2004 CADILLAC XLR check engine

Engine Oil Pressure Gage
The engine oil pressure gage shows the engine oil
pressure in psi (pounds per square inch) or kPa
(kilopascals) when the engine is running.
Oil pressure should be 20 to 80 psi (140 to 550 kPa). In
certain situations such as long, extended idles on
hot days, it could read as low as 6 psi (40 kPa) and still
be considered normal. It may vary with engine speed,
outside temperature and oil viscosity. The Driver
Information Center (DIC) may display messages
regarding the oil condition. See
DIC Warnings and
Messages on page 3-57andEngine Oil on page 5-13.
{CAUTION:
Do not keep driving if the oil pressure is low. If
you do, your engine can become so hot that it
catches ®re. You or others could be burned.
Check your oil as soon as possible and have
your vehicle serviced.
Notice:Lack of proper engine oil maintenance may
damage the engine. The repairs would not be
covered by your warranty. Always follow the
maintenance schedule in this manual for changing
engine oil.
Security Light
For information regarding
this light, see
Theft-Deterrent Systems
on page 2-17. United States
Canada
3-52

CHANGE OIL NOW:This means that the life of the
engine oil has expired. SeeScheduled Maintenance on
page 6-4. After an oil change, the Oil Life Indicator
must be reset. SeeOil Life Indicator on page 3-70. SeeEngine Oil on page 5-13.
CHARGE SYSTEM FAULT:This message will display
when a problem with the charging system has been
detected. Have your vehicle serviced at your dealership.
CHECK GAS CAP:This message will appear if the
gas cap has not been fully tightened. You should
recheck your gas cap to ensure that it is on properly.
CLEAN RADAR CRUISE:This message indicates the
ACC system is disabled because the radar is blocked
and cannot detect vehicles in your path. It may
also activate during heavy rain or due to road spray. To
clean the system, see ªAdaptive Cruise Control
(ACC)º under
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever on
page 3-5.
CLOSE CARGO COVER:This message indicates that
the cargo cover is not in place. Open the trunk and
make sure the cargo cover is secure and no objects are
on the cover. See
Rear Storage Area on page 2-43for more information.COOLANT OVER TEMP:This message will appear
when the engine coolant temperature is too hot.
Stop and allow your vehicle to idle in PARK (P) until it
cools down and the message is removed. Do not
increase engine speed above a normal idle. If it does
not cool down, turn off the engine and have it serviced
before driving it again. Severe engine damage can
result from an overheated engine. See
Engine
Overheating on page 5-23.
CRUISE NOT READY:This message indicates that
ACC will not activate due to a temporary condition. Your
vehicle does not require service. If this message
appears when you attempt to activate the system,
continue driving for several minutes then try again to
activate the system.
DRIVER NO. X (1 OR 2):This message will be
displayed when the vehicle is started or when there is a
change of driver. The message will show which driver
is activating the personalization feature. It will only
stay on for ®ve seconds.
ENGINE HOT, STOP ENGINE:This message will
appear when the engine has overheated. Stop and turn
the engine off immediately to avoid severe engine
damage. See
Engine Overheating on page 5-23.A
multiple chime will also sound when this message
is displayed.
3-58

ENGINE PROTECTION REDUCE ENGINE RPM:If this
message appears, the control system has determined
that continued operation at the existing engine
speed may lead to engine overheating. Therefore, you
should lower the engine speed by upshifting the
transmission or drive at a lower speed.
HEADLAMPS SUGGESTED:If it is dark enough
outside and the headlamps and Twilight Sentinel
ž
controls are off, this message will display on the DIC.
This message informs the driver that turning on the
exterior lamps is recommended even though the DRL
are still illuminated. It has become dark enough outside
to require the headlamps and/or other exterior lamps.
This message will also appear if the optional
RainsenseŸ wiping feature is on and the Twilight
Sentinel
žis off.
HIGH TRANS TEMP:This message indicates that the
transaxle ¯uid in your vehicle is too hot. Stop and
allow your vehicle to idle until it cools down or until this
message is removed.
HIGH VOLTAGE:This message shows that the
electrical charging system is overcharging. To avoid
being stranded, have the electrical system checked by
your dealership. You can reduce the charging
overload by using the accessories. Turn on the lamps
and radio, set the climate control on AUTO and the
fan speed on HI, and turn the rear window defogger on.You can monitor battery voltage on the DIC by pressing
the INFO button. The normal range is 11.5 to 15.5 volts
when the engine is running.
HOT ENGINE±A/C OFF:This message displays when
the engine coolant becomes hotter than the normal
operating temperature. To avoid added strain on a hot
engine, the air conditioning compressor is automatically
turned off. When the coolant temperature returns to
normal, the A/C operation will automatically resume. You
can continue to drive your vehicle. If this message
continues to appear, have the system repaired as soon
as possible to avoid compressor damage.
ICE POSSIBLE:This message appears when the
outside air temperature is cold enough to create icy road
conditions.
LEFT DOOR AJAR:This message will display anytime
the vehicle engine is running, the transmission is not
in PARK (P) and the driver's door is open or ajar.
A chime will sound when the vehicle's speed is greater
than 3 mph (4.8 km/h).
LOW BRAKE FLUID:This message will display if the
vehicle is running to inform the driver that the brake
¯uid level is low. Have the brake system serviced by a
technician as soon as possible. See ªBrake Fluidº
under
Brakes on page 5-35.
3-59

