
Cadillac ATS/ATS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12460272) - 2019 - crc - 5/8/18
INSTRUMENTS AND CONTROLS 137
Collision/Detection Systems
Touch and the following may display:
.Alert Type
. Forward Collision System
. Adaptive Cruise Go Notifier
. Lane Change Alert
. Rear Camera Park Assist Symbols
. Rear Cross Traffic Alert
Alert Type
This setting specifies the type of
vehicle feedback provided, either a
beep or seat vibration, when you are
in danger of colliding with an object.
Touch Beeps or Safety Alert Seat.
Forward Collision System
This setting controls the vehicle
response when detecting a vehicle
ahead of you. 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. See Forward Automatic
Braking (FAB) 0231.
Touch Off, Alert, or Alert and Brake. Adaptive Cruise Go Notifier
This setting determines if an alert will
appear when Adaptive Cruise Control
brings the vehicle to a complete stop
and the vehicle ahead of you starts
moving again. See
Adaptive Cruise
Control 0215.
Touch Off or On.
Lane Change Alert
This setting specifies if an alert will
display on the outside mirror to help
you avoid crashing into a vehicle in
your blind spot, or rapidly
approaching your blind spot, during a
lane change maneuver. See Lane
Change Alert (LCA) 0232.
Touch Off or On.
Rear Camera Park Assist Symbols
This setting enables the Rear Camera
Park Assist Symbols. See Assistance
Systems for Parking or Backing 0224.
Touch Off or On. Rear Cross Traffic Alert
This setting specifies if an alert will
display when the vehicle detects
approaching rear cross traffic when in
R (Reverse). See
Assistance Systems for
Parking or Backing 0224.
Touch Off or On.
Comfort and Convenience
Touch and the following may display:
. Auto Memory Recall
. Easy Exit Options
. Chime Volume
. Reverse Tilt Mirror
. Rain Sense Wipers
Auto Memory Recall
This feature automatically recalls the
current driver’s previously stored 1 or
2 button positions when the ignition
is changed from off to on or ACC/
ACCESSORY. See Memory Seats058.
Touch Off or On.

Cadillac ATS/ATS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12460272) - 2019 - crc - 5/8/18
144 LIGHTING
Lighting
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . . 144
Exterior Lamps Off Reminder . . . 146
Headlamp High/Low-BeamChanger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Automatic Headlamp System . . . 147
Adaptive Forward Lighting (AFL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . . . . 148
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Interior Lighting
Instrument Panel IlluminationControl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Courtesy Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Lighting Features
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Battery Power Protection . . . . . . . . 151
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls
The exterior lamp control is on the
turn signal lever.
Turn the control to the following
positions:
O:Turns the exterior lamps off and
deactivates the AUTO mode. Turn to
Oagain to reactivate the AUTO mode.
In Canada, the headlamps will
automatically reactivate when the
vehicle is shifted out of P (Park) on
automatic transmission vehicles, and
when the parking brake is released on
manual transmission vehicles.

Cadillac ATS/ATS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12460272) - 2019 - crc - 5/8/18
LIGHTING 147
.The light sensor determines it is
daytime.
. The parking brake is released or
the vehicle is not in P (Park).
The taillamps, sidemarker lamps,
instrument panel lights, and other
lamps will not be on.
The DRL turn off when the headlamps
are turned to
Oor the ignition is off.
For vehicles first sold in Canada, the
DRL can only be turned off when the
transmission is in P (Park).
Automatic Headlamp
System
When the exterior lamp control is set
to AUTO and it is dark enough
outside, the headlamps come on
automatically.
There is a light sensor on top of the
instrument panel. Do not cover the
sensor, otherwise the headlamps will
come on when they are not needed.
The system may also turn on the
headlamps when driving through a
parking garage or tunnel.
If the vehicle is started in a dark
garage, the automatic headlamp
system comes on immediately. If it is
light outside when the vehicle leaves
the garage, there is a slight delay
before the automatic headlamp
system changes to the DRL. During
that delay, the instrument cluster may
not be as bright as usual. Make sure
the instrument panel brightness control is in the full bright position.
See
Instrument Panel Illumination
Control 0149.
When it is bright enough outside, the
headlamps will turn off or may change
to Daytime Running Lamps (DRL).
The automatic headlamp system turns
off when the exterior lamp control is
turned to
Oor the ignition is off.
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
Oor;to disable
this feature.

Cadillac ATS/ATS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12460272) - 2019 - crc - 5/8/18
DRIVING AND OPERATING 169
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Track Events and CompetitiveDriving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . 179
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Composite Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Stop/Start System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189 Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Shifting Into Park (Automatic Transmission) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Parking (Manual
Transmission) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . . . 194
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Manual Transmission
Manual Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Active Rev Match . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Brakes
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . . 200
Parking Brake (Electric) . . . . . . . . . . 201
Parking Brake (Manual) . . . . . . . . . . 203
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203 Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Driver Mode Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Competitive Driving Mode (FE3 Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Limited-Slip Rear Axle (Except V-Series) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Limited-Slip Rear Axle (V-Series Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Adaptive Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . 215
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . . . . . 223
Assistance Systems for Parkingor Backing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Assistance Systems for Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Forward Automatic Braking (FAB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . 232
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . . . . 232
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234

Cadillac ATS/ATS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12460272) - 2019 - crc - 5/8/18
186 DRIVING AND OPERATING
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) 0190.
Automatic Transmission
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).
When the vehicle is shifted into
P (Park), the ignition will turn off.
Manual Transmission
If the vehicle is stationary, the
ignition will turn off, and Retained
Accessory Power (RAP) will remain
active. See Retained Accessory Power
(RAP) 0190.
The vehicle may have an electric
steering column lock. The lock is
activated when the ignition is turned
off and either front door is opened.
A sound may be heard as the lock actuates or releases. The steering
column lock may not release with the
wheels turned off center. If this
happens, the vehicle may not start.
Move the steering wheel from left to
right while attempting to start the
vehicle. If this does not work, the
vehicle needs service.
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) with an automatic
transmission, or Neutral with a
manual transmission. Turn the
ignition off.
4. Set the parking brake. See Parking Brake (Electric) 0201
or Parking Brake (Manual) 0203.
{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.

