2011 CADILLAC CTS engine

Black plate (27,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-27
N (Neutral):In this position, the
engine does not connect with the
wheels. To restart when the vehicle
is already moving, use N (Neutral)
only. You can also use N (Neutral)
when the vehicle is being towed.
{WARNING
Shifting into a drive gear while the
engine is running at high speed is
dangerous. Unless your foot is
firmly on the brake pedal, the
vehicle could move very rapidly.
You could lose control and hit
people or objects. Do not shift
into a drive gear while the engine
is running at high speed.
Notice: Shifting out of P (Park) or
N (Neutral) with the engine
running at high speed may
damage the transmission. The
repairs would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Be sure the
engine is not running at high
speed when shifting the vehicle. D (Drive):
This position is for
normal driving. It provides the best
fuel economy. If you need more
power for passing, and you are:
.Going less than 55 km/h
(35 mph), push the accelerator
pedal about halfway down.
.Going about 55 km/h (35 mph) or
more, push the accelerator all
the way down.
The transmission will shift down
to a lower gear and have more
power.
Downshifting the transmission in
slippery road conditions could result
in skidding; see “Skidding”under
Loss of Control on page 9‑6 While in D (Drive), the CTS‐V
vehicle's first forward gear
automatic shift after starting the
vehicle will be from 1 (First).
Afterwards, the CTS‐V vehicles will
always start in 2 (Second) gear.
While in M (Manual Mode), for
increased performance, the vehicle
will start in 1 (First) gear.
M (Manual Mode):
This position
allows the driver to select the range
of gears appropriate for current
driving conditions. See Driver Shift
Control (DSC) later in this section.
Notice: Spinning the tires or
holding the vehicle in one place
on a hill using only the
accelerator pedal may damage
the transmission. If you are stuck,
do not spin the tires. When
stopping on a hill, use the brakes
to hold the vehicle in place.

Black plate (29,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-29
The tachometer display indicates
which gear the vehicle is in. The
number indicates the requested
gear range when moving the shift
lever forward or rearward.
CTS-V vehicles use tracer lights
around the outside of the
tachometer as a performance
up‐shift light. These tracers flash to
indicate when to shift to the next
higher gear to avoid the engine
speed limit. SeeTachometer
on
page 5‑13for more information. While using the DSC feature, the
vehicle will have firmer, quicker
shifting. You can use this for sport
driving or when climbing or
descending hills, to stay in gear
longer, or to downshift for more
power or engine braking.
The transmission will only allow
you to shift into gears appropriate
for the vehicle speed and engine
revolutions per minute (RPM). The
transmission will not automatically
shift to the next lower gear if the
engine rpm is too high, nor to the
next higher gear when the maximum
engine rpm is reached.
If shifting is prevented for any
reason, the currently selected gear
will flash multiple times, indicating
that the transmission has not shifted
gears.
While in the DSC mode, the CTS
automatic transmission will
automatically downshift when the
vehicle comes to a stop. This will
allow for more power during
acceleration.
The CTS-V automatic transmission
will not automatically downshift on
hard acceleration when in
DSC mode.
When accelerating the vehicle from
a stop in snowy and icy conditions,
it is suggested to shift into second
gear. A higher gear allows the
vehicle to gain more traction on
slippery surfaces.

Black plate (30,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
9-30 Driving and Operating
Manual Transmission
If the vehicle has a manual
transmission, the shift lever is
located on the center console
between the front seats. The
following explains how to operate
the manual transmission.
CTS
CTS—V
1 (First):Press the clutch pedal
and shift into 1 (First). Slowly let up
on the clutch pedal while pressing
on the accelerator pedal.
Shift into 1 (First) when you are
going less than 40 km/h (25 mph).
For CTS-V, shift into 1 (First) when
you are going less than 64 km/h
(40 mph). After a complete stop, if it
is hard to shift into 1 (First), let up
on the clutch pedal, then press it
back down and shift into 1 (First). 2 (Second):
Press the clutch pedal
and let up on the accelerator pedal,
then shift into 2 (Second). Then,
slowly let up on the clutch pedal
while accelerating.
3 (Third), 4 (Fourth), 5 (Fifth), and
6 (Sixth): Shift into 3 (Third),
4 (Fourth), 5 (Fifth), and 6 (Sixth) the
same for 2 (Second).
To stop, let up on the accelerator
pedal and press the brake pedal.
Just before the vehicle stops, press
the clutch pedal and the brake
pedal, and shift to Neutral.
Neutral: Use this position when
you start or idle your engine. Your
shift lever is in Neutral when it is
centered in the shift pattern, not in
any gear.
R (Reverse): To back up, press
down the clutch pedal, completely
stop the vehicle, and shift into
R (Reverse). Let up on the clutch
pedal slowly while pressing the
accelerator pedal.

