2005 Cadillac CTS Owners Manual

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When battery power is removed and later applied, you will not have to reset your radio presets. PRESETS HOME/AWAY: This feature gives you the ability to store two different kinds of station presets. HOME can be used for stations available where you live and AWAY can be for stations available outside of your local broadcasting area. To set preset stations for home and away perform the following steps: 1. Press the TUNE/SEL knob to enter the main menu. 2. Turn the TUNE/SEL knob until PRESETS HOME/AWAY appears on the display. 3. Press the TUNE/SEL knob to select. HOME or AWAY will appear on the display. 4. Press the CLR button to exit the display. To return to the original display, repeatedly press the CLR button or wait for the display to time out. Follow the manual or automatic steps previously listed for setting the preset pushbuttons for both home and away. 3-93 Setting the Tone (Bass/Treble) To adjust the bass, midrange, and treble, perform the following steps: 1. Press the TUNE/SEL knob to enter the main menu. 2. Turn the TUNE/SEL knob until BASS-MID-TREBLE appears on the display. 3. Press the TUNE/SEL knob to enter the tone settings. 4. Press the TUNE/SEL knob to scroll through the settings. 5. Turn the TUNE/SEL knob to increase or to decrease the bass, midrange, or treble. If a station is weak or noisy, decrease the treble. 6. Press the TUNE/SEL knob to set the adjustment. 7. Press the CLR button to exit the display. To return to the original display repeatedly press the CLR button or wait for the display to time out. AUDIO EQUALIZER: This feature allows you to select customized equalization settings. To choose an equalization setting (EQ0 through EQ5), perform the following steps: 1. Press the TUNE/SEL knob to enter the main menu. 2. Turn the TUNE/SEL knob until EQUALIZER appears on the display. 3. Press the TUNE/SEL knob to set the equalization setting. The equalization setting will appear on the display. 4. Press the CLR button to exit the display. To return to the original display, repeatedly press the CLR 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 TUNE/SEL knob to enter the main menu. 2. Turn the TUNE/SEL knob until BASS-MID-TREBLE appears on the display. 3-94 3. Press the TUNE/SEL knob to enter the tone settings. 4. Press the TUNE/SEL knob to scroll to BALANCE or FADER. 5. Turn the TUNE/SEL 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 TUNE/SEL knob to set the adjustment. 7. Press the CLR button to exit the display. To return to the original display, repeatedly press the CLR button or wait for the display to time out. EQ0 will not appear on the display when in this mode. Using DSP Available only with the premium Bose® audio system, this feature is used to provide a choice of ﬁve different listening experiences: DSP normal, talk, spacious, rear seat, and driver seat. DSP can be used while listening to the radio or the CD player. The radio keeps separate DSP settings for each band, preset, and source. To select a DSP choice, perform the following steps: 1. Press the TUNE/SEL knob to enter the main menu. 2. Turn the TUNE/SEL knob until one of the ﬁve settings appears on the display. 3. Press the TUNE/SEL knob to select a DSP setting. 4. Press the CLR button to exit the display. To return to the original display, repeatedly press the CLR button or wait for the display to time out. DSP NORMAL: This setting provides the best overall audio performance for all passengers. DSP NORMAL will not appear on the display when in this mode. TALK: This setting should be used when listening to non-musical material such as news, talk shows, sports broadcasts, and books on tape. Talk makes spoken words sound very clear. SPACIOUS: This setting is used to make the listening space seem larger. REAR SEAT: This setting adjusts the audio to give the rear seat passenger(s) the best possible sound quality. Sound quality for the front seat passengers may be different when this setting is used. DRIVER SEAT: This setting adjusts the audio to give the driver the best possible sound quality. Sound quality for the front and rear seat passenger(s) may be different when this setting is used. 3-95 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 will appear on the display. You will hear the announcement, even if the volume is low or a CD is playing. If a CD is playing, play will stop during the announcement. Alert announcements cannot be turned off. If the radio tunes to a related network station for the announcement, it will return to the original station when the announcement is ﬁnished. ALERT will not be 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 will appear on the display. The message may display the artist, song title, call in phone numbers, etc. If the entire message does not appear on the display, parts of the message will appear every three seconds until the message is completed. Once the completed message has been displayed, MSG will disappear from the display until another new message is received. To display the last message, perform the following steps: 1. Press the TUNE/SEL knob to enter the main menu. 2. Turn the TUNE/SEL knob until RECALL RDS MESSAGE appears on the display. 3. Press the TUNE/SEL knob. The message will appear on the display. Once the message has been displayed, MSG will disappear from the display until another new message is received. TP (Traffic Program): TP will appear on the display when the radio detects a signal from an RDS station that has traffic announcement broadcast capability. TA (Traffic Announcement): If TA appears on the display, 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 will seek to a station that does. When a station that broadcasts traffic announcements is found, the radio will stop seeking and TA will appear on the display. If no station is found that broadcasts traffic announcements, No Traffic will appear on the display. 3-96 The radio will play traffic announcements if the volume is low. The radio will interrupt the play of a CD if the last tuned station broadcasts traffic announcements. 4. Press the CLR button to exit the display. To return to the original display, repeatedly press the CLR button or wait for the display to time out. To turn TA on or off, perform the following steps: 1. Press the TUNE/SEL knob to enter the main menu. 2. Turn the TUNE/SEL knob until TRAFFIC ANNOUNCE appears on the display. 3. Press the TUNE/SEL knob to select ON or OFF. An X will appear in the box when TA is selected on. 4. Press the CLR button to exit the display. To return to the original display, repeatedly press the CLR button or wait for the display to time out. Activating Program Type (PTY) Stations (RDS and XM™) PTY allows you to 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 TUNE/SEL knob to enter the main menu. 2. Turn the TUNE/SEL knob until PROGRAM TYPE MODE appears on the display. 3. Press the TUNE/SEL knob to select ON or OFF. An X will appear in the box when PTY is selected on. Once program type is activated the PTYs will appear on the display above the pushbuttons, in place of the preset stations (if programmed). Press the pushbutton for the PTY that you would like to listen to. Not all stations support PTYs. The radio may not go to all of the stations with that music type when pressing the pushbutton. AF (Alternate Frequency): Alternate frequency allows the radio to switch to a stronger station with the same program type. To turn AF on or off, perform the following steps: 1. Press the TUNE/SEL knob to enter the main menu. 2. Turn the TUNE/SEL knob until ALTERNATE FREQ. appears on the display. 3. Press the TUNE/SEL knob to select AF OFF, AF ON, or AF REG. An X will appear in the box when AF is selected on. 4. Press the CLR button to exit the display. To return to the original display, repeatedly press the CLR button or wait for the display to time out. 3-97 Radio Message THEFTLOCK: This message is displayed when the THEFTLOCK® system has been activated. Take the vehicle to the dealer for service. XM™ Radio Messages Radio Display Message XL (Explicit Language Channels) XM Updating Condition XL on the radio display, after the channel name, indicates content with explicit language. Updating encryption code No XM Signal Loss of signal Loading XM Acquiring channel audio (after 4 second delay) Channel Off Air Channel not in service Channel Unavail No Artist Info Channel no longer available Artist Name/Feature not available Action Required These channels, or any others, can be blocked at a customer’s request, by calling 1-800-852-XMXM (9696). The encryption code in the receiver is being updated, and no action is required. This process should take no longer than 30 seconds. 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. The audio system is acquiring and processing audio and text data. No action is needed. This message should disappear shortly. This channel is not currently in service. Tune in to another channel. 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 information is available at this time on this channel. The system is working properly. 