
Black plate (1,1)Cadillac SRX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
6081464) - 2014 - CRC - 10/4/13
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 . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . 9-7
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-7
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 . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-15
Starting the Gasoline Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-17 Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-19
Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-19
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-19
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . 9-20
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-22
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . 9-22
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Fuel Economy Mode . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-29
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . 9-30
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Limited-Slip Rear Axle . . . . . . . 9-32
Selective Ride Control . . . . . . . 9-32
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Adaptive Cruise Control . . . . . 9-36
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-44
Assistance Systems for Parking or Backing . . . . . . . . . 9-44
Assistance Systems for Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-49
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-49
Active Emergency Braking System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-51
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-53
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-55

Black plate (16,1)Cadillac SRX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
6081464) - 2014 - CRC - 10/4/13
9-16 Driving and Operating
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 5-26. 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.{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.

Black plate (18,1)Cadillac SRX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
6081464) - 2014 - CRC - 10/4/13
9-18 Driving and Operating
2. When the engine beginscranking, let go of the button and
the engine cranks automatically
until it starts.
If the transmitter is not in the
vehicle or something is
interfering with the transmitter,
the Driver Information Center
(DIC) will display NO REMOTE
DETECTED. See Driver
Information Center (DIC) on
page 5-26.
If the battery in the RKE
transmitter needs replacing, the
DIC displays REPLACE
BATTERY IN REMOTE KEY.
The vehicle can still be driven.
See Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System Operation on
page 2-3.
3. Do not race the engine immediately after starting it.
Operate the engine and
transmission gently until the oil
warms up and lubricates all
moving parts. 4. If the engine does not start and
no DIC message is displayed,
wait 15 seconds before trying
again to let the cranking motor
cool down.
If the engine does not start
after five to 10 seconds,
especially in very cold weather
(below −18°C or 0°F), it could be
flooded with too much gasoline.
Try pushing the accelerator
pedal all the way to the floor
while cranking for up to
15 seconds.
{Caution
Cranking the engine for long
periods of time, by pressing the
ENGINE START/STOP button
immediately after cranking has
ended, can overheat and damage
the cranking motor, and drain the
battery. Wait at least 15 seconds
between each try, to let the
cranking motor cool down. When the engine starts, let go of the
accelerator. If the vehicle starts
briefly but then stops again, do the
same thing. This clears the extra
gasoline from the engine.
The vehicle has a
Computer-Controlled Cranking
System. This feature assists in
starting the engine and protects
components. Once cranking has
been initiated, the engine continues
cranking for a few seconds or until
the vehicle starts. If the engine does
not start, cranking automatically
stops after 15 seconds to prevent
cranking motor damage. To prevent
gear damage, this system also
prevents cranking if the engine is
already running.
{Caution
If you add electrical parts or
accessories, you could change
the way the engine operates. Any
resulting damage would not be
(Continued)

Black plate (20,1)Cadillac SRX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
6081464) - 2014 - CRC - 10/4/13
9-20 Driving and Operating
Leaving the Vehicle with the
Engine Running
{Warning
It can be dangerous to leave the
vehicle with the engine running.
It could overheat and catch fire.
It is dangerous to get out of the
vehicle if the shift lever is not fully
in P (Park) with the parking brake
firmly set. The vehicle can roll.
Do not leave the vehicle when the
engine is running. If you have left
the engine running, the vehicle
can move suddenly. You or others
could be injured. To be sure the
vehicle will not move, even when
you are on fairly level ground,
always set the parking brake and
move the shift lever to P (Park).
SeeShifting Into Park on
page 9-19. If you are towing a
trailer, see Driving Characteristics
and Towing Tips on page 9-61. If you have to leave the vehicle with
the engine running, be sure the
vehicle is in P (Park) and the
parking brake is firmly set before
you leave it. After you have moved
the shift lever into P (Park), hold
down the regular brake pedal. See if
you can move the shift lever away
from P (Park) without first pulling it
toward you. If you can, it means that
the shift lever was not fully locked
into P (Park).
Torque Lock
Torque lock is when the weight of
the vehicle puts too much force on
the parking pawl in the
transmission. This happens when
parking on a hill and shifting the
transmission into P (Park) is not
done properly and then it is difficult
to shift out of P (Park). To prevent
torque lock, set the parking brake
and then shift into P (Park). To find
out how, see "Shifting Into P (Park)"
listed previously.
If torque lock does occur, your
vehicle may need to be pushed
uphill by another vehicle to relieve
the parking pawl pressure, so you
can shift out of P (Park).
If you are towing a trailer and
parking on a hill, see
Driving
Characteristics and Towing Tips on
page 9-61.
Shifting out of Park
This vehicle is equipped with an
automatic transmission shift lock
control system. The shift lock
control is designed to prevent
movement of the shift lever out of
P (Park), unless the ignition is in
ON/RUN and the brake pedal is
applied.
The shift lock control is always
functional except in the case of an
uncharged or low voltage (less than
9-volt) battery.

