2015 CADILLAC XTS SEDAN steering

Black plate (5,1)Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-7707485) -
2015 - CRC - 10/31/14
Lighting 6-5
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
O
or;to disable this feature.
Adaptive Forward
Lighting (AFL)
For vehicles with uplevel
headlamps, the AFL system adjusts
the headlamps to provide greater
road illumination in various driving
conditions.To enable AFL, set the exterior lamp
control to the AUTO position.
Moving the control 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.
Curve Lighting
The light beam pivots based on the
steering wheel position and vehicle
speed of at least 10 km/h (6 mph).
The headlamps shine at an angle of
up to 15 degrees to the right or left
of the direction of travel.
Hazard Warning Flashers
|(Hazard Warning Flashers):
Press this button on the center
stack to make the front and rear turn
signal lamps flash on and off. Press
again to turn the flashers off.
The hazard warning flashers turn on
automatically if the airbags deploy.

Black plate (6,1)Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-7707485) -
2015 - CRC - 10/31/14
6-6 Lighting
Turn and Lane-Change
Signals
Move the lever all the way up or
down to signal a turn.
An arrow on the instrument cluster
flashes in the direction of the turn or
lane change.Raise or lower the lever until the
arrow starts to flash to signal a lane
change. Hold it there until the lane
change is completed. If the lever is
briefly pressed and released, the
turn signal flashes three times.
The turn and lane-change signal
can be turned off manually by
moving the lever back to its original
position.
If after signaling a turn or lane
change, the arrow flashes rapidly or
does not come on, a signal bulb
may be burned out.
Replace any burned out bulbs. If a
bulb is not burned out, check the
fuse. See
Fuses and Circuit
Breakers on page 10-30.
Interior Lighting
Instrument Panel
Illumination Control
The brightness of the instrument
panel lighting and steering wheel
controls can be adjusted.
D(Instrument Panel
Illumination): Move the
thumbwheel up or down to brighten
or dim the lights.

Black plate (1,1)Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-7707485) -
2015 - CRC - 10/31/14
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
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 . . . . . . . . 9-15
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-15
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . 9-17
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-18
Retained AccessoryPower (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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . 9-27
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . 9-29
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-29
Magnetic Ride Control . . . . . . . 9-31
Limited-Slip Rear Axle . . . . . . . 9-31
Automatic Level Control . . . . . 9-32
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Adaptive Cruise Control . . . . . 9-35
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-43
Assistance Systems for Parking or Backing . . . . . . . . . 9-44
Assistance Systems for Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-50
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-50
Active Emergency Braking System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-52
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-54
Lane Departure
Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-56
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . 9-57
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-59
California Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-60
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 9-61

Black plate (3,1)Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-7707485) -
2015 - CRC - 10/31/14
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 CUE manual for more
information on using the CUE
system, if equipped.
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 3-16.
.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.
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.
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.

Black plate (4,1)Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-7707485) -
2015 - CRC - 10/31/14
9-4 Driving and Operating
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
Electric Power Steering
If the vehicle has electric power
steering it does not have power
steering fluid. Regular maintenance
is not required.
If power steering assist is lost due
to a system malfunction, the vehicle
can be steered, but may require
increased effort.
See your dealer if there is a
problem.If the steering wheel is turned until it
reaches the end of its travel and is
held against that position for an
extended period of time, power
steering assist may be reduced.
If the steering assist is used for an
extended period of time, power
assist may be reduced.
Normal use of the power steering
assist should return when the
system cools down.
See specific vehicle steering
messages under
Vehicle Messages
on page 5-35.Variable Effort Steering
Some vehicles have a steering
system that varies the amount of
effort required to steer the vehicle in
relation to the speed of the vehicle.
The amount of steering effort
required is less at slower speeds to
make the vehicle more
maneuverable and easier to park. At
faster speeds, the steering effort increases to provide a sport-like feel
to the steering. This provides
maximum control and stability.
If the vehicle seems harder to steer
than normal when parking or driving
slowly, there may be a problem with
the system. You will still have power
steering, but steering will be stiffer
than normal at slow speeds. See
your dealer for service.
Hydraulic Power Steering
If the vehicle has hydraulic power
steering, it may require
maintenance. See
Power Steering
Fluid (LF3 and LFX with AWD) on
page 10-21 orPower Steering Fluid
(LFX with FWD) on page 10-21.
If power steering assist is lost
because the engine stops or a
system malfunction, the vehicle can
be steered but may require
increased effort. See your dealer if
there is a problem.

