
Black plate (9,1)Cadillac SRX Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-9
.Stay in your own lane. Do not
swing wide or cut across the
center of the road. Drive at
speeds that let you stay in your
own lane.
.Be alert on top of hills,
something could be in your lane
(stalled car, accident).
.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 9‑30 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 (18,1)Cadillac SRX Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
9-18 Driving and Operating
Ignition Positions
The vehicle has an electronic
keyless ignition with pushbutton
start.
Pressing the button cycles it through
three modes, ACC/ACCESSORY,
ON/RUN/START and STOPPING
THE ENGINE/OFF.
If the pushbutton start is not
working, the vehicle may be near a
strong radio antenna signal causing
interference to the keyless entrysystem. See
Driver Information
Center (DIC) on page 5‑28 for more
information.
To shift out of P (Park), the vehicle
must be in ACC/ACCESSORY or
ON/RUN mode and the brake pedal
must be applied.
STOPPING THE ENGINE/OFF
(No LED Lights): When the
vehicle is stopped, press the engine
START/STOP button once to turn
the engine off.
If the vehicle is in P (Park), the
ignition will turn off, and Retained
Accessory Power (RAP) will remain
active. See Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) on page 9‑22 for
more information.
If the vehicle is not in P (Park),
the ignition will return to ACC/
ACCESSORY and display the
message SHIFT TO PARK in the
Driver Information Center (DIC). See
Driver Information Center (DIC)
on page 5‑28 for more information.
When the vehicle is shifted into
P (Park), the ignition system will
switch to OFF.
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 N (Neutral). This can be done while the
vehicle is moving. After shifting
to N (Neutral), firmly apply the
brakes and steer the vehicle to a
safe location.

Black plate (26,1)Cadillac SRX Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
9-26 Driving and Operating
Automatic
Transmission
The shift lever is located on the
center console between the front
seats.
There are several different positions
for the shift lever.
P (Park):This position locks the
front wheels. It is the best position
to use when you start the engine
because the vehicle cannot move
easily.
{WARNING
It is dangerous to get out of the
vehicle if the shift lever is not fully
in P (Park) with the parking brake
firmly set. The vehicle can roll.
Do not leave the vehicle when the
engine is running unless you
have to. If you have left the
engine running, the vehicle can
move suddenly. You or others
could be injured. To be sure the
vehicle will not move, even when
you are on fairly level ground,
always set the parking brake and
move the shift lever to P (Park).
See Shifting Into Park on
page 9‑22. If you are pulling a
trailer, see Driving Characteristics
and Towing Tips on page 9‑53. Make sure the shift lever is fully in
P (Park) before starting the engine.
The vehicle has an automatic
transmission shift lock control
system. You must fully apply the
regular brakes first and then press
the shift lever button before you can
shift from P (Park) when the ignition
is in ON/RUN. If you cannot shift out
of P (Park), ease pressure on the
shift lever and push the shift lever
all the way into P (Park) as you
maintain brake application. Then
press the shift lever button and
move the shift lever into another
gear. See
Shifting out of Park on
page 9‑24.
Notice: Shifting to R (Reverse)
while the vehicle is moving
forward could damage the
transmission. The repairs would
not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Shift to R (Reverse) only
after the vehicle is stopped.
R (Reverse): Use this gear to
back up.

Black plate (27,1)Cadillac SRX Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-27
At low vehicle speeds, R (Reverse)
can be used to rock the vehicle
back and forth to get out of snow,
ice, or sand without damaging your
transmission. SeeIf the Vehicle Is
Stuck on page 9‑11 for additional
information.
N (Neutral): In this position, the
engine does not connect with the
wheels. To restart when the vehicle
is already moving, use N (Neutral)
only. You can also use N (Neutral)
when the vehicle is being towed.
{WARNING
Shifting into a drive gear while the
engine is running at high speed is
dangerous. Unless your foot is
firmly on the brake pedal, the
vehicle could move very rapidly.
You could lose control and hit
people or objects. Do not shift
into a drive gear while the engine
is running at high speed. Notice:
Shifting out of P (Park)
or N (Neutral) with the engine
running at high speed may
damage the transmission.
The repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Be sure the engine is not running
at high speed when shifting the
vehicle.
D (Drive): This position is for
normal driving. It provides the best
fuel economy. If you need more
power for passing, and you are:
.Going less than 35 mph
(55 km/h), push the accelerator
pedal about halfway down.
.Going about 35 mph (55 km/h)
or more, push the accelerator all
the way down.
The transmission will shift down
to a lower gear and have more
power. Downshifting the transmission in
slippery road conditions could result
in skidding, see
“Skidding”under
Loss of Control on page 9‑5
Notice: Spinning the tires or
holding the vehicle in one
place on a hill using only the
accelerator pedal may damage
the transmission. If you are
stuck, do not spin the tires.
When stopping on a hill,
use the brakes to hold the
vehicle in place.

