2012 CADILLAC CTS brake

Black plate (22,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
5-22 Instruments and Controls
Brake System Warning
Light
The vehicle brake system consists
of two hydraulic circuits. If one
circuit is not working, the remaining
circuit can still work to stop the
vehicle. For normal braking
performance, both circuits need to
be working
If the warning light comes on, there
is a brake problem. Have the brake
system inspected right away.
MetricEnglish
This light should come on briefly
when the ignition is placed in ON/
RUN. If it does not come on then,
have it fixed so it will be ready to
warn if there is a problem. When the ignition is on, the brake
system warning light also comes
on when the parking brake is set.
The light flashes or stays on if the
parking brake is not fully released.
If the light stays on after the parking
brake is fully released, there is a
base brake problem.
{CAUTION
The brake system might not be
working properly if the brake
system warning light is on.
Driving with the brake system
warning light on can lead to a
crash. If the light is still on after
the vehicle has been pulled off
the road and carefully stopped,
have the vehicle towed for
service.
For vehicles with the Electric
Parking Brake (EPB), this red brake
status light comes on when the
parking brake is applied. If the light
continues flashing after the parking brake is released, or while driving,
there is a problem with the Electric
Parking Brake system.
If the light does not come on,
or remains flashing, see your dealer.For vehicles with the Electric
Parking Brake (EPB), this parking
brake warning light should come on
briefly when ignition is placed in ON/
RUN. If it does not come on then,
have it fixed so it will be ready to
warn if there is a problem.
If this parking brake light comes on,
there is a problem with a system
on the vehicle that is causing the
parking brake system to work at a
reduced level. The vehicle can still
be driven, but should be taken to a
dealer

Black plate (23,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-23
SeeBrake Assist (Except CTS-V)
on page 9‑37 for more information.
Antilock Brake System
(ABS) Warning Light
The Antilock Brake System (ABS),
this light comes on briefly when the
engine is started.
If the light does not come on, have it
fixed so it will be ready to warn if
there is a problem.
If the ABS light stays on, turn the
ignition off. If the light comes on
while driving, stop as soon as it is
safely possible and turn the ignition
off. A chime may also sound when
the light comes on steady. If this
happens, start the engine again to
reset the system. If the ABS light
stays on, or comes on again while driving, the vehicle needs service.
If the regular brake system warning
light is not on, the vehicle still has
brakes, but not antilock brakes.
If the regular brake system warning
light is also on, the vehicle does not
have antilock brakes and there is a
problem with the regular brakes.
See
Brake System Warning Light on
page 5‑22.
For vehicles with a Driver
Information Center (DIC), see
Driver Information Center (DIC) on
page 5‑27 for all brake-related DIC
messages.
Up-Shift Light
The vehicle may have an up-shift
light. It indicates when to shift to
the next higher gear for best fuel
economy. See
Manual Transmission on
page 9‑31 for more information.
For the CTS-V, the tracer lights
function as a performance up-shift
light.
The tracers flash to indicate when
to shift to the next higher gear to
avoid the engine speed limit. See
Automatic Transmission on
page 9‑27 orManual Transmission
on page 9‑31 for more information.
StabiliTrak®OFF Light
This light comes on briefly while
starting the engine. If it does not,
have the vehicle serviced by your
dealer.

Black plate (32,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
5-32 Instruments and Controls
BATTERY VOLTS LOW
This message displays when the
electrical system is charging less
than 10 volts or the battery has
been drained.
If this message appears
immediately after starting the
engine, it is possible that the
generator can still recharge the
battery. The battery should recharge
while driving, but may take a few
hours to do so. Consider using an
auxiliary charger to boost the
battery after returning home or
arriving at a final destination. Make
sure you follow the manufacturer's
instructions.
If this message appears while
driving or after starting the vehicle
and stays on, have it checked
immediately to determine the cause
of this problem.To help the generator recharge the
battery quickly, reduce the load on
the electrical system by turning off
the accessories.
The normal battery voltage range is
11.5 to 15.5 volts. Monitor battery
voltage on the DIC by pressing the
vehicle information button until
Battery Voltage is displayed.
SERVICE BATTERY
CHARGING SYSTEM
This message displays when there
is a problem with the generator and
battery charging systems. Driving
with this problem could drain the
battery. Turn off all unnecessary
accessories. Stop and turn off the
vehicle as soon as it is safe to do
so. Have the electrical system
checked by your dealer. Under
certain conditions, the charging
system light may also turn on in
the instrument panel cluster. See
Charging System Light on
page 5‑19
for more information.
Brake System Messages
PARK BRAKE RELEASED
For vehicles with the electric
parking brake, this message
displays when the parking brake
has been released from the set
position. See the electric parking
brake information under Parking
Brake (Manual) on page 9‑34 or
Parking Brake (Electric) on
page 9‑35 for more information.
PARK BRAKE SET
For vehicles with the electric parking
brake, this message displays when
the parking brake has been applied
to the set position. See the electric
parking brake information under
Parking Brake (Manual) on
page 9‑34orParking Brake
(Electric) on page 9‑35 for more
information.

