steering CADILLAC STS 2011 1.G Workshop Manual

Black plate (88,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
SERVICE SUSPENSION SYS (System)
This message displays when the suspension system is
not operating properly. Have your vehicle serviced by
your dealer.
If your All-Wheel Drive (AWD) vehicle has the Active
Steering with Enhanced StabiliTrak option and the
suspension system needs service, the Enhanced
StabiliTrak system may be operating in the Stability
Secure Mode and the STABILITY SECURE MODE
message will display. SeeEnhanced StabiliTrak
®on
page 5‑7.
SERVICE TIRE MONITOR
This message displays if a part on the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS) is not working properly. The tire
pressure light also flashes and then remains on during
the same ignition cycle. See Tire Pressure Light
on
page 4‑62. Several conditions may cause this message
to appear. See Tire Pressure Monitor Operationon
page 6‑62for more information. If the warning comes
on and stays on, there may be a problem with the
TPMS. See your dealer.
SERVICE THEFT SYSTEM
This message displays when there is a problem with the
hood open and closed switches. The switches may
need to be replaced. When this message is displayed,
the theft-deterrent system will still be protecting the
interior of the vehicle, however, the hood area will not
be protected at this time. Also, the remote start function
will not work when this message appears. See your
dealer for service.
SERVICE TRANSMISSION
This message displays when there is a problem with
the transmission. Have your vehicle serviced by your
dealer.
SERVICE VEHICLE SOON
This message displays when a non-emissions related
malfunction occurs. Have your vehicle serviced by your
dealer as soon as possible.
4-88

Black plate (89,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
SIDE BLIND ZONE ALERT
SYSTEM OFF
If your vehicle has the Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA)
system, this message displays when the SBZA system
has been turned off. SeeSide Blind Zone Alert (SBZA)
on page 3‑44andDIC Operation and Displayson
page 4‑70for more information.
SIDE BLIND ZONE SYSTEM
UNAVAILABLE
If your vehicle has the Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA)
system, this message displays when the SBZA system
is disabled because the sensor is blocked and cannot
detect vehicles in your blind zone. The sensor may be
blocked by mud, dirt, snow, ice, or slush. This message
may also display during heavy rain or due to road spray.
Your vehicle does not need service. For cleaning
instructions, see Washing Your Vehicle
on page 6‑109.
See Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA)on page 3‑44for
more information.
SPEED LIMIT: XXX MPH (KM/H)
This message displays when the Speed Alert has
been turned on through the DIC Information Menu
and the vehicle is at or above the speed limit. See
DIC Operation and Displays
on page 4‑70for more
information.
SPEED LIMITED TO XXX
This message displays when the vehicle speed is
limited to XXX, mph in English mode and km/h in Metric
mode, because the vehicle detects a problem in the
steering, stability control, or suspension system. Have
your vehicle serviced by your dealer.
STABILITY SECURE MODE
If your All-Wheel Drive (AWD) vehicle has the Active
Steering with Enhanced StabiliTrak option, this
message displays when the stability control system
is in the secure mode. Stability Secure Mode is set
automatically when certain system faults or vehicle
conditions are detected. When the Stability Secure
Mode is activated, the stability control system will not
respond to driver requests to change the stability mode
until the next ignition cycle or until the vehicle condition
or fault is returned to normal. See Enhanced
StabiliTrak
®on page 5‑7for more information.
4-89

Black plate (91,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
STABILITY TOURING MODE
If your All-Wheel Drive (AWD) vehicle has the Active
Steering with Enhanced StabiliTrak option, this
message displays when the Stability Touring Mode is
re-activated by using the traction control button after:
.Driving in the Stability Competitive Mode.
.The stability control system is turned off by the
driver.
This message may also display after exiting STABILITY
SECURE MODE when certain system faults or vehicle
conditions have been cleared. See Enhanced
StabiliTrak
®on page 5‑7.
STARTING DISABLED THEFT
PROBLEM
This message displays when incorrect conditions exist
within the theft-deterrent system. See your dealer for
service.
STARTING DISABLED THROTTLE
PROBLEM
This message displays when your vehicle's throttle
system is not functioning properly. Have your vehicle
serviced by your dealer.
THEFT ATTEMPTED
This symbol appears
with this message.
This message displays if the theft-deterrent system has
detected a break-in attempt while you were away from
your vehicle.
TRACTION ACTIVE
This message displays when the Traction Control
System (TCS) is actively limiting wheel spin. Slippery
road conditions may exist if this message is displayed,
so adjust your driving accordingly. The message stays
on for a few seconds after the TCS stops limiting wheel
spin. See Traction Control System (TCS)
on page 5‑9for more information.
4-91

