Black plate (9,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2013 - crc2 - 8/22/12
Seats and Restraints 3-9
On vehicles with Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE), automatic exit recall
movements occur when the ignition
key is removed.
On vehicles with Remote Keyless
Access, automatic exit recall
movements occur when the
following steps are completed:
1. The ignition is turned on forvehicles with an automatic
transmission, or the engine is
started on vehicles with a
manual transmission.
2. The automatic transmission is shifted out of P (Park), or the
parking brake is released on
vehicles with a manual
transmission.
3. The automatic transmission is shifted back into P (Park), or the
parking brake is re-engaged on
vehicles with a manual
transmission.
4. The ignition is turned off.
5. The driver door is opened. Steps 2 and 3 are intended to reflect
that the vehicle has been moved.
If the vehicle is not moved or the
steps above are not performed,
automatic exit recall movement will
not occur. In this case, press
Bto
activate exit recall movements.
If something has blocked the driver
seat while recalling the exit position,
the recall may stop. Remove the
obstruction; then press and hold the
power seat control rearward for
two seconds. Try recalling the exit
position again. If the exit position is
still not recalling, see your dealer for
service.
Heated and Ventilated
Front Seats
{WARNING
If you cannot feel temperature
change or pain to the skin, the
seat heater may cause burns. To
reduce the risk of burns, people
with such a condition should use
care when using the seat heater,
especially for long periods of
time. Do not place anything on
the seat that insulates against
heat, such as a blanket, cushion,
cover, or similar item. This may
cause the seat heater to
overheat. An overheated seat
heater may cause a burn or may
damage the seat.
Black plate (22,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2013 - crc2 - 8/22/12
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.
{WARNING
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 (32,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2013 - crc2 - 8/22/12
5-32 Instruments and Controls
BATTERY VOLTS LOW
This message displays when the
electrical system is charging less
than 10 volts or the battery has
been drained.
If this message appears
immediately after starting the
engine, it is possible that the
generator can still recharge the
battery. The battery should recharge
while driving, but may take a few
hours to do so. Consider using an
auxiliary charger to boost the
battery after returning home or
arriving at a final destination. Make
sure you follow the manufacturer's
instructions.
If this message appears while
driving or after starting the vehicle
and stays on, have it checked
immediately to determine the cause
of this problem.
To help the generator recharge the
battery quickly, reduce the load on
the electrical system by turning off
the accessories.The normal battery voltage range is
11.5 to 15.5 volts. Monitor battery
voltage on the DIC by pressing the
vehicle information button until
Battery Voltage is displayed.
SERVICE BATTERY
CHARGING SYSTEM
This message displays when there
is a problem with the generator and
battery charging systems. Driving
with this problem could drain the
battery. Turn off all unnecessary
accessories. Stop and turn off the
vehicle as soon as it is safe to do
so. Have the electrical system
checked by your dealer. Under
certain conditions, the charging
system light may also turn on in the
instrument cluster. See
Charging
System Light on page 5‑19.
Brake System Messages
PARK BRAKE RELEASED
For vehicles with the electric parking
brake, this message displays when
the parking brake has been released from the set position. See
the electric parking brake
information under
Parking Brake
(Electric) on page 9‑33 orParking
Brake (Manual) on page 9‑32.
PARK BRAKE SET
For vehicles with the electric parking
brake, this message displays when
the parking brake has been applied
to the set position. See the electric
parking brake information under
Parking Brake (Electric) on
page 9‑33 orParking Brake
(Manual) on page 9‑32.
PRESS BRAKE TO START
ENGINE (AUTOMATIC
TRANSMISSION ONLY)
If the vehicle has the keyless
access system, this message
displays if you try to start the engine
without having the brake pressed.
The brake needs to be pressed
when starting the engine. See
Ignition Positions (Keyless Access)
on page 9‑15 orIgnition Positions
(Key Access) on page 9‑17.
Black plate (33,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2013 - crc2 - 8/22/12
Instruments and Controls 5-33
RELEASE PARK BRAKE
SWITCH
For vehicles with the electric parking
brake, this message displays if the
switch is pulled while the vehicle is
moving. See the electric parking
brake information underParking
Brake (Electric) on page 9‑33 or
Parking Brake (Manual) on
page 9‑32.
