warning CADILLAC CTS 2003 1.G User Guide

2-90
Traction Control System Warning
(TRAC OFF) Light
If the TRAC OFF
warning light comes on
and stays on, there may
be a problem with the
traction control system.
The TRAC OFF light will come on briefly when you
turn the ignition to ON. If it doesn't come on then,
have it fixed so it will be ready to warn you if there is
a problem.The light will also come on if you turn the traction
control system OFF using the Traction On/Off button.
The traction control TC button is located in the
glove box.
If the TRAC OFF light stays on or comes on while you
are driving, pull off the road as soon as possible and stop
carefully. Try resetting the system by turning the
ignition off then back on. If the light still stays on or
comes back on again while you are driving, your vehicle
needs service. Have the traction control system
inspected as soon as possible. See ªTraction Control
Systemº in the Index.

2-91
Engine Coolant Temperature
Warning Light
This light tells you that your
engine has overheated.
This light will come on when you first start the vehicle
as a check to let you know that the light is working. It
will go out after a few seconds. If the light does not
come on, the bulb may be burned out. See your dealer
for assistance in changing the bulb.
If the light does not go out or if the light comes on and
stays on while you are driving, your vehicle may have a
problem with the cooling system. You should stop the
vehicle and turn off the engine as soon as possible to
avoid damage to the engine. A warning chime will
sound when this light is on, also.
See ªEngine Overheatingº in the Index.
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
(Check Engine Light)
Your vehicle is equipped
with a computer which
monitors operation of the
fuel, ignition and emission
control systems.
This system is called OBD II (On
-Board
Diagnostics
-Second Generation) and is intended to
assure that emissions are at acceptable levels for the life
of the vehicle, helping to produce a cleaner
environment. The CHECK ENGINE light comes on to
indicate that there is a problem and service is required.
Malfunctions often will be indicated by the system
before any problem is apparent. This may prevent more
serious damage to your vehicle. This system is also
designed to assist your service technician in correctly
diagnosing any malfunction.

2-99
Driver Information Center (DIC)
The DIC gives you the status of many of your vehicle's
systems. It is also used to display driver personalization
features and warning/status messages. All messages will
appear on the audio system display which is also the
display for the optional Navigation system.
System Controls
Base Audio SystemIf you have the base audio system, use the following to
operate the DIC:
INFO (Information): Use the up or down arrows on
this button to scroll through the system status
information.
CLR (Clear): Press this button to clear DIC messages
and to reset DIC items to zero. See ªDriver Information
Center (DIC) Messagesº and ªStatus Menu Item
Descriptionsº later in this section for more information.
TUNE/SEL (Select) Knob: Once a menu is displayed,
use the knob located to the lower right of the display to
scroll through the menu items and/or select them. To
scroll through the menu items, turn the knob. Once an
item is highlighted, press the knob once to select it.
BACK: Press this button to exit a menu.

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Change Trans (Transmission) Fluid
This symbol appears
with the Change Trans
Fluid message.
This message indicates that the life of the transmission
fluid has expired and it should be changed within
200 miles. See ªMaintenance Scheduleº and
ªRecommended Fluids and Lubricantsº in the Index
for the proper fluid and change intervals.
When you reset the Change Trans Fluid message by
clearing it from the display, you still must reset the
transmission fluid life monitor separately. For more
information on resetting the transmission fluid life
monitor, see ªTransmission Fluid Life Monitor, How to
Resetº in the Index.Check Brake Fluid This symbol appears
with the Check Brake
Fluid message.
This message will display if the ignition is in ON to
inform the driver that the brake fluid level is low. Have
the brake system serviced by a technician as soon as
possible. See ªBrake System Warning Lightº in
the Index.

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TCS (Traction Control System): You can enable
or disable the traction control system using this menu
item. Press the TUNE/SEL knob to switch between on
and off.
You can also turn the traction control system off using
the traction control button located in the glove box or
by programming one of the steering wheel controls
(1, 2, 3 or 4) or audio system softkeys to enable/disable
the TCS. See ªReconfigurable Steering Wheel Controlsº
and ªConfigurable Radio Display Keysº in the Index for
more information.
When you disable the traction control system, the
Traction Suspended message will appear on the DIC and
the traction control system warning light on the
instrument panel cluster will come on. See ªDriver
Information (DIC) Messagesº and ªTraction Control
System Warning Lightº listed previously in this section
for more information.SET CLOCK
Use this menu item to
set the time on the
vehicle's clock.
See ªSetting the Clockº in the Index for more
information.
SETUP: When you select this menu item, the following
submenu is available:

Personalization

Configure Display Keys

Configure SWC (Steering Wheel Control) Keys

Clear Tape Hours
You can use the items on this submenu to customize
your vehicle's audio system and optional memory
features. See ªVehicle Programming and Personalization
Features,º ªReconfigurable Steering Wheel Controlsº
and ªCare of Your Cassette Tape Playerº in the Index for
more information on these menu items.

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To change the mode using the Navigation system, do the
following:
1. Enter the Personalization menu following the
instructions listed previously.
2. Scroll to Mirror to Curb in Reverse using the
TUNE/SEL knob to highlight it.
3. Press the TUNE/SEL knob to switch back and forth
between on and off.
When the mode is turned on, an X will appear in the
box to the left.
The mode you selected is now set. You can either exit
the programming mode by following the instructions
later in this section or program the next feature available
on your vehicle.
Enhanced Chime Volume
This feature allows you to adjust the volume level of the
vehicle's warning chimes. The chime volume cannot be
turned off, only adjusted.Programmable Modes
Mode 1: ON
Mode 2: OFF
Before your vehicle was shipped from the factory, it was
programmed to Mode 1. The mode to which the vehicle
was programmed may have been changed since it left
the factory. To determine the mode to which the vehicle
is programmed or to program the vehicle to a different
mode, use one of the following procedures:
To change the mode using the Base audio system, do the
following:
1. Enter the personalization portion of the SETUP
menu following the instructions listed previously.
2. Scroll to ENHANCED CHIME VOLUME using the
TUNE/SEL knob to highlight it.
3. Press the TUNE/SEL knob to switch back and forth
between the normal and loud settings.
You will hear a chime as an example of the volume
level chosen.

