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INSTRUMENTS AND CONTROLS 139
FORWARD COLLISION SYSTEM
REDUCED
This message displays when the
Forward Automatic Braking (FAB) has
been set to the Alert setting. This
setting disables most FAB functions.
SeeForward Automatic Braking
(FAB) 0208.
FORWARD COLLISION SYSTEM
UNAVAILABLE
This message displays when the
Forward Automatic Braking (FAB) has
been unavailable for some time. The
FAB System does not need service.
This message can display under the
following conditions:
.
The front of the vehicle or
windshield is not clean. Keep
these areas clean and free of mud,
dirt, snow, ice, and slush. For
cleaning instructions, see Exterior
Care 0278.
. Heavy rain or snow is interfering
with the object detection
performance. This message may also be displayed if
there is a problem with the StabiliTrak
system. See
Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control 0188.
FORWARD COLLISION ALERT OFF
This message displays when the
Forward Collision Alert has been
turned off.
FRONT CAMERA BLOCKED CLEAN
WINDSHIELD
This message displays when the
camera is blocked. Cleaning the
outside of the windshield behind the
rearview mirror may correct the issue.
The Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
system will not operate. Adaptive
Cruise Control (ACC), Forward
Collision Alert (FCA), and the Forward
Automatic Braking (FAB) may not
work or may not work as well.
LANE DEPARTURE WARNING
UNAVAILABLE
This message displays when
attempting to activate the Lane
Departure Warning (LDW) system when it is temporarily unavailable.
The LDW system does not need
service.
This message could be due to the
camera being blocked. Cleaning the
outside of the windshield behind the
rearview mirror may correct the issue.
REAR AUTO BRAKE/PARK
ASSIST OFF
This message displays when the
Parking Assist system has been turned
off or when there is a temporary
condition causing the system to be
disabled.
REAR AUTO BRAKE AND PARK
ASSIST UNAVAILABLE
This message displays when
attempting to activate the parking and
backing features of the Driver
Assistance System when they are
temporarily unavailable. The system
does not need service.
This can occur under the following
conditions:
.
The radar is not clean. Keep the
radar sensors free of mud, dirt,
snow, ice, and slush. Clean the

Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-10292881) - 2017 -
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140 INSTRUMENTS AND CONTROLS
entire front and/or rear of the
vehicle. For cleaning instructions,
seeExterior Care 0278.
. Heavy rain or snow is interfering
with the radar object detection or
camera performance.
See Driver Assistance Systems 0201.
SERVICE FORWARD COLLISION
SYSTEM
If this message displays, take the
vehicle to your dealer to repair the
system. Adaptive Cruise Control
(ACC), Forward Collision Alert (FCA),
and/or the Forward Automatic Braking
(FAB) may not work. Do not use these
systems until the vehicle has been
repaired.
SERVICE DRIVER ASSIST SYSTEM
If this message displays, take the
vehicle to your dealer to repair the
system.
Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC),
Forward Collision Alert (FCA), the
Forward Automatic Braking (FAB),
Assistance Systems for Parking or
Backing, and/or the Lane Departure Warning (LDW) system may not work.
Do not use these systems until the
vehicle has been repaired.
SERVICE FRONT CAMERA
If this message remains on after
continued driving, take the vehicle to
your dealer for service. Do not use the
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) and
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) features.
SERVICE PARK ASSIST
This message displays if there is a
problem with the Parking Assist
system. Do not use this system to
help you park. See your dealer for
service.
SERVICE REAR AUTO BRAKE AND
PARK ASSIST
This message displays if there is a
problem with the parking and backing
features of the Driver Assistance
System. Do not use this system to
help park or back the vehicle. See your
dealer for service.
SIDE BLIND ZONE ALERT OFF
This message indicates that the driver
has turned the Side Blind Zone Alert
(SBZA) system off.
SERVICE SIDE DETECTION
SYSTEM
If this message remains on after
continued driving, the vehicle needs
service. Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA)
and Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA)
features will not work. Take the
vehicle to your dealer.
SIDE DETECTION SYSTEM
UNAVAILABLE
This message indicates that Side Blind
Zone Alert (SBZA) and Rear Cross
Traffic Alert (RCTA) are disabled
either because the sensor is blocked
and cannot detect vehicles in the
blind zone, or the vehicle is passing
through an open area, such as the
desert, where there is insufficient data
for operation. This message may also
activate during heavy rain or due to
road spray. The vehicle does not need
service. For cleaning, see "Washing the
Vehicle" under
Exterior Care0278.

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146 INSTRUMENTS AND CONTROLS
interior temperature. The auto heated
seats can be turned off by using the
heated seat buttons on the center
stack.
Select Off or On.
Auto Defog
When set to On, the front defog will
automatically react to temperature
and humidity conditions that may
cause fogging.
Select Off or On.
Auto Rear Defog
If equipped, this allows the Auto Rear
Defog to be turned on or off. This
feature will automatically turn on the
rear window defogger when it is cold
outside.
Select Off or On.
Collision/Detection Systems
Select the Collision/Detection Systems
menu and the following may be
displayed if equipped:
.Alert Type
. Auto Collision Preparation
. Go Notifier .
Rear Cross Traffic Alert
. Lane Change Alert
Alert Type
This feature will set crash alerts to
beeps or seat vibrations. This setting
affects all crash alerts including
Forward Collision, Lane Departure
Warning, Adaptive Cruise Control,
Parking Assist, and Backing Warning
alerts.
Select Beeps or Safety Alert Seat.
Auto Collision Preparation
This feature will turn on or off the
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) and
Forward Automatic Braking (FAB).
The Off setting disables all FCA and
FAB functions. With the Alert and
Brake setting, both FCA and FAB are
available. The Alert setting disables
FAB, but some last-second automatic
braking capability is still provided,
though less likely to occur. See
Forward Automatic Braking
(FAB) 0208.
Select Off, Alert and Brake, or Alert. Go Notifier
This feature will give a reminder that
Adaptive Cruise Control provides
when it has brought the vehicle to a
complete stop behind another
stopping vehicle, and then that vehicle
drives on.
Select Off or On.
Rear Cross Traffic Alert
This allows the Rear Cross Traffic
Alert feature to be turned on or off.
Select Off or On.
Lane Change Alert
This allows the Lane Change Alert
feature to be turned on or off.
Select Off or On.
Comfort and Convenience
Select and the following may display:
.
Auto Memory Recall
. Easy Exit Options
. Chime Volume
. Reverse Tilt Mirror
. Auto Mirror Folding

