2005 CADILLAC STS maintenance

To reduce the charging overload, use the vehicle’s
accessories. Turn on the exterior lamps and radio, set
the climate control on AUTO and the fan speed on the
highest setting, and turn the rear window defogger on.
The normal battery voltage range is 11.5 to 15.5 volts
when the engine is running. You can monitor battery
voltage on the DIC by pressing the information button
until you nd BATTERY VOLTS.
BATTERY VOLTAGE LOW
This symbol appears with
the BATTERY VOLTAGE
LOW message.
When this message displays, the electrical system is
charging less than 10 volts or the battery has been
drained.
If this message appears immediately after starting
the engine, 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.
The normal battery voltage range is 11.5 to 15.5 volts.
You can monitor battery voltage on the DIC by pressing
the information button until you nd BATTERY VOLTS.
CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
When this message displays, it means that service is
required for your vehicle. See your GM dealer. See
Engine Oil on page 5-15andScheduled Maintenance
on page 6-4for more information.
When you reset the CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
message by clearing it from the display, you still must
reset the engine oil life system separately. For more
information on resetting the engine oil life system, see
Engine Oil Life System on page 5-18.
3-80

When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while you:
start your engine
shift into a gear, and
release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the
chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you are
pulling a trailer. See the Maintenance Schedule for
more on this. Things that are especially important in
trailer operation are automatic transmission uid (do not
overll), engine oil, drive belt, cooling system and
brake system. Each of these is covered in this manual,
and the Index will help you nd them quickly. If you
are trailering, it is a good idea to review this information
before you start your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and bolts
are tight.
Engine Cooling When Trailer Towing
Your cooling system may temporarily overheat during
severe operating conditions. SeeEngine Overheating
on page 5-24.
4-43

Tire Inspection and Rotation...........................5-65
When It Is Time for New Tires.......................5-67
Buying New Tires.........................................5-68
Uniform Tire Quality Grading..........................5-70
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance..................5-71
Wheel Replacement......................................5-71
Tire Chains..................................................5-73
If a Tire Goes Flat........................................5-74
Changing a Flat Tire.....................................5-74
Removing the Spare Tire and Tools................5-76
Removing the Flat Tire and Installing
the Spare Tire..........................................5-77
Storing a Flat or Spare Tire and Tools............5-83
Compact Spare Tire......................................5-84
Appearance Care............................................5-85
Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle.................5-85
Fabric/Carpet...............................................5-87
Leather.......................................................5-87
Instrument Panel, Vinyl, and Other
Plastic Surfaces........................................5-88
Wood Panels...............................................5-88
Speaker Covers............................................5-88
Care of Safety Belts......................................5-88
Weatherstrips...............................................5-88Washing Your Vehicle...................................5-89
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses.....................5-89
Finish Care..................................................5-89
Windshield and Wiper Blades.........................5-90
Aluminum or Chrome-Plated Wheels................5-91
Tires...........................................................5-91
Sheet Metal Damage.....................................5-92
Finish Damage.............................................5-92
Underbody Maintenance................................5-92
Chemical Paint Spotting.................................5-92
Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials..................5-93
Vehicle Identication......................................5-94
Vehicle Identication Number (VIN).................5-94
Service Parts Identication Label.....................5-94
Electrical System............................................5-95
Add-On Electrical Equipment..........................5-95
Headlamp Wiring..........................................5-95
Windshield Wiper Fuses................................5-95
Power Windows and Other Power Options.......5-95
Fuses and Circuit Breakers............................5-95
Underhood Fuse Block..................................5-96
Rear Underseat Fuse Block...........................5-99
Capacities and Specications........................5-106
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-2

Doing Your Own Service Work
If you want to do some of your own service work, you
will want to use the proper service manual. It tells
you much more about how to service your vehicle than
this manual can. To order the proper service manual,
seeService Publications Ordering Information on
page 7-11.
Your vehicle has an airbag system. Before attempting to
do your own service work, seeServicing Your
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle on page 1-56.
You should keep a record with all parts receipts and list
the mileage and the date of any service work you
perform. SeeMaintenance Record on page 6-15.{CAUTION:
You can be injured and your vehicle could be
damaged if you try to do service work on a
vehicle without knowing enough about it.
Be sure you have sufficient knowledge,
experience, the proper replacement parts,
and tools before you attempt any vehicle
maintenance task.
Be sure to use the proper nuts, bolts, and
other fasteners. English and metric
fasteners can be easily confused. If you
use the wrong fasteners, parts can later
break or fall off. You could be hurt.
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.
5-4

