
Black plate (56,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
5. Pull the shoulder belt all the way out of theretractor to set the lock. When the retractor lock is
set, the belt can be tightened but not pulled out of
the retractor.6. To tighten the belt, push down on the childrestraint, pull the shoulder portion of the belt to
tighten the lap portion of the belt, and feed the
shoulder belt back into the retractor. When
installing a forward-facing child restraint, it may
be helpful to use your knee to push down on the
child restraint as you tighten the belt.
Try to pull the belt out of the retractor to make sure
the retractor is locked. If the retractor is not locked,
repeat Steps 5 and 6.
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Black plate (61,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Driver Side shown, Passenger Side similar
The roof-rail airbags for the driver, right front passenger,
and second row outboard passengers are in the ceiling
above the side windows.
{WARNING:
If something is between an occupant and an
airbag, the airbag might not inflate properly or it
might force the object into that person causing
severe injury or even death. The path of an
inflating airbag must be kept clear. Do not put
anything between an occupant and an airbag,
and do not attach or put anything on the steering
wheel hub or on or near any other airbag
covering.
Do not use seat accessories that block the
inflation path of a seat-mounted side impact
airbag.
Never secure anything to the roof of a vehicle
with roof-rail airbags by routing a rope or tie down
through any door or window opening. If you do,
the path of an inflating roof-rail airbag will be
blocked.
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Black plate (64,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
What Will You See After an Airbag
Inflates?
After the frontal airbags and seat-mounted side impact
airbags inflate, they quickly deflate, so quickly that
some people may not even realize an airbag inflated.
Roof-rail airbags may still be at least partially inflated for
some time after they deploy. Some components of the
airbag module may be hot for several minutes. For
location of the airbag modules, seeWhat Makes an
Airbag Inflate? on page 2‑63.
The parts of the airbag that come into contact with you
may be warm, but not too hot to touch. There may be
some smoke and dust coming from the vents in the
deflated airbags. Airbag inflation does not prevent the
driver from seeing out of the windshield or being able to
steer the vehicle, nor does it prevent people from
leaving the vehicle.
{WARNING:
When an airbag inflates, there may be dust in the
air. This dust could cause breathing problems for
people with a history of asthma or other breathing
trouble. To avoid this, everyone in the vehicle
should get out as soon as it is safe to do so.
If you have breathing problems but cannot get out
of the vehicle after an airbag inflates, then get
fresh air by opening a window or a door. If you
experience breathing problems following an airbag
deployment, you should seek medical attention.
The vehicle has a feature that may automatically unlock
the doors, turn on the interior lamps and hazard warning
flashers, and shut off the fuel system after the airbags
inflate. You can lock the doors, turn off the interior
lamps and hazard warning flashers by using the
controls for those features.
2-64

Black plate (1,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Section 3 Features and Controls
Keys. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Keyless Access System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Keyless Access System Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10
Doors and Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-12
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-12
Power Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-13
Programmable Automatic Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . 3-14
Rear Door Security Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-14
Lockout Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-15
Trunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-15
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-18
Power Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-19
Sun Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-21
Theft-Deterrent Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-22
Theft-Deterrent System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-22
Valet Lockout Switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-24
Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-24
Immobilizer Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-24 Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
. . . . . . . . . . . .3-25
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-25
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-26
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-27
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-27
Engine Coolant Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-29
Automatic Transmission Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-30
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-33
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-34
Shifting Out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-35
Parking Over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-35
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-36
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-36
Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-37
Automatic Dimming Rearview Mirror . . . . . . . . . . . 3-37
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-38
Outside Power Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-39
Outside Automatic Dimming Mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-39
Park Tilt Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-40
Outside Convex Mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-40
Outside Heated Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-40
3-1

Black plate (4,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
The key located inside
the keyless access
transmitter can be used
for all locks.
Press the button (A) near
the bottom of the keyless
access transmitter to
remove the key. Never
pull the key without
pressing the button.Your vehicle has a Keyless Access System with
pushbutton start. See
Ignition Positions
on page 3‑26for information on starting the vehicle.
Notice:If you ever lose your transmitter(s) and/or
key, it could be difficult to get into your vehicle.
You may even have to damage your vehicle to get
in. Be sure you have a spare transmitter and/or key.
In an emergency, contact Cadillac Roadside Service.
See Roadside Service on page 8‑8.
Keyless Access System
SeeRadio Frequency Statementon page 8‑20for information regarding Part 15 of the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) rules and
Industry Canada Standards RSS-210/220/310.
3-4

