tow CADILLAC STS 2006 1.G Owners Manual

Seats and Restraint Systems........................... 1-1
Front Seats
............................................... 1-2
Rear Seats
............................................... 1-7
Safety Belts
.............................................. 1-8
Child Restraints
.......................................1-26
Airbag System
.........................................1-49
Restraint System Check
............................1-64
Features and Controls..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-3
Doors and Locks
......................................2-12
Windows
.................................................2-17
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................2-20
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
...........2-24
Mirrors
....................................................2-41
OnStar
®System
......................................2-45
Universal Home Remote System
................2-47
Storage Areas
.........................................2-51
Sunroof
..................................................2-52
Vehicle Personalization
.............................2-53
Instrument Panel............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-4
Climate Controls
......................................3-48
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators
........3-57
Driver Information Center (DIC)
..................3-73
Audio System(s)
.......................................3-94Driving Your Vehicle....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle
..... 4-2
Towing
...................................................4-37
Service and Appearance Care.......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-5
Checking Things Under the Hood
...............5-10
All-Wheel Drive
........................................5-50
Rear Axle
...............................................5-51
Front Axle
...............................................5-52
Bulb Replacement
....................................5-53
Windshield Replacement
...........................5-55
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.........5-55
Tires
......................................................5-56
Appearance Care
.....................................5-94
Vehicle Identication
...............................5-103
Electrical System
....................................5-104
Capacities and Specications
...................5-116
Maintenance Schedule..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance and Information.............. 7-1
Customer Assistance and Information
........... 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
...........................7-13
Index.............................................................. 71
2006 Cadillac STS/STS-V Owner ManualM

Heated and Ventilated Seats
Your vehicle may have
heated and ventilated
front seats. The buttons
are located on the climate
control panel.
z(Heated Seat and Seatback):This part of the
button is for the heated seat and seatback.
{(Ventilated Seat):This part of the button is for
the ventilated seat.
There are three settings for each feature. A light bar
in the climate control display shows the setting;
high, medium or low. The longest bar shows the high
range and the shortest bar shows the low range.Pressing either the heated seat or ventilated part of
the seat button will start that feature at the highest
setting. Each time you press the button, the feature
will decrease one setting.
To turn the feature off, keep pressing the button until
the display lights turn off.
The heated or ventilated seats will automatically shut
off when the vehicle is turned off.
Power Reclining Seatbacks
The front seats have
power reclining seatbacks.
Use the vertical power
seat control located on
the outboard side of
the seat to operate them.
To recline the seatback, press the control toward
the rear of the vehicle.
To raise the seatback, press the control toward the
front of the vehicle.
1-4

Q:What if a child is wearing a lap-shoulder belt,
but the child is so small that the shoulder belt
is very close to the child’s face or neck?
A:If the child is sitting in a seat next to a window,
move the child toward the center of the vehicle.
Also seeRear Safety Belt Comfort Guides on
page 1-23. If the child is sitting in the center rear
seat passenger position, move the child toward
the safety belt buckle. In either case, be sure that
the shoulder belt still is on the child’s shoulder,
so that in a crash the child’s upper body would
have the restraint the belts provide.
{CAUTION:
Never do this.
Here a child is sitting in a seat that has a
lap-shoulder belt, but the shoulder part is
behind the child. If the child wears the belt in
this way, in a crash the child might slide under
the belt. The belt’s force would then be applied
right on the child’s abdomen. That could cause
serious or fatal injuries.
Wherever the child sits, the lap portion of the belt
should be worn low and snug on the hips, just touching
the child’s thighs. This applies belt force to the child’s
pelvic bones in a crash.
1-28

Child Restraint Systems
An infant car bed (A), a special bed made for use in a
motor vehicle, is an infant restraint system designed
to restrain or position a child on a continuous at
surface. Make sure that the infant’s head rests toward
the center of the vehicle.A rear-facing infant seat (B) provides restraint with the
seating surface against the back of the infant. The
harness system holds the infant in place and, in a crash,
acts to keep the infant positioned in the restraint.
1-32