Black plate (22,1)Cadillac SRX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
6081464) - 2014 - CRC - 10/4/13
9-22 Driving and Operating
Warning (Continued)
.There are holes or openings
in the vehicle body from
damage or aftermarket
modifications that are not
completely sealed.
If unusual fumes are detected or
if it is suspected that exhaust is
coming into the vehicle:
.Drive it only with the windows
completely down.
.Have the vehicle repaired
immediately.
Never park the vehicle with the
engine running in an enclosed
area such as a garage or a
building that has no fresh air
ventilation.
Running the Vehicle
While Parked
It is better not to park with the
engine running.
If the vehicle is left with the engine
running, follow the proper steps to
be sure the vehicle will not move.
See Shifting Into Park on page 9-19
and Engine Exhaust on page 9-21.
If parking on a hill and pulling a
trailer, see Driving Characteristics
and Towing Tips on page 9-61.
Automatic
Transmission
There are several different positions
for the shift lever.
P (Park): This position locks the
front wheels. It is the best position
to use when you start the engine
because the vehicle cannot move
easily.

Black plate (23,1)Cadillac SRX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
6081464) - 2014 - CRC - 10/4/13
Driving and Operating 9-23
{Warning
It is dangerous to get out of the
vehicle if the shift lever is not fully
in P (Park) with the parking brake
firmly set. The vehicle can roll.
Do not leave the vehicle when the
engine is running. If you have left
the engine running, the vehicle
can move suddenly. You or others
could be injured. To be sure the
vehicle will not move, even when
you are on fairly level ground,
always set the parking brake and
move the shift lever to P (Park).
SeeShifting Into Park on
page 9-19 andDriving
Characteristics and Towing Tips
on page 9-61.
Make sure the shift lever is fully in
P (Park) before starting the engine.
The vehicle has an automatic
transmission shift lock control system. You must fully apply the
regular brakes first and then press
the shift lever button before you can
shift from P (Park) when the ignition
is in ON/RUN. If you cannot shift out
of P (Park), ease pressure on the
shift lever and push the shift lever
all the way into P (Park) as you
maintain brake application. Then
press the shift lever button and
move the shift lever into another
gear. See
Shifting out of Park on
page 9-20.
{Caution
Shifting to R (Reverse) while the
vehicle is moving forward could
damage the transmission. The
repairs would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Shift to
R (Reverse) only after the vehicle
is stopped.
R (Reverse): Use this gear to
back up. At low vehicle speeds, R (Reverse)
can be used to rock the vehicle
back and forth to get out of snow,
ice, or sand without damaging your
transmission. See
If the Vehicle Is
Stuck on page 9-9.
N (Neutral): In this position, the
engine does not connect with the
wheels. To restart when the vehicle
is already moving, use N (Neutral)
only. You can also use N (Neutral)
when the vehicle is being towed.
{Warning
Shifting into a drive gear while the
engine is running at high speed is
dangerous. Unless your foot is
firmly on the brake pedal, the
vehicle could move very rapidly.
You could lose control and hit
people or objects. Do not shift
into a drive gear while the engine
is running at high speed.

