2011 CADILLAC CTS tire pressure

Black plate (12,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
9-12 Driving and Operating
Two labels on the vehicle show
how much weight it may
properly carry, the Tire and
Loading Information label and
the Certification label.
{WARNING
Do not load the vehicle any
heavier than the Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating
(GVWR), or either the
maximum front or rear Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR).
If you do, parts on the vehicle
can break, and it can change
the way the vehicle handles.
These could cause you to lose
control and crash. Also,
overloading can shorten the
life of the vehicle. Tire and Loading Information
Label
Label Example
A vehicle specific Tire and
Loading Information label is
attached to the vehicle's center
pillar (B-pillar). With the driver's
door open, you will find the label
attached near the door lock
post. The Tire and Loading
Information label shows the
number of occupant seating positions (A), and the maximum
vehicle capacity weight (B) in
kilograms and pounds.
The Tire and Loading
Information label also shows the
tire size of the original
equipment tires (C) and the
recommended cold tire inflation
pressures (D). For more
information on tires and inflation
see
Tires
on page 10‑66and Tire
Pressure
on page 10‑74.
There is also important loading
information on the Certification
label. It tells you the Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR)
and the Gross Axle Weight
Rating (GAWR) for the front and
rear axle. See “Certification
Label” later in this section.

Black plate (32,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
9-32 Driving and Operating
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive
Vehicles with this feature always
send engine power to all four
wheels. It is fully automatic, and
adjusts itself as needed for road
conditions.
When using a compact spare tire on
an AWD vehicle, the system
automatically detects the compact
spare and disables AWD. To restore
AWD operation and prevent
excessive wear on the system,
replace the compact spare with a
full-size tire as soon as possible.
SeeCompact Spare Tire
on
page 10‑111for more information.
Brakes
Antilock Brake
System (ABS)
This vehicle has the Antilock Brake
System (ABS), an advanced
electronic braking system that helps
prevent a braking skid.
When the engine is started and the
vehicle begins to drive away, ABS
checks itself. A momentary motor or
clicking noise might be heard while
this test is going on, and it might
even be noticed that the brake
pedal moves a little. This is normal.
If there is a problem with ABS, this
warning light stays on. See Antilock
Brake System (ABS) Warning Light
on page 5‑23. If driving safely on a wet road and it
becomes necessary to slam on the
brakes and continue braking to
avoid a sudden obstacle, a
computer senses that the wheels
are slowing down. If one of the
wheels is about to stop rolling, the
computer will separately work the
brakes at each wheel.
ABS can change the brake pressure
to each wheel, as required, faster
than any driver could. This can help
the driver steer around the obstacle
while braking hard.
As the brakes are applied, the
computer keeps receiving updates
on wheel speed and controls
braking pressure accordingly.

Black plate (2,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
10-2 Vehicle Care
Rear Compartment FuseBlock (CTS Coupe and
Sedan) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-58
Rear Compartment Fuse Block (CTS-V Coupe and
Sedan) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-60
Rear Compartment Fuse Block (CTS Wagon) . . . . . . . 10-62
Rear Compartment Fuse Block (CTS-V Wagon) . . . . . 10-64
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-66
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-67
Low-Profile Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-67
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . 10-68
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . 10-70
Tire Terminology andDefinitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-71
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-74
Tire Pressure for High-Speed Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-75
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-76
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-77
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-80
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-81 When It Is Time for New
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-82
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-83
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-85
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-85
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-87
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . 10-88
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-89
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . 10-90
Tire Sealant and Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . 10-92
Storing the Tire Sealant and Compressor Kit
(Wagon) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-101
Storing the Tire Sealant and Compressor Kit
(Coupe) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-101
Storing the Tire Sealant and Compressor Kit
(Sedan) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-102
Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-102
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . 10-111
Jump Starting
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-112
Towing
Towing the Vehicle . . . . . . . . 10-117
Recreational Vehicle Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-117
Appearance Care
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-120
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-124
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-127

Black plate (66,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
10-66 Vehicle Care
Wheels and Tires
Tires
Your new vehicle comes with
high-quality tires made by a
leading tire manufacturer. If you
ever have questions about your
tire warranty and where to
obtain service, see your vehicle
Warranty booklet for details. For
additional information refer to
the tire manufacturer.
{WARNING
.Poorly maintained and
improperly used tires are
dangerous.
.Overloading your tires can
cause overheating as a result
of too much flexing. You
could have a blowout and a
serious accident. SeeVehicle
Load Limits on page 9‑11.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
.Under inflated tires pose the
same danger as overloaded
tires. The resulting crash
could cause serious injury.
Check all tires frequently to
maintain the recommended
pressure. Tire pressure
should be checked when your
tires are cold.
.Over inflated tires are more
likely to be cut, punctured,
or broken by a sudden
impact—such as when you
hit a pothole. Keep tires at
the recommended pressure.
.Worn or old tires can cause a
crash. If your tread is badly
worn, replace them.
.Replace any tires that have
been damaged by impacts
with potholes, curbs, etc.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
.Improperly repaired tires can
cause a crash. Only your
dealer or an authorized tire
service center should repair,
replace, dismount, and mount
the tires.
.Do not spin the tires in
excess of 55 km/h (35 mph)
on slippery surfaces such as
snow, mud, ice, etc.
Excessive spinning may
cause the tires to explode.
See Tire Pressure for High-Speed
Operation
on page 10‑75for inflation
pressure adjustment for high-speed
driving.