Black plate (33,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-33
PRESS BRAKE TO START
ENGINE (AUTOMATIC
TRANSMISSION ONLY)
If the vehicle has the keyless
access system, this message
displays if you try to start the engine
without having the brake pressed.
The brake needs to be pressed
when starting the engine. See
Ignition Positions (Key Access) on
page 9‑16orIgnition Positions
(Keyless Access) on page 9‑18 for
more information.
RELEASE PARK BRAKE
SWITCH
For vehicles with the electric parking
brake, this message displays if the
switch is pulled while the vehicle is
moving. See the electric parking
brake information under Parking
Brake (Manual) on page 9‑34 or
Parking Brake (Electric) on
page 9‑35 for more information.
SERVICE BRAKE ASSIST
This message displays if there is a
problem with the brake system. The
brake system warning light and the
antilock brake system (ABS)
warning light may also display on
the instrument panel cluster. See
Brake System Warning Light on
page 5‑22andAntilock Brake
System (ABS) Warning Light on
page 5‑23 for more information.
Stop as soon as possible and turn
off the vehicle. Restart the vehicle
and check for the message on the
DIC display. If the message displays
immediately or again after you begin
driving, the brake system needs
service. See your dealer as soon as
possible. See Antilock Brake
System (ABS) on page 9‑33 for
more information.
SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM
This message displays, while the
ignition is on, when the brake fluid
level is low. The brake system
warning light on the instrument
panel cluster also comes on. See
Brake System Warning Light on
page 5‑22 for more information. This
message may also be displayed for
other brake system problems. Have
the brake system serviced by your
dealer as soon as possible.
SERVICE PARK BRAKE
For vehicles with the electric parking
brake, this message displays if a
problem is detected with the electric
parking brake system. See your
dealer for service.
STEP ON BRAKE TO
RELEASE PARK BRAKE
For vehicles with the electric parking
brake, this message displays if you
try to release the park brake system
without first pressing the brake
pedal. See the electric parking
brake information under Parking
Brake (Manual) on page 9‑34 or
Parking Brake (Electric) on
page 9‑35 for more information.

Black plate (42,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
5-42 Instruments and Controls
STABILITRAK
COMPETITIVE MODE
This message displays when the
Competitive Driving Mode is
selected. When in this mode, the
Traction Control System (TCS) will
not be operating and the TCS/
StabiliTrak warning light will turn on.
Adjust your driving accordingly. See
Competitive Driving Mode on
page 9‑40for more information.
STABILITRAK NOT READY
This message may display after first
driving the vehicle and exceeding
30 km/h (19 mph) for 30 seconds.
The TCS/StabiliTrak warning light
on the instrument panel cluster also
comes on. The StabiliTrak system is
not functional until the message has
turned off. See StabiliTrak
®System
on page 9‑39 for more information.
STABILITRAK OFF
This message displays when you
turn off StabiliTrak, or when the
stability control system has been
automatically disabled. The TCS/ StabiliTrak warning light on the
instrument panel cluster also
comes on.
To realize the full benefits of the
stability enhancement system, you
should normally leave StabiliTrak
on. To turn StabiliTrak on or off, see
StabiliTrak
®System on page 9‑39.
There are several conditions that
can cause this message to appear:
.If there is overheating, which
could occur if StabiliTrak
activates continuously for an
extended period of time.
.If the brake system warning light
is on. See Brake System
Warning Light on page 5‑22.
.If the stability system takes
longer than usual to complete its
diagnostic checks due to driving
conditions.
.If an engine or vehicle-related
problem has been detected and
the vehicle needs service. See
your dealer. The message turns off as soon
as the conditions that caused the
message to be displayed are no
longer present.
SUSPENSION MODE SPORT
(CTS-V ONLY)
This message will be displayed
when sport mode is selected using
the Magnetic Ride Control button in
the center of the instrument panel.
See
Magnetic Ride Control on
page 9‑40 for more information.
SUSPENSION MODE TOUR
(CTS-V ONLY)
This message will be displayed
when touring mode is selected
using the Magnetic Ride Control
button in the center of the
instrument panel. See Magnetic
Ride Control on page 9‑40 for more
information.
TRACTION CONTROL OFF
This message displays when the
traction control system has been
turned off.