3-98 XM™ Radio Messages (cont’d) Radio Display Message No Title Info No CAT Info Not Found No Information XM Lock Condition Song/Program Title not available Category Name not available No channel available for the chosen category No Text/Informational message available Theft lock active XM Radio ID Unknown Check XM Receiver Radio ID label (channel 0) Radio ID not known (should only be if hardware failure) Hardware failure Action Required No song title information is available at this time on this channel. The system is working properly. No category information is available at this time on this channel. The system is working properly. There are no channels available for the selected category. The system is working properly. No text or informational messages are available at this time on this channel. The system is working properly. The XM receiver in your vehicle may 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 GM dealer. If tuned to channel 0, this message will alternate with the XM Radio 8 digit radio ID label. This label is needed to activate the service. If this message is received when tuned to channel 0, there may be a receiver fault. Consult with your GM dealer. If this message does not clear within a short period of time, the receiver may have a fault. Consult with your GM dealer. 3-99 Using the Single CD Player Insert a CD partway into the slot, label side up. The player will pull it in. If the ignition and the radio are on the CD will begin playing. A CD may be loaded with the radio off but it will not start playing until the radio is on. If the ignition or radio is turned off with a CD in the player, it will stay in the player. When the ignition or radio is turned on, the CD will start to play where it stopped, if it was the last selected audio source. When the CD is inserted, CD will appear on the display. As each new track starts to play, the track number will appear on the display. 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. If playing a CD-R the sound quality may 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. There may be an increase in skipping, difficulty in ﬁnding tracks, and/or difficulty in loading and ejecting. If these problems occur try a known good CD. Do not add paper labels to CDs, they could get caught in the CD player. If an error appears on the display, see “CD Messages” later in this section. When a CD is inserted the CD functions will appear on the display above the pushbuttons, in place of the preset stations (if programmed). F1 PREV (Previous): Press this pushbutton to go to the previous track. Press and hold this pushbutton to reverse quickly within a track. Release the pushbutton to play the passage. The elapsed time of the track will appear on the display. F2 NEXT: Press this pushbutton to go to the next track. Press and hold this pushbutton to advance quickly within a track. Release the pushbutton to play the passage. The elapsed time of the track will appear on the display. F3 RDM (Random): Press this pushbutton to listen to the tracks in random, rather than sequential, order. RANDOM will appear on the display. Press RDM again to turn off random play. RANDOM will disappear from the display. F4 RPT (Repeat): Press this pushbutton to hear a track over again. REPEAT will appear on the display. Press RPT again to turn off repeat play. REPEAT will disappear from the display. 3-100 F6 DISP (Display): Press this pushbutton to display the time of the track. Press this pushbutton again to remove the time of the track from the display. Q SEEK R: Press the up or the down arrow to go to the next or to the previous track on the CD. Q SCAN R: Press this button to listen to each track for 10 seconds. The CD will go to a track, play for 10 seconds, then go on to the next track. Press this button again to stop scanning. X (Eject): Press this button to stop a CD when it is playing or to eject a CD when it is not playing. Eject may be activated with the ignition and the radio off. Using the Six-Disc CD Changer 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. If playing a CD-R the sound quality may 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. There may be an increase in skipping, difficulty in ﬁnding tracks, and/or difficulty in loading and ejecting. If these problems occur try a known good CD. Do not add paper labels to CDs, they could get caught in the CD player. If an error appears on the display, see “CD Messages” later in this section. When a CD is inserted the CD functions will appear on the display above the pushbuttons, in place of the preset stations (if programmed). LOAD: Press the LOAD button to load CDs into the CD player. This CD player will hold 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 will appear on the display. 3. Load the CD, when INSERT appears on the display, insert a CD partway into the slot, label side up. The player will pull the CD in. When a CD is inserted, CD will appear on the display, the number of the CD and the track number will appear on the display if the radio is on. If the radio is on, the CD will begin to play automatically. 3-101 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 will appear on the display and you will hear a beep. 3. Load the CD, when INSERT appears on the display, insert a CD partway into the slot, label side up. The player will pull the CD in. Do not load a CD until INSERT appears on the display. The CD player will take up to six CDs. Do not try to load more than six. If you want to load less than six CDs, load the desired amount. The CD player will time out when it does not receive any more CDs and the last CD loaded will begin to play. If the radio is on, the last CD loaded will begin to play automatically. F1 CDn(Down): Press this pushbutton to go to the previous CD. F2 CDm(Up): Press this pushbutton to go to the next CD. CD REV { (Reverse): Press this pushbutton to go to the previous track. Press and hold this pushbutton to reverse quickly within the track. Release the pushbutton to play the passage. The elapsed time of the track will appear on the display. CD FWD | (Forward): Press this pushbutton to go to the next track. Press and hold this pushbutton to advance quickly within the track. Release the pushbutton to play the passage. The elapsed time of the track will appear on the display. F5 MODE: Press this pushbutton to select from NORMAL, RPT TRCK (Repeat Track), RPT CD (Repeat CD), RDM TRK (Random Track), and RDM ALL (Random All CDs). • NORMAL: Sets the system for normal play of the CD(s). NORMAL will not appear on the display when in this mode. • RPT TRCK (Repeat Track): Repeats the track over again. RPT TRCK will appear on the display. Press the MODE pushbutton again to turn off repeat play. RPT TRCK will disappear from the display. • RPT CD (Repeat CD): Repeats the CD over again. RPT DISC will appear on the display. Press the MODE pushbutton again to turn off repeat play. RPT DISC will disappear from the display. 3-102 • RDM TRK (Random Track): Plays the tracks on the current CD in random, rather than sequential, order. RDM TRK will appear on the display. Press the MODE pushbutton again to turn off random play. RDM TRK will disappear from the display. • RDM ALL (Random All CDs): Plays all of the CDs loaded in random, rather than sequential, order. RDM ALL will appear on the display. Press the MODE pushbutton again to turn off random play. RDM ALL will disappear from the display. F6 DISP (Display): Press this pushbutton to display the time of the track. Press this pushbutton again to display CD PLAY and press this pushbutton once more to clear the display. Q SEEK R: Press the up or the down arrow to go to the next or to the previous track on the CD. Q SCAN: Press this button to listen to each track for 10 seconds. The CD will go to a track, play for 10 seconds, then go on to the next track. Press this button again to stop scanning. X (Eject): Press this button to eject the CD that is currently playing, or press and hold this button to eject all of the CDs loaded. You will hear a beep. Eject may be activated with the ignition or radio off. 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. • There may have been a problem while burning the CD. • The label may 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 GM dealer. If the radio displays an error message, write it down and provide it to your GM dealer when reporting the problem. 3-103 Conﬁgurable Radio Display Keys This feature allows you to customize the four keys that are located on each side of the radio display to make it easier to adjust the radio features and other non-radio related features are also available for customization. To program the conﬁgurable radio display keys, perform the following steps: 1. Press the TUNE/SEL knob to enter the main menu. 2. Turn the TUNE/SEL knob until SETUP appears on the display. 3. Press the TUNE/SEL knob to enter into SETUP. 4. Turn the TUNE/SEL knob until CONFIGURE DISPLAY KEYS appears on the display. 5. Press the TUNE/SEL knob to enter into CONFIGURE DISPLAY KEYS. 6. Turn the TUNE/SEL knob to select which of the four conﬁgurable keys you would like to change. The currently assigned feature will be shown. 