Black plate (31,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-31
The CTS-V transmission prevents
easily shifting into R (Reverse) using
normal shifting force while the
vehicle is moving at more than
5 km/h (3 mph), or when the ignition
is in LOCK/OFF.
Shift Speeds (Manual
Transmission)
{WARNING
If you skip a gear when you
downshift, you could lose control
of the vehicle. You could injure
yourself or others. Do not shift
down more than one gear at a
time when you downshift.
Notice: If you skip more than one
gear when you downshift, or if
you race the engine when you
release the clutch pedal while
downshifting, you could damage
the engine, clutch, driveshaft or
the transmission. Do not skip
gears or race the engine when
downshifting. If the vehicle speed drops below
32 km/h (20 mph), or if the engine is
not running smoothly, downshift to
the next lower gear. You may have
to downshift two or more gears to
keep the engine running smoothly
or for good performance.
Up-Shift Light
Vehicles with a manual transmission
have an up‐shift light on the
instrument panel. This light shows
when to shift to the next higher gear
for the best fuel economy.
When this light comes on, you can
shift to the next higher gear if
weather, road, and traffic conditions
allow. For the best fuel economy,
accelerate slowly and shift when the
light comes on.
While you accelerate, it is normal for
the light to go on and off if you
quickly change the position of the
accelerator. Ignore the light when
you downshift.
CTS-V vehicles use tracer lights
around the outside of the
tachometer as a performance
up‐shift light. These tracers flash to
indicate when to shift to the next
higher gear to avoid the engine
speed limit. See
Tachometer
on
page 5‑13for more information.
Skip Shift (CTS‐V)
Under light acceleration, the
transmission will only allow you to
shift from 1 (First) to 4 (Fourth).
Shifts from 1 (First) to 2 (Second) or
3 (Third) are not allowed. This helps
improve fuel mileage.
Under harder acceleration, Skip
Shift is disabled, and the driver has
all gears available.

Black plate (32,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
9-32 Driving and Operating
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive
Vehicles with this feature always
send engine power to all four
wheels. It is fully automatic, and
adjusts itself as needed for road
conditions.
When using a compact spare tire on
an AWD vehicle, the system
automatically detects the compact
spare and disables AWD. To restore
AWD operation and prevent
excessive wear on the system,
replace the compact spare with a
full-size tire as soon as possible.
SeeCompact Spare Tire
on
page 10‑111for more information.
Brakes
Antilock Brake
System (ABS)
This vehicle has the Antilock Brake
System (ABS), an advanced
electronic braking system that helps
prevent a braking skid.
When the engine is started and the
vehicle begins to drive away, ABS
checks itself. A momentary motor or
clicking noise might be heard while
this test is going on, and it might
even be noticed that the brake
pedal moves a little. This is normal.
If there is a problem with ABS, this
warning light stays on. See Antilock
Brake System (ABS) Warning Light
on page 5‑23. If driving safely on a wet road and it
becomes necessary to slam on the
brakes and continue braking to
avoid a sudden obstacle, a
computer senses that the 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
to each wheel, as required, faster
than any driver could. This can help
the driver steer around the obstacle
while braking hard.
As the brakes are applied, the
computer keeps receiving updates
on wheel speed and controls
braking pressure accordingly.

