives the best sound, but FM signals only
reach about 10 to 40 miles (16 to 65 km). Tall buildings
or hills can interfere with FM signals, causing the
sound to fade in and out.
3-119

XM™ Satellite Radio Service
XM Satellite Radio Service gives digital radio reception
from coast-to-coast in the 48 contiguous United
States, and in Canada. Just as with FM, tall buildings
or hills can interfere with satellite radio signals, causing
the sound to fade in and out. In addition, traveling or
standing under heavy foliage, bridges, garages, or
through tunnels could cause loss of the XM signal for a
period of time. The radio may display NO XM SIGNAL
to indicate interference.
Backglass Antenna
The AM-FM antenna is integrated with the rear window
defogger, located in the rear window. Make sure that
the inside surface of the rear window is not scratched
and that the grid lines on the glass are not damaged.
If the inside surface is damaged, it could interfere
with radio reception.
Notice:Using a razor blade or sharp object to clear
the inside rear window may damage the rear window
antenna and/or the rear window defogger. Repairs
would not be covered by your warranty. Do not clear
the inside rear window with sharp objects.
Notice:Do not apply aftermarket glass tinting with
metallic lm. The metallic lm in some tinting
materials will interfere with or distort the incomingradio reception. Any damage caused to your
backglass antenna due to metallic tinting materials
will not be covered by your warranty.
If static is heard on the radio, when the rear window
defogger is turned on, it could mean that a defogger
grid line has been damaged. If this is true, the grid line
must be repaired.
If adding a cellular telephone to your vehicle, and the
antenna needs to be attached to the glass, make
sure that the grid lines for the AM-FM antenna are not
damaged. There is enough space between the grid lines
to attach a cellular telephone antenna without interfering
with radio reception.
XM™ Satellite Radio Antenna
System
The XM™ Satellite Radio antenna is located on the roof
of the vehicle. Keep this antenna clear of snow and
ice build up for clear radio reception.
If the vehicle has a sunroof, the performance of the
XM system may be affected if the sunroof is open.
Loading items onto the roof of the vehicle can interfere
with the performance of the XM system. Make sure
the XM Satellite Radio antenna is not obstructed.
3-120

Your Driving, the Road, and the Vehicle............4-2
Defensive Driving...........................................4-2
Drunk Driving.................................................4-2
Control of a Vehicle........................................4-3
Braking.........................................................4-3
Antilock Brake System (ABS)...........................4-4
Braking in Emergencies...................................4-5
Traction Control System (TCS).........................4-5
Magnetic Ride Control.....................................4-6
StabiliTrak
®System........................................4-7
Panic Brake Assist.........................................4-7
Steering........................................................4-8
Off-Road Recovery.......................................4-10
Passing.......................................................4-10
Loss of Control.............................................4-10Driving at Night............................................4-12
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads..................4-13
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.......................4-14
Highway Hypnosis........................................4-14
Hill and Mountain Roads................................4-15
Winter Driving..............................................4-16
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice,
or Snow...................................................4-19
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out.................4-20
Loading the Vehicle......................................4-20
Towing..........................................................4-26
Towing Your Vehicle.....................................4-26
Recreational Vehicle Towing...........................4-26
Towing a Trailer...........................................4-27
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
4-1