7. Press the TUNE/SEL knob to select the conﬁgurable key to change. 3-104 8. Turn the TUNE/SEL knob to ﬁnd the feature that you would like to store to the key. 9. Press the TUNE/SEL knob when you have found the feature to be stored. The display will update, by showing the symbol of the feature that you selected next to the conﬁgurable key. 10. Repeat the previous steps for each conﬁgurable key. Once a feature is programmed to a key, the feature will not appear on the display when programming the remaining conﬁgurable keys. The conﬁgurable keys can be changed at any time. Navigation/Radio System Your vehicle may have a navigation radio system that includes Radio Data System (RDS) with Program Type (PTY) selections that will seek out the kind of music you want to listen to and XM™ Satellite Radio Service capabilities (if equipped). The radio can also communicate with the navigation system to broadcast announcements on traffic, weather, and emergency alert communications. For information on how to use this system, see the “Navigation System” manual. 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 will not operate. If the radio is removed from your vehicle, the original VIN in the radio can be used to trace the radio back to your vehicle. With THEFTLOCK® activated, the radio will not operate if stolen. Audio Steering Wheel Controls (CTS) Some audio functions can be adjusted at the steering wheel. They include the following: Volume: Turn this knob to increase or to decrease the volume. e(Band/Source): Press this button to switch between FM1, FM2, AM, or XM1 or XM2 (if equipped), radio, or CD. For vehicles with the six-disc CD changer radio: If none of the audio sources are loaded, and this button is pressed, NO SOURCE LOADED will appear on the display. g (OnStar/Voice Recognition): Press this button to interact with the OnStar® system. See the OnStar® manual provided with your vehicle for more information. If your vehicle does not have the OnStar® System, pressing this button will silence the system. Press this button again or turn the VOL knob to turn the sound on. 3-105 If your vehicle has the navigation system, press this button to initiate voice recognition. See “Voice Recognition” in the Navigation System manual for more information. You may be able to interact with the OnStar® system using this button. See the OnStar® manual provided with your vehicle for more information. See Reconﬁgurable SteeringWheelControls (SWC)(CTS)onpage3-7 for more information on this feature. Radio Reception 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. Static can occur on AM stations caused by things like storms and power lines. Try reducing the treble to reduce this noise. 3-106 FM Stereo FM stereo will give the best sound, but FM signals will reach only 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. Just as with FM, tall buildings or hills can interfere with satellite radio signals, causing the sound to fade in and out. The radio may display NO XM SIGNAL to indicate interference. Cellular Phone Usage Cellular phone usage may cause interference with your vehicle’s radio. This interference may occur when making or receiving phone calls, charging the phone’s battery, or simply having the phone on. This interference is an increased level of static while listening to the radio. If static is received while listening to the radio, unplug the cellular phone and turn it off. Care of Your CDs Handle CDs carefully. Store them in their original cases or other protective cases and away from direct sunlight and dust. If the surface of a CD is soiled, dampen a clean, soft cloth in a mild, neutral detergent solution and clean it, wiping from the center to the edge. Be sure never to touch the side without writing when handling CDs. Pick up CDs by grasping the outer edges or the edge of the hole and the outer edge. Care of Your CD Player The use of CD lens cleaners for CD players is not advised, due to the risk of contaminating the lens of the CD optics with lubricants internal to the CD mechanism. Diversity Antenna System 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: 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. Notice: Do not try to clear frost or other material from the inside of the front windshield and rear window with a razor blade or anything else that is sharp. This may damage the rear window defogger grid and affect your radio’s ability to pick up stations clearly. The repairs wouldn’t 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. If adding an aftermarket 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 antennas are not damaged. Make sure the cellular telephone antenna does not touch a grid line. 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. 3-107 - NOTES 3-108 Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle ..........4-2 Defensive Driving ...........................................4-2 Drunken Driving .............................................4-2 Control of a Vehicle ........................................4-5 Braking .........................................................4-5 Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) .........................4-6 Braking in Emergencies ...................................4-8 Traction Control System (TCS) (CTS) ..................4-8 Traction Control System (TCS) (CTS-V) ...........4-10 Competitive Driving Mode ..............................4-11 Limited-Slip Rear Axle ...................................4-11 Stabilitrak® System .......................................4-11 Panic Brake Assist ........................................4-12 Steering ......................................................4-12 Off-Road Recovery .......................................4-15 Passing .......................................................4-15 Loss of Control .............................................4-17 Driving at Night ............................................4-18 Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads ..................4-19 City Driving ..................................................4-22 Freeway Driving ...........................................4-23 Before Leaving on a Long Trip .......................4-24 Highway Hypnosis ........................................4-25 Hill and Mountain Roads ................................4-26 Winter Driving ..............................................4-28 If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow ........4-32 Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out .................4-33 Loading Your Vehicle ....................................4-33 Towing ..........................................................4-38 Towing Your Vehicle .....................................4-38 Recreational Vehicle Towing ...........................4-38 Towing a Trailer ...........................................4-40 4-1 Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle Defensive Driving The best advice anyone can give about driving is: Drive defensively. Please start with a very important safety device in your vehicle: Buckle up. See SafetyBelts:TheyArefor Everyone on page1-8. Defensive driving really means “be ready for anything.” On city streets, rural roads, or freeways, it means “always expect the unexpected.” Assume that pedestrians or other drivers are going to be careless and make mistakes. Anticipate what they might do. Be ready for their mistakes. Rear-end collisions are about the most preventable of accidents. Yet they are common. Allow enough following distance. It is the best defensive driving maneuver, in both city and rural driving. You never know when the vehicle in front of you is going to brake or turn suddenly. Defensive driving requires that a driver concentrate on the driving task. Anything that distracts from the driving task — such as concentrating on a cellular telephone call, reading, or reaching for something on 4-2 the ﬂoor — makes proper defensive driving more difficult and can even cause a collision, with resulting injury. Ask a passenger to help do things like this, or pull off the road in a safe place to do them yourself. These simple defensive driving techniques could save your life. Drunken Driving Death and injury associated with drinking and driving is a national tragedy. It is the number one contributor to the highway death toll, claiming thousands of victims every year. Alcohol affects four things that anyone needs to drive a vehicle: • Judgment • Muscular Coordination • Vision • Attentiveness Police records show that almost half 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 16,000 annual motor vehicle-related deaths have been associated with the use of alcohol, with more than 300,000 people injured. Many adults — by some estimates, nearly half the adult population — choose never to drink alcohol, so they never drive after drinking. 