Driving and Operating

Up-Shift Light

~1min read
Vehicles with a manual transmission

Vehicles with a manual transmission have an up–shift light on the instrument panel. This light shows when to shift to the next higher gear for the best fuel economy.

When this light comes on, you can shift to the next higher gear if weather, road, and traffic conditions allow. For the best fuel economy, accelerate slowly and shift when the light comes on.

While you accelerate, it is normal for the light to go on and off if you quickly change the position of the accelerator. Ignore the light when you downshift.

CTS-V vehicles use tracer lights around the outside of the tachometer as a performance up–shift 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.

Test yourself

A quick Cadillac CTS quiz: every answer comes with an explanation and a link to the manual page.