2007 CADILLAC STS V warning

What to Add
When you do need brake uid, DOT-3 brake uid
is recommended for use. DOT-4 brake uid is
also compatible with your vehicle’s brake system
parts. However, if you choose to use DOT-4
uid, it is recommended that you ush your brake
hydraulic system and rell it with new DOT-4
uid at a regular maintenance service every
two years. SeeAdditional Required Services on
page 508. Use new brake uid from a sealed
container only. SeeRecommended Fluids
and Lubricants on page 516.
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, 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 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 480.
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.
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{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 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.
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.
407

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. SeeEngine Compartment
Overview on page 373for 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 408for tips on working
around a battery without getting hurt.
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.
408

Treadwear Indicators:Narrow bands, sometimes
called wear bars, that show across the tread of a
tire when only 1/16 inch (1.6 mm) of tread remains.
SeeWhen It Is Time for New Tires on page 440.
UTQGS (Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Standards):A tire information system that
provides consumers with ratings for a tire’s
traction, temperature, and treadwear. Ratings are
determined by tire manufacturers using
government testing procedures. The ratings are
molded into the sidewall of the tire. SeeUniform
Tire Quality Grading on page 444.
Vehicle Capacity Weight:The number of
designated seating positions multiplied by 150 lbs
(68 kg) plus the rated cargo load. SeeLoading
Your Vehicle on page 349.
Vehicle Maximum Load on the Tire:Load on an
individual tire due to curb weight, accessory
weight, occupant weight, and cargo weight.
Vehicle Placard:A label permanently attached to
a vehicle showing the vehicle’s capacity weight
and the original equipment tire size and
recommended ination pressure. See “Tire and
Loading Information Label” underLoading
Your Vehicle on page 349.Run-Flat Tires (STS-V)
If your vehicle has run-at tires, there is no spare
tire and no tire changing equipment. Your
vehicle also has a Tire Pressure Monitor
System (TPMS) which will alert you if there is a
loss of tire pressure in any of the tires. See
Tire Pressure Monitor System on page 433.
{CAUTION:
When the low tire warning light is
displayed on the instrument panel cluster,
your vehicle’s handling capabilities will be
reduced during severe maneuvers. If you
drive too fast, you could lose control of
your vehicle. You or others could be
injured. Do not drive over 55 mph
(90 km/h) when the low tire warning light
is displayed. Drive cautiously and check
your tire pressures as soon as you can.
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If you will be driving at high speeds, speeds of
100 mph (160 km/h) or higher, where it is legal, set
the cold ination pressure to the maximum ination
pressure shown on the tire sidewall, or 38 psi
(265 kPa), whichever is lower. See the example
following. When you end this high-speed driving,
return the tires to the cold ination pressure shown
on the Tire and Loading Information label. See
Loading Your Vehicle on page 349.
Example:
You will nd the maximum load and ination
pressure molded on the tire’s sidewall, in small
letters, near the rim ange. It will read something
like this: Maximum load 690 kg (1521 lbs)
300 kPa (44 psi) Max. Press.
For this example, you would set the ination
pressure for high-speed driving at
38 psi (265 kPa).Tire Pressure Monitor System
Your vehicle has a Tire Pressure Monitor
System (TPMS). This system uses radio and
sensor technology to check tire pressure levels.
Sensors are mounted onto each tire and
wheel assembly, except the compact spare tire
and wheel. The TPMS sensors monitor the
air pressure in your vehicle’s tires and transmits
the tire pressure readings to a receiver located in
the vehicle.
Using the Driver Information Center (DIC), tire
pressure levels may be viewed by the driver. For
additional information and details about the
DIC operation and displays seeDIC Controls and
Displays on page 258andDIC Warnings and
Messages on page 264.
If a low tire pressure condition is detected, the
TPMS will display the CHECK TIRE PRESSURE
warning message on the DIC display and, at
the same time, illuminate the low tire pressure
warning symbol, on the instrument panel cluster.
433

