Black plate (5,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2013 - crc2 - 8/22/12
Instruments and Controls 5-5
Heavy snow or ice can overload the
wiper motor. A circuit breaker will
stop the motor until it cools down.
Rainsense™
For vehicles with Rainsense, a
sensor near the top center of the
windshield detects the amount of
water on the windshield and
automatically controls the frequency
of the windshield wiper.
Keep this area of the windshield
clear of debris to allow for best
system performance.
Sedan and Coupe Model Shown,Wagon Model Similar
3(Rainsense Wipe Sensitivity
Control): Move the windshield
wiper lever to
3. Turn the3
band on the wiper lever to adjust the
sensitivity.
.Turn the band up for more
sensitivity to moisture.
.Turn the band down for less
sensitivity to moisture.
.Move the windshield wiper lever
out of the
3position to
deactivate Rainsense. Wiper Arm Assembly Protection
When using an automatic car wash,
move the windshield wiper lever to
the
(position. This disables the
windshield wipers and/or rear
wipers, if equipped.
Windshield Washer
{WARNING
In freezing weather, do not use
the washer until the windshield is
warmed. Otherwise the washer
fluid can form ice on the
windshield, blocking your vision.
Sedan and Coupe Model
K(Washer Fluid): Press the
button with this symbol, on the end
of the windshield washer lever to
wash the windshield. The washer
fluid sprays onto the windshield and
the wipers run for a few cycles to
clear the windshield. Press and hold
Kfor more wash cycles.
Black plate (17,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2013 - crc2 - 8/22/12
Instruments and Controls 5-17
Safety Belt Reminders
Driver Safety Belt Reminder
Light
There is a driver safety belt
reminder light on the instrument
cluster.
When the vehicle is started, this
light flashes and a chime may come
on to remind the driver to fasten
their safety belt. Then the light stays
on solid until the belt is buckled.
This cycle may continue several
times if the driver remains or
becomes unbuckled while the
vehicle is moving.
If the driver safety belt is buckled,
neither the chime nor the light
comes on.
Passenger Safety Belt
Reminder Light
There is a passenger safety belt
reminder light near the passenger
airbag status indicator. See
Passenger Sensing System on
page 3‑26.
When the vehicle is started, this
light flashes and a chime may come
on to remind passengers to fasten
their safety belt. Then the light stays
on solid until the belt is buckled.
This cycle continues several times if
the passenger remains or becomes
unbuckled while the vehicle is
moving.
If the passenger safety belt is
buckled, neither the chime nor the
light comes on.The front passenger safety belt
warning light and chime may turn on
if an object is put on the seat such
as a briefcase, handbag, grocery
bag, laptop, or other electronic
device. To turn off the warning light
and/or chime, remove the object
from the seat or buckle the
safety belt.
Airbag Readiness Light
This light shows if there is an
electrical problem with the airbag
system. The system check includes
the airbag sensor(s), passenger
sensing system, the pretensioners,
the airbag modules, the wiring, and
the crash sensing and diagnostic
module. For more information on the
airbag system, see
Airbag System
on page 3‑20.
Black plate (40,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2013 - crc2 - 8/22/12
5-40 Instruments and Controls
after continued driving, the system
needs service. Take the vehicle to
your dealer.
SIDE BLIND ZONE ALERT
SYSTEM OFF
This message indicates that the
driver has turned the system off.
SIDE BLIND ZONE ALERT
SYSTEM TEMPORARILY
UNAVAILABLE
This message indicates that the
SBZA system is disabled because
the sensor is blocked and cannot
detect vehicles in the blind zone.
The sensor may be blocked by mud,
dirt, snow, ice, or slush. This
message may also activate during
heavy rain or due to road spray. The
vehicle does not need service. For
cleaning, seeExterior Care on
page 10‑105.
Ride Control System
Messages
ALL WHEEL DRIVE OFF
If the vehicle has the All-Wheel
Drive (AWD) system, this message
displays when there is a temporary
condition making the AWD system
unavailable. The vehicle will run in
2WD. This could be caused by:
.Loss of wheel or vehicle speed
.AWD system overheat
.Certain vehicle electrical
conditions
This message turns off when the
above conditions are no longer
present and the warning message is
reset.
