2008 CADILLAC STS wheel

Some audio controls can be adjusted at the steering
wheel. See the following descriptions of the controls
that can adjusted.
©SEEK¨:Press the SEEK arrows to go to the
previous or the next radio station while in AM, FM,
or XM™ (if equipped).The radio seeks stations only with a strong signal that
are in the selected band.
Press either SEEK arrow to go to the previous or the
next track while sourced to a CD.
SRCE (Source):Press this button to switch between
the radio (AM, FM), XM™ (if equipped) and CD.
SCAN:To scan stations, press and hold this button for
a few seconds, the radio goes to a station, plays for
a few seconds, then goes to the next station. Press this
button again to stop scanning.
The radio scans stations only with a strong signal that
are in the selected band.
yz(Previous/Next):Press the arrows to go to the
previous or the next radio station stored as a favorite.
While a CD is playing, press either arrow to go to
the previous or to the next track.
+
e−e(Volume):Press the plus or minus volume
button to increase or to decrease the volume. Audio Controls With
Heated Steering Wheel,
Adaptive Cruise
Control GAP, and
Cruise Control Cancel
Right-Side Audio
Controls
3-122

Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle..........4-2
Defensive Driving...........................................4-2
Drunk Driving.................................................4-2
Control of a Vehicle........................................4-3
Braking.........................................................4-4
Antilock Brake System (ABS)...........................4-5
Braking in Emergencies...................................4-6
Traction Control System (TCS).........................4-6
Competitive Driving Mode (STS-V)....................4-7
Magnetic Ride Control.....................................4-8
Limited-Slip Rear Axle.....................................4-8
StabiliTrak
®System........................................4-8
Enhanced StabiliTrak®.....................................4-9
Panic Brake Assist........................................4-12
All-Wheel Drive (AWD) System.......................4-13
Steering......................................................4-13
Off-Road Recovery.......................................4-16
Passing.......................................................4-16
Loss of Control.............................................4-16Competitive Driving.......................................4-18
Driving at Night............................................4-18
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads..................4-19
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.......................4-20
Highway Hypnosis........................................4-20
Hill and Mountain Roads................................4-21
Winter Driving..............................................4-22
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud,
Ice, or Snow.............................................4-25
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out.................4-26
Loading Your Vehicle....................................4-26
Towing..........................................................4-31
Towing Your Vehicle.....................................4-31
Recreational Vehicle Towing...........................4-31
Towing a Trailer (Vehicles With
Heavy Duty Cooling)..................................4-34
Towing a Trailer (Vehicles Without
Heavy Duty Cooling)..................................4-40
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
4-1

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 Warning
Light on page 3-65.
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 wheel.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.
4-5

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. On a rear-wheel-drive vehicle, the
system operates if it senses that one or both of the rear
wheels are spinning or beginning to lose traction. On
an All-Wheel-Drive (AWD) vehicle, the system will
operate if it senses that any of the wheels are spinning
or beginning to lose traction. When this happens,
the system brakes the spinning wheel(s) and/or reduces
engine power to limit wheel spin.
You may feel or hear the system working, but this is
normal.
This warning light will
come on to let you know if
there is a problem with
your traction control
system.SeeTraction Control System (TCS) Warning Light on
page 3-65. When this warning light is on, the system will
not limit wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly.
The Traction Control System (TCS) 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
TCS off if you ever need to.
Notice:Do not repeatedly brake or accelerate
heavily when the TCS is off. You could damage your
vehicle’s driveline.
When the TCS is switched off on AWD and STS-V
vehicles, you may still feel the system working. This is
normal and necessary with the hardware on your
vehicle.
You should turn the system off if your vehicle ever gets
stuck in sand, mud or snow and rocking the vehicle
is required. SeeRocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out on
page 4-26andIf Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand,
Mud, Ice, or Snow on page 4-25for more information.
See alsoWinter Driving on page 4-22for information on
using TCS when driving in snowy or icy conditions.
4-6

To turn the system off,
press the TC (traction
control) button located
near the shift lever.
If your All Wheel Drive vehicle has the optional
enhanced vehicle stability control system called Active
Steering with Enhanced StabiliTrak
®, the Traction
Control button is used to turn traction control on and off
and to select between three stability control modes:
Touring, Competitive and Off. SeeEnhanced
StabiliTrak
®on page 4-9for Traction Control button
operating instructions.
If you press the TC button once, the Traction Control
System will turn off and the Traction Control System
Warning Light will come on. Press the TC button again
to turn the system back on. If you press and hold
the TC button for ve seconds, the StabiliTrak
®system
and the Traction Control System will turn off. Press
the TC button again to turn StabiliTrak
®back on. For
more information, seeStabiliTrak®System on page 4-8.
Adding non-GM accessories can affect your vehicle’s
performance. SeeAccessories and Modifications
on page 5-3for more information.
Competitive Driving Mode (STS-V)
The driver can select this optional handling mode
by pressing the Traction Control button, located near
the shift lever, twice within ve seconds. Competitive
driving mode allows the driver to have control of
the power applied to the rear wheels, while the
StabiliTrak
®system helps steer the vehicle by selective
brake application. In competitive mode, the levels at
which StabiliTrak
®is engaged have been modied
to better suit a performance driving environment. When
the traction control warning light is on, the Traction
Control System will not be operating. Adjust your driving
accordingly.
When you press the Traction Control button again, the
Traction Control System will be on. The traction
engaged symbol will be displayed temporarily in the DIC
and a chime will be heard. SeeDIC Warnings and
Messages on page 3-80for more information.
4-7

