2021 CADILLAC CT5 ABS

Cadillac CT5 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14584312) -
2021 - CRC - 11/23/20
2 INTRODUCTION
Using this Manual
To quickly locate information about
the vehicle, use the Index in the back
of the manual. It is an alphabetical
list of what is in the manual and the
page number where it can be found.
Danger, Warning, and
Caution
Warning messages found on vehicle
labels and in this manual describe
hazards and what to do to avoid or
reduce them.
{Danger
Danger indicates a hazard with a
high level of risk which will result
in serious injury or death.
{Warning
Warning indicates a hazard that
could result in injury or death.
Caution
Caution indicates a hazard that
could result in property or vehicle
damage.
A circle with a slash through it is a
safety symbol which means“Do not,”
“Do not do this,” or“Do not let this
happen.”
Symbols
The vehicle has components and
labels that use symbols instead of
text. Symbols are shown along with
the text describing the operation or
information relating to a specific
component, control, message, gauge,
or indicator.
M: Shown when the owner’s manual
has additional instructions or
information.
*: Shown when the service manual
has additional instructions or
information.
0: Shown when there is more
information on another page —
“see page.”
Vehicle Symbol Chart
Here are some additional symbols that
may be found on the vehicle and what
they mean. See the features in this
manual for information.
u: Air Conditioning System
G:Air Conditioning Refrigerant Oil
9:Airbag Readiness Light
!:Antilock Brake System (ABS)
$:Brake System Warning Light
9:Dispose of Used Components
Properly
P: Do Not Apply High Pressure
Water
B: Engine Coolant Temperature
_:Flame/Fire Prohibited

Cadillac CT5 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14584312) -
2021 - CRC - 11/24/20
86 INSTRUMENTS AND CONTROLS
Instruments and
Controls
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . . . . . 87
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . . . . . 87
Heated Steering Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . . . . 88
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Wireless Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, andIndicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Instrument Cluster (Base Level) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Instrument Cluster (Uplevel) . . . . . 96
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Engine Coolant Temperature
Gauge (Base Level) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 Engine Coolant Temperature
Gauge (Uplevel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Seat Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . . . . . 102
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (Check Engine Light) . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Brake System Warning Light . . . . 105
Electric Parking Brake Light . . . . . 106
Service Electric Parking Brake Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Performance Shifting Light . . . . . . 107
Automatic Vehicle Hold (AVH) Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) Light . . . 107
Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) Disabled Light . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Vehicle Ahead Indicator . . . . . . . . . 108
Pedestrian Ahead Indicator . . . . . . 108
Traction Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
StabiliTrak OFF Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Traction Control System (TCS)/ StabiliTrak Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Driver Mode Control Light . . . . . . . 109 Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . . . . . 110
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . . . 111
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Cruise Control Light (Base
Level) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Cruise Control Light (Uplevel) . . . 112
Door Ajar Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Information Displays
Driver Information Center (DIC) (Base Level) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Driver Information Center (DIC) (Uplevel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Head-Up Display (HUD) . . . . . . . . . 118
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Engine Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . 123
Vehicle Speed Messages . . . . . . . . . 123
Vehicle Personalization
Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . . . . . 123
Universal Remote System
Universal Remote System . . . . . . . . 128
Universal Remote System
Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Universal Remote System Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131

Cadillac CT5 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14584312) -
2021 - CRC - 11/24/20
106 INSTRUMENTS AND CONTROLS
take longer to stop. If the light is still
on, have the vehicle towed for service.
SeeTowing the Vehicle 0371.
{Warning
The brake system might not be
working properly if the brake
system warning light is on. Driving
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.
Electric Parking Brake
Light
MetricEnglish
This 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. 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
0 238. 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.

Cadillac CT5 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14584312) -
2021 - CRC - 11/24/20
INSTRUMENTS AND CONTROLS 107
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.
SeeBrake System Warning Light 0105.
Performance Shifting Light
If equipped, this light may display
green when Sport Mode is activated
and certain driving conditions are
met. Sport Mode detects when the
vehicle is being driven in a
competitive manner, and adjusts the
shifting of the gears accordingly. See
Driver Mode Control 0242.
Automatic Vehicle Hold
(AVH) Light
This light comes on when AVH is
actively holding the vehicle. See
Automatic Vehicle Hold (AVH) 0240.
Lane Keep Assist (LKA)
Light
After the vehicle is started, this light
turns off and stays off if LKA has not
been turned on or is unavailable.
If equipped, this light is white if LKA
is turned on, but not ready to assist.
This light is green if LKA is turned on
and is ready to assist. LKA may assist by gently turning the
steering wheel if the vehicle
approaches a detected lane marking.
The LKA light is amber when
assisting.
This light flashes amber as a Lane
Departure Warning (LDW) alert, to
indicate that the lane marking has
been crossed.
LKA will not assist or alert if the turn
signal is active in the direction of lane
departure, or if LKA detects that you
are accelerating, braking, or actively
steering.
See
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) 0293.
Automatic Emergency
Braking (AEB) Disabled
Light