Black plate (5,1)Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-7707485) -
2015 - CRC - 10/31/14
Driving and Operating 9-5
{Caution
If the steering wheel is turned
until it reaches the end of its
travel, and is held in that position
for more than 15 seconds,
damage may occur to the power
steering system and there may be
loss of power steering assist.
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 andthen, if there is nothing in the
way, steer the vehicle so that it
straddles the edge of the
pavement.
2. Turn the steering wheel about one-eighth of a turn, until the
right front tire contacts the
pavement edge.
3. Turn the steering wheel to go straight down the roadway.
Loss of Control
Skidding
There are three types of skids that
correspond to the vehicle's three
control systems:
.Braking Skid —wheels are not
rolling.

Black plate (6,1)Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-7707485) -
2015 - CRC - 10/31/14
9-6 Driving and Operating
.Steering or Cornering Skid—
too much speed or steering in a
curve causes tires to slip and
lose cornering force.
.Acceleration Skid —too much
throttle causes the driving
wheels to spin.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids
by taking reasonable care suited to
existing conditions, and by not
overdriving those conditions. But
skids are always possible.
If the vehicle starts to slide, follow
these suggestions:
.Ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and steer the
way you want the vehicle to go.
The vehicle may straighten out.
Be ready for a second skid if it
occurs.
.Slow down and adjust your
driving according to weather
conditions. Stopping distance
can be longer and vehicle
control can be affected when
traction is reduced by water,
snow, ice, gravel, or other material on the road. Learn to
recognize warning clues
—such
as enough water, ice, or packed
snow on the road to make a
mirrored surface —and slow
down when you have any doubt.
.Try to avoid sudden steering,
acceleration, or braking,
including reducing vehicle speed
by shifting to a lower gear. Any
sudden changes could cause
the tires to slide.
Remember: Antilock brakes help
avoid only the braking skid.
Driving on Wet Roads
Rain and wet roads can reduce
vehicle traction and affect your
ability to stop and accelerate.
Always drive slower in these types
of driving conditions and avoid
driving through large puddles and
deep‐standing or flowing water.
{Warning
Wet brakes can cause crashes.
They might not work as well in a
quick stop and could cause
pulling to one side. You could
lose control of the vehicle.
After driving through a large
puddle of water or a car/vehicle
wash, lightly apply the brake
pedal until the brakes work
normally.
Flowing or rushing water creates
strong forces. Driving through
flowing water could cause the
vehicle to be carried away. If this
happens, you and other vehicle
occupants could drown. Do not
ignore police warnings and be
very cautious about trying to drive
through flowing water.

Black plate (7,1)Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-7707485) -
2015 - CRC - 10/31/14
Driving and Operating 9-7
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. Water
can build up under the vehicle's
tires so they actually ride on the
water. This can happen if the road is
wet enough and you are going fast
enough. When the vehicle is
hydroplaning, it has little or no
contact with the road.
There is no hard and fast rule about
hydroplaning. The best advice is to
slow down when the road is wet.
Other Rainy Weather Tips
Besides slowing down, other wet
weather driving tips include:
.Allow extra following distance.
.Pass with caution.
.Keep windshield wiping
equipment in good shape.
.Keep the windshield washer fluid
reservoir filled.
.Have good tires with proper
tread depth. SeeTires on
page 10-38.
.Turn off cruise control.
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
Using the brakes to slow the
vehicle on a long downhill slope
can cause brake overheating, can
reduce brake performance, and
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
could result in a loss of braking.
Shift the transmission to a lower
gear 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. This can cause
overheating of the brakes and
loss of steering. Always have the
engine running and the vehicle
in gear.
.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).