2009 CADILLAC XLR headlamp

Racing or Other Competitive Driving
(XLR-V)
See your warranty book before using your vehicle for
racing or other competitive driving.
Notice:If you use your vehicle for racing or other
competitive driving, the engine may use more oil than
it would with normal use. Low oil levels can damage
the engine. Be sure to check the oil level often during
racing or other competitive driving and keep the level
at or near 2 quarts (2 L) above the upper mark that
shows the proper operating range on the engine oil
dipstick. For information on how to add oil, see
Engine Oil on page 6-15. After the competitive
driving, remove excess oil so that the level on the
dipstick is not above the upper mark that shows the
proper operating range.
Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving because
some drivers are likely to be impaired — by alcohol or
drugs, with night vision problems, or by fatigue.Night driving tips include:
Drive defensively.
Do not drink and drive.
Reduce headlamp glare by adjusting the inside
rearview mirror.
Slow down and keep more space between you and
other vehicles because headlamps can only light up
so much road ahead.
Watch for animals.
When tired, pull off the road.
Do not wear sunglasses.
Avoid staring directly into approaching headlamps.
Keep the windshield and all glass on your vehicle
clean — inside and out.
Keep your eyes moving, especially during turns or
curves.
No one can see as well at night as in the daytime.
But, as we get older, these differences increase.
A 50-year-old driver might need at least twice as much
light to see the same thing at night as a 20-year-old.
5-14

{CAUTION:
Snow can trap engine exhaust under the vehicle.
This may cause exhaust gases to get inside.
Engine exhaust contains carbon monoxide (CO)
which cannot be seen or smelled. It can cause
unconsciousness and even death.
If the vehicle is stuck in the snow:
Clear away snow from around the base of
your vehicle, especially any that is blocking
the exhaust pipe.
Check again from time to time to be sure
snow does not collect there.
Open a window about two inches on the side
of the vehicle that is away from the wind to
bring in fresh air.
Fully open the air outlets on or under the
instrument panel.
Adjust the Climate Control system to a setting
that circulates the air inside the vehicle and
set the fan speed to the highest setting.
See Climate Control System in the Index.
For more information about carbon monoxide,
seeEngine Exhaust on page 2-36.
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
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 the exhaust.
Run the engine for short periods only as needed to
keep warm, but be careful.
To save fuel, run the engine for only short periods as
needed to warm the vehicle and then shut the engine off
and close the window most of the way to save heat.
Repeat this until help arrives but only when you
feel really uncomfortable from the cold. Moving about to
keep warm also helps.
If it takes some time for help to arrive, now and then
when you run the engine, push the accelerator
pedal slightly so the engine runs faster than the idle
speed. This keeps the battery charged to restart
the vehicle and to signal for help with the headlamps.
Do this as little as possible to save fuel.
5-19

Service............................................................6-3
Accessories and Modications..........................6-3
California Proposition 65 Warning.....................6-4
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements.....6-4
Doing Your Own Service Work.........................6-4
Adding Equipment to the Outside of the
Vehicle......................................................6-5
Fuel................................................................6-5
Gasoline Octane............................................6-5
Gasoline Specications....................................6-6
California Fuel...............................................6-6
Additives.......................................................6-6
Fuels in Foreign Countries...............................6-7
Filling the Tank..............................................6-8
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...................................................6-15
Engine Oil Life System..................................6-18
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter................................6-20
Automatic Transmission Fluid.........................6-21
Cooling System............................................6-22
Engine Coolant.............................................6-23Engine Overheating.......................................6-27
Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode........................................6-29
Power Steering Fluid.....................................6-30
Windshield Washer Fluid................................6-31
Brakes........................................................6-32
Battery........................................................6-35
Jump Starting...............................................6-36
Rear Axle.......................................................6-41
Headlamp Aiming...........................................6-42
Headlamp Vertical Aiming..............................6-43
Bulb Replacement..........................................6-45
Windshield Replacement.................................6-45
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement..............6-45
Tires..............................................................6-46
Winter Tires (XLR-V).....................................6-47
Tire Sidewall Labeling...................................6-48
Tire Terminology and Denitions.....................6-50
Run-Flat Tires..............................................6-52
Ination - Tire Pressure.................................6-54
Tire Pressure Monitor System.........................6-55
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation.....................6-57
Tire Inspection and Rotation...........................6-60
Section 6 Service and Appearance Care
6-1

