Cadillac ELR Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9087644) -
2016 - crc - 9/17/15
Introduction 3
{Danger
Danger indicates a hazard with a
high level of risk which will result
in serious injury or death.
{Warning
Warning indicates a hazard that
could result in injury or death.
Caution
Caution indicates a hazard that
could result in property or vehicle
damage.
A circle with a slash through it is a
safety symbol which means“Do
Not,” “Do not do this,” or“Do not let
this happen.”
Symbols
The vehicle has components and
labels that use symbols instead of
text. Symbols are shown along with
the text describing the operation or
information relating to a specific
component, control, message,
gauge, or indicator.
M: Shown when the owner
manual has additional instructions
or information.
*: Shown when the service
manual has additional instructions
or information.
0: Shown when there is more
information on another page —
“see page.”
Vehicle Symbol Chart
Here are some additional symbols
that may be found on the vehicle
and what they mean. For more
information on the symbol, refer to
the Index.
9: Airbag Readiness Light
#:Air Conditioning
!:Antilock Brake System (ABS)
i/g: Audio Steering Wheel
Controls or OnStar®
I: Brake System Warning
Light
": Charging System (12-Volt
Battery)
I: Cruise Control
`:Do Not Puncture
^:Do Not Service
f:Electric Parking Brake
d: Electronic Stability
Control (ESC)
B: Engine Coolant Temperature
O:Exterior Lamps
y:Fault
g: First Responder
_:Flame/Fire Prohibited
.:Fuel Gauge
+: Fuses
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Cadillac ELR Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9087644) -
2016 - crc - 9/17/15
Instruments and Controls 97
Instruments and
Controls
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . . 98
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . . 98
Heated Steering Wheel . . . . . . . . 98
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Pedestrian Safety Signal . . . . . . . 99
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . . 99
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Wireless Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, andIndicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Battery Gauge (High Voltage) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Driver Efficiency Gauge . . . . . . 109
Power Indicator Gauge . . . . . . . 109
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . 110 Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . . 111
Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Charging System Light (12-Volt Battery) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (Check Engine Light) . . . . . . . . 113
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Electric Parking Brake Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Service Electric Parking Brake Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Vehicle Ahead Indicator . . . . . . . 116
Traction Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
StabiliTrak®OFF Light . . . . . . . . 117
Traction Control System (TCS)/ StabiliTrak
®Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . . 119
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . 119
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Vehicle Ready Light . . . . . . . . . . 120
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . 120
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . 120 Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . . 120
Door Ajar Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Information Displays
Center Stack Display . . . . . . . . . 121
Power Flows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Programmable Charging . . . . . . 123
Energy Information . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Driver Information
Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Battery and ChargingMessages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Brake System Messages . . . . . 135
Compass Messages . . . . . . . . . . 136
Cruise Control Messages . . . . . 136
Door Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . . 137
Drive Mode Messages . . . . . . . . 137
Electric Drive Unit Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Engine Cooling System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Engine Oil Messages . . . . . . . . . 138
Fuel System Messages . . . . . . . 138
Key and Lock Messages . . . . . 139
Lamp Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Object Detection System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
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Cadillac ELR Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9087644) -
2016 - crc - 9/17/15
116 Instruments and Controls
Antilock Brake System
(ABS) Warning Light
This light comes on briefly when the
engine is started.
If the light does not come on, have it
fixed so it will be ready to warn if
there is a problem.
If the light comes on while driving,
stop as soon as it is safely possible
and turn off the vehicle. Then start
the engine again to reset the
system. If the ABS light stays on,
or comes on again while driving, the
vehicle needs service. A chime may
also sound when the light comes on
steady.
If the ABS light is the only light on,
the vehicle has regular brakes, but
the antilock brakes are not
functioning.If both the ABS and the brake
system warning light are on, the
vehicle's antilock brakes are not
functioning and there is a problem
with the regular brakes. See your
dealer for service.
See
Brake System Warning Light
0 114 and Brake System
Messages 0135.Lane Departure Warning
(LDW) Light
This light is green if LDW is on and
ready to operate.
This light changes to amber and
flashes to indicate that the lane
marking has been crossed without
using a turn signal in that direction.
See Lane Departure Warning
(LDW) 0220.
Vehicle Ahead Indicator
This indicator will display green
when a vehicle is detected ahead
and amber when you are following a
vehicle ahead much too closely.
See Forward Collision Alert (FCA)
System 0214.
Traction Off Light
This light comes on briefly while
starting the engine. If it does not,
have the vehicle serviced by your
dealer. If the system is working
normally, the indicator light then
turns off. For vehicles with a
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Cadillac ELR Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9087644) -
2016 - crc - 9/17/15
172 Driving and Operating
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 176
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 177
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 179
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 182
Power Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Starting and Stopping theVehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Electric Vehicle Operating
Modes
System Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Electric Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Extended Range Mode . . . . . . . 187
Driver Selected OperatingModes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Out of Fuel/Engine Unavailable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Maintenance Modes . . . . . . . . . . 190
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Electric Drive Unit
Electric Drive Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . 195
Regenerative Braking . . . . . . . . 197
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Driver Mode Control . . . . . . . . . . 200
Competitive Driving Mode . . . . 201
Continuous Damping Control (CDC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Adaptive Cruise Control . . . . . . 204
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . 211
Assistance Systems for
Parking or Backing . . . . . . . . . . 212
Assistance Systems for Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Front Automatic Braking (FAB) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . 218
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Charging
Plug-In Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Delayed Charging Override . . . 223
Charging Status Feedback . . . 223
Charge Cord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Utility Interruption ofCharging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Electrical Requirements for Battery Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
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Cadillac ELR Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9087644) -
2016 - crc - 9/17/15
Driving and Operating 175
Steering
Electric Power Steering
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 underService Vehicle
Messages 0142. See your dealer if
there is a problem.
