2011 CADILLAC SRX trailer

Black plate (20,1)Cadillac SRX Owner Manual - 2011
5-20 Instruments and Controls
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.
Malfunctions often are indicated by
the system before any problem is
apparent. Being aware of the light
can prevent more serious damage
to the vehicle. This system assists
the service technician in correctly
diagnosing any malfunction.
Notice:If the vehicle is
continually driven with this light
on, after a while, the emission
controls might not work as well,
the vehicle fuel economy might
not be as good, and the engine
might not run as smoothly.
This could lead to costly repairs
that might not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Notice:
Modifications made
to the engine, transmission,
exhaust, intake, or fuel system
of the vehicle or the replacement
of the original tires with other
than those of the same Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC) can
affect the vehicle's emission
controls and can cause this
light to come on. Modifications
to these systems could lead
to costly repairs not covered
by the vehicle warranty. This
could also result in a failure
to pass a required Emission
Inspection/Maintenance
test. See Accessories and
Modifications on page 10‑3.
This light comes on during a
malfunction in one of two ways:
Light Flashing: A misfire condition
has been detected. A misfire
increases vehicle emissions and
could damage the emission control
system on the vehicle. Diagnosis
and service might be required. To prevent more serious damage to
the vehicle:
.Reduce vehicle speed.
.Avoid hard accelerations.
.Avoid steep uphill grades.
.If towing a trailer, reduce the
amount of cargo being hauled
as soon as it is possible.
If the light continues to flash, when
it is safe to do so, stop the vehicle.
Find a safe place to park the
vehicle. Turn the vehicle off, wait at
least 10 seconds, and restart the
engine. If the light is still flashing,
follow the previous steps and see
your dealer for service as soon as
possible.
Light On Steady: An emission
control system malfunction has
been detected on the vehicle.
Diagnosis and service might be
required.

Black plate (8,1)Cadillac SRX Owner Manual - 2011
6-8 Lighting
Battery Load
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 one of these messages displays,
it is recommended that the driver
reduce the electrical loads as much
as possible. See
Driver Information
Center (DIC) on page 5‑28.

Black plate (2,1)Cadillac SRX Owner Manual - 2011
9-2 Driving and Operating
Towing
General TowingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-54
Driving Characteristics and Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-54
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-58
Towing Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . 9-61
Trailer Sway
Control (TSC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-62
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On ElectricalEquipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-62
Driving Information
Defensive Driving
Defensive driving means “always
expect the unexpected.” The first
step in driving defensively is to wear
your safety belt. See Safety Belts on
page 3‑14.
{WARNING
Assume that other road users
(pedestrians, bicyclists, and
other drivers) are going to be
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
careless and make mistakes.
Anticipate what they might do
and be ready. In addition:
.Allow enough following
distance between you and
the driver in front of you.
.Focus on the task of driving.
Driver distraction can cause
collisions resulting in injury or
possible death. These simple
defensive driving techniques
could save your life.

Black plate (13,1)Cadillac SRX Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-13
positions (A), and the maximum
vehicle capacity weight (B) in
kilograms and pounds.
The Tire and Loading
Information label also shows
the tire size of the original
equipment tires (C) and the
recommended cold tire inflation
pressures (D). For more
information on tires and inflation
seeTires on page 10‑54 and
Tire Pressure on page 10‑61.
There is also important loading
information on the Certification
label. It tells you the Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR)
and the Gross Axle Weight
Rating (GAWR) for the front
and rear axle. See “Certification
Label” later in this section. Steps for Determining Correct
Load Limit
1.Locate the statement
“The combined weight of
occupants and cargo should
never exceed XXX kg or
XXX lbs”
on your vehicle's
placard.
2.Determine the combined
weight of the driver and
passengers that will be
riding in your vehicle.
3.Subtract the combined
weight of the driver and
passengers from XXX kg
or XXX lbs.
4.The resulting figure equals
the available amount of cargo
and luggage load capacity.
For example, if the “XXX”
amount equals 1400 lbs
and there will be five 150 lb
passengers in your vehicle, the amount of available cargo
and luggage load capacity
is 650 lbs (1400
−750
(5 x 150) = 650 lbs).
5.Determine the combined
weight of luggage and cargo
being loaded on the vehicle.
That weight may not safely
exceed the available cargo
and luggage load capacity
calculated in Step 4.
6.If your vehicle will be towing
a trailer, the load from your
trailer will be transferred to
your vehicle. Consult this
manual to determine how this
reduces the available cargo
and luggage load capacity of
your vehicle.
See Trailer Towing on page 9‑58
for important information on
towing a trailer, towing safety
rules and trailering tips.

