Driver Shift Control (DSC) or Tap Shift

Notice: Driving with the engine at a high rpm without upshifting while using Driver Shift Control (DSC), could damage the vehicle.
Always upshift when necessary while using DSC.

Vehicles with DSC may either use the shift lever or the tap shift controls on back of the steering wheel to manually shift the automatic transmission.

To use the DSC feature using the shift lever:

1. Move the shift lever to the right from D (Drive) to M (Manual Mode).

The vehicle will be in sport mode and will shift automatically if the shift lever is not moved forward or rearward. The transmission may remain in a gear longer than it would in the normal driving mode based on braking, throttle input, and vehicle lateral acceleration. SPORT MODE will be displayed in the DIC momentarily.

2. To go from sport mode to DSC, move the shift lever forward to upshift or rearward to downshift.

3. To exit DSC and enter sport mode, hold the shift lever in the upshift/forward position briefly.

If equipped, the tap shift controls are on the back of the steering wheel. The tap shift controls can be used in D (Drive), M(Manual Mode) with Sport Mode automatic shift active, or M(Manual Mode) with Manual Shifting Mode.

To use the DSC feature using the Tap Shift controls:

1. Move the shift lever to the right from D (Drive) to M (Manual Mode).

2. Tap the left control to downshift, and the right control to upshift.

3. To return to sport mode, hold the right upshift control briefly, or hold the shift lever forward briefly, or return the shift lever to D (Drive).

With the shift lever in D (Drive), 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 second.

The temporary tap mode can also be deactivated by holding the right upshift control briefly.

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 for more information.

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.