2008 Cadillac STS Owners Manual

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with directional control of the vehicle. Slippery road conditions may exist when this message is displayed, so adjust your driving accordingly. This message may stay on for a few seconds after StabiliTrak® stops assisting with directional control of the vehicle. See StabiliTrak® System on page 4-8 or Enhanced StabiliTrak® on page 4-9 for more information. STABILITY SYS (System) NOT READY This message displays if the StabiliTrak® system is not ready. Two conditions may cause this message to display: The vehicle needs to be driven in a straight line until the sensors are centered. Once the sensors are centered, the StabiliTrak® system is ready and the STABILITY SYS READY message displays. The system needs to warm up. This may occur when ﬁrst starting your vehicle and driving away during cold winter weather. This is normal. To acknowledge this message, press the reset button. The StabiliTrak® performance is affected until the STABILITY SYS READY message is displayed in the DIC. See StabiliTrak® System on page 4-8 for more information. (cid:129) (cid:129) STABILITY SYS (System) OFF This message displays any time StabiliTrak® or Enhanced StabiliTrak® is turned off using the TC (traction control) on/off button. See Traction Control System (TCS) on page 4-6 and “Enhanced StabiliTrak® and Traction Control Mode Selection” under Enhanced StabiliTrak® on page 4-9 for more information. When this message has been displayed, StabiliTrak® or Enhanced StabiliTrak® is no longer available to assist with directional control of the vehicle. Adjust your driving accordingly. See StabiliTrak® System on page 4-8 or Enhanced StabiliTrak® on page 4-9 for more information. STABILITY SYS (System) READY This message displays any time StabiliTrak® is turned back on using the TC (traction control) on/off button. See Traction Control System (TCS) on page 4-6 for more information. When this message has been displayed, StabiliTrak® is ready to assist with directional control of the vehicle, if needed. See StabiliTrak® System on page 4-8 for more information. 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: (cid:129) 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 4-9. STARTING DISABLED THEFT PROBLEM This message displays when incorrect conditions exist within the theft-deterrent system. See your dealer/retailer for service. 3-95 (cid:129) STARTING DISABLED THROTTLE PROBLEM This message displays when your vehicle’s throttle system is not functioning properly. Have your vehicle serviced by your dealer/retailer. 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 4-6 for more information. TRANS (Transmission) HOT IDLE ENGINE Notice: transmission ﬂuid is overheating and the transmission temperature warning is displayed on the instrument panel cluster and/or DIC, you can damage the transmission. This could lead to costly repairs that would not be covered by your warranty. Do not drive your vehicle with overheated transmission ﬂuid or while the transmission temperature warning is displayed. This message displays when the transmission ﬂuid in your vehicle is too hot. Stop the vehicle and allow it to idle until the transmission cools down or until this message is removed. If you drive your vehicle while the 3-96 TRUNK OPEN This symbol appears with this message. This message displays when the trunk is not closed completely. Make sure that the trunk is closed completely. TURN SIGNAL ON This message displays and a chime sounds if a turn signal is left on for about 1 mile (1.6 km). Turn off the turn signal. Other Messages Here are more messages that you can receive on your Driver Information Center (DIC). To acknowledge a message and read another message that may have come on at the same time, press the reset button. (cid:129) ACCESSORY ACTIVE See Ignition Positions on page 2-28. (cid:129) KNOWN FOB See “Matching Transmitter(s) to Your Vehicle” under Keyless Access System Operation on page 2-6. (cid:129) MAX # FOBS LEARNED See “Matching Transmitter(s) to Your Vehicle” under Keyless Access System Operation on page 2-6. (cid:129) OFF/ACC (Accessory) TO LEARN See “Matching Transmitter(s) to Your Vehicle” under Keyless Access System Operation on page 2-6. (cid:129) READY FOR FOB X See “Matching Transmitter(s) to Your Vehicle” under Keyless Access System Operation on page 2-6. (cid:129) SHIFT TO PARK See Starting the Engine on page 2-29 and Shifting Into PARK (P) on page 2-36. (cid:129) WAIT XX MIN (Minutes) See “Matching Transmitter(s) to Your Vehicle” under Keyless Access System Operation on page 2-6. 3-97 Audio System(s) Determine which radio your vehicle has and then read the pages following to familiarize yourself with its features. {CAUTION: This system provides you with far greater access to audio stations and song listings. Giving extended attention to entertainment tasks while driving can cause a crash and you or others can be injured or killed. Always keep your eyes on the road and your mind on the drive — avoid engaging in extended searching while driving. Keeping your mind on the drive is important for safe driving. See Defensive Driving on page 4-2. Here are some ways in which you can help avoid distraction while driving. 3-98 While your vehicle is parked: Familiarize yourself with all of its controls. Familiarize yourself with its operation. (cid:129) Set up your audio system by presetting your favorite radio stations, setting the tone, and adjusting the speakers. Then, when driving conditions permit, you can tune to your favorite radio stations using the presets and steering wheel controls if the vehicle has them. Notice: Before adding any sound equipment to your vehicle, such as an audio system, CD player, CB radio, mobile telephone, or two-way radio, make sure that it can be added by checking with your dealer/retailer. Also, check federal rules covering mobile radio and telephone units. If sound equipment can be added, it is very important to do it properly. Added sound equipment may interfere with the operation of your vehicle’s engine, radio, or other systems, and even damage them. Your vehicle’s systems may interfere with the operation of sound equipment that has been added. Your vehicle has a feature called Retained Accessory Power (RAP). With RAP, the audio system can be played even after the ignition is turned off. See Retained Accessory Power (RAP) on page 2-29 for more information. (cid:129) (cid:129) Setting the Time 1. Press the w (tune/select) knob (the passenger side knob) to enter the main menu. Setting the Date 1. Press the w knob (the passenger side knob) to enter the main menu. 2. Turn the same knob until SET CLOCK displays. 3. Press this knob to select SET CLOCK. 4. Turn this knob to adjust the time. 5. Press the same knob to update the time. VEHICLE TIME UPDATED displays. If the CLOCK/RADIO DISP (display) is programmed into one of the conﬁgurable keys, pressing the key switches the display back to the clock set function. The time and date always appears on the radio display. See “Conﬁgurable Radio Display Keys” later in this section for more information on conﬁguring the keys. 2. Turn the same knob until SET DATE displays. 3. Press this knob to select SET DATE. 4. Turn this knob to adjust the date. 5. Press the same knob to update the time. VEHICLE DATE UPDATED displays. If the DATE is programmed into one of the conﬁgurable keys, pressing the key switches the display back to the date set function. The time and date always appears on the radio display. See “Conﬁgurable Radio Display Keys” later in this section for more information on conﬁguring the keys. 3-99 Radio(s) (MP3) Radio with CD shown, Radio with Six-Disc CD similar 3-100 Radio Data System (RDS) The audio system has a Radio Data System (RDS). RDS features are available for use only on FM stations that broadcast RDS information. With RDS, the radio can do the following: (cid:129) Seek to stations broadcasting the selected type of programming (cid:129) Receive announcements concerning local and national emergencies (cid:129) Display messages from radio stations (cid:129) Seek to stations with traffic announcements This system relies upon receiving speciﬁc information, when available, from these stations. In rare cases, a radio station can broadcast incorrect information that causes the radio features to work improperly. If this happens, contact the radio station. While the radio is tuned to an RDS station, the station name or call letters display instead of the frequency. RDS stations can also provide the time of day, a program type (PTY) for current programming, and the name of the program being broadcast. Playing the Radio O (Power): Press to turn the system on and off. n (Volume): Turn clockwise or counterclockwise to increase or to decrease the volume. SRCE (Source): Press to select a source, either radio or CD. The CD must be loaded to select the source and to play. CD displays if a CD is loaded. If a CD is not loaded, the display does not change from the radio source. Finding a Station BAND: Press to select FM1, FM2, AM, or XM1 or XM2 (if equipped). w (Tune): Turn to select radio stations. © ¨(Seek): Press the left arrow to go to the previous station and stay there. Press the right arrow to go to the next station and stay there. The sound mutes while seeking. The radio seeks stations only with a strong signal that are in the selected band. ©¨ (Scan): Press the arrows to enter scan mode. SCAN displays. Press the arrows to scan the next station. The radio goes to a station, plays for ﬁve seconds, then goes to the next station. Press the arrows again to stop scanning. To scan preset stations, press and hold the arrows for more than two seconds until a beep sounds and PSCAN displays. The radio goes to the ﬁrst preset station, plays for ﬁve seconds, then goes to the next preset station. Press the arrows again to stop scanning presets. The radio only scans stations with a strong signal that are in the selected band. AF (Alternate Frequency): This feature lets you turn the Alternate Frequency feature on or off. See Alternate Frequency under, “Activating Program Type (PTY) Stations” later in this section for more information. A LOCAL/DISTANT Selection: With this feature the radio can be set to search for local stations or stations that are further away for a larger selection. 