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DRIVING AND OPERATING 167
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . 171
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Retained AccessoryPower (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . . . 183
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Brakes
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . . 185
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/ElectronicStability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Magnetic Ride Control . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Limited-Slip Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Automatic Level Control . . . . . . . . . 191
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Adaptive Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . 194
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . . . . . 201
Assistance Systems for Parking or Backing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202 Assistance Systems for
Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Forward Automatic
Braking (FAB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . 210
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Filling a Portable FuelContainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Trailer Towing
General Towing Information . . . . 215
Driving Characteristics andTowing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Towing Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . 220

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DRIVING AND OPERATING 171
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(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
ignore police warnings and be very
cautious about trying to drive
through flowing water.
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. See Tires0254.
. 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 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 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.

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172 DRIVING AND OPERATING
{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.
. Drive at speeds that keep the
vehicle in its own lane. Do not
swing wide or cross the
center line.
. Be alert on top of hills; something
could be in your lane (e.g., stalled
car, accident).
. Pay attention to special road signs
(e.g., falling rocks area, winding
roads, long grades, passing or
no-passing zones) and take
appropriate action.
Winter Driving
Driving on Snow or Ice
Snow or ice between the tires and the
road creates less traction or grip, so
drive carefully. Wet ice can occur at about 0 °C (32 °F) when 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 0188.
. Antilock Brake System (ABS)
improves vehicle stability during
hard stops, but the brakes should
be applied sooner than when on
dry pavement. See Antilock Brake
System (ABS) 0185.
. 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
Stop the vehicle in a safe place and
signal for help. Stay with the vehicle
unless there is help nearby. 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)

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DRIVING AND OPERATING 189
pressure at any one of the vehicle's
brakes to help steer the vehicle in the
direction which you are steering.
If cruise control is being used and
traction control or StabiliTrak begins
to limit wheel spin, cruise control will
disengage. Cruise control may be
turned back on when road conditions
allow.
Both systems come on automatically
when the vehicle is started and begins
to move. The systems may be heard or
felt while they are operating or while
performing diagnostic checks. This is
normal and does not mean there is a
problem with the vehicle.
It is recommended to leave both
systems on for normal driving
conditions, but it may be necessary to
turn TCS off if the vehicle gets stuck
in sand, mud, ice, or snow. SeeIf the
Vehicle Is Stuck 0173 and “Turning
the Systems Off and On ”later in this
section.
The indicator light for both systems is
in the instrument cluster. This
light will:
. Flash when TCS is limiting
wheel spin.
. Flash when StabiliTrak is
activated.
. Turn on and stay on when either
system is not working.
If either system fails to turn on or to
activate, a message displays in the
Driver Information Center (DIC),
and
dcomes on and stays on to
indicate that the system is inactive
and is not assisting the driver in
maintaining control. The vehicle is
safe to drive, but driving should be
adjusted accordingly.
If
dcomes on and stays on:
1. Stop the vehicle. 2. Turn the engine off and wait
15 seconds.
3. Start the engine.
Drive the vehicle. If
dcomes on and
stays on, the vehicle may need more
time to diagnose the problem. If the
condition persists, see your dealer.
Turning the Systems Off and On
The button for TCS and StabiliTrak is
on the center stack.

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DRIVING AND OPERATING 191
Automatic Level Control
The automatic level control rear
suspension is available on some
vehicles.
This type of level control is fully
automatic and will provide a better
leveled riding position as well as
better handling under a variety of
passenger and loading conditions. An
air compressor connected to the rear
air springs will raise or lower the rear
of the vehicle to maintain proper
vehicle height. The system is activated
when the engine is running and will
automatically adjust vehicle height
thereafter. The system may exhaust
(lower vehicle height) for up to
10 minutes after the engine has been
turned off. You may hear the air
compressor operating when the height
is being adjusted; this is normal.If the compressor runs often for
longer than one minute within the
same trip and the vehicle remains low
in the rear, see your dealer for service.
If the vehicle is not used for several
weeks, the rear of the vehicle may
look low. When the engine is started,
the vehicle will return to the proper
height.
If a weight-distributing hitch is being
used, it is recommended to allow the
air springs to inflate, thereby leveling
the vehicle prior to adjusting the
hitch.
Cruise Control
{Warning
Cruise control can be dangerous
where you cannot drive safely at a
steady speed. Do not use cruise
control on winding roads or in
heavy traffic.
Cruise control can be dangerous on
slippery roads. On such roads, fast
changes in tire traction can cause
excessive wheel slip, and you could
lose control. Do not use cruise
control on slippery roads.
With cruise control, a speed of about
40 km/h (25 mph) or more can be
maintained without keeping your foot
on the accelerator. Cruise control does
not work at speeds below about
40 km/h (25 mph).