Cadillac 2009 DTS User manual

Seats and Restraint System ............................. 1-1
Head Restraints ......................................... 1-2
Front Seats ............................................... 1-3
Rear Seats .............................................. 1-10
Safety Belts ............................................. 1-12
Child Restraints ....................................... 1-33
Airbag System ......................................... 1-55
Restraint System Check ............................ 1-70
Features and Controls ..................................... 2-1
Keys ........................................................ 2-3
Doors and Locks ...................................... 2-10
Windows ................................................. 2-15
Theft-Deterrent Systems ............................ 2-20
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle ........... 2-24
Mirrors .................................................... 2-38
Object Detection Systems .......................... 2-42
OnStar
®
System ...................................... 2-51
Universal Home Remote System ................ 2-55
Storage Areas ......................................... 2-62
Sunroof .................................................. 2-64
Instrument Panel ............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview .......................... 3-4
Climate Controls ...................................... 3-40
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators ........ 3-50
Driver Information Center (DIC) .................. 3-67
Audio System(s) ....................................... 3-95
Driving Your Vehicle ....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and the Vehicle ....... 4-2
Towing ................................................... 4-26
Service and Appearance Care .......................... 5-1
Service ..................................................... 5-3
Fuel ......................................................... 5-5
Checking Things Under the Hood ............... 5-10
Headlamp Aiming ..................................... 5-43
Bulb Replacement .................................... 5-46
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement ......... 5-46
Tires ...................................................... 5-48
Appearance Care ..................................... 5-86
Vehicle Identification ................................. 5-94
Electrical System ...................................... 5-94
Capacities and Specifications ................... 5-103
Maintenance Schedule ..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule ................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance Information .................... 7-1
Customer Assistance and Information ........... 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects ........................... 7-15
Vehicle Data Recording and Privacy ........... 7-17
Index ................................................................ 1
2009 Cadillac DTS Owner Manual M

GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem, CADILLAC,
the CADILLAC Crest & Wreath, and the name DTS are
registered trademarks of General Motors Corporation.
This manual includes the latest information at the time it
was printed. GM reserves the right to make changes
after that time without notice. For vehicles first sold
in Canada, substitute the name “General Motors
of Canada Limited” for Cadillac Motor Car Division
wherever it appears in this manual.
This manual describes features that may or may not be
on your specific vehicle.
Read this manual from beginning to end to learn about
the vehicle’s features and controls. Pictures, symbols,
and words work together to explain vehicle operation.
Keep this manual in the vehicle for quick reference.
Canadian Owners
A French language copy of this manual can be obtained
from your dealer/retailer or from:
Helm, Incorporated
P.O. Box 07130
Detroit, MI 48207
1-800-551-4123
www.helminc.com
Propriétaires Canadiens
On peut obtenir un exemplaire de ce guide en français
auprès de concessionnaire ou à l’adresse suivante:
Helm, Incorporated
P.O. Box 07130
Detroit, MI 48207
1-800-551-4123
www.helminc.com
Index
To quickly locate information about the vehicle, use the
index in the back of the manual. It is an alphabetical
list of what is in the manual and the page number where
it can be found.
Litho in U.S.A.
Part No. 25793159 B Second Printing
©
2008 General Motors Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
ii

Safety Warnings and Symbols
A circle with a slash
through it is a safety
symbol which means
“Do Not,” “Do not do this,”
or “Do not let this happen.”
A box with the word CAUTION is used to tell about
things that could hurt you or others if you were to ignore
the warning.
{CAUTION:
These mean there is something that could hurt
you or other people.
Cautions tell what the hazard is and what to do to avoid
or reduce the hazard. Read these cautions.
A notice tells about something that can damage the
vehicle.
Notice: These mean there is something that could
damage your vehicle.
Many times, this damage would not be covered by the
vehicle’s warranty, and it could be costly. The notice
tells what to do to help avoid the damage.
There are also warning labels on the vehicle which use
the same words, CAUTION or Notice.
Vehicle Symbols
The vehicle has components and labels that use symbols
instead of text. Symbols are shown along with the text
describing the operation or information relating to a
specific component, control, message, gage, or indicator.
M:This symbol is shown when you need to see your
owner manual for additional instructions or information.
*:This symbol is shown when you need to see a
service manual for additional instructions or information.
iii

Vehicle Symbol Chart
Here are some additional symbols that may be found on
the vehicle and what they mean. For more information
on the symbol, refer to the index.
9:Airbag Readiness Light
#:Air Conditioning
!:Antilock Brake System (ABS)
g:Audio Steering Wheel Controls or OnStar
®
$:Brake System Warning Light
":Charging System
I:Cruise Control
B:Engine Coolant Temperature
O:Exterior Lamps
#:Fog Lamps
.:Fuel Gage
+:Fuses
i:Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer
j:LATCH System Child Restraints
*:Malfunction Indicator Lamp
::Oil Pressure
g:Outside Power Foldaway Mirrors
}:Power
/:Remote Vehicle Start
>:Safety Belt Reminders
7:Tire Pressure Monitor
F:Traction Control
M:Windshield Washer Fluid
iv

