2008 CADILLAC STS sport mode

Driver Shift Control (DSC)
Notice:If you drive your vehicle at high RPMs
without upshifting while using Driver Shift
Control (DSC), you could damage your vehicle.
Always upshift when necessary while using DSC.
Your automatic transmission has a Driver Shift
Control (DSC) feature that allows you to change
gears similar to a manual transmission.
To use the DSC feature:
1. Slide the shift lever over from DRIVE (D) to the
right into the DSC area.
When the transmission is
in DSC mode the sport
symbol in the Driver
Information Center (DIC)
will come on.
If you do not move the shift lever forward or
rearward, the vehicle will be in sport mode.
When you are in the sport mode the
vehicle will still shift automatically.While driving in sport mode, the transmission
may remain in a gear longer than it would in
normal driving mode based on braking, throttle
input, and vehicle lateral acceleration.
2. Press the shift lever forward to upshift or rearward
to downshift.
The DIC will show the
driver’s selection when
moving the shift lever
forward or rearward.
SeeDriver Information
Center (DIC) on page 3-74
for more information on
the DIC.
When using the DSC mode, the number displayed on
the Driver Information Center (DIC) indicates the
gear that the transmission is in. When starting the
vehicle from a stopped condition, only First (1) and
Second (2) gear may be used.
While using the DSC feature the vehicle will have rmer
shifting and increased performance. You can use this
for sport driving or when climbing/descending hills
to stay in gear longer or to down shift for more power or
engine braking.
2-34

Driver Information Center (DIC)
The Driver Information Center (DIC) gives you the
status of many of your vehicle’s systems. The DIC is
also used to display warning/status messages. All
messages will appear in the DIC display located at the
bottom of the instrument panel cluster, below the
tachometer and speedometer. The DIC buttons are
located on the instrument panel, to the left of the
steering wheel.
The DIC comes on when the ignition is on. After a short
delay, the DIC will display the current driver and the
information that was last displayed before the engine
was turned off.
The top line of the DIC display shows the vehicle
system information and the warning/status messages.
The bottom line of the DIC display shows either the
odometer, the trip odometer A or the trip odometer B
information on the left side. Only one odometer
can appear at a time. See “Trip Information” underDIC
Operation and Displays on page 3-74for information
on changing the display to show the odometer or
trip odometer information. The bottom line of the DIC
display also shows the outside temperature on the right
side and the shift lever position indicator in the center.
SeeAutomatic Transmission Operation on page 2-32
for more information on the shift lever positions.When the sport mode is active, an S will appear next
to the shift position indicator on the center of the
DIC display. When the manual mode is active, an M
will appear on the DIC display. When the normal mode
is active, only the shift position indicator will appear.
While the Driver Shift Control (DSC) feature is active,
the DIC will change to show the selected gear.
See “Driver Shift Control (DSC)” underAutomatic
Transmission Operation on page 2-32for more
information.
If a problem is detected, a warning message will appear
on the display. Be sure to take any message that
appears on the display seriously and remember that
clearing the message will only make the message
disappear, not correct the problem.
DIC Operation and Displays
The Driver Information Center (DIC) has different modes
which can be accessed by pressing the four DIC buttons
located on the instrument panel, to the left of the
steering wheel.
3-74

Child Restraints (cont.)
Securing a Child Restraint in a
Rear Seat Position...................................1-44
Securing a Child Restraint in the
Right Front Seat Position..........................1-47
Where to Put the Restraint...........................1-36
Cigarette Lighter.............................................3-47
Cleaning
Aluminum or Chrome-Plated Wheels.............5-112
Exterior Lamps/Lenses................................5-111
Fabric/Carpet............................................5-108
Finish Care...............................................5-111
Instrument Panel, Vinyl, and Other
Plastic Surfaces.....................................5-109
Interior.....................................................5-107
Leather....................................................5-109
Speaker Covers.........................................5-110
Tires........................................................5-113
Underbody Maintenance.............................5-114
Washing Your Vehicle.................................5-110
Weatherstrips............................................5-110
Windshield and Wiper Blades......................5-112
Wood Panels............................................5-110
Climate Control System
Air Filter, Passenger Compartment.................3-55
Dual..........................................................3-48
Outlet Adjustment........................................3-54
Rear..........................................................3-54
Clock............................................................3-99
Collision Damage Repair..................................7-11Compact Spare Tire......................................5-106
Compass.................................................1-7, 2-41
Competitive Driving.........................................4-18
Competitive Driving Mode.................................. 4-7
Compressor Kit, Tire Sealant............................5-87
Control of a Vehicle.......................................... 4-3
Convenience Net............................................2-58
Coolant
Engine Temperature Gage............................3-67
Engine Temperature Warning Light.................3-66
Heater, Engine............................................2-31
Surge Tank Pressure Cap.............................5-29
Cooling System..............................................5-32
Cruise Control................................................3-17
Cruise Control, Forward Collision
Alert (FAC) System......................................3-10
Cruise Control Light........................................3-72
Cupholder(s)..................................................2-58
Customer Assistance Information
Courtesy Transportation.................................. 7-9
Customer Assistance for Text
Telephone (TTY) Users............................... 7-5
Customer Assistance Offices........................... 7-5
Customer Satisfaction Procedure..................... 7-2
GM Mobility Reimbursement Program............... 7-6
Reporting Safety Defects to General Motors.......7-14
Reporting Safety Defects to the
Canadian Government..............................7-14
Reporting Safety Defects to the
United States Government.........................7-14
3