My 2008 CTS had the Check Engine light and "Engine Power Reduced" message appear while driving in traffic. Had this happened at highway speeds, my passengers and I would have been killed. The car limped along at 10 -12 MPH until I found a place to park and borrowed a car from a friend. It is unsafe to drive to the dealer because I will either be in an accident or be the cause of an accident. What is the story?
Hello and thank you for using JustAnswer. My name is XXXXX XXXXX X will do my best to help you with your Cadillac problem.When the reduced engine power message comes on, this indicates that there is a problem in the electronic throttle controls. This is a safegaurd against a runaway throttle. The source of the problem will typically be in the sensor at the accelerator pedal, the sensors in the throttle body at the engine, or the wiring in between. A scan of the computer will help to narrow the problem down to an individual component. If you feel unsafe driving the car at reduced speeds, then it will need to be towed in for service.
Is this possibly related in anyway to a "Parking Assist Needs Service" message that appeared and disappeared a few weeks ago? For example, are the onboard computers failing in odd ways?
This problem is unrelated to the park assist. These systems are run through separate electronic modules, so a computer failure would not affect both systems. Most of the time the reduced engine power is due to a failed throttle position sensor in the throttle body.