Page 49 of 496

Black plate (17,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
Keys, Doors and Windows 2-17
To set the locks:
1. Insert the key into the securitylock slot and turn it so the slot is
in the horizontal position.
2. Close the door.
When you want to open a rear door
when the security lock is on:
1. Unlock the door using the Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) or
Keyless Access System
transmitter, if the vehicle has
one, the power door lock switch,
or the rear door manual lock.
2. Open the door from the outside.
To cancel the rear door
security lock:
1. Unlock the door and open it from the outside.
2. Insert the key into the security lock slot and turn it so the slot is
in the vertical position.Doors
Trunk (Sedan, Coupe)
{WARNING
Exhaust gases can enter the
vehicle if it is driven with the
liftgate, trunk/hatch open, or with
any objects that pass through the
seal between the body and the
trunk/hatch or liftgate. Engine
exhaust contains Carbon
Monoxide (CO) which cannot be
seen or smelled. It can cause
unconsciousness and even death.
If the vehicle must be driven with
the liftgate, or trunk/hatch open:
.Close all of the windows.
.Fully open the air outlets on
or under the instrument
panel.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
.Adjust the Climate Control
system to a setting that
brings in only outside air and
set the fan speed to the
highest setting. See Climate
Control System in the Index.
.If the vehicle is equipped with
a power liftgate, disable the
power liftgate function.
For more information about
carbon monoxide, see Engine
Exhaust on page 9‑24.
Page 50 of 496

Black plate (18,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
2-18 Keys, Doors and Windows
Trunk Lock Release
The remote trunk release button is
on the driver door.
For vehicles with an automatic
transmission, the shift lever must be
in P (Park) or N (Neutral). For
vehicles with a manual
transmission, the shift lever must be
in N (Neutral), and the parking
brake set.
Press the button to open the trunk
or press the button with the trunk
symbol on the Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE) transmitter.With the Keyless Access System,
when you have the transmitter, the
trunk can be opened by the trunk
release button located above the
license plate. The vehicle must be in
P (Park) and the valet mode
turned off.
If the vehicle is locked, the keyless
access transmitter must be within
1 m (3 ft) of the trunk opening for it
to be recognized.
If the vehicle is ever without power,
the trunk area can still be accessed.
On vehicles with a rear seat
pass-through door:
1. Fold the rear armrest down and
open the pass-through door. See
“Rear-Seat Pass Through”
following for more information. 2. Reach upward through the
opening to locate the emergency
trunk release handle. See
“Emergency Trunk Release
Handle” following for more
information.
3. Pull forward on the trunk release handle to open the trunk lid.
On vehicles with a split folding
rear seat:
1. Fold down the rear seatback. See Rear Seats
on page 3‑13for more information.
2. Reach upward through the opening to locate the trunk
release handle.
3. Pull forward on the trunk release handle to open the trunk lid.
Close the trunk by pulling on the
handle. Do not use the handle as a
tie-down.
Page 51 of 496

Black plate (19,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
Keys, Doors and Windows 2-19
Rear-Seat Pass Through
If the vehicle has the rear-seat pass
through door, the trunk can be
accessed through the rear seat.
This is useful when transporting
long items.
To open the door, pull down the rear
seat armrest. Then pull the lever all
the way down to release the door.
To close the door, push it up and
back into place. Then try to open
the door without pulling up on the
lever to make sure it is locked into
place.
Emergency Trunk Release
Handle
Notice:Do not use the
emergency trunk release handle
as a tie-down or anchor point
when securing items in the trunk
as it could damage the handle.
The emergency trunk release
handle is only intended to aid a
person trapped in a latched trunk,
enabling them to open the trunk
from the inside. There is a glow-in-the-dark
emergency trunk release handle
located on the back wall of the
trunk. This handle will glow following
exposure to light. Pull the release
handle toward the front of the
vehicle to open the trunk from the
inside.
Page 52 of 496