Black plate (114,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Bluetooth Controls
Use the buttons located on the steering wheel to
operate the Bluetooth system. SeeAudio Steering
Wheel Controls
on page 4‑124for more information.
b g(Push to Talk) : Press to answer incoming calls,
to confirm system information, and to start voice
recognition.
Pairing
A Bluetooth cell phone must be paired to the Bluetooth
system and then connected to the vehicle before it can
be used. See your cell phone manufacturer's user guide
for Bluetooth functions before pairing the cell phone. If a Bluetooth phone is not connected, calls will be made
using OnStar
®Hands‐Free Calling, if available. Refer
to the OnStar Owner's Guide for more information.
Pairing Information
.Up to five cell phones can be paired to the
Bluetooth system.
.The pairing process is disabled when the vehicle is
moving.
.Pairing only needs to be completed once, unless
the pairing information on the cell phone changes
or the cell phone is deleted from the system.
.Only one paired cell phone can be connected to
the Bluetooth system at a time.
.If multiple paired cell phones are within range
of the system, the system connects to the first
available paired cell phone in the order that they
were first paired to the system. To connect to a
different paired phone, see “Connecting to a
Different Phone” later in this section.
Pairing a Phone
1. Press and holdbgfor two seconds.
2. Say “Bluetooth.”
3. Say “Pair.”The system responds with instructions
and a four‐digit Personal Identification Number
(PIN). The PIN is used in Step 5.
4. Start the pairing process on the cell phone that you want to pair. For help with this process, see your
cell phone manufacturer's user guide.
5. Locate the device named “Your Vehicle”in the list
on the cell phone. Follow the instructions on the
cell phone to enter the PIN number that was
provided in Step 3. After the PIN is successfully
entered, the system prompts you to provide a
name for the paired cell phone. This name will be
used to indicate which phones are paired and
connected to the vehicle. See “Listing All Paired
and Connected Phones” later in this section for
more information.
6. Repeat Steps 1 through 5 to pair additional phones.
4-114

Black plate (123,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
SETUP:The following submenus are available when
this item is selected:
.PERSONAL SETTINGS MENU
.DRIVER SELECTION
.DRIVER EXIT SETTINGS
.CONFIGURE DISPLAY KEYS
SETUP Submenu Items
The following choices are available for programming.
PERSONAL SETTINGS MENU
This item turns the entire list of personalization features
on or off, and allows a preferred setting for up to two
people to be programmed. The number of available
features varies depending on which options the vehicle
has. A check mark appears after it when this item is on.
For more information on the PERSONAL SETTINGS
MENU item, see Vehicle Personalization on page 3‑59.
DRIVER SELECTION
The following submenu displays when this item is
selected:
.DRIVER 1
.DRIVER 2
.RECALL DRIVER SETTINGS
.STORE DRIVER SETTINGS For more information on the DRIVER SELECTION
submenu item, see
“Recalling Driver Settings” and
“Storing Driver Settings” underMemory Seat, Mirrors
and Steering Wheel on page 3‑75.
DRIVER EXIT SETTINGS
The following submenu displays when this item is
selected:
.RECALL EXIT SETTINGS
.STORE EXIT SETTINGS
For more information on the DRIVER EXIT SETTINGS
submenu item, see “Recalling Exit Settings” and
“Storing Exit Settings” underMemory Seat, Mirrors and
Steering Wheel on page 3‑75.
CONFIGURE DISPLAY KEYS
(Base Audio System)
This item allows the four configurable keys located to
the left and right of the audio display to be customized.
See “Configurable Radio Display Keys” underRadio(s)
on page 4‑95for programming information.
Theft-Deterrent Feature
THEFTLOCK®is designed to discourage theft of the
vehicle's radio by learning a portion of the Vehicle
Identification Number (VIN). The radio does not operate
if it is stolen or moved to a different vehicle.
4-123

Black plate (124,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Audio Steering Wheel Controls
The vehicle has audio steering wheel controls and they
could differ depending on the vehicle’s options.
Some audio controls can be adjusted at the steering
wheel.
¨SEEK©:Press to go to the next or previous radio
station with a strong signal in the selected band while
listening to the radio.
Press
¨or©to go to the next or previous track while a
CD is playing,
SRCE (Source): Press to select between AM, FM,
XM™, or CD.
SCAN: Press and hold to scan radio stations, the radio
goes to the next strongest station in the selected band,
plays for a few seconds, then goes to the next station.
Press SCAN again to stop scanning.
y z(Previous/Next): Press to go to the next or
previous radio station stored as a favorite while listening
to the radio.
Press
yorzto go to the next or previous track while
a CD is playing.
+
e− (Volume): Press to increase or to decrease the
volume.
4-124

Black plate (1,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Section 5 Driving Your Vehicle
Your Driving, the Road, and the Vehicle. . . . . . . . . .5-2
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Braking in Emergencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
StabiliTrak
®System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Enhanced StabiliTrak®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Traction Control System (TCS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Limited-Slip Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
All-Wheel Drive (AWD) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Passing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14 Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Driving at Night . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Before Leaving on a Long Trip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice,
or Snow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Loading the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-29
Towing Your Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-29
Recreational Vehicle Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-29
Towing a Trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-31
5-1

