
Black plate (63,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
The seat-mounted side impact and roof-rail airbags are
not intended to inflate in frontal impacts, near-frontal
impacts, rollovers, or rear impacts. A seat-mounted side
impact airbag is intended to deploy on the side of the
vehicle that is struck. A roof-rail airbag is intended to
deploy on the side of the vehicle that is struck.
In any particular crash, no one can say whether an
airbag should have inflated simply because of the
damage to a vehicle or because of what the repair costs
were. For frontal airbags, inflation is determined by
what the vehicle hits, the angle of the impact, and how
quickly the vehicle slows down. For seat-mounted side
impact and roof-rail airbags, deployment is determined
by the location and severity of the side impact.
What Makes an Airbag Inflate?
In a deployment event, the sensing system sends an
electrical signal triggering a release of gas from the
inflator. Gas from the inflator fills the airbag causing the
bag to break out of the cover and deploy. The inflator,
the airbag, and related hardware are all part of the
airbag module.Frontal airbag modules are located inside the steering
wheel and instrument panel. For vehicles with
seat-mounted side impact airbags, there are airbag
modules in the side of the front seatbacks closest to the
door. For vehicles with roof-rail airbags, there are airbag
modules in the ceiling of the vehicle, near the side
windows that have occupant seating positions.
How Does an Airbag Restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or near frontal collisions,
even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel
or the instrument panel. In moderate to severe side
collisions, even belted occupants can contact the inside
of the vehicle.
Airbags supplement the protection provided by safety
belts. Frontal airbags distribute the force of the impact
more evenly over the occupant's upper body, stopping
the occupant more gradually. Seat-mounted side impact
and roof-rail airbags distribute the force of the impact
more evenly over the occupant's upper body.
But airbags would not help in many types of collisions,
primarily because the occupant's motion is not toward
those airbags. See
When Should an Airbag Inflate?
on
page 2‑62for more information.
Airbags should never be regarded as anything more
than a supplement to safety belts.
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Black plate (71,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Adding Equipment to Your
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Q: Is there anything I might add to or change aboutthe vehicle that could keep the airbags from
working properly?
A: Yes. If you add things that change your vehicle's
frame, bumper system, height, front end or side
sheet metal, they may keep the airbag system from
working properly. Changing or moving any parts of
the front seats, safety belts, the airbag sensing and
diagnostic module, steering wheel, instrument panel,
roof-rail airbag modules, ceiling headliner or pillar
garnish trim, overhead console, front sensors, side
impact sensors, or airbag wiring can affect the
operation of the airbag system.
In addition, your vehicle has a passenger sensing
system for the right front passenger's position, which
includes sensors that are part of the passenger's
seat. The passenger sensing system may not
operate properly if the original seat trim is replaced
with non-GM covers, upholstery or trim, or with GM
covers, upholstery or trim designed for a different
vehicle. Any object, such as an aftermarket seat
heater or a comfort enhancing pad or device, installed under or on top of the seat fabric, could
also interfere with the operation of the passenger
sensing system. This could either prevent proper
deployment of the passenger airbag(s) or prevent
the passenger sensing system from properly turning
off the passenger airbag(s). See
Passenger Sensing
System on page 2‑66.
If you have any questions about this, you should
contact Customer Assistance before you modify
your vehicle. The phone numbers and addresses
for Customer Assistance are in Step Two of the
Customer Satisfaction Procedure in this manual.
See Customer Satisfaction Procedure on page 8‑2.
Q: Because I have a disability, I have to get my vehicle modified. How can I find out whether this
will affect my airbag system?
A: If you have questions, call Customer Assistance.
The phone numbers and addresses for Customer
Assistance are in Step Two of the Customer
Satisfaction Procedure in this manual. See
Customer Satisfaction Procedure on page 8‑2.
In addition, your dealer and the service manual have
information about the location of the airbag sensors,
sensing and diagnostic module and airbag wiring.
