2011 CADILLAC SRX Owners Manual

Black plate (29,1)Cadillac SRX Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-29
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
transmission will automatically
downshift when the vehicle comes
to a stop. This will allow for more
power during take-off.
When accelerating the vehicle from
a stop in snowy and icy conditions,
you may want to shift into second
gear. A higher gear ratio allows you
to gain more traction on slippery
surfaces.Fuel Economy Mode
The vehicle may have a fuel
economy mode. When engaged,
fuel economy mode can improve
the vehicle's fuel economy.
Pressing the eco button by the
shift lever will engage fuel economy
mode. When activated, the eco lightin the instrument cluster will come
on. See
Fuel Economy Light on
page 5‑26. Pressing the button a
second time will turn fuel economy
mode off.
When fuel economy mode is on:
.The transmission will upshift
sooner, and downshift later.
.The torque converter will
lock–up sooner, and stay on
longer.
.The gas pedal will be less
sensitive.
.The vehicle's computers will
more aggressively shut off fuel
to the engine under deceleration.

Black plate (30,1)Cadillac SRX Owner Manual - 2011
9-30 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 10‑93 for 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 (31,1)Cadillac SRX Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-31
Remember: ABS does not change
the time needed to get a foot up to
the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too
close to the vehicle in front of you,
there will not be enough time to
apply the brakes if that vehicle
suddenly slows or stops. Always
leave enough room up ahead to
stop, even with ABS.
Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold
the brake pedal down firmly and let
ABS work. You might hear the ABS
pump or motor operating and feel
the brake pedal pulsate, but this is
normal.
Braking in Emergencies
ABS allows the driver to steer and
brake at the same time. In many
emergencies, steering can help
more than even the very best
braking.
Parking Brake
The vehicle has an Electric
Parking Brake (EPB). The switch
for the EPB is in the center console.
The EPB can always be activated,
even if the ignition is OFF. To avoiddraining the battery, do not cycle the
EPB too often without the engine
running. The EPB can be left
applied while the vehicle is parked.
The system has a Park Brake
Status light and a Park Brake
Warning light. See
Brake System
Warning Light on page 5‑22.
There are also three Driver
Information Center (DIC) messages.
See Driver Information Center (DIC)
on page 5‑28 for more information.
In case of insufficient electrical
power, the EPB cannot be applied
or released.
Before leaving the vehicle, check
the park brake status lamp to
ensure the park brake is applied.

Black plate (32,1)Cadillac SRX Owner Manual - 2011
9-32 Driving and Operating
EPB Apply
The EPB can be applied any time
the vehicle is stopped. The EPB is
applied by momentarily lifting up on
the EPB switch. Once fully applied,
the park brake status light will be
on. While the brake is being applied,
the status lamp will flash until full
apply is reached. If the light does
not come on, or remains flashing,
you need to have the vehicle
serviced. Do not drive the vehicle
if the park brake status light is
flashing. See your dealer. See
Brake System Warning Light on
page 5‑22for more information.
If the EPB is applied while the
vehicle is in motion, a chime will
sound, and the DIC message
“Release Park Brake” will be
displayed. The vehicle will
decelerate as long as the switch is
held in the up position. Releasing
the EPB switch during the
deceleration will release the parking
brake. If the switch is held in the up
position until the vehicle comes to a
stop, the EPB will remain applied. If the park brake status light flashes
continuously, the EPB is only
partially applied or released,
or there is a problem with the
EPB. The DIC message SERVICE
PARKING BRAKE will be displayed.
If this light flashes continuously,
release the EPB, and attempt to
apply it again. If this light continues
to flash, do not drive the vehicle.
See your dealer.
If the park brake warning light is on,
the EPB has detected an error in
another system and is operating
with reduced functionality. To apply
the EPB when this light is on, lift up
on the EPB switch and hold it in the
up position. Full application of the
parking brake by the EPB system
may take a longer period of time
than normal when this light is on.
Continue to hold the switch until the
park brake status light remains on.
If the park brake warning light is on,
see your dealer.
If the EPB fails to apply, the rear
wheels should be blocked to
prevent vehicle movement.
EPB Release
To release the EPB, place the
ignition in the ON/RUN position,
apply and hold the brake pedal,
and push down momentarily on
the EPB switch. If you attempt to
release the EPB without the brake
pedal applied, a chime will sound,
and the DIC message STEP ON
BRAKE TO RELEASE PARK
BRAKE will be displayed. The EPB
is released when the park brake
status light is off.
If the park brake warning light is
on, the EPB has detected an
error in another system and is
operating with reduced functionality.
To release the EPB when this light
is on, push down on the EPB switch
and hold it in the down position.
EPB release may take a longer
period of time than normal when
this light is on. Continue to hold the
switch until the park brake status
light is off. If the light is on, see your
dealer.