Black plate (3,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Police records show that almost 40 percent of all motor
vehicle-related deaths involve alcohol. In most cases,
these deaths are the result of someone who was
drinking and driving. In recent years, more than
17,000 annual motor vehicle-related deaths have
been associated with the use of alcohol, with about
250,000 people injured.
For persons under 21, it is against the law in every
U.S. state to drink alcohol. There are good medical,
psychological, and developmental reasons for
these laws.
The obvious way to eliminate the leading highway
safety problem is for people never to drink alcohol and
then drive.
Medical research shows that alcohol in a person's
system can make crash injuries worse, especially
injuries to the brain, spinal cord, or heart. This means
that when anyone who has been drinking—driver or
passenger —is in a crash, that person's chance of
being killed or permanently disabled is higher than if the
person had not been drinking.Control of a Vehicle
The following three systems help to control the vehicle
while driving —brakes, steering, and accelerator. At
times, as when driving on snow or ice, it is easy to ask
more of those control systems than the tires and road
can provide. Meaning, you can lose control of the
vehicle. See Traction Control System (TCS)
on
page 5‑9and StabiliTrak®Systemon page 5‑6or
Enhanced StabiliTrak®on page 5‑7.
Adding non‐dealer/non‐retailer accessories can
affect vehicle performance. See Accessories and
Modifications on page 6‑4.
5-3

Black plate (6,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
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.
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
pulsations 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.
StabiliTrak®System
The vehicle has a vehicle stability enhancement system
called StabiliTrak. It is an advanced computer controlled
system that assists with directional control of the vehicle
in difficult driving conditions.
If the vehicle has all‐wheel‐drive and has Active
Steering with Enhanced StabiliTrak, seeEnhanced
StabiliTrak
®on page 5‑7.
StabiliTrak activates when the computer senses a
discrepancy between the intended path and the
direction the vehicle is actually traveling. StabiliTrak
selectively applies braking pressure at any one of the
vehicle's brakes to help steer the vehicle in the intended
direction.
When the system activates, a STABILITY SYS ACTIVE
message will be displayed on the Driver Information
Center (DIC). See DIC Warnings and Messages
on
page 4‑76. A noise may be heard or a vibration felt in
the brake pedal. This is normal. Continue to steer the
vehicle in the intended direction.
If there is a problem detected with StabiliTrak, a
SERVICE STABILITY SYS message will be displayed
on the DIC. See DIC Warnings and Messages
on
page 4‑76. When this message is displayed, the
system is not operational. Driving should be adjusted
accordingly.
5-6

Black plate (7,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
StabiliTrak comes on automatically whenever the
vehicle is started. To help assist with directional control
of the vehicle, always leave the system on. StabiliTrak
can be turned off, however, by using the Traction
Control System (TCS)/StabiliTrak button. SeeTraction
Control System (TCS) on page 5‑9.
If cruise control is being used when StabiliTrak
activates, it will automatically disengage. Cruise control
may be reengaged when road conditions allow. See
Cruise Control
on page 4‑12or Adaptive Cruise
Controlon page 4‑15for more information.
Enhanced StabiliTrak®
All‐wheel‐drive (AWD) vehicles with the Active Steering
with Enhanced StabiliTrak option have an enhanced
computer controlled vehicle stability system that assists
with directional control of the vehicle in difficult driving
conditions. This system coordinates automatic control of
the Active Steering System, the Magnetic Ride Control
Suspension System, and the Brake Control System for
better vehicle performance.
During extreme cold temperature conditions, the active
steering function may be temporarily disabled which
may cause the steering wheel to be offset from the
center position while driving straight. This is normal
operation and the vehicle is safe to drive in these
cases. Stability control activates when the computer senses a
difference between the intended path and the direction
the vehicle is actually traveling. Stability control
automatically adjusts the front road wheel steering
angle, modifies the suspension stiffness, and selectively
applies braking pressure at any one of the vehicle’s
brakes to help maintain directional control of the
vehicle.
When the system activates, a STABILITY SYS ACTIVE
message displays on the Driver Information Center
(DIC). See
DIC Warnings and Messages
on page 4‑76.
It is normal to hear a noise or feel vibration in the brake
pedal when the system is working. Continue to steer the
vehicle in the intended direction.
If cruise control is engaged when Enhanced
StabiliTrak activates, the cruise control will
automatically disengage. Re-engage cruise control
when road conditions allow. See Cruise Control
on
page 4‑12, or Adaptive Cruise Controlon page 4‑15for more information.
Enhanced StabiliTrak comes on automatically in the
Stability Touring Mode, when the vehicle is started.
The Stability Touring Mode is recommended for normal
driving.
5-7