Cadillac CT5 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14584312) -
2021 - CRC - 11/23/20
208 DRIVING AND OPERATING
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Driving for Better FuelEconomy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Impaired Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Track Events and Competitive Driving (V-Series Only) . . . . . . . . . 213
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . 217
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Composite Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Stop/Start System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227 Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Active Fuel Management . . . . . . . . 230
Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . . . 231
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Brakes
Electric Brake Boost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . . 237
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Automatic VehicleHold (AVH) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/ElectronicStability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Driver Mode Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Competitive Driving Mode . . . . . . . 247
Limited-Slip Differential . . . . . . . . . 249
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Adaptive Cruise Control (Advanced) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Super Cruise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . . . . . 275
Assistance Systems for Parking or Backing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Rear Pedestrian Alert . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Assistance Systems for Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Front Pedestrian Braking (FPB) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . 291
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . . . . 291
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . . . . . 293
Surround Vision Recorder . . . . . . . 295

Cadillac CT5 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14584312) -
2021 - CRC - 11/23/20
212 DRIVING AND OPERATING
.Maintain a reasonable steady speed
through the curve.
.Wait until the vehicle is out of the
curve before accelerating gently into
the straightaway.
Steering in Emergencies
.There are some situations when
steering around a problem may be
more effective than braking.
.Holding both sides of the steering
wheel allows you to turn
180 degrees without removing
a hand.
.Antilock Brake System (ABS) allows
steering while braking.
Off-Road Recovery
The vehicle's right wheels can drop off
the edge of a road onto the shoulder
while driving. Follow these tips:1. Ease off the accelerator and then, if there is nothing in the way, steer
the vehicle so that it straddles the
edge of the pavement.
2. Turn the steering wheel about one-eighth of a turn, until the right
front tire contacts the
pavement edge.
3. Turn the steering wheel to go straight down the roadway.
Loss of Control
Skidding
There are three types of skids that
correspond to the vehicle's three
control systems:
.Braking Skid —wheels are not
rolling.
.Steering or Cornering Skid —too
much speed or steering in a curve
causes tires to slip and lose
cornering force.
.Acceleration Skid —too much
throttle causes the driving wheels
to spin.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by
taking reasonable care suited to
existing conditions, and by not
overdriving those conditions. But
skids are always possible.
If the vehicle starts to slide, follow
these suggestions:
.Ease your foot off the accelerator
pedal and steer the way you want
the vehicle to go. The vehicle may
straighten out. Be ready for a
second skid if it occurs.

Cadillac CT5 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14584312) -
2021 - CRC - 11/23/20
216 DRIVING AND OPERATING
Racing/Track Brake Burnishing
Procedure
Caution
Brake fade will occur during this
track burnish procedure and can
cause brake pedal travel and force
to increase. This could extend
stopping distance until the brakes
are fully burnished.
1. Apply the brakes 25 times starting at 100 km/h (60 mph) to 50 km/h
(30 mph) while decelerating at
0.4 g. This is a medium brake
application. Drive for at least 1 km
(0.6 mi) between applying the
brakes. This first step may be
skipped if there are more than
320 km (200 mi) on the brake pads.
2. Apply the brakes 25 times starting at 100 km/h (60 mph) to 25 km/h
(15 mph) while decelerating at
0.8 g. This is a hard brake
application, without activating the
Antilock Brake System (ABS). Drive
for at least 1 km (0.6 mi) between
applications. 3. Cool down: Drive at 100 km/h
(60 mph) for approximately 15 km
(10 mi) without using the brakes.
4. Apply the brakes 25 times from 100 km/h (60 mph) to 50 km/h
(30 mph) while decelerating at
0.4 g. This is a medium brake
application. Drive for at least 1 km
(0.6 mi) between applications.
As with all high performance brake
systems, some amount of brake squeal
is normal.
Wheel Alignment
Wheel alignment suggested specs for
track use:
.Front: -2.0 deg camber, 0.2 deg
total toe
.Rear: -1.7 deg camber, 0.2 deg
total toe
Vehicles Equipped with the
Original Equipment Tires
Follow the requirements and
recommendations for tire inflation
pressures while driving on various
types of tracks/courses. This helps to
achieve a well-balanced vehicle and
enhance tire traction performance. Use good judgment to determine the
appropriate tire inflation pressure and
speeds for the track/course
configuration and environmental
conditions. Contact the tire
manufacturer if further assistance is
needed.
Tire Inflation Pressure
Guidelines
Tire inflation pressures affect vehicle
handling and tire life, and should be
adjusted for various types of tracks/
courses.
Inspect the tires prior to every track/
course session. Track/course driving
will reduce the tire tread life.
Driving and Operating
{Warning
Operating the vehicle at high speeds
can be dangerous. Improper tire
inflation pressure can put
additional strain on the tires and
can cause a sudden failure. Make
sure the tires are in excellent
(Continued)

Cadillac CT5 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14584312) -
2021 - CRC - 11/23/20
218 DRIVING AND OPERATING
Warning (Continued)
transmission to a lower gear to let
the engine assist the brakes on a
steep downhill slope.
{Warning
Coasting downhill in N (Neutral) or
with the ignition off is dangerous.
This can cause overheating of the
brakes and loss of steering assist.
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, crash).
.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
Control0240.
.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) 0237.
See Driver Mode Control 0242.
.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. If possible,
use Roadside Service. See
Roadside
Service 0405. 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.
(Continued)