Black plate (24,1)Cadillac SRX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
6081464) - 2014 - CRC - 10/4/13
9-24 Driving and Operating
{Caution
Shifting out of P (Park) or
N (Neutral) with the engine
running at high speed may
damage the transmission. The
repairs would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Be sure the
engine is not running at high
speed when shifting the vehicle.
D (Drive): This position is for
normal driving. It provides the best
fuel economy. If you need more
power for passing, and you are:
.Going less than 35 mph
(55 km/h), push the accelerator
pedal about halfway down.
.Going about 35 mph (55 km/h)
or more, push the accelerator all
the way down.
The transmission will shift down
to a lower gear and have more
power. Downshifting the transmission in
slippery road conditions could result
in skidding. See
“Skidding”under
Loss of Control on page 9-5
{Caution
Spinning the tires or holding the
vehicle in one place on a hill
using only the accelerator pedal
may damage the transmission.
The repair will not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. If you are
stuck, do not spin the tires. When
stopping on a hill, use the brakes
to hold the vehicle in place.
Manual Mode
Driver Shift Control (DSC)
{Caution
Driving with the engine at a high
rpm without upshifting while using
Driver Shift Control (DSC), could
(Continued)
Caution (Continued)
damage the vehicle. Always
upshift when necessary while
using DSC.
DSC allows you to shift an
automatic transmission similar to a
manual transmission. To use the
DSC feature:
1. Move the shift lever to the left from D (Drive) to
M (Manual Mode).
If you do not move the shift lever
forward or rearward, the vehicle
will be in Sport Mode. When you
are in Sport Mode the vehicle
will still shift automatically. The
transmission may remain in a
gear longer than it would in the
normal driving mode based on
braking, throttle input, and
vehicle lateral acceleration.

Black plate (25,1)Cadillac SRX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
6081464) - 2014 - CRC - 10/4/13
Driving and Operating 9-25
SPORT MODE ON will be
displayed in the DIC. SeeRide
Control System Messages on
page 5-37. The word “sport”will
display below the odometer. The
gear position will also be
indicated in the tachometer.
Within Sport Mode there is a
further performance feature
called Performance Mode Lift
Foot (PMLF) Mode. The feature
is activated automatically when
sports oriented driving is
detected, based on cornering
and on/off throttle application.
PMLF allows the transmission to
hold the current gear instead of
upshifting when the throttle is
lifted.
2. To enter M (Manual Mode), press the shift lever forward to upshift
or rearward to downshift.
An M will be displayed in
the DIC. 3. To return to Sport Mode from
M (Manual Mode), press and
briefly hold the shift lever
forward.
Gear position is indicated in the
bottom right corner of the display
area in the instrument cluster. The
number indicates the requested
gear range when moving the shift
lever forward or rearward.
While using the DSC feature, the
vehicle will have firmer, quicker
shifting. You can use this for sport
driving or when climbing or
descending hills, to stay in gear
longer, or to downshift for more
power or engine braking.
The transmission will only allow you
to shift into gears appropriate for the
vehicle speed and engine
revolutions per minute (rpm). The
transmission will not automatically
shift to the next lower gear if the
engine rpm is too high, nor to the
next higher gear when the maximum
engine rpm is reached. If shifting is prevented for any
reason, the currently selected gear
will flash multiple times, indicating
that the transmission has not shifted
gears.
While in the DSC mode, the
transmission will automatically
downshift when the vehicle comes
to a stop. This will allow for more
power during take-off.
When accelerating the vehicle from
a stop in snowy and icy conditions,
you may want to shift into second
gear. A higher gear ratio allows you
to gain more traction on slippery
surfaces.
Fuel Economy Mode
Driving habits can affect fuel
mileage. For driving tips to get the
best fuel economy possible, see
Driving for Better Fuel Economy on
page 1-21.
The vehicle may have a fuel
economy mode. When engaged,
fuel economy mode can improve the
vehicle's fuel economy.