2012 CADILLAC CTS light

Black plate (20,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
5-20 Instruments and Controls
Malfunctions often are indicated by
the system before any problem is
apparent. Being aware of the light
can prevent more serious damage
to the vehicle. This system assists
the dealer technician in correctly
diagnosing any malfunction.
Notice:If the vehicle is
continually driven with this light
on, the emission controls might
not work as well, the vehicle fuel
economy might not be as good,
and the engine might not run as
smoothly. This could lead to
costly repairs that might not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Notice: Modifications made to the
engine, transmission, exhaust,
intake, or fuel system of the
vehicle or the replacement of
the original tires with other
than those of the same Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC) can
affect the vehicle's emission
controls and can cause this light
to come on. Modifications to these systems could lead to
costly repairs not covered by the
vehicle warranty. This could also
result in a failure to pass a
required Emission Inspection/
Maintenance test. See
Accessories and Modifications on
page 10‑3.
This light comes on during a
malfunction in one of two ways:
Light Flashing:
A misfire condition
has been detected. A misfire
increases vehicle emissions and
could damage the emission control
system on the vehicle. Diagnosis
and service might be required.
To prevent more serious damage to
the vehicle:
.Reduce vehicle speed.
.Avoid hard accelerations.
.Avoid steep uphill grades.
.If towing a trailer, reduce the
amount of cargo being hauled as
soon as it is possible. If the light continues to flash, when
it is safe to do so, stop the vehicle.
Find a safe place to park. Turn the
vehicle off, wait at least 10 seconds,
and restart the engine. If the light is
still flashing, follow the previous
steps and see your dealer for
service as soon as possible.
Light On Steady:
An emission
control system malfunction has
been detected on the vehicle.
Diagnosis and service might be
required.
The following may correct an
emissions system malfunction:
.Check that the fuel cap is fully
installed. See Filling the Tank on
page 9‑53. The diagnostic
system can determine if the
fuel cap has been left off or
improperly installed. A loose or
missing fuel cap allows fuel to
evaporate into the atmosphere.
A few driving trips with the cap
properly installed should turn the
light off.

Black plate (21,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-21
.Check that good quality fuel is
used. Poor fuel quality causes
the engine not to run as
efficiently as designed and may
cause stalling after start-up,
stalling when the vehicle is
changed into gear, misfiring,
hesitation on acceleration,
or stumbling on acceleration.
These conditions might go away
once the engine is warmed up.
If one or more of these conditions
occurs, change the fuel brand used.
It will require at least one full tank of
the proper fuel to turn the light off.
See Recommended Fuel on
page 9‑51.
If none of the above have made
the light turn off, your dealer can
check the vehicle. The dealer
has the proper test equipment
and diagnostic tools to fix any
mechanical or electrical problems
that might have developed.Emissions Inspection and
Maintenance Programs
Some local governments may have
programs to inspect the on-vehicle
emission control equipment. For the
inspection, the emission system test
equipment is connected to the
vehicle’s Data Link
Connector (DLC).
The DLC is under the instrument
panel to the next to the steering
wheel. See your dealer if assistance
is needed.
The vehicle may not pass
inspection if:
.The malfunction indicator lamp is
on with the engine running, or if
the light does not come on when
the ignition is turned to ON/RUN while the engine is off. See your
dealer for assistance in verifying
proper operation of the
malfunction indicator lamp.
.The OBD II (On-Board
Diagnostics) system determines
that critical emission control
systems have not been
completely diagnosed. The
vehicle would be considered not
ready for inspection. This can
happen if the 12-volt battery has
recently been replaced or run
down. The diagnostic system is
designed to evaluate critical
emission control systems during
normal driving. This can take
several days of routine driving.
If this has been done and the
vehicle still does not pass the
inspection for lack of OBD II
system readiness, your dealer
can prepare the vehicle for
inspection.

