Black plate (1,1)Cadillac SRX Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 11/9/12
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
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
Adjustable Throttle and BrakePedal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-15
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-16 Starting the Gasoline
Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-17
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-19
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-19
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-20
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-22
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-22
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . 9-23
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Fuel Economy Mode . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . 9-31
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control System (TCS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-31
StabiliTrak
®System . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Limited-Slip Rear Axle . . . . . . . 9-34
Selective Ride Control . . . . . . . 9-34
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Adaptive Cruise Control . . . . . 9-37
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-46
Assistance Systems for Parking or Backing . . . . . . . . . 9-46
Assistance Systems for Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-50
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-50
Active Emergency Braking System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-53
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-55
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-57
Black plate (7,1)Cadillac SRX Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 11/9/12
Driving and Operating 9-7
Highway Hypnosis
Always be alert and pay attention to
your surroundings while driving.
If you become tired or sleepy, find a
safe place to park the vehicle
and rest.
Other driving tips include:
.Keep the vehicle well ventilated.
.Keep the interior
temperature cool.
.Keep your eyes moving—scan
the road ahead and to the sides.
.Check the rearview mirror and
vehicle instruments often.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or through
mountains is different than driving
on flat or rolling terrain. Tips for
driving in these conditions include:
.Keep the vehicle serviced and in
good shape.
.Check all fluid levels and brakes,
tires, cooling system, and
transmission.
.Shift to a lower gear when going
down steep or long hills.
{WARNING
If you do not shift down, the
brakes could get so hot that they
would not work well. You would
then have poor braking or even
none going down a hill. You could
crash. Shift down to let the engine
assist the brakes on a steep
downhill slope.
{WARNING
Coasting downhill in N (Neutral)
or with the ignition off is
dangerous. The brakes will have
to do all the work of slowing down
and they could get so hot that
they would not work well. You
would then have poor braking or
even none going down a hill.
Steering may also be affected
when ignition is off. You could
crash. Always have the engine
running and the vehicle in gear
when going downhill.
.Stay in your own lane. Do not
swing wide or cut across the
center of the road. Drive at
speeds that let you stay in your
own lane.
.Be alert on top of hills;
something could be in your lane
(stalled car, accident).
Black plate (16,1)Cadillac SRX Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 11/9/12
9-16 Driving and Operating
Ignition Positions
The vehicle has an electronic
keyless ignition with pushbutton
start.
Pressing the button cycles it through
three modes, ACC/ACCESSORY,
ON/RUN/START and STOPPING
THE ENGINE/OFF.
If the pushbutton start is not
working, the vehicle may be near a
strong radio antenna signal causing
interference to the keyless entry
system. SeeKey and Lock
Messages on page 5‑34. To shift out of P (Park), the vehicle
must be in ON/RUN mode and the
brake pedal must be applied.
STOPPING THE ENGINE/OFF
(No Indicator Light):
When the
vehicle is stopped, press the engine
START/STOP button once to turn
the engine off.
If the vehicle is in P (Park), the
ignition will turn off, and Retained
Accessory Power (RAP) will remain
active. See Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) on page 9‑19.
If the vehicle is not in P (Park),
the ignition will return to ACC/
ACCESSORY and display the
message SHIFT TO PARK in the
Driver Information Center (DIC).
See Driver Information Center (DIC)
on page 5‑27. When the vehicle is
shifted into P (Park), the ignition
system will switch to OFF.
Do not turn the engine off when the
vehicle is moving. This will cause a
loss of power assist in the brake
and steering systems and disable
the airbags. If the vehicle must be shut off in an
emergency:
1. Brake using a firm and steady
pressure. Do not pump the
brakes repeatedly. This may
deplete power assist, requiring
increased brake pedal force.
2. Shift the vehicle to N (Neutral). This can be done while the
vehicle is moving. After shifting
to N (Neutral), firmly apply the
brakes and steer the vehicle to a
safe location.
3. Come to a complete stop, shift to P (Park), and turn the ignition
to OFF. On vehicles with an
automatic transmission, the shift
lever must be in P (Park) to turn
the ignition switch to the OFF
position.
4. Set the parking brake. See Parking Brake on page 9‑28.
Black plate (17,1)Cadillac SRX Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 11/9/12
Driving and Operating 9-17
{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,
press and hold the engine START/
STOP button for longer than
two seconds, or press twice in
five seconds.
