Black plate (65,1)Cadillac DTS Owner Manual - 2011
WARNING: (Continued)
forward-facing child restraint can be seriously
injured or killed if the right front passenger airbag
inflates and the passenger seat is in a forward
position.
Even if the passenger sensing system has turned
off the right front passenger frontal airbag and
seat-mounted side impact airbag (if equipped),
no system is fail-safe. No one can guarantee that
an airbag will not deploy under some unusual
circumstance, even though the airbag(s) are off.
Secure rear-facing child restraints in a rear seat,
even if the airbag(s) are off. If you secure a
forward-facing child restraint in the right front seat,
always move the front passenger seat as far back
as it will go. It is better to secure the child restraint
in a rear seat.
The passenger sensing system is designed to turn off
the right front passenger airbag and seat‐mounted side
impact airbag if:
.The right front passenger seat is unoccupied.
.The system determines that an infant is present in
a rear-facing infant seat.
.The system determines that a small child is
present in a child restraint.
.The system determines that a small child is
present in a booster seat.
.A right front passenger takes his/her weight off of
the seat for a period of time.
.The right front passenger seat is occupied by a
smaller person, such as a child who has outgrown
child restraints.
.Or, if there is a critical problem with the airbag
system or the passenger sensing system.
When the passenger sensing system has turned off the
right front passenger frontal airbag and seat‐mounted
side impact airbag, the off indicator will light and stay lit
to remind you that the airbags are off. See Passenger
Airbag Status Indicator on page 4‑48.
The passenger sensing system is designed to turn on
(may inflate) the right front passenger frontal airbag and
seat‐mounted side impact airbag anytime the system
senses that a person of adult size is sitting properly in
the right front passenger seat.
When the passenger sensing system has allowed the
airbags to be enabled, the on indicator will light and
stay lit to remind you that the airbags are active.
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Black plate (66,1)Cadillac DTS Owner Manual - 2011
For some children who have outgrown child restraints
and for very small adults, the passenger sensing
system may or may not turn off the right front passenger
frontal airbag and seat-mounted side impact airbag,
depending upon the person’s seating posture and body
build. Everyone in the vehicle who has outgrown child
restraints should wear a safety belt properly—whether
or not there is an airbag for that person.
{WARNING:
If the airbag readiness light ever comes on and
stays on, it means that something may be wrong
with the airbag system. To help avoid injury to
yourself or others, have the vehicle serviced right
away. See Airbag Readiness Light
on page 4‑48
for more information, including important safety
information.
If the On Indicator is Lit for a Child
Restraint
If a child restraint has been installed and the on
indicator is lit:
1. Turn the vehicle off.
2. Remove the child restraint from the vehicle. 3. Remove any additional items from the seat such
as blankets, cushions, seat covers, seat heaters,
or seat massagers.
4. Reinstall the child restraint following the directions provided by the child restraint manufacturer and
refer to Securing a Child Restraint in the Right
Front Seat Position on page 2‑50.
5. If, after reinstalling the child restraint and restarting the vehicle, the on indicator is still lit, turn the
vehicle off. Then slightly recline the vehicle
seatback and adjust the seat cushion, if adjustable,
to make sure that the vehicle seatback is not
pushing the child restraint into the seat cushion.
Also make sure the child restraint is not trapped
under the vehicle head restraint. If this happens,
adjust the head restraint. See Head Restraints
on
page 2‑2.
6. Restart the vehicle. If the on indicator is still lit, secure the child in the
child restraint in a rear seat position in the vehicle,
and check with your dealer.
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Black plate (71,1)Cadillac DTS Owner Manual - 2011
Replacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash
{WARNING:
A crash can damage the restraint systems in your
vehicle. A damaged restraint system may not
properly protect the person using it, resulting in
serious injury or even death in a crash. To help
make sure your restraint systems are working
properly after a crash, have them inspected and
any necessary replacements made as soon as
possible.
If the vehicle has been in a crash, do you need new
safety belts or LATCH system (if equipped) parts?
After a very minor crash, nothing may be necessary. But
the safety belt assemblies that were used during any
crash may have been stressed or damaged. See your
dealer to have the safety belt assemblies inspected or
replaced. If the vehicle has the LATCH system and it was being
used during a crash, you may need new LATCH system
parts.