Black plate (3,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
Lighting 6-3
Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL)
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can
make it easier for others to see the
front of your vehicle during the day.
Fully functional daytime running
lamps are required on all vehicles
first sold in Canada.
The DRL system will make either
the reduced intensity low‐beam
headlamps or dedicated DRLs come
on when the following conditions
are met:
.It is still daylight and the ignition
is in ON/RUN or START.
.The exterior lamp control is inPor AUTO and the headlamps
are off.
.The automatic transmission is
not in P (Park). When DRLs are on, only the
reduced intensity low‐beam
headlamps or dedicated DRLs will
be on. The other exterior lamps and
the instrument panel cluster will not
be on.
When the exterior lamp control is in
AUTO and it is dark enough outside,
the DRL turn off and the low-beam
headlamps will turn on. When it is
bright enough outside, the low-beam
headlamps will go off, and the DRL
will turn back on. If the vehicle is
started in a dark garage, the
automatic headlamp system comes
on immediately. Once the vehicle
leaves the garage, it takes about
one minute for the automatic
headlamp system to change to DRL
if it is light outside. During that
delay, the instrument panel cluster
may not be as bright as usual. Make
sure the instrument panel brightness
lever is in the full bright position.
See
Instrument Panel Illumination
Control on page 6‑7.
Turning the exterior lamp control to
off or to the low-beam headlamp
position will turn off the DRL. If the
parking lamps or the fog lamps were
turned on instead, the DRL will still
turn off.
This will work regardless of gear
position and whether or not the
parking brake is set.

Black plate (1,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-1
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Competitive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . 9-7
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-8
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . 9-8
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-9
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 9-11
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . 9-11
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . 9-16
Ignition Positions (KeyAccess) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-16
Ignition Positions (Keyless Access) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-18 Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . 9-20
Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-22
Engine Coolant Heater . . . . . . . 9-22
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Parking (Manual Transmission) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . 9-27
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-29
Manual Transmission
Manual Transmission . . . . . . . . 9-31
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Parking Brake (Manual) . . . . . . 9-34
Parking Brake (Electric) . . . . . . 9-35
Brake Assist (Except CTS-V) . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-37
Ride Control Systems
Traction ControlSystem (TCS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-38
StabiliTrak
®System . . . . . . . . . 9-39
Competitive Driving Mode . . . 9-40
Magnetic Ride Control . . . . . . . 9-40
Limited-Slip Rear Axle . . . . . . . 9-41
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-41
Object Detection Systems
Ultrasonic Parking Assist . . . . 9-44
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-45
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-48

Black plate (4,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
9-4 Driving and Operating
Control of a Vehicle
Braking, steering, and accelerating
are important factors in helping to
control a vehicle while driving.
Braking
Braking action involves perception
time and reaction time. Deciding to
push the brake pedal is perception
time. Actually doing it is
reaction time.
Average driver reaction time is
about three‐fourths of a second.
In that time, a vehicle moving at
100 km/h (60 mph) travels 20 m
(66 ft), which could be a lot of
distance in an emergency.Helpful braking tips to keep in mind
include:
.Keep enough distance between
you and the vehicle in front
of you.
.Avoid needless heavy braking.
.Keep pace with traffic.
If the engine ever stops while the
vehicle is being driven, brake
normally but do not pump the
brakes. Doing so could make the
pedal harder to push down. If the
engine stops, there will be some
power brake assist but it will be
used when the brake is applied.
Once the power assist is used up,
it can take longer to stop and the
brake pedal will be harder to push.
Steering
Hydraulic Power Steering
Your vehicle has hydraulic
power steering. It may require
maintenance. See Power Steering
Fluid on page 10‑24.
If power steering assist is lost due
to a system malfunction, the vehicle
can be steered, but may require
increased effort.
See your dealer if there is a
problem.