
Black plate (37,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
speed. For more battery saving information, see
“Battery Saver Active Message”underDIC Warnings
and Messages on page 4‑76.
Electric Power 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
or BATTERY VOLTAGE LOW. If this message is
displayed, it is recommended that the driver reduce the
electrical loads as much as possible. See
DIC Warnings
and Messages on page 4‑76.
Inadvertent Power Battery Saver
This feature is designed to protect the vehicle's battery
against drainage from the interior lamps, trunk lamp,
glove box lamp, or the garage door opener. When the
ignition is turned off, the power to these features will
automatically turn off after 10 minutes (three minutes if a
new car has 24 km (15 miles) or less). Power will be
restored for an additional 10 minutes if any door is
opened, the trunk is opened or the courtesy lamp switch
is turned on.
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Accessory Power Outlet(s)
Accessory power outlets can be used to plug in
electrical equipment, such as a cell phone or MP3
player.
The vehicle has one outlet in front of the center
console, one in the center console lid and there may be
an additional outlet in the rear of the center console.
The vehicle may have a small cap that must be
removed to access the accessory power outlet.
Replace the cap when not in use. use.
{WARNING:
Power is always supplied to the outlets. Do not
leave electrical equipment plugged in when the
vehicle is not in use because the vehicle could
catch fire and cause injury or death.Notice:
Leaving electrical equipment plugged in for
an extended period of time while the vehicle is off
will drain the battery. Always unplug electrical
equipment when not in use and do not plug in
equipment that exceeds the maximum 20 ampere
rating.
Certain accessory power plugs may not be compatible
to the accessory power outlet and could overload
vehicle and adapter fuses. If a problem is experienced,
see your dealer.
When adding electrical equipment, be sure to follow
the proper installation instructions included with the
equipment. See Add-On Electrical Equipment
on
page 6‑114.
Notice: Hanging heavy equipment from the power
outlet can cause damage not covered by the vehicle
warranty. The power outlets are designed for
accessory power plugs only, such as cell phone
charge cords.
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Black plate (65,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Emissions Inspection and Maintenance
Programs
Some state/provincial and local governments may have
programs to inspect the on-vehicle emission control
equipment For the inspection, the emission system test
equipment is connected to the vehicle’s Data Link
Connector (DLC).
The DLC is under the instrument panel to the left of the
steering wheel. See your dealer if assistance is needed.The vehicle may not pass inspection if:
.the Malfunction Indicator Lamp is on with the
engine running, or if the light does not come on
when the ignition is turned to ON/RUN while the
engine is off.
.the critical emission control systems have not been
completely diagnosed by the system. This can
happen if the battery has recently been replaced or
if the battery has run down. The diagnostic system
evaluates critical emission control systems during
normal driving. This can take several days of
routine driving. If this has been done and the
vehicle still does not pass the inspection, your
dealer can prepare the vehicle for inspection.
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DIC Operation and Displays
The Driver Information Center (DIC) has different
modes which can be accessed by pressing the four
DIC buttons located on the instrument panel, to the
left of the steering wheel.
DIC Buttons (Base Level)
If your vehicle does not
have a Head-Up Display
(HUD), these are the
buttons for the DIC.
«4ª(Information): Press the top or bottom of this
button to scroll through the available vehicle information
displays which include digital speed display, if your
vehicle has this feature, fuel range, fuel economy,
fuel used, average speed, timer, battery voltage, tire
pressure, and engine oil life, if your vehicle has this
feature.
If you have an STS-V, the DIC also has additional
vehicle information displays which include engine boost,
engine oil temperature, oil pressure, and transmission
fluid temperature.
See “MPH (km)” later in this section for more
information on the digital speed display.
AB
300 (Trip Information): Press the top of this
button to scroll through the odometer, trip odometer A
and trip odometer B. Press and hold the bottom of this
button to reset each trip odometer back to zero.
4 //(Reset): Press this button to reset certain DIC
features and to acknowledge DIC warning messages
and clear them from the DIC display.
EM (English/Metric): Press this button to change the
display from English to metric.
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DIC Buttons (Uplevel)
If the vehicle has a HUD,
these are the buttons for
the DIC.
«4ª(Information): Press the top or bottom of this
button to scroll through the available vehicle information
displays which include digital speed display, if your
vehicle has this feature, fuel range, fuel economy, fuel
used, average speed, timer, battery voltage, tire
pressure, engine oil life, if your vehicle has this feature,
and display units. See “MPH (km)”later in this section
for more information on the digital speed display.
« ~ ª(Head-Up Display): Press this button to
change the position of the HUD on the windshield.
Press the top part of the button to move the HUD
image up. Press the bottom part of the button to move
the HUD image down.
To adjust the brightness of the HUD image, see
Head-Up Display (HUD) on page 4‑38.
For information on adjusting the instrument panel
brightness, see Instrument Panel Brightness
on
page 4‑35.
4 //(Reset): Press this button to reset certain DIC
features and to acknowledge DIC warning messages
and clear them from the DIC display.