New parts and repairs may be necessary even if the
safety belt or LATCH system (if equipped), was not
being used at the time of the crash.
If an airbag inflates, you will need to replace airbag
system parts. See the part on the airbag system earlier
in this section.
Have the safety belt pretensioners checked if the
vehicle has been in a crash, if the airbag readiness light
stays on after the vehicle is started, or while you are
driving. See
Airbag Readiness Light
on page 4‑48.
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Black plate (23,1)Cadillac DTS Owner Manual - 2011
A (STOPPING THE ENGINE/LOCK/OFF):When the
vehicle is stopped, turn the ignition switch to LOCK/OFF
to turn the engine off. Retained Accessory Power (RAP)
will remain active. See Retained Accessory Power
(RAP) on page 3‑24.
This is the only position in which the ignition key can be
inserted or removed. This position locks the ignition and
transmission and steering column.
Do not turn the engine off when the vehicle is moving.
This will cause a loss of power assist in the brake and
steering systems and disable the airbags.
In an emergency:
1. Brake using a firm and steady pressure. Do not pump the brakes repeatedly. This may deplete
power assist, requiring increased brake pedal
force.
2. Shift the vehicle to neutral. This can be done while the vehicle is moving. After shifting to neutral,
firmly apply the brakes and steer the vehicle to a
safe location.
3. Come to a complete stop, shift to P (Park), and turn the ignition to LOCK/OFF. On vehicles with
an automatic transmission, the shift lever must
be in P (Park) to turn the ignition switch to the
LOCK/OFF position.
4. Set the parking brake. See Parking Brake
on
page 3‑29. The steering can bind with the wheels turned off center.
If this happens, move the steering wheel from right to
left while turning the key to ACC/ACCESSORY. If this
doesn't work, the vehicle needs service.
B (ACC/ACCESSORY):
This position lets the radio
and windshield wipers operate while the engine is off.
To use ACC/ACCESSORY, turn the key clockwise.
C (ON/RUN): This position is where the key returns to
after the vehicle is started. This position displays some
of the warning and indicator lights.
The battery could be drained if you leave the key in
the ACC/ACCESSORY or ON/RUN position with the
engine off. You may not be able to start the vehicle if
the battery is allowed to drain for an extended period
of time.
D (START): This position starts the engine.
A warning chime will sound and the Driver Information
Center (DIC) will display DRIVER DOOR OPEN when
the driver door is opened if the ignition is in LOCK/OFF,
ACC/ACCESSORY and the key is in the ignition. See
DIC Warnings and Messages
on page 4‑65for more
information.
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Black plate (29,1)Cadillac DTS Owner Manual - 2011
3 (Third):This position is also used for normal driving.
However, it reduces vehicle speed more than D (Drive)
without using the brakes. You might choose 3 (Third)
instead of D (Drive) when driving on hilly, winding roads,
when towing a trailer, so there is less shifting between
gears and when going down a steep hill.
2 (Second): This position reduces vehicle speed more
than 3 (Third) without using the brakes. You can use
2 (Second) on hills. It can help control vehicle speed as
you go down steep mountain roads, but then you would
also want to use the brakes off and on.
Notice: Do not shift into 2 (Second) unless you are
going slower than 65 mph (105 km/h), or you can
damage the engine and/or transmission.
1 (First): This position reduces vehicle speed even
more than 2 (Second) without using the brakes. You can
use it on very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud. If the
shift lever is put in 1 (First) while the vehicle is moving
forward, the transmission will not shift into first gear until
the vehicle is going slowly enough.
Notice: Spinning the tires or holding the vehicle in
one place on a hill using only the accelerator pedal
may damage the transmission. The repair will not be
covered by the vehicle warranty. If you are stuck, do
not spin the tires. When stopping on a hill, use the
brakes to hold the vehicle in place.Performance Shifting
If the vehicle has this feature, it can detect a change in
driving patterns. If you make an aggressive driving
maneuver, the vehicle's transmission automatically
shifts to the lowest possible gear to maximize vehicle
performance. The vehicle will automatically return to
normal operation when you return to normal driving
patterns.
