CADILLAC CT6 2016 Owners Manual

Cadillac CT6 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9235592) -
2016 - crc - 11/6/15
210 Driving and Operating
Running the Vehicle
While Parked It is better not to park with the
engine running.
If the vehicle is left with the engine
running, follow the proper steps to
be sure the vehicle will not move.
See Shifting Into Park 0 207 and
Engine Exhaust 0 209 .
If parking on a hill and pulling a
trailer, see Driving Characteristics
and Towing Tips 0 255 .Automatic
Transmission
There are several different positions
for the shift lever.
P : This position locks the rear
wheels. Use this position when
starting the engine because the
vehicle cannot move easily. { WarningIt is dangerous to get out of the
vehicle if the shift lever is not fully
in P (Park) with the parking brake
firmly set. The vehicle can roll.
Do not leave the 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 the
vehicle will not move, even when
you are on fairly level ground,
always set the parking brake and
move the shift lever to P (Park).
See Shifting Into Park 0 207 .
If you are pulling a trailer, see
Driving Characteristics and
Towing Tips 0 255 .
Make sure the shift lever is fully in
P (Park) before starting the engine.
The vehicle has an electronic shift
lock release system. Fully apply the
regular brakes first and then press
the shift lever button before shifting
from P (Park) when the ignition is in

Cadillac CT6 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9235592) -
2016 - crc - 11/6/15
Driving and Operating 211ON/RUN. If you cannot shift out of
P (Park), ease pressure on the shift
lever and push the shift lever all the
way into P (Park) as you maintain
brake application. Then press the
shift lever button and move the shift
lever into another gear. See Shifting
out of Park 0 208 .
CautionShifting to R (Reverse) while the
vehicle is moving forward could
damage the transmission. The
repairs would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Shift to
R (Reverse) only after the vehicle
is stopped.
R : Use this gear to back up.
At low vehicle speeds, R (Reverse)
can be used to rock the vehicle
back and forth to get out of snow,
ice, or sand without damaging the
transmission. See If the Vehicle Is
Stuck 0 198 .
N : In this position, the engine does
not connect with the wheels. To
restart when the vehicle is already moving, use N (Neutral) only. You
can also use N (Neutral) when the
vehicle is being towed.
{ WarningShifting into a drive gear while the
engine is running at high speed is
dangerous. Unless your foot is
firmly on the brake pedal, the
vehicle could move very rapidly.
You could lose control and hit
people or objects. Do not shift
into a drive gear while the engine
is running at high speed.
Caution
Shifting out of P (Park) or
N (Neutral) with the engine
running at high speed may
damage the transmission. The
repairs would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Be sure the
engine is not running at high
speed when shifting the vehicle. D : This position is for normal
driving. It provides the best fuel
economy. If you need more power
for passing, and you are:
.
Going less than 55 km/h
(35 mph), push the accelerator
pedal about halfway down.
.
Going about 55 km/h (35 mph) or
more, push the accelerator all
the way down.
The transmission will shift down
to a lower gear and have more
power.
Downshifting the transmission in
slippery road conditions could result
in skidding. See “ Skidding ” under
Loss of Control 0 195 .
M : This mode can be entered by
moving the shift lever from D (Drive)
to M (Manual Mode). M (Manual
Mode) allows the driver to select
gears appropriate for current driving
conditions. M (Manual Mode) can be
exited by returning the shift lever to
D (Drive). See Manual Mode 0 212 .

