
Black plate (12,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
7-12 Infotainment System
Selecting an XM Station
Seek Tuning
Press
¨SEEK or©SEEK to go to
the next or previous station.
Selecting a Station by Station List
The infotainment system can list all
XM stations.
To select a station from the
station list:
1. Turn the TUNE/TONE knob and highlight the desired station.
2. Press the TUNE/TONE knob to select the station.
The highlighted station will also
automatically be selected if TUNE/
TONE is released and no longer
turned. Selecting a Station by Category
The infotainment system can list XM
stations by genre.
To select a station from the
category list:
1. Turn the MENU/SELECT knob
and highlight the desired genre,
then press the MENU/SELECT
knob to select the genre.
2. Turn the MENU/SELECT knob and highlight the desired station,
then press the MENU/SELECT
knob to select the station.
Storing an XM Station as a
Favorite
Drivers are encouraged to set up
their radio station favorites while the
vehicle is stopped. Tune to favorite
stations using the presets, favorites
button, and steering wheel controls,
if the vehicle has this feature.
FAV (Favorites): A maximum of
36 stations can be programmed
as favorites using the six softkeys
below the radio station frequency tabs on the display and by using the
radio favorites page button (FAV
button). Press the FAV button to go
through up to six pages of favorites,
each having six favorite stations
available per page. Each page of
favorites can contain any
combination of AM, FM, or XM
stations.
To store a station as a favorite:
1. Tune to the desired radio station.
2. Press the FAV button to display
the page where the station is to
be stored.
3. Press and hold one of the six softkeys until a beep sounds.
When that softkey is pressed
and released, the radio recalls
the station that was set.
4. Repeat the steps for each radio station to be stored as a favorite.
The number of favorites pages can
be set up using the CONFIG button.

Black plate (36,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
7-36 Infotainment System
.Pair cell phone(s) to the vehicle.
The system may not work with
all cell phones. See“Pairing”in
this section for more information.
.If the cell phone has voice
dialing capability, learn to use
that feature to access the
address book or contact list. See
“Voice Pass-Thru” in this section
for more information.
.See “Storing and Deleting Phone
Numbers” in this section for
more information.
{WARNING
When using a cell phone, it can
be distracting to look too long or
too often at the screen of the
phone or the infotainment
(navigation) system. Taking your
eyes off the road too long or too
often could cause a crash
resulting in injury or death. Focus
your attention on driving. Vehicles with a Bluetooth
®system
can use a Bluetooth‐capable cell
phone with a Hands‐Free Profile to
make and receive phone calls. The
system can be used while the
ignition is in the ON/RUN or ACC/
ACCESSORY position. The range of
the Bluetooth system can be up to
9.1 m (30 ft). Not all phones support
all functions, and not all phones
work with the Bluetooth system. See
www.gm.com/bluetooth for more
information on compatible phones.
Voice Recognition
The Bluetooth system uses voice
recognition to interpret voice
commands to dial phone numbers
and name tags.
For additional information say “Help”
while you are in a voice
recognition menu.
Noise: Keep interior noise levels to
a minimum. The system may not
recognize voice commands if there
is too much background noise. When to Speak:
A short tone
sounds after the system responds
indicating when it is waiting for a
voice command. Wait until the tone
and then speak.
How to Speak: Speak clearly in a
calm and natural voice.
Audio System
When using the in‐vehicle Bluetooth
system, sound comes through the
vehicle's front audio system
speakers and over‐rides the audio
system. Use the audio system
volume knob, during a call, to
change the volume level. The
adjusted volume level remains in
memory for later calls. To prevent
missed calls, a minimum volume
level is used if the volume is turned
down too low.
Bluetooth Controls
Use the buttons located on the
steering wheel to operate the
in‐vehicle Bluetooth system. See
Steering Wheel Controls on
page 5‑3 for more information.

Black plate (5,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
Climate Controls 8-5
Sensors
The solar sensor located on the
instrument panel, near the
windshield, monitors the solar heat.
The interior temperature sensor,
located on the instrument panel to
the right of the steering wheel,
measures the temperature of the air
inside the vehicle.
The climate control system uses the
information from these sensors to
adjust the fan speed and the air
delivery, in order to maintain the
selected temperature. The system
may also supply cooler air to the
side of the vehicle facing the sun.
The recirculation mode will also be
activated, as necessary.
Do not cover the sensors or the
automatic climate control system will
not work properly.Air Quality Sensor
For vehicles with an air quality
sensor, the climate control system
adjusts to limit some exhaust fumes
from being pulled inside your
vehicle.
Press the AUTO button on the
climate control to activate the air
quality sensor. The recirculation
indicator light comes on when poor
quality air is detected. The air
quality sensor will not maintain
recirculation for an extended period
to prevent the air inside the vehicle
from becoming too dry or stuffy.
Under certain conditions, the air
quality sensor will not activate
recirculation, such as during cold
weather or with odors, like skunk. To
limit odors manually, press
Muntil
the condition has passed.
The air quality sensor system does
not protect against carbon monoxide
(CO), which you cannot see or
smell. See Engine Exhaust on
page 9‑26.

