2006 CADILLAC CTS engine

If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you are
planning to visit there, here are some tips that can
make your trips safer and more enjoyable.
Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all uid
levels and also the brakes, tires, cooling system,
and transmission. These parts can work hard
on mountain roads.
{CAUTION:
If you do not shift down, your brakes could get
so hot that they would not work well. You would
then have poor braking or even none going
down a hill. You could crash. Shift down to let
your engine assist your brakes on a steep
downhill slope.
{CAUTION:
Coasting downhill in NEUTRAL (N) or with
the ignition off is dangerous. Your brakes
will have to do all the work of slowing down.
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
They could get so hot that they would not
work well. You would then have poor braking
or even none going down a hill. You could
crash. Always have your engine running and
your vehicle in gear when you go downhill.
Know how to go down hills. The most important
thing to know is this: let your engine do some of
the slowing down. Shift to a lower gear when you go
down a steep or long hill.
Know how to go uphill. You may want to shift down to
a lower gear. The lower gears help cool your engine
and transmission, and you can climb the hill better.
Stay in your own lane when driving on two-lane
roads in hills or mountains. Do not swing wide or cut
across the center of the road. Drive at speeds that let
you stay in your own lane.
As you go over the top of a hill, be alert. There could
be something in your lane, like a stalled car or an
accident.
You may see highway signs on mountains that warn
of special problems. Examples are long grades,
passing or no-passing zones, a falling rocks area,
or winding roads. Be alert to these and take
appropriate action.
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You can run the engine to keep warm, but be careful.
{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.
4-30

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.
If Your Vehicle is 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 vehicle’s 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 the wheels can destroy parts of
your vehicle as well as the tires. If you spin the
wheels too fast while shifting the transmission back
and forth, you can destroy the transmission.
For information about using tire chains on your vehicle,
seeTire Chains on page 5-78.
4-31

Service............................................................5-3
Accessories and Modications..........................5-3
California Proposition 65 Warning.....................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....................................5-6
California Fuel...............................................5-6
Additives.......................................................5-6
Fuels in Foreign Countries...............................5-7
Filling the Tank..............................................5-8
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...................................................5-16
Engine Oil Life System..................................5-20
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter................................5-21
Automatic Transmission Fluid.........................5-23
Manual Transmission Fluid.............................5-24
Hydraulic Clutch...........................................5-25
Engine Coolant.............................................5-26
Coolant Surge Tank Pressure Cap..................5-28
Engine Overheating.......................................5-28Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode........................................5-30
Cooling System............................................5-31
Power Steering Fluid.....................................5-36
Windshield Washer Fluid................................5-37
Brakes........................................................5-38
Battery........................................................5-41
Jump Starting...............................................5-42
Rear Axle.......................................................5-48
Headlamp Aiming...........................................5-49
Bulb Replacement..........................................5-52
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting............5-52
Halogen Bulbs..............................................5-52
Front Turn Signal and Fog Lamps...................5-53
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps and
Sidemarker Lamps.....................................5-53
Back-Up and License Plate Lamps..................5-54
Replacement Bulbs.......................................5-55
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement..............5-55
Tires..............................................................5-57
Tire Sidewall Labeling...................................5-58
Tire Terminology and Denitions.....................5-61
Run-Flat Tires (CTS-V)..................................5-64
Ination - Tire Pressure.................................5-65
Tire Pressure Monitor System.........................5-68
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-1

Service
Your dealer knows your vehicle best and wants you to
be happy with it. We hope you will go to your dealer
for all your service needs. You will get genuine GM parts
and GM-trained and supported service people.
We hope you will want to keep your GM vehicle all GM.
Genuine GM parts have one of these marks:
Accessories and Modications
When you add non-GM accessories to your vehicle
they can affect your vehicle’s performance and safety,
including such things as, airbags, braking, stability,
ride and handling, emissions systems, aerodynamics,
durability, and electronic systems like anti-lock brakes,
traction control and stability control. Some of these
accessories may even cause malfunction or damage
not covered by warranty.
GM Accessories are designed to complement and
function with other systems on your vehicle. Your
GM dealer can accessorize your vehicle using genuine
GM Accessories. When you go to your GM dealer
and ask for GM Accessories, you will know that
GM-trained and supported service technicians will
perform the work using genuine GM Accessories.
California Proposition 65 Warning
Most motor vehicles, including this one, contain and/or
emit chemicals known to the State of California to
cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive
harm. Engine exhaust, many parts and systems
(including some inside the vehicle), many uids, and
some component wear by-products contain and/or emit
these chemicals.
5-3

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
The 8th digit of your Vehicle Identication Number (VIN)
shows the code letter or number that identies your
engine. You will nd the VIN at the top left of the
instrument panel. SeeVehicle Identication Number
(VIN) on page 5-103.
Gasoline Octane
If your vehicle has the 2.8L V6 engine (VIN Code T),
use regular unleaded gasoline with a posted octane
rating of 87 or higher. If the octane rating is less than 87,
you may notice an audible knocking noise when you
drive, commonly referred to as spark knock. If this
occurs, use a gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher as
soon as possible. If you are using gasoline rated at
87 octane or higher and you hear heavy knocking,
your engine needs service.
If your vehicle has the 3.6L V6 engine (VIN Code 7),
use regular unleaded gasoline with a posted octane
rating of 87 or higher. For best performance or trailer
towing, you may choose to use middle grade 89 octane
unleaded gasoline. If the octane rating is less than
87, you may notice an audible knocking noise when you
drive, commonly referred to as spark knock. If this
occurs, use a gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher as
soon as possible. If you are using gasoline rated at
87 octane or higher and you hear heavy knocking, your
engine needs service.
5-5

If your vehicle has the 6.0L V8 engine (VIN Code U),
use premium unleaded gasoline with a posted
octane rating of 91 or higher. You may also use regular
unleaded gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher, but
your vehicle’s acceleration may be slightly reduced,
and you may notice a slight audible knocking noise,
commonly referred to as spark knock. If the octane is
less than 87, you may notice 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 you are
using gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher and you
hear heavy knocking, your engine needs service.
Gasoline Specications
At a minimum, gasoline should meet ASTM
specication D 4814 in the United States or
CAN/CGSB-3.5 in Canada. Some gasolines may
contain an octane-enhancing additive called
methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl (MMT).
General Motors recommends against the use of
gasolines containing MMT. SeeAdditives on
page 5-6for additional information.
California Fuel
If your vehicle is certied to meet California Emissions
Standards, it is designed to operate on fuels that
meet California specications. See the underhood
emission control label. 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. SeeMalfunction Indicator Lamp
on page 3-41. 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.
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.
5-6

Filling the Tank
{CAUTION:
Fuel vapor burns violently and a fuel re
can cause bad injuries. To help avoid injuries
to you and others, read and follow all the
instructions on the pump island. Turn off
your engine when you are refueling. Do not
smoke if you are near fuel or refueling your
vehicle. Keep sparks, ames, and smoking
materials away from fuel. Do not leave the
fuel pump unattended when refueling your
vehicle. This is against the law in some
places. Keep children away from the fuel
pump; never let children pump fuel.The tethered fuel cap is located behind a hinged fuel
door on the passenger’s side of the vehicle. To open
the fuel door, push inward on the forward edge of
the fuel door until the rear edge can be pulled outward.
To remove the fuel cap, turn it slowly counterclockwise.
The fuel cap has a spring in it; if the cap is released
too soon, it will spring back to the right.
While refueling, hang the tethered fuel cap from the
hook on the fuel door.
5-8