
Black plate (9,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants
Fluids and lubricants identified below by name, part
number, or specification can be obtained from your
dealer.Usage Fluid/Lubricant
Engine Oil The engine requires engine oil
approved to the dexos™
specification.
Oils meeting this specification can
be identified with the dexos™
certification mark. Look for and use
only an engine oil that displays the
dexos™ certification mark of the
proper viscosity grade. See Engine
Oil on page 6‑16.
Engine Cooling System 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable
water and use only DEX-COOL
Coolant. See
Engine Coolant
on
page 6‑25.
Usage Fluid/Lubricant
Hydraulic Brake
System DOT 3 Hydraulic Brake Fluid
(GM Part No. U.S. 12377967, in
Canada 89021320).
Windshield Washer Optikleen
®Washer Solvent.
Parking Brake Cable Guides Chassis Lubricant (GM Part No.
U.S. 12377985, in Canada 88901242)
or lubricant meeting requirements of
NLGI #2, Category LB or GC-LB.
Power Steering System GM Power Steering Fluid
(GM Part No. U.S. 89021184, in
Canada 89021186).
Automatic
Transmission DEXRON
®-VI Automatic Transmission
Fluid.
Key Lock
Cylinders Multi-Purpose Lubricant, Superlube
(GM Part No. U.S. 12346241, in
Canada 10953474).
7-9

Black plate (9,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Cadillac Owner Privileges™
.Emergency Fuel Delivery:Delivery of enough
fuel for the vehicle to get to the nearest service
station.
.Lock‐Out Service: Service to unlock the vehicle
if you are locked out. A remote unlock may be
available if you have OnStar
®. For security
reasons, the driver must present identification
before this service is given.
.Emergency Tow From a Public Road or
Highway: Tow to the nearest Cadillac dealer for
warranty service, or if the vehicle was in a crash
and cannot be driven. Assistance is also given
when the vehicle is stuck in the sand, mud,
or snow.
.Flat Tire Change: Service to change a flat tire
with spare tire. The spare tire, if equipped, must be
in good condition and properly inflated. It is your
responsibility for the repair or replacement of the
tire if it is not covered by the warranty.
.Battery Jump Start: Service to jump start a dead
battery.
.Trip Routing Service: Detailed maps of North
America are provided when requested either with
the most direct route or the most scenic route.
Additional travel information is also available. Allow
three weeks for delivery.
.Trip Interruption Benefits and Service: If your
trip is interrupted due to a warranty failure,
incidental expenses may be reimbursed during the
5 years/160 000 km (100,000 miles) Powertrain
warranty period. Items considered are hotel,
meals, and rental car.
8-9

Black plate (11,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Services Specific to
Canadian‐Purchased Vehicles
.Fuel delivery:Reimbursement is approximately
$5 Canadian. Diesel fuel delivery may be
restricted. Propane and other fuels are not
provided through this service.
.Lock-Out Service: Vehicle registration is
required.
.Trip Routing Service: Limit of six requests
per year.
.Trip Interruption Benefits and Service:
Pre-authorization, original detailed receipts, and
a copy of the repair orders are required. Once
authorization has been received, the Roadside
Service advisor will help you make arrangements
and explain how to receive payment.
.Alternative Service: If assistance cannot be
provided right away, the Roadside Service advisor
may give you permission to get local emergency
road service. You will receive payment, up to $100,
after sending the original receipt to Roadside
Service. Mechanical failures may be covered,
however any cost for parts and labor for repairs
not covered by the warranty are the owner
responsibility.
Scheduling Service Appointments
When your vehicle requires warranty service, contact
your dealer and request an appointment. By scheduling
a service appointment and advising your service
consultant of your transportation needs, your dealer can
help minimize your inconvenience.
If your vehicle cannot be scheduled into the service
department immediately, keep driving it until it can be
scheduled for service, unless, of course, the problem is
safety related. If it is, please call your dealership, let
them know this, and ask for instructions.
If the dealer requests you to bring the vehicle for
service, you are urged to do so as early in the work
day as possible to allow for the same day repair.
8-11

Black plate (19,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Data Recording and
Privacy
Your GM vehicle has a number of sophisticated
computers that record information about the vehicle’s
performance and how it is driven. For example, your
vehicle uses computer modules to monitor and control
engine and transmission performance, to monitor the
conditions for airbag deployment and deploy airbags in
a crash, and, if so equipped, to provide antilock braking
to help the driver control the vehicle. These modules
may store data to help your dealer technician service
your vehicle. Some modules may also store data about
how you operate the vehicle, such as rate of fuel
consumption or average speed. These modules may
also retain the owner’s personal preferences, such as
radio pre-sets, seat positions, and temperature settings.
Event Data Recorders
This vehicle has an Event Data Recorder (EDR).
The main purpose of an EDR is to record, in certain
crash or near crash-like situations, such as an airbag
deployment or hitting a road obstacle, data that will
assist in understanding how a vehicle's systems
performed. The EDR is designed to record data related
to vehicle dynamics and safety systems for a short period of time, typically 30 seconds or less.
The EDR in this vehicle is designed to record
such data as:
.How various systems in your vehicle were
operating
.Whether or not the driver and passenger safety
belts were buckled/fastened
.How far, if at all, the driver was pressing the
accelerator and/or brake pedal
.How fast the vehicle was traveling
This data can help provide a better understanding of the
circumstances in which crashes and injuries occur.
Important: EDR data is recorded by your vehicle only if
a non-trivial crash situation occurs; no data is recorded
by the EDR under normal driving conditions and no
personal data (e.g., name, gender, age, and crash
location) is recorded. However, other parties, such as
law enforcement, could combine the EDR data with the
type of personally identifying data routinely acquired
during a crash investigation.
To read data recorded by an EDR, special equipment is
required, and access to the vehicle or the EDR is
needed. In addition to the vehicle manufacturer, other
parties, such as law enforcement, that have the special
equipment, can read the information if they have access
to the vehicle or the EDR.
8-19