3-101 To set this feature to LOCAL or DISTANT, perform the following steps: 1. Press the w knob to enter the main menu. 2. Turn this knob until SEEK LOCAL or SEEK DISTANT displays. 3. Press the same knob to select either LOCAL or DISTANT. 4. Press the BACK (F6) button to exit the display. To return to the original display, repeatedly press the BACK (F6) button or wait for the display to time out. To search for stations, press either © ¨ seek arrow. If the system is set to LOCAL, SEEK displays and seeks to stations only with strong signals. If the system is set to DISTANT, D-SEEK displays and seeks to stations with weak and strong signals. This feature does not function with the XM™ radio stations. 4 (Information): Press this button while in XM mode to retrieve three different categories of information related to the current song or channel: Artist, Song Title, Category or PTY. To view this information, perform the following: 1. Press the w knob to enter the main menu. 2. Turn this knob until INFO displays. 3. Press the same knob to select INFO. The display changes to show the additional XM™ information. 3-102 4. Press the BACK (F6) button to exit the display. To return to the original display, repeatedly press the BACK (F6) button or wait for the display to time out. Setting Preset Stations Up to 30 stations (six FM1, six FM2, and six AM, six XM1 and six XM2 (if equipped)), can be programmed on the six numbered pushbuttons, by performing the following steps: 1. Turn the radio on. 2. Press BAND to select FM1, FM2, or AM, or XM1 or XM2. 3. Tune in the desired station. 4. Press and hold one of the six numbered pushbuttons for two seconds until a beep sounds. The set preset station number displays above the set pushbutton. When that numbered pushbutton is pressed for less than two seconds, the station that was set, returns. 5. Repeat the steps for each pushbutton. To set the preset stations with an equalization setting, DSP setting, or a PTY (program type) setting, see each of these features later in this section. When a preset station is selected, once one of these additional settings is selected, the preset station remembers each setting and it remains active, until the setting is selected off for that preset station. AUTOSTORE PRESETS: To set the preset stations automatically, perform the following steps: 1. Turn the radio on. 2. Press BAND to select FM1, FM2, or AM. 3. Press the w knob to enter the main menu. 4. Turn this knob until AUTOSTORE PRESETS displays. 5. Press the same knob to select. AUTOSTORE displays. The radio automatically searches the band and selects and stores the six radio stations with the strongest signal. The stations are stored by signal strength, not sequential order. The set preset station number displays above the set pushbutton. When that numbered pushbutton is pressed for less than two seconds, the station that was set, returns. 6. Press the BACK (F6) button to exit the display. To return to the original display, repeatedly press the BACK (F6) button or wait for the display to time out. This feature does not function with the XM™ radio stations. The radio presets do not have to be reset when the vehicle is started, or when the battery power is removed. PRESETS HOME/AWAY: This feature stores two different kinds of station presets. HOME can be used for local stations and AWAY for stations outside of the local broadcasting area. To set preset stations for home and away perform the following steps: 1. Press the w knob to enter the main menu. 2. Turn this knob until PRESETS HOME/AWAY displays. 3. Press the same knob to select. HOME or AWAY displays. 4. Press the BACK (F6) button to exit the display. To return to the original display, repeatedly press the BACK (F6) button or wait for the display to time out. This feature does not function with the XM™ radio stations. Follow the manual or automatic steps previously listed for setting the preset pushbuttons for both home and away. 3-103 Setting the Tone (Bass/Midrange/Treble) To adjust the bass, midrange, and treble, perform the following steps: 1. Press the w knob to enter the main menu. 2. Press this knob to scroll through the settings. 3. Turn this knob to increase or to decrease the bass, midrange, or treble. If a station is weak or noisy, decrease the treble. 4. Press the same knob to set the adjustment. 5. Press the BACK (F6) button to exit the display. To return to the original display repeatedly press the BACK (F6) button or wait for the display to time out. AUDIO EQUALIZER: This feature lets you select customized equalization settings. To choose an equalization setting (EQ0 through EQ5), perform the following steps: 1. Press the w knob to enter the main menu. 2. Turn this knob until EQUALIZER displays. 3. Press the same knob to set the equalization setting. The equalization setting displays. 4. Press the BACK (F6) button to exit the display. To return to the original display, repeatedly press the BACK (F6) button or wait for the display to time out. The equalization settings are preset to EQ0 (Normal), EQ1 (Pop), EQ2 (Rock), EQ3 (Jazz), EQ4 (Talk), and EQ5 (Country). Adjusting the Speakers (Balance/Fade) To adjust the balance or fade, perform the following steps: 1. Press the w knob to enter the main menu. 2. Turn this knob until BASS-MID-TREBLE displays. 3. Press the same knob to enter the tone settings. 4. Press this knob to scroll to BALANCE or FADER. 5. Turn this knob to adjust the BALANCE to the right or the left speakers and the FADER to the front or the rear speakers. 6. Press the same knob to set the adjustment. 7. Press the BACK (F6) button to exit the display. To return to the original display, repeatedly press the BACK (F6) button or wait for the display to time out. EQ0 does not display while in this mode. 3-104 RDS Messages ALERT: Alert warns of local and national emergencies. When, an alert announcement comes on the current radio station or a related network station, ALERT displays. You will hear the announcement, even if the volume is low or a CD is playing. If a CD is playing, play stops during the announcement. Alert announcements cannot be turned off. If the radio tunes to a related network station for the announcement, it returns to the original station when the announcement is ﬁnished. ALERT is not affected by tests of the emergency broadcast system. This feature is not supported by all RDS stations. MSG (Message): If the current RDS station has a message, MSG displays. The message can display the artist, song title, call in phone numbers, etc. If the entire message does not display, parts of the message displays every three seconds until the message is complete. Once the completed message has displayed, MSG disappears from the display until another new message is received. To display the last message, perform the following steps: 1. Press the w knob to enter the main menu. 2. Turn this knob until RECALL RDS MESSAGE displays. 3. Press the same knob and the message displays. Once the message displays, MSG disappears from the display until another new message is received. TP (Traffic Program): TP displays when the radio detects a signal from an RDS station that has traffic announcement broadcast capability. TA (Traffic Announcement): If TA displays, the tuned radio station broadcasts traffic announcements, and when a traffic announcement comes on the tuned station, you will hear it. If the station does not broadcast traffic announcements, when TA is turned on it seeks to a station that does. When a station that broadcasts traffic announcements is found, the radio stops seeking and TA displays. If no station is found that broadcasts traffic announcements, No Traffic displays. 3-105 The radio plays traffic announcements if the volume is low. The radio interrupts the play of a CD if the last tuned station broadcasts traffic announcements. 4. Press the BACK (F6) button to exit the display. To return to the original display, repeatedly press the BACK (F6) button or wait for the display to time out. To turn TA on or off, perform the following steps: 1. Press the w knob to enter the main menu. 2. Turn this knob until TRAFFIC ANNOUNCE displays. 3. Press the same knob to select ON or OFF. An X appears in the box when ON is selected. 4. Press the BACK (F6) button to exit the display. To return to the original display, repeatedly press the BACK (F6) button or wait for the display to time out. Activating Program Type (PTY) Stations (RDS and XM™) PTY lets you search for stations with speciﬁc types of music. The selectable PTYs are POP, EASY, TALK, CNTRY (Country), CLASS (Classical), and JAZZ. To activate program types, perform the following steps: 1. Press the w knob to enter the main menu. 2. Turn this knob until PROGRAM TYPE MODE displays. 3. Press the same knob to select ON or OFF. An X appears in the box when ON is selected. Once program type is activated the PTYs display above the pushbuttons, in place of the preset stations (if programmed). Press the pushbutton for the desired PTY. Not all stations support PTYs. The radio might not go to all of the stations with that music type when pressing the pushbutton. AF (Alternate Frequency): Alternate frequency lets the radio switch to a stronger station with the same program type. To turn AF on or off, perform the following steps: 1. Press the w knob to enter the main menu. 2. Turn this knob until ALTERNATE FREQ. displays. 3. Press the same knob to select AF OFF, AF ON, or AF REG. An X appears in the box when ON is selected. 4. Press the BACK (F6) button to exit the display. To return to the original display, repeatedly press the BACK (F6) button or wait for the display to time out. This feature does not function with the XM™ radio stations. 