2004 CADILLAC CTS V light

Include an ice scraper, a small brush or broom, a
supply of windshield washer uid, a rag, some winter
outer clothing, a small shovel, a ashlight, a red
cloth and a couple of reective warning triangles. And, if
you will be driving under severe conditions, include a
small bag of sand, a piece of old carpet or a couple of
burlap bags to help provide traction. Be sure you
properly secure these items in your vehicle.
Driving on Snow or Ice
Most of the time, those places where your tires meet
the road probably have good traction.
However, if there is snow or ice between your tires and
the road, you can have a very slippery situation. You
will have a lot less traction or “grip” and will need to be
very careful.
What is the worst time for this? “Wet ice.” Very cold
snow or ice can be slick and hard to drive on.
4-28

{CAUTION:
Snow can trap exhaust gases under your
vehicle. This can cause deadly CO (carbon
monoxide) gas to get inside. CO could
overcome you and kill you. You cannot see it
or smell it, so you might not know it is in your
vehicle. Clear away snow from around the
base of your vehicle, especially any that is
blocking your exhaust pipe. And check around
again from time to time to be sure snow does
not collect there.
Open a window just a little on the side of the
vehicle that is away from the wind. This will
help keep CO out.Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When you run the engine, make it go a little
faster than just idle. That is, push the accelerator
slightly. This uses less fuel for the heat that you get and
it keeps the battery charged. You will need a
well-charged battery to restart the vehicle, and possibly
for signaling later on with your headlamps. Let the
heater run for a while.
Then, shut the engine off and close the window almost
all the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine
again and repeat this only when you feel really
uncomfortable from the cold. But do it as little as
possible. Preserve the fuel as long as you can. To help
keep warm, you can get out of the vehicle and do
some fairly vigorous exercises every half hour or so until
help comes.
4-31

If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud,
Ice or Snow
In order to free your vehicle when it is stuck, you will
need to spin the wheels, but you do not want to
spin your wheels too fast. The method known as
“rocking” can help you get out when you are stuck, but
you must use caution.
{CAUTION:
If you let your tires spin at high speed, they can
explode, and you or others could be injured.
And, the transmission or other parts of the
vehicle can overheat. That could cause an
engine compartment re or other damage.
When you are stuck, spin the wheels as little as
possible. Do not spin the wheels above 35 mph
(55 km/h) as shown on the speedometer.
Notice:Spinning your wheels can destroy parts of
your vehicle as well as the tires. If you spin the
wheels too fast while shifting your transmission
back and forth, you can destroy your transmission.
For information about using tire chains on your
vehicle, seeTire Chains on page 5-78.
Rocking Your Vehicle To Get It Out
First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That will
clear the area around your front wheels. You should turn
your traction control system off. SeeTraction Control
System (TCS) (CTS) on page 4-8orTraction Control
System (TCS) (CTS-V) on page 4-9. Then shift back and
forth between REVERSE (R) and a forward gear,
spinning the wheels as little as possible. Release the
accelerator pedal while you shift, and press lightly on the
accelerator pedal when the transmission is in gear.
By slowly spinning your wheels in the forward and
reverse directions, you will cause a rocking motion that
may free your vehicle. If that does not get you out after a
few tries, you may need to be towed out. If you do need to
be towed out, seeTowing Your Vehicle on page 4-32.
Towing
Towing Your Vehicle
Consult your dealer or a professional towing service if
you need to have your disabled vehicle towed.
SeeRoadside Service on page 7-6.
If you want to tow your vehicle behind another vehicle
for recreational purposes (such as behind a motorhome),
see Recreational Vehicle Towing following.
4-32

Service............................................................5-3
Doing Your Own Service Work.........................5-4
Adding Equipment to the Outside of
Your Vehicle..............................................5-5
Fuel................................................................5-5
Gasoline Octane............................................5-5
Gasoline Specications....................................5-5
California Fuel...............................................5-6
Additives.......................................................5-6
Fuels in Foreign Countries...............................5-7
Filling Your Tank............................................5-7
Filling a Portable Fuel Container.....................5-10
Checking Things Under the Hood....................5-10
Hood Release..............................................5-11
Engine Compartment Overview.......................5-12
Engine Oil...................................................5-18
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter................................5-24
Automatic Transmission Fluid.........................5-25
Manual Transmission Fluid.............................5-27
Hydraulic Clutch (Manual Transmission)...........5-28
Engine Coolant.............................................5-29
Coolant Surge Tank Pressure Cap..................5-31
Engine Overheating.......................................5-31
Cooling System............................................5-34
Power Steering Fluid.....................................5-40Windshield Washer Fluid................................5-41
Brakes........................................................5-42
Battery........................................................5-45
Jump Starting...............................................5-46
Rear Axle.......................................................5-51
Bulb Replacement..........................................5-52
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting............5-52
Halogen Bulbs..............................................5-52
Headlamps..................................................5-52
Front Turn Signal and Fog Lamps...................5-53
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL).........5-53
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps and
Sidemarker Lamps.....................................5-54
Back-Up and License Plate Lamps..................5-55
Replacement Bulbs.......................................5-56
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement..............5-56
Tires..............................................................5-58
Run-Flat Tires (CTS-V) ..................................5-66
Ination - Tire Pressure.................................5-67
Tire Pressure Monitor System (CTS-V) ............5-70
Tire Inspection and Rotation...........................5-72
When It Is Time for New Tires.......................5-73
Buying New Tires.........................................5-74
Uniform Tire Quality Grading..........................5-75
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-1