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. But what if people do? How much is “too much” if someone plans to drive? It is a lot less than many might think. Although it depends on each person and situation, here is some general information on the problem. The Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of someone who is drinking depends upon four things: • The amount of alcohol consumed • The drinker’s body weight • The amount of food that is consumed before and during drinking • The length of time it has taken the drinker to consume the alcohol According to the American Medical Association, a 180 lb (82 kg) person who drinks three 12 ounce (355 ml) bottles of beer in an hour will end up with a BAC of about 0.06 percent. The person would reach the same BAC by drinking three 4 ounce (120 ml) glasses of wine or three mixed drinks if each had 1-1/2 ounces (45 ml) of liquors like whiskey, gin, or vodka. It is the amount of alcohol that counts. For example, if the same person drank three double martinis (3 ounces or 90 ml of liquor each) within an hour, the person’s BAC would be close to 0.12 percent. A person who consumes food just before or during drinking will have a somewhat lower BAC level. 4-3 There is a gender difference, too. Women generally have a lower relative percentage of body water than men. Since alcohol is carried in body water, this means that a woman generally will reach a higher BAC level than a man of her same body weight will when each has the same number of drinks. The law in most U.S. states, and throughout Canada, sets the legal limit at 0.08 percent. In some other countries, the limit is even lower. For example, it is 0.05 percent in both France and Germany. The BAC limit for all commercial drivers in the United States is 0.04 percent. The BAC will be over 0.10 percent after three to six drinks (in one hour). Of course, as we have seen, it depends on how much alcohol is in the drinks, and how quickly the person drinks them. But the ability to drive is affected well below a BAC of 0.10 percent. Research shows that the driving skills of many people are impaired at a BAC approaching 0.05 percent, and that the effects are worse at night. All drivers are impaired at BAC levels above 0.05 percent. Statistics show that the chance of being in a collision increases sharply for drivers who have a BAC of 0.05 percent or above. A driver with a BAC level of 0.06 percent has doubled his or her chance of having a collision. At a BAC level of 0.10 percent, the chance of this driver having a collision is 12 times greater; at a level of 0.15 percent, the chance is 25 times greater! The body takes about an hour to rid itself of the alcohol in one drink. No amount of coffee or number of cold showers will speed that up. “I will be careful” is not the right answer. What if there is an emergency, a need to take sudden action, as when a child darts into the street? A person with even a moderate BAC might not be able to react quickly enough to avoid the collision. There is something else about drinking and driving that many people do not know. 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. 4-4 {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. Please 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. Control of a Vehicle You have three systems that make your vehicle go where you want it to go. They are the brakes, the steering, and the accelerator. All three systems have to do their work at the places where the tires meet the road. Sometimes, as when you are driving on snow or ice, it is easy to ask more of those control systems than the tires and road can provide. That means you can lose control of your vehicle. See TractionControlSystem (TCS)(CTS)onpage4-8 or TractionControlSystem (TCS) (CTS-V) on page4-10. Braking 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 (wet, dry, icy); tire tread; the condition of your brakes; the weight of the vehicle and the amount of brake force applied. 4-5 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. Your brakes may not have time to cool between hard stops. Your 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 engine ever stops while you are driving, brake normally but do not pump your brakes. If you do, the pedal may get harder to push down. If your 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 may take longer to stop and the brake pedal will be harder to push. Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes. ABS is an advanced electronic braking system that will help prevent a braking skid. When you start your engine and begin to drive away, your anti-lock brake system will check itself. You may hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while this test is going on, and you may even notice that your brake pedal moves a little. This is normal. If there is a problem with the anti-lock brake system, this warning light will stay on. See Anti-Lock BrakeSystemWarning Lightonpage3-43. 4-6 The anti-lock system 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. 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. As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates on wheel speed and controls braking pressure accordingly. 4-7 Remember: Anti-lock 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 your brakes if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops. Always leave enough room up ahead to stop, even though you have anti-lock brakes. Using Anti-Lock Do not pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down ﬁrmly and let anti-lock work for you. You may hear the anti-lock pump or motor operate, and feel the brake pedal pulsate, but this is normal. Braking in Emergencies With anti-lock, 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) (CTS) Your vehicle has a traction control system that limits wheel spin. This is especially useful in slippery road conditions. The system operates only if it senses that one or both of the rear wheels are spinning or beginning to lose traction. When this happens, the system 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’s a problem with your traction control system. See TractionControlSystem(TCS)WarningLighton page3-43. When this warning light is on, the system will not limit wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly. 4-8 The traction control system automatically comes on whenever you start your vehicle. To limit wheel spin, especially in slippery road conditions, you should always leave the system on. But you can turn the traction control system off if you ever need to. You should turn the system off if your vehicle ever gets stuck in sand, mud or snow and rocking the vehicle is required. Additionally, turning the traction control system off on some surfaces, such as deep snow and loose gravel, will assist vehicle motion at lower speeds. See RockingYourVehicletoGetItOutonpage4-33 for more information. See also WinterDrivingonpage4-28 for information on using TCS when driving in snowy or icy conditions. 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 will turn off. Press the TC button again to turn Stabilitrak® back on. For more information, see Stabilitrak® System on page4-11. You can program your steering wheel controls (CTS only) and/or the buttons on the Base audio system to turn the TCS on or off. See ReconﬁgurableSteering WheelControls(SWC)(CTS)onpage3-7 and/or “Conﬁgurable Radio Display Keys” under Radiowith CD on page3-89 for programming instructions. You can turn the system off by pressing the TC (traction control) button located in the glove box. 4-9 Traction Control System (TCS) (CTS-V) Your vehicle has a traction control system that limits wheel spin. This is especially useful in slippery road conditions. The system operates only if it senses that one or both of the rear wheels are spinning or beginning to lose traction. When this happens, the system 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’s a problem with your traction control system. See TractionControlSystem(TCS)WarningLighton page3-43. When this warning light is on, the system will not limit wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly. The traction control system automatically comes on whenever you start your vehicle. To limit wheel spin, especially in slippery road conditions, you should always leave the system on. But you can turn the traction control system off if you ever need to. 4-10 You should turn the system off if your vehicle ever gets stuck in sand, mud or snow and rocking the vehicle is required. Additionally, turning the traction control system off on some surfaces, such as deep snow and loose gravel, will assist vehicle motion at lower speeds. See RockingYourVehicletoGetItOutonpage4-33 and IfYouAreStuck:InSand,Mud,IceorSnow onpage4-32 for more information. See also Winter Drivingonpage4-28 for information on using TCS when driving in snowy or icy conditions. You can turn the system off by pressing the TC (traction control) button located on the steering wheel. If you press the TC button once, the traction control system will turn off and the traction control system warning light will come on. If you press the TC button again within ﬁve seconds, the traction control system will remain off, the warning light will stay on, and the stability system will enter Competitive Driving Mode. Competitive Driving will be displayed on the Driver Information Center (DIC). See DIC Warnings and Messagesonpage3-65 for more information. Press the TC button again to turn the system back on. If you press and hold the TC button for ﬁve seconds, the Stabilitrak® and Traction Control systems will turn off. Press the TC button again to turn Stabilitrak® and Traction Control back on. For more information, see Stabilitrak® System on page4-11. Competitive Driving Mode The driver can select this optional handling mode by pressing the Traction Control button on the steering wheel twice within ﬁve seconds. COMPETITIVE DRIVING will be displayed in the DIC. 