Head Restraints ...............................................1-2
Front Seats ......................................................1-3
Power Seats ..................................................1-3
Power Lumbar ...............................................1-4
Massaging Lumbar .........................................1-4
Heated and Cooled Seats ................................1-5
Memory Seat, Mirrors and Steering Wheel .........1-6
Power Reclining Seatbacks ..............................1-8
Center Seat .................................................1-10
Rear Seats .....................................................1-10
Heated Seats ...............................................1-10
Rear Seat Pass-Through Door ........................1-11
Power Lumbar ..............................................1-11
Safety Belts ...................................................1-12
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone ................1-12
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly .................1-17
Lap-Shoulder Belt .........................................1-26
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy ..................1-31
Lap Belt ......................................................1-31
Safety Belt Extender .....................................1-32
Child Restraints .............................................1-33
Older Children ..............................................1-33
Infants and Young Children ............................1-36
Child Restraint Systems .................................1-39
Where to Put the Restraint .............................1-42
Lower Anchors and Tethers for
Children (LATCH) ......................................1-43
Securing a Child Restraint in a
Rear Seat Position ....................................1-49
Securing a Child Restraint in the
Center Front Seat Position ..........................1-51
Securing a Child Restraint in the
Right Front Seat Position ............................1-52
Airbag System ...............................................1-55
Where Are the Airbags? ................................1-57
When Should an Airbag Inflate? .....................1-60
What Makes an Airbag Inflate? .......................1-61
How Does an Airbag Restrain? .......................1-62
What Will You See After an Airbag Inflates? .....1-62
Passenger Sensing System ............................1-64
Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle ...........1-68
Adding Equipment to Your
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle .............................1-69
Restraint System Check ..................................1-70
Checking the Restraint Systems ......................1-70
Replacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash ............................................1-71
Section 1 Seats and Restraint System
1-1

Head Restraints
The vehicle’s front seats have adjustable head restraints
in the outboard seating positions.
{CAUTION:
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.
1-2

Pull the head restraint up to raise it. To lower the
head restraint, press the button, located on the top
of the seatback, and push the restraint down.
Push down on the head restraint after the button is
released to make sure that it is locked in place.
The head restraints are not designed to be removed.
Front Seats
Power Seats
The power seat
controls are located
on the outboard side
of the seats.
•Move the seat forward or rearward by sliding
the control forward or rearward.
•Raise or lower the front part of the seat cushion
by moving the front of the control up or down.
•Raise or lower the rear part of the seat cushion
by moving the rear of the control up or down.
The front seats also have power reclining seatbacks.
See Power Reclining Seatbacks on page 1-8.
On vehicles with the memory feature, memory settings
can be programmed and recalled for seat positions. See
Memory Seat, Mirrors and Steering Wheel on page 1-6.
1-3

Power Lumbar
The power lumbar
controls are located
on the outboard side
of the front seats.
Press the lumbar control forward to increase support
and rearward to decrease support. Press the top
or bottom of the control to raise or lower the support
mechanism.
Keep in mind that as a seating position changes,
as it may during long trips, so should the position
of the lumbar support. Adjust the seat as needed.
Massaging Lumbar
On vehicles with this
feature, the switch is
located on the outboard
side of the front seats
behind the lumbar switch.
Press the switch to turn the massaging lumbar feature
on. The ignition must be on for this feature to work.
The massage cycle will run for up to 10 minutes.
To stop massage, press the massaging lumbar
switch again or press the power lumbar switch.
1-4

Heated and Cooled Seats
The vehicle may have heated and cooled front seats.
To operate the heated or cooled seats, the ignition
must be on.
The buttons are located
on the front doors.
H(Cooled Seat): Press to turn on the cooled seat.
J(Heated Seat and Seatback): Press to turn on the
heated seat and seatback.
A light on the button shows the feature is on.
Each feature has three temperature settings indicated by
three lights next to the buttons. The highest setting shows
three lights, two is medium and one is the lowest.
When you press a button, the feature will turn on at the
highest setting. Each time the button is pressed, the
feature will go down one temperature setting.
To turn the feature off, keep pressing the button until
the display lights turn off.
If the vehicle has remote vehicle start and it is started
using the RKE transmitter, the front heated seats will
be turned on to the high setting if it is cold outside.
See “Remote Vehicle Start” under Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System Operation on page 2-5. When the key
is inserted into the ignition and the ignition is turned on,
this feature will turn off. To turn it back on, press the
desired button.
Drive Side Buttons
shown, Passenger Side
Buttons similar
1-5

Memory Seat, Mirrors and Steering
Wheel
On vehicles with the memory package, the controls are
located on the driver door panel. The controls are
used to program and recall memory settings for the
driver seat, outside mirror, and steering wheel position
if the vehicle has the power tilt wheel and telescopic
steering feature.
To save positions in memory:
1. Adjust the driver seat, including the seatback
recliner and lumbar, both outside mirrors, and
the steering wheel to a comfortable position.
2. Press and hold button 1 until two beeps sound
through the driver side front speaker to let you
know that the position has been stored.
A second seating, mirror, and steering wheel position
can be programmed by repeating the previous steps and
pressing button 2 for a second driver.
1-6

