2005 CADILLAC STS brake

Filling a Portable Fuel Container
{CAUTION:
Never ll a portable fuel container while it is in
your vehicle. Static electricity discharge from
the container can ignite the gasoline vapor.
You can be badly burned and your vehicle
damaged if this occurs. To help avoid injury to
you and others:
Dispense gasoline only into approved
containers.
Do not ll a container while it is inside a
vehicle, in a vehicle’s trunk, pickup bed, or
on any surface other than the ground.
Bring the ll nozzle in contact with the
inside of the ll opening before operating
the nozzle. Contact should be maintained
until the lling is complete.
Do not smoke while pumping gasoline.
Checking Things Under
the Hood
{CAUTION:
An electric fan under the hood can start up
and injure you even when the engine is not
running. Keep hands, clothing and tools away
from any underhood electric fan.
{CAUTION:
Things that burn can get on hot engine parts
and start a re. These include liquids like fuel,
oil, coolant, brake uid, windshield washer and
other uids, and plastic or rubber. You or
others could be burned. Be careful not to drop
or spill things that will burn onto a hot engine.
5-10

Your vehicle may be equipped with front compartment
underhood sight shields, which surround the vehicle’s
engine cover. These sight shields will need to be
removed in order to access some of the underhood
components in your vehicle.
To remove the sight shields, turn the fasteners on each
shield to the left until they pop out. Then remove the
fasteners and lift the shields up and away from the
shock towers that support them.
After you have removed the sight shields (if equipped)
on the 3.6L V6 engine, here is what you will see:
A. Underhood Fuse Block. SeeUnderhood Fuse Block
on page 5-96.
B. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See “Adding
Washer Fluid” underWindshield Washer Fluid
on page 5-32.
C. Battery. SeeBattery on page 5-37.D. Passenger Compartment Air Filter. SeePassenger
Compartment Air Filter on page 3-58.
E. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir. SeePower Steering
Fluid on page 5-31.
F. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See “When to Add Engine Oil”
underEngine Oil on page 5-15.
G. Engine Oil Dipstick (Out of View). See “Checking
Engine Oil” underEngine Oil on page 5-15.
H. Brake Master Cylinder Reservoir. See “Brake Fluid”
underBrakes on page 5-34.
I. Engine Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap. See
Coolant Surge Tank Pressure Cap on page 5-24
andCooling System on page 5-27.
J. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter. SeeEngine Air
Cleaner/Filter on page 5-20.
5-13

After you have removed the sight shields (if equipped)
on the 4.6L V8 engine, here is what you will see:
A. Underhood Fuse Block. SeeUnderhood Fuse Block
on page 5-96.
B. Battery. SeeBattery on page 5-37.
C. Passenger Compartment Air Filter. SeePassenger
Compartment Air Filter on page 3-58.
D. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See “Adding
Washer Fluid” underWindshield Washer Fluid
on page 5-32.
E. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir. SeePower Steering
Fluid on page 5-31.
F. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See “When to Add Engine Oil”
underEngine Oil on page 5-15.
G. Engine Oil Dipstick (Out of View). See “Checking
Engine Oil” underEngine Oil on page 5-15.
H. Brake Master Cylinder Reservoir. See “Brake Fluid”
underBrakes on page 5-34.
I. Engine Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap. See
Coolant Surge Tank Pressure Cap on page 5-24
andCooling System on page 5-27.
J. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter. SeeEngine Air
Cleaner/Filter on page 5-20.If your vehicle is equipped with front compartment
underhood sight shields, before closing the hood be sure
to replace the sight shields. To replace the shields,
locate the ribs on the underside of each shield and guide
the ribs on to the supporting shock towers. Then
insert the fasteners into the top of the shield and push
the fasteners back into place.
Engine Oil
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. See
Engine Compartment Overview on page 5-12for
the location of the engine oil dipstick.
1. 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.
2. 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.
5-15

