Cadillac CTS 2008 User manual

Seats and Restraint Systems ........................... 1-1
Head Restraints ......................................... 1-2
Front Seats ............................................... 1-4
Rear Seats .............................................. 1-11
Safety Belts ............................................. 1-12
Child Restraints ....................................... 1-32
Airbag System ......................................... 1-56
Restraint System Check ............................ 1-72
Features and Controls ..................................... 2-1
Keys ........................................................ 2-4
Doors and Locks ...................................... 2-18
Windows ................................................. 2-24
Theft-Deterrent Systems ............................ 2-28
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle ........... 2-32
Mirrors .................................................... 2-50
Object Detection Systems .......................... 2-52
OnStar
®
System ...................................... 2-55
Universal Home Remote System ................ 2-58
Storage Areas ......................................... 2-62
Sunroof .................................................. 2-63
Instrument Panel ............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview .......................... 3-4
Climate Controls ...................................... 3-24
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators ........ 3-30
Driver Information Center (DIC) .................. 3-48
Audio System(s) ....................................... 3-82
Driving Your Vehicle ....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and the Vehicle ....... 4-2
Towing ................................................... 4-28
Service and Appearance Care .......................... 5-1
Service ..................................................... 5-4
Fuel ......................................................... 5-6
Checking Things Under the Hood ............... 5-12
All-Wheel Drive ........................................ 5-50
Rear Axle ............................................... 5-51
Headlamp Aiming ..................................... 5-52
Bulb Replacement .................................... 5-55
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement ......... 5-57
Tires ...................................................... 5-58
Appearance Care ................................... 5-112
Vehicle Identification ............................... 5-121
Electrical System .................................... 5-122
Capacities and Specifications ................... 5-129
Maintenance Schedule ..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule ................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance Information .................... 7-1
Customer Assistance and Information ........... 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects ........................... 7-16
Vehicle Data Recording and Privacy ........... 7-18
Index ................................................................ 1
2008 Cadillac CTS Owner Manual M

GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem,
CADILLAC, the CADILLAC Crest & Wreath, and the
name CTS are registered trademarks of General Motors
Corporation.
Music recognition technology and related data are
provided by Gracenote
®
. Gracenote is the industry
standard in music recognition technology and related
content delivery. For more information, visit
www.gracenote.com.
DTS AND DTS Digital Surround are registered
trademarks of Digital Theater Systems, Inc.
Dolby
®
is manufactured under license from Dolby
®
Laboratories. Dolby
®
and the double-D symbol
are trademarks of Dolby
®
Laboratories.
Litho in U.S.A.
Part No. 15864564 B Second Printing
©
2007 General Motors Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
ii

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.
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
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
helminc.com
Using this Manual
Read this owner manual from beginning to end to learn
about the vehicle’s features and controls. Pictures
and words work together to explain things.
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.
iii

Safety Warnings and Symbols
There are a number of safety cautions in this book.
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 circle with a slash
through it is a safety
symbol which means
“Do Not,” “Do Not do this”
or “Do Not let this happen.”
Vehicle Damage Warnings
Notices are also used in this manual.
Notice: These mean there is something that could
damage your vehicle.
A notice tells about something that can damage the
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.
When you read other manuals, you might see CAUTION
and NOTICE warnings in different colors or in different
words.
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.
iv

Head Restraints ...............................................1-2
Front Seats ......................................................1-4
Manual Seats ................................................1-4
Power Seats ..................................................1-5
Power Lumbar ...............................................1-6
Heated and Ventilated Seats ............................1-6
Memory Seat, Mirrors and Steering Wheel .........1-7
Reclining Seatbacks ........................................1-8
Rear Seats .....................................................1-11
Split Folding Rear Seat .................................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
Safety Belt Extender .....................................1-32
Child Restraints .............................................1-32
Older Children ..............................................1-32
Infants and Young Children ............................1-35
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
Right Front Seat Position ............................1-52
Airbag System ...............................................1-56
Where Are the Airbags? ................................1-58
When Should an Airbag Inflate? .....................1-61
What Makes an Airbag Inflate? .......................1-63
How Does an Airbag Restrain? .......................1-63
What Will You See After an Airbag Inflates? .....1-64
Passenger Sensing System ............................1-65
Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle ...........1-70
Adding Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle ....................................................1-70
Restraint System Check ..................................1-72
Checking the Restraint Systems ......................1-72
Replacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash ............................................1-73
Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
1-1

Head Restraints
The vehicle’s front seats have adjustable head restraints
in the outboard seating positions.
The vehicle’s rear seats have head restraints in the
outboard seating positions, but they are not adjustable.
{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 vehicle’s head restraints are not designed to be
removed.
Active Head Restraint System
On vehicles with an active head restraint system in the
front outboard seating positions. These automatically
tilt forward to reduce the risk of neck injury if the vehicle
is hit from behind.
1-3

Front Seats
Manual Seats
{CAUTION:
You can lose control of the vehicle if you try to
adjust a manual driver’s 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’s
seat only when the vehicle is not moving.
To move a manual seat forward or rearward:
1. Lift the bar to unlock
the seat.
2. Slide the seat to the
desired position and
release the bar.
Try to move the seat with your body to be sure the seat
is locked in place.
1-4

