light CADILLAC CTS 2012 2.G Owners Manual

Black plate (3,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
Climate Controls 8-3
operation. The blower may reduce
during an Onstar®session to limit
background noise.
If the airflow seems low when the
fan speed is at the highest setting,
the passenger compartment air filter
might need to be replaced. For more
information, see Passenger
Compartment Air Filter on page 8‑6
and Maintenance Schedule on
page 11‑3.
H G(Air Delivery Mode Control):
Press the buttons to change the
direction of the airflow. The current
mode appears in the display screen.
Changing the mode cancels the
automatic air delivery. Press AUTO
to return to automatic operation.
The outboard air outlets always
receive some airflow in every mode,
except defrost.
To change the current mode, select
one of the following:
Y(Vent): Air is directed to the
instrument panel outlets.
\(Bi-Level): Air is divided
between the instrument panel
outlets and the floor outlets. In
automatic operation, cooler air is
directed to the upper outlets and
warmer air to the floor outlets.
[(Floor): Air is directed to the
floor outlets, with some air directed
to the windshield and outboard
outlets.
-(Defog): This mode clears the
windows of fog or moisture. Air is
directed to the windshield, floor, and
side window outlets. When this
mode is selected, the system turns
off recirculation and runs the
air-conditioning compressor unless
the outside temperature is at or
below freezing. If recirculation is
selected while in defog mode, it is
cancelled after 10 minutes.
0(Defrost): This mode clears the
windshield of fog or frost more
quickly. Air is directed to the
windshield, with some air directed to
the side windows. In this mode, the
system automatically turns off recirculation and runs the
air-conditioning compressor, unless
the outside temperature is at or
below freezing.
This mode can also cause the fan
speed and air temperature to
increase.
#(Air Conditioning):
Press to
turn the air conditioning system on
or off and override the automatic
system. When in AUTO, the air
conditioning compressor comes on
automatically, as needed.
The air conditioning system
removes moisture from the air, so
water might drip under the vehicle
while idling or after turning off the
engine. This is normal.
M(Recirculation): Press to turn
on recirculation. An indicator light
comes on. Air is recirculated inside
the vehicle. It helps to quickly cool
the air inside the vehicle or prevent
outside air and odors from entering.
Press the AUTO button to have the
system select the best air delivery
mode for the temperature setting.

Black plate (4,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
8-4 Climate Controls
Recirculation is not available in the
defrost mode and automatically
turns off 10 minutes after defog is
selected. This helps to limit window
fogging in the vehicle.
Using recirculation for long periods
of time could cause the air inside
the vehicle to become too dry or
stuffy. To prevent this from
happening, after the air in the
vehicle has cooled, select outside
air or press the auto button.
F(Outside Air):Press to turn
on the outside air. An indicator light
turns on. The outside air mode pulls
fresh air from outside the vehicle.
Outside air is always selected in
defrost mode to prevent fogging.
Rear Window Defogger
The rear window defogger uses a
warming grid to remove fog or frost
from the rear window. It only works
when the ignition is in ON/RUN.
=(Rear Window Defogger):
Press to turn the rear window
defogger on or off. The rear window defogger stays on
for about 15 minutes, before turning
off if the vehicle is moving at a
slower speed. At higher speeds, the
rear window defogger may stay on
continuously. With each additional
press, the defogger runs for about
10 minutes. The defogger can also
be turned off by turning off the
engine.
The heated outside rearview mirrors
turn on when the rear window
defogger button is on and helps to
clear fog or frost from the surface of
the mirrors. See
Heated Mirrors on
page 2‑28.
Notice: Do not try to clear frost
or other material from the inside
of the front windshield and rear
window with a razor blade or
anything else that is sharp. This
may damage the rear window
defogger grid and affect your
radio's ability to pick up stations
clearly. The repairs would not be
covered by your warranty.
z/{(Heated and Ventilated
Seats): Press to heat or ventilate
the seat. See Heated and Ventilated
Front Seats on page 3‑10.
Remote Start Climate Control
Operation: For vehicles with
remote vehicle start, the climate
control system automatically heats
and cools the vehicle based on the
temperature inside and outside of
the vehicle. The climate control
displays will be blank. See Remote
Vehicle Start on page 2‑12.
In cold weather the windshield
defroster and/or rear window
defogger automatically turn on.
If the vehicle has heated seats, they
will also turn on.
When the ignition is turned to ON/
RUN, the climate control system
returns to the settings used before
the vehicle was last turned off. The
heated seats will turn off,
if equipped.

