2011 CADILLAC DTS ignition

Black plate (31,1)Cadillac DTS Owner Manual - 2011
Parade Dimming
This feature prohibits dimming of the digital displays
and backlighting during daylight hours when the key is
in the ignition and the headlamps are on. This feature is
fully automatic. When the light sensor reads darkness
outside and the parking lamps are active, the digital
displays can be adjusted by turning the instrument
panel brightness knob counterclockwise to dim and
clockwise to brighten lighting.
Reading Lamps
The reading lamps are located on the overhead console
on the headliner and in the rear door opening. These
lamps come on automatically when any door is opened
and it is dark outside.
For manual operation, press the button to turn them on.
Press it again to turn them off.
If the reading lamps are left on, they automatically shut
off 10 minutes after the ignition has been turned off.
Footwell Lamps
For vehicles with footwell lamps, they are located under
the instrument panel and at the rear of the front seats.
These lamps provide soft light to the front and rear floor
areas. They dim with the instrument panel cluster lights.Footwell lighting brightness can be adjusted with the
instrument panel brightness control located below the
exterior lamps control. See
Instrument Panel Brightness
on page 4‑30. The footwell lights will turn off before the
instrument panel lights are at their lowest level of
brightness.
Battery Load Management
This feature monitors the vehicle's electrical load and
determines when the battery is in a heavy discharge
condition. During times of high electrical loading, the
engine may idle at a higher revolutions per minute (rpm)
setting than normal to make sure the battery charges.
High electrical loads may occur when several of the
following are on: headlamps, high beams, fog lamps,
rear window defogger, the climate control fan at high
speeds, heated seats and engine cooling fans.
If the battery continues to discharge, even with the
engine idling at a higher rpm setting, some electrical
loads will automatically be reduced. When this occurs,
the rear window defogger may take slightly longer to
clear the glass, the heated seats may not get as warm
as they usually do and the climate control fan may
cut back to a lower speed. For more battery saving
information, see “Battery Saver Active Message” under
DIC Warnings and Messages on page 4‑65.
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Black plate (32,1)Cadillac DTS Owner Manual - 2011
Electric Power Management
The vehicle has Electric Power Management (EPM) that
estimates the battery's temperature and state of charge.
It then adjusts the voltage for best performance and
extended life of the battery.
When the battery's state of charge is low, the voltage
is raised slightly to quickly bring the charge back up.
When the state of charge is high, the voltage is lowered
slightly to prevent overcharging. If the vehicle has a
voltmeter gauge or a voltage display on the Driver
Information Center (DIC), you may see the voltage
move up or down. This is normal. If there is a problem,
an alert will be displayed.
The battery can be discharged at idle if the electrical
loads are very high. This is true for all vehicles. This is
because the generator (alternator) may not be spinning
fast enough at idle to produce all the power that is
needed for very high electrical loads.
A high electrical load occurs when several of the
following are on, such as: headlamps, high beams, fog
lamps, rear window defogger, climate control fan at high
speed, heated seats, engine cooling fans, trailer loads,
and loads plugged into accessory power outlets.EPM works to prevent excessive discharge of the
battery. It does this by balancing the generator's output
and the vehicle's electrical needs. It can increase
engine idle speed to generate more power, whenever
needed. It can temporarily reduce the power demands
of some accessories.
Normally, these actions occur in steps or levels, without
being noticeable. In rare cases at the highest levels
of corrective action, this action may be noticeable to
the driver. If so, a Driver Information Center (DIC)
message might be displayed, such as BATTERY
SAVER ACTIVE, BATTERY VOLTAGE LOW, or
LOW BATTERY. If this message is displayed, it is
recommended that the driver reduce the electrical loads
as much as possible. See
DIC Warnings and Messages
on page 4‑65.
Inadvertent Power Battery Saver
This feature protects the vehicle battery against
drainage from the interior lamps, trunk lamp, glove box
lamp, or the garage door opener. When the ignition is
turned off, the power to these features automatically
turns off after 10 minutes. Power is restored for an
additional 10 minutes if any door or trunk is opened,
or the courtesy lamp switch is turned on.