3-106 Radio Message THEFTLOCK: This message displays when the THEFTLOCK® system has been activated. Take the vehicle to the dealer/retailer for service. XM™ Satellite Radio Service XM™ is a satellite radio service that is based in the 48 contiguous United States and 10 Canadian provinces. XM™ Satellite Radio has a wide variety of programming and commercial-free music, coast-to-coast, and in digital-quality sound. During your trial or when you subscribe, you will get unlimited access to XM™ Radio Online for when you are not in your vehicle. A service fee is required to receive the XM™ service. For more information, contact XM™ at www.xmradio.com or call 1-800-929-2100 in the U.S. and www.xmradio.ca or call 1-877-438-9677 in Canada. Radio Messages for XM™ Only See XM Radio Messages on page 3-116 later in this section for further detail. Using the Single CD Player Insert a CD partway into the slot, label side up. The player pulls it in. If the ignition and the radio are on, the CD begins playing. A CD can be loaded with the radio off, but it does not start playing until the radio is on. If the ignition or radio is turned off with a CD in the player, it stays in the player. While the ignition or radio is turned on, the CD starts to play where it stopped, if it was the last selected audio source. When the CD is inserted, CD displays. As each new track starts to play, the track number displays. The CD player can play the smaller 3 inch (8 cm) single CDs with an adapter ring. Full-size CDs and the smaller CDs are loaded in the same manner. When a CD is inserted, the CD functions display above the pushbuttons, in place of the preset stations (if programmed). F1 { (Reverse): Press and hold to reverse quickly within a track. Release to play the passage. The elapsed time of the track displays. F2 | (Forward): Press and hold to advance quickly within a track. Release to play the passage. The elapsed time of the track displays. 3-107 F3 RDM (Random): Press to listen to the tracks in random, rather than sequential, order. RANDOM displays. Press again to turn off random play. RANDOM disappears from the display. F4 RPT (Repeat): Press to hear a track over again. REPEAT displays. Press again to turn off repeat play. REPEAT disappears from the display. F6 DISP (Display): Press to display the time of the track. Press again to remove the time of the track from the display. ©¨ (Seek): Press the left arrow to go to the previous or press the right arrow button to go to the next track on the CD. ©¨ (Scan): Press the arrows to listen to each track for 10 seconds. The CD goes to a track, plays for 10 seconds, then goes to the next track. Press the arrows again to stop scanning. SRCE (Source): Press to select a source, either radio or CD. The CD must be loaded to select the source and to play. CD displays if a CD is loaded. If a CD is not loaded, the display does not change from the radio source. Z (Eject): Press to stop a CD when it is playing or to eject a CD when it is not playing. Eject can be activated with the ignition and the radio off. Using the Six-Disc CD Changer M (Load): Press to load CDs into the CD player. This CD player holds up to six CDs. To insert one CD, do the following: 1. The ignition and the radio can be on or off. 2. Press and release the load button. Please Wait displays. 3. Load the CD, when INSERT displays, insert a CD partway into the slot, label side up. The player pulls the CD in. When a CD is inserted, CD displays and the number of the CD and the track number displays if the radio is on. If the radio is on, the CD begins to play automatically. To insert multiple CDs, do the following: 1. The ignition and the radio can be on or off. 2. Press and hold the load button for two seconds. Please Wait displays and a beep sounds. 3. Load the CD, when INSERT displays, insert a CD partway into the slot, label side up. The player pulls the CD in. Do not load a CD until INSERT displays. The CD player takes up to six CDs. If you want to load less than six CDs, load the desired amount. The CD player times out when it does not receive any more CDs and the last CD loaded begins to play. 3-108 Care of Your CDs If playing a CD-R, the sound quality can be reduced due to CD-R quality, the method of recording, the quality of the music that has been recorded, and the way the CD-R has been handled. Handle them carefully. Store CD-R(s) in their original cases or other protective cases and away from direct sunlight and dust. The CD player scans the bottom surface of the disc. If the surface of a CD is damaged, such as cracked, broken, or scratched, the CD does not play properly or not at all. Do not touch the bottom side of a CD while handling it; this could damage the surface. Pick up CDs by grasping the outer edges or the edge of the hole and the outer edge. If the surface of a CD is soiled, take a soft, lint free cloth or dampen a clean, soft cloth in a mild, neutral detergent solution mixed with water, and clean it. Make sure the wiping process starts from the center to the edge. Care of Your CD Player Do not add any label to a CD, it could get caught in the CD player. If a CD is recorded on a personal computer and a description label is needed, try labeling the top of the recorded CD with a marking pen. If a label is added to a CD, or more than one The use of CD lens cleaners for CDs is not advised, due to the risk of contaminating the lens of the CD optics with lubricants internal to the CD player mechanism. Notice: CD is inserted into the slot at a time, or an attempt is made to play scratched or damaged CDs, the CD player could be damaged. While using the CD player, use only CDs in good condition without any label, load one CD at a time, and keep the CD player and the loading slot free of foreign materials, liquids, and debris. If an error displays, see “CD Messages” later in this section. If the radio is on, the last CD loaded begins to play automatically. F1 DISCn(Down): Press to go to the previous CD. F2 DISCm(Up): Press to go to the next CD. F3 CD REV { (Reverse): Press to go to the previous track. Press and hold to reverse quickly within the track. Release to play the passage. The elapsed time of the track displays. F4 CD FWD | (Forward): Press to go to the next track. Press and hold to advance quickly within the track. Release to play the passage. The elapsed time of the track displays. 3-109 F5 MODE: Press to select from NORMAL, RPT TRCK (Repeat Track), RPT DISC (Repeat CD), RDM TRCK (Random Track), and RDM ALL (Random All CDs). (cid:129) NORMAL: Sets the system for normal play of the CD(s). NORMAL does not display while in this mode. (cid:129) RPT TRCK (Repeat Track): Repeats the track over again. RPT TRCK displays. Press the MODE pushbutton again to turn off repeat play. RPT TRCK disappears from the display. (cid:129) RPT DISC (Repeat CD): Repeats the CD over again. RPT DISC displays. Press the MODE pushbutton again to turn off repeat play. RPT DISC disappears from the display. (cid:129) RDM TRCK (Random Track): Plays the tracks on the current CD in random, rather than sequential, order. RDM TRCK displays. Press the MODE pushbutton again to turn off random play. RDM TRCK disappears from the display. (cid:129) RDM ALL (Random All CDs): Plays all of the CDs loaded in random, rather than sequential, order. RDM ALL displays. Press the MODE pushbutton again to turn off random play. RDM ALL disappears from the display. F6 DISP (Display): Press to display the time of the track. Press again to display CD PLAY MODE. ©¨(Seek): Press the left arrow to go to the previous or press the right arrow button to go to the next track on the CD. ©¨(Scan): Press the arrows to listen to each track for 10 seconds. The CD goes to a track, plays for 10 seconds, then goes to the next track. Press the arrows again to stop scanning. Z (Eject): Press to eject the CD that is currently playing, or press and hold to eject all of the CDs loaded. A beep sounds. Eject can be activated with the ignition or radio off. Playing an MP3 CD-R Disc The vehicle’s radio system could have the MP3 feature. If it has this feature, it is capable of playing an MP3 CD-R disc. For more information on how to play an MP3 CD-R disc, see Using an MP3 on page 3-112 later in this section. 3-110 CD Messages If the CD comes out, it could be for one of the following reasons: If it is very hot. When the temperature returns to normal, the CD should play. If you are driving on a very rough road. When the road becomes smoother, the CD should play. The CD is dirty, scratched, wet, or upside down. The air is very humid. If so, wait about an hour and try again. The format of the CD might not be compatible. See Using an MP3 on page 3-112 later in this section. There could have been a problem while burning the CD. The label could be caught in the CD player. If the CD is not playing correctly, for any other reason, try a known good CD. If any error occurs repeatedly or if an error cannot be corrected, contact your dealer/retailer. If the radio displays an error message, write it down and provide it to your dealer/retailer when reporting the problem. Conﬁgurable Radio Display Keys The four keys, located on each side of the radio display, can be conﬁgured to make it easier to adjust the radio features and other non-radio related features can also be customized. To program the conﬁgurable radio display keys, perform the following steps: 1. Press the w knob to enter the main menu. 2. Turn this knob until SETUP displays. 3. Press this knob to enter into SETUP. 4. Turn the same knob until CONFIGURE DISPLAY KEYS displays. 5. Press this knob to enter into CONFIGURE DISPLAY KEYS. 6. Turn this knob to select which of the four conﬁgurable keys you would like to change. The currently assigned feature displays. 7. Press the same knob to select the conﬁgurable key to change. 