
Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-10293089) -
2017 - crc - 6/22/16
INSTRUMENTS AND CONTROLS 125
The vehicle may not pass
inspection if:
.The light is on when the engine is
running.
. The light does not come on when
the ignition is in Service
Only Mode.
. Critical emission control systems
have not been completely
diagnosed. If this happens, the
vehicle would not be ready for
inspection and might require
several days of routine driving
before the system is ready for
inspection. This can happen if the
12-volt battery has recently been
replaced or run down, or if the
vehicle has been recently serviced.
See your dealer if the vehicle will not
pass or cannot be made ready for
the test.
Brake System Warning
Light
The vehicle brake system consists of
two hydraulic circuits. If one circuit is
not working, the remaining circuit can still work to stop the vehicle. For
normal braking performance, both
circuits need to be working.
If the warning light comes on, there is
a problem with the braking system.
Have the brake system inspected
right away.
This light should come on briefly
when the engine is started. If it does
not come on then, have it fixed so it
will be ready to warn you if there is a
problem.
If the light comes on and stays on,
there is a base brake problem.
{Warning
The brake system might not be
working properly if the brake
system warning light is on. Driving
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
with the brake system warning light
on can lead to a crash. If the light is
still on after the vehicle has been
pulled off the road and carefully
stopped, have the vehicle towed for
service.
Parking Brake Light
The parking brake status light comes
on when the parking brake is applied.
If the light continues flashing after
the parking brake is released, or while
driving, there is a problem with the
electric parking brake system or
another system. A message may also
display in the Driver Information
Center (DIC). SeeBrake System
Messages 0138.

Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-10293089) -
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134 INSTRUMENTS AND CONTROLS
Best Fuel Economy :Displays average
fuel economy, the best fuel economy
over the selected distance, and a bar
graph showing instantaneous fuel
economy.
Performance Timer (CTS-V Only) :
Shows the last performance time
recorded. Press and hold SEL while
viewing the performance timer to
reset and stop the timer. Press SEL to
enter the performance timer menu. In
the menu, set the start speed, set the
end speed, and reset the timer.
Cruise Set Speed : Shows the speed
the cruise control or Adaptive Cruise
Control (ACC, if equipped) is set to.
Following Distance Indicator : When
Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) is not
engaged, the current follow time to
the vehicle ahead is displayed as a
time value on this page. When ACC
has been engaged, the display
switches to the gap setting page. This
page shows the current gap setting
along with the vehicle ahead telltale.
Gap Setting : When ACC has been
engaged, this page shows the current
gap setting along with the vehicle
ahead telltale. Battery Voltage :
Shows the current
battery voltage.
Engine Boost : Shows the current
amount of boost being added.
Oil Life : Shows an estimate of the
oil's remaining useful life.
If REMAINING OIL LIFE 99% is
displayed, that means 99% of the
current oil life remains.
When the remaining oil life is low, the
CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON message
will appear on the display. See Engine
Oil Messages 0140. The oil should be
changed as soon as possible. See
Engine Oil 0257. In addition to the
engine oil life system monitoring the
oil life, additional maintenance is
recommended in the Maintenance
Schedule. See Maintenance
Schedule 0324.
The Oil Life display must be reset
after each oil change. It will not reset
itself. Do not to reset the Oil Life
display accidentally at any time other
than when the oil has just been
changed. It cannot be reset accurately
until the next oil change. To reset the
engine oil life system, press and hold SEL for several seconds while the Oil
Life display is active. See
Engine Oil
Life System 0259.
Tire Pressure : Shows the
approximate pressures of all four tires.
Tire pressure is displayed in either
kilopascal (kPa) or in pounds per
square inch (psi). If the pressure is
low, the value for that tire is shown in
amber. See Tire Pressure Monitor
System 0292 and Tire Pressure
Monitor Operation 0293.
Vehicle Odometer (Base Cluster) :
Shows the odometer.
Blank Page : The Blank Page display
allows for no information to be
displayed in the DIC display zone(s).

Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-10293089) -
2017 - crc - 6/22/16
138 INSTRUMENTS AND CONTROLS
Vehicle Messages
Messages displayed on the DIC
indicate the status of the vehicle or
some action that may be needed to
correct a condition. Multiple messages
may display one after the other.
The messages that do not require
immediate action can be
acknowledged and cleared by pressing
SEL. The messages that require
immediate action cannot be cleared
until that action is performed. All
messages should be taken seriously
and clearing the messages does not
correct the problem.
The following are some of the vehicle
messages that may be displayed
depending on the vehicle content.
Battery Voltage and
Charging Messages
BATTERY SAVER ACTIVE
This message displays when the
vehicle has detected that the battery
voltage is dropping beyond a
reasonable point. The battery saver
system starts reducing features of thevehicle that may be noticed. At the
point that features are disabled, this
message displays. Turn off
unnecessary accessories to allow the
battery to recharge.
LOW BATTERY
This message is displayed when the
battery voltage is low. See
Battery
0271.
SERVICE BATTERY CHARGING
SYSTEM
This message is displayed when there
is a fault in the battery charging
system. Take the vehicle to your
dealer for service.
TRANSPORT MODE ON
This message is displayed when the
vehicle is in transport mode. Some
features can be disabled while in this
mode, including Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE), remote start, and the
vehicle alarm system. Take the vehicle
to your dealer for service to turn
transport mode off.
Brake System Messages
BRAKE FLUID LOW
This message displays when the brake
fluid level is low. See Brake
Fluid 0270.
RELEASE PARKING BRAKE
This message displays if the Electric
Parking Brake is on while the vehicle
is in motion. Release it before
attempting to drive. See Electric
Parking Brake 0207.
SERVICE BRAKE ASSIST
This message displays when there is a
problem with the brake boost system.
When this message displays, the brake
pedal may be harder to push and the
stopping distance may be longer. See
your dealer for service.
SERVICE PARKING BRAKE
This message displays when there is a
problem with the Electric Parking
Brake. See your dealer for service.

Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-10293089) -
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INSTRUMENTS AND CONTROLS 141
may be reduced the next time the
vehicle is driven. The vehicle may be
driven at a reduced speed while this
message is on, but maximum
acceleration and speed may be
reduced. Anytime this message stays
on, or displays repeatedly, the vehicle
should be taken to your dealer for
service as soon as possible.
Fuel System Messages
FUEL LEVEL LOW
This message displays when the
vehicle is low on fuel. Refuel as soon
as possible.
Key and Lock Messages
NO REMOTE KEY WAS DETECTED
PLACE KEY IN TRANSMITTER
POCKET THEN START YOUR
VEHICLE
This message displays when trying to
start the vehicle if an RKE transmitter
is not detected. The transmitter
battery may be weak. See“Starting the
Vehicle with a Low Transmitter
Battery” underRemote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System Operation 029.
NO REMOTE DETECTED
This message displays when the
transmitter battery may be weak. See
“Starting the Vehicle with a Low
Transmitter Battery” underRemote
Keyless Entry (RKE) System
Operation 029.
NO REMOTE DETECTED PRESS
BRAKE TO RESTART
This message displays when
attempting to turn off the vehicle and
the RKE transmitter is no longer
detected. Restarting is allowed
without the RKE transmitter for
five minutes. Press the brake pedal
and ENGINE START/STOP to restart
the vehicle.
NUMBER OF KEYS PROGRAMMED
This message displays when
programming new keys to the vehicle.
REMOTE LEFT IN VEHICLE
This message displays when leaving
the vehicle with the RKE transmitter
still inside.
REPLACE BATTERY IN
REMOTE KEY
This message displays when the
battery in the RKE transmitter needs
to be replaced.
Lamp Messages
AFL (ADAPTIVE FORWARD
LIGHTING) LAMPS NEED SERVICE
This message displays when the AFL
system is disabled and needs service.
See your dealer. See Adaptive Forward
Lighting (AFL) 0160.
AUTOMATIC LIGHT CONTROL
ON/OFF
This message is displayed when the
exterior lamp control is in AUTO and
the lights have turned on or off. See
Automatic Headlamp System 0160.
XXX TURN INDICATOR FAILURE
When one of the turn signals is out,
this message displays to show which
bulb needs to be replaced. See Bulb
Replacement 0275 and Replacement
Bulbs 0277.

Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-10293089) -
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LIGHTING 157
Lighting
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . . 157
Exterior Lamps Off Reminder . . . 159
Headlamp High/Low-BeamChanger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Automatic Headlamp System . . . 160
Adaptive Forward Lighting (AFL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . . . . 161
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Interior Lighting
Instrument Panel IlluminationControl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Courtesy Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Lighting Features
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Battery Load Management . . . . . . 163
Battery Power Protection . . . . . . . . 164
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls
Turn the control to the following
positions:
O:Turns off the exterior lamps. The
knob returns to the AUTO position
after it is released. Turn to
Oagain to
reactivate the AUTO mode.
AUTO : Automatically turns the
exterior lamps on and off, depending
on outside lighting.
;: Turns on the parking lamps
including all lamps, except the
headlamps.
2: Turns on the headlamps together
with the parking lamps and
instrument panel lights.

Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-10293089) -
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LIGHTING 163
Press the lamp lenses over the rear
passenger doors.
Lighting Features
Entry Lighting
The headlamps, taillamps, license
plate lamps, dome lamps, and most of
the interior lights turn on briefly at
night when
Kis pressed on the
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter. See Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System Operation 029. After
about 30 seconds the exterior lamps
turn off, then the dome and remaining
interior lamps dim to off. Entry
lighting can be disabled manually by
changing the ignition out of the OFF
position, or by pressing
Qon the RKE
transmitter.
This feature can be turned on or off.
See “Vehicle Locator Lights” under
Vehicle Personalization 0149.
Exit Lighting
Some exterior lamps and interior
lights come on at night, or in areas
with limited lighting, when the driver
door is opened after the ignition is
turned off. The dome lamp comes on
after the ignition is changed to the OFF position. The exterior lamps and
dome lamp remain on for a set
amount of time, then automatically
turn off.
The exterior lamps turn off
immediately by turning the exterior
lamp control off.
This feature can be changed. See
Vehicle Personalization
0149.
Battery Load Management
The vehicle has Electric Power
Management (EPM), which estimates
the battery's temperature and state of
charge. It then adjusts the voltage for
best performance and extended life of
the battery.
When the battery's state of charge is
low, the voltage is raised slightly to
quickly bring the charge back up.
When the state of charge is high, the
voltage is lowered slightly to prevent
overcharging. If the vehicle has a
voltmeter gauge or a voltage display
on the Driver Information Center
(DIC), you may see the voltage move
up or down. This is normal. If there is
a problem, an alert will be displayed.

Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-10293089) -
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164 LIGHTING
The battery can be discharged at idle
if the electrical loads are very high.
This is true for all vehicles. This is
because the generator (alternator)
may not be spinning fast enough at
idle to produce all the power that is
needed for very high electrical loads.
A high electrical load occurs when
several of the following are on, such
as: headlamps, high beams, fog lamps,
rear window defogger, climate control
fan at high speed, heated seats, engine
cooling fans, and loads plugged into
accessory power outlets.
EPM works to prevent excessive
discharge of the battery. It does this
by balancing the generator's output
and the vehicle's electrical needs.
It can increase engine idle speed to
generate more power, whenever
needed. It can temporarily reduce the
power demands of some accessories.
Normally, these actions occur in steps
or levels, without being noticeable. In
rare cases at the highest levels of
corrective action, this action may be
noticeable to the driver. If so, a DIC
message might be displayed. If a
battery message is displayed, it isrecommended that the driver reduce
the electrical loads as much as
possible. See
Driver Information Center
(DIC) 0132.
Battery Power Protection
The battery saver feature is designed
to protect the vehicle's battery.
If some interior lamps are left on and
the ignition is turned off, the battery
rundown protection system
automatically turns the lamp off after
some time.
Exterior Lighting Battery
Saver
The exterior lamps turn off about
10 minutes after the ignition is turned
off, if the parking lamps or headlamps
have been manually left on. This
protects against draining the battery.
To restart the 10-minute timer, turn
the exterior lamp control to the off
position and then back to the parking
lamp or headlamp position. To keep the lamps on for more than
10 minutes, the ignition must be in
the ACC/ACCESSORY or ON/RUN/
START position.

Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-10293089) -
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DRIVING AND OPERATING 191
.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.
. 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
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
fan speed to the highest
setting. See“Climate Control
Systems.”
For more information about CO, see
Engine Exhaust 0202.
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.
If it takes time for help to arrive,
when running the engine, push the
accelerator pedal slightly so the
engine runs faster than the idle speed.
This keeps the battery charged to
restart the vehicle and to signal for
help with the headlamps. Do this as
little as possible, to save fuel.
If the Vehicle Is Stuck
Slowly and cautiously spin the wheels
to free the vehicle when stuck in sand,
mud, ice, or snow. If stuck too severely for the traction
system to free the vehicle, turn the
traction system off and use the
rocking method. See
Traction Control/
Electronic Stability Control 0209.
{Warning
If the vehicle's tires spin at high
speed, they can explode, and you or
others could be injured. The vehicle
can overheat, causing an engine
compartment fire or other damage.
Spin the wheels as little as possible
and avoid going above 56 km/h
(35 mph).
Rocking the Vehicle to Get it Out
Turn the steering wheel left and right
to clear the area around the front
wheels. Turn off any traction system.
Shift back and forth between
R (Reverse) and a low forward gear,
spinning the wheels as little as
possible. To prevent transmission
wear, wait until the wheels stop
spinning before shifting gears. Release
the accelerator pedal while shifting,
and press lightly on the accelerator