2014 Cadillac CTS Owner Manual - Page 220

9-26 Driving and Operating With the shift lever in D (Drive) and not in Permanent Tap Mode, the tap shift controls will activate a temporary tap manual shift mode, allowing the transmission to be manually shifted. Automatic shifts return after no manual shifts have been done for seven to 10 seconds. The temporary tap mode can also be deactivated by holding the right upshift control briefly. If shifting is prevented for any reason, a SHIFT DENIED message will be displayed in the instrument cluster. See Transmission Messages on page 5-47. When accelerating the vehicle from a stop in snowy and icy conditions, it is suggested to shift into second gear. A higher gear allows the vehicle to gain more traction on slippery surfaces. To enter Permanent Tap Mode: 1. With the shift lever in D (Drive), press the M (Manual Mode) button on the top of the shift lever. While in Tap Mode, the M of the PRNDM section of the instrument cluster will become highlighted, and the current gear is indicated. 2. Tap the left control to downshift, and the right control to upshift. 3. To exit, press the M (Manual Mode) button on the top of the shift lever a second time. While using Tap Shift, the vehicle will have firmer, quicker shifting. You can use this for sport driving or when climbing or descending hills, to stay in gear longer, or to downshift for more power or engine braking. The transmission will only allow you to shift into gears appropriate for the vehicle speed and engine revolutions per minute (rpm). The transmission will not automatically shift to the next lower gear if the engine rpm is too high, nor to the next higher gear when the maximum engine rpm is reached.