8. Turn this knob to ﬁnd the feature that will be stored to the key. 9. Press this knob when you have found the feature to be stored. The display updates, by showing the symbol of the feature selected next to the conﬁgurable key. 10. Repeat the previous steps for each conﬁgurable key. 3-111 (cid:129) (cid:129) (cid:129) (cid:129) (cid:129) (cid:129) (cid:129) Once a feature is programmed to a key, the feature does not display when programming the remaining conﬁgurable keys. The conﬁgurable keys can be changed at any time. Using an MP3 MP3 CD-R Disc MP3 Format If you burn your own MP3 disc on a personal computer: (cid:129) Make sure the MP3 ﬁles are recorded on a CD-R disc. (cid:129) Do not mix standard audio and MP3 ﬁles on one disc. (cid:129) Make sure playlists have a .mp3 or .wpl extension, other ﬁle extensions might not work. Files can be recorded with a variety of ﬁxed or variable bit rates. Song title, artist name, and album are available for display by the radio when recorded using ID3 tags version 1 and 2. (cid:129) Create a folder structure that makes it easy to ﬁnd songs while driving. Organize songs by albums using one folder for each album. Each folder or album should contain 18 songs or less. (cid:129) Make sure to ﬁnalize the disc when burning an MP3 disc, using multiple sessions. It is usually better to burn the disc all at once. The player is able to read and play a maximum of 50 folders, 50 playlists, 10 sessions, and 255 ﬁles. Long ﬁle names, folder names, or playlist names might use more disc memory space than necessary. To conserve space on the disc, minimize the length of the ﬁle, folder, or playlist names. You can also play an MP3 CD that was recorded using no ﬁle folders. The system can support up to 11 folders in depth, though, keep the depth of the folders to a minimum in order to keep down the complexity and confusion in trying to locate a particular folder during playback. If a CD contains more than the maximum of 50 folders, 50 playlists, 10 sessions, and 255 ﬁles the player lets you access and navigate up to the maximum, but all items over the maximum are ignored. 3-112 (cid:129) Root Directory The root directory is treated as a folder. If the root directory has compressed audio ﬁles, the directory is displayed as F1 ROOT. All ﬁles contained directly under the root directory are accessed prior to any root directory folders. However, playlists (Px) are always accessed before root folders or ﬁles. Empty Directory or Folder If a root directory or a folder exists somewhere in the ﬁle structure that contains only folders/subfolders and no compressed ﬁles directly beneath them, the player advances to the next folder in the ﬁle structure that contains compressed audio ﬁles. The empty folder is not displayed. No Folder When the CD contains only compressed ﬁles, the ﬁles are located under the root folder. The next and previous folder functions do not function on a CD that was recorded without folders or playlists. When displaying the name of the folder the radio displays ROOT. When the CD contains only playlists and compressed audio ﬁles, but no folders, all ﬁles are located under the root folder. The folder down and the folder up buttons search playlists (Px) ﬁrst and then go to the root folder. When the radio displays the name of the folder the radio displays ROOT. Order of Play Tracks are played in the following order: (cid:129) Play begins from the ﬁrst track in the ﬁrst playlist and continues sequentially through all tracks in each playlist. When the last track of the last playlist has played, play continues from the ﬁrst track of the ﬁrst playlist. If the CD does not contain any playlists, then play begins from the ﬁrst track under the root directory. When all tracks from the root directory have played, play continues from ﬁles according to their numerical listing. After playing the last track from the last folder, play begins again at the ﬁrst track of the ﬁrst folder or root directory. When play enters a new folder, the display does not automatically show the new folder name. The new track name displays. File System and Naming The song name that is displayed is the song name that is contained in the ID3 tag. If the song name is not present in the ID3 tag, then the radio displays the ﬁle name without the extension (such as .mp3) as the track name. Track names longer than 32 characters or four pages are shortened. Parts of words on the last page of text and the extension of the ﬁlename does not display. 3-113 (cid:129) Preprogrammed Playlists Preprogrammed playlists that were created using WinAmp™, MusicMatch™, or Real Jukebox™ software can be accessed, however, they cannot be edited using the radio. These playlists are treated as special folders containing compressed audio song ﬁles. Playing an MP3 Insert a CD partway into the slot, label side up. The player pulls it in, and LOADING CD displays. The CD should begin playing and the CD symbol displays. If the ignition and the radio are on, the CD begins playing. A CD can be loaded with the radio off, but it does not start playing until the radio is on. F1 r(Previous Folder): Press this button to go to the ﬁrst track in the previous folder. Press and hold this button to reverse quickly within a track. Release this button to play the passage. REV and the elapsed time of the track displays. Pressing this button while in folder random mode goes to the previous folder and plays the tracks in that folder in random order. F2 [ (Next Folder): Press this button to go to the ﬁrst track in the next folder. Press and hold this button to advance quickly within a track. Release this button to play the passage. FWD and the elapsed time of the track displays. Pressing this button while in folder random mode takes you to the next folder and plays the tracks in that folder in random order. F3 RDM (Random): To play the tracks on the CD in random, rather than sequential order, press and release this pushbutton until RDM TRCK displays. Once all of the tracks in the current folder or playlist have played, the system moves on to the next folder or playlist and plays all of the tracks in random order. To play the tracks in the current folder in random, rather than sequential order, press and release this button until RDM FLDR displays. This feature does not work with playlists. While in random, pressing and releasing either © ¨ seek arrow goes to the previous or to the next random track. 3-114 Press and release this pushbutton until NORMAL displays to turn off random play. F4 RPT (Repeat): To repeat the current track, press and release this pushbutton until RPT TRCK displays. To repeat the tracks in the current folder, press and release this pushbutton until RPT FLDR displays. Press and release this pushbutton until NORMAL displays to turn off repeated play. F6 DISP (Display): Press this pushbutton to switch between the elapsed time of the track and the MP3 playback information. ©¨ (Seek): Press the left seek arrow to go to the start of the previous track. Press the right seek arrow to go to the start of the next track. Pressing either seek arrow for more than two seconds searches the previous or next tracks at two tracks per second. Release the seek arrows to stop searching and to play the track. ©¨ (Scan): Press the scan arrows to scan the tracks in each folder. The radio goes to the next track, plays for 10 seconds, then goes to the next track. Press the scan arrows again to stop scanning. w (Tune): Turning this knob fast tracks reverse or advance through the tracks in all folders or playlists. The track number and ﬁle name displays for each track. Turning this knob while in random fast tracks reverse or advances the tracks in sequential order. 4 (Information): Press this button, while an MP3 CD is loaded, to view the Title, Artist, Album, or Folder names. To view this information, perform the following: 1. Press the w knob to enter the main menu. 2. Turn this knob until INFO displays. 3. Press the same knob to select INFO. The display changes to show the additional MP3 information. 4. Press one of the following pushbuttons to view that speciﬁc information. F1 TTLE (Title): Displays the title name. F2 ATST (Artist): Displays the artist name. F3 ALBM (Album): Displays the album name. F4 FLDR (Folder): Displays the folder name. 5. Press the BACK (F6) button to exit the display. To return to the original display, repeatedly press the BACK (F6) button or wait for the display to time out. 3-115 (cid:129) (cid:129) (cid:129) (cid:129) XM Radio Messages XL (Explicit Language Channels): These channels, or any others, can be blocked at a customer’s request, by calling 1-800-852-XMXM (9696). XM Updating: The encryption code in the receiver is being updated, and no action is required. This process should take no longer than 30 seconds. No XM Signal: The system is functioning correctly, but the vehicle is in a location that is blocking the XM™ signal. When the vehicle is moved into an open area, the signal should return. Loading XM: The audio system is acquiring and processing audio and text data. No action is needed. This message should disappear shortly. Channel Off Air: This channel is not currently in service. Tune in to another channel. Channel Unavail: This previously assigned channel is no longer assigned. Tune to another station. If this station was one of the presets, choose another station for that preset button. No Artist Info: No artist information is available at this time on this channel. The system is working properly. No Title Info: No song title information is available at this time on this channel. The system is working properly. No CAT Info: No category information is available at this time on this channel. The system is working properly. No Information: No text or informational messages are available at this time on this channel. The system is working properly. CAT Not Found: There are no channels available for the selected category. The system is working properly. XM Theftlocked: The XM™ receiver in your vehicle could have previously been in another vehicle. For security purposes, XM™ receivers cannot be swapped between vehicles. If this message is received after having your vehicle serviced, check with your dealer/retailer. XM Radio ID: If tuned to channel 0, this message alternates with the XM™ Radio 8 digit radio ID label. This label is needed to activate the service. Unknown: If this message is received when tuned to channel 0, there could be a receiver fault. Consult with your dealer/retailer. Check XM Receivr: If this message does not clear within a short period of time, the receiver could have a fault. Consult with your dealer/retailer. 