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Climate Controls 233
buttons on the center stack.
Use the manual heated and
ventilated seat buttons on the
center stack to turn auto
heated or ventilated seats off.
If the passenger seat is
unoccupied, the auto heated
or ventilated seats feature will
not activate that seat. The
auto heated and ventilated
seats feature can be
programmed to always be
enabled when the vehicle is
on. If equipped with a heated
steering wheel, the auto
heated steering wheel
activation will follow the
heated seat auto activation
and the heated wheel
indicator will follow the state
of the steering wheel heat.
See Heated and Ventilated
Front Seats054.
Remote Start Climate
Control Operation :
If equipped with the remote
start feature, the climate
control system may run when
the vehicle is started remotely.
The system uses the driver’s previous settings to heat or
cool the inside of the vehicle.
The rear defog may come on
during remote start based on
cold ambient conditions. The
rear defog indicator light does
not come on during a remote
start.
If equipped, the heated seats
will turn on if it is cold outside
or the ventilated seats will
turn on if it is hot outside. The
heated and ventilated seat
indicator lights may not come
on during a remote start.
If equipped, the heated
steering wheel will come on in
a remote start if it is cold
outside. The heated steering
wheel indicator light may not
come on. See Remote Vehicle
Start
019 and
Heated and Ventilated Front
Seats 054.Sensor
The solar sensor, on top of the
instrument panel near the
windshield, monitors the
solar heat.
The climate control system
uses the sensor information to
adjust the temperature, fan
speed, recirculation, and air
delivery mode for best
comfort.
If the sensor is covered, the
automatic climate control
system may not work properly.
Cadillac XT6 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-16405819) -
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238 Driving and Operating
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Driving for Better FuelEconomy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . 240
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . 240
Impaired Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . 241
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . 243
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . 248
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . 251
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . 252
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . 256
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . 257
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . 258
Stop/Start System . . . . . . . . 259
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261 Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . 263
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . 264
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Active Fuel Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . 265
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Automatic Transmission
AutomaticTransmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Brakes
Electric Brake Boost . . . . . . 273
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Electric Parking Brake . . . 274
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . 276
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/ Electronic Stability
Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Driver Mode Control . . . . . . 278
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Adaptive Cruise Control (Advanced) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Super Cruise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Driver Assistance
Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312
Assistance Systems for Parking or Backing . . . . . . . 314
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314
Surround Vision System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
Park Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318
Automatic Parking Assist (APA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
Reverse Automatic Braking (RAB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
Rear Pedestrian Alert . . . . 324
Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) System . . . . . . . . . . . 325
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240 Driving and Operating
.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.
.Avoid stressful
conversations while driving,
whether with a passenger or
on a cell phone.
{Warning
Taking your eyes off the
road too long or too often
could cause a crash
resulting in injury or death.
Focus your attention on
driving.
Refer to the infotainment
section for more information
on using that system and the
navigation system, if equipped,
including pairing and using a
cell phone.
Defensive Driving
Defensive driving means
“always expect the
unexpected.” The first step in
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Driving and Operating 241
driving defensively is to wear
the seat belt. See Seat Belts
062.
.Assume that other road
users (pedestrians,
bicyclists, and other drivers)
are going to be careless and
make mistakes. Anticipate
what they may do and be
ready.
.Allow enough following
distance between you and
the driver in front of you.
.Focus on the task of driving.
Impaired Driving
Death and injury associated
with impaired driving is a
global tragedy.
{Warning
Drinking alcohol or taking
drugs and then driving is
very dangerous. Your
reflexes, perceptions,
attentiveness, and judgment
can be affected by even a
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
small amount of alcohol or
drugs. You can have a
serious—or even fatal —
collision if you drive after
drinking or taking drugs.
Do not drive while under the
influence of alcohol or drugs,
or ride with a driver who has
been drinking or is impaired
by drugs. Find alternate
transportation home; or if
you are with a group,
designate a driver who will
remain sober.
Control of a Vehicle
Braking, steering, and
accelerating are important
factors in helping to control a
vehicle while driving.
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 while
the vehicle is being driven,
brake normally but do not
pump the brakes. Doing so
could make the pedal harder
to push down. If the engine
stops, there will be some
power brake assist but it will
be used when the brake is
applied. Once the power assist
Cadillac XT6 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-16405819) -
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242 Driving and Operating
is used up, it can take longer
to stop and the brake pedal
will be harder to push.
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.
