
Black plate (30,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
The length of time the heater should remain plugged in
depends on several factors. Ask a dealer in the area
where you will be parking the vehicle for the best advice
on this.
Automatic Transmission Operation
There are several
different positions for the
shift lever.
P (Park): This position locks the rear wheels. It is the
best position to use when you start the engine because
the vehicle cannot move easily.
{WARNING:
It is dangerous to get out of the vehicle if the shift
lever is not fully in P (Park) with the parking brake
firmly set. The vehicle can roll.
Do not leave the vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to. If you have left the
engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You or others could be injured. To be sure the
vehicle will not move, even when you are on fairly
level ground, always set the parking brake and
move the shift lever to P (Park). See Shifting Into
Park
on page 3‑34. If you are pulling a trailer,
see Towing a Trailer on page 5‑31.
Make sure the shift lever is fully in P (Park) before
starting the engine. The vehicle has an automatic
transmission shift lock control system. You must fully
apply your regular brakes first and then press the shift
lever button before you can shift from P (Park) when the
vehicle is running. If you cannot shift out of P (Park),
ease pressure on the shift lever and push the shift
lever all the way into P (Park) as you maintain brake
application. Then press the shift lever button and move
the shift lever into another gear. See Shifting Out of
Park on page 3‑35.
3-30

Black plate (31,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Notice:Shifting to R (Reverse) while the vehicle is
moving forward could damage the transmission.
The repairs would not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Shift to R (Reverse) only after the vehicle
is stopped.
R (Reverse): Use this gear to back up.
At low vehicle speeds, you can also use R (Reverse)
to rock your vehicle back and forth to get out of snow,
ice, or sand without damaging the transmission. See If
Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow
on
page 5‑22for additional information.
N (Neutral): In this position, the engine does not
connect with the wheels. To restart the engine when the
vehicle is already moving, use N (Neutral) only. You can
also use N (Neutral) when the vehicle is being towed.
{WARNING:
Shifting into a drive gear while the engine is
running at high speed is dangerous. Unless your
foot is firmly on the brake pedal, the vehicle could
move very rapidly. You could lose control and hit
people or objects. Do not shift into a drive gear
while the engine is running at high speed. Notice:
Shifting out of P (Park) or N (Neutral) with
the engine running at high speed may damage the
transmission. The repairs would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Be sure the engine is not
running at high speed when shifting the vehicle.
D (Drive): This position is for normal driving. It provides
the best fuel economy. If you need more power for
passing, and you are:
.Going less than 35 mph (55 km/h), push the
accelerator pedal about halfway down.
.Going about 35 mph (55 km/h) or more, push the
accelerator all the way down.
The transmission will shift down to a lower gear
and have more power.
Downshifting the transmission in slippery road
conditions could result in skidding, see “Skidding”under
Loss of Control on page 5‑14.
3-31

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.
3-39

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

Black plate (1,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Section 4 Instrument Panel
Instrument Panel Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-3
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Power Tilt Wheel and Telescopic Steering Column . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Heated Steering Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-9
Windshield Wipers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-10
Windshield Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-11
Headlamp Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-11
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-12
Adaptive Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-15
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-27
Wiper Activated Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-31
Headlamps on Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-31
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-32
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-33
Twilight Sentinel
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-34
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-35
Instrument Panel Brightness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-35
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-36
Parade Dimming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-36 Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-36
Battery Load Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-36
Electric Power Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-37
Inadvertent Power Battery Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-37
Head-Up Display (HUD) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-38
Accessory Power Outlet(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-42
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-43
Dual Climate Control System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-43
Outlet Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-48
Rear Climate Control System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-49
Passenger Compartment Air Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-50
Warning Lights, Gauges, and Indicators . . . . . . . .4-51
Instrument Panel Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-52
Speedometer and Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-53
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-53
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-53
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-54
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-55
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-57
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-58
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . 4-59
Traction Control System (TCS) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-60
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) Light . . . . . . . . . . 4-60
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning Light . . . . 4-61
4-1

Black plate (2,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Section 4 Instrument Panel
Engine Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . 4-61
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-62
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-62
Oil Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-66
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-67
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-67
Lights On Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-67
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-67
Highbeam On Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-68
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-68
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-69
DIC Operation and Displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-70
DIC Warnings and Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-76
Other Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-93 Audio System(s)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-94
Setting the Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-95
Radio(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-95
Using an MP3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-108
XM Radio Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-112
Navigation/Radio System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-113
Bluetooth
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-113
Radio Personalization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-120
Theft-Deterrent Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-123
Audio Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-124
Radio Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-125
Backglass Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-126
XM™ Satellite Radio Antenna System . . . . . . . . 4-126
4-2

Black plate (3,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Instrument Panel Overview
Hazard Warning Flashers
|:Press this button located on the console, near the
shift lever, to make the front and rear turn signal lamps
flash on and off. This warns others that you are having
trouble. Press again to turn the flashers off.
When the hazard warning flashers are on, the turn
signals do not work.
Horn
Press near or on the horn symbols on the steering
wheel pad to sound the horn.
Power Tilt Wheel and Telescopic
Steering Column
The power tilt and telescope wheel control is located on
the left side of the steering column.
To adjust the steering wheel:
.Push the control up or down to tilt the steering
wheel up or down.
.Push the control forward or rearward to move the
steering wheel towards the front or rear of the
vehicle.
To set the memory position, see Vehicle Personalization
on page 3‑59andMemory Seat, Mirrors and Steering
Wheel on page 3‑75.
4-3