Cadillac CT6 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9235592) -
2016 - crc - 11/6/15
212 Driving and Operating CautionSpinning the tires or holding the
vehicle in one place on a hill
using only the accelerator pedal
may damage the transmission.
The repair will not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. If you are
stuck, do not spin the tires. When
stopping on a hill, use the brakes
to hold the vehicle in place.
While in Sport Mode, the vehicle
monitors driving behavior and
automatically enables performance
shift features when spirited driving is
detected. These features maintain
lower transmission gears to
increase available engine braking
and improve acceleration response.
The vehicle will exit these features
and return to normal operation after
a short period when no spirited
driving is detected. See Driver Mode
Control 0 219 . Manual Mode Tap Shift
CautionDriving with the engine at a high
rpm without upshifting while using
Tap Shift, could damage the
vehicle. Always upshift when
necessary while using Tap Shift.
Vehicles with Tap Shift have
controls on the back of the steering
wheel to manually shift the
automatic transmission. To enter Permanent Tap Shift Mode:
1. Move the shift lever from
D (Drive) to M (Manual Mode).
While in Tap Shift Mode, the M
of the PRNDM section of the
instrument cluster will become
highlighted, and the current
gear is indicated.
2. Tap the left control toward the
driver to downshift, and the
right control toward the driver
to upshift. To shift to the lowest
available gear, press and hold
the left control.
3. To exit, move the shift lever
back to D (Drive).
With the shift lever in D (Drive) and
not in Permanent Tap Shift Mode,
the Tap Shift controls will activate a
temporary tap manual shift mode,
allowing the transmission to be
manually shifted. The vehicle exits
Temporary Tap Shift Mode after the
accelerator pedal is steady for
six seconds. Temporary Tap Shift
Mode holds a gear longer without
exiting when coasting, to provide
powertrain braking. The Temporary

Cadillac CT6 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9235592) -
2016 - crc - 11/6/15
Driving and Operating 213Tap Shift Mode can also be
deactivated by holding the right
upshift control briefly.
While using Tap Shift, the vehicle
will have firmer, quicker shifting. You
can use this for sport driving or
when climbing or descending hills,
to stay in gear longer, or to
downshift for more power or engine
braking.
The transmission will only allow you
to shift into gears appropriate for the
vehicle speed and engine
revolutions per minute (rpm). The
transmission will not downshift if the
engine rpm is too high in the next
lower gear, or upshift to the next
higher gear when the maximum
engine rpm is reached. If shifting is prevented for any
reason, a SHIFT DENIED message
will be displayed in the instrument
cluster. See Transmission
Messages 0 156 .
When accelerating the vehicle from
a stop in snowy and icy conditions,
it is suggested to shift into second
gear. A higher gear allows the
vehicle to gain more traction on
slippery surfaces.
Drive Systems All-Wheel Drive Vehicles with this feature always
send engine power to all four
wheels. It is fully automatic, and
adjusts itself as needed for road
conditions.

Cadillac CT6 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9235592) -
2016 - crc - 11/6/15
214 Driving and Operating
Brakes Antilock Brake
System (ABS) This vehicle has ABS, an advanced
electronic braking system that helps
prevent a braking skid.
When the vehicle begins to drive
away, ABS checks itself.
A momentary motor or clicking noise
might be heard while this test is
going on, and it might even be
noticed that the brake pedal moves
a little. This is normal.
If there is a problem with ABS, this
warning light stays on. See Antilock
Brake System (ABS) Warning
Light 0 135 .
If driving safely on a wet road and it
becomes necessary to slam on the
brakes and continue braking to avoid a sudden obstacle, a
computer senses the wheels are
slowing down. If one of the wheels
is about to stop rolling, the computer
will separately work the brakes at
each wheel.
ABS can change the brake pressure
to each wheel, as required, faster
than any driver could. This can help
you steer around the obstacle while
braking hard.
As the brakes are applied, the
computer keeps receiving updates
on wheel speed and controls
braking pressure accordingly.
Remember: ABS does not change
the time needed to get a foot up to
the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too
close to the vehicle in front of you,
there will not be enough time to
apply the brakes if that vehicle
suddenly slows or stops. Always
leave enough room up ahead to
stop, even with ABS. Using ABS Do not pump the brakes. Just hold
the brake pedal down firmly and let
ABS work. You may hear the ABS
pump or motor operating and feel
the brake pedal pulsate. This is
normal.
Braking in Emergencies ABS allows you to steer and brake
at the same time. In many
emergencies, steering can help
more than even the very best
braking.
Electric Parking Brake