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 (5,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-5
Curve Tips
.Take curves at a reasonable
speed.
.Reduce speed before entering a
curve.
.Maintain a reasonable steady
speed through the curve.
.Wait until the vehicle is out of
the curve before accelerating
gently into the straightaway.
Steering in Emergencies
.There are some situations when
steering around a problem may
be more effective than braking.
.Holding both sides of the
steering wheel allows you to turn
180 degrees without removing
a hand.
.The Antilock Brake System
(ABS) allows steering while
braking.
Off-Road Recovery
The vehicle's right wheels can drop
off the edge of a road onto the
shoulder while driving. Follow
these tips:
1. Ease off the accelerator andthen, if there is nothing in the
way, steer the vehicle so that it
straddles the edge of the
pavement.
2. Turn the steering wheel about one-eighth of a turn, until the
right front tire contacts the
pavement edge. 3. Then turn the steering wheel to
go straight down the roadway.
Loss of Control
Skidding
There are three types of skids that
correspond to the vehicle's three
control systems:
.Braking Skid —wheels are not
rolling.
.Steering or Cornering
Skid —too much speed or
steering in a curve causes tires
to slip and lose cornering force.
.Acceleration Skid —too much
throttle causes the driving
wheels to spin.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids
by taking reasonable care suited to
existing conditions, and by not
overdriving those conditions. But
skids are always possible.

Black plate (9,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-9
.Pay attention to special road
signs (falling rocks area, winding
roads, long grades, passing or
no-passing zones) and take
appropriate action.
Winter Driving
Driving on Snow or Ice
Drive carefully when there is snow
or ice between the tires and the
road, creating less traction or grip.
Wet ice can occur at about 0°C
(32°F) when freezing rain begins to
fall, resulting in even less traction.
Avoid driving on wet ice or in
freezing rain until roads can be
treated with salt or sand.Drive with caution, whatever the
condition. Accelerate gently so
traction is not lost. Accelerating too
quickly causes the wheels to spin
and makes the surface under the
tires slick, so there is even less
traction.
Try not to break the fragile traction.
If you accelerate too fast, the drive
wheels will spin and polish the
surface under the tires even more.
The
Antilock Brake System (ABS)
on page 9‑33 improves vehicle
stability during hard stops on
slippery roads, but apply the brakes
sooner than when on dry pavement. Allow greater following distance on
any slippery road and watch for
slippery spots. Icy patches can
occur on otherwise clear roads in
shaded areas. The surface of a
curve or an overpass can remain icy
when the surrounding roads are
clear. Avoid sudden steering
maneuvers and braking while
on ice.
Turn off cruise control, if equipped,
on slippery surfaces.

Black plate (11,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-11
If the Vehicle Is Stuck
Slowly and cautiously spin the
wheels to free the vehicle when
stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow.
If stuck too severely for the traction
system to free the vehicle, turn the
traction system off and use the
rocking method.
{WARNING
If the vehicle's tires spin at high
speed, they can explode, and you
or others could be injured. The
vehicle can overheat, causing an
engine compartment fire or other
damage. Spin the wheels as little
as possible and avoid going
above 55 km/h (35 mph).
For information about using tire
chains on the vehicle, see Tire
Chains on page 10‑83.
Rocking the Vehicle to Get
it Out
Turn the steering wheel left and
right to clear the area around the
front wheels. Turn off any traction
system. Shift back and forth
between R (Reverse) and a forward
gear, or with a manual transmission,
between 1 (First) or 2 (Second) and
R (Reverse), spinning the wheels as
little as possible. To prevent
transmission wear, wait until the
wheels stop spinning before shifting
gears. Release the accelerator
pedal while shifting, and press
lightly on the accelerator pedal
when the transmission is in gear. Slowly spinning the wheels in the
forward and reverse directions
causes a rocking motion that could
free the vehicle. If that does not get
the vehicle out after a few tries, it
might need to be towed out. If the
vehicle does need to be towed out,
see
Towing the Vehicle on
page 10‑108.
Vehicle Load Limits
It is very important to know how
much weight the vehicle can
carry. This weight is called the
vehicle capacity weight and
includes the weight of all
occupants, cargo and all
nonfactory‐installed options.

Black plate (17,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-17
key is all the way in. If it is and
you have a manual transmission
vehicle, turn the steering wheel
left and right while you turn the
key hard. If none of this works,
then the vehicle needs service.
A (STOPPING THE ENGINE/
LOCK/OFF):When the vehicle is
stopped, turn the ignition switch to
LOCK/OFF to turn the engine off.
Retained Accessory Power (RAP)
will remain active. See Retained
Accessory Power (RAP) on
page 9‑22 for more information.
This is the only position in which the
key can be removed. This position
locks the ignition and shift lever on
automatic transmission vehicles,
and the ignition and steering wheel
on manual transmission vehicles.
Do not turn the engine off when the
vehicle is moving. This will cause a
loss of power assist in the brake
and steering systems and disable
the airbags. If the vehicle must be shut off in an
emergency:
1. Brake using a firm and steady
pressure. Do not pump the
brakes repeatedly. This may
deplete power assist, requiring
increased brake pedal force.
2. Shift the vehicle to neutral. This can be done while the vehicle is
moving. After shifting to neutral,
firmly apply the brakes and steer
the vehicle to a safe location.
3. Come to a complete stop. Shift to P (Park) with an automatic
transmission, or Neutral with a
manual transmission. Turn the
ignition to LOCK/OFF.
4. Set the parking brake. See Parking Brake (Manual) on
page 9‑34 orParking Brake
(Electric) on page 9‑35{WARNING
Turning off the vehicle while
moving may cause loss of power
assist in the brake and steering
systems and disable the airbags.
While driving, only shut the
vehicle off in an emergency.
If the vehicle cannot be pulled
over, and must be shut off while
driving, turn the ignition to ACC/
ACCESSORY.
The ignition switch can bind in the
LOCK/OFF position with the wheels
turned off center. If this happens,
move the steering wheel from right
to left while turning the key to ACC/
ACCESSORY. If this does not work,
then the vehicle needs service.
B (ACC/ACCESSORY): This
position lets you use things like the
radio and the windshield wipers
when the engine is off. This position
allows you to turn off the engine.