Black plate (20,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
2-20 Keys, Doors and Windows
Liftgate (Wagon)
Power Liftgate Operation
{WARNING
Exhaust gases can enter the
vehicle if it is driven with the
liftgate, trunk/hatch open, or with
any objects that pass through the
seal between the body and the
trunk/hatch or liftgate. Engine
exhaust contains Carbon
Monoxide (CO) which cannot be
seen or smelled. It can cause
unconsciousness and even death.
If the vehicle must be driven with
the liftgate, or trunk/hatch open:
.Close all of the windows.
.Fully open the air outlets on
or under the instrument
panel.
.Adjust the Climate Control
system to a setting that
brings in only outside air and(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
set the fan speed to the
highest setting. See Climate
Control System in the Index.
.If the vehicle is equipped with
a power liftgate, disable the
power liftgate function.
For more information about
carbon monoxide, see Engine
Exhaust on page 9‑24.
{WARNING
You or others could be injured if
caught in the path of the power
liftgate. Make sure there is no one
in the way of the liftgate as it is
opening and closing.
Notice: If you open the liftgate
without checking for overhead
obstructions such as a garage
door, you could damage the
liftgate or the liftgate glass. Always check to make sure the
area above and behind the liftgate
is clear before opening it.The power liftgate mode selector
switch is located on the driver door.
The vehicle must be in P (Park) to
use the power feature. The taillamps
flash when the power liftgate
moves.
Turn the selector switch to choose
one of three modes:
MAX:
The liftgate power opens to
the full open height.
Page 53 of 496

Black plate (21,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
Keys, Doors and Windows 2-21
3/4:The liftgate power opens to a
reduced open height that can be set
in a range of approximately ¾ open
to full open. Use this setting to
prevent the liftgate from opening
into overhead obstructions such as
a garage door or roof mounted
cargo during power operation. The
liftgate can still be opened fully
manually.
OFF: The liftgate only operates
manually in this position.
Manual operation of a liftgate that
also has power operation requires
more effort than a standard manual
liftgate.
In either the MAX or the ¾ mode,
the liftgate can be power opened
and closed by:
.Pressing and holding the power
liftgate button &on the Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter
until the liftgate starts moving.
See Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System Operation (Key
Access)
on page 2‑5or Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System Operation (Keyless
Access) on page 2‑7.
.Pressing the power liftgate
button in the center of the mode
selector switch on the driver
door with the driver door
unlocked.
.Pressing the touchpad on the
liftgate outside handle, with all
doors unlocked, to open the
liftgate.
.Pressing and releasing the
power liftgate button on the
liftgate adjacent to the latch to
close the liftgate.
Pressing any button that operates
the power liftgate, or the touchpad
while the liftgate is moving, stops it.
Pressing the button or RKE again
reverses the direction. There is a
minimum that the power liftgate
must already be open for the
system to hold it open. If movement
is stopped below that minimum, the
liftgate closes.
Do not force the liftgate open or
closed during a power cycle.
The power liftgate may be
temporarily disabled under extreme
temperatures or low battery
conditions. If this occurs, the liftgate
can still be operated manually.
If the transmission is shifted out of
P (Park) while the power function is
in progress, the liftgate power
function will continue to completion.
Page 54 of 496