Black plate (5,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
Climate Controls 8-5
Sensors
The solar sensor located on the
instrument panel, near the
windshield, monitors the solar heat.
The interior temperature sensor,
located on the instrument panel to
the right of the steering wheel,
measures the temperature of the air
inside the vehicle.
The climate control system uses the
information from these sensors to
adjust the fan speed and the air
delivery, in order to maintain the
selected temperature. The system
may also supply cooler air to the
side of the vehicle facing the sun.
The recirculation mode will also be
activated, as necessary.
Do not cover the sensors or the
automatic climate control system will
not work properly.Air Quality Sensor
For vehicles with an air quality
sensor, the climate control system
adjusts to limit some exhaust fumes
from being pulled inside your
vehicle.
Press the AUTO button on the
climate control to activate the air
quality sensor. The recirculation
indicator light comes on when poor
quality air is detected. The air
quality sensor will not maintain
recirculation for an extended period
to prevent the air inside the vehicle
from becoming too dry or stuffy.
Under certain conditions, the air
quality sensor will not activate
recirculation, such as during cold
weather or with odors, like skunk. To
limit odors manually, press
Muntil
the condition has passed.
The air quality sensor system does
not protect against carbon monoxide
(CO), which you cannot see or
smell. See Engine Exhaust on
page 9‑26.

Black plate (7,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-7
Driving on Wet Roads
Rain and wet roads can reduce
vehicle traction and affect your
ability to stop and accelerate.
Always drive slower in these types
of driving conditions and avoid
driving through large puddles and
deep‐standing or flowing water.
{WARNING
Wet brakes can cause crashes.
They might not work as well in a
quick stop and could cause
pulling to one side. You could
lose control of the vehicle.
After driving through a large
puddle of water or a car/vehicle
wash, lightly apply the brake
pedal until the brakes work
normally.(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
Flowing or rushing water creates
strong forces. Driving through
flowing water could cause the
vehicle to be carried away. If this
happens, you and other vehicle
occupants could drown. Do not
ignore police warnings and be
very cautious about trying to drive
through flowing water.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. Water
can build up under the vehicle's
tires so they actually ride on the
water. This can happen if the road is
wet enough and you are going fast
enough. When the vehicle is
hydroplaning, it has little or no
contact with the road.
There is no hard and fast rule about
hydroplaning. The best advice is to
slow down when the road is wet.
Other Rainy Weather Tips
Besides slowing down, other wet
weather driving tips include:
.Allow extra following distance.
.Pass with caution.
.Keep windshield wiping
equipment in good shape.
.Keep the windshield washer fluid
reservoir filled.
.Have good tires with proper
tread depth. SeeTires on
page 10‑63.
.Turn off cruise control.

