2005 CADILLAC XLR octane

This light should come on briey, as a check to show
you it is working, as you start the engine. If the light
does not come on, have it repaired. This light will also
come on during a malfunction in one of two ways:
Light Flashing— A misre condition has
been detected. A misre increases vehicle
emissions and may damage the emission control
system on your vehicle. Diagnosis and service may
be required.
Light On Steady— An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
Diagnosis and service may be required.
If the Light Is Flashing
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:
Reducing vehicle speed
Avoiding hard accelerations
Avoiding steep uphill grades
If the light stops ashing and remains on steady, see “If
the Light Is On Steady” following.If the light continues to ash, when it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle. Find a safe place to park your vehicle.
Turn the engine off, wait at least 10 seconds and
restart the engine. If the light remains on steady, see “If
the Light Is On Steady” following. If the light is still
ashing, follow the previous steps, and see your dealer
for service as soon as possible.
If the Light Is On Steady
You also may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you recently put fuel into your vehicle?
If so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully install
the cap. SeeFilling Your Tank on page 6-7. The
diagnostic system can determine if the fuel cap has
been left off or improperly installed. A loose or missing
fuel cap will allow fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere.
A few driving trips with the cap properly installed
should turn the light off.
Did you just drive through a deep puddle of water?
If so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually be corrected when the electrical system
dries out. A few driving trips should turn the light off.
Have you recently changed brands of fuel?
If so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel. See
Gasoline Octane on page 6-5. Poor fuel quality will
cause your engine not to run as efficiently as designed.
3-56

Service............................................................6-3
Doing Your Own Service Work.........................6-4
Adding Equipment to the Outside of Your
Vehicle......................................................6-5
Fuel................................................................6-5
Gasoline Octane............................................6-5
Gasoline Specications....................................6-5
California Fuel...............................................6-5
Additives.......................................................6-6
Fuels in Foreign Countries...............................6-6
Filling Your Tank............................................6-7
Filling a Portable Fuel Container.....................6-10
Checking Things Under the Hood....................6-10
Hood Release..............................................6-11
Engine Compartment Overview.......................6-12
Engine Oil...................................................6-13
Engine Oil Life System..................................6-16
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter................................6-18
Automatic Transmission Fluid.........................6-20
Engine Coolant.............................................6-20
Coolant Surge Tank Pressure Cap..................6-23
Engine Overheating.......................................6-23
Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode........................................6-25
Cooling System............................................6-26
Power Steering Fluid.....................................6-31Windshield Washer Fluid................................6-32
Brakes........................................................6-33
Battery........................................................6-36
Jump Starting...............................................6-37
Rear Axle.......................................................6-41
Headlamp Aiming...........................................6-42
Headlamp Vertical Aiming..............................6-43
Bulb Replacement..........................................6-44
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement..............6-45
Tires..............................................................6-46
Tire Sidewall Labelling...................................6-47
Tire Terminology and Denitions.....................6-49
Run-Flat Tires..............................................6-52
Ination - Tire Pressure.................................6-53
Tire Pressure Monitor System.........................6-55
Tire Inspection and Rotation...........................6-57
When It Is Time for New Tires.......................6-58
Buying New Tires.........................................6-58
Uniform Tire Quality Grading..........................6-59
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance..................6-61
Wheel Replacement......................................6-61
Tire Chains..................................................6-63
Lifting Your Vehicle.......................................6-64
If a Tire Goes Flat........................................6-68
Section 6 Service and Appearance Care
6-1

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
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.
California Fuel
If your vehicle is certied to meet California Emission
Standards (see the underhood emission control label), it
is designed to operate on fuels that meet California
specications. If this fuel is not available in states
adopting California emissions standards, your vehicle
will operate satisfactorily on fuels meeting federal
specications, but emission control system performance
may be affected. The malfunction indicator lamp may
turn on and your vehicle may fail a smog-check test. See
Malfunction Indicator Lamp on page 3-55. If this
occurs, return to your authorized GM dealer for
diagnosis. If it is determined that the condition is caused
by the type of fuel used, repairs may not be covered
by your warranty.
6-5