Black plate (20,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
GM will not access this data or share it with others
except: with the consent of the vehicle owner or, if the
vehicle is leased, with the consent of the lessee; in
response to an official request of police or similar
government office; as part of GM's defense of litigation
through the discovery process; or, as required by law.
Data that GM collects or receives may also be used for
GM research needs or may be made available to others
for research purposes, where a need is shown and the
data is not tied to a specific vehicle or vehicle owner.
OnStar®
If your vehicle is equipped with an active OnStar
system, that system may also record data in crash or
near crash‐like situations. The OnStar Terms and
Conditions provides information on data collection and
use and is available in the OnStar glove box kit, at
www.onstar.com (U.S.) or www.onstar.ca (Canada),
or by pressing the
Qbutton and speaking to an
advisor.
Navigation System
If the vehicle has a navigation system, use of the
system may result in the storage of destinations,
addresses, telephone numbers, and other trip
information. Refer to the navigation system operating
manual for information on stored data and for deletion
instructions.
Radio Frequency
Identification (RFID)
RFID technology is used in some vehicles for functions
such as tire pressure monitoring and ignition system
security, as well as in connection with conveniences
such as key fobs for remote door locking/unlocking and
starting, and in-vehicle transmitters for garage door
openers. RFID technology in GM vehicles does not use
or record personal information or link with any other GM
system containing personal information.
Radio Frequency Statement
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 any of these systems by
other than an authorized service facility could void
authorization to use this equipment.
8-20

Black plate (1,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
A
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-4
Accessory Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-27
Accessory Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-42
Adaptive Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-15
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-114
Additives, Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-7
AdjustmentsHeadlamp Range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Air Cleaner/Filter, Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-21
Air Filter, Passenger Compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-50
Airbag Adding Equipment to Your Airbag-EquippedVehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-71
Airbag System How Does an Airbag Restrain? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-63
Passenger Sensing System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-66
Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . 2-70
What Makes an Airbag Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-63
What Will You See After an Airbag Inflates? . . . . . . 2-64
When Should an Airbag Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-62
Where Are the Airbags? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-59
Airbags Passenger Status Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-55
Readiness Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-54
System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-57
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-43 All-Wheel-Drive (AWD) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Antenna
Backglass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-126
Antenna, XM™ Satellite Radio Antenna
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-126
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-5 Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-59
Appearance Care Aluminum or Chrome-Plated Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-112
Care of Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-109
Chemical Paint Spotting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-113
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-110
Fabric/Carpet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-107
Finish Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-110
Finish Damage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-113
Instrument Panel, Vinyl, and Other PlasticSurfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-108
Interior Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-106
Leather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-108
Sheet Metal Damage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-113
Speaker Covers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-109
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-113
Underbody Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-113
Washing Your Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-109
Weatherstrips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-109
Windshield and Wiper Blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-111
Wood Panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-109
i - 1

Black plate (2,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Audio System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-94Audio Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-124
Navigation/Radio System, see Navigation
Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-113
Radio Personalization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-120
Radio Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-125
Setting the Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-95
Theft-Deterrent Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-123
XM™ Satellite Radio Antenna System . . . . . . . . . . .4-126
Audio System(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-95
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-23
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-30
Axle, Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-44
B
Back-Up Lamps - Ambulance Body Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-48
Backglass Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-126
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-38 Electric Power Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-37
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-35
Inadvertent Power Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-37
Load Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-36
Belt Routing, Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-12
Bluetooth
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-113 Brake
Emergencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-35 Antilock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-33
System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-58
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-4
Braking in Emergencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-6
Break-In, New Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-25
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-48 Back-Up Lamps - Ambulance Body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-48
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-33
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-47
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-46
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-47
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . 6-47
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-67
C
Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14, 3-38
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
California Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-7
Canadian Owners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
Capacities and Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-128
i - 2

Black plate (3,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Carbon MonoxideEngine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-36
Trunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-15
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Care of Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-109
CD, MP3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-108
Center Console Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-56
Chains, Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-74
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-57
Check
Engine Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-62
Checking Things Under the Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-12
Chemical Paint Spotting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-113
Child Restraints Infants and Young Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-38
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children . . . . . . . . . . 2-45
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-34
Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear Seat
Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-51
Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front
Seat Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-53
Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-41
Where to Put the Restraint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-43
Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-115 Cleaning
Aluminum or Chrome-Plated Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-112
Exterior Lamps/Lenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-110
Fabric/Carpet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-107
Finish Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-110
Instrument Panel, Vinyl, and Other PlasticSurfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-108
Interior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-106
Leather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-108
Speaker Covers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-109
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-113
Underbody Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-113
Washing Your Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-109
Weatherstrips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-109
Windshield and Wiper Blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-111
Wood Panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-109
Climate Control System Outlet Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-48
Climate Control Systems Dual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-43
Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-49
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
Clock, Setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-95
Collision Damage Repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-13
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-105
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14, 3-38
Compressor Kit, Tire Sealant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-76, 6-85
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-3
i - 3