Parking Brake
The parking brake pedal
is located to the left of the
regular brake pedal, near
the driver door.
To set the parking brake, hold the regular brake pedal
down, then push the parking brake pedal down.
If the ignition is on, the brake system warning light on
the instrument panel cluster should come on. If it does
not, you need to have the vehicle serviced.
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Black plate (30,1)Cadillac DTS Owner Manual - 2011
A warning chime will sound if the parking brake is set,
the ignition is on, and the vehicle speed is greater than
5 mph (8 km/h). The brake light will come on and stay
on until the parking brake is released. SeeBrake
System Warning Light
on page 4‑50for more
information.
To release the parking brake, hold the regular brake
pedal down, then push the parking brake pedal down.
When you lift your foot off the parking brake pedal, the
pedal will follow your foot to the released position.
Notice: Driving with the parking brake on can
overheat the brake system and cause premature
wear or damage to brake system parts. Make sure
that the parking brake is fully released and the
brake warning light is off before driving.
If you are towing a trailer and are parking on any hill,
see Towing a Trailer on page 5‑26.
Shifting Into Park
{WARNING:
It can be dangerous to get out of the vehicle if the
shift lever is not fully in P (Park) with the parking
brake firmly set. The vehicle can roll. If you have
left the engine running, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You or others could be injured. To be
sure the vehicle will not move, even when you are
on fairly level ground, use the steps that follow.
If you are pulling a trailer, see Towing a Trailer
on
page 5‑26
.
Steering Column Shift Lever
If the vehicle has a steering column shift lever, use this
procedure to shift the vehicle into P (Park):
1. Hold the brake pedal down.
2. Move the shift lever into P (Park) by pulling the shift lever toward you and moving it up as far as it
will go.
3. With your foot still holding the brake pedal down, set the parking brake. See Parking Brake
on
page 3‑29for more information.
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Black plate (39,1)Cadillac DTS Owner Manual - 2011
{WARNING:
The Ultrasonic Front and Rear Park Assist
(UFRPA) system does not replace driver vision.
It cannot detect:
.objects that are below the bumper, underneath
the vehicle, or if they are too close or far from
the vehicle
.children, pedestrians, bicyclists, or pets.
If you do not use proper care before moving
forward and while backing; vehicle damage, injury,
or death could occur. Even with UFRPA, always
check in front of the vehicle before moving
forward and behind the vehicle before backing up.
While moving forward and backing, be sure to
look for objects and check the vehicle's mirrors.
Front Parking Assist Display
Rear Parking AssistDisplay
The front display is located on top of the instrument
panel to the right of the driver. The front display will
have either three or six lights to provide distance and
system information. With Adaptive Cruise control (ACC),
it will have three lights along with the ACC lights.
Without ACC, it will have six lights. High-toned beeps
from the front speakers are for objects detected near
the front bumper.
The rear display is located near the rear window and
can be seen by looking over your right shoulder. The
rear display uses three color-coded lights to provide
distance and system information. Low-toned beeps from
the rear speakers are for the rear bumper.
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Black plate (42,1)Cadillac DTS Owner Manual - 2011
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA)
The vehicle may have a Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA)
system. Read this entire section before using the
system.
{WARNING:
SBZA is only a lane changing aid and does not
replace driver vision. SBZA does not detect:
.Vehicles outside the side blind zones which
may be rapidly approaching.
.Pedestrians, bicyclists, or animals.
Failure to use proper care when changing lanes
may result in damage to the vehicle, injury,
or death. Always check the outside and rearview
mirrors, glance over your shoulder, and use the
turn signal before changing lanes.
When the system detects a vehicle in the side blind
zone, amber SBZA displays will light up in the side
mirrors. This indicates that it may be unsafe to change
lanes. Before making a lane change, always check the SBZA display, check the outside and rearview mirrors,
look over your shoulder for vehicles and hazards, and
use the turn signal.
SBZA Detection Zones
The SBZA sensor covers a zone of approximately
one lane over from both sides of the vehicle, 3.5 m
(11 ft). This zone starts at each side mirror and goes
back approximately 5 m (16 ft). The height of the zone is
approximately between 0.5 m (1.5 ft) and 2.0 m (6 ft) off
the ground.
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