To reset the warning message, turn
the ignition off and then back on
again after 30 seconds. If the
message stays on, see your dealer
right away. See All-Wheel Drive on
page 9‑31.
SERVICE ALL WHEEL DRIVE
This message displays if a problem
occurs with the All-Wheel Drive
(AWD) system. The vehicle will run
in 2WD. This could be caused by:
.An electronics problem
.An AWD system oil overheat
.Worn out or overheated clutch
plates
.Various electrical issues
If this message appears, stop as
soon as possible and turn off the
ignition for 30 seconds. Restart the
vehicle and check for the message
on the DIC display. If the message
still displays or appears again when
you begin driving, the system needs
service. See your dealer right away.
SERVICE POWER STEERING
This message displays if a problem
is detected with the speed variable
assist steering system. When this
message is displayed, you may
notice that the effort required to
steer the vehicle increases or feels
Black plate (43,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2013 - crc2 - 8/22/12
Instruments and Controls 5-43
START ABORTED BY THEFT
DETERRENT
This message displays if there is a
communication problem between
the keyless access system and the
vehicle. The vehicle cannot be
started when this message displays.
See your dealer for service.
THEFT ATTEMPTED
This message displays if the
theft-deterrent system has detected
a break-in attempt while you were
away from the vehicle. SeeVehicle
Alarm System on page 2‑22 for
more information.
Service Vehicle Messages
SERVICE A/C SYSTEM
This message displays when the
electronic sensors that control the
air conditioning and heating
systems are no longer working.
Have the climate control system
serviced by your dealer if you notice
a drop in heating and air
conditioning efficiency.
SERVICE VEHICLE SOON
This message displays when a
non-emissions related malfunction
occurs. Have the vehicle serviced
by your dealer as soon as possible.
Tire Messages
SERVICE TIRE MONITOR
SYSTEM
This message displays if a part on
the Tire Pressure Monitor System
(TPMS) is not working properly. The
tire pressure light also flashes and
then remains on during the same
ignition cycle. See Tire Pressure
Light on page 5‑25. Several
conditions may cause this message
to appear. See Tire Pressure
Monitor Operation on page 10‑69 for
more information. If the warning
comes on and stays on, there may
be a problem with the TPMS. See
your dealer.
TIRE LEARNING ACTIVE
This message displays when the
Tire Pressure Monitor System
(TPMS) is re-learning the tire
positions on the vehicle. The tire
positions must be re-learned after
rotating the tires or after replacing a
tire or sensor. See Tire Rotation on
page 10‑72, Tire Pressure Monitor
System on page 10‑68, and Tire
Pressure on page 10‑66 for more
information.
TIRE LOW ADD AIR TO TIRE
On vehicles with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS), this
message displays when the
pressure in one or more of the
vehicle’s tires is low. This message
also displays LEFT FRONT, RIGHT
FRONT, LEFT REAR, or RIGHT
REAR to indicate the location of the
low tire.
The low tire pressure warning light
will also come on. See Tire
Pressure Light on page 5‑25.
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 (4,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2013 - crc2 - 8/22/12
6-4 Lighting
on. Do not cover the sensor,
otherwise the headlamps will come
on whenever the ignition is on.
The system may also turn on the
headlamps when driving through a
parking garage, heavy overcast
weather, or a tunnel. This is normal.
If the vehicle is started in a dark
garage, the automatic headlamp
system will come on immediately.
Once the vehicle leaves the garage,
it takes approximately one minute
for the automatic headlamp system
to change if it is bright enough
outside. During that delay, the
instrument cluster may not be as
bright as usual. Make sure the
instrument panel brightness control
is in the full bright position. See
Instrument Panel Illumination
Control on page 6‑6.
To idle the vehicle with the
automatic headlamp system off, turn
the control to the off position.The headlamps will also stay on
after you exit the vehicle. This
feature can be programmed using
the Driver Information Center (DIC).
See
Vehicle Personalization on
page 5‑45.
The regular headlamp system can
be turned on when needed.
Lights On with Wipers
If the windshield wipers are
activated in daylight with the engine
on, and the exterior lamp control is
in AUTO, the headlamps, parking
lamps, and other exterior lamps
come on. The transition time for the
lamps coming on varies based on
wiper speed. When the wipers are
not operating, these lamps turn off.
