
Black plate (27,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2013 - crc2 - 8/22/12
Instruments and Controls 5-27
Cruise Control Light
This light comes on whenever the
cruise control is active.
The light goes out when the cruise
control is turned off. SeeCruise
Control on page 9‑39 for more
information.
Information Displays
Driver Information
Center (DIC)
The Driver Information Center (DIC)
provides status of many vehicle
systems. The DIC displays warning/
status messages. The DIC display
is at the bottom of the instrument
cluster. The DIC buttons are on the
instrument panel next to the
steering wheel.
The DIC comes on when the ignition
is on. After a short delay, the DIC
displays the information that was
last displayed before the engine
was turned off.
The top line of the DIC display
shows the DIC information. The
bottom line shows the compass.
The compass displays in the trip/
fuel menus and in some vehicle
information menus. If a problem is detected, a warning
message appears on the display. All
messages should be taken
seriously; clearing the message
does not correct the problem.DIC Operation and Displays
Press the DIC buttons to access the
different displays.
3(Trip/Fuel):
Press to scroll
through the trip and fuel displays.
See “Trip/Fuel Display Menu Items”
following for more information.

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5-28 Instruments and Controls
T(Vehicle Information):Press
to scroll through the vehicle
information displays. See “Vehicle
Information Display Menu Items”
following for more information.
U(Customization): Press to scroll
through each of the customization
features. See Vehicle
Personalization on page 5‑45 for
more information.
V(Set/Reset): Press to reset
certain DIC features and to
acknowledge and clear DIC warning
messages.
yorz(Menu Up/Down): Press
to scroll up and down the menu
items.
Trip/Fuel Display Menu Items
3(Trip/Fuel): Press to display
the following menu items:
Odometer
Displays the distance the vehicle
has been driven in either
kilometers (km) or miles (mi). Trip A or Trip B
Displays the current distance
traveled since the last reset for each
trip odometer in either
kilometers (km) or miles (mi). Both
odometers can be used at the same
time. Reset each trip odometer to
zero by pressing and holding the
set/reset button when Trip A or Trip
B is displayed.
Fuel Range
Displays the approximate remaining
kilometers (km) or miles (mi) you
can drive without refilling the fuel
tank. This estimate is based on the
current driving conditions and
changes if the driving conditions
change. For example, freeway
driving may produce better fuel
economy than city driving with
frequent stops, so the range would
adjust for that.
Once the range drops below about
48 km (30 mi) remaining, the display
shows Low Range.
If the fuel is low, the FUEL LEVEL
LOW message displays. See
“Fuel
Level Low” underFuel System
Messages on page 5‑36 for more
information.
AVG (Average) Economy
Displays the approximate average
liters per 100 kilometers (L/100 km)
or miles per gallon (mpg). The
calculation is based on the number
of L/100 km (mpg) recorded since
the last time this display was reset.
Press the set/reset button to reset
to zero.
Timer
Can be used to measure time. For
example, timing how long it takes to
travel from one point to another. To
access the timer, press the trip/fuel
button until Timer 00:00:00 displays.
To turn on the timer, press the set/
reset button.
To turn off the timer, press the set/
reset button again. The timer
displays the end timing value.

Black plate (29,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2013 - crc2 - 8/22/12
Instruments and Controls 5-29
To reset the timer to zero, press and
hold the set/reset button.
Inst (Instantaneous) Economy
Displays the current fuel economy in
either liters per 100 kilometers(L/100 km) or miles per
gallon (mpg). This number changes
frequently as driving conditions
change. It cannot be reset.
AVG (Average) Speed
Displays the average speed of the
vehicle in either kilometers per
hour (km/h) or miles per hour (mph).
This calculation is based on the
various vehicle speeds recorded
since the last reset of this display.
Press the set/reset button to reset
to zero.
Speedometer
Displays a digital speedometer in
the DIC. The speed displays in
either kilometers per hour (km/h) or
miles per hour (mph). To change the
units from English to metric, see
“Units” later in this section. Blank Display
This display shows no information.
Vehicle Information Display
Menu Items
T(Vehicle Information):
Press
to display the following menu items:
Oil Life Remaining
If the vehicle has this display, it
shows the estimated oil life
remaining. If you see 99% Oil Life
Remaining on the display, that
means that 99% of the current oil
life remains.
When the oil life is depleted, the
Change Engine Oil Soon message
displays. Change the oil as soon as
possible. Additional maintenance is
also recommended in the
Maintenance Schedule in this
manual. See Maintenance Schedule
on page 11‑3 andEngine Oil on
page 10‑9.
The Oil Life must be reset after
each oil change. Avoid accidental
resetting of the Oil Life system. It cannot be reset accurately until
the next oil change. To reset the
engine oil life system, See
Engine
Oil Life System on page 10‑11. The
system is reset when 100%
displays.
Units
Select to display English or metric
units of measure. Press the set/
reset button to select when units is
displayed.
Parking Assist
If the vehicle has the Ultrasonic
Rear Parking Assist (URPA) system,
this display allows the system to be
turned on or off. Once in this
display, press the set/reset button to
select between On or Off. The
URPA system automatically turns
back on after each vehicle start.
When the URPA system is turned
off and the vehicle is shifted out of
P (Park), the DIC displays the
PARKING ASSIST OFF message as
a reminder that the system has