Magnetic Ride Control
Your vehicle may have 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. See
DIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-80for more
information. See your dealer for service.
Limited-Slip Rear Axle
Your limited-slip rear axle can give you additional
traction on snow, mud, ice, sand or gravel. It works like
a standard axle most of the time, but when one of
the rear wheels has no traction and the other does, this
feature will allow the wheel with traction to move the
vehicle.
StabiliTrak®System
Your vehicle has a vehicle stability enhancement
system called StabiliTrak®. It is an advanced computer
controlled system that assists with directional control
of the vehicle in difficult driving conditions.
If your all-wheel-drive vehicle has the optional enhanced
vehicle stability control system called Active Steering
with Enhanced StabiliTrak
®, seeEnhanced StabiliTrak®
on page 4-9.
StabiliTrak
®activates when the computer senses a
discrepancy between the intended path and the direction
the vehicle is actually traveling. StabiliTrak
®selectively
applies braking pressure at any one of the vehicle’s
brakes to help steer the vehicle in the direction which
you are steering.
When the system activates, a STABILITY SYS ACTIVE
message will be displayed on the Driver Information
Center (DIC). SeeDIC Warnings and Messages
on page 3-80. You may also hear a noise or feel
vibration in the brake pedal. This is normal. Continue to
steer the vehicle in the direction you want it to go.
4-8

If there is a problem detected with StabiliTrak®,a
SERVICE STABILITY SYS message will be displayed
on the DIC. SeeDIC Warnings and Messages on
page 3-80. When this message is displayed, the system
is not operational. Driving should be adjusted
accordingly.
StabiliTrak
®comes on automatically whenever the
vehicle is started. To help assist with directional control
of the vehicle, always leave the system on. StabiliTrak
®
can be turned off, however, by using the TC (traction
control) on/off button. SeeTraction Control System
(TCS) on page 4-6.
If the vehicle is in cruise control when the StabiliTrak
®
activates, the cruise control will automatically disengage.
When road conditions allow you to safely use it again,
you may reengage the cruise control. SeeCruise Control
on page 3-17orAdaptive Cruise Control on page 3-20for
more information.
Enhanced StabiliTrak®
All-wheel-drive (AWD) vehicles with the Active Steering
with Enhanced StabiliTrak®option have an enhanced
computer controlled vehicle stability system that assists
with directional control of the vehicle in difficult driving
conditions. This system coordinates automatic control of
the Active Steering System, the Magnetic Ride Control
Suspension System, and the Brake Control System for
better vehicle performance.During extreme cold temperature conditions, the active
steering function may be temporarily disabled which may
cause the steering wheel to be off set from the center
position while driving straight. This is normal operation
and the vehicle is safe to drive in these cases.
Stability control activates when the computer senses a
difference between the intended path and the direction
the vehicle is actually traveling. Stability control
automatically adjusts the front road wheel steering angle,
modies the suspension stiffness, and selectively applies
braking pressure at any one of the vehicle’s brakes to
help maintain directional control of the vehicle.
When the system activates, a STABILITY SYS ACTIVE
message displays on the Driver Information Center (DIC).
SeeDIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-80You may
also hear a noise or feel vibration in the brake pedal. This
is normal. Continue to steer the vehicle in the direction
you want it to go.
4-9

When certain faults or vehicle conditions are detected,
the Stability control will automatically go into a secure
mode and the STABILITY SECURE MODE message will
be displayed on the DIC. When the Stability Secure Mode
is activated, the stability control system will not respond
to driver requests to change the stability mode until the
next ignition cycle or until the vehicle condition or fault is
returned to normal. When the Stability Secure Mode is
activated, you may see other messages, such as
SERVICE STEERING SYS, SERVICE SUSPENSION
SYS or CHECK TIRE PRESSURE on the DIC. When the
Stability Secure Mode is activated, a larger degree of
steering wheel input at low vehicle speeds and a smaller
degree of steering wheel input at high vehicle speeds
may be required. Stability Secure Mode will be activated
if you are using a compact spare tire. SeeDIC Warnings
and Messages on page 3-80andCompact Spare Tire on
page 5-106.
Persistent operation of your vehicle in the STABILITY
SECURE MODE may be an indication that your vehicle
needs to be serviced by the dealer/retailer.
When certain faults are present, the vehicle’s speed may
be limited and the SPEED LIMITED TO XXX message
will be displayed on the DIC. SeeDIC Warnings and
Messages on page 3-80. When the vehicle’s speed is
limited, you may see other messages, such as SERVICE
STABILITY SYS, SERVICE STEERING SYS or
SERVICE SUSPENSION SYS on the DIC. Have your
vehicle serviced by your dealer/retailer.Enhanced StabiliTrak®and Traction
Control Mode Selection
Enhanced StabiliTrak®can be operated in Touring Mode
or Competitive Mode. It can also be turned off. The
traction control button is used to change stability control
modes (Touring, Competitive or Off) as well as to turn
traction control on or off. SeeTraction Control System
(TCS) on page 4-6. The following information describes
the operation of the traction control button for changing
Traction Control and Stability Control Modes.
When you start your vehicle, Stability control comes on
automatically in the Stability Touring Mode.
To change from Stability Touring Mode to Stability
Competitive Mode, press and hold the traction
control button for about three seconds until
the STABILITY COMPETITIVE MODE message is
displayed on the DIC.
To change from Stability Touring Mode to Stability
Off Mode, press and hold the traction control
button for about ve seconds until the STABILITY
SYS OFF message is displayed on the DIC.
The DIC will temporarily display the STABILITY
COMPETITIVE MODE message prior to displaying
the STABILITY SYS OFF message.
4-11