Additives
To provide cleaner air, all gasolines in the United States
are now required to contain additives that will help
prevent engine and fuel system deposits from forming,
allowing your emission control system to work properly. In
most cases, you should not have to add anything to your
fuel. However, some gasolines contain only the minimum
amount of additive required to meet U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency regulations. General Motors
recommends that you buy gasolines that are advertised
to help keep fuel injectors and intake valves clean. If your
vehicle experiences problems due to dirty injectors or
valves, try a different brand of gasoline. Also, your GM
dealer has additives that will help correct and prevent
most deposit-related problems.
Gasolines containing oxygenates, such as ethers and
ethanol, and reformulated gasolines may be available in
your area to contribute to clean air. General Motors
recommends that you use these gasolines, particularly if
they comply with the specications described earlier.
Notice:Your vehicle was not designed for fuel that
contains methanol. Do not use fuel containing
methanol. It can corrode metal parts in your fuel
system and also damage the plastic and rubber
parts. That damage would not be covered under
your warranty.Some gasolines that are not reformulated for low
emissions may contain an octane-enhancing additive
called methylcyclopentadienyl manganese
tricarbonyl (MMT); ask the attendant where you buy
gasoline whether the fuel contains MMT. General Motors
does not recommend the use of such gasolines.
Fuels containing MMT can reduce the life of spark plugs
and the performance of the emission control system
may be affected. The malfunction indicator lamp
may turn on. If this occurs, return to your authorized
GM dealer for service.
Fuels in Foreign Countries
If you plan on driving in another country outside the
United States or Canada, the proper fuel may be hard
to nd. Never use leaded gasoline or any other fuel
not recommended in the previous text on fuel. Costly
repairs caused by use of improper fuel would not
be covered by your warranty.
To check the fuel availability, ask an auto club, or
contact a major oil company that does business in the
country where you will be driving.
6-6

This schedule is for vehicles that:
carry passengers and cargo within recommended
limits. You will nd these limits on the tire and
loading information label. SeeLoading Your Vehicle
on page 5-30.
are driven on reasonable road surfaces within legal
driving limits.
use the recommended fuel. SeeGasoline Octane
on page 6-5.
The services inScheduled Maintenance on page 7-4
should be performed when indicated. SeeAdditional
Required Services on page 7-6andMaintenance
Footnotes on page 7-7for further information.
{CAUTION:
Performing maintenance work on a vehicle can
be dangerous. In trying to do some jobs, you
can be seriously injured. Do your own
maintenance work only if you have the
required know-how and the proper tools and
equipment for the job. If you have any doubt,
see your GM Goodwrench dealer to have a
qualied technician do the work.Some maintenance services can be complex. So,
unless you are technically qualied and have the
necessary equipment, you should have your GM
Goodwrench dealer do these jobs.
When you go to your GM Goodwrench dealer for your
service needs, you will know that GM-trained and
supported service technicians will perform the work
using genuine GM parts.
If you want to purchase service information, seeService
Publications Ordering Information on page 8-12.
Owner Checks and Services on page 7-8tells you what
should be checked, when to check it and what you can
easily do to help keep your vehicle in good condition.
The proper replacement parts, uids and lubricants to
use are listed inRecommended Fluids and Lubricants
on page 7-11andNormal Maintenance Replacement
Parts on page 7-13. When your vehicle is serviced,
make sure these are used. All parts should be replaced
and all necessary repairs done before you or anyone
else drives the vehicle. We recommend the use of
genuine GM parts.
7-3

Enter Destination............................................4-21
Entry/Exit Lighting...........................................3-33
Event Data Recorders (EDR)............................. 8-9
Extender, Safety Belt.......................................1-18
Exterior Lamps...............................................3-28
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver..........................3-32
F
Filter
Engine Air Cleaner......................................6-18
Finish Damage...............................................6-77
Flash-to-Pass................................................... 3-9
Flat Tire........................................................6-68
Floor Mats.....................................................2-43
Fluid
Automatic Transmission................................6-20
Power Steering...........................................6-31
Windshield Washer......................................6-32
Fog Lamp Light..............................................3-59
Fog Lamps....................................................3-31
Fuel............................................................... 6-5
Additives...................................................... 6-6
California Fuel.............................................. 6-5
Filling a Portable Fuel Container....................6-10
Filling Your Tank........................................... 6-7
Fuels in Foreign Countries.............................. 6-6
Gage.........................................................3-60Fuel (cont.)
Gasoline Octane........................................... 6-5
Gasoline Specications.................................. 6-5
Fuses
Fuses and Circuit Breakers...........................6-80
Instrument Panel Fuse Block.........................6-81
Underhood Fuse Block.................................6-83
Windshield Wiper.........................................6-80G
Gage
Engine Coolant Temperature.........................3-54
Engine Oil Pressure.....................................3-58
Fuel..........................................................3-60
Speedometer..............................................3-48
Tachometer.................................................3-48
Voltmeter Gage...........................................3-51
Garage Door Opener.......................................2-38
Gasoline
Octane........................................................ 6-5
Specications............................................... 6-5
Getting Started
Getting Started, Navigation............................. 4-4
Global Positioning System (GPS)......................4-42
Glove Box.....................................................2-42
GM Mobility Reimbursement Program.................. 8-5
5