2013 CADILLAC ATS Owners Manual

Black plate (23,1)Cadillac ATS Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 10/5/12
Driving and Operating 9-23
To shift out of P (Park):
1. Apply the brake pedal.
2. Turn the ignition to ON/RUN.
3. Release the parking brake. SeeParking Brake (Electric) on
page 9‑30 orParking Brake
(Manual) on page 9‑33.
4. Press the shift lever button.
5. Move the shift lever.
If unable to shift out of P (Park):
1. Fully release the shift lever button.
2. While holding down the brake pedal, press the shift lever
button again.
3. Move the shift lever.
If the shift lever will not move from
P (Park), consult your dealer or a
professional towing service.Parking
If the vehicle has a manual
transmission, before getting out of
the vehicle, move the shift lever into
R (Reverse) if parking on a downhill
slope. On a level surface or an
uphill slope, use 1 (First) gear. Apply
the parking brake. Turn the wheels
toward the curb for a downhill slope,
or away from the curb for an uphill
slope. Once the shift lever has been
placed into gear with the clutch
pedal pressed in, turn the ignition to
LOCK/OFF, and release the clutch.
If parking on a hill, or if the vehicle
is pulling a trailer, see Driving
Characteristics and Towing Tips on
page 9‑70.
Parking over Things
That Burn
{WARNING
Things that can burn could touch
hot exhaust parts under the
vehicle and ignite. Do not park
over papers, leaves, dry grass,
or other things that can burn.

Black plate (24,1)Cadillac ATS Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 10/5/12
9-24 Driving and Operating
Engine Exhaust
{WARNING
Engine exhaust contains carbon
monoxide (CO) which cannot be
seen or smelled. Exposure to CO
can cause unconsciousness and
even death.
Exhaust may enter the vehicle if:
.The vehicle idles in areas
with poor ventilation (parking
garages, tunnels, deep snow
that may block underbody
airflow or tail pipes).
.The exhaust smells or
sounds strange or different.
.The exhaust system leaks
due to corrosion or damage.
.The vehicle exhaust system
has been modified, damaged,
or improperly repaired.(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
.There are holes or openings
in the vehicle body from
damage or aftermarket
modifications that are not
completely sealed.
If unusual fumes are detected or
if it is suspected that exhaust is
coming into the vehicle:
.Drive it only with the windows
completely down.
.Have the vehicle repaired
immediately.
Never park the vehicle with the
engine running in an enclosed
area such as a garage or a
building that has no fresh air
ventilation.
Running the Vehicle
While Parked
It is better not to park with the
engine running.
If the vehicle is left with the engine
running, follow the proper steps to
be sure the vehicle will not move.
See Shifting Into Park (Automatic
Transmission) on page 9‑21 and
Engine Exhaust on page 9‑24. If the
vehicle has a manual transmission,
see Parking on page 9‑23.
If parking on a hill and pulling a
trailer, see Driving Characteristics
and Towing Tips on page 9‑70.

Black plate (25,1)Cadillac ATS Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 10/5/12
Driving and Operating 9-25
Automatic
Transmission
P (Park):This position locks the
rear wheels. Use this position when
starting 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. 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 (Automatic
Transmission) on page 9‑21 and
Driving Characteristics and
Towing Tips on page 9‑70.
Make sure the shift lever is fully in
P (Park) before starting the engine.
The vehicle has an electronic shift
lock release system. Fully apply the
regular brakes first and then press
the shift lever button before shifting from P (Park) with the ignition 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 9‑22.
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.
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 the
transmission. See If the Vehicle Is
Stuck on page 9‑10.

Black plate (26,1)Cadillac ATS Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 10/5/12
9-26 Driving and Operating
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 55 km/h
(35 mph), push the accelerator
pedal about halfway down.
.Going about 55 km/h (35 mph) 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.
Manual Mode
Driver Shift Control (DSC)
Notice: Driving with the engine at
a high rpm without upshifting
while using Driver Shift Control
(DSC), could damage the vehicle.
Always upshift when necessary
while using DSC.
Vehicles with DSC may either use
the shift lever or the tap shift
controls on the back of the steering
wheel (if equipped) to manually shift
the automatic transmission.

