CADILLAC STS 2008 1.G Owners Manual
Page 191 of 500
Wiper Activated Headlamps
This feature activates the headlamps and parking lamps
after the windshield wipers have been in use for
about six seconds. For this feature to work, automatic
lighting must be enabled. SeeHeadlamps on page 3-33
for additional information.
When the ignition is turned off, the wiper-activated
headlamps will immediately turn off. They will also turn
off if the windshield wiper control is turned off.
Headlamps on Reminder
A warning chime will sound if the exterior lamp control
is left on in either the headlamp or parking lamp position
and the driver’s door is opened with the ignition off.
SeeLights On Reminder on page 3-72for additional
information.
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier for
others to see the front of your vehicle during the day.
DRL can be helpful in many different driving conditions,
but they can be especially helpful in the short periods
after dawn and before sunset. Fully functional daytime
running lamps are required on all vehicles rst sold
in Canada.
The DRL system will make the turn signal lamps
come on when the following conditions are met:
It is still daylight and the ignition is on,
the automatic lights are enabled, and
the transmission is not in PARK (P).
When DRL are on, only the front turn signal lamps will
be on. No other exterior lamps will be on when the DRL
are being used. The instrument panel will not be lit.
When the automatic lights are enabled and it is dark
enough outside, the DRL will turn off and the low-beam
headlamps will turn on. When it is bright enough
outside, the low-beam headlamps will go off, and the
DRL will turn back on. If the vehicle is started in a
dark garage, the automatic headlamp system will
come on immediately. Once the vehicle leaves the
garage, it will take about one minute for the automatic
headlamp system to change to DRL if it is light outside.
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During that delay, the instrument panel cluster may
not be as bright as usual. Make sure the instrument
panel brightness lever is in the full bright position.
SeeInstrument Panel Brightness on page 3-41.
To operate your vehicle with the DRL off, turn
the exterior lamp control off and then do one of
the following:
Turn the exterior lamp control to the parking
lamp position.
Turn the exterior lamp control to the headlamp
position.
Turn the exterior lamp control from AUTO to
off and back to AUTO.
An AUTOMATIC LIGHTS OFF message will appear
on the DIC, showing that automatic lighting has
been disabled. SeeDIC Warnings and Messages
on page 3-80.
The regular headlamp system should be turned
on when needed.
Light Sensor
The light sensor for the DRL is located on top of
the instrument panel. If the sensor is covered, it will
read dark, and the exterior lamps may come on
when they are not needed.
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Fog Lamps
Use the fog lamps for better vision in foggy or misty
conditions.
The fog lamp controls are located on the turn
signal/multifunction lever.
-(Fog Lamps):The band with this symbol is used to
turn the fog lamps on and off.
The parking lamps must be on for the fog lamps to work.
To turn the fog lamps on, turn the fog lamp band on
the lever up to the dot and release it. The band
will return to its original position.
To turn the fog lamps off, turn the fog lamp band up
to the dot and release it. The band will return to
its original position, and the fog lamps will turn off.
If the high-beam headlamps are turned on, the
fog lamps will also turn off. They will turn back on
again when you switch back to low-beam headlamps.
Some localities have laws that require the headlamps
to be on along with the fog lamps.
Twilight Sentinel®
Twilight Sentinel®can turn your lamps on and off for you.
A light sensor on top of the instrument panel makes the
Twilight Sentinel
®work, so be sure it is not covered.
With Twilight Sentinel®the following will happen:
When it is dark enough outside, the front turn signal
lamps (DRL) will go off, and the headlamps and
parking lamps will come on. The other lamps
that come on with headlamps will also come on.
When it is bright enough outside, the headlamps
will go off, and the front turn signal lamps (DRL)
will come on, as long as the exterior lamp switch
is in the off position.
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If you start your vehicle in a dark garage, the automatic
headlamp system will come on immediately. Once you
leave the garage, it will take about one minute for the
automatic headlamp system to change to DRL if it is
light outside. During that delay, the instrument panel
cluster might not be as bright as usual. Make sure the
instrument panel brightness control is in full bright
position. SeeInstrument Panel Brightness on page 3-41
for more information.