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 4.6L 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

Engine Air Cleaner/Filter
The engine air cleaner/lter is in the engine
compartment on the driver’s side of the vehicle, near
the front. SeeEngine Compartment Overview on
page 5-12for more information on locating and
accessing the air cleaner/lter.
When to Inspect the Engine
Air Cleaner/Filter
Inspect the air cleaner/lter at the MaintenanceII
intervals and replace it at the rst oil change after
50,000 miles (83 000 km). SeeScheduled Maintenance
on page 6-4for more information. If you are driving
in dusty/dirty conditions, inspect the lter at each engine
oil change.
How to Inspect the Engine
Air Cleaner/Filter
To inspect the air cleaner/lter remove the lter from
the vehicle and lightly shake the lter to release
loose dust and dirt. If the lter remains caked with dirt,
a new lter is required.
To inspect or replace the lter, do the following:
1. Remove the two screws located on the top of
the cover.
2. Disconnect the coolant recovery hose so that
it is not going across the top of the engine
air cleaner/lter. 4.6L V8 shown, 3.6L V6 similar
5-20

3. Loosen the clamp and remove the duct from the
passenger’s side of the engine air cleaner/lter.
4. The two sides of the airbox are hinged at the
bottom. Open the airbox by pushing the top of
the airbox cover toward the engine.
5. Remove the air lter by lifting it straight up through
the opening in the airbox.
6. Inspect or replace the engine air cleaner/lter. See
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts on
page 6-14for the correct part number for the lter.
7. Reinstall the cover by reversing Steps 1 through 4.
{CAUTION:
Operating the engine with the air cleaner/lter
off can cause you or others to be burned.
The air cleaner not only cleans the air; it helps
to stop ame if the engine backres. If it is not
there and the engine backres, you could be
burned. Do not drive with it off, and be careful
working on the engine with the air
cleaner/lter off.Notice:If the air cleaner/lter is off, a backre can
cause a damaging engine re. And, dirt can
easily get into your engine, which will damage it.
Always have the air cleaner/lter in place when you
are driving.
Automatic Transmission Fluid
It is not necessary to check the transmission uid level.
A transmission uid leak is the only reason for uid
loss. If a leak occurs, take your vehicle to the dealership
service department and have it repaired as soon as
possible.
Change the uid and lter at the intervals listed in
Additional Required Services on page 6-6, and be sure
to use the transmission uid listed inRecommended
Fluids and Lubricants on page 6-12.
Notice:Use of the incorrect automatic transmission
uid may damage your vehicle, and the damages
may not be covered by your warranty. Always
use the automatic transmission uid listed in
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants on page 6-12.
5-21

Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a vehicle is complex. Its many
parts have to be of top quality and work well together if
the vehicle is to have really good braking. Your
vehicle was designed and tested with top-quality GM
brake parts. When you replace parts of your braking
system — for example, when your brake linings
wear down and you need new ones put in — be sure
you get new approved replacement parts. If you do not,
your brakes may no longer work properly. For
example, if someone puts in brake linings that are
wrong for your vehicle, the balance between your front
and rear brakes can change — for the worse. The
braking performance you have come to expect
can change in many other ways if someone puts in the
wrong replacement brake parts.
Battery
Your vehicle has a maintenance free battery. When it is
time for a new battery, get one that has the replacement
number shown on the original battery’s label. We
recommend an ACDelco
®replacement battery. See
Engine Compartment Overview on page 5-12for battery
location and access.Warning:Battery posts, terminals and related
accessories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of California to cause
cancer and reproductive harm. Wash hands after
handling.
Vehicle Storage
If you are not going to drive your vehicle for 25 days
or more, remove the black, negative (−) cable from the
battery. This will help keep your battery from
running down.
{CAUTION:
Batteries have acid that can burn you and gas
that can explode. You can be badly hurt if you
are not careful. SeeJump Starting on
page 5-38for tips on working around a battery
without getting hurt.
5-37