3(Trip Information): Press this button to scroll
through the odometer, trip odometer A and trip
odometer B. To reset each trip odometer, either press
the reset button or press and hold the trip information
button until the trip odometer displayed returns to zero.
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BATTERY VOLTS
This display shows the current battery voltage. If the
voltage is in the normal range, the value will display.
For example, the display may read 13.2 BATTERY
VOLTS. If the voltage is low, the display will have
LOW after it. If the voltage is high, the display will have
HIGH after it. Your vehicle's charging system regulates
voltage based on the state of the battery. The battery
voltage may fluctuate when viewing this information
on the DIC. This is normal. SeeCharging System Light
on page 4‑57for more information.
If there is a problem with the battery charging system,
the DIC may display a message. See DIC Warnings
and Messages
on page 4‑76and Electric Power
Managementon page 4‑37for more information.
Tire Pressure
This display shows the pressure for each tire in either
pounds per square inch (psi) or kilopascals (kPa). If the
tire pressure is normal, the value will display. If the tire
pressure is low, LOW will appear on the display with the
value. See Inflation - Tire Pressure
on page 6‑58and
DIC Warnings and Messageson page 4‑76for more
information. Press the information button to scroll
through the following displays:
LF TIRE: This display shows the pressure in the driver
side front tire. RF TIRE:
This display shows the pressure in the
passenger side front tire.
LR TIRE: This display shows the pressure in the driver
side rear tire.
RR TIRE: This display shows the pressure in the
passenger side rear tire.
If the tire pressure display shows dashes instead of a
value, there may be a problem with your vehicle. If this
consistently occurs, see your dealer for service.
ENGINE OIL LIFE
If your vehicle has this display, it shows the estimated
oil life remaining. If you see 99% ENGINE OIL LIFE on
the display, that means that 99% of the current oil life
remains.
When the oil life is depleted, the CHANGE ENGINE OIL
SOON message will appear on the display. Change the
oil as soon as possible. In addition to the engine oil life
system monitoring the oil life, additional maintenance is
recommended in the Maintenance Schedule in this
manual. See Scheduled Maintenance
on page 7‑3andEngine Oil on page 6‑16.
After an oil change, reset the ENGINE OIL LIFE display.
To reset, see Engine Oil Life System
on page 6‑20.
The display will show 100% ENGINE OIL LIFE after it
has been reset. Also clear the CHANGE ENGINE OIL
SOON message from the display.
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BATTERY NOT CHARGING SERVICE
CHARGING SYS (System)
This symbol appears
with this message.
This message displays when a problem with the
charging system has been detected. Have your vehicle
serviced by your dealer.
BATTERY SAVER ACTIVE
This message displays when the system detects that
the battery voltage is dropping beyond a reasonable
level. The battery saver system starts reducing certain
features of the vehicle that may be noticeable. At the
point that the features are disabled, this message is
displayed. It means that the vehicle is trying to save the
charge in the battery.
Turn off all unnecessary accessories to allow the
battery to recharge.
The normal battery voltage range is 11.5 to 15.5 volts.
To monitor battery voltage on the DIC, press the
information button until BATTERY VOLTS displays.
BATTERY VOLTAGE HIGH
This symbol appears
with this message.
This message displays when the electrical charging
system is overcharging the battery. When the system
detects that the battery voltage is above an estimated
16 volts, this message displays.
To reduce the charging overload, use the vehicle's
accessories:
.Turn on the exterior lamps and radio.
.Set the climate control on AUTO and the fan speed
on the highest setting.
.Turn the rear window defogger on.
The normal battery voltage range is 11.5 to 15.5 volts
when the engine is running. To monitor battery voltage
on the DIC, press the information button until BATTERY
VOLTS displays.
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BATTERY VOLTAGE LOW
This symbol appears
with this message.
This message displays when the electrical system is
charging less than 10 volts or the battery has been
drained.
If this message appears immediately after starting
the engine, it is possible that the generator can still
recharge the battery. The battery should recharge while
driving, but may take a few hours to do so. Consider
using an auxiliary charger to boost the battery after
returning home or to a final destination. Follow the
manufacturer's instructions.
If this message appears while driving or after starting
your vehicle and stays on, have it checked immediately
to determine the cause of this problem.
To help the generator recharge the battery quickly,
reduce the load on the electrical system by turning
off the accessories. The normal battery voltage range is 11.5 to 15.5 volts.
To monitor battery voltage on the DIC, press the
information button until BATTERY VOLTS displays.
CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
This message displays when the engine oil needs
to be changed. See your dealer. See
Engine Oilon
page 6‑16and Scheduled Maintenanceon page 7‑3for more information.
After resetting the CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
message by clearing it from the display, reset the
engine oil life system separately. For more information
on resetting the engine oil life system, see Engine Oil
Life System on page 6‑20.
CHECK BRAKE FLUID
This message displays if the ignition is on to inform the
driver that the brake fluid level is low. Have the brake
system serviced by your dealer as soon as possible.
See Brake System Warning Light
on page 4‑58for
more information.
CHECK GAS CAP
This message displays when the fuel cap has not been
fully tightened. Recheck the fuel cap to ensure that it is
on and tightened properly.
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