4-7
Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in
spurts
-- heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking
-- rather than keeping pace with traffic. This is a
mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool between
hard stops. Your brakes will wear out much faster if you
do a lot of heavy braking. If you keep pace with the
traffic and allow realistic following distances, you will
eliminate a lot of unnecessary braking. That means
better braking and longer brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you're driving, brake
normally but don't pump your brakes. If you do, the
pedal may get harder to push down. If your engine
stops, you will still have some power brake assist. But
you will use it when you brake. Once the power assist is
used up, it may take longer to stop and the brake pedal
will be harder to push.
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes. ABS is an advanced
electronic braking system that will help prevent a
braking skid.
When you start your engine and begin to drive away,
your anti
-lock brake system will check itself. You may
hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while this test
is going on, and you may even notice that your brake
pedal moves a little. This is normal.
If there's a problem with the
anti
-lock brake system, this
warning light will stay on.
See ªAnti
-Lock Brake
System Warning Lightº in
the Index.

4-9
Remember: Anti-lock doesn't change the time you need
to get your foot up to the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too close to the vehicle in
front of you, you won't have time to apply your brakes
if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops. Always leave
enough room up ahead to stop, even though you have
anti
-lock brakes.
Using Anti
-Lock
Don't pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down
firmly and let anti
-lock work for you. You may hear the
anti
-lock pump or motor operate, and feel the brake
pedal pulsate, but this is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
With anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the same
time. In many emergencies, steering can help you more
than even the very best braking.
Traction Control System
Your vehicle has a traction control system that limits
wheel spin. This is especially useful in slippery road
conditions. The system operates only if it senses that one
or both of the rear wheels are spinning or beginning to
lose traction. When this happens, the system brakes the
spinning wheel(s) and/or reduces engine power to limit
wheel spin.You may feel or hear the system working, but this
is normal.
This warning light will
come on to let you know if
there's a problem with your
traction control system.
See ªTraction Control System Warning Lightº in the
Index. When this warning light is on, the system will not
limit wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly.
When the system is limiting wheel spin, the Traction
Control System warning light will be blinking.
The traction control system automatically comes on
whenever you start your vehicle. To limit wheel spin,
especially in slippery road conditions, you should
always leave the system on. But you can turn the
traction control system off if you ever need to. You
should turn the system off if your vehicle ever gets stuck
in sand, mud or snow and rocking the vehicle is
required. See ªRocking Your Vehicleº in the Index.

4-10
To turn the system off, press
the TC (traction control)
button located in the
glove box.
If you press the TC button once, the traction control
system will turn off and the traction control system
warning light will come on. Press the TC button again
to turn the system back on. If you press and hold the
TC button for five seconds, the Stabilitrak system will
turn off. Press the TC button again to turn Stabilitrak
back on.
Stabilitrak
- Vehicle Stability
Enhancement System (If Equipped)
Your vehicle may be equipped with a vehicle stability
enhancement system called Stabilitrak. Stabilitrak is an
advanced computer controlled system that assists you
with directional control of the vehicle in difficult driving
conditions.Stabilitrak has sensors that detect the direction your
vehicle is going and compares it to the direction that you
are steering the vehicle. Stabilitrak activates when the
computer senses a discrepancy between your intended
path and the direction the vehicle is actually traveling.
To assist you in returning your vehicle to the intended
path, Stabilitrak selectively applies braking pressure at
any one of the vehicle's brakes to help steer the vehicle
in the direction which you are steering.
When the system activates, a STABILITY SYS
ENGAGED message will be displayed on the Driver
Information Center. See ªDriver Information Center
Messagesº in the Index. You may also hear a noise or feel
vibration in the brake pedal. This is normal. Continue to
steer the vehicle in the direction you want it to go.
If there is a problem detected with Stabilitrak, a
SERVICE STABILITY SYS message will be displayed
on the Driver Information Center. See ªDriver
Information Center Messagesº in the Index. When this
message is displayed, the system is not operational.
Driving should be adjusted accordingly.
Stability comes on automatically whenever you start
your vehicle. To help assist you with directional control
of the vehicle, you should always leave the system on.
You can turn Stabilitrak OFF if you ever need to trough
the Traction On/Off button. See ªTraction Control
Systemº in the Index.

4-16
If your traction control system is off, then an
acceleration skid is also best handled by easing your
foot off the accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want the
vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly enough, your
vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready for a
second skid if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel or other material is on the road. For safety, you'll
want to slow down and adjust your driving to these
conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration or
braking (including engine braking by shifting to a lower
gear). Any sudden changes could cause the tires to slide.
You may not realize the surface is slippery until your
vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize warning
clues
-- such as enough water, ice or packed snow
on the road to make a ªmirrored surfaceº
-- and slow
down when you have any doubt.
Remember: Any anti
-lock brake system (ABS) helps
avoid only the braking skid.
Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving.
One reason is that some drivers are likely to be
impaired
-- by alcohol or drugs, with night vision
problems, or by fatigue.