2008 CADILLAC STS warning

Stationary or Very Slow-Moving Objects
{CAUTION:
Adaptive Cruise Control may not detect and
react to stationary or slow-moving vehicles
or other objects ahead of you. You could
crash into an object ahead of you. Do not use
Adaptive Cruise Control when approaching
stationary or slow-moving vehicles or other
objects.
{CAUTION:
Adaptive Cruise Control may not detect and
react to stationary or slow-moving vehicles
or other objects ahead of you. Your vehicle
may accelerate toward objects, such as a
stopped vehicle that suddenly appears after
the lead vehicle changes lanes. Your complete
attention is always required while driving
and you should be ready to take action and
apply the brakes.
Low-Speed Deactivation
If your speed falls below 25 mph (40 km/h) while
following a vehicle ahead, Adaptive Cruise Control
will begin to disengage. The driver alert symbol on
the HUD will ash and the warning beep will sound.
The driver must take action since Adaptive Cruise
Control will not slow the vehicle to a stop.
3-28

Deactivation When Head-Up Display
is Turned Off
If the HUD is turned off when Adaptive Cruise Control
is engaged, it will begin to disengage. A warning
beep sounds and the message RADAR CRUISE NOT
READY appears on the Driver Information Center (DIC).
SeeDIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-80for
additional information. If Adaptive Cruise Control
was braking when the HUD is turned off, the braking
will continue briey.
Passing a Vehicle/Adaptive Cruise Control
Override
To increase speed to pass a vehicle, use the accelerator
pedal. While you are doing this, the system will not
automatically apply the brakes. A PEDAL APPLIED
ACC OVERRIDE message will appear on the HUD.
SeeHead-Up Display (HUD) on page 3-43for additional
information. Once you pass the vehicle and remove
your foot from the accelerator pedal, Adaptive Cruise
Control returns to normal operation and the brakes
can be applied, if needed.
{CAUTION:
If you rest your foot on the accelerator pedal,
the system will not automatically apply the
brakes. You could crash into a vehicle ahead
of you. Do not rest your foot on the accelerator
pedal when using Adaptive Cruise Control.
3-29

Using Adaptive Cruise Controls on Hills
and When Towing a Trailer
How well Adaptive Cruise Control works on hills
and while a trailer is being towed depends on your
vehicle speed, vehicle load, traffic conditions, and the
steepness of the hills. It might not detect a vehicle
in your lane while driving on hills. While going up steep
hills, you might want to use the accelerator pedal to
maintain your vehicle speed. While going downhill
and towing a trailer, you might want to brake to
keep your vehicle speed down. Applying the brake
disengages the system. You may choose not to
use Adaptive Cruise Control on steep hills when
towing a trailer.
Disengaging Adaptive Cruise Control
Apply the brake pedal or move the Adaptive Cruise
Control switch to off, to disengage the system.
Adaptive Cruise Control information does not appear
on the HUD while the system is not engaged.
Erasing Set Speed Memory
When the Adaptive Cruise Control switch or the ignition
is turned off, the set speed memory is erased.
Other Messages
There are three messages that may appear on the
DIC. They are SERVICE RADAR CRUISE, RADAR
CRUISE NOT READY and CLEAN RADAR. These
messages will appear to indicate a problem with
the Adaptive Cruise Control. SeeDIC Warnings and
Messages on page 3-80for more information.
Cleaning the System
The radar can become blocked by snow, ice, or dirt.
If so, you may need to turn off the engine and clean the
emblem/lens, located in the center of the front outside
grille. Remember, do not use Adaptive Cruise Control in
icy conditions, or when visibility is low, such as in fog,
rain or snow.
To clean the emblem/lens, wipe the surface with a soft
cloth. After cleaning the emblem/lens, engage the
Adaptive Cruise Control. If you are unable to do so,
see your dealer/retailer.
3-32

Wiper Activated Headlamps
This feature activates the headlamps and parking lamps
after the windshield wipers have been in use for
about six seconds. For this feature to work, automatic
lighting must be enabled. SeeHeadlamps on page 3-33
for additional information.
When the ignition is turned off, the wiper-activated
headlamps will immediately turn off. They will also turn
off if the windshield wiper control is turned off.
Headlamps on Reminder
A warning chime will sound if the exterior lamp control
is left on in either the headlamp or parking lamp position
and the driver’s door is opened with the ignition off.
SeeLights On Reminder on page 3-72for additional
information.
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier for
others to see the front of your vehicle during the day.
DRL can be helpful in many different driving conditions,
but they can be especially helpful in the short periods
after dawn and before sunset. Fully functional daytime
running lamps are required on all vehicles rst sold
in Canada.
The DRL system will make the turn signal lamps
come on when the following conditions are met:
It is still daylight and the ignition is on,
the automatic lights are enabled, and
the transmission is not in PARK (P).
When DRL are on, only the front turn signal lamps will
be on. No other exterior lamps will be on when the DRL
are being used. The instrument panel will not be lit.
When the automatic lights are enabled and it is dark
enough outside, the DRL will turn off and the low-beam
headlamps will turn on. When it is bright enough
outside, the low-beam headlamps will go off, and the
DRL will turn back on. If the vehicle is started in a
dark garage, the automatic headlamp system will
come on immediately. Once the vehicle leaves the
garage, it will take about one minute for the automatic
headlamp system to change to DRL if it is light outside.
3-37

