Cadillac CT6 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566829) -
2020 - CRC - 6/14/19
DRIVING AND OPERATING 171
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Driving for Better FuelEconomy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Track Events and Competitive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . 177
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Stop/Start System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187 Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Active Fuel Management . . . . . . . . 191
Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . . . 193
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Brakes
Electric Brake Boost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . . 199
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Automatic VehicleHold (AVH) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/ElectronicStability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Driver Mode Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Locking Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Adaptive Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . 211
Super Cruise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . . . . . 234
Assistance Systems for Parking or Backing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Rear Pedestrian Alert . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Assistance Systems for Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Front Pedestrian Braking (FPB) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Night Vision System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . 252
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . . . . 252
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . . . . . 254
Surround Vision Recorder . . . . . . . 256
Cadillac CT6 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566829) -
2020 - CRC - 6/14/19
174 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 or a brake
fault occurs, the brakes may lose
power assist. More effort will be
required to stop the vehicle. It may
take longer to stop.
Steering
Caution
To avoid damage to the steering
system, do not drive over curbs,
parking barriers, or similar objects
at speeds greater than 3 km/h
(1 mph). Use care when driving over
other objects such as lane dividers
and speed bumps. Damage caused
by misuse of the vehicle is not
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Variable Effort Steering
The vehicle has 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.
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.
Cadillac CT6 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566829) -
2020 - CRC - 6/14/19
184 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) 0188.
If the vehicle is in R (Reverse),
D (Drive), or M (Manual Mode), the
vehicle will shift to P (Park), the
ignition will turn off, and RAP will
remain active.
If the vehicle is in N (Neutral), the
ignition will return to ACC/
ACCESSORY and display the message
SHIFT TO PARK in the Driver
Information Center (DIC). When the
vehicle is shifted into P (Park), the
ignition will turn 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 and shift to P (Park).
4. Set the parking brake. See Electric Parking Brake 0200.
Press ENGINE START/STOP to
turn the vehicle off.
{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 in 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 turn the ignition on.
Once engine cranking begins, release
the button. Engine cranking will
continue until the engine starts. See
Starting the Engine 0185. The ignition
will then remain on.
Cadillac CT6 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566829) -
2020 - CRC - 6/14/19
DRIVING AND OPERATING 189
2. Press the button on top of theshift lever to shift into P (Park).
See Automatic Transmission
0 193.
3. The P indicator on the shift lever will turn red when the vehicle is
in P (Park).
Leaving the Vehicle with the
Engine Running
{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 vehicle is not in
P (Park) with the parking brake 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
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
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
the parking brake and shift
to P (Park). SeeShifting Into Park
0 188. If you are towing a trailer,
see Driving Characteristics and
Towing Tips 0262.
If you have to leave the vehicle with
the engine running, be sure the
vehicle is in P (Park) and the parking
brake is set before you leave it.
If you are towing a trailer and parking
on a hill, see Driving Characteristics
and Towing Tips 0262.
Shifting out of Park
This vehicle is equipped with an
electronically controlled transmission.
The shift lock release button is
designed to prevent inadvertent
shifting out of P (Park) unless the
ignition is on, the brake pedal is
applied, and the shift lock release
button is pressed. The shift lock control 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 0343.
To shift out of P (Park): 1. Ensure the engine is running.
2. Apply the brake pedal.
3. Press the shift lock release button.
4. Move the shift lever to the desired position.
5. The P indicator will turn white and the gear indicator on the
shift lever will turn red when the
vehicle is no longer in P (Park).
6. After releasing the shift lever, it will return to the center position.
If the vehicle cannot shift from
P (Park), a Driver Information
Center (DIC) message will be
displayed. See your dealer for service.
Cadillac CT6 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566829) -
2020 - CRC - 6/14/19
190 DRIVING AND OPERATING
Manual Park Release
{Warning
The transmission will be placed in
N (Neutral) when the manual park
release is pulled. The vehicle can
roll and you or others could be
injured. Ensure the vehicle is on
level ground.
Caution
The manual park release is not
intended to be used for towing.
Damage may result from using the
manual park release in this way.
The repairs would not be covered
by the vehicle warranty.
The manual park release can be used
to shift the vehicle into N (Neutral)
when the engine is not running.
If the manual park release is pulled
while the vehicle is on or if the
ignition is turned on while the manual park release is pulled, the DIC will
display a message to service the
transmission.
To place the vehicle in N (Neutral)
using the manual park release:
1. Ensure the vehicle is on level ground and set the parking
brake.
2. Turn the vehicle off.
3. Use a flat-bladed tool to remove the interior trim panel on the
center console to the right of the
accelerator pedal.
4. Pull the carpet back to expose the manual park release lever. 5. Ensure more than one minute
has elapsed since Step 2. Apply
the brake pedal.
6. Pull the manual park release
lever 90° to its latching position.
7. With the brake pedal released, place the ignition in ACC/
ACCESSORY. Then apply the
brake pedal and release the
parking brake.