Black plate (67,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-67
Winter Tires
If you expect to drive on snow or ice
covered roads often, you may want
to get winter tires for your vehicle.
All season tires provide good overall
performance on most surfaces but
they may not offer the traction you
would like or the same level of
performance as winter tires on snow
or ice covered roads.
Winter tires, in general, are
designed for increased traction on
snow and ice covered roads. With
winter tires, there may be decreased
dry road traction, increased road
noise, and shorter tread life. After
switching to winter tires, be alert for
changes in vehicle handling and
braking.
See your dealer for details
regarding winter tire availability and
proper tire selection. Also, see
Buying New Tires on page 10‑83.If you choose to use winter tires:.Use tires of the same brand and
tread type on all four wheel
positions.
.Use only radial ply tires of the
same size, load range, and
speed rating as the original
equipment tires.
Winter tires with the same speed
rating as your original equipment
tires may not be available for H, V,
W, and ZR speed rated tires. If you
choose winter tires with a lower
speed rating, never exceed the tire's
maximum speed capability.
Low-Profile Tires
If your vehicle has P235/50R18,
245/45ZR19, P245/45R19, 255/
40ZR19 or 285/35ZR19 size
tires, they are classified as
low‐profile tires. These tires are
designed for very responsive
driving on wet or dry pavement.
You may also notice more road noise with low‐profile
performance tires and that they
tend to wear faster.
Notice:If the vehicle has
low‐profile tires, they are more
susceptible to damage from
road hazards or curb impact
than standard profile tires.
Tire and/or wheel assembly
damage can occur when
coming into contact with road
hazards like, potholes,
or sharp edged objects,
or when sliding into a curb.
The vehicle warranty does not
cover this type of damage.
Keep tires set to the correct
inflation pressure and, when
possible avoid contact with
curbs, potholes, and other
road hazards.

Black plate (69,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-69
(E) Tire Ply Material:The type
of cord and number of plies in
the sidewall and under the tread.
(F) Uniform Tire Quality
Grading (UTQG)
:Tire
manufacturers are required to
grade tires based on three
performance factors: treadwear,
traction, and temperature
resistance. For more information
see Uniform Tire Quality
Grading
on page 10‑85.
(G) Maximum Cold Inflation
Load Limit
:Maximum load that
can be carried and the
maximum pressure needed to
support that load.
Compact Spare Tire Example
(A) Tire Ply Material:The type
of cord and number of plies in
the sidewall and under the tread.
(B) Temporary Use Only
:The
compact spare tire or temporary
use tire has a tread life of
approximately 5 000 km
(3,000 miles) and should not be
driven at speeds over 105 km/h
(65 mph). The compact spare
tire is for emergency use when a
regular road tire has lost air and
gone flat. If your vehicle has a compact spare tire, see
Compact Spare Tire
on
page 10‑111
and If a Tire Goes
Flat
on page 10‑90.
(C) Tire Identification Number
(TIN)
:The letters and numbers
following the DOT (Department
of Transportation) code is the
Tire Identification Number (TIN).
The TIN shows the
manufacturer and plant code,
tire size, and date the tire was
manufactured. The TIN is
molded onto both sides of the
tire, although only one side may
have the date of manufacture.
(D) Maximum Cold Inflation
Load Limit
:Maximum load that
can be carried and the
maximum pressure needed to
support that load.

Black plate (70,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
10-70 Vehicle Care
(E) Tire Inflation:The
temporary use tire or compact
spare tire should be inflated to
420 kPa (60 psi). For more
information on tire pressure and
inflation see Tire Pressure
on
page 10‑74
.
(F) Tire Size
:A combination of
letters and numbers define a
tire's width, height, aspect ratio,
construction type, and service
description. The letter T as the
first character in the tire size
means the tire is for temporary
use only.
(G) TPC Spec (Tire
Performance Criteria
Specification)
:Original
equipment tires designed to
GM's specific tire performance
criteria have a TPC specification
code molded onto the sidewall.
GM's TPC specifications meet or
exceed all federal safety
guidelines.
Tire Designations
Tire Size
The following illustration shows
an example of a typical
passenger vehicle tire size.
(A) Passenger (P‐Metric) Tire:
The United States version of a
metric tire sizing system. The
letter P as the first 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.

Black plate (71,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-71
(F) Service Description:These
characters represent the load
index and speed rating of the
tire. The load index represents
the load carrying capacity a tire
is certified to carry. The speed
rating is the maximum speed a
tire is certified to carry a load.
Tire Terminology and
Definitions
Air Pressure:The amount of
air inside the tire pressing
outward on each square inch of
the tire. Air pressure is
expressed in psi (pounds per
square inch) or kPa (kilopascal).
Accessory Weight
:This
means the combined weight of
optional accessories. Some
examples of optional
accessories are, automatic
transmission, power steering, power brakes, power windows,
power seats, and air
conditioning.
Aspect Ratio
:The relationship
of a tire's height to its width.
Belt
:A rubber coated layer of
cords that is located between
the plies and the tread. Cords
may be made from steel or other
reinforcing materials.
Bead
:The tire bead contains
steel wires wrapped by steel
cords that hold the tire onto
the rim.
Bias Ply Tire
:A pneumatic tire
in which the plies are laid at
alternate angles less than
90 degrees to the centerline of
the tread.
Cold Tire Pressure
:The
amount of air pressure in a tire,
measured in psi (pounds per
square inch) or kPa (kilopascal) before a tire has built up heat
from driving. See
Tire Pressure
on page 10‑74.
Curb Weight
:The weight of a
motor vehicle with standard and
optional equipment including the
maximum capacity of fuel, oil,
and coolant, but without
passengers and cargo.
DOT Markings
:A code molded
into the sidewall of a tire
signifying that the tire is in
compliance with the U.S.
Department of Transportation
(DOT) motor vehicle safety
standards. The DOT code
includes the Tire Identification
Number (TIN), an alphanumeric
designator which can also
identify the tire manufacturer,
production plant, brand, and
date of production.
GVWR
:Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating. See Vehicle Load Limits
on page 9‑11.