2014 Cadillac CTS Owner Manual - Page 274

9-30 Driving and Operating While using the DSC feature, 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. If shifting is prevented for any reason, the currently selected gear will flash multiple times, indicating that the transmission has not shifted gears. While in the DSC mode, the CTS automatic transmission will automatically downshift when the vehicle comes to a stop. This will allow for more power during acceleration. The CTS-V automatic transmission will not automatically downshift on hard acceleration when in DSC mode. 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. The tachometer display indicates which gear the vehicle is in. The number indicates the requested gear range when moving the shift lever forward or rearward. CTS-V vehicles use tracer lights around the outside of the tachometer as a performance upshift light. These tracers flash to indicate when to shift to the next higher gear to avoid the engine speed limit. See Tachometer on page 5-13 for more information.