LOW COOLANT:This message will appear when there
is a low level of engine coolant. Have the cooling
system serviced by a technician as soon as possible.
See
Engine Coolant on page 5-20.
LOW FUEL:This message will appear when the fuel
supply is less than 5 gallons (18.9 L) and the display is
turned off. A single chime will also sound when this
message is displayed.
LOW OIL LEVEL:For correct operation of the low oil
sensing system, your vehicle should be on a level
surface. A false LOW OIL LEVEL message may appear
if the vehicle is parked on a grade. The oil level
sensing system does not check for actual oil level if the
engine has been off for a short period of time, and
the oil level is never checked while the engine is
running. If the LOW OIL LEVEL message appears, and
your vehicle has been parked on level ground with
the engine off for at least 30 minutes, the oil level should
be checked by observing the oil dipstick. Prior to
checking the oil level, be sure the engine has been off
for a few minutes and your vehicle is on a level
surface. Then check the dipstick and add oil if
necessary. See
Engine Oil on page 5-13.LOW OIL PRESSURE:If this message appears while
the engine is running, stop the engine and do not
operate it until the cause of low oil pressure is corrected.
Severe damage to the engine can result. A multiple
chime will sound when this message is displayed.
LOW VOLTAGE:This message will appear when the
electrical system is charging less than 10 volts or if
the battery has been drained. If this message appears
immediately after starting, it is possible that the
generator can still recharge the battery. The battery
should recharge while driving but may take a few hours
to do so. Consider using an auxiliary charger (be
sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions) to boost
the battery after returning home or to a ®nal destination.
If this message appears while driving or after starting
your vehicle and stays on, have it checked immediately
to determine the cause of this problem. To help the
generator recharge the battery quickly, you can reduce
the load on the electrical system by turning off the
accessories. You can monitor battery voltage on the DIC
by pressing the INFO button. The normal range is
11.5 to 15.5 volts.
LOW WASHER FLUID:This message means that your
vehicle is low on windshield washer ¯uid. See
Windshield Washer Fluid on page 5-33.
3-60

SERVICE TRANSMISSION:This message indicates
that there is a problem with the transmission. Have your
vehicle serviced by your dealership.
SERVICE VEHICLE SOON:This message is displayed
when a non-emissions related powertrain malfunction
occurs. Have your vehicle serviced by a technician
as soon as possible.
SHIFT TO PARK:This message indicates that the
vehicle is not in PARK (P) when the engine is being
turned off. The vehicle will be in ACCESSORY.
Once the shifter is moved to PARK (P), the vehicle will
turn off.
STABILITRAK ACTIVE:You may see the
STABILITRAK ACTIVE message on the Driver
Information Center. It means that an advanced,
computer-controlled system has come on to help your
vehicle continue to go in the direction in which you
are steering. This stability enhancement system
activates when the computer senses that your vehicle is
just starting to spin, as it might if you hit a patch of
ice or other slippery spot on the road. When the system
is on, you may hear a noise or feel a vibration in the
brake pedal. This is normal.
When the STABILITRAK ACTIVE message is on, you
should continue to steer in the direction you want to go.
The system is designed to help you in bad weather
or other difficult driving situations by making the most ofwhatever road conditions will permit. If the
STABILITRAK ACTIVE message comes on, you will
know that something has caused your vehicle to start to
spin, so you should consider slowing down. A single
chime will also sound when this message is displayed.
STABILITRAK READY:If you receive this message
and hear a chime, the system has completed the
functional check of the Stabilitrak
žSystem.
STABILITRAK WARMING:When you ®rst start your
vehicle and drive away, especially during cold winter
weather, the STABILITRAK WARMING message may
be displayed in the DIC along with a chime and the
traction control warning light. This is normal. You can
acknowledge this message by pressing the RESET
button. The Stabilitrak
žperformance is affected until
the STABILITRAK READY message is displayed in
the DIC.
SVC TIRE MONITOR:If this message comes on, a
part on the Tire Pressure Monitor (TPM) is not working
properly. If you drive your vehicle while any of the
four sensors are missing or inoperable, the warning will
come on in approximately 10 minutes. If all four
sensors are missing, the warning will come on in
approximately 15 to 20 minutes. (All the sensors would
be missing, for example, if you put different wheels
on your vehicle without transferring the sensors.) If the
warning comes on and stays on, there may be a
problem with the TPM. See your dealer.
3-63