Cadillac ATS/ATS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12460272) - 2019 - crc - 5/8/18
DRIVING AND OPERATING 187
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 turn the ignition on.
Once engine cranking begins, release
the button. Engine cranking will
continue until the engine starts. See
Starting the Engine 0187. The ignition
will then remain on.
Service 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 Mode. The instruments and audio systems will operate as they do
in ON/RUN/START, but the vehicle
will not be able to be driven. The
engine will not start in Service Mode.
Push the button again to turn the
vehicle off.
Starting the Engine
Place the transmission in the
proper gear.
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
0240.
Automatic Transmission
Move the shift lever to P (Park) or
N (Neutral). To restart the vehicle
when it is already moving, use
N (Neutral) only.
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.
Manual Transmission
The shift lever should be in Neutral
and the parking brake engaged. Hold
the clutch pedal down to the floor and
start the engine.
Starting Procedure
1. With the Keyless Access system, the RKE transmitter must be in
the vehicle. Press ENGINE
START/STOP with the brake
pedal applied. When the engine
begins cranking, let go of the
button.
The idle speed will go down as
the engine gets warm. Do not
race the engine immediately
after starting it.

Cadillac ATS/ATS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12460272) - 2019 - crc - 5/8/18
190 DRIVING AND OPERATING
{Warning
Improper use of the heater cord or
an extension cord can damage the
cord and may result in overheating
and fire.. Plug the cord into a
three-prong electrical utility
receptacle that is protected by
a ground fault detection
function. An ungrounded
outlet could cause an electric
shock.
. Use a weatherproof,
heavy-duty, 15 amp-rated
extension cord if needed.
Failure to use the
recommended extension cord
in good operating condition,
or using a damaged heater or
extension cord, could make it
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
overheat and cause a fire,
property damage, electric
shock, and injury.
. Do not operate the vehicle
with the heater cord
permanently attached to the
vehicle. Possible heater cord
and thermostat damage could
occur.
. While in use, do not let the
heater cord touch vehicle
parts or sharp edges. Never
close the hood on the
heater cord.
. Before starting the vehicle,
unplug the cord, reattach the
cover to the plug, and
securely fasten the cord. Keep
the cord away from any
moving parts.
4. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug and store the cord
as it was before to keep it away
from moving engine parts. If you
do not, it could be damaged. Contact your dealer for information
on how long to use the heater in your
particular area.
Retained Accessory
Power (RAP)
Some vehicle accessories may be used
after the ignition is turned off.
The power windows and sunroof,
if equipped, will continue to work for
up to 10 minutes or until any door is
opened.
The infotainment system will continue
to work for 10 minutes, until the
driver door is opened, or until the
ignition is turned on or placed in
ACC/ACCESSORY.
Shifting Into Park
(Automatic Transmission)
To shift into P (Park):
1. Hold the brake pedal down and set the parking brake.
See Parking Brake (Electric) 0201
or Parking Brake (Manual) 0203.

Cadillac ATS/ATS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12460272) - 2019 - crc - 5/8/18
DRIVING AND OPERATING 191
2. Move the shift lever into P (Park)by holding in the button on the
shift lever and pushing the lever
all the way toward the front of
the vehicle.
3. Turn the ignition off.
4. Take the Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter
with you.
Leaving the Vehicle with the
Engine Running (Automatic
Transmission)
{Warning
It can be dangerous to leave the
vehicle with the engine running.
It could overheat and catch fire.
It is dangerous to get out of the
vehicle if the shift lever is not fully
in P (Park) with the parking brake
firmly set. The vehicle can roll.
Do not leave the vehicle when the
engine is running. If you have left
the engine running, the vehicle can
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
move suddenly. You or others could
be injured. To be sure the vehicle
will not move, even when you are
on fairly level ground, always set
the parking brake and move the
shift lever to P (Park). See Shifting
Into Park (Automatic Transmission)
0 190.
If you have to leave the vehicle with
the engine running, the vehicle must
be in P (Park) with the parking brake
set. After shifting into P (Park), try to
move the shift lever without first
pressing the button on the shift lever.
If you can, the shift lever was not
fully locked into P (Park).
Torque Lock (Automatic
Transmission)
Torque lock is when the weight of the
vehicle puts too much force on the
parking pawl in the transmission. This
happens when parking on a hill and
shifting the transmission into P (Park) is not done properly and then it is
difficult to shift out of P (Park). To
prevent torque lock, set the parking
brake and then shift into P (Park). To
find out how, see "Shifting Into Park"
listed previously.
If torque lock does occur, the vehicle
may need to be pushed uphill by
another vehicle to relieve the parking
pawl pressure, so you can shift out of
P (Park).
Shifting out of Park
This vehicle is equipped with an
electronic shift lock release system.
The shift lock release is designed to
prevent movement of the shift lever
out of P (Park), unless the ignition is
on and the brake pedal is applied.
The shift lock release is always
functional except in the case of an
uncharged or low voltage (less than
9 volt) battery.
If the vehicle has an uncharged
battery or a battery with low voltage,
try charging or jump starting the
battery. See
Jump Starting - North
America 0312.