3-116 Navigation/Radio System Your vehicle may have a navigation radio system. The navigation system has built-in features intended to minimize driver distraction. Technology alone, no matter how advanced, can never replace your own judgment. See the Navigation System manual for some tips to help you reduce distractions while driving. Radio Personalization Accessing the Radio’s Main Menu (Base Audio System) There are two different procedures for accessing the radio’s main menu depending upon whether or not your vehicle has the Navigation system. To access the main menu of the radio, do one of the following: (cid:129) Using the Base audio system, press the CNFG button located on the radio or press the w (tune) knob located on the right side of the radio. Then turn the w knob clockwise or counterclockwise to scroll through the menu items. If your vehicle has the Navigation system, see the Navigation System manual supplied with your vehicle for more information on accessing the main menu and for descriptions of the menu items for the Navigation system. The main menu for the Base audio system consists of the following menu items: (cid:129) e BASS - MID - TREBLE x BALANCE - FADER (cid:129) e EQ EQUALIZER (cid:129) H/A (HOME/AWAY) PRESETS (cid:129) AUTOSTORE PRESETS (cid:129) CAT CATEGORY TA TRAFFIC ANNOUNCE (cid:129) RECALL RDS (Radio Data System) MESSAGE (cid:129) A SEEK LOCAL/DISTANT (cid:129) 8 SET CLOCK (cid:129) B SET DATE 4 INFO (Information) LANG LANGUAGE (cid:129) SETUP 3-117 (cid:129) (cid:129) (cid:129) (cid:129) (cid:129) Radio Main Menu Item Descriptions (Base Audio System) The following descriptions are for the Base audio system. For information pertaining to the Navigation audio system, see “Audio System” in the Index of the Navigation System manual supplied with your vehicle. e BASS - MID (Midrange) - TREBLE: This menu item lets you adjust the levels for the bass, midrange and treble features of the audio system. See “Setting the Tone (Bass/Treble)” under Radio(s) (MP3) on page 3-100 for more information. x BALANCE - FADER: This menu item lets you adjust the levels for the balance and fader features of the audio system. See “Adjusting the Speakers (Balance/Fade)” under Radio(s) (MP3) on page 3-100 for more information. e EQ (Equalizer): This menu item lets you choose among ﬁve preset equalizations for the audio system. See “Audio Equalizer” under Radio(s) (MP3) on page 3-100 for more information. H/A (Home/Away) PRESETS: This menu item lets you switch back and forth between your home and away preset radio stations. See “Presets Home/Away” under Radio(s) (MP3) on page 3-100 for more information. AUTOSTORE PRESETS: This menu item lets you automatically store radio stations with the strongest signals as presets. See “Autostore Presets” under Radio(s) (MP3) on page 3-100 for more information. CAT (Category): This menu item lets you select radio stations based on preset categories. See “Activating Program Type (PTY) Stations” under Radio(s) (MP3) on page 3-100 for more information. TA (Traffic Announcement): This menu item lets you turn the TA feature on and off. See “TA (Traffic Announcement)” under Radio(s) (MP3) on page 3-100 for more information. RECALL RDS MESSAGE: This menu item lets you view an RDS radio station message broadcast by a radio station. See “MSG (Message)” under Radio(s) (MP3) on page 3-100 for more information. 3-118 A SEEK LOCAL/DISTANT: This feature instructs the audio system to seek only local radio stations with the strongest signal or to seek all radio stations with a strong signal in a large area. Use LOCAL while in urban areas where there are several strong radio station signals and you want to limit the number of stations to those with the strongest signals only. Use DISTANT while in rural areas where there are fewer radio station signals available. See “Local/Distant Selection” under Radio(s) (MP3) on page 3-100 for more information. 8 SET CLOCK: Use this menu item to set the time. See Setting the Time on page 3-99 for more information. B SET DATE: Use this menu item to set the date. See Setting the Time on page 3-99 for more information. 4 (Information): This menu item is used to display XM™ satellite radio service and CD MP3 playback information. See “4 (Information)” under Radio(s) (MP3) on page 3-100 for more information. LANG (Language): To change the language displayed on the radio, select LANGUAGE by pressing the w knob. Turn the w knob to scroll through the following available languages: (cid:129) ENGLISH (cid:129) GERMAN FRENCH (cid:129) SPANISH JAPANESE To make your selection, press the w knob. If you accidentally select a language that you did not want, ENGLISH is always at the top of the language list. SETUP: When you select this menu item, the following submenu is available: (cid:129) PERSONAL SETTINGS MENU (cid:129) DRIVER SELECTION (cid:129) DRIVER EXIT SETTINGS (cid:129) CONFIGURE DISPLAY KEYS 3-119 (cid:129) (cid:129) SETUP Submenu Items The following choices are available for programming using the Base audio system. PERSONAL SETTINGS MENU This item turns the entire list of personalization features on or off. This item allows you to program certain features to a preferred setting for up to two people. The number of available features varies depending upon which options are purchased. While this item is on, a check mark appears after it. For more information on the PERSONAL SETTINGS MENU item, see Vehicle Personalization on page 2-60. DRIVER SELECTION When you select this item, the following submenu displays: (cid:129) DRIVER 1 (cid:129) DRIVER 2 (cid:129) RECALL DRIVER SETTINGS (cid:129) STORE DRIVER SETTINGS For more information on the DRIVER SELECTION submenu item, see “Recalling Driver Settings” and “Storing Driver Settings” under Memory Seat, Mirrors and Steering Wheel on page 2-77. DRIVER EXIT SETTINGS When you select this item, the following submenu displays: (cid:129) RECALL EXIT SETTINGS (cid:129) STORE EXIT SETTINGS For more information on the DRIVER EXIT SETTINGS submenu item, see “Recalling Exit Settings” and “Storing Exit Settings” under Memory Seat, Mirrors and Steering Wheel on page 2-77. CONFIGURE DISPLAY KEYS (Base Audio System) This item lets you customize the functions of the four conﬁgurable keys located to the left and right of the audio display. See “Conﬁgurable Radio Display Keys” under Radio(s) (MP3) on page 3-100 for programming information. 3-120 Theft-Deterrent Feature THEFTLOCK® is designed to discourage theft of your vehicle’s radio. The feature works automatically by learning a portion of the Vehicle Identiﬁcation Number (VIN). If the radio is moved to a different vehicle, it does not operate and LOC, LOCK, or LOCKED could display. With THEFTLOCK® activated, the radio does not operate if stolen. Audio Steering Wheel Controls Your vehicle has audio steering wheel controls. They could differ depending on your vehicle’s options. There are three versions. On the outboard side, you may have: 1. SEEK, SRCE (Source), SCAN, and Cruise Control Cancel. 2. SEEK, SRCE, Heated Steering Wheel and Cruise Control Cancel. 3. SRCE, Heated Steering Wheel, Adaptive Cruise Control Gap, and Cruise Control Cancel. The inboard side controls are the same for all versions. Standard Audio Steering Wheel Controls and Cruise Control Cancel Audio Controls With Heated Steering Wheel and Cruise Control Cancel 3-121 The radio seeks stations only with a strong signal that are in the selected band. Press either SEEK arrow to go to the previous or the next track while sourced to a CD. SRCE (Source): Press this button to switch between the radio (AM, FM), XM™ (if equipped) and CD. SCAN: To scan stations, press and hold this button for a few seconds, the radio goes to a station, plays for a few seconds, then goes to the next station. Press this button again to stop scanning. The radio scans stations only with a strong signal that are in the selected band. yz (Previous/Next): Press the arrows to go to the previous or the next radio station stored as a favorite. While a CD is playing, press either arrow to go to the previous or to the next track. + e − e (Volume): Press the plus or minus volume button to increase or to decrease the volume. Audio Controls With Heated Steering Wheel, Adaptive Cruise Control GAP, and Cruise Control Cancel Right-Side Audio Controls Some audio controls can be adjusted at the steering wheel. See the following descriptions of the controls that can adjusted. ©SEEK ¨: Press the SEEK arrows to go to the previous or the next radio station while in AM, FM, or XM™ (if equipped). 3-122 g (Mute/Voice Recognition): Press and release this button to silence the vehicle speakers only. The audio of the wireless and wired headphones, if your vehicle has these features, does not mute. Press and release this button again, to turn the sound on. If your vehicle has the navigation system, press and hold this button for longer than one second to initiate voice recognition. See “Voice Recognition” in the Navigation System manual for more information. If your vehicle has OnStar®, press and hold this button for longer than one second to interact with the OnStar® system. If your vehicle also has the navigation system, press and hold this button for longer than one second to initiate voice recognition and say “OnStar” to enter OnStar® mode. See the OnStar® System on page 2-48 in this manual for more information. Radio Reception Frequency interference and static can occur during normal radio reception if items such as cell phone chargers, vehicle convenience accessories, and external electronic devices are plugged into the accessory power outlet. If there is interference or static, unplug the item from the accessory power outlet. AM The range for most AM stations is greater than for FM, especially at night. The longer range can cause station frequencies to interfere with each other. For better radio reception, most AM radio stations boost the power levels during the day, and then reduce these levels during the night. Static can also occur when things like storms and power lines interfere with radio reception. When this happens, try reducing the treble on your radio. FM Stereo FM stereo gives the best sound, but FM signals only reach about 10 to 40 miles (16 to 65 km). Tall buildings or hills can interfere with FM signals, causing the sound to fade in and out. XM™ Satellite Radio Service XM™ Satellite Radio Service gives digital radio reception from coast-to-coast in the 48 contiguous United States, and in Canada. Just as with FM, tall buildings or hills can interfere with satellite radio signals, causing the sound to fade in and out. In addition, traveling or standing under heavy foliage, bridges, garages, or through tunnels could cause loss of the XM™ signal for a period of time. The radio may display NO XM SIGNAL to indicate interference. 