You can idle the vehicle with the lamps off, even when
it is dark outside. First set the parking brake while
the ignition is in OFF/ACCESSORY. Then start the
vehicle. The lamps will stay off until the parking brake
is released.
Twilight Sentinel
®also provides exterior illumination
as you leave the vehicle. If Twilight Sentinel®has
turned on the lamps when you turn off the ignition,
the lamps will remain on until:
The exterior lamp switch is moved from off to
the parking lamp position.
A delay time that you select has elapsed.SeeVehicle Personalization on page 2-60to select
the delay time that you want. You can also select
no delay time.
If the ignition is turned off with the exterior lamp switch
in the parking lamp or headlamp position, the Twilight
Sentinel
®delay will not occur. The lamps will turn off
as soon as the switch is turned off.
As with any vehicle, the regular headlamp system
should be turned on when needed.
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver
If the parking lamps or headlamps have been left on,
the exterior lamps will turn off about 10 minutes after
the ignition is turned off. This protects against draining
the battery in case you have accidentally left the
headlamps or parking lamps on. The battery saver
does not work if the headlamps are turned on after
the ignition is turned off.
If you need to leave the lamps on for more than
10 minutes, use the exterior lamp control to turn
the lamps back on.
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Instrument Panel Brightness
Press the center knob on the DIC control panel until
the knob pops out. Then turn the knob clockwise
to brighten the lights or counterclockwise to dim
them. If the knob is turned completely clockwise,
the interior lamps turn on.
Entry Lighting
The entry lighting system turns on the reading and
dome lamps and the backlighting to the exterior lamp
control when a door is opened or if you press the
remote keyless entry transmitter unlock button.
If activated by the transmitter, the lighting will remain
active for about 25 seconds. The entry lighting system
uses the light sensor; it must be dark outside in order
for the lamps to turn on. The lamps turn off about
25 seconds after the last door is closed. They will dim
to off if the ignition is on, or immediately deactivate if
the power locks are activated.
Parade Dimming
This feature prohibits dimming of the instrument panel
displays and backlighting during daylight hours when
the key is in the ignition and the headlamps are on.
This feature operates with the light sensor and is fully
automatic. When the light sensor reads darkness outside
and the parking lamps are active, the instrument panel
displays can be adjusted by turning the instrument panel
brightness knob. SeeInstrument Panel Brightness
on page 3-41for additional information. Base Level Shown,
Uplevel Similar
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Reading Lamps
The reading lamps are located on the overhead console.
These lamps come on automatically when any door is
opened.
For manual operation, press the button next to each
lamp to turn it on or off.
If the reading lamps are left on, they automatically shut
off 10 minutes after the ignition has been turned off.
Battery Load Management
The battery load management feature is designed to
monitor the vehicle’s electrical load and determine when
the battery is in a heavy discharge condition. During
times of high electrical loading, the engine may idle
at a higher revolutions per minute (rpm) setting
than normal to make sure the battery charges.
High electrical loads may occur when several of the
following are on: headlamps, high beams, fog lamps,
rear window defogger, the climate control fan at
high speeds, heated seats and engine cooling fans.If the battery continues to discharge, even with the
engine idling at a higher rpm setting, some electrical
loads will automatically be reduced. When this occurs,
the rear window defogger may take slightly longer
to clear the glass and the fan may cut back to a lower
speed. For more battery saving information, see
“Battery Saver Active Message” underDIC Warnings
and Messages on page 3-80.
Electric Power Management
The vehicle has Electric Power Management (EPM)
that estimates the battery’s temperature and state
of charge. It then adjusts the voltage for best
performance and extended life of the battery.
When the battery’s state of charge is low, the voltage
is raised slightly to quickly put the charge back in.
When the state of charge is high, the voltage is lowered
slightly to prevent overcharging. If the vehicle has a
voltmeter gage or a voltage display on the Driver
Information Center (DIC), you may see the voltage
move up or down. This is normal. If there is a problem,
an alert will be displayed.
