2011 CADILLAC STS airbag

Black plate (1,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
2011 Cadillac STS Owner ManualM
In Brief. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Vehicle Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Performance and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-21
Seats and Restraint System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Child Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-34
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-57
Restraint System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-72
Features and Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Doors and Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-12
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-18
Theft-Deterrent Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-22
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-25
Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-37
Object Detection Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-41
Universal Home Remote System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-49 Storage Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-56
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-57
Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-59
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Instrument Panel Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-43
Warning Lights, Gauges, and Indicators . . . . . . . . . 4-51
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-69
Audio System(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-94
Driving Your Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1
Your Driving, the Road, and the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-29
Service and Appearance Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Checking Things Under the Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-12
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-43
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-44
Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-45
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-46

Black plate (5,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Symbol Chart
Here are some additional symbols that may be found on
the vehicle and what they mean. For more information
on the symbol, refer to the Index.
9:Airbag Readiness Light
#:Air Conditioning
!:Antilock Brake System (ABS)
g:Audio Steering Wheel Controls or OnStar®
$: Brake System Warning Light
":Charging System
I:Cruise Control
B: Engine Coolant Temperature
O:Exterior Lamps
#:Fog Lamps
.: Fuel Gauge
+:Fuses
3: Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer
j:LATCH System Child Restraints
*: Malfunction Indicator Lamp
::Oil Pressure
}:Power
/:Remote Vehicle Start
>:Safety Belt Reminders
7:Tire Pressure Monitor
F:Traction Control
M:Windshield Washer Fluid
v

Black plate (1,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Section 1 In Brief
Instrument Panel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Trunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7
Memory Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8
Heated Seats (Front) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8
Heated Seats (Rear) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Heated and Ventilated Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Head Restraint Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Safety Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Sensing System for Passenger Airbag . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Mirror Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-13
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15 Vehicle Features
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Radio(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Bluetooth
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Navigation System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19
Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-21
Performance and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-21
Traction Control System (TCS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-21
StabiliTrak
®System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-21
Tire Pressure Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-22
Tire Sealant and Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-22
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-22
Driving for Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-23
Roadside Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-23
OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-24
1-1

Black plate (10,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Safety Belt
Refer to the following sections for important information
on how to use safety belts properly.
.Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone on page 2‑14.
.How to Wear Safety Belts Properly on page 2‑19.
.Lap-Shoulder Belt on page 2‑28.
.Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH)on page 2‑45.
Sensing System for Passenger
Airbag
The passenger sensing system will turn off the right
front passenger frontal airbag under certain conditions.
The driver airbag, seat‐mounted side impact airbags
and the roof‐rail airbags are not affected by the
passenger sensing system.
The passenger airbag status indicator will be visible on
the overhead console when the vehicle is started.
United StatesCanada
See Passenger Sensing System
on page 2‑66for
important information.
1-10

Black plate (1,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Section 2 Seats and Restraint System
Front Seats. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Power Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Power Lumbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
Heated Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
Heated and Ventilated Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Memory Seat, Mirrors and Steering Wheel . . . . . . 2-5
Power Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Heated Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Rear Seat Pass-Through Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-28
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-33
Safety Belt Extender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-34
Child Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-34
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-34
Infants and Young Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-38
Child Restraint Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-41
Where to Put the Restraint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-43 Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children
(LATCH) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-45
Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear Seat Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-51
Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front
Seat Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-53
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-57
Where Are the Airbags? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-59
When Should an Airbag Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-62
What Makes an Airbag Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-63
How Does an Airbag Restrain? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-63
What Will You See After an Airbag Inflates? . . . 2-64
Passenger Sensing System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-66
Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle . . . . . . . 2-70
Adding Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-71
Restraint System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-72
Checking the Restraint Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-72
Replacing Restraint System Parts After a Crash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-73
2-1