3-123 If adding a cellular telephone to your vehicle, and the antenna needs to be attached to the glass, make sure that the grid lines for the AM-FM antenna are not damaged. There is enough space between the grid lines to attach a cellular telephone antenna without interfering with radio reception. XM™ Satellite Radio Antenna System The XM™ Satellite Radio antenna is located on the roof of your vehicle. Keep this antenna clear of snow and ice build up for clear radio reception. If your vehicle has a sunroof, the performance of the XM™ system may be affected if the sunroof is open. Loading items onto the roof of your vehicle can interfere with the performance of the XM™ system. Make sure the XM™ Satellite Radio antenna is not obstructed. Backglass Antenna The AM-FM antenna is integrated with the rear window defogger, located in the rear window. Make sure that the inside surface of the rear window is not scratched and that the grid lines on the glass are not damaged. If the inside surface is damaged, it could interfere with radio reception. Notice: Using a razor blade or sharp object to clear the inside rear window may damage the rear window antenna and/or the rear window defogger. Repairs would not be covered by your warranty. Do not clear the inside rear window with sharp objects. Notice: Do not apply aftermarket glass tinting with metallic ﬁlm. The metallic ﬁlm in some tinting materials will interfere with or distort the incoming radio reception. Any damage caused to your backglass antenna due to metallic tinting materials will not be covered by your warranty. If static is heard on the radio, when the rear window defogger is turned on, it could mean that a defogger grid line has been damaged. If this is true, the grid line must be repaired. 3-124 Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle ..........4-2 Defensive Driving ...........................................4-2 Drunk Driving .................................................4-2 Control of a Vehicle ........................................4-3 Braking .........................................................4-4 Antilock Brake System (ABS) ...........................4-5 Braking in Emergencies ...................................4-6 Traction Control System (TCS) .........................4-6 Competitive Driving Mode (STS-V) ....................4-7 Magnetic Ride Control .....................................4-8 Limited-Slip Rear Axle .....................................4-8 StabiliTrak® System ........................................4-8 Enhanced StabiliTrak® .....................................4-9 Panic Brake Assist ........................................4-12 All-Wheel Drive (AWD) System .......................4-13 Steering ......................................................4-13 Off-Road Recovery .......................................4-16 Passing .......................................................4-16 Loss of Control .............................................4-16 Competitive Driving .......................................4-18 Driving at Night ............................................4-18 Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads ..................4-19 Before Leaving on a Long Trip .......................4-20 Highway Hypnosis ........................................4-20 Hill and Mountain Roads ................................4-21 Winter Driving ..............................................4-22 If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow .............................................4-25 Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out .................4-26 Loading Your Vehicle ....................................4-26 Towing ..........................................................4-31 Towing Your Vehicle .....................................4-31 Recreational Vehicle Towing ...........................4-31 Towing a Trailer (Vehicles With Heavy Duty Cooling) ..................................4-34 Towing a Trailer (Vehicles Without Heavy Duty Cooling) ..................................4-40 4-1 Drunk Driving {CAUTION: Drinking and then driving is very dangerous. Your reﬂexes, 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. Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle Defensive Driving Defensive driving means “always expect the unexpected.” The ﬁrst step in driving defensively is to wear your safety belt — See Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone on page 1-8. {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: (cid:129) Allow enough following distance between you and the driver in front of you. (cid:129) 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. 4-2 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. 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. See Traction Control System (TCS) on page 4-6 and StabiliTrak® System on page 4-8 or Enhanced StabiliTrak® on page 4-9. Adding non-dealer/non-retailer accessories can affect your vehicle’s performance. See Accessories and Modiﬁcations on page 5-3. 4-3 Braking See Brake System Warning Light on page 3-64. 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. See Accessories and Modiﬁcations on page 5-3. 4-4 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. See Antilock Brake System Warning Light on page 3-65. 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 ﬁrmly and let antilock work for you. You might hear the antilock pump or motor operate, and feel the brake pedal pulsate, but this is normal. 4-5 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. Traction Control System (TCS) Your vehicle has a traction control system that limits wheel spin. This is especially useful in slippery road conditions. On a rear-wheel-drive vehicle, the system operates if it senses that one or both of the rear wheels are spinning or beginning to lose traction. On an All-Wheel-Drive (AWD) vehicle, the system will operate if it senses that any of the wheels are spinning or beginning to lose traction. When this happens, the system brakes the spinning wheel(s) and/or reduces engine power to limit wheel spin. You may feel or hear the system working, but this is normal. This warning light will come on to let you know if there is a problem with your traction control system. See Traction Control System (TCS) Warning Light on page 3-65. When this warning light is on, the system will not limit wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly. The Traction Control System (TCS) 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 TCS off if you ever need to. Notice: Do not repeatedly brake or accelerate heavily when the TCS is off. You could damage your vehicle’s driveline. When the TCS is switched off on AWD and STS-V vehicles, you may still feel the system working. This is normal and necessary with the hardware on your vehicle. You should turn the system off if your vehicle ever gets stuck in sand, mud or snow and rocking the vehicle is required. See Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out on page 4-26 and If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow on page 4-25 for more information. See also Winter Driving on page 4-22 for information on using TCS when driving in snowy or icy conditions. 4-6 Competitive Driving Mode (STS-V) The driver can select this optional handling mode by pressing the Traction Control button, located near the shift lever, twice within ﬁve seconds. Competitive driving mode allows the driver to have control of the power applied to the rear wheels, while the StabiliTrak® system helps steer the vehicle by selective brake application. In competitive mode, the levels at which StabiliTrak® is engaged have been modiﬁed to better suit a performance driving environment. When the traction control warning light is on, the Traction Control System will not be operating. Adjust your driving accordingly. When you press the Traction Control button again, the Traction Control System will be on. The traction engaged symbol will be displayed temporarily in the DIC and a chime will be heard. See DIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-80 for more information. To turn the system off, press the TC (traction control) button located near the shift lever. If your All Wheel Drive vehicle has the optional enhanced vehicle stability control system called Active Steering with Enhanced StabiliTrak®, the Traction Control button is used to turn traction control on and off and to select between three stability control modes: Touring, Competitive and Off. See Enhanced StabiliTrak® on page 4-9 for Traction Control button operating instructions. If you press the TC button once, the Traction Control System will turn off and the Traction Control System Warning Light will come on. Press the TC button again to turn the system back on. If you press and hold the TC button for ﬁve seconds, the StabiliTrak® system and the Traction Control System will turn off. Press the TC button again to turn StabiliTrak® back on. For more information, see StabiliTrak® System on page 4-8. Adding non-GM accessories can affect your vehicle’s performance. See Accessories and Modiﬁcations on page 5-3 for more information. 4-7 Magnetic Ride Control Your vehicle may have Magnetic Ride Control that 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 SUSPENSION SYS message. See DIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-80 for 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. StabiliTrak® System Your 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 your all-wheel-drive vehicle has the optional enhanced vehicle stability control system called Active Steering with Enhanced StabiliTrak®, see Enhanced StabiliTrak® on page 4-9. 