
Black plate (25,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
If the vehicle does not start and the keyless access
transmitter appears to be undamaged, try another
keyless access transmitter. Or, place the transmitter in
the transmitter pocket. See“NO FOBS DETECTED”
under DIC Warnings and Messages
on page 4‑76for
additional information. Check the fuse. See Fuses and
Circuit Breakers
on page 6‑115. If the engine still does
not start with the other transmitter, the vehicle needs
service. If the engine does start, the first transmitter
may be faulty. See your dealer or have a new keyless
access transmitter programmed to the vehicle.
The immobilizer system can learn new or replacement
keyless access transmitters. Up to four keyless access
transmitters can be programmed for the vehicle.
To program additional transmitters, see “Matching
transmitter(s) to Your Vehicle” underKeyless Access
System Operation on page 3‑5.
Do not leave the key or device that disarms or
deactivates the theft deterrent system in the vehicle.
Starting and Operating Your
Vehicle
New Vehicle Break-In
Notice: The vehicle does not need an elaborate
break-in. But it will perform better in the long run if
you follow these guidelines:
.Do not drive at any one constant speed,
fast or slow, for the first 500 miles (805 km).
Do not make full-throttle starts. Avoid
downshifting to brake or slow the vehicle.
.Avoid making hard stops for the first
200 miles (322 km) or so. During this time the
new brake linings are not yet broken in. Hard
stops with new linings can mean premature
wear and earlier replacement. Follow this
breaking-in guideline every time you get new
brake linings.
.Do not tow a trailer during break-in. See
Towing a Trailer
on page 5‑31for the trailer
towing capabilities of your vehicle and more
information.
Following break‐in, engine speed and load can be
gradually increased.
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Black plate (33,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
If shifting is prevented for any reason, the selected gear
will flash multiple times, indicating that the transmission
has not shifted gears.
The transmission will allow you to shift to the gear
selected and will automatically downshift when the
vehicle comes to a stop. This will allow for more power
during take-off and passing.
Parking Brake
The parking brake pedal
is located on the lower
portion of the instrument
panel to the left of the
steering wheel.
The vehicle has a push-to-release parking brake pedal.
To set the parking brake, hold the brake pedal down,
then push the parking brake pedal down. If the ignition is on, the brake system warning light on
the instrument panel cluster should come on. If it does
not, you need to have the vehicle serviced. See
Brake
System Warning Light
on page 4‑58for more
information.
To release the parking brake, hold the brake pedal
down, then push the parking brake pedal. When you
release the park brake pedal, the parking brake
releases.
Notice: Driving with the parking brake on can
overheat the brake system and cause premature
wear or damage to brake system parts. Make sure
that the parking brake is fully released and the
brake warning light is off before driving.
A warning chime will sound if the parking brake is set,
the ignition is on and the vehicle begins to move. To
stop the chime, fully release the parking brake.
If you are towing a trailer and parking on a hill, see
Towing a Trailer
on page 5‑31for more information.
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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 (45,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
The SBZA detection zones do not change if the vehicle
is towing a trailer. So be extra careful when changing
lanes while towing a trailer.
How the System Works
Left Side Mirror DisplayRight Side Mirror Display
When the vehicle is started, both outside mirror displays
will briefly come on to indicate that the system is
operating. When the vehicle is moving forward, the left
or right side mirror SBZA display will light up if a vehicle
is detected in that blind zone. When the turn signal is
used and a vehicle has been detected on the same
side, the SBZA display will flash to give you extra
warning not to change lanes.
SBZA displays do not come on while the vehicle is
approaching or passing other vehicles.
I(SBZA): To turn SBZA on or off, press the
CONFIG hard key located on the navigation radio,
then press
I. See “Configure Menu” in the index
of the Navigation System manual. The symbol will be
highlighted when the feature is active. If SBZA is
disabled by the driver, the SBZA mirror displays will
not light up.
When the System Does Not Seem To Work
Properly
Occasional missed alerts can occur under normal
circumstances and will increase in wet conditions.
The system does not need to be serviced due to an
occasional missed alert. The number of missed alerts
will increase with increased rainfall or road spray.
If the SBZA displays do not light up when the system is
on and vehicles are in the blind zone, the system may
need service. Take the vehicle to your dealer.
SBZA is designed to ignore stationary objects; however,
the system may occasionally light up due to guard rails,
signs, trees, shrubs, and other stationary objects. This
is normal system operation, the vehicle does not need
service.
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Black plate (46,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
SBZA does not operate when the left or right corners of
the rear bumper are covered with mud, dirt, snow, ice,
slush, or in heavy rainstorms. For cleaning instructions,
seeWashing Your Vehicle
on page 6‑109. If the DIC
still displays the SIDE BLIND ZONE SYSTEM
UNAVAILABLE message after cleaning the bumper,
see your dealer.
The SBZA displays may remain on if a trailer is
attached to the vehicle, or a bicycle or object is
extending out to either side of the vehicle.
When SBZA is disabled for any reason other than the
driver turning it off, the driver will not be able to turn
SBZA back on using the DIC. The SIDE BLIND ZONE
ALERT ON option will not be selectable if the conditions
for normal system operation are not met. Until normal
operating conditions for SBZA are met, you should not
rely upon SBZA while driving.
