CADILLAC XLR 2008 1.G Owners Manual

Train Station:This command will cause the system to
display train station POI icons.
Airport:This command will cause the system to
display airport POI icons.
Bus Station:This command will cause the system to
display bus station POI icons.
Commuter Rail Station:This command will cause the
system to display commuter rail station POI icons.
Ferry Terminal:This command will cause the system
to display ferry terminal POI icons.
Park & Ride:This command will cause the system to
display park & ride POI icons.
Rest Area, Rest Stop:These commands will cause
the system to display rest area POI icons.
Tourist Information:This command will cause the
system to display tourist information POI icons.
Historical Monument:This command will cause the
system to display historical monument POI icons.
Performing Arts:This command will cause the system
to display performing arts POI icons.Museum:This command will cause the system to
display museum POI icons.
Bank:This command will cause the system to display
bank POI icons.
School:This command will cause the system to
display school POI icons.
ATM:This command will cause the system to display
ATM POI icons.
Higher Education, University, College:These
commands will cause the system to display higher
education POI icons.
Business Facility:This command will cause the
system to display business facility POI icons.
City Center:This command will cause the system to
display city center POI icons.
POI Off:This command will cause the system to turn
off POIs so they do not appear on the map screen.
4-83

✍NOTES
4-84

Your Driving, the Road, and Your 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...................................5-5
Traction Control System (TCS).........................5-6
Magnetic Ride Control.....................................5-7
Limited-Slip Rear Axle.....................................5-7
StabiliTrak
®System........................................5-8
Steering........................................................5-9
Off-Road Recovery.......................................5-11
Passing.......................................................5-12
Loss of Control.............................................5-12Racing or Other Competitive Driving (XLR-V)......5-13
Driving at Night............................................5-14
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads..................5-14
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.......................5-15
Highway Hypnosis........................................5-16
Hill and Mountain Roads................................5-16
Winter Driving..............................................5-17
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud,
Ice, or Snow.............................................5-21
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out.................5-22
Loading Your Vehicle....................................5-22
Towing..........................................................5-27
Towing Your Vehicle.....................................5-27
Recreational Vehicle Towing...........................5-27
Towing a Trailer...........................................5-27
Section 5 Driving Your Vehicle
5-1

Your Driving, the Road, and
Your Vehicle
Defensive Driving
Defensive driving means “always expect the
unexpected.” The rst step in driving defensively is to
wear your safety belt — SeeSafety Belts: They Are for
Everyone on page 1-6.
{CAUTION:
Assume that other road users (pedestrians,
bicyclists, and other drivers) are going to be
careless and make mistakes. Anticipate what
they might do and be ready. In addition:
Allow enough following distance between
you and the driver in front of you.
Focus on the task of driving.
Driver distraction can cause collisions
resulting in injury or possible death.
These simple defensive driving techniques
could save your life.
Drunk Driving
{CAUTION:
Drinking and then driving is very dangerous.
Your reexes, perceptions, attentiveness,
and judgment can be affected by even a
small amount of alcohol. You can have a
serious — or even fatal — collision if you drive
after drinking. Do not drink and drive or ride
with a driver who has been drinking. Ride
home in a cab; or if you are with a group,
designate a driver who will not drink.
Death and injury associated with drinking and driving is
a global tragedy.
Alcohol affects four things that anyone needs to drive a
vehicle: judgment, muscular coordination, vision, and
attentiveness.
5-2

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 your
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 your vehicle. SeeTraction Control System
(TCS) on page 5-6andStabiliTrak
®System on
page 5-8.
Adding non-dealer/non-retailer accessories can affect
your vehicle’s performance. SeeAccessories and
Modifications on page 6-3.
5-3

Braking
SeeBrake System Warning Light on page 3-50.
Braking action involves perception time and reaction
time. First, you have to decide to push on the brake
pedal. That is perception time. Then you have to bring
up your foot and do it. That is reaction time.
Average reaction time is about three-fourths of a
second. But that is only an average. It might be less
with one driver and as long as two or three seconds or
more with another. Age, physical condition, alertness,
coordination, and eyesight all play a part. So do alcohol,
drugs, and frustration. But even in three-fourths of a
second, a vehicle moving at 60 mph (100 km/h) travels
66 feet (20 m). That could be a lot of distance in an
emergency, so keeping enough space between
your vehicle and others is important.
And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly
with the surface of the road, whether it is pavement
or gravel; the condition of the road, whether it is
wet, dry, or icy; tire tread; the condition of the brakes;
the weight of the vehicle; and the amount of brake
force applied.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. The brakes might not have time to cool
between hard stops. The 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 vehicle’s engine ever stops while you are driving,
brake normally but do not pump the brakes. If you do,
the pedal could get harder to push down. If the
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 can take longer to stop and
the brake pedal will be harder to push.
Adding non-dealer/non-retailer accessories can affect
your vehicle’s performance. SeeAccessories and
Modifications on page 6-3.
5-4