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 direction which you are steering. 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 3-80. You may also hear a noise or feel vibration in the brake pedal. This is normal. Continue to steer the vehicle in the direction you want it to go. 4-8 During extreme cold temperature conditions, the active steering function may be temporarily disabled which may cause the steering wheel to be off set 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 3-80 You may also hear a noise or feel vibration in the brake pedal. This is normal. Continue to steer the vehicle in the direction you want it to go. 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 3-80. When this message is displayed, the system is not operational. Driving should be adjusted accordingly. 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 TC (traction control) on/off button. See Traction Control System (TCS) on page 4-6. If the vehicle is in cruise control when the StabiliTrak® activates, the cruise control will automatically disengage. When road conditions allow you to safely use it again, you may reengage the cruise control. See Cruise Control on page 3-17 or Adaptive Cruise Control on page 3-20 for 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. 4-9 If the vehicle is in cruise control when Enhanced StabiliTrak® activates, the cruise control will automatically disengage. When road conditions allow you to safely use it again, you may re-engage the cruise control. See Cruise Control on page 3-17, or Adaptive Cruise Control on page 3-20 for 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. Enhanced StabiliTrak® also has Stability Competitive Mode that is turned on by pressing the Traction Control (TC) Button. See Traction Control System (TCS) on page 4-6. This mode is designed to be used by the performance conscious driver who desires less stabilty control intervention. See Competitive Driving Mode (STS-V) on page 4-7. When the Stability Control Competitive Mode has been activated, traction control operates in competitive mode and cannot be turned off. The STABILITY COMPETITIVE MODE message will be displayed on the DIC. See DIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-80. When operating your vehicle in the Stability Competitive Mode, the system provides less stability control intervention. Driving should be adjusted accordingly. When the stability control Stability Competitive Mode has been selected, the Active Steering and Magnetic Ride Control Touring Mode is not available. These systems are automatically changed to the Performance Mode, providing more response to road conditions and quicker steering response. For more information, see “Active Steering and Magnetic Ride Control Mode” in the Index of the vehicle’s Navigation Manual. To assist you with directional control of the vehicle, always leave the system on. Stability control can be turned off however, by using the traction control button. See Traction Control System (TCS) on page 4-6. The STABILITY SYS OFF message will be displayed on the DIC. See DIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-80. If there is a problem detected with Enhanced StabiliTrak®, the SERVICE STABILITY SYS message will be displayed on the DIC. See DIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-80. When this message is displayed, the system is not operating. Driving should be adjusted accordingly. 4-10 When certain faults or vehicle conditions are detected, the Stability control will automatically go into a secure mode and the STABILITY SECURE MODE message will be displayed on the DIC. 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. When the Stability Secure Mode is activated, you may see other messages, such as SERVICE STEERING SYS, SERVICE SUSPENSION SYS or CHECK TIRE PRESSURE on the DIC. When the Stability Secure Mode is activated, a larger degree of steering wheel input at low vehicle speeds and a smaller degree of steering wheel input at high vehicle speeds may be required. Stability Secure Mode will be activated if you are using a compact spare tire. See DIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-80 and Compact Spare Tire on page 5-106. Persistent operation of your vehicle in the STABILITY SECURE MODE may be an indication that your vehicle needs to be serviced by the dealer/retailer. When certain faults are present, the vehicle’s speed may be limited and the SPEED LIMITED TO XXX message will be displayed on the DIC. See DIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-80. When the vehicle’s speed is limited, you may see other messages, such as SERVICE STABILITY SYS, SERVICE STEERING SYS or SERVICE SUSPENSION SYS on the DIC. Have your vehicle serviced by your dealer/retailer. Enhanced StabiliTrak® and Traction Control Mode Selection Enhanced StabiliTrak® can be operated in Touring Mode or Competitive Mode. It can also be turned off. The traction control button is used to change stability control modes (Touring, Competitive or Off) as well as to turn traction control on or off. See Traction Control System (TCS) on page 4-6. The following information describes the operation of the traction control button for changing Traction Control and Stability Control Modes. When you start your vehicle, Stability control comes on automatically in the Stability Touring Mode. To change from Stability Touring Mode to Stability Competitive Mode, press and hold the traction control button for about three seconds until the STABILITY COMPETITIVE MODE message is displayed on the DIC. To change from Stability Touring Mode to Stability Off Mode, press and hold the traction control button for about ﬁve seconds until the STABILITY SYS OFF message is displayed on the DIC. The DIC will temporarily display the STABILITY COMPETITIVE MODE message prior to displaying the STABILITY SYS OFF message. 4-11 (cid:129) (cid:129) To change from Stability Competitive Mode to Stability Touring Mode, press the traction control button brieﬂy and the STABILITY TOURING MODE message will be displayed on the DIC. To change from Stability Competitive Mode to Stability Off Mode, press and hold the traction control button for approximately ﬁve seconds until the STABILITY SYS OFF message is displayed on the DIC. The DIC will temporarily display the STABILITY TOURING MODE message and then the STABILITY COMPETITIVE MODE message prior to displaying the STABILITY SYS OFF message. To change from Stability Off Mode to Stability Touring Mode, press the traction control button brieﬂy and the STABILITY TOURING MODE message will be displayed on the DIC. To change from Stability Off Mode to Stability Competitive Mode, press and hold the traction control button for about three seconds until the STABILITY COMPETITIVE MODE message is displayed on the DIC. The DIC will temporarily display the STABILITY TOURING MODE message prior to displaying the STABILITY COMPETITIVE MODE message. To turn traction control off while in the Stability Touring Mode, press the traction control button brieﬂy and the traction control system warning light will come on. See Traction Control System (TCS) on page 4-6. To turn traction control on while in the Stability Touring Mode, press the traction control button brieﬂy and the traction control system warning light will turn off. Panic Brake Assist Your vehicle has a panic brake assist system that monitors the intention of the driver while braking. If the system senses that the driver has applied hard/fast pressure to the brake pedal, the system will generate additional pressure, making it easier for the driver to maintain brake application. When this happens the brake pedal will feel easier to push. Just hold the brake pedal down ﬁrmly and let the system work for you. You may feel the brakes vibrate, or you may notice some noise but this is normal. The brakes will return to normal operation after the brake pedal has been released. 4-12 (cid:129) (cid:129) (cid:129) (cid:129) (cid:129) (cid:129) All-Wheel Drive (AWD) System If your vehicle has this feature, engine power is sent to all four wheels all the time. This is like four-wheel drive, but it is fully automatic. Steering Power Steering If you lose power steering assist because the engine stops or the system is not functioning, you can steer but it will take much more effort. Speed Variable Assist Steering Your vehicle has a steering system that continuously adjusts the effort you feel when steering at all vehicle speeds. It provides ease when parking, yet a ﬁrm, solid feel at highway speeds. Active Steering All-wheel-drive vehicles with the Active Steering with Enhanced StabiliTrak® option have an electronically controlled active steering system. The active steering system uses the steering actuator to automatically adjust the front road wheel turning angle based on vehicle speed and how much you turn the steering wheel. This system reduces steering effort at low speeds, improves steering feel at moderate speeds, and reduces steering sensitivity at higher speeds. During some operating conditions, the active steering might deactivate to protect the system from damage. You might notice that the center position of the steering wheel is changed. Unless there is a SERVICE STEERING SYS message, the system will return to normal operation as soon as the condition ceases, usually within a very short period of time. At low speeds, the active steering system requires less movement of the steering wheel to change vehicle direction than the normal power steering system. Adjust your driving accordingly. When certain steering faults are present, the active steering deactivates and vehicle speed might be limited. The SERVICE STEERING SYS and SPEED LIMITED TO XXX messages will be displayed. See DIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-80. The normal power steering system is still operational. You might notice that the center position of the steering wheel is changed and that more steering effort at low speeds and less steering effort at high speeds is required. You can continue to drive your vehicle with normal power steering but you should have your dealer/retailer inspect the steering system as soon as possible in order to have the problem corrected and the steering wheel position centered. 