lights CADILLAC CTS 2012 2.G User Guide

Black plate (23,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-23
SeeBrake Assist (Except CTS-V)
on page 9‑37 for more information.
Antilock Brake System
(ABS) Warning Light
The Antilock Brake System (ABS),
this light comes on briefly when the
engine is started.
If the light does not come on, have it
fixed so it will be ready to warn if
there is a problem.
If the ABS light stays on, turn the
ignition off. If the light comes on
while driving, stop as soon as it is
safely possible and turn the ignition
off. A chime may also sound when
the light comes on steady. If this
happens, start the engine again to
reset the system. If the ABS light
stays on, or comes on again while driving, the vehicle needs service.
If the regular brake system warning
light is not on, the vehicle still has
brakes, but not antilock brakes.
If the regular brake system warning
light is also on, the vehicle does not
have antilock brakes and there is a
problem with the regular brakes.
See
Brake System Warning Light on
page 5‑22.
For vehicles with a Driver
Information Center (DIC), see
Driver Information Center (DIC) on
page 5‑27 for all brake-related DIC
messages.
Up-Shift Light
The vehicle may have an up-shift
light. It indicates when to shift to
the next higher gear for best fuel
economy. See
Manual Transmission on
page 9‑31 for more information.
For the CTS-V, the tracer lights
function as a performance up-shift
light.
The tracers flash to indicate when
to shift to the next higher gear to
avoid the engine speed limit. See
Automatic Transmission on
page 9‑27 orManual Transmission
on page 9‑31 for more information.
StabiliTrak®OFF Light
This light comes on briefly while
starting the engine. If it does not,
have the vehicle serviced by your
dealer.

Black plate (48,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
5-48 Instruments and Controls
keyless access transmitter, or when
the vehicle is automatically locked
using the Keyless Locking feature.
You will not receive feedback
when locking the vehicle with the
transmitter if the doors are open.
SeeRemote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System Operation (Key Access) on
page 2‑5 orRemote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System Operation (Keyless
Access) on page 2‑6, or “Keyless
Locking” later in this section for
more information.
Press the customization button until
Remote Door Lock appears on the
DIC display. Press the set/reset
button once to access the settings
for this feature. Then press the
menu up/down button to scroll
through the following settings.
Off: There will be no feedback
when you press the lock button
on the transmitter.
Lights Only: The exterior lamps
will flash when you press the lock
button on the transmitter. Horn Only:
The horn will sound on
the second press of the lock button
on the transmitter.
Horn & Lights (default): The
exterior lamps will flash when
you press the lock button on the
transmitter, and the horn will sound
when the lock button is pressed
again within five seconds of the
previous command.
No Change: No change will be
made to this feature. The current
setting will remain.
To select a setting, press the set/
reset button while the desired
setting is displayed on the DIC.
Remote Door Unlock Feedback
This feature allows you to select the
type of feedback you will receive
when unlocking the vehicle with the
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) or
keyless access transmitter, or
when the vehicle is automatically
unlocked using the Keyless Unlock
feature. You will not receive
feedback when unlocking the vehicle with the transmitter if the
doors are open. See
Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) System
Operation (Key Access) on
page 2‑5 orRemote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System Operation (Keyless
Access) on page 2‑6 or“Keyless
Unlock” later in this section for more
information.
Press the customization button until
Remote Door Unlock appears on
the DIC display. Press the set/reset
button once to access the settings
for this feature. Then press the
menu up/down button to scroll
through the following settings.
Lights Off: The exterior lamps will
not flash when you press the unlock
button on the transmitter.
Lights On (default): The exterior
lamps will flash when you press the
unlock button on the transmitter.
No Change: No change will be
made to this feature. The current
setting will remain.

Black plate (49,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-49
To select a setting, press the set/
reset button while the desired
setting is displayed on the DIC.
Exit Lighting
This feature allows you to select the
amount of time you want the
exterior lamps to remain on when it
is dark enough outside. This
happens after the key is turned from
ON/RUN to LOCK/OFF.
Press the customization button until
Exit Lighting appears on the DIC
display. Press the set/reset button
once to access the settings for this
feature. Then press the menu up/
down button to scroll through the
following settings.
Off:The exterior lamps will not
turn on.
10 Seconds (default): The exterior
lamps will stay on for 10 seconds.
30 Seconds: The exterior lamps
will stay on for 30 seconds.
2 Minutes: The exterior lamps will
stay on for two minutes. No Change:
No change will be
made to this feature. The current
setting will remain.
To select a setting, press the set/
reset button while the desired
setting is displayed on the DIC.
Approach Lighting
This feature allows you to select
whether or not to have the exterior
lights turn on briefly during low light
periods after unlocking the vehicle
using the Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) or keyless access transmitter.
Press the customization button until
Approach Lighting appears on the
DIC display. Press the set/reset
button once to access the settings
for this feature. Then press the
menu up/down button to scroll
through the following settings.
Off: The exterior lights will not turn
on when you unlock the vehicle with
the transmitter. On (default):
If it is dark enough
outside, the exterior lights will turn
on briefly when you unlock the
vehicle with the transmitter.
The lights will remain on for
20 seconds or until the lock button
on the transmitter is pressed, or the
vehicle is no longer off. See Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) System
Operation (Key Access) on
page 2‑5 orRemote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System Operation (Keyless
Access) on page 2‑6 for more
information.
No Change: No change will be
made to this feature. The current
setting will remain.
To select a setting, press the set/
reset button while the desired
setting is displayed on the DIC.
Factory Settings
This feature allows you to set all of
the customization features back to
their factory default settings.

