
Black plate (2,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
2011 Cadillac STS Owner ManualM
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-47
Windshield Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-48
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . 6-49
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-50
Appearance Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-106
Vehicle Identification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-114
Electrical System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-114
Capacities and Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-128 Maintenance Schedule
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Maintenance Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2
Customer Assistance Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Customer Assistance and Information . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-2
Reporting Safety Defects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-16
Vehicle Data Recording and Privacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-19
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i-1

Black plate (5,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
The lever returns to its starting position when it is
released.
If after signaling a turn or lane change the arrow flashes
rapidly or does not come on, a signal bulb may be
burned out.
Have the bulbs replaced. If the bulb is not burned out,
check the fuse. SeeFuses and Circuit Breakers
on
page 6‑115.
Turn Signal On Chime
If the turn signal is left on for about 1.6 km (1 mile), a
warning chime will sound and the TURN SIGNAL ON
message will appear on the Driver Information Center
(DIC) display. See “Turn Signal On”underDIC
Warnings and Messages
on page 4‑76for more
information.
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer
Push forward on the turn signal/multifunction lever to
change the headlamps from low to high beam. Pull the
lever back and then release it to change from high to
low beam.
If you turn the vehicle off with the high beams on, the
next time you start your vehicle the low beams will
be on.
To re-activate high beams, pull lever toward you and
then push it forward again.
This light on the
instrument panel cluster
will be on, indicating
high-beam usage.
4-5

Black plate (66,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Oil Pressure Light
For vehicles with an oil
pressure light, if there is a
problem with the oil, the
light may stay on after
the engine is started,
or comes on while driving.
This light indicates that oil is not going through the
engine quickly enough to keep it lubricated. The engine
could be low on oil or could have some other oil
problem. Have the vehicle serviced by your dealer.
The oil light could also come on in the following
situations:
.The light comes on briefly when the ignition is
turned on to show that it is working properly. If it
does not come on with the ignition on, there may
be a problem with the fuse or bulb. Have the
vehicle serviced by your dealer.
.Sometimes when the engine is idling at a stop, a
chime sounds and the light may blink on and off.
This is normal.
{WARNING:
Do not keep driving if the oil pressure is low. The
engine can become so hot that it catches fire.
Someone could be burned. Check the oil as soon
as possible and have the vehicle serviced.
Notice: Lack of proper engine oil maintenance can
damage the engine. The repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty. Always follow the
maintenance schedule for changing engine oil.
4-66

Black plate (36,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel with one hand.
Then, to move the trailer to the left, move that hand to
the left. To move the trailer to the right, move your hand
to the right. Always back up slowly and, if possible,
have someone guide you.
Making Turns
Notice:Making very sharp turns while trailering
could cause the trailer to come in contact with the
vehicle. The vehicle could be damaged. Avoid
making very sharp turns while trailering.
When turning with a trailer, make wider turns than
normal. Do this so the trailer will not strike soft
shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees or other objects.
Avoid jerky or sudden maneuvers. Signal well in
advance.
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
The arrows on the instrument panel flash whenever
signaling a turn or lane change. Properly hooked up,
the trailer lamps also flash, telling other drivers the
vehicle is turning, changing lanes or stopping.
When towing a trailer, the arrows on the instrument
panel flash for turns even if the bulbs on the trailer are
burned out. For this reason you may think other drivers
are seeing the signal when they are not. It is important
to check occasionally to be sure the trailer bulbs are still
working.
The vehicle has bulb warning lights. When a trailer
lighting system is plugged into the vehicle's lighting
system, its bulb warning lights may not let you know if
one of the lamps goes out. So, when the trailer lighting
system is plugged in, be sure to check the vehicle and
trailer lamps from time to time to be sure they are all
working. Once the trailer lamps are disconnected, the
bulb warning lights again can tell you if one of the
vehicle lamps is out.
5-36

Black plate (1,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Section 6 Service and Appearance Care
Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
California Proposition 65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Doing Your Own Service Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Adding Equipment to the Outside of the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Gasoline Octane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Gasoline Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
California Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-11
Checking Things Under the Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-12
Hood Release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-12
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-13
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-16
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-20
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-21
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-23
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-24
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-25
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-30 Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-32
Power Steering Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-33
Windshield Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-34
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-35
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-38
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-38
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-43
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-44
Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-45
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-46
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-47
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . 6-47
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-47
Back-Up Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-48
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-48
Windshield Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-48
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . . . . .6-49
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-50
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-51
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-52
Tire Terminology and Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-55
Inflation - Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-58
High-Speed Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-60
6-1

Black plate (47,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Bulb Replacement
For the proper type of replacement bulbs, see
Replacement Bulbs on page 6‑48.
For any bulb changing procedure not listed in this
section, contact your dealer.
High Intensity Discharge (HID)
Lighting
{WARNING:
The low beam high intensity discharge lighting
system operates at a very high voltage. If you try
to service any of the system components, you
could be seriously injured. Have your dealer or a
qualified technician service them.The vehicle may have HID headlamps. After an HID
headlamp bulb has been replaced, you may notice that
the beam is a slightly different shade than it was
originally. This is normal.
Halogen Bulbs
{WARNING:
Halogen bulbs have pressurized gas inside and
can burst if you drop or scratch the bulb. You or
others could be injured. Be sure to read and
follow the instructions on the bulb package.
6-47

Black plate (48,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Back-Up Lamps
To replace a back-up lamp bulb:1. Open the trunk. See Trunk on page 3‑15.
2. Pull out the push pins holding down the top portion
of the cloth cover.
3. Fold the cover down slightly and locate the lamp assembly. 4. Turn the socket counterclockwise and pull it
straight out to remove it from the lamp assembly.
5. Pull the old bulb straight out and reinstall the new bulb.
6. Put the cover back in place and reinstall the push pins.
Replacement Bulbs
Exterior Lamp Bulb Number
Back-up 3157K
For replacement bulbs not listed here, contact your
dealer.
Windshield Replacement
The windshield is part of the Head-Up Display (HUD)
system. If you ever have to get the windshield replaced,
get one that is designed for HUD or the HUD image
may look out of focus.
6-48

Black plate (2,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Audio System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-94Audio Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-124
Navigation/Radio System, see Navigation
Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-113
Radio Personalization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-120
Radio Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-125
Setting the Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-95
Theft-Deterrent Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-123
XM™ Satellite Radio Antenna System . . . . . . . . . . .4-126
Audio System(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-95
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-23
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-30
Axle, Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-44
B
Back-Up Lamps - Ambulance Body Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-48
Backglass Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-126
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-38 Electric Power Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-37
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-35
Inadvertent Power Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-37
Load Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-36
Belt Routing, Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-12
Bluetooth
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-113 Brake
Emergencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-35 Antilock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-33
System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-58
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-4
Braking in Emergencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-6
Break-In, New Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-25
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-48 Back-Up Lamps - Ambulance Body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-48
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-33
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-47
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-46
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-47
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . 6-47
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-67
C
Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14, 3-38
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
California Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-7
Canadian Owners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
Capacities and Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-128
i - 2