2011 CADILLAC CTS service

Black plate (24,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
10-24 Vehicle Care
4. Then replace the pressure cap.Be sure the pressure cap is
hand-tight and fully seated.
Notice: If the pressure cap is not
tightly installed, coolant loss and
possible engine damage may
occur. Be sure the cap is properly
and tightly secured.
If the coolant is not at the proper
level when the system cools down
again, see your dealer.
Engine Overheating
The vehicle has several indicators
to warn of engine overheating.
There are two engine hot messages
that may be displayed in the Driver
Information Center (DIC). See
Engine Cooling System Messages
on page 5‑35for more information.
You may decide not to lift the hood
when one of these warnings appear,
but get service help right away. See
Roadside Service on page 13‑7. If you do decide to lift the hood,
make sure the vehicle is parked on
a level surface.
Then check to see if the engine
cooling fans are running. If the
engine is overheating, the fan(s)
should be running. If they are not,
do not continue to run the engine
and have the vehicle serviced.
Notice:
Engine damage from
running the engine without
coolant is not covered by the
warranty.
Notice: If the engine catches fire
because of being driven with no
coolant, your vehicle can be
badly damaged. The costly
repairs would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty.
If Steam Is Coming from the
Engine Compartment
{WARNING
Steam from an overheated engine
can burn you badly, even if you
just open the hood. Stay away
from the engine if you see or hear
steam coming from it. Just turn it
off and get everyone away from
the vehicle until it cools down.
Wait until there is no sign of
steam or coolant before you open
the hood.
If you keep driving when your
engine is overheated, the liquids
in it can catch fire. You or others
could be badly burned. Stop your
engine if it overheats, and get out
of the vehicle until the engine
is cool.

Black plate (27,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-27
Open the cap with the washer
symbol on it. Add washer fluid until
the tank is full. SeeEngine
Compartment Overview
on
page 10‑6for reservoir location.
Notice:
.When using concentrated
washer fluid, follow the
manufacturer's instructions
for adding water.
.Do not mix water with
ready-to-use washer fluid.
Water can cause the solution
to freeze and damage the
washer fluid tank and other
parts of the washer system.
Also, water does not clean as
well as washer fluid.
.Fill the washer fluid tank only
three-quarters full when it is
very cold. This allows for
fluid expansion if freezing
occurs, which could damage
the tank if it is
completely full.
.Do not use engine coolant
(antifreeze) in the windshield
washer. It can damage the
vehicle's windshield washer
system and paint.
Brakes
This vehicle has 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 the vehicle is
moving, except when applying the
brake pedal firmly.
{WARNING
The brake wear warning sound
means that soon the brakes will
not work well. That could lead to
a crash. When the brake wear
warning sound is heard, have the
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 first 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
specifications in Capacities and
Specifications on page 12‑2.

Black plate (28,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
10-28 Vehicle Care
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
that brake service might be
required.
Brake Adjustment
Every time the brakes are applied,
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. The vehicle was designed
and tested with top-quality brake
parts. When parts of the braking
system are replaced, be sure to get
new, approved replacement parts.
If this is not done, the brakes might
not work properly. For example,installing disc brake pads that are
wrong for the vehicle, can change
the balance between the front and
rear brakes
—for the worse. The
braking performance expected can
change in many other ways if the
wrong replacement brake parts are
installed.
Brake Fluid
The brake master cylinder reservoir
is filled with DOT 3 brake fluid as
indicated on the reservoir cap. See
Engine Compartment Overview
on
page 10‑6for the location of the
reservoir. There are only two reasons why the
brake fluid level in the reservoir
might go down:
.The brake fluid level goes down
because of normal brake lining
wear. When new linings are
installed, the fluid level goes
back up.
.A fluid leak in the brake
hydraulic system can also cause
a low fluid level. Have the brake
hydraulic system fixed, since a
leak means that sooner or later
the brakes will not work well.

Black plate (32,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
10-32 Vehicle Care
How to Check Lubricant
To get an accurate reading, the
vehicle should be on a level
surface.
If the level is below the bottom of
the filler plug hole, located on the
rear axle, you'll need to add some
lubricant. Add enough lubricant to
raise the level to the bottom of the
filler plug hole.
What to Use
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule
to determine what kind of lubricant
to use. SeeRecommended Fluids
and Lubricants on page 11‑7.
Starter Switch Check
{WARNING
When you are doing this
inspection, the vehicle could
move suddenly. If the vehicle
moves, you or others could be
injured.
1. Before starting this check, be sure there is enough room
around the vehicle.
2. Firmly apply both the parking brake and the regular brake.
See Parking Brake (Manual)
on
page 9‑33or Parking Brake
(Electric) on page 9‑34. Do not use the accelerator
pedal, and be ready to turn off
the engine immediately if it
starts.
3. For automatic transmission vehicles, try to start the engine
in each gear. The vehicle should
start only in P (Park) or
N (Neutral). If the vehicle starts
in any other position, contact
your dealer for service.
For manual transmission
vehicles, put the shift lever in
Neutral, push the clutch pedal
down halfway, and try to start
the engine. The vehicle should
start only when the clutch pedal
is pushed down all the way to
the floor. If the vehicle starts
when the clutch pedal is not
pushed all the way down,
contact your dealer for service.

