
Black plate (21,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2013 - crc2 - 8/22/12
Instruments and Controls 5-21
.Check that good quality fuel is
used. Poor fuel quality causes
the engine not to run as
efficiently as designed and may
cause stalling after start-up,
stalling when the vehicle is
changed into gear, misfiring,
hesitation on acceleration,
or stumbling on acceleration.
These conditions might go away
once the engine is warmed up.
If one or more of these conditions
occurs, change the fuel brand used.
It may require at least one full tank
of the proper fuel to turn the light off.
See Recommended Fuel on
page 9‑47.
If none of the above have made the
light turn off, your dealer can check
the vehicle. The dealer has the
proper test equipment and
diagnostic tools to fix any
mechanical or electrical problems
that might have developed.Emissions Inspection and
Maintenance Programs
Depending on where you live, your
vehicle may be required to
participate in an emission control
system inspection and maintenance
program. For the inspection, the
emission system test equipment will
likely connect to the vehicle's Data
Link Connector (DLC).
The DLC is under the instrument
panel to the next to the steering
wheel. See your dealer if assistance
is needed.
The vehicle may not pass
inspection if:
.The malfunction indicator lamp is
on with the engine running, or if
the light does not come on when the ignition is turned to ON/RUN
while the engine is off. See your
dealer for assistance in verifying
proper operation of the
malfunction indicator lamp.
.The OBD II (On-Board
Diagnostics) system determines
that critical emission control
systems have not been
completely diagnosed. The
vehicle would be considered not
ready for inspection. This can
happen if the 12-volt battery has
recently been replaced or run
down. The diagnostic system is
designed to evaluate critical
emission control systems during
normal driving. This can take
several days of routine driving.
If this has been done and the
vehicle still does not pass the
inspection for lack of OBD II
system readiness, your dealer
can prepare the vehicle for
inspection.

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.

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 (1,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2013 - crc2 - 8/22/12
Lighting 6-1
Lighting
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lamps OffReminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Automatic Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Adaptive Forward Lighting (AFL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . 6-5
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Interior Lighting
Instrument Panel Illumination Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Lighting Features
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Parade Dimming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Battery Load Management . . . . 6-8
Battery Power Protection . . . . . . 6-8
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls
The exterior lamp control is toward
the end of the turn signal/lane
change lever.
O(Exterior Lamp Control): Turn
the band with this symbol on it to
operate the exterior lamps.
The exterior lamp control has four
positions:
O(Off): Turns off all lamps, except
the Daytime Running Lamps (DRL).
AUTO (Automatic): Turns the
headlamps on and off automatically,
depending upon how much light is
available outside of the vehicle.

Black plate (2,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2013 - crc2 - 8/22/12
6-2 Lighting
;(Parking Lamps):Turns on the
parking lamps together with the
following:
.Sidemarker Lamps
.Taillamps
.License Plate Lamps
.Instrument Panel Lights
5(Headlamps): Turns on the
headlamps, together with the
previously listed lamps and lights.
Exterior Lamps Off
Reminder
A warning chime will sound if the
exterior lamp control is left on in
either the headlamp or parking lamp
position and the driver door is
opened with the ignition off.
Headlamp High/
Low-Beam Changer
Push the turn signal lever away
from you to turn the high beams on.
Pull the lever toward you and then
release it to return to low beams.
If the vehicle is turned off while the
high beams are on, they will come
on the next time the vehicle is
started.
This indicator light turns on in the
instrument cluster when the
high-beam headlamps are on.
Flash-to-Pass
This feature allows the high-beam
headlamps to be used to signal the
driver in front of you that you want
to pass. Pull and hold the turn signal lever
toward you to use this feature.
When this is done the following will
occur:
.If the headlamps are off or in
low-beam mode, the high-beam
headlamps will turn on at full
brightness. Release the lever to
turn them off.
.If the headlamps are already in
high-beam mode, they will
remain on high beam.
Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL)
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can
make it easier for others to see the
front of your vehicle during the day.
Fully functional daytime running
lamps are required on all vehicles
first sold in Canada.

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.