To recall memory positions, the vehicle must be in
P (Park). Press and release either button 1 or button 2
corresponding to the desired driving position. The seat,
outside mirrors, and steering wheel will move to the
position previously stored for the identified driver.
You will hear a single beep.
If you use the RKE transmitter to enter the vehicle and
the remote recall memory feature is on, automatic
seat and mirror movement will occur. See “MEMORY
SEAT RECALL” under DIC Vehicle Customization
on page 3-86 for more information.
To stop recall movement of the memory feature at any
time, press one of the power seat controls, memory
buttons, power tilt wheel control, or power mirror
buttons.
If something has blocked the driver seat and/or the
steering column while recalling a memory position,
the driver seat and/or the steering column recall may
stop. If this happens remove the obstruction, then press
the appropriate control for the area that is not recalling
for two seconds. Try recalling the memory position again
by pressing the appropriate memory button. If the
memory position is still not recalling, see your
dealer/retailer for service.
1-7

Easy Exit Recall
The control for this feature is located on the driver door
panel between buttons 1 and 2.
With the vehicle in P (Park), the exit position can be
recalled by pressing the exit button. You will hear
a single beep. The driver seat will move back, and if the
vehicle has the power tilt wheel and telescopic steering
feature, the power telescopic steering column will
move up and forward.
If the easy exit seat feature is on in the DIC, automatic
seat and power telescopic steering column movement
will occur when the key is removed from the ignition.
See “EASY EXIT RECALL” under DIC Vehicle
Customization on page 3-86 for more information.
Further programming for automatic seat and steering
wheel movement can be done using the Driver
Information Center (DIC). You can select or not
select the following:
•The easy exit recall feature
•The memory seat recall feature
For programming information, see DIC Vehicle
Customization on page 3-86.
Power Reclining Seatbacks
The seats have power
reclining seatbacks. Use
the vertical power seat
control located on the
outboard side of the seat.
•Press the control toward the rear of the vehicle to
recline the seatback.
•Press the control toward the front of the vehicle to
raise the seatback.
1-8

{CAUTION:
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 the vehicle is
moving.
1-9

Center Seat
The vehicle may have a front center seat. This seat
can be converted to a storage area by lowering
the seatback. See Center Flex Storage Unit on
page 2-63.
Rear Seats
Heated Seats
Your vehicle may have heated rear seats.
To operate the rear heated seats, the ignition must be on.
The buttons are located on
the rear doors.
I(Heated Seatback): Press to turn on the heated
seatback.
J(Heated Seat and Seatback): Press to turn on the
heated seat and seatback.
1-10

Press a button to turn on the desired feature. A light
on that button will display to show which feature is on.
Each feature has three temperature settings indicated
by three lights next to the buttons. The highest setting
shows three lights, two is medium and one is the lowest.
When you press a button, the feature will turn on at
the highest setting. Each time you press the button,
the feature will go down one temperature setting.
To turn the feature off, keep pressing the button
until the display lights turn off.
Rear Seat Pass-Through Door
Your vehicle has a pass-through door that provides
access to the trunk from the rear seats. See “Rear Seat
Pass-Through Door” under Trunk on page 2-13.
Power Lumbar
Your vehicle may be equipped with four-way lumbar
support, without the massage feature, for the outboard
rear seat positions.
The rear lumbar support
controls are located on the
rear doors in front of the
heated seat buttons.
To turn on the lumbar support feature, press the front of
the control to increase support or rearward to decrease
support. The lumbar control can also be moved up
and down to adjust the location of the support.
1-11

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.
{CAUTION:
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
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.
{CAUTION:
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 3-53
for additional information.
1-12

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!
Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast
as it goes.
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it is just a seat
on wheels.
1-13

Put someone on it. Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider
does not stop.
1-14

The person keeps going until stopped by something.
In a real vehicle, it could be the windshield... or the instrument panel...
1-15

or the safety belts!
With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle does.
You get more time to stop. You stop over more distance,
and your strongest bones take the forces. That is why
safety belts make such good sense.
Questions and Answers About Safety
Belts
Q: Will I be trapped in the vehicle after a crash if I
am wearing a safety belt?
A: You could be — whether you are wearing a safety
belt or not. But your chance of being conscious
during and after an accident, so you can unbuckle
and get out, is much greater if you are belted.
And you can unbuckle a safety belt, even if you are
upside down.
Q: If my vehicle has airbags, why should I have to
wear safety belts?
A: Airbags are supplemental systems only; so they
work with safety belts — not instead of them.
Whether or not an airbag is provided, all occupants
still have to buckle up to get the most protection.
That is true not only in frontal collisions, but
especially in side and other collisions.
1-16