Black plate (34,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
9-34 Driving and Operating
A warning chime will sound if the
parking brake is set, the ignition is
on, and the vehicle begins to move.
To stop the chime, fully release the
parking brake.
If you are towing a trailer and
parking on a hill, seeDriving
Characteristics and Towing Tips
on
page 9‑52for more information.
Parking Brake (Electric)
{WARNING
On vehicles with a manual
transmission, releasing the clutch
and pressing the accelerator will
release the Electric Parking
Brake. If the vehicle is not in a
gear, the vehicle could move, and
you or others could be injured.
Make sure the vehicle is in a gear
before attempting to drive away.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
To avoid unexpected vehicle
movement, do not partially
release the clutch or press the
accelerator pedal until you are
ready to release the parking
brake and drive away.
Vehicles with the electric parking
brake (EPB) have a switch in the
center console. The EPB takes the place of the
manual parking brake system, the
foot pedal and release handle. The
EPB can always be activated, even
if the ignition is OFF. To avoid
draining the battery, do not operate
the EPB too often without the
engine running.
The system has two warning lights
and five Driver Information Center
(DIC) messages. See
Brake System
Warning Light
on page 5‑22and
Driver Information Center (DIC)on
page 5‑27for more information. In
case of insufficient electrical power,
the EPB cannot be applied or
released.

Black plate (37,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-37
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control
System (TCS)
The vehicle has a Traction Control
System (TCS) 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.
The system may be heard or felt
while it is working, but this is
normal.The TCS/StabiliTrak warning light
flashes when the traction control
system is limiting wheel spin.
The TCS/StabiliTrak warning light
comes on if there is a problem with
the traction control system. When
the TCS/StabiliTrak warning light is
on, the system will not limit wheel
spin. Adjust your driving
accordingly. SeeTraction Control
System (TCS)/StabiliTrak
®Lighton
page 5‑24for more information.
TCS automatically comes on
whenever the vehicle is started. To
limit wheel spin, especially in
slippery road conditions, the system
should always be left on, but it may
be necessary to turn the system off
if the vehicle is stuck in sand, mud
or snow and rocking the vehicle is
required. See If the Vehicle is Stuck
on page 9‑11for more information. See
Winter Driving
on page 9‑9for information on using TCS when
driving in snowy or icy conditions.
This button is located on the
instrument panel (CTS) or the
steering wheel (CTS-V).
Press and release the TCS/
StabiliTrak button and the traction
control system will turn off and the
TCS/StabiliTrak warning light will
come on. Press the button again to
turn the system back on. For
information on turning StabiliTrak off
and on, see StabiliTrak System
following.
Adding non‐dealer accessories can
affect your vehicle's performance.
SeeAccessories and Modifications
on page 10‑4for more information.

Black plate (47,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-47
Fuel
Use of the recommended fuel
is an important part of the proper
maintenance of this vehicle. To help
keep the engine clean and maintain
optimum vehicle performance, we
recommend the use of gasoline
advertised as TOP TIER Detergent
Gasoline.
Look for the TOP TIER label on the
fuel pump to ensure gasoline meets
enhanced detergency standards
developed by auto companies. A list
of marketers providing TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline can be found at
www.toptiergas.com.
The 8th digit of the Vehicle
Identification Number (VIN) shows
the code letter or number that
identifies the vehicle's engine. TheVIN is at the top left of the
instrument panel. See
Vehicle
Identification Number (VIN)
on
page 12‑1.
Recommended Fuel
If the vehicle has a V6 engine, use
regular unleaded gasoline with a
posted octane rating of 87 or higher.
If the octane rating is less than 87,
an audible knocking noise,
commonly referred to as spark
knock, might be heard when driving.
If this occurs, use a gasoline rated
at 87 octane or higher as soon as
possible. If heavy knocking is heard
when using gasoline rated at
87 octane or higher, the engine
needs service.
If the vehicle has the 6.2L V8 engine
(VIN Code P), use premium
unleaded gasoline with a posted
octane rating of 91 or higher. For
best performance, use premium
unleaded gasoline with a posted
octane rating of 93. In an
emergency, you can use regular