Black plate (33,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-33
Automatic Transmission
Shift Lock Control
Function Check
{WARNING
When you are doing this
inspection, the vehicle could
move suddenly. If the vehicle
moves, you or others could be
injured.
1. Before starting this check, be sure there is enough room
around the vehicle. It should be
parked on a level surface.
2. Firmly apply the parking brake. See Parking Brake (Manual)
on
page 9‑33or Parking Brake
(Electric) on page 9‑34.
Be ready to apply the regular
brake immediately if the vehicle
begins to move.
3. With the engine off, turn the ignition to ON/RUN, but do not
start the engine. Without applying the regular brake, try to
move the shift lever out of
P (Park) with normal effort. If the
shift lever moves out of P (Park),
contact your dealer for service.
Ignition Transmission
Lock Check
While parked, and with the parking
brake set, try to turn the ignition to
LOCK/OFF in each shift lever
position.
.The ignition should turn to
LOCK/OFF only when the shift
lever is in P (Park).
.With the key access ignition
system, the ignition key should
come out only in LOCK/OFF.
See
Ignition Positions (Key
Access)
on page 9‑16or
Ignition Positions (Keyless
Access) on page 9‑18.
Contact your dealer if service is
required.
Park Brake and P (Park)
Mechanism Check
{WARNING
When you are doing this check,
the vehicle could begin to move.
You or others could be injured
and property could be damaged.
Make sure there is room in front
of the vehicle in case it begins to
roll. Be ready to apply the regular
brake at once should the vehicle
begin to move.
Park on a fairly steep hill, with the
vehicle facing downhill. Keeping
your foot on the regular brake, set
the parking brake.
.To check the parking brake's
holding ability: With the engine
running and the transmission in
N (Neutral), slowly remove foot
pressure from the regular brake
pedal. Do this until the vehicle is
held by the parking brake only.

Black plate (34,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
10-34 Vehicle Care
.To check the P (Park)
mechanism's holding ability:
With the engine running, shift to
P (Park). Then release the
parking brake followed by the
regular brake.
Contact your dealer if service is
required.
Wiper Blade Replacement
Windshield wiper blades should be
inspected for wear or cracking. See
Scheduled Maintenance
on
page 11‑3.
It is a good idea to clean or replace
the wiper blade assembly on a
regular basis or when worn. For
proper windshield wiper blade
length and type, see Maintenance
Replacement Parts on page 11‑9. To replace the wiper blade
assembly:
1. Turn the ignition to ON/RUN with
the engine off.
2. Turn on the windshield wipers and turn them off again when
the wipers are in the out-wipe
position. The driver side blade
will be straight up and down on
the windshield.
3. Pull the windshield wiper assembly away from the
windshield.
4. Lift up the wiper bladeassembly cap.
5. Pull the wiper blade assembly down far enough to release it
from the J-hooked end of the
wiper arm. Slide the assembly
away from the arm.
Allowing the wiper blade arm to
touch the windshield when no
wiper blade is installed could
damage the windshield. Any
damage that occurs would not
be covered by your warranty. Do
not allow the wiper blade arm to
touch the windshield.

Black plate (35,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-35
6. Replace the blade with anew one.
7. Reinstall the wiper bladeassembly by sliding it over the
wiper arm to engage the
J-hooked end. Pull up on the
assembly to lock it into place.
8. Repeat the steps for the other wiper.
Headlamp Aiming
The vehicle has a visual optical
headlamp aiming system. The aim
has been preset at the factory and
should need no further adjustment.
However, if the vehicle is damaged
in a crash, the headlamp aim may
be affected and adjustment may be
necessary.
If oncoming vehicles flash their high
beams at you, this may also mean
the vertical aim needs to be
adjusted.
It is recommended that the vehicle
is taken to your dealer for service if
the headlamps need to be re-aimed.
It is possible, however, to re-aim the
headlamps as described.
The vehicle should:
.Be placed so the headlamps are
7.6 m (25 ft) from a light
colored wall.
.Have all four tires on a level
surface which is level all the way
to the wall.
.Be placed so it is perpendicular
to the wall.
.Not have any snow, ice, or mud
on it.
.Be fully assembled and have all
other work stopped while
headlamp aiming is being
performed.
.Be loaded with a full tank of fuel
and one person or 75 kg
(160 lbs) sitting on the
driver seat.
.Have all tires properly inflated.
.Have the spare tire (if equipped)
in its original location in the
vehicle.
Headlamp aiming is done with the
vehicle's low-beam headlamps. The
high-beam headlamps will be
correctly aimed if the low-beam
headlamps are aimed properly.

Black plate (38,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
10-38 Vehicle Care
Bulb Replacement
For the proper type of replacement
bulbs, seeReplacement Bulbson
page 10‑40.
For any bulb changing procedure
not listed in this section, contact
your dealer.
Halogen Bulbs
{WARNING
Halogen bulbs have pressurized
gas inside and can burst if you
drop or scratch the bulb. You or
others could be injured. Be sure
to read and follow the instructions
on the bulb package.
High Intensity Discharge
(HID) Lighting
{WARNING
The low beam high intensity
discharge lighting system
operates at a very high voltage.
If you try to service any of the
system components, you could be
seriously injured. Have your
dealer or a qualified technician
service them.
The up‐level vehicle has HID
headlamps. After an HID headlamp
bulb has been replaced, the beam
might be a slightly different shade
than it was originally. This is normal.
Fog Lamps
To replace a front fog lamp bulb:
1. Pull out the push-pins located on the underside of the protection
shield to remove the shield.
2. Reach up behind the front bumper area from under the
vehicle to access the lamp
housing.