SBZA Error Messages
The following messages may appear in the DIC:
SIDE BLIND ZONE ALERT SYSTEM OFF: This
message indicates that the system has been turned off.
SIDE BLIND ZONE SYSTEM UNAVAILABLE: This
message indicates that the SBZA system is disabled
because the sensor is blocked and cannot detect
vehicles in the blind zone. The sensor may be blocked by mud, dirt, snow, ice, slush, or even heavy
rainstorms. This message may also activate during
heavy rain or due to road spray. The vehicle does not
need service. For cleaning, see
Washing Your Vehicle
on page 6‑109.
SERVICE SIDE BLIND ZONE ALERT SYSTEM: If this
message appears, both SBZA displays will remain on
indicating there is a problem with the SBZA system.
If these displays remain on after continued driving, the
system needs service. Take the vehicle to your dealer.
FCC Information
See Radio Frequency Statementon page 8‑20for
information regarding Part 15 of the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) rules and
Industry Canada Standards RSS-210/220/310.
Frequency of operation: 24.05GHz –24.25GHz
Field Strength: Not greater than 2.5V/m peak
(0.25V/m average) at a distance of 3m
The manufacturer is not responsible for any radio or TV
interference caused by unauthorized modifications to
this equipment. Such modifications could void the user's
authority to operate the equipment.
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Black plate (48,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
How the System Works
LDW uses a camera located between the inside
rearview mirror and the windshield to detect the lane
markings.
@(Lane Departure Warning):To turn LDW on or off,
press the CONFIG hard key located on the navigation
radio, then press
@. See “Configure Menu” in the index
of the Navigation System manual. The symbol will be
highlighted when the feature is active.
When the vehicle is started, the LDW symbol that is
located in the instrument panel cluster will briefly come
on to indicate that the light is operational. LDW only operates at speeds of 35 mph (56 km) or
greater. If LDW is turned on when traveling at these
speeds, the LDW symbol will appear green if the
system detects a left or right lane marking. This symbol
will change to amber and flash and three beeps will
sound if you cross a detected lane marking without
using the turn signal.
LDW is not currently operating and will not warn you if
the LDW symbol does not appear.
When the System Does Not Seem To Work
Properly
The LDW symbol will not appear when the system is
having difficulty seeing the lines on the road or if the
view of the camera on the windshield is blocked with
mud, dirt, snow, ice, or slush, if the windshield is
damaged, or when weather limits visibility, such as
while driving in fog, rain, or snow conditions. This is
normal operation, the vehicle does not need service.
For cleaning instructions, see
Washing Your Vehicle
on
page 6‑109.
LDW warnings may occasionally occur due to tar
marks, shadows, cracks in the road, or other road
imperfections. This is normal system operation, the
vehicle does not need service.
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Black plate (49,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
LDW Error Message
SERVICE LANE DEPARTURE SYSTEM:This
message may appear in the DIC to indicate that LDW is
not working properly. If this message remains on after
continued driving, the system needs service. Take the
vehicle to your dealer. See DIC Warnings and
Messages
on page 4‑76for more information.
LANE DEPARTURE SYSTEM UNAVAILABLE : This
message may appear in the DIC if LDW does not
activate due to a temporary condition. See DIC
Warnings and Messages
on page 4‑76for more
information.
Universal Home Remote
System
See Radio Frequency Statementon page 8‑20for
information regarding Part 15 of the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) rules and
Industry Canada Standards RSS-210/220/310.
Universal Home Remote System
Operation (With Three Round LED)
The vehicle may have the Universal Home Remote
System. If there are three round Light Emitting Diode
(LED) indicator lights above the Universal Home
Remote buttons, follow the instructions below.
This system provides a way to replace up to three
remote control transmitters used to activate devices
such as garage door openers, security systems, and
home automation devices.
Do not use this system with any garage door opener
that does not have the stop and reverse feature. This
includes any garage door opener model manufactured
before April 1, 1982.
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Black plate (6,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Forward Collision Alert (FCA)
System
For vehicles with this feature, read the following section
before using it.
This vehicle has systems that operate on a radio
frequency that comply with Part 15 of the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) rules and with
Industry Canada Standards RSS‐210/220/310.
Operation is subject to the following two conditions:1. The device may not cause interference.
2. The device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired
operation of the device.
Changes or modifications to this system by other than
an authorized service facility could void authorization to
use this equipment. The Forward Collision Alert (FCA) system provides an
audible and visual warning if you approach a vehicle
too rapidly. FCA also provides a visual warning with
no audible warning if you are following another vehicle
much too closely. FCA uses the Adaptive Cruise Control
radar to detect a vehicle directly ahead, in your path,
within a distance of 100 m (328 ft) and operates at
speeds above 32 km/h (20 mph).
{WARNING:
FCA is only a warning system and does not apply
the brakes. When you are approaching a vehicle
or object too rapidly or when you are following a
vehicle too closely that is ahead of you, FCA may
not provide you with enough time to avoid a
collision. FCA is not designed to warn the driver of
pedestrians or animals. Your complete attention is
always required while driving and you should be
ready to take action and apply the brakes. For
more information, see
Defensive Driving
on
page 5‑2
.
4-6