warning CADILLAC STS 2011 1.G User Guide

Black plate (10,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Power Reclining Seatbacks
{WARNING:
You can lose control of the vehicle if you try to
adjust the seat while the vehicle is moving. The
sudden movement could startle and confuse you,
or make you push a pedal when you do not want
to. Adjust the driver seat only when the vehicle is
not moving.
The front seats have
power reclining
seatbacks. Use the
vertical power seat control
on the outboard side of
the seat to operate them.
.Tilt the top of the vertical control rearward to
recline the seatback.
.Tilt the top of the vertical control forward to raise
the seatback.
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Black plate (11,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
{WARNING:
Sitting in a reclined position when the vehicle is in
motion can be dangerous. Even when buckled up,
the safety belts cannot do their job when reclined
like this.
The shoulder belt cannot do its job because it will
not be against your body. Instead, it will be in front
of you. In a crash, you could go into it, receiving
neck or other injuries.
The lap belt cannot do its job either. In a crash,
the belt could go up over your abdomen. The belt
forces would be there, not at your pelvic bones.
This could cause serious internal injuries.
For proper protection when the vehicle is in
motion, have the seatback upright. Then sit well
back in the seat and wear the safety belt properly.
Do not have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is
moving.
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Black plate (12,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Head Restraints
The vehicle's front seats have adjustable head
restraints in the outboard seating positions.
{WARNING:
With head restraints that are not installed and
adjusted properly, there is a greater chance that
occupants will suffer a neck/spinal injury in a
crash. Do not drive until the head restraints for all
occupants are installed and adjusted properly.
Adjust the head restraint so that the top of the restraint
is at the same height as the top of the occupant's head.
This position reduces the chance of a neck injury in a
crash.
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Black plate (14,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Rear Seats
Heated Seats
{WARNING:
If you cannot feel temperature change or pain to
the skin, the seat heater may cause burns even at
low temperatures. See the Warning underHeated
Seats on page 2‑4.
If the vehicle has this feature, the controls are on the
rear of the center console. The engine must be running
to operate this feature. Press the button once for the highest setting. With each
press of the button, the heated seat will change to the
next lower setting, and then to the off setting. The lights
indicate
“3”for the highest setting and “1”for the lowest.
The heated seats are canceled when the ignition is
turned off.
Rear Seat Pass-Through Door
The vehicle has a pass‐through door that provides
access to the trunk from the rear seats. See “Rear Seat
Pass‐Through Door” underTrunk on page 3‑15.
Safety Belts
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone
This section of the manual describes how to use safety
belts properly. It also describes some things not to do
with safety belts.
{WARNING:
Do not let anyone ride where a safety belt cannot
be worn properly. In a crash, if you or your
passenger(s) are not wearing safety belts, the
(Continued)
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Black plate (15,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
WARNING: (Continued)
injuries can be much worse. You can hit things
inside the vehicle harder or be ejected from the
vehicle. You and your passenger(s) can be
seriously injured or killed. In the same crash, you
might not be, if you are buckled up. Always fasten
your safety belt, and check that your passenger(s)
are restrained properly too.
{WARNING:
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo area,
inside or outside of a vehicle. In a collision,
people riding in these areas are more likely to be
seriously injured or killed. Do not allow people
to ride in any area of your vehicle that is not
equipped with seats and safety belts. Be sure
everyone in your vehicle is in a seat and using a
safety belt properly.This vehicle has indicators as a reminder to buckle the
safety belts. See
Safety Belt Reminders
on page 4‑53for additional information.
In most states and in all Canadian provinces, the law
requires wearing safety belts. Here is why:
You never know if you will be in a crash. If you do have
a crash, you do not know if it will be a serious one.
A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so
serious that even buckled up, a person would not
survive. But most crashes are in between. In many of
them, people who buckle up can survive and sometimes
walk away. Without safety belts, they could have been
badly hurt or killed.
After more than 40 years of safety belts in vehicles,
the facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does
matter ... a lot!
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Black plate (21,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Q: What is wrong with this?
A:The shoulder belt is too loose. It will not give as
much protection this way.
{WARNING:
You can be seriously hurt if your shoulder belt is
too loose. In a crash, you would move forward too
much, which could increase injury. The shoulder
belt should fit snugly against your body.
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Black plate (22,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Q: What is wrong with this?
A:The lap belt is too loose. It will not give nearly as
much protection this way.
{WARNING:
You can be seriously hurt if your lap belt is too
loose. In a crash, you could slide under the lap
belt and apply force on your abdomen. This could
cause serious or even fatal injuries. The lap belt
should be worn low and snug on the hips, just
touching the thighs.
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Black plate (23,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Q: What is wrong with this?
A:The belt is buckled in the wrong buckle.
{WARNING:
You can be seriously injured if your belt is buckled
in the wrong place like this. In a crash, the belt
would go up over your abdomen. The belt forces
would be there, not on the pelvic bones. This
could cause serious internal injuries. Always
buckle your belt into the buckle nearest you.
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Black plate (24,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Q: What is wrong with this?
A:The belt is over an armrest.
{WARNING:
You can be seriously injured if your belt goes over
an armrest like this. The belt would be much too
high. In a crash, you can slide under the belt. The
belt force would then be applied on the abdomen,
not on the pelvic bones, and that could cause
serious or fatal injuries. Be sure the belt goes
under the armrests.
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Black plate (25,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Q: What is wrong with this?
A:The shoulder belt is worn under the arm. It should
be worn over the shoulder at all times.
{WARNING:
You can be seriously injured if you wear the
shoulder belt under your arm. In a crash, your
body would move too far forward, which would
increase the chance of head and neck injury.
Also, the belt would apply too much force to the
ribs, which are not as strong as shoulder bones.
You could also severely injure internal organs like
your liver or spleen. The shoulder belt should go
over the shoulder and across the chest.
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