Black plate (27,1)Cadillac ATS Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 10/5/12
Driving and Operating 9-27
To use DSC using the shift lever:
1. Move the shift lever to the leftfrom D (Drive) to M (Manual
Mode). The transmission will be
in Manual Mode and will hold the
current gear.
2. Move the shift lever forward to upshift or rearward to downshift.
3. To cancel DSC, move the shift lever back to D (Drive).Tap Shift
If equipped, the tap shift controls
are on the back of the steering
wheel.
To use DSC using the tap shift
controls:
1. Move the shift lever to the leftfrom D (Drive) to M (Manual
Mode). The transmission will be
in Manual Mode and will hold the
current gear. 2. Pull the control toward you to
shift. Pull the left control to
(−) downshift, and the right
control to (+) upshift.
3. To cancel DSC, move the shift lever back to D (Drive).
Tap Shift Mode can also be used
temporarily while driving in
D (Drive). Pull either the (+) upshift
or (−) downshift control.
To cancel Tap Shift Mode, hold
the (+) upshift control for
two seconds. If no action is taken,
the vehicle returns to automatic
shifting after a brief period of driving
at a steady speed, or when the
vehicle comes to a stop.
While using the DSC feature, the
vehicle will have firmer, quicker
shifting. This can be used for sport
driving, climbing or descending hills,
staying in gear longer, downshifting
for more power, or engine braking.

Black plate (28,1)Cadillac ATS Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 10/5/12
9-28 Driving and Operating
The transmission will only allow
shifting into gears appropriate for
the vehicle speed and engine
revolutions per minute (rpm). The
transmission will not automatically
shift to the next lower or higher gear
if the engine rpm is too high or
too low.
If shifting is prevented for any
reason, a DIC message will appear.
SeeTransmission Messages on
page 5‑42.
When accelerating the vehicle from
a stop in snowy and icy conditions,
it is suggested to shift into second
gear. A higher gear allows the
vehicle to gain more traction on
slippery surfaces. See Driver Mode
Control on page 9‑37.Manual Transmission
If the vehicle has a manual
transmission, the shift lever is
located on the center console
between the front seats.
1 (First): Press the clutch pedal
and shift into 1 (First). Slowly let up
on the clutch pedal while pressing
on the accelerator pedal.
After a complete stop, if it is hard to
shift into 1 (First), let up on the
clutch pedal, then press it back
down and shift into 1 (First). 2 (Second):
Press the clutch pedal
and let up on the accelerator pedal,
then shift into 2 (Second). Then,
slowly let up on the clutch pedal
while accelerating.
3 (Third), 4 (Fourth), 5 (Fifth), and
6 (Sixth): Shift into 3 (Third),
4 (Fourth), 5 (Fifth), and 6 (Sixth) the
same as 2 (Second).
To stop, let up on the accelerator
pedal and press the brake pedal.
Just before the vehicle stops, press
the clutch pedal and the brake
pedal, and shift to Neutral.
Neutral: Use this position when
you start or idle the engine. The
shift lever is in Neutral when it is
centered in the shift pattern, not in
any gear.
R (Reverse): To back up, press
down the clutch pedal, completely
stop the vehicle, and shift into
R (Reverse). Let up on the clutch
pedal slowly while pressing the
accelerator pedal.

Black plate (29,1)Cadillac ATS Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 10/5/12
Driving and Operating 9-29
{WARNING
If you skip a gear when you
downshift, you could lose control
of the vehicle. You could injure
yourself or others. Do not shift
down more than one gear at a
time when you downshift.
Notice: If you skip more than one
gear when you downshift, or if
you race the engine when you
release the clutch pedal while
downshifting, you could damage
the engine, clutch, driveshaft or
the transmission. Do not skip
gears or race the engine when
downshifting.
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.
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 5‑20.

Black plate (30,1)Cadillac ATS Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 10/5/12
9-30 Driving and Operating
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
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 (Electric)
Automatic Transmission
Manual Transmission