Black plate (30,1)Cadillac SRX Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
9-30 Driving and Operating
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive
Vehicles with this feature always
send engine power to all four
wheels. It is fully automatic, and
adjusts itself as needed for road
conditions.
When using a compact spare tire
on an AWD vehicle, the system
automatically detects the compact
spare and disables AWD.
To restore AWD operation and
prevent excessive wear on the
system, replace the compact spare
with a full-size tire as soon as
possible. SeeCompact Spare Tire
on page 10‑87 for more information.
Brakes
Antilock Brake
System (ABS)
This vehicle has the Antilock Brake
System (ABS), an advanced
electronic braking system that helps
prevent a braking skid.
When the engine is started and the
vehicle begins to drive away, ABS
checks itself. A momentary motor or
clicking noise might be heard while
this test is going on, and it might
even be noticed that the brake
pedal moves a little. This is normal.
If there is a problem with ABS, this
warning light stays on. See Antilock
Brake System (ABS) Warning Light
on page 5‑22. If driving safely on a wet road and it
becomes necessary to slam on the
brakes and continue braking to
avoid a sudden obstacle, a
computer senses that the wheels
are slowing down. If one of the
wheels is about to stop rolling, the
computer will separately work the
brakes at each wheel.
ABS can change the brake pressure
to each wheel, as required, faster
than any driver could. This can help
the driver steer around the obstacle
while braking hard.
As the brakes are applied, the
computer keeps receiving updates
on wheel speed and controls
braking pressure accordingly.
Remember: ABS does not change
the time needed to get a foot up to
the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too
close to the vehicle in front of you,
there will not be enough time to

Black plate (31,1)Cadillac SRX Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-31
apply the brakes if that vehicle
suddenly slows or stops. Always
leave enough room up ahead to
stop, even with ABS.
Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold
the brake pedal down firmly and let
ABS work. You might hear the ABS
pump or motor operating and feel
the brake pedal pulsate, but this is
normal.
Braking in Emergencies
ABS allows the driver to steer and
brake at the same time. In many
emergencies, steering can help
more than even the very best
braking.
Parking Brake
The vehicle has an Electric Parking
Brake (EPB). The switch for the
EPB is in the center console.
The EPB can always be activated,
even if the ignition is off. To avoid
draining the battery, do not cycle the
EPB too often without the engine
running. The EPB can be left
applied while the vehicle is parked.The system has a parking brake
status light and a parking brake
warning light. See
Brake System
Warning Light on page 5‑21.
There are also three Driver
Information Center (DIC) messages.
See Driver Information Center (DIC)
on page 5‑28 for more information.
In case of insufficient electrical
power, the EPB cannot be applied
or released.
Before leaving the vehicle, check
the parking brake status light to
ensure the parking brake is applied.

Black plate (33,1)Cadillac SRX Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-33
Notice:Driving with the parking
brake on can overheat the brake
system and cause premature
wear or damage to brake system
parts. Make sure that the parking
brake is fully released and the
brake warning light is off before
driving.
Automatic EPB Release
The EPB will automatically release if
the vehicle is running, placed into
gear, and an attempt is made to
drive away. Avoid rapid acceleration
when the EPB is applied, to
preserve parking brake lining life.
If you are towing a trailer and
parking on a hill, see Driving
Characteristics and Towing Tips on
page 9‑53 for more information.
Brake Assist
This vehicle has a brake assist
feature designed to assist the driver
in stopping or decreasing vehicle
speed in emergency driving
conditions. This feature uses the
stability system hydraulic brake
control module to supplement the
power brake system under
conditions where the driver has
quickly and forcefully applied the
brake pedal in an attempt to quickly
stop or slow down the vehicle.
The stability system hydraulic brake
control module increases brake
pressure at each corner of the
vehicle until the ABS activates.
Minor brake pedal pulsation or
pedal movement during this time
is normal and the driver should
continue to apply the brake pedal
as the driving situation dictates.
The brake assist feature will
automatically disengage when
the brake pedal is released or
brake pedal pressure is quickly
decreased.
Hill Start Assist (HSA)
This vehicle has a Hill Start Assist
(HSA) feature, which may be useful
when the vehicle is stopped on a
grade. This feature is designed to
prevent the vehicle from rolling,
either forward or rearward, during
vehicle drive off. After the driver
completely stops and holds the
vehicle in a complete standstill on a
grade, HSA will be automatically
activated. During the transition
period between when the driver
releases the brake pedal and starts
to accelerate to drive off on a grade,
HSA holds the braking pressure to
ensure that there is no rolling.
The brakes will automatically
release when the accelerator pedal
is applied within the two‐second
window. It will not activate if the
vehicle is in a drive gear and facing
downhill or if the vehicle is facing
uphill and in R (Reverse).

Black plate (34,1)Cadillac SRX Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
9-34 Driving and Operating
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control
System (TCS)
The vehicle has a Traction Control
System (TCS) that limits wheel spin.
On a front-wheel-drive vehicle, the
system operates if it senses that
one or both of the front wheels are
spinning or beginning to lose
traction. On an All-Wheel-Drive
(AWD) vehicle, the system will
operate if it senses that any of the
wheels are spinning or beginning to
lose traction. When this happens,
the system brakes the spinning
wheel(s) and/or reduces engine
power to limit wheel spin.
The system may be heard or felt
while it is working, but this is
normal.TCS is on whenever the vehicle
is started. To limit wheel spin,
especially in slippery road
conditions, the system should
always be left on. But, TCS can be
turned off if needed.
dflashes to indicate that the
traction control system is active.
If there is a problem detected with
TCS, SERVICE TRACTION
CONTROL and SERVICE
STABILITRAK may be displayed on
the Driver Information Center (DIC)
and
dwill be on. See Ride Control
System Messages on page 5‑37.
When this message is displayed
and
dcomes on and stays on, the vehicle is safe to drive but the
system is not operational. Driving
should be adjusted accordingly.
Notice:
Do not repeatedly brake
or accelerate heavily when TCS is
off. The vehicle's driveline could
be damaged.
If
dcomes on and stays on, reset
the system by:
1. Stopping the vehicle.
2. Turning the engine off and waiting 15 seconds.
3. Starting the engine.
If
dstill comes on and stays on at a
speed above 20 km/h (13 mph), see
your dealer for service.
A chime may also sound when the
light comes on steady.
The
gis located on the console.