Black plate (22,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
2-22 Keys, Doors and Windows
If the transmission is shifted out of
P (Park) and accelerate before the
power liftgate latch is closed, the
liftgate may reverse to the open
position. Cargo could fall out of the
vehicle. Close and latch the power
liftgate before driving.
If the liftgate is powered open and
the liftgate support struts have lost
pressure, the turn signals will flash
and a chime will sound. The liftgate
will stay open, and then slowly
close. See your dealer for service
before using the liftgate.
Obstacle Detection Features
If the liftgate encounters an obstacle
during a power open or close cycle,
a warning chime will sound and the
liftgate will automatically reverse
direction to the full closed or open
position. After removing the
obstacle, the power liftgate
operation can be used again. If the
liftgate encounters multiple
obstacles on the same power cycle,
the power function will deactivate.After removing the obstacles, the
liftgate will resume normal power
operation.
The vehicle has pinch sensors
located on the side edges of the
liftgate. If an object is caught
between the liftgate and the body
and presses against this sensor, the
liftgate will reverse direction and
open fully. The liftgate will remain
open until it is activated again or
closed manually.
Setting the Power Liftgate
Intermediate Mode
To change the liftgate stop position:
1. Turn the liftgate switch to either
the MAX, or the ¾ mode position
and power open the liftgate.
2. Stop the liftgate movement at the desired height by pressing
any button that operates the
power liftgate, or the touchpad.
Manually adjust the liftgate
position if required. 3. Press and hold the button on the
liftgate adjacent to the latch until
the turn signals flash and a beep
sounds to indicate that the new
setting is recorded.
When power opened with the
¾ mode selected, the liftgate stops
at the new set position.
If an audible and visual response is
not received when setting the
intermediate stop position, the
liftgate height is below the ¾ open
height minimum, approximately
5 feet at the edge of the liftgate.Manual Operation of Power
Liftgate
To change the liftgate to manual
operation, turn the mode selector
switch to OFF.
With the power liftgate disabled and
all of the doors unlocked, the liftgate
can be manually opened and
closed. Manual operation of a
vehicle with a power liftgate requires
more effort than a standard
non-power liftgate.
Page 55 of 496

Black plate (23,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
Keys, Doors and Windows 2-23
To open the liftgate, press the
touchpad on the handle on the
outside of the liftgate and lift. To
close the liftgate, use the pull cup.
With the power liftgate disabled, the
liftgate electric latch will still power
latch once contact is made with the
striker. Always close the liftgate
before driving.
If the RKE button is pressed while
power operation is disabled, the turn
signals will flash and the liftgate will
not move.
The liftgate has an electric latch.
If the battery is disconnected or has
low voltage, the liftgate will not
open. The liftgate will resume
operation when the battery is
reconnected and charged.Vehicle Security
This vehicle has theft-deterrent
features; however, they do not make
it impossible to steal.
Anti-Theft Alarm System
This vehicle has an anti-theft alarm
system.
The security light, located in the
instrument panel cluster, comes on
when the system is arming.
Arming the System
To arm the system,
1. Open the door.
2. Lock the door with thetransmitter. The security light
should come on and stay on.
3. Close all doors. The security light should go off after about
30 seconds. The alarm is not
armed until the security light
goes off.
If a locked door or trunk is opened
without using the key in the driver
door key cylinder or the transmitter,
a ten second pre-alarm will occur.
The horn will chirp and the lights will
flash. If the key is not placed in the
ignition and turned to START or the
door is not unlocked by pressing the
unlock button on the transmitter
during the ten second pre-alarm, the
alarm will go off. The headlamps will
flash and the horn will sound for
about 30 seconds, then will turn off
to save the battery power.
Page 56 of 496

Black plate (24,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
2-24 Keys, Doors and Windows
The theft-deterrent system will not
activate if the doors are locked with
the key or the manual door lock.
It activates only if the power door
lock switch is used while the door is
open or with the transmitter. You
should also remember that you can
start the vehicle with the correct
ignition key if the alarm has been
set off.
To avoid setting off the alarm by
accident:
.Lock the vehicle with the door
key after the doors are closed.
.Always unlock a door with the
transmitter or by using the key in
the driver door cylinder.
Unlocking a door any other way
will set off the alarm.
Turn off the alarm by pressing the
unlock button on the transmitter.
How to Detect a Tamper
Condition
IfKis pressed and the horn
sounds, an attempted break-in has
occurred while the system was
armed.
If the alarm has been activated, the
Theft Attempted message will
appear on the DIC. See Key and
Lock Messages
on page 5‑36for
additional information.
Immobilizer
See Radio Frequency Statementon
page 13‑18for information regarding
Part 15 of the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC)
rules and Industry Canada
Standards RSS-210/220/310.
Immobilizer Operation
(Key Access)
This vehicle has a passive
theft-deterrent system.
The system does not have to be
manually armed or disarmed.
The vehicle is automatically
immobilized when the key is
removed from the ignition.
The system is automatically
disarmed when the vehicle is
started with the correct key. The key
uses a transponder that matches an
immobilizer control unit in the
vehicle and automatically disarms
the system. The vehicle may not
start if the key is damaged.