Black plate (50,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
5-50 Instruments and Controls
Press the customization button until
Factory Settings appears on the
DIC display. Press the set/reset
button once to access the settings
for this feature. Then press the
menu up/down button to scroll
through the following settings.
Restore All (default):The
customization features will be set
to their factory default settings.
No Change: The customization
features will not be set to their
factory default settings.
To select a setting, press the set/
reset button while the desired
setting is displayed on the DIC.
Keyless Locking
If the vehicle has the keyless
access system, this feature allows
you to select whether the doors
automatically lock during normal
vehicle exit. When the ignition is
turned off and all doors become
closed, the vehicle will determine
how many keyless access
transmitters remain in the vehicle interior. If at least one keyless
access transmitter has been
removed from the interior of the
vehicle, the doors will lock after
several seconds.
For example, if there are two
keyless access transmitters in the
vehicle and one is removed, the
other will be locked in. The keyless
access transmitter locked in the
vehicle can still be used to start
the vehicle or unlock the doors,
if needed. A person approaching the
outside of the locked vehicle without
an authorized keyless access
transmitter, however, will not be
able to open the door, even with a
transmitter in the vehicle. See the
keyless access information for
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System Operation (Key Access) on
page 2‑5
orRemote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System Operation (Keyless
Access) on page 2‑6 for more
information.
You may temporarily disable the
keyless locking feature by pressing
the door unlock switch for three seconds on an open door. To
enable keyless locking, transition
the power mode from off.
To select whether the horn sounds
or the lights flash when the vehicle
is locked, see
“Remote Door Lock”
earlier in this section.
Press the customization button until
Keyless Locking appears on the
DIC display. Press the set/reset
button once to access the settings
for this feature. Then press the
menu up/down button to scroll
through the following settings.
Off (default): The keyless locking
feature will be disabled.
On: The keyless locking feature will
be enabled.
The doors will automatically lock
several seconds after you turn the
ignition off, remove a keyless
access transmitter from the interior
of the vehicle, and close all of the
doors.

Black plate (51,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-51
No Change:No change will be
made to this feature. The current
setting will remain.
To select a setting, press the set/
reset button while the desired
setting is displayed on the DIC.
Keyless Unlock
If the vehicle has the keyless
access system, this feature allows
you to select which doors will
automatically unlock when you
approach the vehicle with the
keyless access transmitter and
open the driver door. See the
keyless access information for
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System Operation (Key Access) on
page 2‑5 orRemote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System Operation (Keyless
Access) on page 2‑6 for more
information.
To select whether the lights flash
when the vehicle is unlocked, see
“Remote Door Unlock” earlier in this
section. Press the customization button until
Keyless Unlock appears on the DIC
display. Press the set/reset button
once to access the settings for this
feature. Then press the menu up/
down button to scroll through the
following settings.
Entry Door Only:
Only the driver
door will automatically unlock when
you approach the vehicle with the
keyless access transmitter and
open the driver door.
All Doors (default): All doors will
automatically unlock when you
approach the vehicle with the
keyless access transmitter and
open the driver door.
No Change: No change will be
made to this feature. The current
setting will remain.
To select a setting, press the set/
reset button while the desired
setting is displayed on the DIC. Chime Volume
This feature allows you to select the
volume level of the chime.
Press the customization button until
Chime Volume appears on the DIC
display. Press the set/reset button
once to access the settings for this
feature. Then press the menu up/
down button to scroll through the
following settings.
Normal:
The chime volume will be
set to a normal level.
Loud: The chime volume will be
set to a loud level.
No Change: No change will be
made to this feature. The current
setting will remain.
There is no default for chime
volume. The volume will stay at the
last known setting.
To select a setting, press the set/
reset button while the desired
setting is displayed on the DIC.

