2013 CADILLAC CTS brake

Black plate (23,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2013 - crc2 - 8/22/12
Instruments and Controls 5-23
SeeBrake Assist (Except CTS-V)
on page 9‑35 for more information.
Antilock Brake System
(ABS) Warning Light
The Antilock Brake System (ABS),
this light comes on briefly when the
engine is started.
If the light does not come on, have it
fixed so it will be ready to warn if
there is a problem.
If the ABS light stays on, turn the
ignition off. If the light comes on
while driving, stop as soon as it is
safely possible and turn the ignition
off. A chime may also sound when
the light comes on steady. If this
happens, start the engine again to
reset the system. If the ABS light
stays on, or comes on again while driving, the vehicle needs service.
If the regular brake system warning
light is not on, the vehicle still has
brakes, but not antilock brakes.
If the regular brake system warning
light is also on, the vehicle does not
have antilock brakes and there is a
problem with the regular brakes.
See
Brake System Warning Light on
page 5‑22.
For vehicles with a Driver
Information Center (DIC), see Driver
Information Center (DIC) on
page 5‑27 for all brake-related DIC
messages.
Up-Shift Light
The vehicle may have an up-shift
light. It indicates when to shift to the
next higher gear for best fuel
economy. See
Manual Transmission on
page 9‑29 for more information.
For the CTS-V, the tracer lights
function as a performance up-shift
light.
The tracers flash to indicate when to
shift to the next higher gear to avoid
the engine speed limit. See
Automatic Transmission on
page 9‑25 orManual Transmission
on page 9‑29 for more information.
StabiliTrak®OFF Light
This light comes on briefly while
starting the engine. If it does not,
have the vehicle serviced by your
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 (42,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2013 - crc2 - 8/22/12
5-42 Instruments and Controls
To realize the full benefits of the
stability enhancement system, you
should normally leave StabiliTrak
on. To turn StabiliTrak on or off, see
StabiliTrak
®System on page 9‑36.
There are several conditions that
can cause this message to appear:
.If there is overheating, which
could occur if StabiliTrak
activates continuously for an
extended period of time.
.If the brake system warning light
is on. See Brake System
Warning Light on page 5‑22.
.If the stability system takes
longer than usual to complete its
diagnostic checks due to driving
conditions.
.If an engine or vehicle-related
problem has been detected and
the vehicle needs service. See
your dealer.
The message turns off as soon as
the conditions that caused the
message to be displayed are no
longer present.
SUSPENSION MODE SPORT
(CTS-V ONLY)
This message will be displayed
when sport mode is selected using
the Magnetic Ride Control button in
the center of the instrument panel.
See Magnetic Ride Control on
page 9‑38.
SUSPENSION MODE TOUR
(CTS-V ONLY)
This message will be displayed
when touring mode is selected
using the Magnetic Ride Control
button in the center of the
instrument panel. See Magnetic
Ride Control on page 9‑38.
TRACTION CONTROL OFF
This message displays when the
traction control system has been
turned off.
Airbag System Messages
SERVICE AIR BAG
This message displays when there
is a problem with the airbag system.
Have the vehicle serviced by your
dealer immediately. See Airbag
Readiness Light on page 5‑17 for
more information.
Security Messages
SERVICE THEFT DETERRENT
SYSTEM
This message displays when there
is a problem with the theft-deterrent
system programmed in the key.
A fault has been detected in the
system which means that the
system is disabled and it is not
protecting the vehicle. The vehicle
usually restarts; however, you may
want to take the vehicle to your
dealer before turning off the engine.
See Immobilizer Operation (Keyless
Access) on page 2‑25 or
Immobilizer Operation (Key Access)
on page 2‑24 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 (3,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2013 - crc2 - 8/22/12
Driving and Operating 9-3
{WARNING
Taking your eyes off the road too
long or too often could cause a
crash resulting in injury or death.
Focus your attention on driving.
Refer to the infotainment section for
more information on using that
system, including pairing and using
a cell phone.
If equipped, refer to the navigation
manual for information on that
system, including pairing and using
a cell phone.
Defensive Driving
Defensive driving means “always
expect the unexpected.” The first
step in driving defensively is to wear
the safety belt. See Safety Belts on
page 3‑12.
.Assume that other road users
(pedestrians, bicyclists, and
other drivers) are going to be careless and make mistakes.
Anticipate what they might do
and be ready.
.Allow enough following distance
between you and the driver in
front of you.
.Focus on the task of driving.
Drunk Driving
Death and injury associated with
drinking and driving is a global
tragedy.
{WARNING
Drinking and then driving is very
dangerous. Your reflexes,
perceptions, attentiveness, and
judgment can be affected by even
a small amount of alcohol. You
can have a serious
—or even
fatal —collision if you drive after
drinking.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
Do not drink and drive or ride with
a driver who has been drinking.
Ride home in a cab; or if you are
with a group, designate a driver
who will not drink.
Control of a Vehicle
Braking, steering, and accelerating
are important factors in helping to
control a vehicle while driving.
Braking
Braking action involves perception
time and reaction time. Deciding to
push the brake pedal is perception
time. Actually doing it is
reaction time.
Average driver reaction time is
about three-quarters of a second. In
that time, a vehicle moving at
100 km/h (60 mph) travels 20 m
(66 ft), which could be a lot of
distance in an emergency.

Black plate (4,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2013 - crc2 - 8/22/12
9-4 Driving and Operating
Helpful braking tips to keep in mind
include:
.Keep enough distance between
you and the vehicle in front
of you.
.Avoid needless heavy braking.
.Keep pace with traffic.
If the engine ever stops while the
vehicle is being driven, brake
normally but do not pump the
brakes. Doing so could make the
pedal harder to push down. If the
engine stops, there will be some
power brake assist but it will be
used when the brake is applied.
Once the power assist is used up, it
can take longer to stop and the
brake pedal will be harder to push.
Steering
Hydraulic Power Steering
Your vehicle has hydraulic power
steering. It may require
maintenance. See Power Steering
Fluid on page 10‑22. If power steering assist is lost
because the engine stops or
because of a system malfunction,
the vehicle can be steered but may
require increased effort. See your
dealer if there is a problem.
Curve Tips
.Take curves at a reasonable
speed.
.Reduce speed before entering a
curve.
.Maintain a reasonable steady
speed through the curve.
.Wait until the vehicle is out of
the curve before accelerating
gently into the straightaway.
Steering in Emergencies
.There are some situations when
steering around a problem may
be more effective than braking.
.Holding both sides of the
steering wheel allows you to turn
180 degrees without removing
a hand.
.Antilock Brake System (ABS)
allows steering while braking.
Off-Road Recovery
The vehicle's right wheels can drop
off the edge of a road onto the
shoulder while driving. Follow
these tips:
1. Ease off the accelerator and
then, if there is nothing in the
way, steer the vehicle so that it
straddles the edge of the
pavement.