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The battery can be discharged at idle if the electrical
loads are very high. This is true for all vehicles.
This is because the generator (alternator) may not be
spinning fast enough at idle to produce all the power
that is needed for very high electrical loads.
A high electrical load occurs when several of the
following loads are on: headlamps, high beams, fog
lamps, rear window defogger, climate control fan at
high speed, heated seats, engine cooling fans, trailer
loads, and loads plugged into accessory power outlets.
EPM works to prevent excessive discharge of the
battery. It does this by balancing the generator’s output
and the vehicle’s electrical needs. It can increase
engine idle speed to generate more power, whenever
needed. It can temporarily reduce the power demands
of some accessories.
Normally, these actions occur in steps or levels, without
being noticeable. In rare cases at the highest levels
of corrective action, this action may be noticeable to
the driver. If so, a Driver Information Center (DIC)
message might be displayed, such as Battery Saver
Active or Service Battery Charging System. If this
message is displayed, it is recommended that the
driver reduce the electrical loads as much as possible.
SeeDIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-80.Inadvertent Power Battery Saver
This feature is designed to protect your vehicle’s battery
against drainage from the interior lamps, trunk lamp,
glove box lamp, or the garage door opener. When the
ignition is turned off, the power to these features will
automatically turn off after 10 minutes (three minutes if
a new car has 15 miles (24 km) or less). Power will
be restored for an additional 10 minutes if any door is
opened, the trunk is opened or the courtesy lamp switch
is turned on.
Head-Up Display (HUD)
{CAUTION:
If the HUD image is too bright, or too high in
your eld of view, it may take you more time
to see things you need to see when it is dark
outside. Be sure to keep the HUD image dim
and placed low in your eld of view.
For vehicles with the Head-Up Display (HUD), it projects
some of the driver information that appears on the
instrument panel cluster onto the windshield.
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The information may be displayed in English or metric
units and appears as an image focused out toward
the front of your vehicle. To change from English
to metric units, seeDIC Operation and Displays
on page 3-74.
The HUD consists of the following information:
Speedometer
Turn Signal Indicators
High-Beam Indicator Symbol
Driver Shift Control Transmission Feature,
seeAutomatic Transmission Operation
on page 2-32
Check Gages Icon
Adaptive Cruise Control Features and Indicators
(If Equipped), seeAdaptive Cruise Control on
page 3-20
Forward Collision Alert Features and Indicators
(If Equipped), seeForward Collision Alert (FCA)
System on page 3-10
Radio FeaturesBe sure to continue scanning your displays, controls
and driving environment just as you would in a vehicle
without HUD. If you never look at your instrument
panel cluster, you may not see something important,
such as a warning light. Under important warning
conditions, the CHECK GAGES message will
display in the HUD. View your Driver Information
Center (DIC) for more information.United States version shown, Canada similar
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The HUD controls are
located to the left of
the steering wheel on
the DIC control panel.
~(Head-Up Display):Press to change the position
of the HUD on the windshield.
To adjust the brightness of the HUD image, press the
knob on the center of the DIC control panel in until
it pops out and then pull the knob until is completely
extended. Turn the knob clockwise or counter-clockwise
to increase or decrease the brightness. Turn the
knob all the way to the left to turn off the HUD image.To adjust the HUD so you can see it properly,
do the following:
1. Adjust the seat to a comfortable driving position.
If you change your seat position later, you may
have to re-adjust your HUD.
2. Start your engine and press the top or bottom of the
HUD button to center the HUD image in your view.
The HUD image can only be adjusted up and down,
not side-to-side.
3. Turn the knob on the DIC control panel to adjust
the brightness of the HUD image.
The brightness of the HUD image is determined by the
light conditions in the direction your vehicle is facing and
where you have the HUD set. If you are facing a dark
object or a heavily shaded area, your HUD may anticipate
that you are entering a dark area and may begin to dim.
Polarized sunglasses could make the HUD image
harder to see.
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