{CAUTION:
Children can be seriously injured or strangled if
a shoulder belt is wrapped around their neck
and the safety belt continues to tighten. Secure
any unused safety belts behind the child
restraint so children cannot reach them. Pull
the shoulder belt all the way out of the retractor
to set the lock, if your vehicle has one, after the
child restraint has been installed. Be sure to
follow the instructions of the child restraint
manufacturer.
Notice:Contact between the child restraint or the
LATCH attachment parts and the vehicle’s safety
belt assembly may cause damage to these parts.
Make sure when securing unused safety belts
behind the child restraint that there is no contact
between the child restraint or the LATCH attachment
parts and the vehicle’s safety belt assembly.Folding an empty rear seat with the safety belts
secured, may cause damage to the safety belt or
the seat. When removing the child restraint, always
remember to return the safety belts to their normal,
stowed position before folding the rear seat.
1. Find the lower anchors, if equipped, for the desired
seating position.
2. If the desired seating position does not have lower
anchors, seeSecuring a Child Restraint in a Rear
Seat Position on page 1-44for instructions on
installing the child restraint using the safety belts.
3. Put the child restraint on the seat.
4. Attach and tighten the lower attachments on the
child restraint to the lower anchors, if equipped, in
the vehicle. The child restraint instructions will
show you how.
5. If the child restraint is forward-facing, attach and
tighten the top tether to the top tether anchor.
Refer to the child restraint instructions and
the following steps:
5.1. Find the top tether anchor.
5.2. Open the top tether anchor trim cover to
expose the anchor.
5.3. If you have an adjustable head restraint,
raise the head restraint.
1-42

What Makes an Airbag Inate?
In an impact of sufficient severity, the airbag sensing
system detects that the vehicle is in a crash. The
sensing system triggers a release of gas from the
inator, which inates the airbag. The inator, airbag
and related hardware are all part of the airbag modules
inside the steering wheel, instrument panel, the side
of the front seatbacks closest to the door and the
ceiling of the vehicle, near the side windows.
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. The airbag supplements the protection
provided by safety belts. Airbags distribute the force of
the impact more evenly over the occupant’s upper
body, stopping the occupant more gradually. But the
frontal airbags would not help you in many types
of collisions, including rollovers, rear impacts, and many
side impacts, primarily because an occupant’s motion
is not toward the airbag. Side impact airbags would not
help you in many types of collisions, including many
frontal or near frontal collisions, rollovers, and rear
impacts, primarily because an occupant’s motion is not
toward those airbags.Airbags should never be regarded as anything more than
a supplement to safety belts, and then only in moderate
to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions for the driver’s
and right front passenger’s frontal airbags, and only in
moderate to severe side collisions for side impact
airbags.
What Will You See After an Airbag
Inates?
After the frontal and seat-mounted side impact airbags
inate, they quickly deate, so quickly that some people
may not even realize the airbags inated. Roof-mounted
side impact airbags are designed to deate more slowly
and may still be at least partially inated minutes after
the vehicle comes to rest. Some components of the
airbag module — the steering wheel hub for the
driver’s airbag, the instrument panel for the right front
passenger’s bag, the side of the seatback closest to the
door for the seat-mounted side impact airbags and the
area along the ceiling of your vehicle near the side
windows — may be hot for a short time. The parts of
the airbag that come into contact with you may be warm,
but not too hot to touch.
1-57

Starting and Operating Your
Vehicle
New Vehicle Break-In
Notice:Your vehicle does not need an elaborate
break-in. But it will perform better in the long run if
you follow these guidelines:
Do not drive at any one constant speed, fast or
slow, for the rst 500 miles (805 km). Do not
make full-throttle starts. Avoid downshifting to
brake, or slow, the vehicle.
Avoid making hard stops for the rst 200 miles
(322 km) or so. During this time your new brake
linings are not yet broken in. Hard stops with new
linings can mean premature wear and earlier
replacement. Follow this breaking-in guideline
every time you get new brake linings.
Do not tow a trailer during break-in. SeeTowing
a Trailer (STS Only) on page 4-40for the trailer
towing capabilities of your vehicle and more
information.
Following break-in, engine speed and load can be
gradually increased.
Ignition Positions
Your vehicle has an
electronic keyless ignition
with pushbutton start.
/(START):Press this button while your foot is on the
brake to start the engine. The shifter must be in PARK (P)
or NEUTRAL (N) to start the engine and the keyless
access transmitter must be in the vehicle for the ignition
to work.
2-24