Adding Equipment to the Outside
of Your Vehicle
Things you might add to the outside of your vehicle
can affect the airow around it. This may cause
wind noise and affect windshield washer performance.
Check with your dealer before adding equipment to
the outside of your vehicle.
Fuel
Use of the recommended fuel is an important part of the
proper maintenance of your vehicle.
Gasoline Octane
If your vehicle has the 3.6L V6 engine, use regular
unleaded gasoline with a posted octane of 87 or higher.
However, for best performance and for trailer towing,
you may wish to use middle grade or premium unleaded
gasoline. If the octane is less than 87, you may get a
heavy knocking noise when you drive. If this occurs,
use a gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher as soon as
possible. Otherwise, you might damage your engine.If your vehicle has the 3.2L V6 engine or the
5.7L V8 engine, use premium unleaded gasoline with a
posted octane of 91 or higher for best performance.
You may also use middle grade or regular unleaded
gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher, but your vehicle’s
acceleration may be slightly reduced. If the octane is
less than 87, you may get a heavy knocking noise when
you drive. If this occurs, use a gasoline rated at
87 octane or higher as soon as possible. Otherwise,
you might damage your engine.
Gasoline Specications
It is recommended that gasoline meet specications
which were developed by automobile manufacturers
around the world and contained in the World-Wide
Fuel Charter which is available from the
Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers at
www.autoalliance.org/fuel_charter.htm. Gasoline
meeting these specications could provide improved
driveability and emission control system performance
compared to other gasoline.
5-5

{CAUTION:
If you spill fuel and then something ignites it,
you could be badly burned. Fuel can spray out
on you if you open the fuel cap too quickly.
This spray can happen if your tank is nearly
full, and is more likely in hot weather. Open
the fuel cap slowly and wait for any hiss noise
to stop. Then unscrew the cap all the way.
Be careful not to spill fuel. Don’t top off or overll your
tank, and wait a few seconds after you’ve nished
pumping before you remove the nozzle. Clean fuel from
painted surfaces as soon as possible. SeeCleaning
the Outside of Your Vehicle on page 5-95.
When you put the fuel cap back on, turn it to the right
(clockwise) until you hear a clicking sound. Make sure
you fully install the cap. The diagnostic system can
determine if the fuel cap has been left off or improperly
installed. This would allow fuel to evaporate into the
atmosphere. SeeMalfunction Indicator Lamp on
page 3-47.The Check Gas Cap message will appear on the Driver
Information Center (DIC) display if the fuel cap is not
reinstalled properly. SeeDIC Warnings and Messages
on page 3-70for more information.
{CAUTION:
If a re starts while you are refueling, do not
remove the nozzle. Shut off the ow of fuel by
shutting off the pump or by notifying the
station attendant. Leave the area immediately.
Notice:If you need a new fuel cap, be sure to get the
right type. Your dealer can get one for you. If you get
the wrong type, it may not t properly. This may
cause your malfunction indicator lamp to light and
may damage your fuel tank and emissions system.
SeeMalfunction Indicator Lamp on page 3-47.
5-9

Engine Oil
If the oil pressure light
and/or the Oil Pressure
Low - Stop Engine
message on the DIC
appears on the instrument
cluster, it means you
need to check your engine
oil level right away.
For more information, see “Oil Pressure Low - Stop
Engine” underDIC Warnings and Messages on
page 3-70andOil Pressure Light on page 3-49.
You should check your engine oil level regularly; this is
an added reminder.
Checking Engine Oil
It is a good idea to check your engine oil every time you
get fuel. In order to get an accurate reading, the oil
must be warm and the vehicle must be on level ground.
The engine oil dipstick handle is a yellow loop.
SeeEngine Compartment Overview on page 5-12
for the location of the engine oil dipstick.Turn off the engine and give the oil several minutes to
drain back into the oil pan. If you do not do this, the
oil dipstick might not show the actual level.
Pull out the dipstick and clean it with a paper towel or
cloth, then push it back in all the way. Remove it again,
keeping the tip down, and check the level.
3.2L V6 Engine
3.6L V6 Engine
5-18

When the system has calculated that oil life has been
diminished, it will indicate that an oil change is
necessary. A Change Engine Oil message in the DIC
will come on. Change your oil as soon as possible within
the next two times you stop for fuel. It is possible that,
if you are driving under the best conditions, the oil
life system may not indicate that an oil change is
necessary for over a year. However, your engine oil and
lter must be changed at least once a year and at
this time the system must be reset. Your dealer has
GM-trained service people who will perform this
work using genuine GM parts and reset the system. It is
also important to check your oil regularly and keep it
at the proper level.
If the system is ever reset accidentally, you must
change your oil at 3,000 miles (5 000 km) since your
last oil change. Remember to reset the oil life system
whenever the oil is changed.
How to Reset the Change Engine Oil
Message and the Oil Life Indicator
The GM Oil Life System calculates when to change
your engine oil and lter based on vehicle use.
Anytime your oil is changed, reset the system so it can
calculate when the next oil change is required. If a
situation occurs where you change your oil prior to a
Change Engine Oil Message in the DIC being turned on,
reset the system.After the oil has been changed, the Change Engine Oil
message and the oil life indicator must be reset.
To reset the message and indicator, use one of the
following procedures:
Base Audio System
Press the CLR button located to the right of the DIC
display to acknowledge the Change Engine Oil
message. This will clear the message from the display
and reset it.
To reset the oil life indicator, use the following steps:
1. Press the up or down arrow on the INFO button
located to the right of the DIC display to access
the DIC menu.
2. Once XXX% ENGINE OIL LIFE menu item is
highlighted, press and hold the CLR button.
The percentage will return to 100, and the oil life
indicator will be reset. Repeat the steps if the
percentage does not return to 100.
3. Turn the key to OFF.
If the Change Engine Oil message comes back on
when you start your vehicle, the engine oil life system
has not reset. Repeat the procedure.
5-22