Page 119 of 528

Black plate (13,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
WARNING: (Continued)
.Outsiders can easily enter through an
unlocked door when you slow down or stop
your vehicle. Locking your doors can help
prevent this from happening.
There are several ways to lock and unlock your vehicle.
From the outside:
.Pull the front door handle. If you have the keyless
access transmitter, the vehicle recognizes the
transmitter and automatically unlocks the door.
.Another way to lock or unlock the vehicle, is to
press
QorKon the keyless access transmitter.
See Vehicle Personalization
on page 3‑59for
information on how to program the keyless access
feature. From the inside:
.Press the power door lock switch located on each
front door. See
Power Door Lockson page 3‑13for more information.
.Push down or pull up on the manual door lock
knob. The knob is located at the top of the door
panel near the window.
Power Door Locks
With power door locks, the switches on the front doors
can be used to lock and unlock the vehicle.
K(Unlock):Press to unlock the doors.
Q(Lock):Remove the key from the ignition and press
to lock the doors.
3-13
Page 121 of 528

Black plate (15,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Lockout Protection
The vehicle can be programmed to sound the horn
three times and unlock the driver's door when all doors
are closed and there is a keyless access transmitter
inside the interior of the vehicle. When the driver's door
is reopened, the key in reminder chime will sound
continuously. The vehicle will remain locked only when
at least one transmitter has been removed from the
vehicle and both doors are closed. SeeVehicle
Personalization on page 3‑59.
Trunk
{WARNING:
Exhaust gases can enter the vehicle if it is driven
with the liftgate, trunk/hatch open, or with any
objects that pass through the seal between the
body and the trunk/hatch or liftgate. Engine
exhaust contains Carbon Monoxide (CO) which
cannot be seen or smelled. It can cause
unconsciousness and even death.
(Continued)
WARNING: (Continued)
If the vehicle must be driven with the liftgate,
or trunk/hatch open:
.Close all of the windows.
.Fully open the air outlets on or under the
instrument panel.
.Adjust the Climate Control system to a setting
that brings in only outside air and set the fan
speed to the highest setting. See Climate
Control System in the Index.
.If the vehicle is equipped with a power liftgate,
disable the power liftgate function.
For more information about carbon monoxide, see
Engine Exhaust on page 3‑36.
3-15
Page 124 of 528
Black plate (18,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Windows
{WARNING:
Leaving children, helpless adults, or pets in a
vehicle with the windows closed is dangerous.
They can be overcome by the extreme heat and
suffer permanent injuries or even death from heat
stroke. Never leave a child, a helpless adult, or a
pet alone in a vehicle, especially with the windows
closed in warm or hot weather.
The vehicle aerodynamics are designed to improve fuel
economy performance. This may result in a pulsing
sound when either rear window is down and the front
windows are up. To reduce the sound, open either a
front window or the sunroof (if equipped).
3-18
Page 125 of 528

Black plate (19,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Power Windows
{WARNING:
Leaving children in a vehicle with the keys is
dangerous for many reasons. Children or others
could be badly injured or even killed. They could
operate the power windows or other controls or
even make the vehicle move. The windows will
function and they could be seriously injured or
killed if caught in the path of a closing window.
Do not leave keys in a vehicle with children.
When there are children in the rear seat use the
window lockout button to prevent unintentional
operation of the windows.
The power window switches are located on the armrest
near each window. Press the front of the switch to the
first position to open the window to the desired level. Lift
up the front of the switch to the first position to close the
window.
Your vehicle has Retained Accessory Power (RAP) that
allows you to use the power windows once the engine
has been turned off. For more information, seeRetained
Accessory Power (RAP) on page 3‑27.
If a window switch is repeatedly operated within a short
time frame, the window operation will be disabled
temporarily.
3-19
Page 127 of 528

Black plate (21,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Express Window Anti‐Pinch Override
{WARNING:
If express override is activated, the window will
not reverse automatically. You or others could be
injured and the window could be damaged. Before
you use express override, make sure that all
people and obstructions are clear of the
window path.
In an emergency, the anti‐pinch feature can be
overridden in a supervised mode. Hold the window
switch all the way up in the express position. The
window will rise for as long as the switch is held.
Once the switch is released, the express mode is
re‐activated.
In this mode, the window can still close on an object in
its path. Use care when using the override mode.
Window Lockout
o (Window Lockout): Press to disable the rear
window controls. The light on the button illuminates,
indicating that the feature is in use. The rear windows
can still be raised or lowered using the driver's window
switches. To restore power to the rear windows, press
the button again.
The front passenger window can be programmed to be
disabled using the window lockout button. See Vehicle
Personalization on page 3‑59.
Sun Visors
Swing down the visor or detach it from the center mount
and move to the side to block out glare. The visors also
have side-to-side slide capability for greater coverage.
Pull the visor down and lift the cover. Move the slide
switch up or down to brighten or dim the lamp.
3-21
Page 131 of 528

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.
3-25
Page 132 of 528

Black plate (26,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Ignition Positions
The vehicle has an
electronic keyless ignition
with pushbutton start.
To shift out of P (Park), the vehicle must be running or
in ACCESSORY mode and the regular brake pedal
must be applied.
/ (START): Press to start the engine with your foot on
the brake pedal. The shifter must be in P (Park) or
N (Neutral) and the keyless access transmitter must be
in the vehicle.
If the start button does not work, the vehicle may be
near a strong radio antenna signal causing interference
to the keyless access system. See DIC Warnings and
Messages
on page 4‑76for more information. 9/Acc. (STOPPING THE ENGINE/OFF/
ACCESSORY):
When the vehicle is stopped with the
engine on, press the button once to turn the engine off.
If the shifter is in P (Park), RAP will engage if all doors
are closed. RAP will turn off when a front door is
opened. See Retained Accessory Power (RAP)
on
page 3‑27for more information.
Do not turn the engine off when the vehicle is moving.
This will cause a loss of power assist in the brake and
steering systems and disable the airbags.
In an emergency: 1. Brake using a firm and steady pressure. Do not pump the brakes repeatedly. This may deplete
power assist, requiring increased brake pedal
force.
2. Shift the vehicle to N (Neutral). This can be done while the vehicle is moving. After shifting
to N (Neutral), firmly apply the brakes and steer
the vehicle to a safe location.
3. Come to a complete stop, shift to P (Park), and switch the ignition to OFF. On vehicles with an
automatic transmission, the shift lever must be in
P (Park) to switch the ignition to the OFF position.
4. Set the parking brake. See Parking Brake
on
page 3‑33.
3-26
Page 133 of 528

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.
3-27