Cadillac ATS/ATS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-10287885) -
2017 - crc - 6/16/16
INSTRUMENTS AND CONTROLS 135
SERVICE AUTOMATIC SEATBELT
TIGHTENING SYSTEM
If this message displays, take the
vehicle to your dealer to repair the
Automatic Safety Belt Tightening
System, if equipped.
Security Messages
THEFT ATTEMPTED
This message displays if the vehicle
detects a tamper condition.
Service Vehicle Messages
SERVICE AC SYSTEM
This message displays if there is a
problem with the air conditioning
system. Take the vehicle to your
dealer for service.
SERVICE POWER STEERING
This message displays and a chime
may sound when there may be a
problem with the power steering
system. If this message displays and a
reduction in steering performance or
loss of power steering assistance is
noticed, see your dealer.
SERVICE STEERING
COLUMN LOCK
This message displays if there is a
problem with the steering column
lock. Take the vehicle to your dealer
for service.
SERVICE VEHICLE SOON
This message displays if there is a
problem with the vehicle. Take the
vehicle to your dealer for service.
Starting the Vehicle
Messages
PRESS BRAKE TO START
This message is displayed when
attempting to start the vehicle
without first pressing the brake pedal.
SERVICE KEYLESS START
SYSTEM
This message is displayed if there is a
problem with the pushbutton start
system. Take the vehicle to your
dealer for service.
TURN STEERING WHEEL START
VEHICLE AGAIN
This message may display when you
try to start the vehicle, but the
column remains locked. Try turning
the steering wheel while starting the
vehicle to unlock the steering column.
If the vehicle still does not start, turn
the steering wheel the other way, and
try starting the vehicle again.
Tire Messages
SERVICE TIRE MONITOR SYSTEM
This message displays if there is a
problem with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS). SeeTire
Pressure Monitor Operation 0275.
TIRE LEARNING ACTIVE
This message displays when the
system is learning new tires. See Tire
Pressure Monitor Operation 0275.
TIRE PRESSURE LOW ADD AIR
TO TIRE
This message displays when the
pressure in one or more of the tires
is low.
Cadillac ATS/ATS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-10287885) -
2017 - crc - 6/16/16
170 DRIVING AND OPERATING
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Track Events and CompetitiveDriving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . 178
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Composite Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189 Parking over Things
That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . . . 191
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Brakes
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . . 195
Parking Brake (Manual) . . . . . . . . . . 195
Parking Brake (Electric) . . . . . . . . . . 196
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/ElectronicStability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Driver Mode Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Competitive Driving Mode (FE4 Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Limited-Slip Rear Axle (Except V-Series) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Limited-Slip Rear Axle (V-Series Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Adaptive Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . 207
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . . . . . 214
Assistance Systems for Parkingor Backing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Assistance Systems for Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Forward Automatic Braking (FAB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . 222
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . . . . 222
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . . . . . 224
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Trailer Towing
General Towing Information . . . . 230
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . 230
Cadillac ATS/ATS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-10287885) -
2017 - crc - 6/16/16
172 DRIVING AND OPERATING
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.
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
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.
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 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 0127.
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.
Cadillac ATS/ATS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-10287885) -
2017 - crc - 6/16/16
DRIVING AND OPERATING 185
{Warning
Rocker extensions may break under
pressure, resulting in property
damage or injury. Do not stand on
the rocker extension or use it as
a step.
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.The Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter must be in the vehicle for
the system to operate. If the
pushbutton start is not working, the
vehicle may be near a strong radio
antenna signal causing interference to
the keyless access system. See
Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) System
Operation 028.
To shift out of P (Park), the vehicle
must be in ON/RUN and the brake
pedal must be applied.
Stopping the Engine/OFF (No
Indicator Lights) : When the vehicle
is stopped, press ENGINE START/
STOP 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) 0188.
If the vehicle is not in P (Park), the
ignition will return to ACC/
ACCESSORY and display a message in
the Driver Information Center (DIC).
See Transmission Messages 0136.
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 (Manual) 0195 or
Parking Brake (Electric) 0196.
Cadillac ATS/ATS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-10287885) -
2017 - crc - 6/16/16
186 DRIVING AND OPERATING
{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 ENGINE START/STOP
for longer than two seconds, or press
twice within 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 five minutes
to prevent battery rundown. 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
Engine 0186. 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 Engine
Move the shift lever to P (Park) or
N (Neutral). To restart the vehicle
when it is already moving, use
N (Neutral) only.
Caution
If you add electrical parts or
accessories, you could change the
way the engine operates. Any
resulting damage would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty. See
Add-On Electrical Equipment 0230.
Caution
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.
Cadillac ATS/ATS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-10287885) -
2017 - crc - 6/16/16
DRIVING AND OPERATING 193
D :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 55 km/h (35 mph),
push the accelerator pedal about
halfway down.
. Going about 55 km/h (35 mph) 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”underLoss
of Control 0173.
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,
(Continued)
Caution (Continued)
do not spin the tires. When
stopping on a hill, use the brakes to
hold the vehicle in place.
