
Black plate (27,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
If the engine is off, press this button to turn on the
accessory mode. ACCESSORY ACTIVE will display on
the Driver Information Center (DIC). Accessory mode
allows use of the audio system and windshield wipers.
Accessory mode must be used if the vehicle must be
towed or in motion when the engine is not running.
After the vehicle has been in accessory mode for more
than 20 minutes, the vehicle will enter RAP or turn off,
depending on if the doors are opened or closed.
Retained Accessory Power (RAP)
These vehicle accessories can be used for up to
20 minutes after the engine is turned off:
.Audio System
.Audio Steering Wheel Controls
.Power Windows
Power to these accessories will work up to 20 minutes
or until one of the front doors is opened. For an
additional 20 minutes of operation, close all the doors
and press Acc. to place the vehicle in accessory mode.
Press the button again to return to RAP.
Starting the Engine
To place the transmission in the proper gear:
Move the shift lever to P (Park) or N (Neutral). To restart
the engine when the vehicle is already moving, use
N (Neutral).
Notice: Do not try to shift to P (Park) if the
vehicle is moving. If you do, you could damage
the transmission. Shift to P (Park) only when the
vehicle is stopped.
The keyless access transmitter must be inside the
vehicle for the ignition to work.
Cell phone chargers can interfere with the operation of
the Keyless Access System. Battery chargers should
not be plugged in when starting or turning off the
engine.
To start the vehicle, do the following:
Starting Procedure
1. With your foot on the brake pedal, press the START button located on the instrument panel.
If there is not a keyless access transmitter
in the vehicle or if there is something causing
interference with it, the DIC will display NO FOBS
DETECTED. See DIC Warnings and Messages
on
page 4‑76for more information.
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Black plate (28,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
2. When the engine begins cranking, let go of thebutton and the engine cranks automatically until
it starts. If the battery in the keyless access
transmitter is weak, the DIC displays KEY FOB
BATTERY LOW. You can still drive the vehicle.
See “Battery Replacement” underKeyless Access
System Operation
on page 3‑5for more
information. If the fob battery is dead, you need to
insert the fob into the fob slot to enable engine
starting. See “No Fobs Detected” underDIC
Warnings and Messages on page 4‑76.
3. Do not race the engine immediately after starting it. Operate the engine and transmission gently until
the oil warms up and lubricates all moving parts.
4. If the engine does not start and no DIC message is displayed, wait 15 seconds before trying again to
let the cranking motor cool down.
If the engine does not start after 5-10 seconds,
especially in very cold weather (below
0°F or −18°C), it could be flooded with too
much gasoline. Try pushing the accelerator
pedal all the way to the floor while cranking
for up to 15 seconds maximum. Notice:
Cranking the engine for long periods of
time, by pressing the START button immediately
after cranking has ended, can overheat and damage
the cranking motor, and drain the battery. Wait at
least 15 seconds between each try, to allow the
cranking motor to cool down.
When the engine starts, let go of the accelerator. If the
vehicle starts briefly but then stops again, do the same
thing. This clears the extra gasoline from the engine.
The vehicle has a Computer-Controlled Cranking
System. This feature assists in starting the engine and
protects components. Once cranking has been initiated,
the engine continues cranking for a few seconds or until
the vehicle starts. If the engine does not start, cranking
automatically stops after 15 seconds to prevent
cranking motor damage. To prevent gear damage, this
system also prevents cranking if the engine is already
running.
Notice: The engine is designed to work with the
electronics in the vehicle. If you add electrical
parts or accessories, you could change the way
the engine operates. Before adding electrical
equipment, check with your dealer. If you do not,
the engine might not perform properly. Any
resulting damage would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty.
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Black plate (35,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
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).
Shifting Out of Park
Shift lock release prevents shifting out of P (Park)
unless the vehicle is running or in Accessory mode and
the brake pedal is applied.
The shift lock release is always functional except in the
case of an uncharged or low voltage (less than 9‐volt)
battery. See Jump Starting
on page 6‑38for more
information. To shift out of P (Park) use the following:
1. Apply the brake pedal.
2. Press the shift lever button.
3. Move the shift lever to the desired position.
If you still are unable to shift out of P (Park): 1. Fully release the shift lever button.
2. While holding down the brake pedal, press the shift lever button again.
3. Move the shift lever to the desired position.
If you still cannot move the shift lever from P (Park),
consult your dealer or a professional towing service.
Parking Over Things That Burn
{WARNING:
Things that can burn could touch hot exhaust
parts under the vehicle and ignite. Do not park
over papers, leaves, dry grass, or other things that
can burn.
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Black plate (52,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Programming Universal Home
Remote—Fixed Code
For questions or help programming the Universal Home
Remote System, call 1-866-572-2728 or go to
learcar2u.com.
Most garage door openers sold before 1996 are Fixed
Code units.
Programming a garage door opener involves
time-sensitive actions, so read the entire procedure
before starting. Otherwise, the device will time out and
the procedure will have to be repeated. To program up to three devices:
1. To verify that the garage door opener is a Fixed
Code unit, remove the battery cover on the hand
held transmitter supplied by the manufacturer of
the garage door opener motor. If there are a row
of dip switches similar to the graphic above, the
garage door opener is a Fixed Code unit. If you
do not see a row of dip switches, return to the
previous section for Programming Universal Home
Remote –Rolling Code.