Move the exterior lamp control to
P
or;to disable this feature.
Adaptive Forward
Lighting (AFL)
The Adaptive Forward Lighting
System (AFL) pivots the headlamps
horizontally to provide greater road
illumination while turning. To enable
AFL, set the exterior lamp control on
the turn signal lever to the AUTO
position. Moving the switch out of
the AUTO position will deactivate
the system. AFL will operate when
the vehicle speed is greater than
3 km/h (2 mph). AFL will not operate
when the transmission is in
R (Reverse). AFL is not immediately
operable after starting the vehicle;
driving a short distance is required
to calibrate the AFL. See Exterior
Lamp Controls on page 6‑1.
Black plate (7,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2013 - crc2 - 8/22/12
Lighting 6-7
Lighting Features
Entry Lighting
The headlamps, taillamps, license
plate lamps, back‐up lamps, dome
lamps, and most of the interior lights
turn on briefly when the Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE)
Kis pressed,
or when the door handle is pulled on
a keyless access vehicle. See
Ignition Positions (Keyless Access)
on page 9‑15 orIgnition Positions
(Key Access) on page 9‑17. After
about 30 seconds the exterior lamps
turn off, then the dome and
remaining interior lights dim to off.
Entry lighting can be disabled
manually by changing the ignition
out of the OFF position, or by
pressing the Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE)
Qbutton.
This feature can be changed. See
Vehicle Personalization on
page 5‑45.
Exit Lighting
The headlamps, taillamps, parking
lamps, back-up lamps, and license
plate lamps come on at night, or in
areas with limited lighting, when the
key is removed from the ignition.
The dome lamps also come on
when the key is removed from the
ignition. The exterior lights and
dome lamps remain on after the
door is closed for a set amount of
time, then automatically turn off.
For vehicles with keyless access,
the exterior lamps and dome lamps
automatically turn on when a door is
opened after the ignition is turned
off. See Ignition Positions (Keyless
Access) on page 9‑15 orIgnition
Positions (Key Access) on
page 9‑17.
The exterior lamps turn off
immediately by turning the exterior
lamps control off.
This feature can be changed. See
Vehicle Personalization on
page 5‑45.
Parade Dimming
This feature does not let the
instrument panel display screens
dim during daylight hours while the
ignition is in the ACC/ACCESSORY
or ON/RUN position and the parking
lamps or headlamps are on. Parade
dimming automatically works with
the light sensor on top of the
dashboard. If it is dark enough
outside and the parking lamps or
headlamps are on, the instrument
panel display screens can be
adjusted by turning the instrument
panel brightness knob clockwise or
counterclockwise to brighten or dim
the lighting. See Instrument Panel
Illumination Control on page 6‑6.
The instrument panel control
backlighting can still be adjusted
while in parade mode.
Black plate (5,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2013 - crc2 - 8/22/12
Climate Controls 8-5
Sensors
The solar sensor on the instrument
panel, near the windshield, monitors
the solar heat.
The interior temperature sensor, on
the instrument panel to the right of
the steering wheel, measures the
temperature of the air inside the
vehicle.The climate control system uses the
information from these sensors to
adjust the fan speed and the air
delivery, in order to maintain the
selected temperature. The system
may also supply cooler air to the
side of the vehicle facing the sun.
The recirculation mode will also be
activated, as necessary.
Do not cover the sensors or the
automatic climate control system will
not work properly.
Air Quality Sensor
For vehicles with an air quality
sensor, the climate control system
adjusts to limit some exhaust fumes
from being pulled inside your
vehicle.
Press the AUTO button on the
climate control to activate the air
quality sensor. The recirculation
indicator light comes on when poor
quality air is detected. The air
quality sensor will not maintain
recirculation for an extended period
to prevent the air inside the vehicle
from becoming too dry or stuffy.
Under certain conditions, the air
quality sensor will not activate, such
as during cold weather or with
extreme odors. Press
Mto
activate recirculation.
The air quality sensor system does
not protect against carbon monoxide
(CO), which you cannot see or
smell. See Engine Exhaust on
page 9‑24.