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.
. The 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 and then, 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.
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Cadillac ELR Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9087644) -
2016 - crc - 9/17/15
178 Driving and Operating
freezing rain begins to fall. Avoid
driving on wet ice or in freezing rain
until roads can be treated.
For slippery road driving:
.Accelerate gently. Accelerating
too quickly causes the wheels to
spin and makes the surface
under the tires slick.
. Turn on Traction Control. See
Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control 0198.
. Antilock Brake System (ABS)
improves vehicle stability during
hard stops, but apply the brakes
sooner than when on dry
pavement. See Antilock Brake
System (ABS) 0195.
. Allow greater following distance
and watch for slippery spots. Icy
patches can occur on otherwise
clear roads in shaded areas.
The surface of a curve or an
overpass can remain icy when
the surrounding roads are clear.
Avoid sudden steering
maneuvers and braking while
on ice.
. Turn off cruise control.Blizzard Conditions
Stay with the vehicle unless there is
help nearby. If possible, use
Roadside Assistance. See Roadside
Service 0336. To get help and keep
everyone in the vehicle safe:
. Turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
. Tie a red cloth to an outside
mirror.
{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 snow:
. Clear snow from the base of
the vehicle, especially any
blocking the exhaust pipe.
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
.Open a window about 5 cm
(2 in) on the vehicle side
that is away from the wind,
to bring in fresh air.
. Fully open the air outlets on
or under the instrument
panel.
. Adjust the climate control
system to circulate the air
inside the vehicle and set
the fan speed to the highest
setting. See “Climate
Control Systems.”
For more information about CO,
see Engine Exhaust 0192.
To save fuel, run the engine for
short periods to warm the vehicle
and then shut the engine off and
partially close the window. Moving
about to keep warm also helps.
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Cadillac ELR Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9087644) -
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Driving and Operating 195
Brakes
Antilock Brake
System (ABS)
This vehicle has ABS, an advanced
electronic braking system that helps
prevent a braking skid.
When propulsion is active and the
vehicle begins to drive away, ABS
checks itself. A momentary motor or
clicking noise might be heard while
this test is going on, and it might
even be noticed that the brake
pedal moves a little. This is normal.
If there is a problem with ABS, this
warning light stays on. SeeAntilock
Brake System (ABS) Warning
Light 0116.
If driving safely on a wet road and it
becomes necessary to slam on the
brakes and continue braking to avoid a sudden obstacle, a
computer senses that the wheels
are slowing down. If one of the
wheels is about to stop rolling, the
computer will separately work the
brakes at each wheel.
ABS can change the brake pressure
to each wheel, as required, faster
than any driver could. This can help
the driver steer around the obstacle
while braking hard.
As the brakes are applied, the
computer keeps receiving updates
on wheel speed and controls
braking pressure accordingly.
Remember: ABS does not change
the time needed to get a foot up to
the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too
close to the vehicle in front of you,
there will not be enough time to
apply the brakes if that vehicle
suddenly slows or stops. Always
leave enough room up ahead to
stop, even with ABS.
Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold
the brake pedal down firmly and let
ABS work. You might hear the ABS
pump or motor operating and feel
the brake pedal pulsate, but this is
normal.
Braking in Emergencies
ABS allows the driver to steer and
brake at the same time. In many
emergencies, steering can help
more than even the very best
braking.
Electric Parking Brake
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Cadillac ELR Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9087644) -
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Driving and Operating 201
When selected, the Mountain Mode
indicator will display in the DIC.
This feature is intended to maintain
a reserve electrical charge of the
high voltage battery to provide
better grade climbing performance.
While driving in Mountain Mode, the
vehicle will have less responsive
acceleration.
Hold Mode
The Hold Mode is only available
when the vehicle is in the Electric
Mode. Use when wanting to change
to Extended Range Mode to
maintain the battery charge reserve.
SeeExtended Range Mode 0187.
When selected, the Hold Mode
indicator will display in the DIC.
This feature is intended to place the
remaining battery charge into a
reserve for the driver to use as
desired. Hold Mode will not change
normal vehicle acceleration or
braking performance.
Competitive Driving Mode
If equipped, the Competitive Driving
Mode is selected by pressing the
TCS/StabiliTrak
®buttonYon the
center console twice within
five seconds while in Sport Mode.
The StabiliTrak OFF light
gwill
come on in the instrument cluster
and a pop-up will appear in the DIC
indicating that Competitive Driving
Mode has been entered.
The Competitive Driving Mode
allows the driver to have control of
the power applied to the wheels,
while the StabiliTrak system helps
steer the vehicle by selective brake
application.
In the Competitive Driving Mode, the
levels at which StabiliTrak is
engaged have been modified to
better suit a performance driving
environment. When the StabiliTrak
OFF light
gis on, TCS will not be
operating. Driving should be
adjusted accordingly. Do not use
Competitive Driving Mode on slippery surfaces such as snow,
mud, ice, etc. See
Traction Control/
Electronic Stability Control 0198.
When the TCS/StabiliTrak button
Y
is pressed again, TCS will be turned
back on and the StabiliTrak OFF
light
gin the instrument cluster will
turn off.
Continuous Damping
Control (CDC)
The CDC feature provides superior
vehicle ride and handling under a
variety of passenger and loading
conditions.
The system is fully automatic and
uses a computer controller to
continuously monitor vehicle speed,
wheel to body position, lift/dive, and
steering position of the vehicle. The
controller then sends signals to
each shock absorber to
independently adjust the damping
level to provide the optimum
vehicle ride.
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