ACC/ACCESSORY (Amber
Indicator Light): This mode
allows you to use some electrical
accessories when the engine is off.
With the ignition off, pressing the
button one time without the brake
pedal applied, will place the ignition
system in ACC/ACCESSORY. The ignition will switch from ACC/
ACCESSORY to OFF after
ten minutes to prevent battery
run down.
ON/RUN/START (Green Indicator
Light):
This mode is for driving and
starting. With the ignition off, and
the brake pedal applied, pressing
the button once will place the
ignition system in ON/RUN/START.
Once engine cranking begins,
release the button. Engine cranking
will continue until the engine starts.
See Starting the Gasoline Engine
on page 9‑17. The ignition will then
remain in ON/RUN.
Service Only Mode
This power mode is available for
service and diagnostics, and to
verify the proper operation of the
malfunction indicator lamp as may
be required for emission inspection
purposes. With the vehicle off,
and the brake pedal not applied,
pressing and holding the button for
more than five seconds will place
the vehicle in Service Only Mode. The instruments and audio systems
will operate as they do in ON/RUN,
but the vehicle will not be able to be
driven. The engine will not start in
Service Only Mode. Push the button
again to turn the vehicle off.
Starting the Gasoline
Engine
Place the transmission in the proper
gear by moving the shift lever to
P (Park) or N (Neutral). To restart
the engine when the vehicle is
already moving, use N (Neutral).
Notice:
Do not try to shift to
P (Park) if the vehicle is moving.
If you do, you could damage the
transmission. Shift to P (Park)
only when the vehicle is stopped.
The keyless access transmitter must
be inside the vehicle for the ignition
to work.
Black plate (30,1)Cadillac SRX Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 11/9/12
9-30 Driving and Operating
If the parking brake warning light is
on, the EPB has detected an error
in another system and is operating
with reduced functionality. To
release the EPB when this light is
on, push down on the EPB switch
and hold it in the down position.
EPB release may take a longer
period of time than normal when this
light is on. Continue to hold the
switch until the parking brake status
light is off. If the light is on, see your
dealer.
Notice:Driving with the parking
brake on can overheat the brake
system and cause premature
wear or damage to brake system
parts. Make sure that the parking
brake is fully released and the
brake warning light is off before
driving.Automatic EPB Release
The EPB will automatically release if
the vehicle is running, placed into
gear, and an attempt is made to
drive away. Avoid rapid acceleration
when the EPB is applied, to
preserve parking brake lining life.
If you are towing a trailer and
parking on a hill, see Driving
Characteristics and Towing Tips on
page 9‑65.
Brake Assist
This vehicle has a brake assist
feature designed to assist the driver
in stopping or decreasing vehicle
speed in emergency driving
conditions. This feature uses the
stability system hydraulic brake
control module to supplement the power brake system under
conditions where the driver has
quickly and forcefully applied the
brake pedal in an attempt to quickly
stop or slow down the vehicle. The
stability system hydraulic brake
control module increases brake
pressure at each corner of the
vehicle until the ABS activates.
Minor brake pedal pulsation or
pedal movement during this time
is normal and the driver should
continue to apply the brake pedal
as the driving situation dictates.
The brake assist feature will
automatically disengage when the
brake pedal is released or brake
pedal pressure is quickly
decreased.
Black plate (46,1)Cadillac SRX Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 11/9/12
9-46 Driving and Operating
Driver Assistance
Systems
This vehicle may have features that
work together to help avoid crashes
or reduce crash damage while
driving, backing, and parking. Read
this entire section before using
these systems.
{WARNING
Do not rely on the Driver
Assistance Systems. These
systems do not replace the need
for paying attention and driving
safely. You may not hear or feel
alerts or warnings provided by
these systems. Failure to use
proper care when driving may
result in injury, death, or vehicle
damage. SeeDefensive Driving
on page 9‑3.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
Under many conditions, these
systems will not:
.Detect children, pedestrians,
bicyclists, or animals.
.Detect vehicles or objects
outside the area monitored by
the system.
.Work at all driving speeds.
.Warn you or provide you with
enough time to avoid a crash.
.Work under poor visibility or
bad weather conditions.
.Work if the detection sensor
is not cleaned or is covered
by ice, snow, mud, or dirt.