Black plate (10,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
9-10 Driving and Operating
Blizzard Conditions
Being stuck in snow can be a
serious situation. Stay with the
vehicle unless there is help nearby.
If possible, use theRoadside
Service (U.S. and Canada) on
page 13‑7 orRoadside Service
(Mexico) on page 13‑9. To get help
and keep everyone in the
vehicle safe:
.Turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
.Tie a red cloth to an outside
mirror.
{WARNING
Snow can trap engine exhaust
under the vehicle. This may
cause exhaust gases to get
inside. Engine exhaust contains
carbon monoxide (CO) which
cannot be seen or smelled. It can
cause unconsciousness and even
death.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
If the vehicle is stuck in the snow:
.Clear away snow from around
the base of your vehicle,
especially any that is blocking
the exhaust pipe.
.Check again from time to
time to be sure snow does
not collect there.
.Open a window about 5 cm
(2 in) on the side of the
vehicle that is away from the
wind to bring in fresh air.
.Fully open the air outlets on
or under the instrument
panel.
.Adjust the climate control
system to a setting that
circulates the air inside the
vehicle and set the fan speed
to the highest setting. See
“Climate Control Systems” in
the Index.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
For more information about
carbon monoxide, see Engine
Exhaust on page 9‑26.
Run the engine for short periods
only as needed to keep warm, but
be careful.
To save fuel, run the engine for only
short periods as needed to warm
the vehicle and then shut the engine
off and close the window most of
the way to save heat. Repeat this
until help arrives but only when you
feel really uncomfortable from the
cold. Moving about to keep warm
also helps.
If it takes some time for help to
arrive, now and then when you run
the engine, push the accelerator
pedal slightly so the engine runs
faster than the idle speed. This
keeps the battery charged to restart
the vehicle and to signal for help
with the headlamps. Do this as little
as possible to save fuel.

Black plate (11,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-11
If the Vehicle Is Stuck
Slowly and cautiously spin the
wheels to free the vehicle when
stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow.
If stuck too severely for the traction
system to free the vehicle, turn the
traction system off and use the
rocking method.
{WARNING
If the vehicle's tires spin at high
speed, they can explode, and you
or others could be injured. The
vehicle can overheat, causing an
engine compartment fire or other
damage. Spin the wheels as little
as possible and avoid going
above 55 km/h (35 mph).
For information about using tire
chains on the vehicle, see Tire
Chains on page 10‑83.
Rocking the Vehicle to Get
it Out
Turn the steering wheel left and
right to clear the area around the
front wheels. Turn off any traction
system. Shift back and forth
between R (Reverse) and a forward
gear, or with a manual transmission,
between 1 (First) or 2 (Second) and
R (Reverse), spinning the wheels as
little as possible. To prevent
transmission wear, wait until the
wheels stop spinning before shifting
gears. Release the accelerator
pedal while shifting, and press
lightly on the accelerator pedal
when the transmission is in gear. Slowly spinning the wheels in the
forward and reverse directions
causes a rocking motion that could
free the vehicle. If that does not get
the vehicle out after a few tries, it
might need to be towed out. If the
vehicle does need to be towed out,
see
Towing the Vehicle on
page 10‑108.
Vehicle Load Limits
It is very important to know how
much weight the vehicle can
carry. This weight is called the
vehicle capacity weight and
includes the weight of all
occupants, cargo and all
nonfactory‐installed options.

Black plate (30,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
9-30 Driving and Operating
To use the DSC feature using the
Tap Shift controls:
1. Move the shift lever tothe right from D (Drive) to
M (Manual Mode).
2. Tap the left control to downshift, and the right control to upshift.
3. To return to sport mode, hold the right upshift control briefly,
or hold the shift lever forward
briefly, or return the shift lever to
D (Drive).
With the shift lever in D (Drive), the
tap shift controls will activate a
temporary tap manual shift mode,
allowing the transmission to be
manually shifted. Automatic shifts
return after no manual shifts have
been done for seven to 10 second.
The temporary tap mode can also
be deactivated by holding the right
upshift control briefly.
The tachometer display indicates
which gear the vehicle is in. The
number indicates the requested
gear range when moving the shift
lever forward or rearward.
CTS-V vehicles use tracer lights
around the outside of the
tachometer as a performance
upshift light. These tracers flash to
indicate when to shift to the next
higher gear to avoid the engine
speed limit. See Tachometer on
page 5‑13 for more information. While using the DSC feature, 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 automatically
shift to the next lower gear if the
engine rpm is too high, nor to the
next higher gear when the maximum
engine rpm is reached.
If shifting is prevented for any
reason, the currently selected gear
will flash multiple times, indicating
that the transmission has not shifted
gears.