SERVICE BRAKE ASSIST
This message displays if there is a
problem with the brake system. The
brake system warning light and the
antilock brake system (ABS)
warning light may also display on
the instrument cluster. See Brake
System Warning Light on page 5‑22
and Antilock Brake System (ABS)
Warning Light on page 5‑23. Stop
as soon as possible and turn off the
vehicle. Restart the vehicle and
check for the message on the DIC
display. If the message displays
immediately or again after you begin
driving, the brake system needs service. See your dealer as soon as
possible. See
Antilock Brake
System (ABS) on page 9‑31.
SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM
This message displays, while the
ignition is on, when the brake fluid
level is low. The brake system
warning light on the instrument
panel cluster also comes on. See
Brake System Warning Light on
page 5‑22. This message may also
be displayed for other brake system
problems. Have the brake system
serviced by your dealer as soon as
possible.
SERVICE PARK BRAKE
For vehicles with the electric parking
brake, this message displays if a
problem is detected with the electric
parking brake system. See your
dealer for service.
STEP ON BRAKE TO
RELEASE PARK BRAKE
For vehicles with the electric parking
brake, this message displays if you
try to release the park brake system
without first pressing the brake
pedal. See the electric parking
brake information under Parking
Brake (Electric) on page 9‑33 or
Parking Brake (Manual) on
page 9‑32.
Compass Messages
CALIBRATING DRIVE IN
CIRCLES
This message displays when
calibrating the compass. Drive the
vehicle in circles at less than 8 km/h
(5 mph) to complete the calibration.
See Compass on page 5‑7 for more
information.
Black plate (3,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2013 - crc2 - 8/22/12
Lighting 6-3
The DRL system will make either
the reduced intensity low-beam
headlamps or dedicated DRLs come
on when the following conditions
are met:
.It is still daylight and the ignition
is in ON/RUN or START.
.The exterior lamp control is inPor AUTO and the headlamps
are off.
.The automatic transmission is
not in P (Park).
When DRLs are on, only the
reduced intensity low-beam
headlamps or dedicated DRLs will
be on. The other exterior lamps and
the instrument cluster will not be on.
When the exterior lamp control is in
AUTO and it is dark enough outside,
the DRL turn off and the low-beam
headlamps will turn on. When it is
bright enough outside, the low-beam
headlamps will go off, and the DRL
will turn back on. If the vehicle is
started in a dark garage, the
automatic headlamp system comes on immediately. Once the vehicle
leaves the garage, it takes about
one minute for the automatic
headlamp system to change to DRL
if it is light outside. During that
delay, the instrument cluster may
not be as bright as usual. Make sure
the instrument panel brightness
knob is in the full bright position.
See
Instrument Panel Illumination
Control on page 6‑6.
Turning the exterior lamp control to
off or to the low-beam headlamp
position will turn off the DRL. If the
parking lamps or the fog lamps were
turned on instead, the DRL will still
turn off.
This will work regardless of gear
position and whether or not the
parking brake is set.
When the DRL are active and a turn
signal is operated, the DRL on the
side the turn signal is activated, will
turn off until the turn signal is
turned off.
Automatic Headlamp
System
When it is dark enough outside, the
automatic headlamp system turns
on the headlamps at the normal
brightness, along with the taillamps,
sidemarker, parking lamps, and the
instrument panel lights. The radio
lights will also be dim.
To turn off the automatic headlamp
system, turn the exterior lamp
control to the off position and then
release it.