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Black plate (33,1)Cadillac DTS Owner Manual - 2011
Battery Run-Down Protection
This feature helps prevent the battery from being
drained, if the interior courtesy lamps, reading/map
lamps, visor vanity lamps or trunk lamp are accidentally
left on. If any of these lamps are left on, they
automatically turn off after 10 minutes, if the ignition is
off. The lamps will not come back on again until one of
the following occurs:
.The ignition is turned on.
.The exterior lamps control is turned off, then on
again.
The headlamps will timeout after 10 minutes, if they are
manually turned on with the ignition on or off.
Accessory Power Outlet(s)
The accessory power outlets can be used to plug in
electrical equipment, such as a cell phone or MP3
player.
If the vehicle has a center console, the power outlet is
located inside the lower storage area. Some vehicles
may have an outlet on the right front lower part of the
driver's seat and under the climate control system
next to the ashtray. See Center Console Storage
on
page 3‑54. There are two accessory power outlets in the rear seat
area located on the door armrests next to the ashtrays.
Remove the cover to access and replace when not
in use.
The accessory power outlet can be used at any time.
{WARNING:
Power is always supplied to the outlets. Do not
leave electrical equipment plugged in when the
vehicle is not in use because the vehicle could
catch fire and cause injury or death.
Notice: Leaving electrical equipment plugged in for
an extended period of time while the vehicle is off
will drain the battery. Always unplug electrical
equipment when not in use and do not plug in
equipment that exceeds the maximum 20 ampere
rating.
Certain accessory power plugs may not be compatible
with the accessory power outlet and could overload
vehicle or adapter fuses. If a problem is experienced,
see your dealer.
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Black plate (49,1)Cadillac DTS Owner Manual - 2011
Then, after several more seconds, the status indicator
will light either ON or OFF, or either the on or off
symbol, to let you know the status of the right front
passenger frontal and seat-mounted side impact
airbags.
If the word ON or the on symbol is lit on the passenger
airbag status indicator, it means that the right front
passenger frontal airbag and seat-mounted side impact
airbag are enabled (may inflate).
If the word OFF or the off symbol is lit on the passenger
airbag status indicator, it means that the passenger
sensing system has turned off the right front passenger
frontal and seat‐mounted side impact airbag.
If, after several seconds, both status indicator lights
remain on, or if there are no lights at all, there may be
a problem with the lights or the passenger sensing
system. See your dealer for service.
{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. SeeAirbag Readiness Light
on page 4‑48
for more information, including important safety
information.
Charging System Light
This light comes on briefly
when the ignition key is
turned to START, but the
engine is not running, as
a check to show it is
working.
If it does not, have the vehicle serviced by your dealer.
The light should go out once the engine starts. If it stays
on, or comes on while driving, there could be a problem
with the charging system. A charging system message
in the Driver Information Center (DIC) can also appear.
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Black plate (50,1)Cadillac DTS Owner Manual - 2011
SeeDIC Warnings and Messageson page 4‑65for
more information. This light could indicate that there are
problems with a generator drive belt, or that there is an
electrical problem. Have it checked right away. If the
vehicle must be driven a short distance with the light
on, turn off accessories, such as the radio and air
conditioner.
Brake System Warning Light
The vehicle brake system consists of two hydraulic
circuits. If one circuit is not working, the remaining
circuit can still work to stop the vehicle. For normal
braking performance, both circuits need to be working.
If the warning light comes on, there is a brake problem.
Have the brake system inspected right away.
EnglishMetric
This light comes on briefly when the engine is turned
on. If it does not come on then, have it fixed so it will be
ready to warn if there is a problem. When the ignition is on, the brake system warning light
also comes on when the parking brake is set. The light
will stay on if the parking brake does not release fully.
If it stays on after the parking brake is fully released, it
means there is a brake problem.
If the light comes on while driving, pull off the road and
stop carefully.The pedal may be harder to push, or the
pedal may go closer to the floor. It may take longer to
stop. If the light is still on, have the vehicle towed for
service. See
Towing Your Vehicle on page 5‑24.
{WARNING:
The brake system might not be working properly if
the brake system warning light is on. Driving with
the brake system warning light on can lead to a
crash. If the light is still on after the vehicle has
been pulled off the road and carefully stopped,
have the vehicle towed for service.