Black plate (19,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Questions and Answers About Safety
Belts
Q: Will I be trapped in the vehicle after a crash if Iam wearing a safety belt?
A: You could be—whether you are wearing a safety
belt or not. But your chance of being conscious
during and after an accident, so you canunbuckle
and get out, is muchgreater if you are belted. And
you can unbuckle a safety belt, even if you are
upside down.
Q: If my vehicle has airbags, why should I have to wear safety belts?
A: Airbags are supplemental systems only; so they
work withsafety belts —not instead of them.
Whether or not an airbag is provided, all occupants
still have to buckle up to get the most protection.
That is true not only in frontal collisions, but
especially in side and other collisions. Q: If I am a good driver, and I never drive far from
home, why should I wear safety belts?
A: You may be an excellent driver, but if you are in a
crash —even one that is not your fault —you and
your passenger(s) can be hurt. Being a good driver
does not protect you from things beyond your
control, such as bad drivers.
Most accidents occur within 25 miles (40 km) of
home. And the greatest number of serious injuries
and deaths occur at speeds of less than 40 mph
(65 km/h).
Safety belts are for everyone.
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
This section is only for people of adult size.
Be aware that there are special things to know about
safety belts and children. And there are different rules
for smaller children and infants. If a child will be riding in
the vehicle, see Older Children
on page 2‑34orInfants
and Young Childrenon page 2‑38. Follow those rules
for everyone's protection.
It is very important for all occupants to buckle up.
Statistics show that unbelted people are hurt more often
in crashes than those who are wearing safety belts.
2-19

Black plate (30,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster
Your vehicle has a shoulder belt height adjuster for the
driver and right front passenger position.
Adjust the height so the shoulder portion of the belt is
on the shoulder and not falling off of it. The belt should
be close to, but not contacting, the neck. Improper
shoulder belt height adjustment could reduce the
effectiveness of the safety belt in a crash. SeeHow to
Wear Safety Belts Properly on page 2‑19.
To move it down, press
the release button (A) and
move the height adjuster
to the desired position.
You can move the height
adjuster up just by
pushing up on the
shoulder belt guide.
After you move the height adjuster to where you want it,
try to move it down without pressing the release button
to make sure it has locked into position.
Safety Belt Pretensioners
Your vehicle has safety belt pretensioners for front
outboard occupants. Although you cannot see them,
they are part of the safety belt assembly. They can help
tighten the safety belts during the early stages of a
moderate to severe frontal and near frontal crash if the
threshold conditions for pretensioner activation are met.
And, if your vehicle has side impact airbags, safety belt
pretensioners can help tighten the safety belts in a side
crash.
Pretensioners work only once. If they activate in a
crash, you will need to get new ones, and probably
other new parts for your safety belt system. See
Replacing Restraint System Parts After a Crash
on
page 2‑73.
2-30

Black plate (38,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Infants and Young Children
Everyone in a vehicle needs protection! This includes
infants and all other children. Neither the distance
traveled nor the age and size of the traveler changes
the need, for everyone, to use safety restraints. In fact,
the law in every state in the United States and in every
Canadian province says children up to some age must
be restrained while in a vehicle.
{WARNING:
Children can be seriously injured or strangled if a
shoulder belt is wrapped around their neck and
the safety belt continues to tighten. Never leave
children unattended in a vehicle and never allow
children to play with the safety belts.Airbags plus lap‐shoulder belts offer protection for
adults and older children, but not for young children and
infants. Neither the vehicle's safety belt system nor its
airbag system is designed for them. Every time infants
and young children ride in vehicles, they should have
the protection provided by appropriate child restraints.
Children who are not restrained properly can strike
other people, or can be thrown out of the vehicle.
{WARNING:
Never do this.
Never hold an infant or a child while riding in a
vehicle. Due to crash forces, an infant or a child
will become so heavy it is not possible to hold it
during a crash. For example, in a crash at only
40 km/h (25 mph), a 5.5 kg (12 lb) infant will
suddenly become a 110 kg (240 lb) force on a
person's arms. An infant should be secured in an
appropriate restraint.
2-38