Black plate (32,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
9-32 Driving and Operating
2 (Second):Press the clutch pedal
and let up on the accelerator pedal,
then shift into 2 (Second). Then,
slowly let up on the clutch pedal
while accelerating.
3 (Third), 4 (Fourth), 5 (Fifth), and
6 (Sixth): Shift into 3 (Third),
4 (Fourth), 5 (Fifth), and 6 (Sixth) the
same for 2 (Second).
To stop, let up on the accelerator
pedal and press the brake pedal.
Just before the vehicle stops, press
the clutch pedal and the brake
pedal, and shift to Neutral.
Neutral: Use this position when
you start or idle your engine. Your
shift lever is in Neutral when it is
centered in the shift pattern, not in
any gear.
R (Reverse): To back up, press
down the clutch pedal, completely
stop the vehicle, and shift into
R (Reverse). Let up on the clutch
pedal slowly while pressing the
accelerator pedal. The CTS-V transmission prevents
easily shifting into R (Reverse) using
normal shifting force while the
vehicle is moving at more than
5 km/h (3 mph), or when the ignition
is in LOCK/OFF.
Shift Speeds (Manual
Transmission)
{WARNING
If you skip a gear when you
downshift, you could lose control
of the vehicle. You could injure
yourself or others. Do not shift
down more than one gear at a
time when you downshift.
Notice: If you skip more than one
gear when you downshift, or if
you race the engine when you
release the clutch pedal while
downshifting, you could damage
the engine, clutch, driveshaft or
the transmission. Do not skip
gears or race the engine when
downshifting. If the vehicle speed drops below
32 km/h (20 mph), or if the engine is
not running smoothly, downshift to
the next lower gear. You may have
to downshift two or more gears to
keep the engine running smoothly
or for good performance.
Up-Shift Light
Vehicles with a manual transmission
have an up‐shift light on the
instrument panel. This light shows
when to shift to the next higher gear
for the best fuel economy.
When this light comes on, you can
shift to the next higher gear if
weather, road, and traffic conditions
allow. For the best fuel economy,
accelerate slowly and shift when the
light comes on.

Black plate (33,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-33
While you accelerate, it is normal for
the light to go on and off if you
quickly change the position of the
accelerator. Ignore the light when
you downshift.
CTS-V vehicles use tracer lights
around the outside of the
tachometer as a performance
up‐shift light. These tracers flash
to indicate when to shift to the next
higher gear to avoid the engine
speed limit. SeeTachometer on
page 5‑13 for more information.
Skip Shift (CTS‐V)
Under light acceleration, the
transmission will only allow you to
shift from 1 (First) to 4 (Fourth).
Shifts from 1 (First) to 2 (Second) or
3 (Third) are not allowed. This helps
improve fuel mileage.
Under harder acceleration, Skip
Shift is disabled, and the driver has
all gears available.
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.
When using a compact spare tire
on an AWD vehicle, the system
automatically detects the compact
spare and disables AWD. To restore
AWD operation and prevent
excessive wear on the system,
replace the compact spare with a
full-size tire as soon as possible.
SeeCompact Spare Tire on
page 10‑103 for more information.
Brakes
Antilock Brake
System (ABS)
This vehicle has the Antilock Brake
System (ABS), an advanced
electronic braking system that helps
prevent a braking skid.
When the engine is started and 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
on page 5‑23.

Black plate (34,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
9-34 Driving and Operating
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 that 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
the driver 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 might hear the ABS
pump or motor operating and feel
the brake pedal pulsate, but this is
normal.
Braking in Emergencies
ABS allows the driver to steer and
brake at the same time. In many
emergencies, steering can help
more than even the very best
braking.
Parking Brake (Manual)
The parking brake pedal is located
on the lower portion of the
instrument panel to the left of the
steering wheel.
To set the parking brake, hold the
brake pedal down, then push the
parking brake pedal down.
If the ignition is on, the brake
system warning light on the
instrument panel cluster should
come on. If it does not, you need to