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Black plate (51,1)Cadillac DTS Owner Manual - 2011
Antilock Brake System (ABS)
Warning Light
For vehicles with the
Antilock Brake System
(ABS), this light comes on
briefly when the engine is
started.
If it does not, have the vehicle serviced by your dealer.
If the system is working normally the indicator light then
goes off.
If the ABS light stays on, turn the ignition off. If the light
comes on while driving, stop as soon as it is safely
possible and turn the ignition off. Then start the engine
again to reset the system. If the ABS light stays on,
or comes on again while driving, the vehicle needs
service. If the regular brake system warning light is not
on, the vehicle still has brakes, but not antilock brakes.
If the regular brake system warning light is also on, the
vehicle does not have antilock brakes and there is a
problem with the regular brakes. See Brake System
Warning Light on page 4‑50. For vehicles with a Driver Information Center (DIC), see
DIC Warnings and Messages
on page 4‑65for all
brake related DIC messages.
Traction Control System (TCS)
Warning Light
This warning light comes
on briefly while starting
the engine.
If it does not, have the vehicle serviced by your dealer.
If the system is working normally the indicator light will
then go off.
If it stays on, or comes on while driving, there may be a
problem with the traction control system and the vehicle
needs service. When this warning light is on, the
system will not limit wheel spin.
If the traction control system warning light comes on
and stays on when the system is turned on, the vehicle
needs service. See Traction Control System (TCS)
on
page 5‑6for more information.
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Black plate (54,1)Cadillac DTS Owner Manual - 2011
Tire Pressure Light
For vehicles with a Tire
Pressure Monitoring
System, this light comes
on briefly when the engine
is started. It provides
information about tire
pressures and the Tire
Pressure Monitoring
System.
When the Light is On Steady
This indicates that one or more of the tires is
significantly underinflated.
A tire pressure message in the Driver Information
Center (DIC), can accompany the light. SeeDriver
Information Center (DIC)
on page 4‑59for more
information. Stop and check the tires as soon as it is
safe to do so. If underinflated, inflate to the proper
pressure. See Inflation - Tire Pressure
on page 6‑57for more information.
When the Light Flashes First and Then is
On Steady
This indicates that there may be a problem with the Tire
Pressure Monitor System. The light flashes for about a
minute and stays on steady for the remainder of the
ignition cycle. This sequence repeats with every ignition
cycle. SeeTire Pressure Monitor Operation
on
page 6‑61for more information.
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
A computer system called OBD II (On-Board
Diagnostics-Second Generation) monitors operation
of the fuel, ignition, and emission control systems.
It ensures that emissions are at acceptable levels for
the life of the vehicle, helping to produce a cleaner
environment.
This light should come on
when the ignition is on,
but the engine is not
running, as a check to
show it is working. If it
does not, have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer.
If the Malfunction Indicator Lamp comes on and stays
on, while the engine is running, this indicates that there
is an OBD II problem and service is required.
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Black plate (56,1)Cadillac DTS Owner Manual - 2011
.If the vehicle has been driven through a deep
puddle of water, the vehicle's electrical system
might be wet. The condition is usually corrected
when the electrical system dries out. A few driving
trips should turn the light off.
.Make sure to fuel the vehicle with quality fuel.
Poor fuel quality causes the engine not to run as
efficiently as designed and can cause: stalling
after start-up, stalling when the vehicle is changed
into gear, misfiring, hesitation on acceleration,
or stumbling on acceleration. These conditions
might go away once the engine is warmed up.
If one or more of these conditions occurs, change
the fuel brand used. It will require at least one full
tank of the proper fuel to turn the light off.See Gasoline Octane on page 6‑5.
If none of the above have made the light turn off,
your dealer can check the vehicle. The dealer has the
proper test equipment and diagnostic tools to fix any
mechanical or electrical problems that might have
developed.
Emissions Inspection and Maintenance
Programs
Some state/provincial and local governments may have
programs to inspect the on-vehicle emission control
equipment For the inspection, the emission system
test equipment is connected to the vehicle’s Data Link
Connector (DLC).
The DLC is under the instrument panel to the left
of the steering wheel. See your dealer if assistance is
needed.
The vehicle may not pass inspection if:
.the Malfunction Indicator Lamp is on with the
engine running, or if the light does not come on
when the ignition is turned to ON/RUN while the
engine is off.
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