2012 CADILLAC CTS warning light

Black plate (43,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-43
Airbag System Messages
SERVICE AIR BAG
This message displays when there
is a problem with the airbag system.
Have the vehicle serviced by your
dealer immediately. SeeAirbag
Readiness Light on page 5‑17 for
more information.
Anti-theft Alarm System
Messages
SERVICE THEFT DETERRENT
SYSTEM
This message displays when there
is a problem with the theft-deterrent
system programmed in the key.
A fault has been detected in the
system which means that the
system is disabled and it is not
protecting the vehicle. The vehicle
usually restarts; however, you may
want to take the vehicle to your
dealer before turning off the engine.
See Immobilizer Operation (Key
Access) on page 2‑25 orImmobilizer Operation (Keyless
Access) on page 2‑26
for more
information.
START ABORTED BY THEFT
DETERRENT
This message displays if there is a
communication problem between
the keyless access system and the
vehicle. The vehicle cannot be
started when this message displays.
See your dealer for service.
THEFT ATTEMPTED
This message displays if the
theft-deterrent system has detected
a break-in attempt while you were
away from the vehicle. See
Anti-theft Alarm System on
page 2‑24 for more information.
Service Vehicle Messages
SERVICE A/C SYSTEM
This message displays when the
electronic sensors that control
the air conditioning and heating
systems are no longer working. Have the climate control system
serviced by your dealer if you
notice a drop in heating and air
conditioning efficiency.
SERVICE VEHICLE SOON
This message displays when a
non-emissions related malfunction
occurs. Have the vehicle serviced
by your dealer as soon as possible.
Tire Messages
SERVICE TIRE MONITOR
SYSTEM
This message displays if a part on
the Tire Pressure Monitor System
(TPMS) is not working properly. The
tire pressure light also flashes and
then remains on during the same
ignition cycle. See
Tire Pressure
Light on page 5‑25. Several
conditions may cause this message
to appear. See Tire Pressure
Monitor Operation on page 10‑73 for
more information. If the warning

Black plate (44,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
5-44 Instruments and Controls
comes on and stays on, there may
be a problem with the TPMS. See
your dealer.
TIRE LEARNING ACTIVE
This message displays when the
Tire Pressure Monitor System
(TPMS) is re-learning the tire
positions on the vehicle. The tire
positions must be re-learned after
rotating the tires or after replacing a
tire or sensor. SeeTire Rotation on
page 10‑77, Tire Pressure Monitor
System on page 10‑72, and Tire
Pressure on page 10‑70 for more
information.
TIRE LOW ADD AIR TO TIRE
On vehicles with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS), this
message displays when the
pressure in one or more of the
vehicle’s tires is low. This message
also displays LEFT FRONT, RIGHT
FRONT, LEFT REAR, or RIGHT
REAR to indicate the location of the
low tire. The low tire pressure warning light
will also come on. See
Tire
Pressure Light on page 5‑25.
If a tire pressure message appears
on the DIC, stop as soon as you
can. Inflate the tires by adding air
until the tire pressure is equal to
the values shown on the Tire and
Loading Information label. See Tires
on page 10‑63, Vehicle Load Limits
on page 9‑11, and Tire Pressure on
page 10‑70.
If the vehicle does not have a spare
tire, the message will display USE
INFLATOR KIT IN TRUNK. Use the
inflator kit to inflate the tires to the
correct pressure. See Tire Sealant
and Compressor Kit on page 10‑86
for more information.
More than one tire pressure
message can be received at a time.
To read the other messages, press
the set/reset button.
The DIC display also shows the tire
pressure values. See Driver
Information Center (DIC) on
page 5‑27.
Transmission Messages
DIFFERENTIAL HOT, REDUCE
SPEED (CTS-V ONLY)
This message displays and a chime
sounds if the differential fluid
temperature exceeds 150°C
(300°F). Driving aggressively
or at high speeds can cause the
differential fluid temperature to be
higher than normal. If this message
appears, you may continue to drive
at a slower speed. If you have been
operating the vehicle under normal
driving conditions, the vehicle may
need service. See your dealer for an
inspection.
To acknowledge the message, press
V. The message reappears and a
chime sounds every two minutes
until this condition changes. If you
do not clear the message, it will
remain on until the condition
changes.