9ACC (OFF/ACCESSORY):When this button is
pressed, the engine will turn off even if the shifter is not in
PARK (P). If the shifter is in PARK (P), the ignition mode
will change to RAP, if all doors are closed. The ignition
mode will change to OFF, if a front door is opened. See
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) on page 2-25for more
information. If the shifter is not in PARK (P), the ignition
mode will change to ACC. SeeShifting Into Park (P) on
page 2-36.
When the engine is off, press this button to place the
vehicle in accessory mode. ACCESSORY ACTIVE will
display on the Driver Information Center (DIC). This mode
allows you to use things like the radio and the windshield
wipers while the engine is off. Use accessory mode if you
must have your vehicle in motion while the engine is off,
for example, if your vehicle is being towed. If the door is
open while in accessory mode, the key in reminder chime
will sound continuously.
If the push-button start is not working, your vehicle
may be near a strong radio antenna signal causing
interference to the keyless access system. SeeDIC
Warnings and Messages on page 3-79for more
information.
After being in ACC for about 20 minutes, the vehicle will
automatically enter RAP or will turn off, depending on if
the doors are opened or closed.Retained Accessory Power (RAP)
The following accessories on your vehicle may be used
for up to 20 minutes after the engine is turned off:
Radio
Power Windows
Audio Steering Wheel Controls
Power to these accessories stops after 20 minutes or
if one of the front doors is opened. If you want power
for another 20 minutes, close all the doors and press
the OFF/ACCESSORY button to place the vehicle
in accessory mode. Press the button again and
the vehicle will return to RAP.
Starting the Engine
Move your shift lever to PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N).
Your engine will not start in any other position — that
is a safety feature. To restart when you are already
moving, use NEUTRAL (N) only.
The keyless access transmitter must be in the vehicle
for the ignition to work.
2-25

Automatic Transmission Operation
(5-Speed Automatic)
The shift lever is located on the center console between
the front seats.
There are several different
positions for the shift lever.
PARK (P):This position locks the rear wheels. It is the
best position to use when you start the engine because
your vehicle cannot move easily.
{CAUTION:
It is dangerous to get out of your vehicle if the
shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake rmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
Do not leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to. If you have left the
engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You or others could be injured. To be sure your
vehicle will not move, even when you are on
fairly level ground, always set your parking
brake and move the shift lever to PARK (P).
SeeShifting Into Park (P) on page 2-36.If
you are pulling a trailer, seeTowing a Trailer
(STS Only) on page 4-40.
2-28

Ensure the shift lever is fully in PARK (P) before starting
the engine. Your vehicle has an automatic transmission
shift lock control system. You must fully apply your
regular brakes before you can shift from PARK (P) when
the ignition is on. If you cannot shift out of PARK (P),
ease pressure on the shift lever. Push the shift lever all
the way into PARK (P) while pressing the button on the
shift lever as you maintain brake application. Then move
the shift lever into the gear you wish. SeeShifting Out of
Park (P) on page 2-38.
Notice:Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your vehicle
is moving forward could damage the transmission.
The repairs would not be covered by your warranty.
Shift to REVERSE (R) only after your vehicle is
stopped.
REVERSE (R):Use this gear to back up.
At low vehicle speeds, you can also use REVERSE (R)
to rock your vehicle back and forth to get out of snow,
ice or sand without damaging your transmission. SeeIf
Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow on
page 4-31for additional information.NEUTRAL (N):In this position, the engine does not
connect with the wheels. To restart when you are
already moving, use NEUTRAL (N) only. You can also
use NEUTRAL (N) when your vehicle is being towed.
{CAUTION:
Shifting into a drive gear while your engine
is running at high speed is dangerous. Unless
your foot is rmly on the brake pedal, your
vehicle could move very rapidly. You could
lose control and hit people or objects. Do not
shift into a drive gear while your engine is
running at high speed.
Notice:Shifting out of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N)
with the engine running at high speed may damage
the transmission. The repairs would not be covered
by your warranty. Be sure the engine is not running
at high speed when shifting your vehicle.
2-29