2007 CADILLAC DTS wheel

Towing a Trailer
The Cadillac Professional Vehicle cannot tow
a trailer.
{CAUTION:
If you do not use the correct equipment
and drive properly, you can lose control
when you pull a trailer. For example, if the
trailer is too heavy, the brakes may not
work well — or even at all. You and your
passengers could be seriously injured.
You may also damage your vehicle; the
resulting repairs would not be covered by
your warranty. Pull a trailer only if you
have followed all the steps in this section.
Ask your dealer/retailer for advice and
information about towing a trailer with
your vehicle.Your vehicle can tow a trailer if it is equipped with
the proper trailer towing equipment. To identify
the trailering capacity of your vehicle, you should
read the information in “Weight of the Trailer”
that appears later in this section. Trailering
is different than just driving your vehicle by itself.
Trailering means changes in handling, durability
and fuel economy. Successful, safe trailering takes
correct equipment, and it has to be used properly.
That is the reason for this part. In it are many
time-tested, important trailering tips and safety
rules. Many of these are important for your safety
and that of your passengers. So please read
this section carefully before you pull a trailer.
Load-pulling components such as the engine,
transmission, wheel assemblies and tires
are forced to work harder against the drag of the
added weight. The engine is required to operate
at relatively higher speeds and under greater
loads, generating extra heat. What is more, the
trailer adds considerably to wind resistance,
increasing the pulling requirements.
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Driving with a Trailer
Towing a trailer requires a certain amount of
experience. Before setting out for the open road,
you will want to get to know your rig. Acquaint
yourself with the feel of handling and braking with
the added weight of the trailer. And always
keep in mind that the vehicle you are driving is
now a good deal longer and not nearly as
responsive as your vehicle is by itself.
Before you start, check the trailer hitch and
platform, parts and attachments, safety chains,
electrical connector, lamps, tires and mirror
adjustment. If the trailer has electric brakes, start
your vehicle and trailer moving and then apply
the trailer brake controller by hand to be sure the
brakes are working. This lets you check your
electrical connection at the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally to be sure
that the load is secure, and that the lamps and any
trailer brakes are still working.
Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the vehicle ahead
as you would when driving your vehicle without
a trailer. This can help you avoid situations
that require heavy braking and sudden turns.
Passing
You will need more passing distance up ahead
when you are towing a trailer. And, because
the vehicle is a good deal longer, you will need to
go much farther beyond the passed vehicle
before you can return to your lane.
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel with
one hand. Then, to move the trailer to the left, just
move that hand to the left. To move the trailer
to the right, move your hand to the right. Always
back up slowly and, if possible, have someone
guide you.
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Parking on Hills
{CAUTION:
You really should not park your vehicle,
with a trailer attached, on a hill. If
something goes wrong, your rig could
start to move. People can be injured, and
both your vehicle and the trailer can be
damaged.But if you ever have to park your rig on a hill, here
is how to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but do not shift into
PARK (P).
2. Have someone place chocks behind the
trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release
the regular brakes until the chocks absorb
the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then shift into
PARK (P) rmly and apply your parking
brake.
5. Release the regular brakes.
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Service........................................................ 353
Accessories and Modications................... 353
California Proposition 65 Warning.............. 354
Doing Your Own Service Work.................. 354
Adding Equipment to the Outside of
Your Vehicle.......................................... 355
Fuel............................................................. 355
Gasoline Octane........................................ 356
Gasoline Specications.............................. 356
California Fuel........................................... 356
Additives................................................... 357
Fuels in Foreign Countries........................ 358
Filling the Tank......................................... 358
Filling a Portable Fuel Container............... 361
Checking Things Under the Hood.............. 362
Hood Release........................................... 363
Engine Compartment Overview.................. 364
Engine Oil................................................. 365
Engine Oil Life System.............................. 368
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter............................ 370
Automatic Transaxle Fluid......................... 372
Engine Coolant.......................................... 374
Coolant Surge Tank Pressure Cap............ 377
Engine Overheating................................... 377Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode..................................... 379
Cooling System......................................... 380
Power Steering Fluid................................. 385
Windshield Washer Fluid........................... 386
Brakes...................................................... 387
Battery...................................................... 390
Jump Starting............................................ 392
Headlamp Aiming........................................ 397
Bulb Replacement....................................... 400
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting..... 400
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement....... 400
Tires............................................................ 402
Tire Sidewall Labeling............................... 403
Tire Terminology and Denitions............... 408
Ination - Tire Pressure............................. 411
High-Speed Operation............................... 413
Tire Pressure Monitor System................... 414
Tire Inspection and Rotation...................... 418
When It Is Time for New Tires.................. 419
Buying New Tires...................................... 420
Different Size Tires and Wheels................ 422
Uniform Tire Quality Grading..................... 422
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
351

Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance............ 424
Wheel Replacement.................................. 424
Tire Chains............................................... 426
If a Tire Goes Flat.................................... 427
Changing a Flat Tire................................. 428
Removing the Spare Tire and Tools.......... 429
Removing the Flat Tire and Installing
the Spare Tire....................................... 431
Storing a Flat or Spare Tire and Tools...... 437
Spare Tire................................................. 438
Appearance Care........................................ 440
Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle.......... 440
Fabric/Carpet............................................. 441
Leather...................................................... 442
Instrument Panel, Vinyl, and Other
Plastic Surfaces..................................... 443
Wood Panels............................................. 443
Speaker Covers........................................ 443
Care of Safety Belts.................................. 443
Weatherstrips............................................ 444
Washing Your Vehicle............................... 444
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses................ 444
Finish Care............................................... 444Windshield and Wiper Blades.................... 445
Aluminum or Chrome-Plated Wheels
and Trim................................................ 446
Tires......................................................... 447
Sheet Metal Damage................................. 447
Finish Damage.......................................... 447
Underbody Maintenance............................ 448
Chemical Paint Spotting............................ 448
Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials............ 449
Vehicle Identication.................................. 450
Vehicle Identication Number (VIN)........... 450
Service Parts Identication Label............... 450
Electrical System........................................ 451
Add-On Electrical Equipment..................... 451
Headlamp Wiring....................................... 451
Windshield Wiper Fuses............................ 451
Power Windows and Other Power
Options.................................................. 452
Fuses and Circuit Breakers....................... 452
Underhood Fuse Block.............................. 452
Rear Underseat Fuse Block....................... 455
Capacities and Specications.................... 460
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
352

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 475.
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 the brake
system, the brakes may not work well.
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 the 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. SeeWashing Your Vehicle
on page 444.
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 can come and go or be heard all
the time your vehicle is moving, except when you
are pushing on the brake pedal rmly.
388

{CAUTION:
The brake wear warning sound means that
soon the 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 can cause
a brake squeal when the brakes are rst applied or
lightly applied. This does not mean something is
wrong with the 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 torque
specications inCapacities and Specications on
page 460.
Brake linings should always be replaced as
complete axle sets.
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer/retailer 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
that brake service might be required.
Brake Adjustment
Every time you apply the brakes, with or without
the vehicle moving, the brakes adjust for wear.
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 brake parts. When you replace parts of
the braking system — for example, when the brake
linings wear down and you need new ones put
in — be sure you get new approved replacement
parts. If you do not, the brakes might not work
properly. For example, if someone puts in brake
linings that are wrong for your vehicle, the
balance between the 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.
389

(F) Tire Ply Material:The type of cord and
number of plies in the sidewall and under
the tread.
(G) Single Tire Maximum Load:Maximum load
that can be carried and the maximum pressure
needed to support that load when used as a
single. For information on recommended
tire pressure seeInation - Tire Pressure on
page 411.
Tire Size
The following illustration shows an example of a
tire size.
(A) P-Metric Tire:The United States version of a
metric tire sizing system. The letter P as the
rst character in the tire size means a passenger
vehicle tire engineered to standards set by the
U. S. Tire and Rim Association.(B) Tire Width:The three-digit number indicates
the tire section width in millimeters from sidewall
to sidewall.
(C) Aspect Ratio:A two-digit number that
indicates the tire height-to-width measurements.
For example, if the tire size aspect ratio is
60, as shown in item C of the illustration, it would
mean that the tire’s sidewall is 60 percent as
high as it is wide.
(D) Construction Code:A letter code is used to
indicate the type of ply construction in the tire.
The letter R means radial ply construction;
the letter D means diagonal or bias ply
construction; and the letter B means belted-bias
ply construction.
(E) Rim Diameter:Diameter of the wheel
in inches.
(F) Service Description:These characters
represent the load range and speed rating of the
tire. The load index represents the load carry
capacity a tire is certied to carry. The load index
can range from 1 to 279. The speed rating is
the maximum speed a tire is certied to carry a
load. Speed ratings range from A to Z.
407