Complete attention is always
required while driving, and you
should be ready to take action
and apply the brakes and/or steer
the vehicle to avoid crashes. Audible or Safety Alert Seat
Some driver assistance features
alert the driver of obstacles by
beeping. To change the volume of
the warning chime, see
“Comfort
and Convenience” underVehicle
Personalization on page 5‑40.
If equipped with the Safety Alert
Seat, the driver seat cushion may
provide a vibrating pulse alert
instead of beeping. To change this,
see “Collision/Detection Systems”
under Vehicle Personalization on
page 5‑40.
Assistance Systems for
Parking or Backing
When the vehicle is in R (Reverse),
the Rear Vision Camera (RVC) and
Rear Parking Assist may help the
driver to avoid a crash or to reduce
crash damage while backing and
parking. Some models may also
have the Rear Automatic Braking
and Backing Warning System, Rear
Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA), and/or
Front Parking Assist.
Black plate (47,1)Cadillac SRX Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 11/9/12
Driving and Operating 9-47
When the vehicle is shifted into
R (Reverse), the RVC displays an
image of the area behind the vehicle
in the center stack display.
{WARNING
The RVC system does not display
children, pedestrians, bicyclists,
animals, or any other object
located outside the camera's field
of view, below the bumper,
or under the vehicle. Perceived
distances may be different from
actual distances. Do not back the
vehicle using only the RVC
screen, during longer, higher
speed backing maneuvers,
or where there could be cross
traffic. Failure to use proper care
before backing may result in
injury, death, or vehicle damage.
Always check behind and around
the vehicle before backing.
1. View Displayed by the Camera
1. View Displayed by the Camera
2. Corners of the Rear BumperDisplayed images may be farther or
closer than they appear. The area
displayed is limited and objects that
are close to either corner of the
bumper or under the bumper do not
display.
A warning triangle may display on
the RVC screen to show where the
Ultrasonic Rear Parking Assist
(URPA) has detected an object. This
triangle changes from amber to red
and increases in size the closer the
object.
On vehicles with the Rear Cross
Traffic Alert (RCTA), a triangle with
an arrow may also display on the
RVC screen to warn of traffic
coming from either direction. This
system detects objects coming from
up to 22 m (65 ft) from the left or
right side, behind the vehicle. When
an object is detected, either three
beeps sound or three Safety Alert
Seat pulses occur on the left or right
side, depending on the direction of
the detected vehicle.
Black plate (48,1)Cadillac SRX Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 11/9/12
9-48 Driving and Operating
Use caution while changing lanes
when towing a trailer, as the RCTA
detection zones that extend out
from the back of the vehicle do not
move further back when a trailer is
towed.
With URPA, as the vehicle backs
up at speeds of less than 8 km/h
(5 mph), the sensors on the rear
bumper detect objects up to 2.5 m
(8 ft) behind the vehicle that are
within a zone 25 cm (10 in) high off
the ground and below bumper level.
{WARNING
The parking assist system does
not detect children, pedestrians,
bicyclists, animals, or objects
located below the bumper or that
are too close or too far from the
vehicle. It is not available at
speeds greater than 8 km/h
(5 mph). To prevent injury, death,
or vehicle damage, even with
parking assist, always check the(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
area around the vehicle and
check all mirrors before moving
forward or backing.
The instrument cluster parking
assist display has bars that show
“distance to object”and object
location information for URPA, and
on some vehicles, for the Front
Parking Assist system. As the object
gets closer, more bars light up.
When an object is first detected in
the rear, one beep will be heard
from the rear, or both sides of the
Safety Alert Seat will pulse two
times. When an object is very close (<0.6 m (2 ft) in the vehicle rear,
or <0.3 m (1 ft) in the vehicle front),
five beeps will sound from the rear
or front, or both sides of the Safety
Alert Seat will pulse five times.
Beeps for Front Parking Assist are
higher pitched than for Rear Parking
Assist.
Vehicles with Adaptive Cruise
Control (ACC) have the Backing
Warning System, which is designed
to help avoid or reduce the harm
caused by backing crashes. The
system can warn of rear objects
when backing up at speeds greater
than 8 km/h (5 mph).
The Backing Warning System will
beep once from the rear when a
potential object threat is first
detected, or pulse twice on both
sides of the Safety Alert Seat. When
the system detects a potential
imminent crash, beeps will be heard
from the rear, or five pulses will be
felt on both sides of the Safety Alert
Seat. There may also be a brief,
sharp application of the brakes.