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Black plate (59,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Personalization
The vehicle has personalization that allows you to
program certain features to a preferred setting for
up to two drivers. The back of the keyless access
transmitters are labelled 1 or 2. Additional keyless
access transmitters programmed to the vehicle,
as 3 and/or 4, do not have a number on the back and
are not capable of being personalized. The number of
programmable features varies depending upon which
vehicle options are purchased.
On all vehicles, features such as climate control
settings, radio and XM™preset settings, exterior
lighting at unlock and remote lock unlock confirmation,
and language have already been programmed. Your
vehicle also has an automatic door locking feature
that is always on. You cannot turn the automatic door
locking feature off. See Programmable Automatic Door
Locks on page 3‑14.
Some vehicles have additional features that can be
programmed including the seat, steering column, and
outside rearview mirror position.
If your vehicle has the base audio system, the following
information explains the vehicle personalization on your
vehicle.
If your vehicle has the Navigation system, see
“Personalization” in the Index of the Navigation System
manual for information on vehicle personalization. If your vehicle has the ability to program additional
personalization features, the driver's preferences are
recalled by pressing any button on the keyless access
transmitter, 1 or 2, by selecting Driver 1 or 2 on the radio
display, or when a valid keyless access transmitter is
detected upon opening the driver's door.
If more than one valid keyless access transmitter is
detected upon opening the driver's door, the driver
preferences for the lowest driver number will be
recalled.
Certain features can be programmed not to recall until
the ignition is turned off.
The default settings were preset but may have been
changed.
To change feature preferences, use the following
procedure.
Entering the Personal Settings Menu
To enter the feature programming mode:
1. The ignition must be either on, in ACCESSORY, or in RAP and the transmission in P (Park) or the
vehicle speed less than 6 mph (9 km/h).
To avoid excessive drain on the battery, it is
recommended that the headlamps are turned off.
2. Press any button on the appropriate keyless access transmitter to identify yourself as Driver 1 or
Driver 2.
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Black plate (1,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Section 4 Instrument Panel
Instrument Panel Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-3
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Power Tilt Wheel and Telescopic Steering Column . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Heated Steering Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-9
Windshield Wipers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-10
Windshield Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-11
Headlamp Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-11
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-12
Adaptive Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-15
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-27
Wiper Activated Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-31
Headlamps on Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-31
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-32
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-33
Twilight Sentinel
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-34
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-35
Instrument Panel Brightness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-35
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-36
Parade Dimming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-36 Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-36
Battery Load Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-36
Electric Power Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-37
Inadvertent Power Battery Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-37
Head-Up Display (HUD) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-38
Accessory Power Outlet(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-42
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-43
Dual Climate Control System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-43
Outlet Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-48
Rear Climate Control System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-49
Passenger Compartment Air Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-50
Warning Lights, Gauges, and Indicators . . . . . . . .4-51
Instrument Panel Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-52
Speedometer and Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-53
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-53
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-53
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-54
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-55
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-57
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-58
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . 4-59
Traction Control System (TCS) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-60
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) Light . . . . . . . . . . 4-60
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning Light . . . . 4-61
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Black plate (35,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Twilight Sentinel also provides exterior illumination as
you leave the vehicle. If Twilight Sentinel has turned on
the lamps when you turn off the ignition, the lamps will
remain on until:
.The exterior lamp switch is moved from off to the
parking lamp position.
.A delay time that you select has elapsed.
See Vehicle Personalization
on page 3‑59to select the
delay time needed. You can also select no delay time.
If the ignition is turned off with the exterior lamp switch
in the parking lamp or headlamp position, the Twilight
Sentinel delay will not occur. The lamps will turn off as
soon as the switch is turned off.
As with any vehicle, the regular headlamp system
should be turned on when needed.
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver
If the parking lamps or headlamps have been left on,
the exterior lamps will turn off about 10 minutes after the
ignition is turned off. This protects against draining the
battery in case you have accidentally left the headlamps
or parking lamps on. The battery saver does not work if
the headlamps are turned on after the ignition is
turned off. If you need to leave the lamps on for more than
10 minutes, use the exterior lamp control to turn the
lamps back on.
Instrument Panel Brightness
Base Level Shown,
Uplevel Similar
Press the center knob on the DIC control panel to
extend. Then turn the knob clockwise to brighten the
lights or counterclockwise to dim them. If the knob is
turned completely clockwise, the interior lamps turn on.
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Black plate (36,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Entry Lighting
The entry lighting system turns on the reading and
dome lamps and the backlighting to the exterior lamp
control when a door is opened or if you press the
remote keyless entry transmitter unlock button.
If activated by the transmitter, the lighting will remain
active for about 25 seconds. The entry lighting system
uses the light sensor; it must be dark outside in order
for the lamps to turn on. The lamps turn off about
25 seconds after the last door is closed. They will dim
to off if the ignition is on, or immediately deactivate if
the power locks are activated.
Parade Dimming
This feature prohibits dimming of the instrument panel
displays and backlighting during daylight hours when
the key is in the ignition and the headlamps are on.
This feature operates with the light sensor and is fully
automatic. When the light sensor reads darkness
outside and the parking lamps are active, the
instrument panel displays can be adjusted by turning
the instrument panel brightness knob. SeeInstrument
Panel Brightness
on page 4‑35for additional
information.
Reading Lamps
The reading lamps are located on the overhead
console. These lamps come on automatically when any
door is opened.
For manual operation, press the button next to each
lamp to turn it on or off.
If the reading lamps are left on, they automatically shut
off 10 minutes after the ignition has been turned off.
Battery Load Management
The battery load management feature is designed to
monitor the vehicle's electrical load and determine 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 and the fan may cut back to a lower
4-36