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 instrument cluster light is on, the Traction Control System will not be operating. Adjust your driving accordingly. When you press the Traction Control button again, or turn the ignition to ACC, the Traction Control System will be on. The traction engaged symbol will be displayed temporarily in the DIC and a chime will be heard. 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 may be equipped with a vehicle stability enhancement system called Stabilitrak®. It is an advanced computer controlled system that assists you with directional control of the vehicle in difficult driving conditions. Stabilitrak® activates when the computer senses a discrepancy between your 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 System Engaged message will be displayed on the Driver Information Center. See DICWarningsandMessagesonpage3-65. 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. 4-11 If there is a problem detected with Stabilitrak®, a Service Stability System message will be displayed on the Driver Information Center. See DICWarnings andMessagesonpage3-65. When this message is displayed, the system is not operational. Driving should be adjusted accordingly. Stabilitrak® comes on automatically whenever you start your vehicle. To help assist you with directional control of the vehicle, you should always leave the system on. You can turn Stabilitrak® off if you ever need to through the TC (traction control) on/off button. See TractionControlSystem(TCS)(CTS) onpage4-8 or TractionControlSystem(TCS)(CTS-V) on page4-10. If your 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 CruiseControl(CTS)onpage3-13 or CruiseControl (CTS-V) on page3-17 for more information. 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. 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 If your vehicle has this system, it varies the amount of effort required to steer the vehicle in relation to the speed of the vehicle. 4-12 The amount of steering effort required is less at slower speeds to make the vehicle more maneuverable and easier to park. At faster speeds, the steering effort increases to provide a sport-like feel to the steering. This provides maximum control and stability. If your vehicle seems harder to steer than normal when parking or driving slowly, there may be a problem with the system. You will still have power steering, but steering will be stiffer than normal at slow speeds. See your dealer for service. Steering Tips Driving on Curves 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 your 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 TractionControl System(TCS)(CTS)onpage4-8 or TractionControl System (TCS) (CTS-V) on page4-10. 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. 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 your front wheels are straight ahead. 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. 4-13 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 your brakes. See Brakingonpage4-5. 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. 4-14 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. Off-Road Recovery You may ﬁnd that your right wheels have dropped off the edge of a road onto the shoulder while you’re driving. 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 your steering wheel to go straight down the roadway. Passing The driver of a vehicle about to pass another on a two-lane highway waits for just the right moment, accelerates, moves around the vehicle ahead, then goes back into the right lane again. A simple maneuver? Not necessarily! Passing another vehicle on a two-lane highway is a potentially dangerous move, since the passing vehicle occupies the same lane as oncoming traffic for several seconds. A miscalculation, an error in judgment, or a brief surrender to frustration or anger can suddenly put the passing driver face to face with the worst of all traffic accidents — the head-on collision. So here are some tips for passing: • Drive ahead. Look down the road, to the sides and to crossroads for situations that might affect your passing patterns. If you have any doubt whatsoever about making a successful pass, wait for a better time. • Watch for traffic signs, pavement markings and lines. If you can see a sign up ahead that might indicate a turn or an intersection, delay your pass. A broken center line usually indicates it is all right to pass, providing the road ahead is clear. Never cross a solid line on your side of the lane or a double solid line, even if the road seems empty of approaching traffic. 4-15 • Do not get too close to the vehicle you want to pass while you are awaiting an opportunity. For one thing, following too closely reduces your area of vision, especially if you are following a larger vehicle. Also, you will not have adequate space if the vehicle ahead suddenly slows or stops. Keep back a reasonable distance. • When it looks like a chance to pass is coming up, start to accelerate but stay in the right lane and do not get too close. Time your move so you will be increasing speed as the time comes to move into the other lane. If the way is clear to pass, you will have a running start that more than makes up for the distance you would lose by dropping back. And if something happens to cause you to cancel your pass, you need only slow down and drop back again and wait for another opportunity. • If other vehicles are lined up to pass a slow vehicle, wait your turn. But take care that someone is not trying to pass you as you pull out to pass the slow vehicle. Remember to glance over your shoulder and check the blind spot. • Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder, and start your left lane change signal before moving out of the right lane to pass. When you are far enough ahead of the passed vehicle to see its front in your inside mirror, activate your right lane change signal and move back into the right lane. Remember that your right outside mirror is convex. The vehicle you just passed may seem to be farther away from you than it really is. • Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time on two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the next vehicle. • Do not overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly. Even though the brake lamps are not ﬂashing, it may be slowing down or starting to turn. • If you are being passed, make it easy for the following driver to get ahead of you. Perhaps you can ease a little to the right. 4-16 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. 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, your 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. 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 engine braking 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 anti-lock brake system (ABS) helps avoid only the braking skid. 4-17 Driving at Night Night driving is more dangerous than day driving. One reason is that some drivers are likely to be impaired — by alcohol or drugs, with night vision problems, or by fatigue. 4-18 Here are some tips on night driving. • Drive defensively. • Do not drink and drive. • Since you cannot see as well, you may need to slow down and keep more space between you and other vehicles. • Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your headlamps can light up only so much road ahead. • In remote areas, watch for animals. • If you are tired, pull off the road in a safe place and rest. 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 may require at least twice as much light to see the same thing at night as a 20-year-old. What you do in the daytime can also affect your night vision. For example, if you spend the day in bright sunshine you are wise to wear sunglasses. Your eyes will have less trouble adjusting to night. But if you are driving, do not wear sunglasses at night. They may cut down on glare from headlamps, but they also make a lot of things invisible. You can be temporarily blinded by approaching headlamps. It can take a second or two, or even several seconds, for your eyes to re-adjust to the dark. When you are faced with severe glare, as from a driver who does not lower the high beams, or a vehicle with misaimed headlamps, slow down a little. Avoid staring directly into the approaching headlamps. Keep your windshield and all the glass on your vehicle clean — inside and out. Glare at night is made much worse by dirt on the glass. Even the inside of the glass can build up a ﬁlm caused by dust. Dirty glass makes lights dazzle and ﬂash more than clean glass would, making the pupils of your eyes contract repeatedly. Remember that your headlamps light up far less of a roadway when you are in a turn or curve. Keep your eyes moving; that way, it is easier to pick out dimly lighted objects. Just as your headlamps should be checked regularly for proper aim, so should your eyes be examined regularly. Some drivers suffer from night blindness — the inability to see in dim light — and are not even aware of it. Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads Rain and wet roads can mean driving trouble. On a wet road, you cannot stop, accelerate, or turn as well because your tire-to-road traction is not as good as on dry roads. And, if your tires do not have much tread left, you will get even less traction. It is always wise to go slower and be cautious if rain starts to fall while you are driving. The surface may get wet suddenly when your reﬂexes are tuned for driving on dry pavement. 4-19 The heavier the rain, the harder it is to see. Even if your windshield wiper blades are in good shape, a heavy rain can make it harder to see road signs and traffic signals, pavement markings, the edge of the road, and even people walking. It is wise to keep your windshield wiping equipment in good shape and keep your windshield washer tank ﬁlled with washer ﬂuid. Replace your windshield wiper inserts when they show signs of streaking or missing areas on the windshield, or when strips of rubber start to separate from the inserts. Driving too fast through large water puddles or even going through some car washes can cause problems, too. The water may affect your brakes. Try to avoid puddles. But if you cannot, try to slow down before you hit them. {CAUTION: Wet brakes can cause accidents. They will not work as well in a quick stop and may cause pulling to one side. You could lose control of the vehicle. After driving through a large puddle of water or a car wash, apply your brake pedal lightly until your brakes work normally. Hydroplaning Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much water can build up under your tires that they can actually ride on the water. This can happen if the road is wet enough and you are going fast enough. When your vehicle is hydroplaning, it has little or no contact with the road. 4-20 Hydroplaning does not happen often. But it can if your tires do not have much tread or if the pressure in one or more is low. It can happen if a lot of water is standing on the road. If you can see reﬂections from trees, telephone poles, or other vehicles, and raindrops dimple the water’s surface, there could be hydroplaning. Hydroplaning usually happens at higher speeds. There just is not a hard and fast rule about hydroplaning. The best advice is to slow down when it is raining. Driving Through Deep Standing Water Notice: If you drive too quickly through deep puddles or standing water, water can come in through your engine’s air intake and badly damage your engine. Never drive through water that is slightly lower than the underbody of your vehicle. If you cannot avoid deep puddles or standing water, drive through them very slowly. Driving Through Flowing Water {CAUTION: Flowing or rushing water creates strong forces. If you try to drive through ﬂowing water, as you might at a low water crossing, your vehicle can be carried away. As little as six inches of ﬂowing water can carry away a smaller vehicle. If this happens, you and other vehicle occupants could drown. Do not ignore police warning signs, and otherwise be very cautious about trying to drive through ﬂowing water. Some Other Rainy Weather Tips • Besides slowing down, allow some extra following distance. And be especially careful when you pass another vehicle. Allow yourself more clear room ahead, and be prepared to have your view restricted by road spray. • Have good tires with proper tread depth. See Tires on page5-54. 4-21 City Driving Here are ways to increase your safety in city driving: • Know the best way to get to where you are going. Get a city map and plan your trip into an unknown part of the city just as you would for a cross-country trip. • Try to use the freeways that rim and crisscross most large cities. You will save time and energy. See Freeway Driving on page4-23. • Treat a green light as a warning signal. A traffic light is there because the corner is busy enough to need it. When a light turns green, and just before you start to move, check both ways for vehicles that have not cleared the intersection or may be running the red light. One of the biggest problems with city streets is the amount of traffic on them. You will want to watch out for what the other drivers are doing and pay attention to traffic signals. 4-22 Freeway Driving Mile for mile, freeways — also called thruways, parkways, expressways, turnpikes, or superhighways — are the safest of all roads. But they have their own special rules. The most important advice on freeway driving is: Keep up with traffic and keep to the right. Drive at the same speed most of the other drivers are driving. Too-fast or too-slow driving breaks a smooth traffic ﬂow. Treat the left lane on a freeway as a passing lane. At the entrance, there is usually a ramp that leads to the freeway. If you have a clear view of the freeway as you drive along the entrance ramp, you should begin to check traffic. Try to determine where you expect to blend with the ﬂow. Try to merge into the gap at close to the prevailing speed. Switch on your turn signal, check your mirrors, and glance over your shoulder as often as necessary. Try to blend smoothly with the traffic ﬂow. Once you are on the freeway, adjust your speed to the posted limit or to the prevailing rate if it is slower. Stay in the right lane unless you want to pass. Before changing lanes, check your mirrors. Then use your turn signal. Just before you leave the lane, glance quickly over your shoulder to make sure there is not another vehicle in your blind spot. 4-23 Once you are moving on the freeway, make certain you allow a reasonable following distance. Expect to move slightly slower at night. When you want to leave the freeway, move to the proper lane well in advance. If you miss your exit, do not, under any circumstances, stop and back up. Drive on to the next exit. The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply. The exit speed is usually posted. Reduce your speed according to your speedometer, not to your sense of motion. After driving for any distance at higher speeds, you may tend to think you are going slower than you actually are. Before Leaving on a Long Trip Make sure you are ready. Try to be well rested. If you must start when you are not fresh — such as after a day’s work — do not plan to make too many miles that ﬁrst part of the journey. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes you can easily drive in. Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep it serviced and maintained, it is ready to go. If it needs service, have it done before starting out. Of course, you will ﬁnd experienced and able service experts in GM dealerships all across North America. They will be ready and willing to help if you need it. Here are some things you can check before a trip: • WindshieldWasherFluid: Is the reservoir full? Are all windows clean inside and outside? • WiperBlades: Are they in good shape? • Fuel,EngineOil,OtherFluids: Have you checked all levels? • Lamps: Are they all working? Are the lenses clean? • Tires: They are vitally important to a safe, trouble-free trip. Is the tread good enough for long-distance driving? Are the tires all inﬂated to the recommended pressure? • WeatherForecasts: What is the weather outlook along your route? Should you delay your trip a short time to avoid a major storm system? • Maps: Do you have up-to-date maps? 4-24 Highway Hypnosis Is there actually such a condition as highway hypnosis? Or is it just plain falling asleep at the wheel? Call it highway hypnosis, lack of awareness, or whatever. There is something about an easy stretch of road with the same scenery, along with the hum of the tires on the road, the drone of the engine, and the rush of the wind against the vehicle that can make you sleepy. Do not let it happen to you! If it does, your vehicle can leave the road in less than a second, and you could crash and be injured. What can you do about highway hypnosis? First, be aware that it can happen. Then here are some tips: • Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a comfortably cool interior. • Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road ahead and to the sides. Check your rearview mirrors and your instruments frequently. • If you get sleepy, pull off the road into a rest, service, or parking area and take a nap, get some exercise, or both. For safety, treat drowsiness on the highway as an emergency. 