Your Driving, the Road, and
the Vehicle
Defensive Driving
Defensive driving means “always expect the
unexpected.” The rst step in driving defensively is to
wear your safety belt — SeeSafety Belts: They Are for
Everyone on page 1-10.
{CAUTION:
Assume that other road users (pedestrians,
bicyclists, and other drivers) are going to be
careless and make mistakes. Anticipate what
they might do and be ready. In addition:
Allow enough following distance between
you and the driver in front of you.
Focus on the task of driving.
Driver distraction can cause collisions
resulting in injury or possible death. These
simple defensive driving techniques could
save your life.
Drunk Driving
{CAUTION:
Drinking and then driving is very dangerous.
Your reexes, perceptions, attentiveness, and
judgment can be affected by even a small
amount of alcohol. You can have a serious — or
even fatal — collision if you drive after drinking.
Do not drink and drive or ride with a driver who
has been drinking. Ride home in a cab; or if you
are with a group, designate a driver who will not
drink.
Death and injury associated with drinking and driving is
a global tragedy.
Alcohol affects four things that anyone needs to drive a
vehicle: judgment, muscular coordination, vision, and
attentiveness.
Police records show that almost 40 percent of all motor
vehicle-related deaths involve alcohol. In most cases,
these deaths are the result of someone who was drinking
and driving. In recent years, more than 17,000 annual
motor vehicle-related deaths have been associated with
the use of alcohol, with about 250,000 people injured.
4-2

For persons under 21, it is against the law in every
U.S. state to drink alcohol. There are good medical,
psychological, and developmental reasons for
these laws.
The obvious way to eliminate the leading highway
safety problem is for people never to drink alcohol and
then drive.
Medical research shows that alcohol in a person’s
system can make crash injuries worse, especially
injuries to the brain, spinal cord, or heart. This means
that when anyone who has been drinking — driver
or passenger — is in a crash, that person’s chance of
being killed or permanently disabled is higher than if the
person had not been drinking.
Control of a Vehicle
The following three systems help to control your vehicle
while driving — brakes, steering, and accelerator. At
times, as when driving on snow or ice, it is easy to ask
more of those control systems than the tires and road can
provide. Meaning, you can lose control of your vehicle.
SeeTraction Control System (TCS) on page 4-5.
Adding non-dealer/non-retailer accessories can affect
your vehicle’s performance. SeeAccessories and
Modifications on page 5-3.
Braking
SeeBrake System Warning Light on page 3-60.
Braking action involves perception time and reaction
time. First, you have to decide to push on the brake
pedal. That is perception time. Then you have to bring
up your foot and do it. That is reaction time.
Average reaction time is about three-fourths of a
second. But that is only an average. It might be less
with one driver and as long as two or three seconds or
more with another. Age, physical condition, alertness,
coordination, and eyesight all play a part. So do alcohol,
drugs, and frustration. But even in three-fourths of a
second, a vehicle moving at 60 mph (100 km/h) travels
66 feet (20 m). That could be a lot of distance in an
emergency, so keeping enough space between
your vehicle and others is important.
And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly
with the surface of the road, whether it is pavement or
gravel; the condition of the road, whether it is wet, dry, or
icy; tire tread; the condition of the brakes; the weight of
the vehicle; and the amount of brake force applied.
4-3

Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive
in spurts — heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking — rather than keeping pace with traffic.
This is a mistake. The brakes might not have time to cool
between hard stops. The brakes will wear out much faster
if you do a lot of heavy braking. If you keep pace with the
traffic and allow realistic following distances, you will
eliminate a lot of unnecessary braking. That means better
braking and longer brake life.
If your vehicle’s engine ever stops while you are driving,
brake normally but do not pump the brakes. If you do,
the pedal could get harder to push down. If the
engine stops, you will still have some power brake
assist. But you will use it when you brake. Once the
power assist is used up, it can take longer to stop and
the brake pedal will be harder to push.
Adding non-dealer/non-retailer accessories can affect
your vehicle’s performance. SeeAccessories and
Modifications on page 5-3.Antilock Brake System (ABS)
Your vehicle has the Antilock Brake System (ABS), an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent a braking skid.
When you start the engine and begin to drive away,
ABS will check itself. You might hear a momentary
motor or clicking noise while this test is going on, and
you might even notice that the brake pedal moves
a little. This is normal.
If there is a problem with
ABS, this warning light will
stay on. SeeAntilock
Brake System (ABS)
Warning Light on
page 3-61.
Let us say the road is wet and you are driving safely.
Suddenly, an animal jumps out in front of you. You slam
on the brakes and continue braking. Here is what
happens with ABS:
A computer senses that wheels are slowing down. If
one of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the computer
will separately work the brakes at each front wheel
and at both rear wheels.
4-4