To return the vehicle to P (Park) using
the manual park release: 1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
Cadillac CT6 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566829) -
2020 - CRC - 6/14/19
DRIVING AND OPERATING 191
2. Rotate the manual park release90° back to its original position.
3. Apply the parking brake.
4. Confirm that the vehicle is in P (Park) by turning the ignition
on or by placing the vehicle in
ACC/ACCESSORY, then ensure
that the indicator displays P.
5. Install the interior trim panel.
Parking over Things
That Burn
{Warning
Things that can burn could touch
hot exhaust parts under the vehicle
and ignite. Do not park over papers,
leaves, dry grass, or other things
that can burn.
Active Fuel Management
The vehicle engine may be equipped
with Active Fuel Management, which
allows the engine to operate on either
all of its cylinders, or in reduced
cylinder operation, depending on the
driving conditions.
When less power is required, such as
cruising at a constant vehicle speed,
the system will operate in reduced
operation mode, allowing the vehicle
to achieve better fuel economy. When
greater power demands are required,
such as accelerating from a stop,
passing, or merging onto a freeway,
the system will maintain full-cylinder
operation.
If the vehicle has an Active Fuel
Management indicator, see Driver
Information Center (DIC) for more
information on using this display.
Extended Parking
It is best not to park with the vehicle
running. If the vehicle is left running,
be sure it will not move and there is
adequate ventilation.
See Shifting Into Park 0188 and
Engine Exhaust 0192.
If the vehicle is left parked and
running with the RKE transmitter
outside the vehicle, it will continue to
run for up to half an hour.
If the vehicle is left parked and
running with the RKE transmitter
inside the vehicle, it will continue to
run for up to an hour.
The vehicle could turn off sooner if it
is parked on a hill, due to lack of
available fuel.
The timer will reset if the vehicle is
taken out of P (Park) while it is
running.
Cadillac CT6 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566829) -
2020 - CRC - 6/14/19
DRIVING AND OPERATING 193
Automatic Transmission
The shift pattern is displayed in the
top of the shift lever. The selected
gear position will illuminate red on
the shift lever, while all others will be
displayed in white. If the shift is not
immediate, as in very cold conditions,
the indicator on the shift lever may
flash until it is fully engaged.
The shift lever always starts from a
center position, represented by an up/
down arrow on the shift pattern. After
releasing the shift lever, it will return
to the center position.The transmission does not operate
when the vehicle is off.
If the vehicle is in ACC/ACCESSORY,
the transmission can be shifted into
P (Park).
If the vehicle is turned off while at a
relatively high vehicle speed, the
transmission will automatically shift
to N (Neutral). Once the vehicle is
stopped, P (Park) is automatically
selected.
P :
This position locks the drive
wheels. Use P (Park) when starting the
vehicle to ensure the vehicle does
not move.
{Warning
It is dangerous to get out of the
vehicle if the transmission is not in
P (Park) with the parking brake set.
The vehicle can roll.
Do not leave the vehicle when the
engine is running. If the engine has
been left running, the vehicle can
move suddenly. You or others
could be injured. To be sure the
vehicle will not move, even when
on fairly level ground, always set
the parking brake and place the
transmission into P (Park). See
Shifting Into Park 0188 and
Electric Parking Brake 0200.
Cadillac CT6 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566829) -
2020 - CRC - 6/14/19
200 DRIVING AND OPERATING
Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold the
brake pedal down firmly and let ABS
work. You may hear the ABS pump or
motor operating and feel the brake
pedal pulsate. This is normal.
When ABS is active, it may be an
indication that road surfaces are
slippery. Braking sooner may be
required for driving conditions.
If equipped with electric brake boost,
the TCS/StabiliTrak/ESC light will
flash when ABS is active.
Braking in Emergencies
ABS allows steering and braking at the
same time. In many emergencies,
steering can help even more than
braking.
Electric Parking Brake
The vehicle has an Electric Parking
Brake (EPB). The EPB can always be
activated, even if the ignition is off. To
prevent draining the battery, avoid
repeated cycles of the EPB system
when the engine is not running.
The system has a
Yor PARK
Electric Parking Brake light, and a
8
Service Parking Brake light. See
Electric Parking Brake Light 0125 and
Service Electric Parking Brake Light
0 126. Before leaving the vehicle, check for
the
Yor PARK light to ensure that
the parking brake is applied.
EPB Apply
To apply the EPB:
1. Be sure the vehicle is at a complete stop.
2. Press the EPB switch momentarily.
The
Yor PARK light will flash and
then stay on once the EPB is fully
applied. If the
Yor PARK light
flashes continuously, then the EPB is
only partially applied or there is a
problem with the EPB. A DIC message
will display. Release the EPB and try
to apply it again. If the light does not
come on, or keeps flashing, have the
vehicle serviced. Do not drive the
vehicle if the
Yor PARK light is
flashing. See your dealer. See Electric
Parking Brake Light 0125.