Antilock Brake System (ABS)
Your vehicle has the Antilock Brake System (ABS), an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent a braking skid.
When you start the engine and begin to drive away,
ABS will check itself. You might hear a momentary
motor or clicking noise while this test is going on, and
you might even notice that the brake pedal moves
a little. This is normal.
If there is a problem with
ABS, this warning light will
stay on. SeeAntilock
Brake System Warning
Light on page 3-51.
Let us say the road is wet and you are driving safely.
Suddenly, an animal jumps out in front of you. You slam
on the brakes and continue braking. Here is what
happens with ABS:
A computer senses that 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 faster than any
driver could. The computer is programmed to make the
most of available tire and road conditions. This can
help you steer around the obstacle while braking hard.
As you brake, the computer keeps receiving updates on
wheel speed and controls braking pressure accordingly.
Remember: ABS does not 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 will not have time to apply the brakes
if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops. Always leave
enough room up ahead to stop, even though you
have ABS.
Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal
down rmly and let antilock work for you. You might hear
a motor or clicking noise and feel the brake pedal
move a little during a stop, but this is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
With ABS, you can steer and brake at the same time.
In many emergencies, steering can help you more than
even the very best braking.
5-5

Traction Control System (TCS)
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 works the rear brakes and reduces engine
power to limit wheel spin.
The TRAC SYSTEM ACTIVE message will display on
the Driver Information Center (DIC) when the traction
control system is limiting wheel spin. SeeDIC Warnings
and Messages on page 3-63. You may feel or hear
the system working, but this is normal.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the traction
control system begins to limit wheel spin, the cruise
control will automatically disengage. When road
conditions allow you to safely use it again, you may
reengage the cruise control. SeeAdaptive Cruise
Control on page 3-15orCruise Control on page 3-12for
more information.This warning light will
come on to let you know
if there is a problem
with your traction
control system.
SeeTraction Control System (TCS) Warning Light on
page 3-52. When this warning light is on, the system will
not limit wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly.
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. SeeRocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out on
page 5-22andIf Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand,
Mud, Ice, or Snow on page 5-21for more information.
5-6

To turn the system off,
press the front part of the
traction control button
located on the center
console.
The TRACTION SYSTEM OFF message will display on
the DIC and the traction control system warning light
will come on. If the system is limiting wheel spin when
you press the button, the TRACTION SYSTEM OFF
message will display – but the system will not turn
off right away. It will wait until there is no longer
a current need to limit wheel spin.
You can turn the system back on at any time by
pressing the button again. The TRACTION SYSTEM
ON message should display briey on the Driver
Information Center. SeeDIC Warnings and Messages
on page 3-63for more information.
Adding non-GM accessories can affect your vehicle’s
performance. SeeAccessories and Modifications
on page 6-3for more information.Magnetic Ride Control
Magnetic Ride Control automatically adjusts the ride
of your vehicle. Automatic ride control is achieved
through a computer used to control and monitor the
suspension system. The controller receives input from
various sensors to determine the proper system
response. If the controller detects a problem within the
system, the DIC will display a SERVICE RIDE
CONTROL message. SeeDIC Warnings and Messages
on page 3-63for more information. See your dealer
for service.
Limited-Slip Rear Axle
Your limited-slip rear axle can give you additional
traction on snow, mud, ice, sand or gravel. It works like
a standard axle most of the time, but when one of
the rear wheels has no traction and the other does,
this feature will allow the wheel with traction to move
the vehicle.
5-7

StabiliTrak®System
The StabiliTrak®System is a computer controlled
system that helps the driver maintain directional control
of the vehicle in difficult driving conditions. This is
accomplished by selectively applying any one of the
vehicle’s brakes.
When you rst start your vehicle and begin to drive
away (6 mph (10 km/h)), especially during cold weather,
the message STABILITRAK WARMING may be
displayed in the Driver Information Center (DIC), the
instrument panel cluster light will be on, and a chime
will sound. This is normal. You can acknowledge
this message by pressing the RESET button.
The StabiliTrak
®System performance is affected until
the message, STABILITRAK READY, is displayed in the
DIC. This can take up to 15 minutes.
The WAIT FOR STABILITRAK message may be
displayed in the DIC after exceeding 19 mph (30 km/h)
for 10 seconds if the steering is not centered.
The system is off until the STABILITRAK ACTIVE
message is displayed.The STABILITRAK ACTIVE message will come on
when the system is operating. SeeDIC Warnings and
Messages on page 3-63for more information. You
may also feel or hear the system working. This
is normal.
The instrument panel
cluster light will come on
and a chime will sound
to let you know if there is a
problem with the system.
The SERVICE STABILITRAK message will also be
displayed. SeeDIC Warnings and Messages on
page 3-63for more information.
When this light and the SERVICE STABILITRAK
message are on, the system is not operational.
Adjust your driving accordingly.
5-8