Power Seats If the vehicle has power seats, the controls used to
operate them are located on the outboard side of
the seats.
•Move the seat forward or rearward by sliding the
horizontal control forward or rearward.
•Raise or lower the front part of the seat cushion by
moving the front of the horizontal control up or down.
•Raise or lower the rear part of the seat cushion by
moving the rear of the horizontal control up or down.
•Raise or lower the entire seat by moving the entire
horizontal control up or down.
The vertical control is used for reclining your seatback.
See “Power Reclining Seatbacks” under Reclining
Seatbacks on page 1-8 for more information.
1-5

Power Lumbar
Your vehicle may have this
feature. The driver’s and
passenger’s seatback
lumbar support can be
adjusted by moving the
control located on the
outboard side of the
seat cushions.
To increase or decrease support, hold the control
forward or rearward. Keep in mind that as your seating
position changes, as it may during long trips, so should
the position of your lumbar support. Adjust the seat as
needed.
Heated and Ventilated Seats
On vehicles with this feature, the buttons are located on
the climate control panel.
z(Heated Seat and Seatback): Press for the heated
seat and seatback.
{(Ventilated Seat): Press for the ventilated seat.
A light bar in the climate control display shows the
setting; high, medium or low.
Press either button to start that feature at the highest
setting. Each press of the button, decreases the setting.
To turn the feature off, press the button until the light
turns off
The heated or ventilated seats shut off when the vehicle
is turned off.
1-6

Memory Seat, Mirrors and Steering
Wheel
On vehicles with the memory package the controls
are located on the driver door. This feature is used to
program and recall memory settings for the driver’s seat,
outside mirror, and the steering wheel position if the
vehicle has the power tilt wheel and telescopic steering
feature.
1: Saves the seating position for driver 1.
2: Saves the seating position for driver 2.
S:Recalls the easy exit position.
To save your positions in memory:
1. Adjust the driver’s seat, 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’s side front speaker to let you
know that the position has been stored.
3. Repeat the procedure for a second driver using
button 2.
To recall your memory positions, the vehicle must
be in PARK (P). Press and release either button 1 or
button 2. A single beep will sound. The seat, outside
mirrors, and steering wheel will move to the position
previously stored for the identified driver.
If you use the remote keyless entry transmitter to enter
your vehicle and the remote recall memory feature
is on, automatic seat and mirror movement occur.
On vehicles with the Keyless Access System, automatic
adjustment occurs when the driver door is opened.
See “MEMORY SEAT RECALL” under DIC Vehicle
Customization on page 3-69 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’s seat or the
steering column while recalling a memory position, the
recall may stop. 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 for service.
1-7

Easy Exit Recall
S:With the vehicle in PARK (P), press the exit button
to recall the exit position.
A single beep sounds. The driver’s seat moves back,
and if the vehicle has the power tilt wheel and telescopic
steering feature, it moves up and forward.
If the easy exit seat feature is on in the DIC, automatic
seat and power telescopic steering column movement
occurs when the key is removed from the ignition.
On vehicles with the Keyless Access System, automatic
adjustment occurs when the ignition is turned to OFF
or ACC/ACCESSORY and the driver door is opened.
See “EASY EXIT RECALL” under DIC Vehicle
Customization on page 3-69 for more information.
For more programming information, see DIC Vehicle
Customization on page 3-69.
Reclining Seatbacks
Manual Reclining Seatbacks
{CAUTION:
You can lose control of the vehicle if you try to
adjust a manual driver’s 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’s
seat only when the vehicle is not moving.
{CAUTION:
If the seatback is not locked, it could move
forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could
cause injury to the person sitting there. Always
push and pull on the seatback to be sure it is
locked.
1-8

If the front passenger’s
seat has a manual
reclining seatback, the
lever used to operate it is
located on the outboard
side of the seat.
To recline the seatback, do the following:
1. Lift the recline lever.
2. Move the seatback to the desired position, then
release the lever to lock the seatback in place.
3. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is
locked.
To return the seatback to an upright position, do the
following:
1. Lift the lever fully without applying pressure to the
seatback and the seatback will return to the upright
position.
2. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is
locked.
Power Reclining Seatbacks
If your seats have power reclining seatbacks, use the
vertical power seat control located on the outboard side
of each seat.
•To recline the seatback, press the control toward
the rear of the vehicle.
•To raise the seatback, press the control toward the
front of the vehicle.
1-9

{CAUTION:
Sitting in a reclined position when your vehicle
is in motion can be dangerous. Even if you
buckle up, your safety belts cannot do their
job when you are reclined like this.
The shoulder belt cannot do its job. 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 your safety belt
properly.
Do not have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is
moving.
1-10

Rear Seats
Split Folding Rear Seat
Your vehicle may have a split folding rear seat.
To lower one or both of the rear seatbacks:
1. Pull forward on the tab,
located on the outboard
side of the seatback,
to unlock the seatback.
Notice: Folding a rear seat with the safety belts
still fastened may cause damage to the seat or the
safety belts. Always unbuckle the safety belts
and return them to their normal stowed position
before folding a rear seat.
2. Fold the seatback down. This allows direct access
to the trunk.
See Trunk on page 2-21 for more information.
To return the seatback to the upright position:
{CAUTION:
If the seatback is not locked, it could move
forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could
cause injury to the person sitting there. Always
push and pull on the seatback to be sure it is
locked.
1. Lift the seatback up and push it back into place.
2. Make sure the seatback is locked into place
by pushing and pulling on it.
3. Repeat Steps 1 and 3 for the other seatback.
When the seatback is not in use, it should be kept in
the upright, locked position.
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 he or she cannot
wear a safety belt properly. If you are in a crash
and you are not wearing a safety belt, your
injuries can be much worse. You can hit things
inside the vehicle harder or be ejected from it
and 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 3-33
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