4-25 If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you are planning to visit there, here are some tips that can make your trips safer and more enjoyable. • Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all ﬂuid levels and also the brakes, tires, cooling system, and transmission. These parts can work hard on mountain roads. • Know how to go down hills. The most important thing to know is this: let your engine do some of the slowing down. Shift to a lower gear when you go down a steep or long hill. {CAUTION: If you do not shift down, your brakes could get so hot that they would not work well. You would then have poor braking or even none going down a hill. You could crash. Shift down to let your engine assist your brakes on a steep downhill slope. Hill and Mountain Roads Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from driving in ﬂat or rolling terrain. 4-26 {CAUTION: Coasting downhill in NEUTRAL (N) or with the ignition off is dangerous. Your brakes will have to do all the work of slowing down. They could get so hot that they would not work well. You would then have poor braking or even none going down a hill. You could crash. Always have your engine running and your vehicle in gear when you go downhill. • Know how to go uphill. You may want to shift down to a lower gear. The lower gears help cool your engine and transmission, and you can climb the hill better. • Stay in your own lane when driving on two-lane roads in hills or mountains. Do not swing wide or cut across the center of the road. Drive at speeds that let you stay in your own lane. • As you go over the top of a hill, be alert. There could be something in your lane, like a stalled car or an accident. • You may see highway signs on mountains that warn of special problems. Examples are long grades, passing or no-passing zones, a falling rocks area, or winding roads. Be alert to these and take appropriate action. 4-27 Winter Driving Here are some tips for winter driving: • Have your vehicle in good shape for winter. • You may want to put winter emergency supplies in your trunk. Also see Tires on page5-54. Include an ice scraper, a small brush or broom, a supply of windshield washer ﬂuid, a rag, some winter outer clothing, a small shovel, a ﬂashlight, a red cloth, and a couple of reﬂective warning triangles. And, if you will be driving under severe conditions, include a small bag of sand, a piece of old carpet, or a couple of burlap bags to help provide traction. Be sure you properly secure these items in your vehicle. 4-28 Driving on Snow or Ice Most of the time, those places where your tires meet the road probably have good traction. However, if there is snow or ice between your tires and the road, you can have a very slippery situation. You will have a lot less traction, or grip, and will need to be very careful. What is the worst time for this? Wet ice. Very cold snow or ice can be slick and hard to drive on. But wet ice can be even more trouble because it may offer the least traction of all. You can get wet ice when it is about freezing (32°F; 0°C) and freezing rain begins to fall. Try to avoid driving on wet ice until salt and sand crews can get there. Whatever the condition — smooth ice, packed, blowing, or loose snow — drive with caution. Traction control improves your ability to accelerate when driving on a slippery road. Even though your vehicle has a traction control system, you will want to slow down and adjust your driving to the road conditions. Under certain conditions, you may want to turn the traction control system off, such as when driving through deep snow and loose gravel, to help maintain vehicle motion at lower speeds. See TractionControlSystem (TCS)(CTS)onpage4-8 or TractionControlSystem (TCS)(CTS-V)onpage4-10. Also see Stabilitrak® Systemonpage4-11, IfYouAreStuck:InSand,Mud, IceorSnowonpage4-32, “Winter Tires” under Tires onpage5-54, and “Winter Driving Mode Button” under AutomaticTransmissionOperationonpage2-26. 4-29 Your anti-lock brakes improve your vehicle’s stability when you make a hard stop on a slippery road. Even though you have the anti-lock braking system, you will want to begin stopping sooner than you would on dry pavement. See Anti-LockBrakeSystem(ABS) on page4-6. • Allow greater following distance on any slippery road. • Watch for slippery spots. The road might be ﬁne until you hit a spot that is covered with ice. On an otherwise clear road, ice patches may appear in shaded areas where the sun cannot reach: around clumps of trees, behind buildings, or under bridges. Sometimes the surface of a curve or an overpass may remain icy when the surrounding roads are clear. If you see a patch of ice ahead of you, brake before you are on it. Try not to brake while you are actually on the ice, and avoid sudden steering maneuvers. 4-30 If You Are Caught in a Blizzard If you are stopped by heavy snow, you could be in a serious situation. You should probably stay with your vehicle unless you know for sure that you are near help and you can hike through the snow. Here are some things to do to summon help and keep yourself and your passengers safe: • Turn on your hazard ﬂashers. • Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police that you have been stopped by the snow. • Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket around you. If you have no blankets or extra clothing, make body insulators from newspapers, burlap bags, rags, ﬂoor mats — anything you can wrap around yourself or tuck under your clothing to keep warm. You can run the engine to keep warm, but be careful. {CAUTION: Snow can trap exhaust gases under your vehicle. This can cause deadly CO (carbon monoxide) gas to get inside. CO could overcome you and kill you. You cannot see it or smell it, so you might not know it is in your vehicle. Clear away snow from around the base of your vehicle, especially any that is blocking your exhaust pipe. And check around again from time to time to be sure snow does not collect there. Open a window just a little on the side of the vehicle that is away from the wind. This will help keep CO out. Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves fuel. When you run the engine, make it go a little faster than just idle. That is, push the accelerator slightly. This uses less fuel for the heat that you get and it keeps the battery charged. You will need a well-charged battery to restart the vehicle, and possibly for signaling later on with your headlamps. Let the heater run for a while. 4-31 Then, shut the engine off and close the window almost all the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine again and repeat this only when you feel really uncomfortable from the cold. But do it as little as possible. Preserve the fuel as long as you can. To help keep warm, you can get out of the vehicle and do some fairly vigorous exercises every half hour or so until help comes. If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow In order to free your vehicle when it is stuck, you will need to spin the wheels, but you do not want to spin your wheels too fast. The method known as rocking can help you get out when you are stuck, but you must use caution. {CAUTION: If you let your tires spin at high speed, they can explode, and you or others could be injured. And, the transmission or other parts of the vehicle can overheat. That could cause an engine compartment ﬁre or other damage. When you are stuck, spin the wheels as little as possible. Do not spin the wheels above 35 mph (55 km/h) as shown on the speedometer. Notice: Spinning your wheels can destroy parts of your vehicle as well as the tires. If you spin the wheels too fast while shifting your transmission back and forth, you can destroy your transmission. For more information about using tire chains on your vehicle, see Tire Chains on page5-74. 4-32 Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That will clear the area around your front wheels. You should turn your traction control system off. See Traction ControlSystem(TCS)(CTS)onpage4-8 or Traction ControlSystem(TCS)(CTS-V)onpage4-10. Then shift back and forth between REVERSE (R) and a forward gear, or with a manual transmission, between FIRST (1) or SECOND (2) and REVERSE (R), spinning the wheels as little as possible. Release the accelerator pedal while you shift, and press lightly on the accelerator pedal when the transmission is in gear. By slowly spinning your wheels in the forward and reverse directions, you will cause a rocking motion that may free your vehicle. If that does not get you out after a few tries, you may need to be towed out. If you do need to be towed out, see TowingYourVehicleonpage4-38. Loading Your Vehicle It is very important to know how much weight your vehicle can carry. This weight is called the vehicle capacity weight and includes the weight of all occupants, cargo and all nonfactory-installed options. Two labels on your vehicle show how much weight it may properly carry, the Tire and Loading Information label and the Certiﬁcation label. {CAUTION: Do not load your vehicle any heavier than the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), or either the maximum front or rear Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR). If you do, parts on your vehicle can break, and it can change the way your vehicle handles. These could cause you to lose control and crash. Also, overloading can shorten the life of your vehicle. 