ABS can change the brake pressure faster than any
driver could. The computer is programmed to make the
most of available tire and road conditions. This can
help you steer around the obstacle while braking hard.
As you brake, the computer keeps receiving updates
on wheel speed and controls braking pressure
accordingly.
Remember: ABS does not change the time you need to
get your foot up to the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too close to the vehicle
in front of you, you will not have time to apply the brakes
if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops. Always leave
enough room up ahead to stop, even though you
have ABS.
Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal
down rmly and let antilock work for you. You might hear
the antilock pump or motor operate, and feel the
brake pedal pulsate, but this is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
With ABS, you can steer and brake at the same time. In
many emergencies, steering can help you more than
even the very best braking.
Traction Control System (TCS)
Your vehicle has a traction control system that limits
wheel spin. This is especially useful in slippery road
conditions. The system operates only if it senses that the
front wheels are spinning too much or beginning to lose
traction. When this happens, the system works the front
brakes and reduces engine power (by closing the throttle
and managing engine spark) to limit wheel spin.
The traction control system and StabiliTrak
®warning
light will ash when the traction control system is limiting
wheel spin. SeeTraction Control System (TCS)
Warning Light on page 3-62for more information. You
may feel or hear the system working, but this is normal.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the traction
control system begins to limit wheel spin, the cruise
control will automatically disengage. When road
conditions allow you to safely use it again, you may
re-engage the cruise control. SeeCruise Control
on page 3-16for more information.
The SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL message, the
traction control system warning light and the StabiliTrak
®
warning light will come on to let you know if there is a
problem with the traction control system. SeeDIC
Warnings and Messages on page 3-75.
When this light and the SERVICE TRACTION
CONTROL message are on, the system will not limit
wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly.
4-5

The traction control system automatically comes on
whenever you start your vehicle. To limit wheel
spin, especially in slippery road conditions, you should
always leave the system on. But you can turn the
traction control system off if you ever need to.
You can turn the system on or off at any time by
pressing the traction control system button located on
the console or on the end of the column shifter. The DIC
will display TRACTION CONTROL OFF when you
press the button, and part of the traction control system
is disabled. Your vehicle will still have brake-traction
control, but will not be able to use the engine speed
management system. You may still hear system noises
as a result of the brake-traction control coming on. If
the controller detects excessive wheel spin in this mode,
the traction control system and StabiliTrak
®indicator
light may blink.
It is recommended to leave the system on for normal
driving conditions, but it may be necessary to turn
the system off if your vehicle is stuck in sand, mud, ice
or snow, and you may want to “rock” your vehicle in
an attempt to free it. SeeIf Your Vehicle is Stuck
in Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow on page 4-19for more
information.
Adding non-dealer/non-retailer accessories can affect
your vehicle’s performance. SeeAccessories and
Modifications on page 5-3for more information.
Magnetic Ride Control
Your vehicle may have a feature called Magnetic Ride
Control that automatically adjusts the ride of your
vehicle. Automatic ride control is achieved through a
computer used to control and monitor the suspension
system. The controller receives input from various
sensors to determine the proper system response. If the
controller detects a problem within the system, the
DIC will display a SERVICE SUSPENSION SYS
message. SeeDIC Warnings and Messages on
page 3-75for more information. If this message appears,
have your vehicle serviced at your dealer/retailer.
Electronically Controlled Air Ride
Suspension
If you have a Professional Vehicle, you may have a
feature called Electronically Controlled Air Suspension.
Air ride control is achieved through a computer used
to control and monitor the system. The controller
receives input from two height sensors to determine the
proper system response. If the controller detects a
problem with the system, the Driver Information Center
(DIC) will display a SERVICE SUSPENSION SYS
message. If this message appears, have your vehicle
serviced at your dealer/retailer.
4-6