2012 CADILLAC SRX check engine

Black plate (25,1)Cadillac SRX Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-25
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.
Fuel Economy Light
For vehicles with the fuel economy
mode light, it comes on when the
eco (economy) button, located next
to the shift lever, is pressed. Press
the button again to turn off the light
and exit the fuel economy mode.
See Driving for Better Fuel
Economy on page 1‑23 andFuel
Economy Mode on page 9‑29 for
more information.

Black plate (26,1)Cadillac SRX Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
5-26 Instruments and Controls
Low Fuel Warning Light
This light is located near the fuel
gauge and comes on briefly when
the ignition is turned on as a check
to show it is working.
It also comes on when the fuel tank
is low on fuel. The light turns off
when fuel is added. If it does not,
have the vehicle serviced.
Security Light
The immobilizer 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 system is working normally,
the indicator light turns off.
If the light stays on and the engine
does not start, there could be a
problem with the theft-deterrent
system. SeeImmobilizer Operation
on page 2‑19 for more information.
High-Beam On Light
This light comes on when the
high-beam headlamps are in use.
SeeHeadlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer on page 6‑2 for more
information.

Black plate (35,1)Cadillac SRX Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-35
ENGINE OVERHEATED—
IDLE ENGINE
This message displays when the
engine coolant temperature is too
hot. Stop and allow the vehicle to
idle until it cools down.
ENGINE OVERHEATED —
STOP ENGINE
This message displays and a
continuous chime sounds if the
engine cooling system reaches
unsafe temperatures for operation.
Stop and turn off the vehicle as
soon as it is safe to do so to avoid
severe damage. This message
clears when the engine has cooled
to a safe operating temperature.
HIGH COOLANT
TEMPERATURE
This message displays if the coolant
temperature is hot. See Engine
Overheating on page 10‑18.
Engine Oil Messages
CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
This message displays when the
engine oil needs to be changed.
When you change the engine oil, be
sure to reset the Oil Life System.
See Engine Oil Life System on
page 10‑10 andDriver Information
Center (DIC) on page 5‑28 for
information on how to reset the
system. See Engine Oil on
page 10‑8 andMaintenance
Schedule on page 11‑4 for more
information.
ENGINE OIL HOT, IDLE
ENGINE
This message displays when the
engine oil temperature is too hot.
Stop and allow the vehicle to idle
until it cools down.
ENGINE OIL LOW —ADD OIL
This message displays when the
engine oil level is too low. Check the
oil level. See Engine Oil on
page 10‑8.
OIL PRESSURE LOW —STOP
ENGINE
This message displays if low oil
pressure levels occur. Stop the
vehicle as soon as safely possible
and do not operate it until the cause
of the low oil pressure has been
corrected. Check the oil as soon as
possible and have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer.
Engine Power Messages
ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED
This message displays when the
vehicle's engine power is reduced.
Reduced engine power can affect
the vehicle's ability to accelerate.
If this message is on, but there is
no reduction in performance,
proceed to your destination. The
performance may be reduced the
next time the vehicle is driven. The
vehicle may be driven at a reduced
speed while this message is on, but
maximum acceleration and speed
may be reduced.

Black plate (8,1)Cadillac SRX Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
9-8 Driving and Operating
Highway Hypnosis
Always be alert and pay attention to
your surroundings while driving.
If you become tired or sleepy, find a
safe place to park the vehicle
and rest.
Other driving tips include:
.Keep the vehicle well ventilated.
.Keep the interior
temperature cool.
.Keep your eyes moving—scan
the road ahead and to the sides.
.Check the rearview mirror and
vehicle instruments often.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or through
mountains is different than driving
on flat or rolling terrain. Tips for
driving in these conditions include:
.Keep the vehicle serviced and in
good shape.
.Check all fluid levels and brakes,
tires, cooling system, and
transmission.
.Shift to a lower gear when going
down steep or long hills.
{WARNING
If you do not shift down, the
brakes could get so hot that they
would not work well. You would
then have poor braking or
even none going down a hill.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
You could crash. Shift down to let
the engine assist the brakes on a
steep downhill slope.
{WARNING
Coasting downhill in N (Neutral)
or with the ignition off is
dangerous. The brakes will have
to do all the work of slowing
down and they could get so hot
that they would not work well.
You would then have poor braking
or even none going down a hill.
You could crash. Always have the
engine running and the vehicle in
gear when going downhill.

Black plate (10,1)Cadillac SRX 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.
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.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
.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.
For more information about
carbon monoxide, see Engine
Exhaust on page 9‑24.
Run the engine for short periods
only as needed to keep warm, but
be careful.

Black plate (21,1)Cadillac SRX Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-21
4. If the engine does not start andno DIC message is displayed,
wait 15 seconds before trying
again to let the cranking motor
cool down.
If the engine does not start
after 5-10 seconds, especially
in very cold weather (below
−18°C or 0°F), it could be
flooded with too much gasoline.
Try pushing the accelerator
pedal all the way to the floor
while cranking for up to
15 seconds.
Notice: Cranking the engine for
long periods of time, by pressing
the START button immediately
after cranking has ended, can
overheat and damage the
cranking motor, and drain the
battery. Wait at least 15 seconds
between each try, to allow the
cranking motor to cool down. When the engine starts, let go of the
accelerator. If the vehicle starts
briefly but then stops again, do the
same thing. This clears the extra
gasoline from the engine.
The vehicle has a
Computer-Controlled Cranking
System. This feature assists in
starting the engine and protects
components. Once cranking has
been initiated, the engine continues
cranking for a few seconds or until
the vehicle starts. If the engine does
not start, cranking automatically
stops after 15 seconds to prevent
cranking motor damage. To prevent
gear damage, this system also
prevents cranking if the engine is
already running.
Notice:
The engine is designed to
work with the electronics in the
vehicle. If you add electrical parts
or accessories, you could change
the way the engine operates.
Before adding electrical
equipment, check with your
dealer. If you do not, the engine
might not perform properly.
Any resulting damage would
not be covered by the vehicle
warranty.

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.