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5-36 Instruments and Controls
SeeEngine Oil Pressure Light on
page 5‑25. See Engine Oil on
page 10‑9.
Stop the vehicle immediately, as
engine damage can result from
driving a vehicle with low oil
pressure. Have the vehicle serviced
by your dealer as soon as possible
when this message is displayed.
Engine Power Messages
ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED
This message displays when the
engine power is being reduced to
protect the engine from damage.
There could be several malfunctions
that might cause this message.
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
acceleration and speed may be reduced. Anytime this message
stays on, take the vehicle to your
dealer for service as soon as
possible.
Fuel System Messages
FUEL LEVEL LOW
This message displays when the
vehicle is low on fuel. Refill the fuel
tank as soon as possible. A chime
may sound when this message
displays. See
Filling the Tank on
page 9‑49.
TIGHTEN GAS CAP
This message displays when the
fuel cap has not been fully
tightened. Recheck the fuel cap to
ensure that it is on and tightened
properly.
Key and Lock Messages
ACCESSORY MODE ACTIVE
If the vehicle has the keyless
access system, this message
displays when the accessory mode is active. See
Ignition Positions
(Keyless Access) on page 9‑15 or
Ignition Positions (Key Access) on
page 9‑17 for more information.
ELECTRONIC KEY ALREADY
KNOWN
If the vehicle has the keyless
access system, this message
displays if you try to match a
transmitter that has already been
learned. See the keyless access
information for Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE) System Operation (Key
Access) on page 2‑4 orRemote
Keyless Entry (RKE) System
Operation (Keyless Access) on
page 2‑6 for more information.

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Instruments and Controls 5-53
Exiting the Feature
Settings Menu
The feature settings menu will be
exited when any of the following
occurs:
.The vehicle is no longer in
ON/RUN.
.The trip/fuel or vehicle
information DIC buttons are
pressed.
.The end of the feature settings
menu is reached and exited.
.A 40-second time period has
elapsed with no selection made.
Universal Remote
System
SeeRadio Frequency Statement on
page 13‑20 for information
regarding Part 15 of the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC)
rules and Industry Canada
Standards RSS-GEN/210/220/310.
Universal Remote System
Programming
If the vehicle has this feature, you
will see these buttons with one
indicator light next to them in the
overhead console.
This system provides a way to
replace up to three remote control
transmitters used to activate devices such as garage door
openers, security systems, and
home automation devices.
Do not use the Universal Remote
system with any garage door opener
that does not have the stop and
reverse feature. This includes any
garage door opener model
manufactured before April 1,1982.
Read the instructions completely
before attempting to program the
Universal Remote system. Because
of the steps involved, it may be
helpful to have another person
available to assist with programming
the Universal Remote system.
Keep the original hand-held
transmitter for use in other vehicles
as well as for future Universal
Remote system programming. It is
also recommended that upon the
sale of the vehicle, the programmed
Universal Remote system buttons
be erased for security purposes.
See
“Erasing Universal Remote
System Buttons” later in this
section.

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 (2,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2013 - crc2 - 8/22/12
9-2 Driving and Operating
California FuelRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-48
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 9-48
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-48
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-49
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-51
Towing
General TowingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-51
Driving Characteristics and Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-51
Trailer Towing (CTS-V and Coupe) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-54
Trailer Towing (Except CTS-V and Coupe) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-55
Towing Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . 9-56
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-57
Driving Information
Distracted Driving
Distraction comes in many forms
and can take your focus from the
task of driving. Exercise good
judgment and do not let other
activities divert your attention away
from the road. Many local
governments have enacted laws
regarding driver distraction. Become
familiar with the local laws in
your area.
To avoid distracted driving, always
keep your eyes on the road, hands
on the wheel, and mind on the drive.
.Do not use a phone in
demanding driving situations.
Use a hands-free method to
place or receive necessary
phone calls.
.Watch the road. Do not read,
take notes, or look up
information on phones or other
electronic devices.
.Designate a front seat
passenger to handle potential
distractions.
.Become familiar with vehicle
features before driving, such as
programming favorite radio
stations and adjusting climate
control and seat settings.
Program all trip information into
any navigation device prior to
driving.
.Wait until the vehicle is parked
to retrieve items that have fallen
to the floor.
.Stop or park the vehicle to tend
to children.
.Keep pets in an appropriate
carrier or restraint.
.Avoid stressful conversations
while driving, whether with a
passenger or on a cell phone.

Black plate (9,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2013 - crc2 - 8/22/12
Driving and Operating 9-9
{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.
To save fuel, run the engine for only
short periods as needed to warm
the vehicle and then shut the engine
off and close the window most of
the way to save heat. Repeat this
until help arrives but only when you feel really uncomfortable from the
cold. Moving about to keep warm
also helps.
If it takes some time for help to
arrive, now and then when you run
the engine, push the accelerator
pedal slightly so the engine runs
faster than the idle speed. This
keeps the battery charged to restart
the vehicle and to signal for help
with the headlamps. Do this as little
as possible to save fuel.
If the Vehicle Is Stuck
Slowly and cautiously spin the
wheels to free the vehicle when
stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow.
If stuck too severely for the traction
system to free the vehicle, turn the
traction system off and use the
rocking method. See
Traction
Control System (TCS) on
page 9‑35.