4-13 When stability control activates, the system 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. Adjustments to the steering will not be felt in the steering wheel. See Enhanced StabiliTrak® on page 4-9. It is recommended that the battery not be disconnected when the steering wheel is turned from the center position. If this occurs, the center position of the steering wheel could be temporarily changed a small amount. You can continue to operate your vehicle and, after a short time, the center position of the steering wheel will return to normal. Steering Tips It is important to take curves at a reasonable speed. A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned on the news happen on curves. Here is why: Experienced driver or beginner, each of us is subject to the same laws of physics when driving on curves. The traction of the tires against the road surface makes it possible for the vehicle to change its path when you turn the front wheels. If there is no traction, inertia will keep the vehicle going in the same direction. If you have ever tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you will understand this. The traction you can get in a curve depends on the condition of the tires and the road surface, the angle at which the curve is banked, and your speed. While you are in a curve, speed is the one factor you can control. Suppose you are steering through a sharp curve. Then you suddenly accelerate. Both control systems — steering and acceleration — have to do their work where the tires meet the road. Adding the sudden acceleration can demand too much of those places. You can lose control. See Traction Control System (TCS) on page 4-6 and StabiliTrak® System on page 4-8 or Enhanced StabiliTrak® on page 4-9. What should you do if this ever happens? Ease up on the accelerator pedal, steer the vehicle the way you want it to go, and slow down. Your stability system might be active. See DIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-80 and StabiliTrak® System on page 4-8 or Enhanced StabiliTrak® on page 4-9. Speed limit signs near curves warn that you should adjust your speed. Of course, the posted speeds are based on good weather and road conditions. Under less favorable conditions you will want to go slower. If you need to reduce your speed as you approach a curve, do it before you enter the curve, while the front wheels are straight ahead. 4-14 Try to adjust your speed so you can drive through the curve. Maintain a reasonable, steady speed. Wait to accelerate until you are out of the curve, and then accelerate gently into the straightaway. To help you steer in the direction you want to go, during certain sharp or sudden cornering maneuvers, gear selection is controlled. This will maximize the available drive wheel torque and minimize the transmission response time and shift activity. During this kind of maneuver, the transmission shifts automatically as vehicle speed changes. Adding non-dealer/non-retailer accessories can affect your vehicle’s performance. See Accessories and Modiﬁcations on page 5-3. Steering in Emergencies There are times when steering can be more effective than braking. For example, you come over a hill and ﬁnd a truck stopped in your lane, or a car suddenly pulls out from nowhere, or a child darts out from between parked cars and stops right in front of you. You can avoid these problems by braking — if you can stop in time. But sometimes you cannot; there is not room. That is the time for evasive action — steering around the problem. Your vehicle can perform very well in emergencies like these. First apply the brakes. See Braking on page 4-4. It is better to remove as much speed as you can from a possible collision. Then steer around the problem, to the left or right depending on the space available. An emergency like this requires close attention and a quick decision. If you are holding the steering wheel at the recommended 9 and 3 o’clock positions, you can turn it a full 180 degrees very quickly without removing either hand. But you have to act fast, steer quickly, and just as quickly straighten the wheel once you have avoided the object. The fact that such emergency situations are always possible is a good reason to practice defensive driving at all times and wear safety belts properly. 4-15 Off-Road Recovery You may ﬁnd that your vehicle’s right wheels have dropped off the edge of a road onto the shoulder while you are driving. Passing Passing another vehicle on a two-lane road can be dangerous. To reduce the risk of danger while passing, we suggest the following tips: Look down the road, to the sides, and to crossroads for situations that might affect a successful pass. If in doubt, wait. (cid:129) Watch for traffic signs, pavement markings, and lines that could indicate a turn or an intersection. Never cross a solid or double-solid line on your side of the lane. (cid:129) Do not get too close to the vehicle you want to pass. Doing so can reduce your visibility. (cid:129) Wait your turn to pass a slow vehicle. (cid:129) When you are being passed, ease to the right. Loss of Control Let us review what driving experts say about what happens when the three control systems — brakes, steering, and acceleration — do not have enough friction where the tires meet the road to do what the driver has asked. In any emergency, do not give up. Keep trying to steer and constantly seek an escape route or area of less danger. If the level of the shoulder is only slightly below the pavement, recovery should be fairly easy. Ease off the accelerator and then, if there is nothing in the way, steer so that your vehicle straddles the edge of the pavement. You can turn the steering wheel up to one-quarter turn until the right front tire contacts the pavement edge. Then turn the steering wheel to go straight down the roadway. 4-16 (cid:129) Skidding In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle. Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking reasonable care suited to existing conditions, and by not overdriving those conditions. But skids are always possible. The three types of skids correspond to your vehicle’s three control systems. In the braking skid, the wheels are not rolling. In the steering or cornering skid, too much speed or steering in a curve causes tires to slip and lose cornering force. And in the acceleration skid, too much throttle causes the driving wheels to spin. A cornering skid is best handled by easing your foot off the accelerator pedal. Remember: Any traction control system helps avoid only the acceleration skid. If your traction control system is off, then an acceleration skid is also best handled by easing your foot off the accelerator pedal. If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want the vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly enough, your vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready for a second skid if it occurs. You might see the STABILITY SYS ACTIVE message on the Driver Information Center. See DIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-80 and StabiliTrak® System on page 4-8 or Enhanced StabiliTrak® on page 4-9. Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice, gravel, or other material is on the road. For safety, you will want to slow down and adjust your driving to these conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and vehicle control more limited. While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration, or braking, including reducing vehicle speed by shifting to a lower gear. Any sudden changes could cause the tires to slide. You may not realize the surface is slippery until your vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize warning clues — such as enough water, ice, or packed snow on the road to make a mirrored surface — and slow down when you have any doubt. Remember: Any Antilock Brake System (ABS) helps avoid only the braking skid. 4-17 If you use your vehicle for competitive Competitive Driving See your warranty book before using your vehicle for competitive driving. Notice: driving, the engine may use more oil than it would with normal use. Low oil levels can damage the engine. Be sure to check the oil level often during competitive driving and keep the level at or near the upper mark that shows the proper operating range on the engine oil dipstick. For information on how to add oil, see Engine Oil on page 5-18. Driving at Night Night driving is more dangerous than day driving because some drivers are likely to be impaired — by alcohol or drugs, with night vision problems, or by fatigue. Night driving tips include: (cid:129) Drive defensively. (cid:129) Do not drink and drive. (cid:129) Reduce headlamp glare by adjusting the inside rearview mirror. (cid:129) Slow down and keep more space between you and other vehicles because your headlamps can only light up so much road ahead. (cid:129) Watch for animals. (cid:129) When tired, pull off the road. (cid:129) Do not wear sunglasses. (cid:129) Avoid staring directly into approaching headlamps. (cid:129) Keep the windshield and all glass on your vehicle clean — inside and out. (cid:129) Keep your eyes moving, especially during turns or curves. No one can see as well at night as in the daytime. But, as we get older, these differences increase. A 50-year-old driver might need at least twice as much light to see the same thing at night as a 20-year-old. 4-18 Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads Rain and wet roads can reduce vehicle traction and affect your ability to stop and accelerate. Always drive slower in these types of driving conditions and avoid driving through large puddles and deep-standing or ﬂowing water. {CAUTION:

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2008 Cadillac STS Owners Manual