While in Sport Mode, the vehicle
monitors driving behavior, and
automatically enables Performance
Shift Features when spirited driving is
detected. These features maintain
lower transmission gears to increase
available engine braking and improve
acceleration response. The vehicle will
exit these features and return to
normal operation after a short period
when no spirited driving is detected.
See Driver Mode Control 0199.
Manual Mode
Driver Shift Control (DSC)
Caution
Driving with the engine at a high
rpm without upshifting while using
Driver Shift Control (DSC), could
damage the vehicle. Always upshift
when necessary while using DSC.
Vehicles with DSC may either use the
shift lever or the tap shift controls on
the back of the steering wheel (if
equipped) to manually shift the
automatic transmission.
Cadillac ATS/ATS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-10287885) -
2017 - crc - 6/16/16
194 DRIVING AND OPERATING
To use DSC using the shift lever:1. Move the shift lever to the left from D (Drive) to M (Manual
Mode). The transmission will be
in Manual Mode and will hold
the current gear.
2. Move the shift lever forward to upshift or rearward to downshift.
3. To cancel DSC, move the shift lever back to D (Drive).
Tap Shift
If equipped, the tap shift controls are
on the back of the steering wheel. To use DSC using the tap shift
controls:
1. Move the shift lever to the left from D (Drive) to M (Manual
Mode). The transmission will be
in Manual Mode and will hold
the current gear.
2. Pull the control toward you to shift. Pull the left control to
(−) downshift, and the right
control to (+) upshift.
3. To cancel DSC, move the shift lever back to D (Drive).
Tap Shift Mode can also be used
temporarily while driving in D (Drive).
Pull either the (+) upshift or
(−) downshift control.
To cancel Tap Shift Mode, hold
the (+) upshift control for two seconds.
If no action is taken, the vehicle
returns to automatic shifting after a
brief period of driving at a steady
speed, or when the vehicle comes to
a stop.
While using the DSC feature, the
vehicle will have firmer, quicker
shifting. This can be used for sport driving, climbing or descending hills,
staying in gear longer, downshifting
for more power, or engine braking.
The transmission will only allow
shifting into gears appropriate for the
vehicle speed and engine revolutions
per minute (rpm). The transmission
will not automatically shift to the next
lower or higher gear if the engine rpm
is too high or too low.
If shifting is prevented for any reason,
a DIC message will appear. See
Transmission Messages
0136.
When accelerating the vehicle from a
stop in snowy and icy conditions, it is
suggested to shift into second gear.
A higher gear allows the vehicle to
gain more traction on slippery
surfaces. See Driver Mode
Control 0199.
Cadillac ATS/ATS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-10287885) -
2017 - crc - 6/16/16
200 DRIVING AND OPERATING
selected, the suspension, steering, and
powertrain will change calibrations to
achieve the desired mode
characteristics. If the vehicle is
equipped with Magnetic Ride Control,
selecting the various Driver Modes
adjusts the ride of the vehicle to
enhance the ride performance for the
road conditions and the
selected mode.
The Driver Mode Control has three or
four modes: Tour, Sport, Snow/Ice,
and Track (V-Series Only). Press and
release the MODE button (ATS) or
press the
yorzbutton (ATS-V) on
the center console to activate the
mode menu in the cluster. The first
press of the button will show the
current mode. Subsequent presses will
scroll though the available modes. The
Tour and Sport modes will feel similar
on a smooth road. Select a new
setting whenever driving conditions
change.
Tour Mode
Use for normal city and highway
driving to provide a smooth, soft ride.
Sport Mode
Use where road conditions or personal
preference demand a more controlled
response.
When selected, the Sport mode
indicator will display in the Driver
Information Center (DIC).
When in Sport or Track mode, the
vehicle will shift automatically but
may hold a lower gear longer than it
would in the normal driving mode
based on braking, throttle input, and
vehicle lateral acceleration. See
Automatic Transmission 0191. The
steering will change to provide more
precise control. If the vehicle has
Magnetic Ride Control, the suspension
will change to provide better
cornering performance.
Competitive Driving Mode can be
accessed through this mode.
Snow/Ice Mode
Use when more traction is needed
during slippery conditions. The
transmission will use 2 (Second) gear
instead of 1 (First) gear when accelerating from a stop. The vehicle
will upshift normally when the vehicle
is moving.
For V-Series only, Snow/Ice mode will
use a different accelerator pedal map
to optimize traction on a slippery
surface. The accelerator pedal will
reduce engine torque at small pedal
inputs. The transmission will also
shift differently to assist in
maintaining traction.
When selected, the Snow/Ice mode
indicator will display in the DIC.
This feature is not intended for use
when the vehicle is stuck in sand,
mud, ice, snow, or gravel. If the
vehicle becomes stuck, see
If the
Vehicle Is Stuck 0180.
Track Mode (V-Series Only)
Use when maximum vehicle handling
is desired. When selected, the Track
Mode indicator will display in the DIC.
Accelerator pedal is adjusted to give
maximum control during the highest
level of spirited driving.