Trip Computer
Oil Life Indicator
This feature lets you know when to change the engine
oil. It is based on the engine oil temperatures and
your driving patterns.
To see the display, press the information button several
times until OIL LIFE appears. If you see 99% OIL
LIFE, 99 percent of your current oil life remains.
The DIC may display a CHANGE OIL NOW message.
For more information, see
Scheduled Maintenance
on page 6-4. If you see CHANGE OIL NOW, it means
the oil life is gone and you should change the oil
right away. The system does not check how much oil
you have, so you will still have to check for that. To see
how, see
Engine Oil on page 5-13.
When the oil is changed, you will need to reset the
system. See
Engine Oil on page 5-13. Always keep a
written record of the mileage and date when you
changed your oil.
Audio System(s)
Notice:Before adding any sound equipment to
your vehicle, like a tape player, CB radio, mobile
telephone, or two-way radio, make sure that it can
be added by checking with your dealer. Also,
check federal rules covering mobile radio and
telephone units. If sound equipment can be added,
it is very important to do it properly. Added
sound equipment may interfere with the operation
of your vehicle's engine, radio, or other systems,
and even damage them. Your vehicle's systems may
interfere with the operation of sound equipment
that has been added improperly.
Figure out which audio system is in your vehicle, ®nd
out what your audio system can do, and how to operate
all of its controls.
Your vehicle has a feature called Retained Accessory
Power (RAP). With RAP, the audio system can be
played even after the ignition is turned off. See
ªRetained Accessory Power (RAP)º under
Ignition
Positions on page 2-19.
3-70

Anti-lock Brake System (ABS)
Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes. ABS is an advanced
electronic braking system that will help prevent a
braking skid.
When you start your engine and begin to drive away,
your anti-lock brake system will check itself. You
may hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while
this test is going on, and you may even notice that your
brake pedal moves a little. This is normal.
If there is a problem with
the anti-lock brake system,
this warning light will
stay on. See
Anti-Lock
Brake System Warning
Light on page 3-46
.
Let us say the road is wet and you are driving safely.
Suddenly, an animal jumps out in front of you. You slam
on the brakes and continue braking. Here is what
happens with ABS:
A computer senses that wheels are slowing down. If
one of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the computer
will separately work the brakes at each wheel.
4-7

The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply.
The exit speed is usually posted. Reduce your speed
according to your speedometer, not to your sense
of motion. After driving for any distance at higher
speeds, you may tend to think you are going slower
than you actually are.
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
Make sure you are ready. Try to be well rested. If you
must start when you are not fresh Ð such as after
a day's work Ð do not plan to make too many miles that
®rst part of the journey. Wear comfortable clothing
and shoes you can easily drive in.
Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep it
serviced and maintained, it is ready to go. If it needs
service, have it done before starting out. Of course,
you will ®nd experienced and able service experts in
GM dealerships all across North America. They will be
ready and willing to help if you need it.Here are some things you can check before a trip:
·Windshield Washer Fluid:Is the reservoir full? Are
all windows clean inside and outside?
·Wiper Blades:Are they in good shape?
·Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids:Have you checked
all levels?
·Lamps:Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?
·Tires:They are vitally important to a safe,
trouble-free trip. Is the tread good enough for
long-distance driving? Are the tires all in¯ated to the
recommended pressure?
·Weather Forecasts:What is the weather outlook
along your route? Should you delay your trip a
short time to avoid a major storm system?
·Maps:Do you have up-to-date maps?
4-25