Cadillac CT6 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9235592) -
2016 - crc - 11/6/15
Driving and Operating 215The vehicle has an Electric Parking
Brake (EPB). The EPB can always
be activated, even if the ignition is
off. To prevent draining the battery,
avoid repeated cycles of the EPB
system when the engine is not
running.
The system has a red parking brake
status light and an amber parking
brake warning light. See Electric
Parking Brake Light 0 134
and Service Electric Parking Brake
Light 0 134 . There are also parking
brake-related Driver Information
Center (DIC) messages. See Brake
System Messages 0 147 . In case of
insufficient electrical power, the EPB
cannot be applied or released.
Before leaving the vehicle, check
the red parking brake status light to
ensure that the parking brake is
applied.
EPB Apply
To apply the EPB:
1. Be sure the vehicle is at a
complete stop.
2. Press the EPB switch
momentarily. The red parking brake status light
will flash and then stay on once the
EPB is fully applied. If the red
parking brake status light flashes
continuously, then the EPB is only
partially applied or there is a
problem with the EPB. A DIC
message will display. Release the
EPB and try to apply it again. If the
light does not come on, or keeps
flashing, have the vehicle serviced.
Do not drive the vehicle if the red
parking brake status light is flashing.
See your dealer. See Electric
Parking Brake Light 0 134 .
If the amber parking brake warning
light is on, press the EPB switch
and hold it. Continue to hold the
switch until the red parking brake
status light remains on. If the amber
parking brake warning light remains
on, see your dealer.
If the EPB is applied while the
vehicle is moving, the vehicle will
decelerate as long as the switch is
pressed. If the switch is pressed
until the vehicle comes to a stop,
the EPB will remain applied. The vehicle may automatically apply
the EPB in some situations when
the vehicle is not moving. This is
normal, and is done to periodically
check the correct operation of the
EPB system.
If the EPB fails to apply, block the
rear wheels to prevent vehicle
movement.
EPB Release To release the EPB:
1. Place the ignition in the ACC/
ACCESSORY or ON/
RUN mode.
2. Apply and hold the brake
pedal.
3. Push down momentarily on the
EPB switch.
The EPB is released when the red
parking brake status light is off.
If the amber parking brake warning
light is on, release the EPB by
pushing down on the EPB switch
and holding it down. Continue to
hold the switch until the red parking

Cadillac CT6 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9235592) -
2016 - crc - 11/6/15
216 Driving and Operating brake status light is off. If either light
stays on after release is attempted,
see your dealer.
CautionDriving with the parking brake on
can overheat the brake system
and cause premature wear or
damage to brake system parts.
Make sure that the parking brake
is fully released and the brake
warning light is off before driving.
Automatic EPB Release The EPB will automatically release if
the vehicle is running, placed into
gear, and an attempt is made to
drive away. Avoid rapid acceleration
when the EPB is applied, to
preserve parking brake lining life.
If parking on a hill, or if the vehicle
is pulling a trailer, see Driving
Characteristics and Towing
Tips 0 255 . Brake Assist This vehicle has a brake assist
feature designed to assist the driver
in stopping or decreasing vehicle
speed in emergency driving
conditions. This feature uses the
stability system hydraulic brake
control module to supplement the
power brake system under
conditions where the driver has
quickly and forcefully applied the
brake pedal in an attempt to quickly
stop or slow down the vehicle. The
stability system hydraulic brake
control module increases brake
pressure at each corner of the
vehicle until the ABS activates.
Minor brake pedal pulsation or
pedal movement during this time is
normal and the driver should
continue to apply the brake pedal as
the driving situation dictates. The
brake assist feature will
automatically disengage when the
brake pedal is released or brake
pedal pressure is quickly
decreased. Hill Start Assist (HSA) HSA may automatically activate
when the vehicle is stopped on a hill
and Automatic Vehicle Hold (AVH)
is not enabled. This feature is
designed to prevent the vehicle from
rolling, either forward or rearward,
during vehicle drive off. During the
transition from releasing the brake
pedal to accelerating to drive off on
a hill, HSA holds the braking
pressure to prevent rolling. HSA will
not activate if the vehicle is in a
drive gear and facing downhill or if
the vehicle is facing uphill and in
R (Reverse).