Black plate (17,1)Cadillac SRX Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-17
Starting and
Operating
New Vehicle Break-In
Notice:The vehicle does not
need an elaborate break-in. But it
will perform better in the long run
if you follow these guidelines:
.Do not drive at any one
constant speed, fast or
slow, for the first 805 km
(500 miles). Do not make
full-throttle starts. Avoid
downshifting to brake or
slow the vehicle.
.During the first 1 000 km
(600 miles), avoid using more
than moderate acceleration
in lower gears and avoid
vehicle speeds above
110 km/h (68 mph).
.Between the first 1 000 km
(600 miles) and 5 000 km
(3,000 miles), heavy
acceleration in lower gears can be used. Vehicle speeds
above 110 km/h (68 mph)
should be limited to
five minutes per use.
.Avoid making hard stops for
the first 322 km (200 miles) or
so. During this time the new
brake linings are not yet
broken in. Hard stops with
new linings can mean
premature wear and earlier
replacement. Follow this
breaking-in guideline every
time you get new brake
linings.
.Do not tow a trailer during
break-in. See
Driving
Characteristics and Towing
Tips on page 9‑54 for the
trailer towing capabilities
of your vehicle and more
information.
Following break‐in, engine
speed and load can be gradually
increased.
Adjustable Throttle and
Brake Pedal
If the vehicle has this feature, the
position of the throttle and brake
pedals can be adjusted.
The switch used to adjust the
pedals is located on the right side
of the steering column, below the
wiper stalk. Pull the switch toward
you to move the pedals further from
the floor, or push the switch away
from you to move the pedals closer
to the floor.

Black plate (23,1)Cadillac SRX Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-23
Leaving the Vehicle With the
Engine Running
{WARNING
It can be dangerous to leave the
vehicle with the engine running.
The vehicle could move suddenly
if the shift lever is not fully in
P (Park) with the parking brake
firmly set. And, if you leave the
vehicle with the engine running,
it could overheat and even catch
fire. You or others could be
injured. Do not leave the vehicle
with the engine running.If you have to leave the vehicle
with the engine running, be sure
the vehicle is in P (Park) and the
parking brake is firmly set before
you leave it. After you have moved
the shift lever into P (Park), hold
down the regular brake pedal.
See if you can move the shift lever
away from P (Park) without first
pulling it toward you. If you can,
it means that the shift lever was
not fully locked into P (Park).
Torque Lock
Torque lock is when the weight
of the vehicle puts too much
force on the parking pawl in the
transmission. This happens when
parking on a hill and shifting the transmission into P (Park) is not
done properly and then it is difficult
to shift out of P (Park). To prevent
torque lock, set the parking brake
and then shift into P (Park). To find
out how, see "Shifting Into P (Park)"
listed previously.
If torque lock does occur, your
vehicle may need to be pushed
uphill by another vehicle to relieve
the parking pawl pressure, so you
can shift out of P (Park).
If you are towing a trailer and
parking on a hill, see
Driving
Characteristics and Towing Tips on
page 9‑54.

Black plate (25,1)Cadillac SRX Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-25
WARNING (Continued)
.There are holes or openings
in the vehicle body from
damage or after-market
modifications that are not
completely sealed.
If unusual fumes are detected or
if it is suspected that exhaust is
coming into the vehicle:
.Drive it only with the windows
completely down.
.Have the vehicle repaired
immediately.
Never park the vehicle with the
engine running in an enclosed
area such as a garage or a
building that has no fresh air
ventilation.
Running the Vehicle
While Parked
It is better not to park with the
engine running. But if you ever have
to, here are some things to know.
{WARNING
Idling a vehicle in an enclosed
area with poor ventilation is
dangerous. Engine exhaust may
enter the vehicle. Engine exhaust
contains Carbon Monoxide (CO)
which cannot be seen or smelled.
It can cause unconsciousness
and even death. Never run the
engine in an enclosed area
that has no fresh air ventilation.
For more information, see Engine
Exhaust on page 9‑24.
{WARNING
It can be dangerous to get out
of the vehicle if the automatic
transmission shift lever is not fully
in P (Park) with the parking brake
firmly set. The vehicle can roll.
Do not leave the vehicle when
the engine is running unless
you have to. 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,
always set the parking brake and
move the shift lever to P (Park).
Follow the proper steps to be
sure the vehicle will not move.
See Shifting Into Park on
page 9‑22.
If parking on a hill and pulling a
trailer, see Driving Characteristics
and Towing Tips on page 9‑54.

Black plate (26,1)Cadillac SRX Owner Manual - 2011
9-26 Driving and Operating
Automatic
Transmission
The shift lever is located on the
center console between the front
seats.
There are several different positions
for the shift lever.
P (Park):This position locks the
front wheels. It is the best position
to use when you start the engine
because the vehicle cannot move
easily.
{WARNING
It is 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.
Do not leave the vehicle when
the engine is running unless
you have to. 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,
always set the parking brake and
move the shift lever to P (Park).
See Shifting Into Park on
page 9‑22. If you are pulling a
trailer, see Driving Characteristics
and Towing Tips on page 9‑54. Make sure the shift lever is fully in
P (Park) before starting the engine.
The vehicle has an automatic
transmission shift lock control
system. You must fully apply the
regular brakes first and then press
the shift lever button before you can
shift from P (Park) when the ignition
is in ON/RUN. If you cannot shift
out of P (Park), ease pressure on
the shift lever and push the shift
lever all the way into P (Park) as
you maintain brake application.
Then press the shift lever button
and move the shift lever into
another gear. See
Shifting Out of
Park on page 9‑24.