Black plate (33,1)Cadillac SRX Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-33
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.
Automatic EPB Release
The EPB will automatically release
if the vehicle is running, placed into
gear and an attempt is made to
drive away. Avoid rapid acceleration
when the EPB is applied, to
preserve park brake lining life.
If you are towing a trailer and
parking on a hill, see Driving
Characteristics and Towing Tips on
page 9‑54 for more information.
Brake Assist
This vehicle has a brake assist
feature designed to assist the
driver in stopping or decreasing
vehicle speed in emergency
driving conditions. This feature
uses the stability system hydraulic
brake control module to supplement
the power brake system under
conditions where the driver has
quickly and forcefully applied the
brake pedal in an attempt to quickly
stop or slow down the vehicle.
The stability system hydraulic brake
control module increases brake
pressure at each corner of the
vehicle until the ABS activates.
Minor brake pedal pulsation or
pedal movement during this time
is normal and the driver should
continue to apply the brake pedal
as the driving situation dictates.
The brake assist feature will
automatically disengage when
the brake pedal is released or
brake pedal pressure is quickly
decreased.
Hill Start Assist (HSA)
This vehicle has a Hill Start Assist
(HSA) feature, which may be useful
when the vehicle is stopped on a
grade. This feature is designed to
prevent the vehicle from rolling,
either forward or rearward, during
vehicle drive off. After driver
completely stops and holds the
vehicle in a complete standstill on
a grade, HSA will be automatically
activated. During the transition
period between when the driver
releases the brake pedal and starts
to accelerate to drive off on a grade,
HSA holds the braking pressure
to ensure that there is no rolling
back. The brakes will automatically
release when the accelerator pedal
is applied within the two second
window. It will not activate if the
vehicle is in a drive gear and facing
downhill or if the vehicle is facing
uphill and in R (Reverse).

Black plate (34,1)Cadillac SRX Owner Manual - 2011
9-34 Driving and Operating
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control
System (TCS)
The vehicle has a Traction Control
System (TCS) that limits wheel spin.
On a front-wheel-drive vehicle,
the system operates if it senses
that one or both of the front 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.
TCS is on whenever the vehicle
is started. To limit wheel spin,
especially in slippery roadconditions, the system should
always be left on. But, TCS can
be turned off if needed.
dflashes to indicate that the
traction control system is active.
If there is a problem detected
with TCS, SERVICE TRACTION
CONTROL and SERVICE
STABILITRAK may be displayed on
the Driver Information Center (DIC)
and
dwill be on. See Ride Control
System Messages on page 5‑37.
When this message is displayed
and
dcomes on and stays on,
the vehicle is safe to drive but the
system is not operational. Driving
should be adjusted accordingly. Notice:
Do not repeatedly brake
or accelerate heavily when TCS is
off. The vehicle's driveline could
be damaged.
If
dcomes on and stays on, reset
the system by:
1. Stopping the vehicle.
2. Turning the engine off and waiting 15 seconds.
3. Starting the engine.
If
dstill comes on and stays on at a
speed above 20 km/h (13 mph), see
your dealer for service.
A chime may also sound when the
light comes on steady.
The
gis located on the console.

Black plate (35,1)Cadillac SRX Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-35
The TCS off light comes on and
“TRACTION CONTROL OFF”is
displayed on the Driver Information
Center (DIC) to indicate that the
traction control system has been
turned off. See Ride Control System
Messages on page 5‑37.
TCS can be turned off by pressing
and releasing
g. When TCS is
turned off,
icomes on and
the system will not limit wheel
spin. Driving should be adjusted
accordingly. Press and release
g
again to turn the system back on. When TCS is turned off on AWD
vehicles, the system may still make
noise. This is normal and necessary
with AWD hardware.
It may be necessary to turn the
system off if the vehicle ever gets
stuck in sand, mud or snow and
rocking the vehicle is required.
See
If the Vehicle is Stuck on
page 9‑11 for more information.
See also Winter Driving on page 9‑9
for information on using TCS when
driving in snowy or icy conditions.
If cruise control is being used when
TCS activates, cruise control will
automatically disengage. Press the
cruise control button to re‐engage
when road conditions allow.
See Cruise Control on page 9‑38.
Adding non‐GM accessories can
affect the vehicle's performance.
See Accessories and Modifications
on page 10‑3 for more information.
StabiliTrak®System
The vehicle has a vehicle stability
enhancement system called
StabiliTrak. It is an advanced
computer controlled system that
assists with directional control of
the vehicle in difficult driving
conditions.
StabiliTrak activates when the
computer senses a difference
between the intended path and the
direction the vehicle is actually
traveling. StabiliTrak selectively
applies braking pressure to the
vehicle's brakes to help steer the
vehicle in the intended direction.
StabiliTrak is on automatically
whenever the vehicle is started.
To assist with directional control of
the vehicle, the system should
always be left on.

Black plate (36,1)Cadillac SRX Owner Manual - 2011
9-36 Driving and Operating
When the stability control system
activates, the Traction Control
System (TCS)/StabiliTrak light
will flash on the instrument panel.
This also occurs when traction
control is activated. A noise may
be heard or vibration may be felt
in the brake pedal. This is normal.
Continue to steer the vehicle in the
intended direction.
If there is a problem detected
with StabiliTrak, SERVICE
STABILITRAK is displayed on the
Driver Information Center (DIC)
and
dwill stay on. SeeVehicleMessages on page 5‑32. When
this message is displayed and/or
d
comes on and stays on, the vehicle
is safe to drive but the system is
not operational. Driving should be
adjusted accordingly. See
Ride
Control System Messages on
page 5‑37.
If
dcomes on and stays on, reset
the system by:
1. Stopping the vehicle.
2. Turning the engine off and waiting 15 seconds.
3. Starting the engine.
If
dstill comes on and stays on at a
speed above 20 km/h (13 mph), see
your dealer for service.
gis located on the console.
StabiliTrak can be turned off
if needed by pressing and
holding
guntilgandicome on the
instrument panel. When StabiliTrak
is turned off, the system will not
assist with directional control of the
vehicle or limit wheel spin. Driving
should be adjusted accordingly.
Press and release
gagain to turn
the system back on.