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 (24,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
5-24 Instruments and Controls
This light comes on when the
StabiliTrak system is turned off.
If StabiliTrak is off, the Traction
Control System (TCS) is also off.
If the TCS is off, the system does
not assist in controlling the vehicle.
Turn on the TCS and the StabiliTrak
systems and the warning light
turns off.
SeeTraction Control System (TCS)
on page 9‑38 andStabiliTrak
®
System on page 9‑39 for more
information
Traction Control System
(TCS)/StabiliTrak®Light
The StabiliTrak system or the
Traction Control System (TCS)
indicator/warning light comes on
briefly when the engine is started. If the light does not come on, have
the vehicle serviced by the dealer.
If the system is working normally,
the indicator light turns off.
If the light is on and not flashing, the
TCS, and potentially the StabiliTrak
system have been disabled. A DIC
message may display. Check the
DIC messages to determine which
feature(s) is no longer functioning
and whether the vehicle requires
service.
If the indicator/warning light is on
and flashing, the TCS and/or the
StabiliTrak system is actively
working.
See
StabiliTrak
®System on
page 9‑39 andTraction Control
System (TCS) on page 9‑38 for
more information.
Engine Coolant
Temperature Warning
Light
The engine coolant temperature
warning light comes on briefly when
the vehicle is started.
If it does not, have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer. If the
system is working normally, the
indicator light then goes off.
If the light comes on and stays on
while driving, the vehicle may have
a problem with the cooling system.
Stop and turn off the vehicle to
avoid damage to the engine.
A warning chime sounds when this
light is on.
See Engine Overheating on
page 10‑23 for more information.

Black plate (25,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-25
Tire Pressure Light
For vehicles with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS), this light
comes on briefly when the engine
is started. It provides information
about tire pressures and the TPMS.
When the Light Is On Steady
This indicates that one or more of
the tires are significantly
underinflated.
A Driver Information Center (DIC)
tire pressure message may also
display. SeeVehicle Messages on
page 5‑31 for more information.
Stop as soon as possible, and
inflate the tires to the pressure value
shown on the Tire and Loading
Information label. See Tire Pressure
on page 10‑70 for more information. When the Light Flashes First and
Then Is On Steady
If the light flashes for about a minute
and then stays on, there may be a
problem with the TPMS. If the
problem is not corrected, the light
will come on at every ignition cycle.
See
Tire Pressure Monitor
Operation on page 10‑73 for more
information.
Engine Oil Pressure Light
{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.
The oil pressure light should come
on briefly as the engine is started.
If it does not come on, have the
vehicle serviced by your dealer.
If the light comes on and stays on, it
means that oil is not flowing through
the engine properly. The vehicle
could be low on oil and might have
some other system problem. See
your dealer.

Black plate (26,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
5-26 Instruments and Controls
Security Light
The security light should come on
briefly as the engine is started. If the
system is working normally, the
indicator light turns off. If it does not
come on, have the vehicle serviced
by your dealer.
If the light stays on and the engine
does not start, there could be a
problem with the theft-deterrent
system.
This light is also used to indicate the
status of the anti-theft alarm system
when the ignition is turned off. The
light will flash rapidly if the alarm
system is arming and one or more
of the monitored entry points is not
closed. The light will stay on if the
alarm is arming and all entry points
are closed.For information regarding this light
and the vehicle's security system,
see
Anti-theft Alarm System on
page 2‑24.
High-Beam On Light
The high‐beam on light comes on
when the high-beam headlamps are
in use.
See Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer on page 6‑2 for more
information.
Front Fog Lamp Light
The fog lamp light comes on when
the fog lamps are in use.
The light goes out when the fog
lamps are turned off. See Fog
Lamps on page 6‑6 for more
information.
Lamps On Reminder
This light comes on whenever the
parking lamps are on.

Black plate (27,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-27
SeeExterior Lamps Off Reminder
on page 6‑2 for more information.
Cruise Control Light
This light comes on whenever the
cruise control is active.
The light goes out when the cruise
control is turned off. See Cruise
Control on page 9‑41 for more
information.
Information Displays
Driver Information
Center (DIC)
The Driver Information Center (DIC)
provides status of many vehicle
systems. The DIC displays warning/
status messages. The DIC display
is at the bottom of the instrument
panel cluster. The DIC buttons are
on the instrument panel next to the
steering wheel.
The DIC comes on when the ignition
is on. After a short delay, the DIC
displays the information that was
last displayed before the engine
was turned off.
The top line of the DIC display
shows the DIC information. The
bottom line shows the compass.
The compass displays in the trip/
fuel menus and in some vehicle
information menus. If a problem is detected, a warning
message appears on the display. All
messages should be taken
seriously; clearing the message
does not correct the problem.DIC Operation and Displays
Press the DIC buttons to access the
different displays.
3(Trip/Fuel):
Press to scroll
through the trip and fuel displays.
See “Trip/Fuel Display Menu Items”
following for more information.