Electric Power Steering
The vehicle is equipped with
an electric power steering
system, which reduces the
amount of effort needed to
steer the vehicle. It does not
have power steering fluid.
Regular maintenance is not
required.
If the vehicle experiences a
system malfunction and loses
power steering, greater
steering effort may be
required. Power steering
assist also may be reduced if
you turn the steering wheel asfar as it can turn and hold it
there with force for an
extended period of time.
See your dealer if there is a
problem.
Curve Tips
.Take curves at a reasonable
speed.
.Reduce speed before
entering a curve.
.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.
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Driving and Operating 243
.The 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.
.Slow down and adjust your
driving according to weather
conditions. Stopping
distance can be longer and
vehicle control can be
affected when traction is
reduced by water, snow, ice,
gravel, or other material on
the road. Learn to recognize
warning clues
—such as
enough water, ice, or packed
snow on the road to make a
mirrored surface —and slow
down when you have any
doubt.
.Try to avoid sudden
steering, acceleration,
or braking, including
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Driving and Operating 245
Warning (Continued)
.Keep cargo in the cargo
area as far forward and as
low as possible. The
heaviest things should be
on the floor, forward of
the rear axle.
.Heavy loads on the roof
raise the vehicle's center
of gravity, making it more
likely to roll over. You can
be seriously or fatally
injured if the vehicle rolls
over. Put heavy loads
inside the cargo area, not
on the roof.
For more information about
loading the vehicle, see
Vehicle Load Limits 0252.
Environmental Concerns
.Always use established
trails, roads, and areas that
have been set aside for
public off-road recreational
driving and obey all posted
regulations.
.Do not damage shrubs,
flowers, trees, or grasses or
disturb wildlife.
.Do not park over things that
burn. See Parking over
Things That Burn 0264.
Driving on Hills
Driving safely on hills requires
good judgment and an
understanding of what the
vehicle can and cannot do.
{Warning
Many hills are simply too
steep for any vehicle. Driving
up hills can cause the vehicle
to stall. Driving down hills
can cause loss of control.
Driving across hills can
cause a rollover. You could
be injured or killed. Do not
drive on steep hills.
Before driving on a hill, assess
the steepness, traction, and
obstructions. If the terrain ahead cannot be seen, get out
of the vehicle and walk the hill
before driving further.
When driving on hills:
.Use a low gear and keep a
firm grip on the steering
wheel.
.Maintain a slow speed.
.When possible, drive straight
up or down the hill.
.Slow down when
approaching the top of
the hill.
{Warning
Driving to the top of a hill at
high speed can cause a
crash. There could be a
drop-off, embankment, cliff,
or even another vehicle. You
could be seriously injured or
killed. As you near the top of
a hill, slow down and stay
alert.
.Use headlamps even during
the day to make the vehicle
more visible.
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Driving and Operating 247
3. If the vehicle cannot berestarted after stalling, set
the parking brake, shift
into P (Park), and turn the
vehicle off.
3.1. Leave the vehicle and seek help.
3.2.Stay clear of the path the vehicle would take
if it rolled downhill.
{Warning
Getting out of the vehicle on
the downhill side when
stopped across an incline is
dangerous. If the vehicle
rolls over, you could be
crushed or killed. Always get
out on the uphill side of the
vehicle and stay well clear of
the rollover path.
Driving in Mud, Sand,
Snow, or Ice
Use a low gear when driving in
mud –the deeper the mud, the
lower the gear. Keep the
vehicle moving to avoid
getting stuck.
Traction changes when driving
on sand. On loose sand, such
as on beaches or sand dunes,
the tires tend to sink into the
sand. This affects steering,
accelerating, and braking.
Drive at a reduced speed and
avoid sharp turns or abrupt
maneuvers.
Traction is reduced on hard
packed snow and ice and it is
easy to lose control. Reduce
vehicle speed when driving on
hard packed snow and ice.
{Warning
Driving on frozen lakes,
ponds, or rivers can be
dangerous. Ice conditions
vary greatly and the vehicle
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
could fall through the ice;
you and your passengers
could drown. Drive your
vehicle on safe
surfaces only.
Driving in Water
{Warning
Driving through rushing
water can be dangerous.
Deep water can sweep your
vehicle downstream and you
and your passengers could
drown. If it is only shallow
water, it can still wash away
the ground from under your
tires. Traction could be lost,
and the vehicle could roll
over. Do not drive through
rushing water.