The vehicle has a light sensor on
the top of the instrument panel in
the defroster grille which regulates
when the automatic headlamps turn
Black plate (1,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2013 - crc2 - 8/22/12
Driving and Operating 9-1
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Competitive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-7
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . 9-7
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-8
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . . 9-9
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . 9-10
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . 9-14
Ignition Positions (KeylessAccess) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-15
Ignition Positions (Key Access) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-17
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . 9-19 Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Engine Coolant Heater . . . . . . . 9-21
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-22
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Parking (Manual Transmission) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . 9-25
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Manual Transmission
Manual Transmission . . . . . . . . 9-29
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-31
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-31
Parking Brake (Manual) . . . . . . 9-32
Parking Brake (Electric) . . . . . . 9-33
Brake Assist (Except CTS-V) . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Ride Control Systems
Traction ControlSystem (TCS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
StabiliTrak
®System . . . . . . . . . 9-36
Competitive Driving Mode . . . 9-37
Magnetic Ride Control . . . . . . . 9-38
Limited-Slip Rear Axle . . . . . . . 9-38
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-39
Object Detection Systems
Ultrasonic Parking Assist . . . . 9-41
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-42
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-45
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-47
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . 9-47
Gasoline Specifications . . . . . . 9-48
Black plate (16,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2013 - crc2 - 8/22/12
9-16 Driving and Operating
If the vehicle must be shut off in an
emergency:
1. Brake using a firm and steadypressure. Do not pump the
brakes repeatedly. This may
deplete power assist, requiring
increased brake pedal force.
2. Shift the vehicle to neutral. This can be done while the vehicle is
moving. After shifting to neutral,
firmly apply the brakes and steer
the vehicle to a safe location.
3. Come to a complete stop. Shift to P (Park) with an automatic
transmission, or Neutral with a
manual transmission. Turn the
ignition to LOCK/OFF.
4. Set the parking brake. See Parking Brake (Electric) on
page 9‑33 orParking Brake
(Manual) on page 9‑32.{WARNING
Turning off the vehicle while
moving may cause loss of power
assist in the brake and steering
systems and disable the airbags.
While driving, only shut the
vehicle off in an emergency.
If the vehicle cannot be pulled over,
and must be shut off while driving,
switch the ignition to ACC/
ACCESSORY.
2 (ACC/ACCESSORY): This
position allows you to use things
like the radio and the windshield
wipers when the engine is off. This
position will allow you to turn off the
engine.
3 (ON/RUN): This position is for
driving. It is the position the ignition
switch returns to after the engine
starts, and the control knob is
released. This position can also be
used for service and diagnostics,
and to verify the proper operation of the malfunction indicator lamp as
may be required for emission
inspection purposes.
If you need to shift the transmission
out of P (Park), the ignition control
knob has to be in ACC/
ACCESSORY or ON/RUN.
The battery could be drained if you
leave the ignition in the ACC/
ACCESSORY or ON/RUN position
with the engine off. You may not be
able to start the vehicle if the battery
is allowed to drain for an extended
period of time.
4 (START):
This position starts the
engine.
Black plate (18,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2013 - crc2 - 8/22/12
9-18 Driving and Operating
4. Set the parking brake. SeeParking Brake (Electric) on
page 9‑33 orParking Brake
(Manual) on page 9‑32.
{WARNING
Turning off the vehicle while
moving may cause loss of power
assist in the brake and steering
systems and disable the airbags.
While driving, only shut the
vehicle off in an emergency.
If the vehicle cannot be pulled over,
and must be shut off while driving,
turn the ignition to ACC/
ACCESSORY.
2 (ACC/ACCESSORY): This
position lets you use things like the
radio and the windshield wipers
when the engine is off. This position
allows you to turn off the engine.
3 (ON/RUN): This position is for
driving. It is the position the ignition
switch returns to after the engine
starts, and the key is released. This position can also be used for
service and diagnostics, and to
verify the proper operation of the
malfunction indicator lamp as may
be required for emission inspection
purposes.
To shift the transmission out of
P (Park), the ignition key has to be
in ACC/ACCESSORY or ON/RUN.
The battery could be drained if the
key is left in the ACC/ACCESSORY
or ON/RUN position with the engine
off. The vehicle might not start if the
battery is allowed to drain for an
extended period of time.
4 (START):
This position starts the
engine. When the engine starts,
release the key. The ignition switch
returns to ON/RUN for driving.
A warning tone will sound when the
driver door is opened, the ignition is
in ACC/ACCESSORY or LOCK/
OFF, and the key is in the ignition.
Key Lock Release
Vehicles with an automatic
transmission are equipped with an
electronic key lock release system.
The key lock release is designed to
prevent ignition key removal unless
the shift lever is in P (Park).
The key lock release is always
functional except in the case of an
uncharged or low voltage (less than
9-volt) battery. If the vehicle has an
uncharged battery or a battery with