Cadillac XT4 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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64 SEATS AND RESTRAINTS
either side of the vehicle is struck,
if the sensing system predicts that the
vehicle is about to roll over on its
side, or in a severe frontal impact.
In any particular crash, no one can
say whether an airbag should have
inflated simply because of the vehicle
damage or the repair costs.
What Makes an Airbag
Inflate?
In a deployment event, the sensing
system sends an electrical signal
triggering a release of gas from the
inflator. Gas from the inflator fills the
airbag causing the bag to break out of
the cover. The inflator, the airbag, and
related hardware are all part of the
airbag module.
For airbag locations, seeWhere Are the
Airbags? 061.
How Does an Airbag
Restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or near
frontal collisions, even belted
occupants can contact the steering wheel or the instrument panel. In
moderate to severe side collisions,
even belted occupants can contact the
inside of the vehicle.
Airbags supplement the protection
provided by seat belts by distributing
the force of the impact more evenly
over the occupant's body.
Rollover capable roof-rail airbags are
designed to help contain the head and
chest of occupants in the outboard
seating positions in the first and
second rows. The rollover capable
roof-rail airbags are designed to help
reduce the risk of full or partial
ejection in rollover events, although
no system can prevent all such
ejections.
But airbags would not help in many
types of collisions, primarily because
the occupant's motion is not toward
those airbags. See
When Should an
Airbag Inflate? 063.
Airbags should never be regarded as
anything more than a supplement to
seat belts.
What Will You See after an
Airbag Inflates?
After frontal, knee, and seat-mounted
side impact airbags inflate, they
quickly deflate, so quickly that some
people may not even realize the
airbags inflated. Roof-rail airbags may
still be at least partially inflated for
some time after they inflate. Some
components of the airbag module may
be hot for several minutes. For
location of the airbags, see Where Are
the Airbags? 061.
The parts of the airbag that come into
contact with you may be warm, but
not too hot to touch. There may be
some smoke and dust coming from
the vents in the deflated airbags.
Airbag inflation does not prevent the
driver from seeing out of the
windshield or being able to steer the
vehicle, nor does it prevent people
from leaving the vehicle.
Cadillac XT4 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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SEATS AND RESTRAINTS 65
{Warning
When an airbag inflates, there may
be dust in the air. This dust could
cause breathing problems for
people with a history of asthma or
other breathing trouble. To avoid
this, everyone in the vehicle should
get out as soon as it is safe to do
so. If you have breathing problems
but cannot get out of the vehicle
after an airbag inflates, then get
fresh air by opening a window or a
door. If you experience breathing
problems following an airbag
deployment, you should seek
medical attention.
The vehicle has a feature that may
automatically unlock the doors, turn
on the interior lamps and hazard
warning flashers, and shut off the fuel
system after the airbags inflate. The
feature may also activate, without
airbag inflation, after an event that
exceeds a predetermined threshold.
After turning the ignition off and then
on again, the fuel system will return to normal operation; the doors can be
locked, the interior lamps can be
turned off, and the hazard warning
flashers can be turned off using the
controls for those features. If any of
these systems are damaged in the
crash they may not operate as normal.
{Warning
A crash severe enough to inflate the
airbags may have also damaged
important functions in the vehicle,
such as the fuel system, brake and
steering systems, etc. Even if the
vehicle appears to be drivable after
a moderate crash, there may be
concealed damage that could make
it difficult to safely operate the
vehicle.
Use caution if you should attempt
to restart the engine after a crash
has occurred.
In many crashes severe enough to
inflate the airbag, windshields are
broken by vehicle deformation. Additional windshield breakage may
also occur from the front outboard
passenger airbag.
.
Airbags are designed to inflate
only once. After an airbag inflates,
you will need some new parts for
the airbag system. If you do not
get them, the airbag system will
not be there to help protect you in
another crash. A new system will
include airbag modules and
possibly other parts. The service
manual for the vehicle covers the
need to replace other parts.
. The vehicle has a crash sensing
and diagnostic module which
records information after a crash.
See Vehicle Data Recording and
Privacy 0347 and
Event Data Recorders 0348.
. Let only qualified technicians
work on the airbag systems.
Improper service can mean that
an airbag system will not work
properly. See your dealer for
service.
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INSTRUMENTS AND CONTROLS 115
{Warning
If the airbag readiness light ever
comes on and stays on, it means
that something may be wrong with
the airbag system. To help avoid
injury to yourself or others, have
the vehicle serviced right away. See
Airbag Readiness Light0114 for
more information, including
important safety information.
Charging System Light
The charging system light comes on
briefly when the ignition is turned on,
but the engine is not running, as a
check to show the light is working.
It should go out when the engine is
started. If the light stays on, or comes on
while driving, there may be a problem
with the electrical charging system.
Have it checked by your dealer.
Driving while this light is on could
drain the battery.
When this light comes on, or is
flashing, the Driver Information
Center (DIC) also displays a message.
If a short distance must be driven
with the light on, be sure to turn off
all accessories, such as the radio and
air conditioner.
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
(Check Engine Light)
This light is part of the vehicle’s
emission control on-board diagnostic
system. If this light is on while the
engine is running, a malfunction has
been detected and the vehicle may
require service. The light should come
on to show that it is working when
the ignition is in Service Mode. See
Ignition Positions
0172.
Malfunctions are often indicated by
the system before any problem is
noticeable. Being aware of the light
and seeking service promptly when it
comes on may prevent damage.
