Page 165 of 470
Black plate (3,1)Cadillac DTS Owner Manual - 2011
Instrument Panel Overview
Hazard Warning Flashers
|(Hazard Warning Flasher):Press this button
located on the instrument panel, to make the front and
rear turn signal lamps flash on and off. This warns
others that you are having trouble.
Press
|again to turn the flashers off.
Horn
Press near or on the horn symbols on the steering
wheel pad to sound the horn.
Tilt Wheel
This feature allows the position of the steering wheel to
be adjusted.
The adjustment lever is
located on the left side of
the steering column.
1. Pull the lever to move the steering wheel up or down.
2. Release the lever to lock the wheel in place.
Do not adjust the steering wheel while driving.
4-3
Page 168 of 470

Black plate (6,1)Cadillac DTS Owner Manual - 2011
If after signaling a turn or lane change the arrow flashes
rapidly or does not come on, a signal bulb may be
burned out.
Have the bulbs replaced. If the bulb is not burned out,
check the fuse. SeeFuses and Circuit Breakers
on
page 6‑104.
Turn Signal On Chime
If the turn signal is left on, a warning chime sounds and
the Driver Information Center (DIC) will display TURN
SIGNAL ON after driving about a mile as a reminder
to turn it off. See DIC Warnings and Messages
on
page 4‑65.
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer
Push forward to change the headlamps from low beam
to high. Pull the lever back and then release it to
change from high beam to low.
This light on the
instrument panel cluster
will be on, indicating
high-beam usage.
Forward Collision Alert (FCA)
System
For vehicles with this feature, read the following section
before using it.
This vehicle has systems that operate on a radio
frequency that comply with Part 15 of the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) rules and with
Industry Canada Standards RSS‐210/220/310.
Operation is subject to the following two conditions:
1. The device may not cause interference.
2. The device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired
operation of the device.
Changes or modifications to this system by other than
an authorized service facility could void authorization to
use this equipment.
4-6
Page 169 of 470

Black plate (7,1)Cadillac DTS Owner Manual - 2011
The Forward Collision Alert (FCA) system provides an
audible and visual alert if you approach a vehicle too
quickly that is directly ahead. FCA also provides a
visual alert with no audible alert if you are following
another vehicle much too closely. The FCA alert symbol
is located on top of the instrument panel to the right of
the driver. FCA uses the Adaptive Cruise Control radar
to detect a vehicle directly ahead, in your path, within a
distance of 328 ft (100 m) and operates at speeds
above 20 mph (32 km/h).
{WARNING:
FCA is only a warning system and does not apply
the brakes. When you are approaching a vehicle
or object too rapidly or when you are following a
vehicle too closely that is ahead of you, FCA may
not provide you with enough time to avoid a
collision. FCA is not designed to warn the driver of
pedestrians or animals. Your complete attention is
always required while driving and you should be
ready to take action and apply the brakes. For
more information, seeDefensive Driving
on
page 5‑2
.
The FCA control is
located on the steering
wheel.
To enable or disable FCA, press the Adaptive Cruise
Control button. See Adaptive Cruise Control
on
page 4‑14.
4-7
Page 170 of 470
Black plate (8,1)Cadillac DTS Owner Manual - 2011
FCA is enabled when the green light on the button
is lit. FCA is disabled when the indicator light is
amber.
{WARNING:
.On winding roads, FCA may not detect a
vehicle ahead. You could crash into a vehicle
ahead of you. Do not rely on FCA on winding
roads.
.When weather limits visibility, such as in fog,
rain, or snow, FCA performance is limited.
There may not be enough warning distance to
the vehicle in front of you. Do not rely on FCA
in low visibility conditions.
{WARNING:
When FCA is enabled, the Adaptive Cruise
Control switch is on. If you press another Adaptive
Cruise Control button, you might go into cruise
when you do not want to. You could be startled
and even lose control. Be careful not to press
adaptive cruise buttons unless you want to use
cruise control.
Alerting the Driver
The FCA alert symbol will
flash and a warning beep
will sound when driver
action may be required.
4-8
Page 171 of 470

