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 (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 (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.
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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.
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Black plate (57,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
7. Before placing a child in the child restraint, makesure it is securely held in place. To check, grasp
the child restraint at the safety belt path and
attempt to move it side‐to‐side and back‐and‐forth.
When the child restraint is properly installed, there
should be no more than 2.5 cm (1 in) of movement.
If the airbag is off, the off indicator in the passenger
airbag status indicator will come on and stay on when
the vehicle is started.
If a child restraint has been installed and the on
indicator is lit, see “If the On Indicator is Lit for a Child
Restraint” underPassenger Sensing System
on
page 2‑66for more information.
To remove the child restraint, unbuckle the vehicle
safety belt and let it return to the stowed position.
Airbag System
The vehicle has the following airbags:
.A frontal airbag for the driver.
.A frontal airbag for the right front passenger.
.A seat-mounted side impact airbag for the driver.
.A seat-mounted side impact airbag for the right
front passenger.
.A roof-rail airbag for the driver and the passenger
seated directly behind the driver.
.A roof-rail airbag for the right front passenger and
the passenger seated directly behind the right front
passenger.
All of the airbags in your vehicle will have the word
AIRBAG embossed in the trim or on an attached label
near the deployment opening.
For frontal airbags, the word AIRBAG will appear on the
middle part of the steering wheel for the driver and on
the instrument panel for the right front passenger.
With seat-mounted side impact airbags, the word
AIRBAG will appear on the side of the seatback closest
to the door.
With roof-rail airbags, the word AIRBAG will appear
along the headliner or trim.
Airbags are designed to supplement the protection
provided by safety belts. Even though today's airbags
are also designed to help reduce the risk of injury from
the force of an inflating bag, all airbags must inflate very
quickly to do their job.
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Black plate (58,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Here are the most important things to know about the
airbag system:
{WARNING:
You can be severely injured or killed in a crash if
you are not wearing your safety belt—even if you
have airbags. Airbags are designed to work
with safety belts, but do not replace them. Also,
airbags are not designed to deploy in every
crash. In some crashes safety belts are your only
restraint. See When Should an Airbag Inflate?
on
page 2‑62
.
Wearing your safety belt during a crash helps
reduce your chance of hitting things inside the
vehicle or being ejected from it. Airbags are
“supplemental restraints” to the safety belts.
Everyone in your vehicle should wear a safety belt
properly —whether or not there is an airbag for
that person.
{WARNING:
Airbags inflate with great force, faster than the
blink of an eye. Anyone who is up against, or
very close to, any airbag when it inflates can be
seriously injured or killed. Do not sit unnecessarily
close to the airbag, as you would be if you were
sitting on the edge of your seat or leaning forward.
Safety belts help keep you in position before and
during a crash. Always wear your safety belt,
even with airbags. The driver should sit as far
back as possible while still maintaining control of
the vehicle.
Occupants should not lean on or sleep against the
door or side windows in seating positions with
seat-mounted side impact airbags and/or roof-rail
airbags.
2-58
Black plate (59,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
{WARNING:
Children who are up against, or very close to, any
airbag when it inflates can be seriously injured
or killed. 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. Young children and infants
need the protection that a child restraint system
can provide. Always secure children properly in
your vehicle. To read how, seeOlder Children
on
page 2‑34
or Infants and Young Childrenon
page 2‑38
.
There is an airbag readiness light on the instrument
panel cluster, which shows the airbag symbol. The system checks the airbag electrical system for
malfunctions. The light tells you if there is an electrical
problem. See
Airbag Readiness Light
on page 4‑54for
more information.
Where Are the Airbags?
The driver's frontal airbag is in the middle of the
steering wheel.
2-59