Black plate (1,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
Lighting 6-1
Lighting
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lamps OffReminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Automatic Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Adaptive Forward Lighting (AFL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . 6-5
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Interior Lighting
Instrument Panel Illumination Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Lighting Features
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Parade Dimming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Battery Load Management . . . . 6-8
Battery Power Protection . . . . . . 6-9
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls
The exterior lamp control is located
toward the end of the turn signal/
lane change lever.
O(Exterior Lamp Control): Turn
the band with this symbol on it to
operate the exterior lamps.
The exterior lamp control has four
positions:
O(Off): Turns off all lamps, except
the Daytime Running Lamps (DRL).
AUTO (Automatic): Turns the
headlamps on and off automatically,
depending upon how much light is
available outside of the vehicle.

Black plate (2,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
6-2 Lighting
;(Parking Lamps):Turns on the
parking lamps together with the
following:
.Sidemarker Lamps
.Taillamps
.License Plate Lamps
.Instrument Panel Lights
5(Headlamps): Turns on the
headlamps, together with the
previously listed lamps and lights.
Exterior Lamps Off
Reminder
A warning chime will sound if the
exterior lamp control is left on in
either the headlamp or parking lamp
position and the driver door is
opened with the ignition off.
Headlamp High/
Low-Beam Changer
Push the turn signal/lane change
lever away from you to turn the high
beams on. Pull the lever toward you
and then release it to return to low
beams.
If the vehicle is turned off while the
high beams are on, they will come
on the next time the vehicle is
started.
This indicator light turns on in the
instrument panel cluster when the
high‐beam headlamps are on.
Flash-to-Pass
This feature allows the high-beam
headlamps to be used to signal the
driver in front of you that you want
to pass.
Pull and hold the turn signal/lane
change lever toward you to use this
feature. When this is done the
following will occur:
.If the headlamps are off or in
low-beam mode, the high-beam
headlamps will turn on. They will
stay on as long as the lever is
held there. Release the lever to
turn them off.
.If the headlamps are already in
high-beam mode, they will
remain on high beam.

Black plate (5,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
Lighting 6-5
Adaptive Forward
Lighting (AFL)
The Adaptive Forward Lighting
System (AFL) pivots the headlamps
horizontally to provide greater road
illumination while turning. To enable
AFL, set the exterior lamp switch on
the multifunction lever to the AUTO
position. Moving the switch out of
the AUTO position will deactivate
the system. AFL will operate when
the vehicle speed is greater than
3 km/h (2 mph). AFL will not operate
when the transmission is in
R (Reverse). AFL is not immediately
operable after starting the vehicle;
driving a short distance is required
to calibrate the AFL. SeeExterior
Lamp Controls on page 6‑1.
Hazard Warning Flashers
|(Hazard Warning Flasher):
Press this button located on the
instrument panel near the audio
system, to make the front and rear
turn signal lamps flash on and off.
This warns others that you are
having trouble. Press again to turn
the flashers off.
Turn and Lane-Change
Signals
An arrow on the instrument panel
cluster flashes in the direction of
the turn or lane change.
Move the lever all the way up or
down to signal a turn.
Raise or lower the lever until the
arrow starts to flash to signal a lane
change. Hold it briefly until the lane
change is complete. The arrow will
automatically flash three times.
The lever returns to its starting
position when it is released.