Headlamp Aiming
The high intensity discharge (HID) visual optical aiming
type headlamps have been preset at the factory and
should need no further adjustment. If the headlamps
need to be re-aimed, it is recommended to see your
dealer/retailer for service. However, it is possible to
re-aim the headlamps as described in the following
procedure.
Notice:To make sure the headlamps are aimed
properly, read all the instructions before beginning.
Failure to follow these instructions could cause
damage to headlamp parts.
The vehicle should be properly prepared as follows:
The vehicle should be placed so the headlamps are
25 ft (7.6 m) from a light colored wall.
The vehicle must have all four tires on a perfectly
level surface which is level all the way to the wall.
The vehicle should be placed so it is perpendicular
to the wall.
The vehicle should not have any snow, ice, or mud
attached to it.
The vehicle should be fully assembled all other
work stopped while headlamp aiming is being done.
The vehicle should be normally loaded with a
full tank of fuel and one person or 160 lbs (75 kg) on
the driver seat.
The tires should be properly inated.
Start the vehicle and rock it to level the suspension.
Headlamp aiming is done with the low-beam
headlamps. The high-beam headlamps are correctly
aimed if the low-beam headlamps are aimed properly.
The headlamp aiming
device is under the hood
near the headlamps.
6-42

Headlamp Vertical Aiming
To properly prepare the vehicle for vertical headlamp
aiming, seeHeadlamp Aiming on page 6-42for
more information.
Notice:Horizontal aiming must be performed
before making any adjustments to the vertical aim.
Adjusting the vertical aim rst will result in an
incorrect headlamp aim.
To adjust the vertical aim:
1. Open the hood. SeeHood Release on page 6-11
for more information.
2. Locate the aim dot on the inner projector lens of the
low-beam headlamp.
3. Measure the distance from the ground to the aim
dot on each low-beam headlamp. Record this
distance.4. At the wall or other at surface, measure from the
ground upward (A) to the recorded distance from
Step 3 and mark it.
Notice:Do not cover a headlamp to improve beam
cut-off when aiming. Covering a headlamp may
cause excessive heat build-up which may cause
damage to the headlamp.
5. Draw or tape a horizontal line (B) on the wall or at
surface the width of the vehicle at the height of the
mark in Step 4.
6. Turn on the low-beam headlamps and place a
piece of cardboard in front of the headlamp not
being aimed. This should allow only the beam of
light from the headlamp being aimed to be seen on
the at surface.
6-43

7. Locate the vertical headlamp aiming screws, which
are under the hood near each headlamp assembly.
The adjustment screw can be turned with a
6 mm male hex.
8. Turn the vertical
aiming screw until the
headlamp beam is
aimed to the horizontal
tape line.
9. The top edge of the cut-off should be positioned at
the bottom edge of the horizontal tape line.10. Make sure that the light from the headlamp is
positioned at the bottom edge of the horizontal tape
line. The lamp on the left (A) shows the correct
headlamp aim. The lamp on the right (B) shows the
incorrect headlamp aim.
11. Repeat Steps 7 through 9 for the opposite
headlamp.
6-44

Wheel Replacement
Replace any wheel that is bent, cracked, or badly rusted
or corroded. If wheel nuts keep coming loose, the wheel,
wheel bolts, and wheel nuts should be replaced. If the
wheel leaks air, replace it (except some aluminum
wheels, which can sometimes be repaired). See your
dealer/retailer if any of these conditions exist.
Your dealer/retailer will know the kind of wheel you need.
Each new wheel should have the same load-carrying
capacity, diameter, width, offset, and be mounted
the same way as the one it replaces.
If you need to replace any of your wheels, wheel bolts or
wheel nuts, replace them only with new GM original
equipment parts. This way, you will be sure to have the
right wheel, wheel bolts, and wheel nuts for your vehicle.
{CAUTION:
Using the wrong replacement wheels, wheel bolts,
or wheel nuts on your vehicle can be dangerous.
It could affect the braking and handling of your
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
vehicle, make your tires lose air and make you
lose control. You could have a collision in which
you or others could be injured. Always use the
correct wheel, wheel bolts, and wheel nuts for
replacement.
{CAUTION:
Putting a used wheel on the vehicle is dangerous.
You cannot know how it has been used or how far
it has been driven. It could fail suddenly and
cause a crash. If you have to replace a wheel, use
a new GM original equipment wheel.
Notice:The wrong wheel can also cause problems
with bearing life, brake cooling, speedometer or
odometer calibration, headlamp aim, bumper height,
vehicle ground clearance, and tire clearance to
the body and chassis.
6-66

Fuses Usage
4 Windshield Wipers
5 Stop/Back-Up Lamps
6 Oxygen Sensor
7 Battery 5
8 Parking Lamps
9 Electronic Throttle Control
10 Fuel Pump
11 Antilock Brake System
12 Odd Injectors
13 Electronic Suspension Control
14 Emission Controls
15 Air Conditioning Compressor
16 Even Injectors
17Windshield Washer, Adaptive
Forward Lighting System (AFS),
Intercooler Pump
18 Headlamp WasherFuses Usage
19 Right Low Beam Headlamp
20 Not Used
21 Left Low Beam Headlamp
22 Fog Lamp
23 Right High Beam Headlamp
24 Left High Beam Headlamp
25 Cooling Fan
26 Battery 3
27 Antilock Brakes
28 Climate Controls
29 Battery 2
30 Starter
31 Audio Amplier
32 Not Used
33 Battery 1
48 Spare
6-88