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Black plate (2,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Section 3 Features and Controls
Object Detection Systems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-41
Ultrasonic Rear Parking Assist (URPA) . . . . . . . . 3-41
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-44
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-47
Universal Home Remote System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-49
Universal Home Remote System Operation (With Three Round LED) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-49 Storage Areas
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-56
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-56
Cupholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-56
Center Console Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-56
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-56
Convenience Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-57
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-57
Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-59
Memory Seat, Mirrors and Steering Wheel . . . . . 3-75
3-2

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 (27,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
If the engine is off, press this button to turn on the
accessory mode. ACCESSORY ACTIVE will display on
the Driver Information Center (DIC). Accessory mode
allows use of the audio system and windshield wipers.
Accessory mode must be used if the vehicle must be
towed or in motion when the engine is not running.
After the vehicle has been in accessory mode for more
than 20 minutes, the vehicle will enter RAP or turn off,
depending on if the doors are opened or closed.
Retained Accessory Power (RAP)
These vehicle accessories can be used for up to
20 minutes after the engine is turned off:
.Audio System
.Audio Steering Wheel Controls
.Power Windows
Power to these accessories will work up to 20 minutes
or until one of the front doors is opened. For an
additional 20 minutes of operation, close all the doors
and press Acc. to place the vehicle in accessory mode.
Press the button again to return to RAP.
Starting the Engine
To place the transmission in the proper gear:
Move the shift lever to P (Park) or N (Neutral). To restart
the engine when the vehicle is already moving, use
N (Neutral).
Notice: Do not try to shift to P (Park) if the
vehicle is moving. If you do, you could damage
the transmission. Shift to P (Park) only when the
vehicle is stopped.
The keyless access transmitter must be inside the
vehicle for the ignition to work.
Cell phone chargers can interfere with the operation of
the Keyless Access System. Battery chargers should
not be plugged in when starting or turning off the
engine.
To start the vehicle, do the following:
Starting Procedure
1. With your foot on the brake pedal, press the START button located on the instrument panel.
If there is not a keyless access transmitter
in the vehicle or if there is something causing
interference with it, the DIC will display NO FOBS
DETECTED. See DIC Warnings and Messages
on
page 4‑76for more information.
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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.
3-33

Black plate (39,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
3. Once the zone number displays, pressO
repeatedly until the correct zone number displays.
Stop pressing the button and the mirror returns to
normal operation. If C appears in the compass
window, the compass may need calibration. See
“Compass Calibration”listed previously.
Outside Power Mirrors
Controls for the outside
power mirrors are located
on the driver door.
To adjust the mirrors: 1. Move the selector switch left or right to choose the driver side or passenger side mirror.
2. Press one of the four arrows located on the control pad to move the mirror to the desired direction. 3. Adjust each outside mirror so that a little of the
vehicle and the area behind it can be seen.
4. Return the selector switch to the center position when finished adjusting.
The preferred mirror positions can be stored with the
memory option. See Memory Seat, Mirrors and Steering
Wheel on page 3‑75.
Manually fold the mirrors inward to prevent damage
when going through car washes or confined spaces. To
fold, push the mirror toward the vehicle. To return the
mirror to its original position, push outward. Return both
mirrors to their original unfolded position before driving.
Outside Automatic Dimming Mirror
The driver side mirror adjusts for the glare of headlamps
behind you. This feature is controlled by the on and off
settings on the automatic dimming inside rearview
mirror. See Automatic Dimming Rearview Mirror
on
page 3‑37for more information.
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Black plate (75,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
The mode you selected is now set. You can either exit
the programming mode by following the instructions
later in this section or program the next feature
available on your vehicle by pressing the F6 (BACK)
button, located on the radio, to return to the
PERSONAL SETTINGS MENU.
Exiting the Personal Settings Menu
Once you have finished making your selections on the
base audio system, you will automatically return to the
main audio screen after 15 seconds. You can also press
the F6 (BACK) button, located on the radio, to return to
the main audio screen.
Memory Seat, Mirrors and Steering
Wheel
If the vehicle has the memory feature, you can program
and recall memory settings for the following features for
up to two drivers:
.The driver seat position
.The outside rearview mirrors position
.The power tilt wheel and telescopic steering
column position
The following settings and presets are set automatically:
.The language, radio and XM™ presets, tone,
volume, playback mode (AM/FM or CD), last
displayed stations, and compact disc position
.The last climate control setting
.The Head-Up Display (HUD) position, if your
vehicle has this feature
.Other personalization settings, for example, remote
start settings
See Vehicle Personalization on page 3‑59.
3-75