Black plate (6,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
6-6 Lighting
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 10‑40.
Turn Signal On Chime
If the turn signal is left on for about
1.6 km (1 mi), a warning chime will
sound and the TURN SIGNAL ON
message will appear on the Driver
Information Center (DIC) display.
See “Turn Signal On” underLamp
Messages on page 5‑39 for more
information.Fog Lamps
Use the fog lamps for better vision
in foggy or misty conditions. The fog
lamp control is located on the turn
signal/multifunction lever.
#(Fog Lamps): Turn the fog lamp
band on the lever up to
#and
release it, to turn the fog lamps on
or off. The band will return to its
original position. The parking lamps must be on for
the fog lamps to work.
If the high-beam headlamps are
turned on, the fog lamps will also
turn off. They will turn back on again
when you change back to low-beam
headlamps.
Some localities have laws that
require the headlamps to be on
along with the fog lamps.

Black plate (7,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-7
Driving on Wet Roads
Rain and wet roads can reduce
vehicle traction and affect your
ability to stop and accelerate.
Always drive slower in these types
of driving conditions and avoid
driving through large puddles and
deep‐standing or flowing water.
{WARNING
Wet brakes can cause crashes.
They might not work as well in a
quick stop and could cause
pulling to one side. You could
lose control of the vehicle.
After driving through a large
puddle of water or a car/vehicle
wash, lightly apply the brake
pedal until the brakes work
normally.(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
Flowing or rushing water creates
strong forces. Driving through
flowing water could cause the
vehicle to be carried away. If this
happens, you and other vehicle
occupants could drown. Do not
ignore police warnings and be
very cautious about trying to drive
through flowing water.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. Water
can build up under the vehicle's
tires so they actually ride on the
water. This can happen if the road is
wet enough and you are going fast
enough. When the vehicle is
hydroplaning, it has little or no
contact with the road.
There is no hard and fast rule about
hydroplaning. The best advice is to
slow down when the road is wet.
Other Rainy Weather Tips
Besides slowing down, other wet
weather driving tips include:
.Allow extra following distance.
.Pass with caution.
.Keep windshield wiping
equipment in good shape.
.Keep the windshield washer fluid
reservoir filled.
.Have good tires with proper
tread depth. SeeTires on
page 10‑63.
.Turn off cruise control.

Black plate (10,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
9-10 Driving and Operating
Blizzard Conditions
Being stuck in snow can be a
serious situation. Stay with the
vehicle unless there is help nearby.
If possible, use theRoadside
Service (U.S. and Canada) on
page 13‑7 orRoadside Service
(Mexico) on page 13‑9. To get help
and keep everyone in the
vehicle safe:
.Turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
.Tie a red cloth to an outside
mirror.
{WARNING
Snow can trap engine exhaust
under the vehicle. This may
cause exhaust gases to get
inside. Engine exhaust contains
carbon monoxide (CO) which
cannot be seen or smelled. It can
cause unconsciousness and even
death.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
If the vehicle is stuck in the snow:
.Clear away snow from around
the base of your vehicle,
especially any that is blocking
the exhaust pipe.
.Check again from time to
time to be sure snow does
not collect there.
.Open a window about 5 cm
(2 in) on the side of the
vehicle that is away from the
wind to bring in fresh air.
.Fully open the air outlets on
or under the instrument
panel.
.Adjust the climate control
system to a setting that
circulates the air inside the
vehicle and set the fan speed
to the highest setting. See
“Climate Control Systems” in
the Index.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
For more information about
carbon monoxide, see Engine
Exhaust on page 9‑26.
Run the engine for short periods
only as needed to keep warm, but
be careful.
To save fuel, run the engine for only
short periods as needed to warm
the vehicle and then shut the engine
off and close the window most of
the way to save heat. Repeat this
until help arrives but only when you
feel really uncomfortable from the
cold. Moving about to keep warm
also helps.
If it takes some time for help to
arrive, now and then when you run
the engine, push the accelerator
pedal slightly so the engine runs
faster than the idle speed. This
keeps the battery charged to restart
the vehicle and to signal for help
with the headlamps. Do this as little
as possible to save fuel.