4-33 The Tire and Loading Information label also shows the tire size of the original equipment tires (C) and the recommended cold tire inﬂation pressures (D). For more information on tires and inﬂation see Tiresonpage5-54 and Inﬂation - Tire Pressure on page5-62. There is also important loading information on the Certiﬁcation label. It tells you the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) and the Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for the front and rear axle; see “Certiﬁcation Label” later in this section. Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit 1. Locate the statement “The combined weight of occupants and cargo should never exceed XXX kg or XXX pounds” on your vehicle’s placard. 2. Determine the combined weight of the driver and passengers that will be riding in your vehicle. 3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver and passengers from XXX kilograms or XXX pounds. Tire and Loading Information Label Label Example A vehicle speciﬁc Tire and Loading Information label is attached to the vehicle’s center pillar (B-pillar). With the driver’s door open, you will ﬁnd the label attached below the door lock post (striker). The tire and loading information label shows the number of occupant seating positions (A), and the maximum vehicle capacity weight (B) in kilograms and pounds. 4-34 4. The resulting ﬁgure equals the available amount of cargo and luggage load capacity. For example, if the “XXX” amount equals 1400 lbs and there will be ﬁve 150 lb passengers in your vehicle, the amount of available cargo and luggage load capacity is 650 lbs (1400 - 750 (5 x 150) = 650 lbs). 5. Determine the combined weight of luggage and cargo being loaded on the vehicle. That weight may not safely exceed the available cargo and luggage load capacity calculated in Step 4. 6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, the load from your trailer will be transferred to your vehicle. Consult this manual to determine how this reduces the available cargo and luggage load capacity of your vehicle. If your vehicle can tow a trailer, see TowingaTrailer onpage4-40for important information on towing a trailer, towing safety rules, and trailering tips. Example 1 Item Description Total Vehicle Capacity Weight for Example 1 = 1,000 lbs (453 kg) Subtract Occupant Weight 150 lbs (68 kg) · 2 = Available Occupant and Cargo Weight = 300 lbs (136 kg) 700 lbs (317 kg) 4-35 Example 2 Example 3 Item Description Total Item Description Total Vehicle Capacity Weight for Example 2 = Subtract Occupant Weight 150 lbs (68 kg) · 5 = Available Cargo Weight = 1,000 lbs (453 kg) 750 lbs (340 kg) 250 lbs (113 kg) Vehicle Capacity Weight for Example 3 = Subtract Occupant Weight 200 lbs (91 kg) · 5 = Available Cargo Weight = 1,000 lbs (453 kg) 1,000 lbs (453 kg) 0 lbs (0 kg) Refer to your vehicle’s Tire and Loading Information label for speciﬁc information about your vehicle’s capacity weight and seating positions. The combined weight of the driver, passengers, and cargo should never exceed your vehicle’s capacity weight. 4-36 Certiﬁcation Label If you do have a heavy load, you should spread it out. Do not carry more than 132 lbs (60 kg) in the trunk. United States version shown, Canada similar The Certiﬁcation label, found on the rear edge of the driver’s side rear passenger door, tells you the gross weight capacity of your vehicle, called the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR). The GVWR includes the weight of the vehicle, all occupants, fuel and cargo. Never exceed the GVWR for your vehicle, or the Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for either the front or rear axle. {CAUTION: Do not load your vehicle any heavier than the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), or either the maximum front or rear Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR). If you do, parts on your vehicle can break, and it can change the way your vehicle handles. These could cause you to lose control and crash. Also, overloading can shorten the life of your vehicle. Notice: Overloading your vehicle may cause damage. Repairs would not be covered by your warranty. Do not overload your vehicle. 4-37 If you put things inside your vehicle, like suitcases, tools, packages, or anything else, they will go as fast as the vehicle goes. If you have to stop or turn quickly, or if there is a crash, they will keep going. {CAUTION: Things you put inside your vehicle can strike and injure people in a sudden stop or turn, or in a crash. • Put things in the trunk of your vehicle. In a trunk, put them as far forward as you can. Try to spread the weight evenly. • Never stack heavier things, like suitcases, inside the vehicle so that some of them are above the tops of the seats. • Do not leave an unsecured child restraint in your vehicle. • When you carry something inside the vehicle, secure it whenever you can. • Do not leave a seat folded down unless you need to. Towing Towing Your Vehicle Consult your dealer or a professional towing service if you need to have your disabled vehicle towed. See Roadside Service on page7-6. If you want to tow your vehicle behind another vehicle for recreational purposes (such as behind a motorhome), see Recreational Vehicle Towing following. Recreational Vehicle Towing Recreational vehicle towing means towing your vehicle behind another vehicle – such as behind a motorhome. The two most common types of recreational vehicle towing are known as “dinghy towing” (towing your vehicle with all four wheels on the ground) and “dolly towing” (towing your vehicle with two wheels on the ground and two wheels up on a device known as a “dolly”). With the proper preparation and equipment, many vehicles can be towed in these ways. See “Dinghy Towing” and “Dolly Towing,” following. 4-38 Dolly Towing Here are some important things to consider before you do recreational vehicle towing: • What’s the towing capacity of the towing vehicle? Be sure you read the tow vehicle manufacturer’s recommendations. • How far will you tow? Some vehicles have restrictions on how far and how long they can tow. • Do you have the proper towing equipment? See your dealer or trailering professional for additional advice and equipment recommendations. • Is your vehicle ready to be towed? Just as you would prepare your vehicle for a long trip, you’ll want to make sure your vehicle is prepared to be towed. See BeforeLeavingonaLongTripon page4-24. Dinghy Towing Notice: If you tow your vehicle with all four wheels on the ground, the drivetrain components could be damaged. The repairs would not be covered by your warranty. Do not tow your vehicle with all four wheels on the ground. Your vehicle was not designed to be towed with all four wheels on the ground. If your vehicle must be towed, you should use a dolly. See “Dolly Towing” following for more information. Your vehicle can be towed using a dolly. To tow your vehicle using a dolly, follow these steps: 1. Put the rear wheels on the dolly. 2. Put the vehicle in PARK (P) for an automatic transmission or in NEUTRAL for a manual transmission. 3. Set the parking brake and then remove the key. 4. Clamp the steering wheel in a straight-ahead position with a clamping device designed for towing. 5. Release the parking brake. 4-39 Towing a Trailer {CAUTION: If you do not use the correct equipment and drive properly, you can lose control when you pull a trailer. For example, if the trailer is too heavy, the brakes may not work well — or even at all. You and your passengers could be seriously injured. You may also damage your vehicle; the resulting repairs would not be covered by your warranty. Pull a trailer only if you have followed all the steps in this section. Ask your dealer for advice and information about towing a trailer with your vehicle. Your vehicle can tow a trailer if it is equipped with the proper trailer towing equipment. To identify what the vehicle trailering capacity is for your vehicle, you should read the information in “Weight of the Trailer” that appears later in this section. But trailering is different than just driving your vehicle by itself. Trailering means changes in handling, acceleration, braking, durability and fuel economy. Successful, safe trailering takes correct equipment, and it has to be used properly. That’s the reason for this part. In it are many time-tested, important trailering tips and safety rules. Many of these are important for your safety and that of your passengers. So please read this section carefully before you pull a trailer. Load-pulling components such as the engine, transmission, rear axle, wheel assemblies and tires are forced to work harder against the drag of the added weight. The engine is required to operate at relatively higher speeds and under greater loads, generating extra heat. What’s more, the trailer adds considerably to wind resistance, increasing the pulling requirements. 4-40 If You Do Decide to Pull a Trailer If you do, here are some important points: • There are many different laws, including speed limit restrictions, having to do with trailering. Make sure your rig will be legal, not only where you live but also where you’ll be driving. A good source for

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2005 Cadillac CTS Owners Manual