Black plate (5,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
If there is a decrease in the RKE operating range,
try this:
.Check the distance. The transmitter may be too
far from the vehicle. Stand closer during rainy or
snowy weather.
.Check the location. Other vehicles or objects may
be blocking the signal. Take a few steps to the left
or right, hold the transmitter higher, and try again.
.Check the transmitter's battery. See“Battery
Replacement” later in this section.
.If the transmitter is still not working correctly, see
your dealer or a qualified technician for service.
Keyless Access System Operation
The Keyless Access System transmitter functions will
work up to 195 feet (60 m) away from the vehicle.
The Keyless Access System lets you lock and unlock
the doors without removing the remote transmitter from
your pocket, purse, briefcase, etc. The keyless access
transmitter must be within 3 feet (1 m) of the front door
or trunk being opened.
Keyless Unlocking
Pull the door handle to unlock and open the door(s)
if the keyless access transmitter is within range. See
Door Locks
on page 3‑12for additional information.
To customize which doors unlock when pulling the
driver or passenger handle, see “Keyless FT (Front)
Door Unlock” and“Keyless Doors Unlock” under
Vehicle Personalization
on page 3‑59for additional
information.
Keyless Locking
The doors lock after several seconds if all doors are
closed and at least one keyless access transmitter
has been removed from the interior of the vehicle. To
customize whether the doors automatically lock when
exiting the vehicle, see "Keyless Lock Delay" under
Vehicle Personalization
on page 3‑59. for additional
information.
Keyless Trunk Opening
To open the trunk with the keyless access transmitter
within range, press the trunk release button located
above the license plate on the trunk. See Trunk
on
page 3‑15for additional information.
3-5

Black plate (6,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Other conditions can affect the performance
of the transmitter. SeeKeyless Access Systemon
page 3‑4.
Q(Lock): Press once to lock the doors. The light on
the front doors comes on and the turn signals flash.
If
Qis pressed twice, the horn will also sound.
See “Lights Flash at Lock” and“Horn Chirps at Lock”
under Vehicle Personalization
on page 3‑59to change
the feedback feature.
K(Unlock): Press once to unlock the driver door.
The turn signals flash twice. Press
Ktwice within
five seconds to unlock all the doors. The interior
lamps may come on. See
“Lights Flash at Unlock” and“Ext. (Exterior) Lights
at Unlock” underVehicle Personalization
on page 3‑59to change the feedback feature.
Vehicles with the memory feature can be programmed
to recall memory settings when
Kis pressed on the
keyless access transmitter. See Memory Seat, Mirrors
and Steering Wheel
on page 3‑75for more information.
/(Remote Start): Press to operate the remote start
feature. See Remote Vehicle Starton page 3‑10.
V(Trunk):Press and hold to unlock the trunk. If the
engine is running, the shift lever must be in P (Park).
L(Vehicle Locator/Panic Alarm): Press and release
to locate the vehicle. The horn sounds three times and
the turn signal lamps flash three times. Press and hold
Lfor three seconds to sound the panic alarm. The
horn sounds and the turn signal lamps flash for
30 seconds. Press and release
Lagain to cancel the
panic alarm.
The vehicle comes with two transmitters. Each
transmitter will have a number on top of it, “1”or“2”.
These numbers correspond to the driver of the vehicle.
For example, the memory seat position for driver 1 will
be recalled when using the transmitter labeled “1”,
if enabled through the vehicle personalization. See
Memory Seat, Mirrors and Steering Wheel
on
page 3‑75and Vehicle Personalizationon page 3‑59for more information.
3-6

Black plate (7,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Programming Transmitters to the
Vehicle
Only keyless access transmitters programmed to this
vehicle will work. If a transmitter is lost or stolen, a
replacement can be purchased and programmed
through your dealer. The vehicle can be reprogrammed
so that lost or stolen transmitters no longer work. Each
vehicle can have up to four transmitters programmed
to it.
Programming with a Recognized
Transmitter
A new transmitter can be programmed to the vehicle
when there is one recognized transmitter. For vehicles
sold in Canada, two recognized transmitters are
required to program a new transmitter.1. The vehicle must be off.
2. Both the recognized and new transmitters must be with you.
3. Insert the vehicle key into the key cylinder located on the outside of the driver door. 4. Turn the key to the unlock position five times within
five seconds.
5. The Driver Information Center (DIC) displays READY FOR FOB 2, 3 or 4.
6. Place the new transmitter into the transmitterpocket, located inside the center console storage
area located between the driver and front
passenger seats, with the transmitter buttons
facing the front of the vehicle.
3-7