
Black plate (121,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
WARNING: (Continued)
will not be there to work for the next passenger.
The person sitting in that position could be badly
injured. After reinstalling the seat cushion, always
check to be sure that the safety belts are properly
routed and are not twisted.
1. Buckle the center passenger position safety belt, then route the safety belts through the proper slots
in the seat cushion. Do not let the safety belts get
twisted.
2. Slide the rear of the cushion up and under the seatback so the rear-locating guides hook into the
wire loops on the back frame.
3. With the seat cushion lowered, push rearward and then press down on the seat cushion until the
spring locks on both ends engage. 4. Check to make sure the safety belts are properly
routed and that no portion of any safety belt is
trapped under the seat. Also make sure the seat
cushion is secured.Rear Underseat Fuse Block
There is a fuse block located under the rear seat on the
driver side and passenger side of the vehicle. The rear
seat cushion must be removed to access the fuse
blocks. See “Removing the Rear Seat Cushion” listed
previously in this section.
To access the fuses, push in the two tabs, then lift the
cover off.
6-121

Black plate (126,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
FusesUsage
AIRBAG/IGNSensing and Diagnostic Monitor,
Automatic Occupant Sensor,
Passenger Supplemental Inflatable
Restraint
CNSTR/VENT Canister Vent Solenoid
SPARE Spare
FRT PDM Front Passenger Door Module, Right
Power Subwoofer
FUEL PUMP Fuel Pump
HTD STR Heated Steering WheelRF HTD/
SEAT/XM Front Passenger Heated Seat,
S-Band™
Antenna
RDO/ONSTAR Radio, OnStar
®
INT LAMP Interior Lamps
LT TRN/LDW Left Turn Signal, Lane Departure
Warning (Option)
Fuses
Usage
REAR DEFOG Rear Defogger
REAR/FOG Rear Fog Lamps (Option)
RIM Rear Integration Module
RIM /RPA
/ISRVM /CLM Rear Integration Module, Rear
Parking Aid, Inside Rearview Mirror,
Column Lock Module, Power
Sounder, Active Front Steering (AFS),
Supervisory Control Module
RUN/CRNK UHBEC Run, CRNK Relay Coil, Rear
Fog Lamp Relay Coil
S/ROOF Sun Roof Module (Option) SPARE Spare
STOP LAMPS Stop Lamps
RT TRN/SZBA Right Turn Signal, Side Blind Zone
Alert (Option)
6-126

Black plate (2,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Maintenance Schedule
Introduction
Notice:Maintenance intervals, checks, inspections,
recommended fluids, and lubricants are necessary
to keep this vehicle in good working condition.
Damage caused by failure to follow scheduled
maintenance might not be covered by the vehicle
warranty.
As the vehicle owner, you are responsible for the
scheduled maintenance in this section. We recommend
having your dealer perform these services. Proper
vehicle maintenance helps to keep the vehicle in good
working condition, improves fuel economy, and reduces
vehicle emissions for better air quality.
Because of all the different ways people use vehicles,
maintenance needs vary. The vehicle might need
more frequent checks and services. Please read the
information under Scheduled Maintenance. To keep
the vehicle in good condition, see your dealer. The maintenance schedule is for vehicles that:
.carry passengers and cargo within recommended
limits on the Tire and Loading Information label.
See
Loading the Vehicle on page 5‑23.
.are driven on reasonable road surfaces within legal
driving limits.
.use the recommended fuel. See Gasoline Octaneon page 6‑7.
{WARNING:
Performing maintenance work on a vehicle can be
dangerous. In trying to do some jobs, you can be
seriously injured. Do your own maintenance work
only if you have the required know-how and the
proper tools and equipment for the job. If you
have any doubt, see your dealer to have a
qualified technician do the work. See Doing Your
Own Service Work on page 6‑5.
7-2

Black plate (7,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
First Engine Oil Change After Every
160 000 km/100,000 Miles
.Automatic transmission fluid and filter change
(normal service). SeeAutomatic Transmission
Fluid on page 6‑23.
.All‐wheel drive only: Transfer case fluid change
(normal service). Check vent hose at transfer case
for kinks and proper installation. Check to be sure
vent hose is unobstructed, clear, and free of
debris.
.Spark plug replacement and spark plug wires
inspection. An Emission Control Service.
First Engine Oil Change After Every
240 000 km/150,000 Miles
.Engine cooling system drain, flush, and refill
(or every five years, whichever occurs first). See
Engine Coolant
on page 6‑25.An Emission
Control Service.
.Engine drive belts inspection for fraying, excessive
cracks, or obvious damage (or every 10 years,
whichever occurs first). Replace, if needed.
Owner Checks and Services
Starter Switch Check
{WARNING:
When you are doing this inspection, the vehicle
could move suddenly. If the vehicle moves, you or
others could be injured.
1. Before starting this check, be sure there is enough room around the vehicle.
2. Firmly apply both the parking brake and the regular brake. See Parking Brake on page 3‑33.
Do not use the accelerator pedal, and be ready to
turn off the engine immediately if it starts.
3. Try to start the engine in each gear. The vehicle should start only in P (Park) or N (Neutral). If the
vehicle starts in any other position, contact your
dealer for service.
7-7

Black plate (8,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Automatic Transmission Shift Lock
Control Function Check
{WARNING:
When you are doing this inspection, the vehicle
could move suddenly. If the vehicle moves, you or
others could be injured.
1. Before starting this check, be sure there is enough room around the vehicle. It should be parked on a
level surface.
2. Firmly apply the parking brake. See Parking Brake
on page 3‑33.
Be ready to apply the regular brake immediately if
the vehicle begins to move.
3. With the engine off and without applying the regular brake, try to move the shift lever out of
P (Park) with normal effort. If the shift lever moves
out of P (Park), contact your dealer for service.
Parking Brake and Automatic
Transmission P (Park) Mechanism
Check
{WARNING:
When you are doing this check, the vehicle could
begin to move. You or others could be injured and
property could be damaged. Make sure there is
room in front of the vehicle in case it begins to
roll. Be ready to apply the regular brake at once
should the vehicle begin to move.
Park on a fairly steep hill, with the vehicle facing
downhill. Keeping your foot on the regular brake, set the
parking brake.
.To check the parking brake's holding ability: With
the engine running and the transmission in
N (Neutral), slowly remove foot pressure from the
regular brake pedal. Do this until the vehicle is held
by the parking brake only.
.To check the P (Park) mechanism's holding ability:
With the engine running, shift to P (Park). Then
release the parking brake followed by the regular
brake.
Contact your dealer if service is required.
7-8

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 (4,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Convenience Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-57
CoolantEngine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-25
Engine Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-61
Engine Temperature Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-61
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-24
Courtesy Transportation Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-12
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-12 Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-67
Cruise Control, Active . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-15
Cruise Control, Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-6
Cupholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-56
Customer Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8-6 Text Telephone (TTY) Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-6
Customer Assistance Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8-6
Customer Information
Service Publications Ordering Information . . . . . . . . 8-17
Customer Satisfaction Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8-2
D
Damage Repair, Collision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-13
Data Recorders, Event . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-19
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-32
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-2
Disc, MP3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-108 Displays
Head-Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-38
Doing Your Own Service Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-5
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-12
Power Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-13
Programmable Automatic Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-14
Rear Door Security Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-14
Drive Systems All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-43
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-69
DIC Operation and Displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-70
DIC Warnings and Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-76
Other Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-93
Driving At Night . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Before a Long Trip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Defensive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Drunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
In Rain and on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get it Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Driving for Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-23
Dual Climate Control System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-43
i - 4