Did you know that there’s an old-fashioned key hidden inside your Cadillac key fob—and that you can start your car using the fob even if the battery’s dead? Check out this guide to Cadillac key fob tricks to unlock your vehicle’s full potential.
As vehicles become more advanced each year, it’s increasingly easy to miss out on some of your car’s most convenient features. If you’re only using your key fob to lock and unlock your Cadillac, it’s time to level up.
We’re talking customizable remote start functions, auto-folding side mirrors, and the ability to unlock and start your car using a secret hidden key. In this article, we'll cover the magic of your Cadillac key fob.
Get rewarded for safe driving. Earn points and unlock benefits. Totally free.
Start earning nowHow to find the hidden key in your Cadillac key fob
Have you ever been locked out of your Cadillac and realized (too late) that your key fob has a dead battery? While you might feel foolish standing outside your vehicle with a useless piece of plastic, don’t despair—that fob isn’t useless without the battery.
To unlock your Cadillac with a dead key fob, start by locating the tiny button on the side of the fob, near the keychain. You may need to find a sharp object, like a pencil or a bobby pin, to help you push the button, but you can do it with just your fingers with a little dexterity. Push the button and pull on the keychain to extract the mechanical key.
Now go to the driver’s side door. Thanks to Cadillac’s sleek modern aesthetic, you won’t see a keyhole to unlock the door—instead, you’ll need to find a little slot underneath the handle and insert your key there. With the key inserted, pry off the end of the handle to expose the keyhole underneath.
Use your key to unlock the Cadillac, and get inside. You did it!
How to start a Cadillac when your key fob battery is dead
Now, you might imagine that your Cadillac’s push-button start won’t work with your key fob dead. In fact, when you place the fob in the console, you’ll probably see a “no key fob detected” message pop up. But don’t worry—your fob contains a chip that the ignition detects even when the battery is drained. Just start the car as usual, and be sure to head to a store to pick up a replacement CR2032 battery!
How to enable Cadillac key fob tricks
Now, there’s a lot more that your trusty little key fob can do—but before you start, you’ll need to make sure that all of these tricks are enabled by your vehicle’s operating system.
Start by using your Cadillac’s touchscreen to navigate your settings menu. Go to “Vehicle,” then to “Comfort and Convenience.” Here you’ll be able to choose all of your key fob trick settings. Select “Auto Mirror Folding” to enable remote side mirror folding, then navigate to “Remote Lock, Unlock, and Start” to make the following choices:
Remote Unlock/Lock Feedback: Do you want your Cadillac to blink its lights or honk when you lock and unlock it? Make your selections here.
Remote Door Unlock: For drivers in high-crime areas, there’s an option to unlock only the driver’s door.
Remote Start Auto Cool/Heat Seats: Depending on the climate in your area, you can set your Cadillac to automatically heat or cool the seats on remote startup.
Remote Window Operation: If you want to roll down all the windows from outside, be sure this option is on.
Remote Left in Vehicle Alert: Do you have a habit of forgetting your key fob when you exit the vehicle? If so, this setting is your best friend.
Once all your settings are in place, it’s time to start! Let’s go over the most important tricks every Cadillac owner should know.
Get rewarded for safe driving. Earn points and unlock benefits. Totally free.
Start earning nowCadillac key fob basics: remote start, unlock, and lock
Let’s start with Cadillac Key Fob 101. You’re probably already familiar with these “tricks,” but just in case, here’s how to use your key fob for these three basic functions:
To start your Cadillac remotely, click the lock symbol once, then hold down the remote start button (hint: it looks like a circular arrow). The vehicle will start up and run for 10 minutes. If you need more time, repeat the steps to extend the startup time to 20 minutes. To turn the car off, just hold down the remote start button.
To unlock your Cadillac, hit the unlock symbol once. To get horn and light feedback, hit the button twice.
To lock your Cadillac, hit the lock button once. You’ll get horn and light feedback with a simple double click of the button.
How to lower all your Cadillac’s windows from outside
Now we’re ready to graduate to some fun stuff. To roll down all the windows at once from outside the vehicle, hit the unlock button once, then hold it down within 10 seconds of that first click. All of your windows will roll down, letting a breath of fresh air into the vehicle—just be aware that there’s no way to roll them back up from outside.
How to fold side mirrors away from outside
One drawback of owning a mighty Cadillac Escalade
? Try to squeeze into small spaces, such as a garage. That’s why your Cadillac has an automatic mirror folding function, and you can activate it using your key fob. Here’s how: press the lock button, then hold it down. You should see the mirrors fold away neatly. If you want to open them up again, just hit unlock, then hold the button down.
How to open rear glass and tailgate using the key fob
This trick only works on Cadillac SUVs with a rear window and tailgate, such as the Escalade or XT5
. On your key fob, below the unlock button and opposite the remote start and panic buttons, you’ll see two buttons with a tiny “x2” inside symbols for the rear window and tailgate. As that little “x2” suggests, you need to hit the button twice to open the corresponding feature. In other words:
Hit the rear glass button (above) twice to open the rear window
Hit the tailgate button (below) twice to open the tailgate
You’ll be able to double-click that tailgate button to close the gate, but the only way to close the rear window is by manual operation.
The secret to quick, convenient car insurance shopping
These secret Cadillac key fob hacks can make operating your vehicle a little more convenient. And when it comes to insuring that vehicle, the Jerry
app is your key to convenience. Let’s face it: shopping for car insurance
is time-consuming, boring, and frequently confusing. Is full coverage really worth it? What is a deductible, anyway—and which one should you choose
? And why is your rate with one provider so much higher
than with a different company? Jerry’s got answers to all of these questions and more—and we’ve also got an app that takes all the brain-breaking labor out of comparison shopping. With Jerry, you can enter your information and get authoritative quotes drawn from a pool of over 55 top insurers.
We’ll eliminate those unreasonably high rates and show you the cream of the crop—with plenty of opportunities to tailor your coverage to your one-of-a-kind vehicle.
“Because I have a luxury car, I was more interested in finding better coverage than the exact price. Jerry
helped me upgrade my policy, and when my record is cleared next year, I will be using Jerry again to choose an even cheaper plan!” —Paige W.
RECOMMENDEDThis app is great, but the customer service is even better! Not to mention convenient! My husband and I got the lowest rate (much lower than the rates I was finding online through my own searches), quickly, and pretty much all through text message! Thank you so much for a hassle free experience👍
4.7