Caution
If the vehicle is driven continually
with this light on, the emission
control system may not work as
well, the fuel economy may be
lower, and the vehicle may not run
smoothly. This could lead to costly
repairs that might not be covered
by the vehicle warranty.
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118 INSTRUMENTS AND CONTROLS
Brake system. A message may also
display in the Driver Information
Center (DIC).
If the light does not come on,
or remains flashing, see your dealer.
Service Electric Parking
Brake Light
On some vehicles the service electric
parking brake light should come on
briefly when the vehicle is started.
If it does not come on, have it fixed so
it will be ready to warn if there is a
problem. For vehicles with the
reconfigurable cluster, this light may
not come on when the vehicle is
started.If this light stays on, the vehicle
should be taken to a dealer as soon as
possible. See
Electric Parking Brake
0 189. A message may also display in
the Driver Information Center (DIC).
Antilock Brake System
(ABS) Warning Light
This warning light should come on
briefly when the vehicle is turned on.
If the light does not come on, have it
fixed so it will be ready to warn if
there is a problem.
If the light comes on while driving,
safely stop as soon as it is possible
and turn off the vehicle. Then turn on
the vehicle again to reset the system.
If the ABS warning light stays on,
or comes on again while driving, the
vehicle needs service. A chime may
also sound when the light stays on. If the ABS warning light is the only
light on, the vehicle has regular
brakes, but ABS is not functioning.
If both the ABS warning light and the
brake system warning light are on,
ABS is not functioning and there is a
problem with the regular brakes. See
your dealer for service.
See
Brake System Warning Light 0117.
Gear Shifting Light
If equipped, this light will display
when Performance Algorithm Liftfoot
(PAL) is activated. See Driver Mode
Control 0193.
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DRIVING AND OPERATING 155
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Driver Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Driving Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Vehicle Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Driving for Better FuelEconomy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . 165
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173 Stop/Start System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Parking over Things
That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Active Fuel Management . . . . . . . . 180
Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . . . 182
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Brakes
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . . 188
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/ElectronicStability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Driver Mode Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Adaptive Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . 197
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . . . . . 206
Assistance Systems for Parking or Backing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Rear Pedestrian Alert . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Assistance Systems for Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Front Pedestrian Braking (FPB) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . 221
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . . . . 222
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . . . . . 224
Fuel
Top Tier Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Prohibited Fuels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . . . . . 227
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DRIVING AND OPERATING 157
Safe driver behavior and
understanding of the environment can
help avoid a rollover crash in any type
of vehicle, including utility vehicles.
Driving for Better Fuel
Economy
Driving habits can affect fuel mileage.
Here are some driving tips to get the
best fuel economy possible.
.Set the climate controls to the
desired temperature after the
engine is started, or turn them off
when not required.
. On AWD vehicles, use Tour Mode
when conditions permit.
. Avoid fast starts and accelerate
smoothly.
. Brake gradually and avoid abrupt
stops.
. Avoid idling the engine for long
periods of time.
. When road and weather
conditions are appropriate, use
cruise control. .
Always follow posted speed limits
or drive more slowly when
conditions require.
. Keep vehicle tires properly
inflated.
. Combine several trips into a
single trip.
. Replace the vehicle's tires with the
same TPC Spec number molded
into the tire's sidewall near
the size.
. Follow recommended scheduled
maintenance.
Distracted Driving
Distraction comes in many forms and
can take your focus from the task of
driving. Exercise good judgment and
do not let other activities divert your
attention away from the road. Many
local governments have enacted laws
regarding driver distraction. Become
familiar with the local laws in
your area. To avoid distracted driving, keep your
eyes on the road, keep your hands on
the steering wheel, and focus your
attention on driving.
.
Do not use a phone in demanding
driving situations. Use a
hands-free method to place or
receive necessary phone calls.
. Watch the road. Do not read, take
notes, or look up information on
phones or other electronic devices.
. Designate a front seat passenger
to handle potential distractions.
. Become familiar with vehicle
features before driving, such as
programming favorite radio
stations and adjusting climate
control and seat settings. Program
all trip information into any
navigation device prior to driving.
. Wait until the vehicle is parked to
retrieve items that have fallen to
the floor.
. Stop or park the vehicle to tend to
children.
. Keep pets in an appropriate carrier
or restraint.
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DRIVING AND OPERATING 173
When the vehicle is shifted into
P (Park), the ignition will turn 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 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 0189.
Press ENGINE START/STOP to
turn the vehicle off.
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
ENGINE START/STOP once without
the brake pedal applied will place the
ignition system in ACC/ACCESSORY.
The ignition will switch from ACC/
ACCESSORY to OFF after 10 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 ENGINE
START/STOP 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. The
ignition will then remain on. See
Starting the Engine
0173.
Service Mode
This mode is available to verify the
proper operation of the malfunction
indicator lamp as may be required for
emissions inspection purposes and for
service and diagnostics. See Automatic
Transmission 0182.
With the vehicle off, and the brake
pedal not applied, pressing and
holding ENGINE START/STOP 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, but
the vehicle will not be able to be
driven. The engine will not start in
Service Mode. Press ENGINE START/
STOP again to turn the vehicle off.
Starting the Engine
Place the transmission in the proper
gear, P (Park) or N (Neutral). To restart
the engine when the vehicle is already
moving, use N (Neutral).
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180 DRIVING AND OPERATING
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. Reinstall 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’s 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 highway,
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 0177 and
Engine Exhaust 0181. 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.