Black plate (2,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
6-2 Lighting
;(Parking Lamps):Turns on the
parking lamps together with the
following:
.Sidemarker Lamps
.Taillamps
.License Plate Lamps
.Instrument Panel Lights
5(Headlamps): Turns on the
headlamps, together with the
previously listed lamps and lights.
Exterior Lamps Off
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 door is
opened with the ignition off.
Headlamp High/
Low-Beam Changer
Push the turn signal/lane change
lever away from you to turn the high
beams on. Pull the lever toward you
and then release it to return to low
beams.
If the vehicle is turned off while the
high beams are on, they will come
on the next time the vehicle is
started.
This indicator light turns on in the
instrument panel cluster when the
high‐beam headlamps are on.
Flash-to-Pass
This feature allows the high-beam
headlamps to be used to signal the
driver in front of you that you want
to pass.
Pull and hold the turn signal/lane
change lever toward you to use this
feature. When this is done the
following will occur:
.If the headlamps are off or in
low-beam mode, the high-beam
headlamps will turn on. They will
stay on as long as the lever is
held there. Release the lever to
turn them off.
.If the headlamps are already in
high-beam mode, they will
remain on high beam.

Black plate (4,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
6-4 Lighting
Automatic Headlamp
System
When it is dark enough outside, the
automatic headlamp system turns
on the headlamps at the normal
brightness, along with the taillamps,
sidemarker, parking lamps, and the
instrument panel lights. The radio
lights will also be dim.
To turn off the automatic headlamp
system, turn the exterior lamps
switch to the off position and then
release it.
The vehicle has a light sensor
located on the top of the instrument
panel in the defroster grille which
regulates when the automatic
headlamps turn on. Do not cover
the sensor, otherwise the
headlamps will come on whenever
the ignition is on.
The system may also turn on the
headlamps when driving through a
parking garage, heavy overcast
weather, or a tunnel. This is normal.If the vehicle is started in a dark
garage, the automatic headlamp
system will come on immediately.
Once the vehicle leaves the garage,
it takes approximately one minute
for the automatic headlamp system
to change if it is bright enough
outside. During that delay, the
instrument panel cluster may not be
as bright as usual. Make sure the
instrument panel brightness control
is in the full bright position. See
Instrument Panel Illumination
Control on page 6‑7.
To idle the vehicle with the
automatic headlamp system off,
turn the control to the off position.
The headlamps will also stay on
after you exit the vehicle. This
feature can be programmed using
the Driver Information Center (DIC).
See
Vehicle Personalization on
page 5‑46.
The regular headlamp system can
be turned on when needed.

Black plate (7,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
Lighting 6-7
Interior Lighting
Instrument Panel
Illumination Control
The instrument panel brightness
knob is located on the instrument
panel next to the steering column.
D(Instrument Panel
Brightness): Turn the knob
clockwise or counterclockwise to
brighten or dim the lights. Turn the
knob completely clockwise to turn
on the interior lamps.
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.
Lighting Features
Entry Lighting
The headlamps, taillamps, license
plate lamps, back‐up lamps, dome
lamps, and most of the interior lights
turn on briefly when the Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE)
Kis pressed,
or when the door handle is pulled on
a keyless access vehicle. See
Ignition Positions (Key Access) on
page 9‑16 orIgnition Positions
(Keyless Access) on page 9‑18.
After about 30 seconds the exterior
lamps turn off, then the dome and
remaining interior lights dim to off.
Entry lighting can be disabled
manually by changing the ignition
out of the OFF position, or by
pressing the Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE)
Qbutton.
This feature can be changed. See
Vehicle Personalization on
page 5‑46.

Black plate (8,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
6-8 Lighting
Exit Lighting
The headlamps, taillamps, parking
lamps, back‐up lamps, and license
plate lamps come on at night, or in
areas with limited lighting, when the
key is removed from the ignition.
The dome lamps also come on
when the key is removed from the
ignition. The exterior lights and
dome lamps remain on after the
door is closed for a set amount of
time, then automatically turn off.
For vehicles with keyless access,
the exterior lights and dome lamps
automatically turn on when a door is
opened after the ignition is turned
off. SeeIgnition Positions (Key
Access) on page 9‑16 orIgnition
Positions (Keyless Access) on
page 9‑18.
The exterior lights turn off
immediately by turning the
exterior lamps control off.
This feature can be changed.
See Vehicle Personalization on
page 5‑46.
Parade Dimming
This feature does not let the
instrument panel backlight dim
during daylight hours while the key
is in the ignition and the headlamps
are on. Parade dimming
automatically works with the light
sensor, located on top of the
dashboard. If it is dark enough
outside and the parking lamps are
on, the backlight on the instrument
panel can be adjusted by turning the
instrument panel brightness knob
clockwise or counterclockwise to
brighten or dim the lighting. See
Instrument Panel Illumination
Control on page 6‑7.
Battery Load
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 bring the charge back up.
When the state of charge is high,
the voltage is lowered slightly to
prevent overcharging. If the vehicle
has a voltmeter gauge 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.
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 are on, such
as: 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.

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.