2008 Cadillac DTS Owner's Manual - Page 103

DRIVE (D) can be used for towing. You may want to shift the transmission to THIRD (3) or, if necessary, to a lower gear if the transmission shifts too often under heavy loads and/or hilly conditions. See Towing a Trailer on page 4-27 for more information. THIRD (3): This position is also used for normal driving. However, it reduces vehicle speed more than DRIVE (D) without using your brakes. You might choose THIRD (3) instead of DRIVE (D) when driving on hilly, winding roads, when towing a trailer, so there is less shifting between gears and when going down a steep hill. SECOND (2): This position reduces vehicle speed more than THIRD (3) without using your brakes. You can use SECOND (2) on hills. It can help control your speed as you go down steep mountain roads, but then you would also want to use your brakes off and on. Notice: Do not shift into SECOND (2) unless you are going slower than 65 mph (105 km/h), or you can damage your engine and/or transmission. FIRST (1): This position reduces vehicle speed even more than SECOND (2) without using your brakes. You can use it on very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud. If the shift lever is put in FIRST (1) while the vehicle is moving forward, the transmission will not shift into first gear until the vehicle is going slowly enough. Notice: Spinning the tires or holding the vehicle in one place on a hill using only the accelerator pedal may damage the transmission. The repair will not be covered by your warranty. If you are stuck, do not spin the tires. When stopping on a hill, use the brakes to hold the vehicle in place. Performance Shifting If your vehicle has this feature, it can detect a change in driving patterns. If you make an aggressive driving maneuver, the vehicle's transmission automatically shifts to the lowest possible gear to maximize vehicle performance. The vehicle will automatically return to normal operation when you return to normal driving patterns. 2-29