The tire pressure warning light may come on in
cool weather when the vehicle is rst started, and
then turn off as you start to drive. This could
be an early indicator that the tire pressures are
getting low and need to be inated to the
proper pressure.
Each tire, including the spare (if provided), should
be checked monthly when cold and inated to
the ination pressure recommended by the vehicle
manufacturer on the vehicle placard or tire
ination pressure label. (If your vehicle has tires of
a different size than the size indicated on the
vehicle placard or tire ination pressure label, you
should determine the proper tire ination
pressure for those tires.)As an added safety
feature, your vehicle has
been equipped with a
tire pressure monitoring
system (TPMS) that
illuminates a low tire
pressure telltale when
one or more of your tires
is signicantly
under-inated.
Accordingly, when the low tire pressure telltale
illuminates, you should stop and check your tires
as soon as possible, and inate them to the
proper pressure. Driving on a signicantly
under-inated tire causes the tire to overheat and
can lead to tire failure. Under-ination also
reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life, and may
affect the vehicle’s handling and stopping ability.
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Winter tires with the same speed rating as your
original equipment tires may not be available for H,
V, W, Y and ZR speed rated tires. If you choose
snow tires with a lower speed rating, never exceed
the tire’s maximum speed capability.
{CAUTION:
Mixing tires could cause you to lose
control while driving. If you mix tires of
different sizes (other than those originally
installed on your vehicle), brands, or
types (radial and bias-belted tires), the
vehicle may not handle properly, and you
could have a crash. Using tires of
different sizes (other than those originally
installed on your vehicle), brands, or
types may also cause damage to your
vehicle. Be sure to use the correct size,
brand, and type of tires on all wheels. It is
all right to drive with your vehicle’s
compact spare temporarily, it was
developed for use on your vehicle. See
Compact Spare Tire on page 475.
{CAUTION:
If you use bias-ply tires on your vehicle,
the wheel rim anges could develop
cracks after many miles of driving. A tire
and/or wheel could fail suddenly, causing
a crash. Use only radial-ply tires with the
wheels on your vehicle.
If you must replace your vehicle’s tires with those
that do not have a TPC Spec number, make
sure they are the same size, load range, speed
rating, and construction type (radial and
bias-belted tires) as your vehicle’s original tires.
Vehicles that have a tire pressure monitoring
system may give an inaccurate low-pressure
warning if non-TPC Spec rated tires are installed
on it. Non-TPC Spec rated tires may give a
low-pressure warning that is higher or lower than
the proper warning level you would get with
TPC Spec rated tires. SeeTire Pressure Monitor
System on page 433.
442

Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Quality grades can be found where applicable on
the tire sidewall between tread shoulder and
maximum section width. For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A
The following information relates to the system
developed by the United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which
grades tires by treadwear, traction, and
temperature performance. This applies only to
vehicles sold in the United States. The grades are
molded on the sidewalls of most passenger car
tires. The Uniform Tire Quality Grading (UTQG)
system does not apply to deep tread, winter-type
snow tires, space-saver, or temporary use
spare tires, tires with nominal rim diameters of
10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm), or to some
limited-production tires.
While the tires available on General Motors
passenger cars and light trucks may vary with
respect to these grades, they must also conform to
federal safety requirements and additional General
Motors Tire Performance Criteria (TPC) standards.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based
on the wear rate of the tire when tested under
controlled conditions on a specied government
test course. For example, a tire graded 150 would
wear one and a half (1.5) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded 100. The
relative performance of tires depends upon the
actual conditions of their use, however, and may
depart signicantly from the norm due to variations
in driving habits, service practices, and differences
in road characteristics and climate.
Traction – AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are
AA, A, B, and C. Those grades represent the tire’s
ability to stop on wet pavement as measured under
controlled conditions on specied government test
surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire marked
C may have poor traction performance.
Warning:The traction grade assigned to this tire
is based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration, cornering,
hydroplaning, or peak traction characteristics.
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