2012 CADILLAC CTS Owners Manual

Black plate (9,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-9
3. Push and release either buttonto adjust the time by one minute
increments.
Power Outlets
Accessory power outlets can be
used to plug in electrical equipment,
such as a cell phone or MP3 player.
There are three accessory power
outlets. The power outlets located
below the climate control system,
inside the center console storage
bin, and on the rear of the center
console are powered while the
vehicle is in ON/RUN, START or
ACC/ACCESSORY mode, or until
the driver door is opened within
10 minutes of turning off the vehicle.
On the CTS Wagon there is an
additional accessory power outlet
located near the rear cargo net that
is powered at all times. Remove the cover to access and
replace when not in use.
Notice:
Leaving electrical
equipment plugged in for an
extended period of time while
the vehicle is off will drain the
battery. Always unplug electrical
equipment when not in use and
do not plug in equipment that
exceeds the maximum 20 ampere
rating.
Certain electrical accessories
may not be compatible with the
accessory power outlet and could
overload vehicle or adapter fuses.
If a problem is experienced, see
your dealer.
When adding electrical equipment,
be sure to follow the proper
installation instructions included
with the equipment. See Add-On
Electrical Equipment on page 9‑61. Notice:
Hanging heavy
equipment from the power outlet
can cause damage not covered
by the vehicle warranty. The
power outlets are designed for
accessory power plugs only, such
as cell phone charge cords.
Cigarette Lighter
The vehicle may have a cigarette
lighter. To use the lighter, push it in
all the way and let go. When it is
ready, it will pop back out by itself.
Notice: Holding a cigarette lighter
in while it is heating does not let
the lighter back away from the
heating element when it is hot.
Damage from overheating can
occur to the lighter or heating
element, or a fuse could be
blown. Do not hold a cigarette
lighter in while it is heating.

Black plate (10,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
5-10 Instruments and Controls
Ashtrays
The vehicle may have two
removable ashtrays. One ashtray
can be placed into the instrument
panel storage compartment and the
other into the center console rear
compartment.
To empty the ashtrays, hold on to
the edges of the bin and pull straight
out. To reinstall, push the tray back
into place.
Notice:If papers, pins, or other
flammable items are put in the
ashtray, hot cigarettes or other
smoking materials could ignite
them and possibly damage the
vehicle. Never put flammable
items in the ashtray.
Warning Lights,
Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning lights and gauges can
signal that something is wrong
before it becomes serious enough
to cause an expensive repair or
replacement. Paying attention to the
warning lights and gauges could
prevent injury.
Warning lights come on when there
could be a problem with a vehicle
function. Some warning lights come
on briefly when the engine is started
to indicate they are working. Gauges can indicate when there
could be a problem with a vehicle
function. Often gauges and warning
lights work together to indicate a
problem with the vehicle.
When one of the warning lights
comes on and stays on while
driving, or when one of the gauges
shows there may be a problem,
check the section that explains what
to do. Follow this manual's advice.
Waiting to do repairs can be costly
and even dangerous.

Black plate (11,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-11
Instrument Cluster
English Shown, Metric Similar

Black plate (12,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
5-12 Instruments and Controls
English V-Series Shown, Metric and Manual Similar

Black plate (13,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-13
Speedometer
The speedometer shows the
vehicle's speed in either kilometers
per hour (km/h) or miles per
hour (mph).
Odometer
The odometer shows how far the
vehicle has been driven, in either
kilometers or miles.
This vehicle has a tamper‐resistant
odometer. The digital odometer will
read 999,999 if it is turned back.
If the vehicle needs a new odometer
installed, it must be set to the
mileage total of the old odometer.
If that is not possible, then it must
be set at zero and a label must be
put on the driver door to show the
old mileage reading when the new
odometer was installed.
Trip Odometer
The trip odometer can record the
number of kilometers or miles
traveled for up to two trips.The trip odometer is part of the
Driver Information Center (DIC); for
more information see
Driver
Information Center (DIC) on
page 5‑27.
For vehicles that have the
navigation system, see the
navigation manual for more
information.
Tachometer
The tachometer displays the
engine speed in revolutions per
minute (rpm).
Notice: If the engine is operated
with the tachometer in the shaded
warning area, the vehicle could
be damaged, and the damages
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty. Do not operate
the engine with the tachometer in
the shaded warning area.
The CTS-V tachometer has tracer
lights that follow the movement of
the tachometer indicator. The tracer
lights also flash when it is time to
up-shift to avoid the engine speed limit. See
Automatic Transmission
on page 9‑27 orManual
Transmission on page 9‑31 for more
information.
Fuel Gauge
When the ignition is on, the fuel
gauge indicates how much fuel is
left in the tank.
An arrow on the fuel gauge
indicates the side of the vehicle
the fuel door is on.

Black plate (14,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
5-14 Instruments and Controls
The FUEL LEVEL LOW message
appears in the Driver Information
Center (DIC) and a single chime
sounds. SeeFuel System
Messages on page 5‑36 for more
information.
Normal operation of the fuel gauge
includes:
.At the service station, the fuel
pump shuts off before the gauge
reads full.
.It takes a little more or less fuel
to fill up than the gauge
indicated.
.The gauge moves a little while
turning a corner or speeding up.
.The gauge takes a few seconds
to stabilize after the ignition is
turned on, and goes back to
empty when the ignition is
turned off.
Boost Gauge
Metric
English For the CTS-V, this gauge is located
in the instrument panel cluster.
This gauge indicates positive
manifold pressure, which is the
induction air pressure level in the
intake manifold before it enters the
combustion chamber. This gauge
reads zero under light throttle before
boost is generated.
The gauge automatically resets to
zero every time the engine is
started.
Engine Speed Limiter
This feature prevents the engine
speed from reaching an unsafe
level. If the level is too high, the
throttle closes or limits the fuel
supply until the engine speed
returns to a safe level. Throttle
operation and fuel supply return to
normal when engine speed is
lowered.

Black plate (15,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-15
For the CTS-V, the tachometer
tracer lights flash prior to reaching
engine speed limit. The tracer lights
also flash on automatic transmission
vehicles while in the DSC or Tap
Shift modes.
Engine Oil Pressure
Gauge
Metric
English
For vehicles with an engine oil
pressure gauge, it shows the engine
oil pressure in kPa (kilopascals)
or psi (pounds per square inch)
when the engine is running.
Oil pressure may vary with engine
speed, outside temperature, and oil
viscosity, but if readings are outside
the normal operating range, the oil
pressure light will come on. See
Engine Oil Pressure Light on
page 5‑25 for more information. A reading outside the normal
operating range may be caused
by a dangerously low oil level or
some other problem causing low oil
pressure. Oil should be checked as
soon as possible. See Oil Pressure
Low Stop Engine under
Engine Oil
Messages on page 5‑35 andEngine
Oil on page 10‑10.
{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.

Black plate (16,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
5-16 Instruments and Controls
Engine Coolant
Temperature Gauge
Metric
English
This gauge shows the engine
coolant temperature. If the engine
coolant overheats, the engine
coolant temperature warning light
comes on. See Engine Coolant
Temperature Warning Light on
page 5‑24 andEngine Overheating
on page 10‑23 for more information.
Safety Belt Reminders
Driver Safety Belt Reminder
Light
There is a driver safety belt
reminder light on the instrument
panel cluster.
When the vehicle is started, this
light flashes and a chime may come
on to remind the driver to fasten
their safety belt. Then the light stays
on solid until the belt is buckled.
This cycle may continue several
times if the driver remains or
becomes unbuckled while the
vehicle is moving.
If the driver safety belt is buckled,
neither the light nor the chime
comes on.