During that delay, the instrument panel cluster may
not be as bright as usual. Make sure the instrument
panel brightness lever is in the full bright position.
SeeInstrument Panel Brightness on page 3-41.
To operate your vehicle with the DRL off, turn
the exterior lamp control off and then do one of
the following:
Turn the exterior lamp control to the parking
lamp position.
Turn the exterior lamp control to the headlamp
position.
Turn the exterior lamp control from AUTO to
off and back to AUTO.
An AUTOMATIC LIGHTS OFF message will appear
on the DIC, showing that automatic lighting has
been disabled. SeeDIC Warnings and Messages
on page 3-80.
The regular headlamp system should be turned
on when needed.
Light Sensor
The light sensor for the DRL is located on top of
the instrument panel. If the sensor is covered, it will
read dark, and the exterior lamps may come on
when they are not needed.
3-38

Reading Lamps
The reading lamps are located on the overhead console.
These lamps come on automatically when any door is
opened.
For manual operation, press the button next to each
lamp to turn it on or off.
If the reading lamps are left on, they automatically shut
off 10 minutes after the ignition has been turned off.
Battery Load Management
The battery load management feature is designed to
monitor the vehicle’s electrical load and determine when
the battery is in a heavy discharge condition. During
times of high electrical loading, the engine may idle
at a higher revolutions per minute (rpm) setting
than normal to make sure the battery charges.
High electrical loads may occur when several of the
following are on: headlamps, high beams, fog lamps,
rear window defogger, the climate control fan at
high speeds, heated seats and engine cooling fans.If the battery continues to discharge, even with the
engine idling at a higher rpm setting, some electrical
loads will automatically be reduced. When this occurs,
the rear window defogger may take slightly longer
to clear the glass and the fan may cut back to a lower
speed. For more battery saving information, see
“Battery Saver Active Message” underDIC Warnings
and Messages on page 3-80.
Electric Power Management
The vehicle has Electric Power Management (EPM)
that estimates the battery’s temperature and state
of charge. It then adjusts the voltage for best
performance and extended life of the battery.
When the battery’s state of charge is low, the voltage
is raised slightly to quickly put the charge back in.
When the state of charge is high, the voltage is lowered
slightly to prevent overcharging. If the vehicle has a
voltmeter gage or a voltage display on the Driver
Information Center (DIC), you may see the voltage
move up or down. This is normal. If there is a problem,
an alert will be displayed.
3-42

The battery can be discharged at idle if the electrical
loads are very high. This is true for all vehicles.
This is because the generator (alternator) may not be
spinning fast enough at idle to produce all the power
that is needed for very high electrical loads.
A high electrical load occurs when several of the
following loads are on: headlamps, high beams, fog
lamps, rear window defogger, climate control fan at
high speed, heated seats, engine cooling fans, trailer
loads, and loads plugged into accessory power outlets.
EPM works to prevent excessive discharge of the
battery. It does this by balancing the generator’s output
and the vehicle’s electrical needs. It can increase
engine idle speed to generate more power, whenever
needed. It can temporarily reduce the power demands
of some accessories.
Normally, these actions occur in steps or levels, without
being noticeable. In rare cases at the highest levels
of corrective action, this action may be noticeable to
the driver. If so, a Driver Information Center (DIC)
message might be displayed, such as Battery Saver
Active or Service Battery Charging System. If this
message is displayed, it is recommended that the
driver reduce the electrical loads as much as possible.
SeeDIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-80.Inadvertent Power Battery Saver
This feature is designed to protect your vehicle’s battery
against drainage from the interior lamps, trunk lamp,
glove box lamp, or the garage door opener. When the
ignition is turned off, the power to these features will
automatically turn off after 10 minutes (three minutes if
a new car has 15 miles (24 km) or less). Power will
be restored for an additional 10 minutes if any door is
opened, the trunk is opened or the courtesy lamp switch
is turned on.
Head-Up Display (HUD)
{CAUTION:
If the HUD image is too bright, or too high in
your eld of view, it may take you more time
to see things you need to see when it is dark
outside. Be sure to keep the HUD image dim
and placed low in your eld of view.
For vehicles with the Head-Up Display (HUD), it projects
some of the driver information that appears on the
instrument panel cluster onto the windshield.
3-43

The information may be displayed in English or metric
units and appears as an image focused out toward
the front of your vehicle. To change from English
to metric units, seeDIC Operation and Displays
on page 3-74.
The HUD consists of the following information:
Speedometer
Turn Signal Indicators
High-Beam Indicator Symbol
Driver Shift Control Transmission Feature,
seeAutomatic Transmission Operation
on page 2-32
Check Gages Icon
Adaptive Cruise Control Features and Indicators
(If Equipped), seeAdaptive Cruise Control on
page 3-20
Forward Collision Alert Features and Indicators
(If Equipped), seeForward Collision Alert (FCA)
System on page 3-10
Radio FeaturesBe sure to continue scanning your displays, controls
and driving environment just as you would in a vehicle
without HUD. If you never look at your instrument
panel cluster, you may not see something important,
such as a warning light. Under important warning
conditions, the CHECK GAGES message will
display in the HUD. View your Driver Information
Center (DIC) for more information.United States version shown, Canada similar
3-44