Cadillac CT6 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9235592) -
2016 - crc - 11/6/15
Driving and Operating 217
Automatic Vehicle
Hold (AVH)
AVH can be turned on by pressing
AVH with the driver safety belt
fastened, the driver door closed,
and the engine running. The AVH
indicator will come on.
This feature will activate when the
vehicle is stopped to prevent it from
moving. After the brake pedal has
been released and before the
accelerator pedal has been pressed,
AVH uses braking pressure to hold
the vehicle stationary. In addition,
the ABS pump motor may activate to build brake pressure to maintain
the vehicle at a standstill if
necessary.
If AVH is holding the vehicle, the
AVH indicator will change to green.
Once AVH is active it will hold the
vehicle for a defined time period
then engage the parking brake.
While AVH is holding the vehicle,
the parking brake will engage if the
driver door is opened or the driver
safety belt is unfastened.
Ride Control Systems Traction Control/
Electronic Stability
Control System Operation The vehicle has a Traction Control
System (TCS) and StabiliTrak ®
, an
electronic stability control system.
These systems help limit wheel spin
and assist the driver in maintaining
control, especially on slippery road
conditions.
TCS activates if it senses that any
of the drive wheels are spinning or
beginning to lose traction. When this
happens, TCS applies the brakes to
the spinning wheels and reduces
engine power to limit wheel spin.
StabiliTrak activates when the
vehicle senses a difference between
the intended path and the direction
the vehicle is actually traveling.
StabiliTrak selectively applies
braking pressure to any one of the

Cadillac CT6 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9235592) -
2016 - crc - 11/6/15
218 Driving and Operating vehicle wheel brakes to assist the
driver in keeping the vehicle on the
intended path.
If cruise control is being used and
traction control or StabiliTrak begins
to limit wheel spin, cruise control will
disengage. Cruise control may be
turned back on when road
conditions allow.
Both systems come on
automatically when the vehicle is
started and begins to move. The
systems may be heard or felt while
they are operating or while
performing diagnostic checks. This
is normal and does not mean there
is a problem with the vehicle.
It is recommended to leave both
systems on for normal driving
conditions, but it may be necessary
to turn TCS off if the vehicle gets
stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow.
See If the Vehicle Is Stuck 0 198
and “ Turning the Systems Off and
On ” later in this section. The indicator light for both systems
is in the instrument cluster. This
light will:
.
Flash when TCS is limiting
wheel spin.
.
Flash when StabiliTrak is
activated.
.
Turn on and stay on when either
system is not working.
If either system fails to turn on or to
activate, a message displays in the
Driver Information Center (DIC),
and
d comes on and stays on to
indicate that the system is inactive
and is not assisting the driver in
maintaining control. The vehicle is
safe to drive, but driving should be
adjusted accordingly.
If
d comes on and stays on:
1. Stop the vehicle. 2. Turn the engine off and wait
15 seconds.
3. Start the engine.
4. Drive the vehicle.
If
d comes on and stays on, the
vehicle may need more time to
diagnose the problem. If the
condition persists, see your dealer.
Turning the Systems Off
and On

Cadillac CT6 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9235592) -
2016 - crc - 11/6/15
Driving and Operating 219CautionDo not repeatedly brake or
accelerate heavily when TCS is
off. The vehicle driveline could be
damaged.
To turn off only TCS, press and
release
Y . The Traction Off light
idisplays in the instrument cluster
and the appropriate DIC message
displays. See Ride Control System
Messages 0 154 .
To turn TCS on again, press and
release
Y . The Traction Off light
idisplayed in the instrument cluster
will turn off.
To turn off both TCS and StabiliTrak,
press and hold
Y until the Traction
Off light
i and StabiliTrak OFF
light
g come on and stay on in the
instrument cluster. The appropriate
DIC message displays. See Ride
Control System Messages 0 154 . To turn TCS and StabiliTrak on
again, press and release
Y . The
Traction Off light
i and StabiliTrak
OFF light
g in the instrument cluster
turn off.
Adding accessories can affect
vehicle performance. See
Accessories and
Modifications 0 262 .
Driver Mode Control Driver Mode Control attempts to add
a sportier feel, provide a more
comfortable ride, or assist in
different weather conditions or
terrain. This system simultaneously
changes the software calibration of
various sub-systems. Depending on
the option package, available
features, and mode selected, the
suspension, steering, and
powertrain will change calibrations
to achieve the desired mode
characteristics. Press and release MODE on the
center console to activate the mode
menu in the instrument cluster. The
first press of the button will show the
current mode. Subsequent presses
will scroll through the available
modes. Select a new setting
whenever driving conditions change.
The following modes are available:
Tour Mode
Use for normal city and highway
driving to provide a smooth,
soft ride.