2006 CADILLAC STS battery

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 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 your wheels can destroy parts of
your vehicle as well as the tires. If you spin the
wheels too fast while shifting your transmission
back and forth, you can destroy your transmission.
For more 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...................................................5-18
Engine Oil Life System..................................5-22
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter................................5-24
Automatic Transmission Fluid.........................5-26
Engine Coolant.............................................5-26
Coolant Surge Tank Pressure Cap..................5-30
Engine Overheating.......................................5-30
Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode........................................5-31Cooling System............................................5-32
Power Steering Fluid.....................................5-39
Windshield Washer Fluid................................5-40
Brakes........................................................5-41
Battery........................................................5-44
Jump Starting...............................................5-45
All-Wheel Drive..............................................5-50
Rear Axle.......................................................5-51
Front Axle......................................................5-52
Bulb Replacement..........................................5-53
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting............5-53
Halogen Bulbs..............................................5-53
Back-Up Lamps............................................5-54
Replacement Bulbs.......................................5-54
Windshield Replacement.................................5-55
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement..............5-55
Tires..............................................................5-56
Tire Sidewall Labeling...................................5-58
Tire Terminology and Denitions.....................5-60
Run-Flat Tires (STS-V)..................................5-63
Ination - Tire Pressure.................................5-64
Tire Pressure Monitor System.........................5-66
Tire Inspection and Rotation...........................5-70
When It Is Time for New Tires.......................5-71
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-1

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 5-106.
B. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See “Adding
Washer Fluid” underWindshield Washer Fluid
on page 5-40.
C. Battery. SeeBattery on page 5-44.
D. Passenger Compartment Air Filter. SeePassenger
Compartment Air Filter on page 3-55.
E. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir. SeePower Steering
Fluid on page 5-39.F. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See “When to Add Engine Oil”
underEngine Oil on page 5-18.
G. Engine Oil Dipstick (Out of View). See “Checking
Engine Oil” underEngine Oil on page 5-18.
H. Brake Master Cylinder Reservoir. See “Brake Fluid”
underBrakes on page 5-41.
I. Engine Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap. See
Coolant Surge Tank Pressure Cap on page 5-30
andCooling System on page 5-32.
J. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter. SeeEngine Air
Cleaner/Filter on page 5-24.
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 5-106.
B. Battery. SeeBattery on page 5-44.
C. Passenger Compartment Air Filter. SeePassenger
Compartment Air Filter on page 3-55.
D. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See “Adding
Washer Fluid” underWindshield Washer Fluid
on page 5-40.
E. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir. SeePower Steering
Fluid on page 5-39.
F. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See “When to Add Engine Oil”
underEngine Oil on page 5-18.G. Engine Oil Dipstick (Out of View). See “Checking
Engine Oil” underEngine Oil on page 5-18.
H. Brake Master Cylinder Reservoir. See “Brake Fluid”
underBrakes on page 5-41.
I. Engine Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap. See
Coolant Surge Tank Pressure Cap on page 5-30
andCooling System on page 5-32.
J. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter. SeeEngine Air
Cleaner/Filter on page 5-24.
5-15

After you have removed the sight shields (if equipped) on the 4.4L V8 STS-V engine, here is what you will see:
A. Battery. SeeBattery on page 5-44.
B. Underhood Fuse Block. SeeUnderhood Fuse Block
on page 5-106.
C. Passenger Compartment Air Filter. SeePassenger
Compartment Air Filter on page 3-55.
D. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See “Adding
Washer Fluid” underWindshield Washer Fluid
on page 5-40.
E. Intercooler System Pressure Cap. SeeEngine
Coolant on page 5-26.
F. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir. SeePower Steering
Fluid on page 5-39.
G. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See “When to Add Engine Oil”
underEngine Oil on page 5-18.
H. Engine Oil Dipstick (Out of View). See “Checking
Engine Oil” underEngine Oil on page 5-18.I. Brake Master Cylinder Reservoir. See “Brake Fluid”
underBrakes on page 5-41.
J. Engine Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap. See
Coolant Surge Tank Pressure Cap on page 5-30
andCooling System on page 5-32.
K. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter. SeeEngine Air
Cleaner/Filter on page 5-24.
If your vehicle is equipped with front compartment
underhood sight shields, before closing the hood be
sure to reinstall the sight shields. To reinstall the shields,
locate the tabs on the left and right sides and insert
them into the openings in the tower to tower brace.
Then insert the fasteners into the top of the shield and
push the fasteners back into place.
5-17

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 5-45
for tips on working around a battery without
getting hurt.
5-44

Jump Starting
If your vehicle’s 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.
5-45

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!
4. Open the hoods and locate the positive (+) and
negative (−) terminal locations of the other vehicle,
as well as the positive (+) terminal location on
your vehicle’s battery. SeeEngine Compartment
Overview on page 5-12for more information on the
location of the battery.
5-46