
Black plate (19,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Power Windows
{WARNING:
Leaving children in a vehicle with the keys is
dangerous for many reasons. Children or others
could be badly injured or even killed. They could
operate the power windows or other controls or
even make the vehicle move. The windows will
function and they could be seriously injured or
killed if caught in the path of a closing window.
Do not leave keys in a vehicle with children.
When there are children in the rear seat use the
window lockout button to prevent unintentional
operation of the windows.
The power window switches are located on the armrest
near each window. Press the front of the switch to the
first position to open the window to the desired level. Lift
up the front of the switch to the first position to close the
window.
Your vehicle has Retained Accessory Power (RAP) that
allows you to use the power windows once the engine
has been turned off. For more information, seeRetained
Accessory Power (RAP) on page 3‑27.
If a window switch is repeatedly operated within a short
time frame, the window operation will be disabled
temporarily.
3-19

Black plate (13,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can be more effective
than braking. For example, you come over a hill and
find a truck stopped in your lane, or a car suddenly pulls
out from nowhere, or a child darts out from between
parked cars and stops right in front of you. These
problems can be avoided by braking—if you can stop
in time. But sometimes you cannot stop in time because
there is no room. That is the time for evasive
action —steering around the problem.
The vehicle can perform very well in emergencies like
these. First apply the brakes. See Braking
on
page 5‑4. It is better to remove as much speed as
possible from a collision. Then steer around the
problem, to the left or right depending on the space
available.
An emergency like this requires close attention and a
quick decision. If holding the steering wheel at the
recommended 9 and 3 o'clock positions, it can be
turned a full 180 degrees very quickly without removing
either hand. But you have to act fast, steer quickly, and
just as quickly straighten the wheel once you have
avoided the object.
The fact that such emergency situations are always
possible is a good reason to practice defensive driving
at all times and wear safety belts properly.
5-13

Black plate (9,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Filling the Tank
{WARNING:
Fuel vapor burns violently and a fuel fire can
cause bad injuries. To help avoid injuries to you
and others, read and follow all the instructions on
the fuel pump island. Turn off the engine when
refueling. Do not smoke near fuel or when
refueling the vehicle. Do not use cellular phones.
Keep sparks, flames, and smoking materials away
from fuel. Do not leave the fuel pump unattended
when refueling the vehicle. This is against the law
in some places. Do not re-enter the vehicle while
pumping fuel. Keep children away from the fuel
pump; never let children pump fuel.
The tethered fuel cap
is located behind a
hinged fuel door on the
passenger side of the
vehicle.
To open the fuel door, push the rearward center edge in
and release and it will open.
To remove the fuel cap, turn it slowly counterclockwise.
The fuel cap has a spring in it; if the cap is released too
soon, it will spring back to the right.
6-9

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

Black plate (7,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Heated Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4, 2-5
HeaterEngine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-29
High-Speed Operation, Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-60
Highbeam On Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-68
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Hood Checking Things Under . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-12
Release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-12
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-3
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19
I
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-26
Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-24
Inadvertent Power Battery Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-37
Infants and Young Children, Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-38
Inflation - Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-58
Instrument Panel
Brightness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-35
Instrument Panel Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-52
Integrated Trailer Brake Control System (ITBC) . . . . 5-31
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-2
J
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-38
K
Keyless Access System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-4
Keyless Access System, Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-5
Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-3
L
Labeling, Tire Sidewall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-52
Lamps Back-Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-48
Daytime Running (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-32
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-35
Malfunction Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-62
Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-36
Twilight Sentinel
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-34
Lane Departure Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-47
Lane Departure Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-60
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-28
LATCH System for Child Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-45
Lighting Entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-36
Parade Dimming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-36
Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-27 Airbag Readiness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-54
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-59
Brake System Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-58
Charging System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-57
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-67
i - 7

Black plate (8,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Lights (cont.)Engine Coolant Temperature Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-61
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-9
Front Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-67
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5
Highbeam On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-68
Lane Departure Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-60
Lights On Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-67
Oil Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-66
On Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-31
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-55
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-53
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-67
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-62
Traction Control System (TCS) Warning . . . . . . . . . . 4-60
Limited-Slip Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Loading Your Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Lockout Switch, Valet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-24
Locks Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-12
Lockout Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-15
Power Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-13
Programmable Automatic Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-14
Rear Door Security Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-14
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children . . . . . . . . . . . 2-45
Lumbar Power Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3M
Maintenance Schedule
Maintenance Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-13
Maintenance Replacement Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-11
Owner Checks and Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-9
Scheduled Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-3
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-62
Memory Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-75
Memory Seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-75
Memory Seat, Mirrors, Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-5
Memory Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-75
Message DIC Warnings and Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-76
Mirrors
Automatic Dimming Rearview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-37
Manual Rearview Mirror with Compass andTemperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-75
Outside Automatic Dimming Mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-39
Outside Convex Mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-40
Outside Heated Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-40
Outside Power Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-39
Park Tilt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-40
MP3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-108
i - 8

Black plate (14,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
V
Valet Lockout Switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-24
VehicleControl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
Loading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Personalization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-59
Remote Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10
Running While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-36
Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
Vehicle Data Recording and Privacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-19
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-114
Service Parts Identification Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-114
Vehicle Personalization Memory Seat, Mirrors and Steering Wheel . . . . . . . . 3-75
Ventilated Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-5
Ventilation Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-48
Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-21
W
Warning Lights, Gauges, and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . 4-51
Warnings DIC Warnings and Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-76
Hazard Flashers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Safety and Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
Washer, Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-11 Wheels
Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-72
Different Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-70
Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-72
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-67
Where to Put the Child Restraint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-43
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-18 Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-19
Windshield Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-48
Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-11
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-34
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-49
Wiper Blades, Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-111
Wiper Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-115
Wipers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-10
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-51
Wiper Activated Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-31X
XM Radio Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-112
XM™ Satellite Radio
Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-126
i - 14