Black plate (9,1)Cadillac DTS Owner Manual - 2011
The alert symbol will flash when:
.Your vehicle is approaching another vehicle too
quickly.
.Your vehicle is following a vehicle ahead of you
much too closely.
See Defensive Driving
on page 5‑2for more
information.
Detecting the Vehicle Ahead
The vehicle ahead symbol, located next to the FCA
symbol, only appears when a vehicle ahead of you is
detected in your path. If this symbol does not appear,
or disappears briefly, FCA will not respond to vehicles
you may see ahead. The symbol may disappear on
curves, highway exit ramps, or hills. Also, when another
vehicle enters the same lane as you, the FCA system
will not detect the vehicle until it is completely in your
driving lane.
{WARNING:
When the Adaptive Cruise Control radar is
blocked by snow, ice, or dirt, it may not detect a
vehicle ahead. FCA may not help you avoid a
collision under these conditions. Do not use FCA
(Continued)
WARNING: (Continued)
when the radar is blocked by snow, ice, or dirt.
Keep your radar clean. See“Cleaning the
System” underAdaptive Cruise Control
on
page 4‑14
.
{WARNING:
FCA may not detect and warn soon enough to
stationary or slow-moving vehicles or other
objects ahead of you. You could crash into an
object ahead of you. Do not rely on FCA when
approaching stationary or slow-moving vehicles or
other objects.
Unnecessary Alerts
FCA may occasionally provide alerts that you consider
unnecessary. It could respond to a turning vehicle
ahead of you, guard rails, signs, and other stationary
objects. This is normal operation, your vehicle does not
need service.
4-9
Page 172 of 470

Black plate (10,1)Cadillac DTS Owner Manual - 2011
Other Messages
There are three messages that may appear on the
Driver Information Center (DIC). They are CLEAN
RADAR, RADAR CRUISE NOT READY and SERVICE
RADAR CRUISE. SeeDIC Warnings and Messages
on
page 4‑65.
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
lens. See “Cleaning the System” underAdaptive Cruise
Control on page 4‑14.
Flash-to-Pass
This feature lets you use the high-beam headlamps to
signal the driver in front of you that you want to pass.
The flash-to-pass feature will only work with the
headlamps on. It does not work with Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL).
Pull and hold the turn signal lever toward you to use.
If the headlamps are on low beam, pulling the turn
signal towards you will flash the high beams.
Windshield Wipers
The windshield wiper lever is located on the left side of
the steering column.
Turn the band with the wiper symbol on it to control the
windshield wipers.
8(Mist): For a single wiping cycle, hold it on mist until
the wipers start, then release. The wipers stop after
one wipe. Several wipes, hold the band longer.
6(Delay): Use to set the delay time between wipe
cycles. The wiper speed can be set for a long or short
delay between wipes. The closer the band is set to the
top of the lever, the shorter the delay.
4-10
Page 173 of 470

Black plate (11,1)Cadillac DTS Owner Manual - 2011
6(Low Speed): Slow wipes.
1 (High Speed): Fast wipes.
9 (Off): Turns the wipers off.
Clear ice and snow from the wiper blades before using
them. If frozen to the windshield, carefully loosen or
thaw them. Damaged blades should be replaced.
Heavy snow or ice can overload the wiper motor.
A circuit breaker will stop the motor until it cools.
The vehicle has wiper-activated headlamps. After the
windshield wipers have completed eight wipe cycles
within four minutes, the headlamps automatically turn
on. See Wiper Activated Headlamps
on page 4‑28for
more information.
Windshield Washer
{WARNING:
In freezing weather, do not use your washer until
the windshield is warmed. Otherwise the washer
fluid can form ice on the windshield, blocking your
vision.
J(Washer Fluid): Press and release this paddle,
located at the top of the turn signal/multifunction lever,
to spray washer fluid on the windshield. The wipers will
clear the windshield and either stop or return to the
preset speed. For more washer cycles, press and hold
the paddle.
4-11
Page 174 of 470

Black plate (12,1)Cadillac DTS Owner Manual - 2011
Cruise Control
With cruise control, a speed of approximately 40 km/h
(25 mph) or more can be maintained without keeping
your foot on the accelerator. Cruise control does not
work at speeds below about 40 km/h (25 mph). A cruise
control light appears in the instrument panel cluster
when the cruise control is on.
When the brakes are applied, the cruise control
shuts off.
{WARNING:
Cruise control can be dangerous where you
cannot drive safely at a steady speed. So, do not
use the cruise control on winding roads or in
heavy traffic.
Cruise control can be dangerous on slippery
roads. On such roads, fast changes in tire traction
can cause excessive wheel slip, and you could
lose control. Do not use cruise control on slippery
roads.If your vehicle is in cruise control when the Traction
Control System (TCS) begins to limit wheel spin, the
cruise control automatically turns off. See
Traction
Control System (TCS)
on page 5‑6. When road
conditions let you safely use it again, the cruise control
can be turned back on.
The cruise control buttons
are located on left side of
the steering wheel.
I(On/Off): Press to turn the cruise control system on
or off.
+ RES (Resume/Accelerate): Press briefly to make the
vehicle resume to a previously set speed or press and
hold to accelerate.
4-12