Brakes
Brake Fluid
Your brake master cylinder
reservoir is lled with
DOT-3 brake uid. See
Engine Compartment
Overview on page 5-12for
reservoir location and
access.
There are only two reasons why the brake uid level in
the reservoir might go down. The rst is that the
brake uid goes down to an acceptable level during
normal brake lining wear. When new linings are put in,
the uid level goes back up. The other reason is
that uid is leaking out of the brake system. If it is, you
should have your brake system xed, since a leak
means that sooner or later your brakes will not work
well, or will not work at all.So, it is not a good idea to top off your brake uid.
Adding brake uid will not correct a leak. If you add uid
when your linings are worn, then you will have too
much uid when you get new brake linings. You should
add or remove brake uid, as necessary, only when
work is done on the brake hydraulic system.
{CAUTION:
If you have too much brake uid, it can spill on
the engine. The uid will burn if the engine is
hot enough. You or others could be burned,
and your vehicle could be damaged. Add brake
uid only when work is done on the brake
hydraulic system.
If the ignition is in ON and the brake uid is low, the
CHECK BRAKE FLUID message will be displayed in the
Driver Information Center (DIC). SeeDIC Warnings
and Messages on page 3-78.
5-34

What to Add
When you do need brake uid, use only DOT-3 brake
uid. Use new brake uid from a sealed container
only. SeeRecommended Fluids and Lubricants on
page 6-12.
Always clean the brake uid reservoir cap and the area
around the cap before removing it. This will help
keep dirt from entering the reservoir.
{CAUTION:
With the wrong kind of uid in your brake
system, your brakes may not work well, or they
may not even work at all. This could cause a
crash. Always use the proper brake uid.Notice:
Using the wrong uid can badly damage brake
system parts. For example, just a few drops of
mineral-based oil, such as engine oil, in your
brake system can damage brake system parts so
badly that they will have to be replaced. Do not
let someone put in the wrong kind of uid.
If you spill brake uid on your vehicle’s painted
surfaces, the paint nish can be damaged. Be
careful not to spill brake uid on your vehicle. If
you do, wash it off immediately. SeeAppearance
Care on page 5-85.
5-35

Brake Wear
Your vehicle has four-wheel disc brakes.
Disc brake pads have built-in wear indicators that make a
high-pitched warning sound when the brake pads are
worn and new pads are needed. The sound may come
and go or be heard all the time your vehicle is moving,
except when you are pushing on the brake pedal rmly.
{CAUTION:
The brake wear warning sound means that
soon your brakes will not work well. That
could lead to an accident. When you hear the
brake wear warning sound, have your vehicle
serviced.
Notice:Continuing to drive with worn-out brake
pads could result in costly brake repair.
Some driving conditions or climates may cause a brake
squeal when the brakes are rst applied or lightly
applied. This does not mean something is wrong with
your brakes.Properly torqued wheel nuts are necessary to help
prevent brake pulsation. When tires are rotated, inspect
brake pads for wear and evenly tighten wheel nuts in
the proper sequence to GM torque specications.
Brake linings should always be replaced as complete
axle sets.
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal does not return to
normal height, or if there is a rapid increase in
pedal travel. This could be a sign of brake trouble.
Brake Adjustment
Every time you apply the brakes, with or without the
vehicle moving, your brakes adjust for wear.
5-36

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

Jump Starting
If your battery has run down, you may want to use
another vehicle and some jumper cables to start your
vehicle. Be sure to use the following steps to do it safely.
{CAUTION:
Batteries can hurt you. They can be dangerous
because:
They contain acid that can burn you.
They contain gas that can explode or
ignite.
They contain enough electricity to
burn you.
If you do not follow these steps exactly, some
or all of these things can hurt you.
Notice:Ignoring these steps could result in costly
damage to your vehicle that would not be covered
by your warranty.
Trying to start your vehicle by pushing or pulling it
will not work, and it could damage your vehicle.
1. Check the other vehicle. It must have a 12-volt
battery with a negative ground system.Notice:If the other vehicle’s system is not a 12-volt
system with a negative ground, both vehicles can
be damaged. Only use vehicles with 12-volt systems
with negative grounds to jump start your vehicle.
2. Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper cables
can reach, but be sure the vehicles are not touching
each other. If they are, it could cause a ground
connection you do not want. You would not be able
to start your vehicle and the bad grounding could
damage the electrical systems.
To avoid the possibility of the vehicles rolling, set
the parking brake rmly on both vehicles involved in
the jump start procedure. Put an automatic
transmission in PARK (P) or a manual transmission
in NEUTRAL before setting the parking brake.
Notice:If you leave your radio or other accessories
on during the jump starting procedure, they could
be damaged. The repairs would not be covered
by your warranty. Always turn off your radio and
other accessories when jump starting your vehicle.
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Unplug
unnecessary accessories plugged into the cigarette
lighter or the accessory power outlets. Turn off
the radio and all lamps that are not needed. This
will avoid sparks and help save both batteries. And
it could save the radio!
5-38