Black plate (14,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
9-14 Driving and Operating
Example 2
A.
Vehicle Capacity Weight for
Example 2 = 453 kg
(1,000 lbs).
B.Subtract Occupant Weight
@ 68 kg (150 lbs) × 5 =
340 kg (750 lbs).
C.Available Cargo Weight =
113 kg (250 lbs).
Example 3
A.
Vehicle Capacity Weight for
Example 3 = 453 kg
(1,000 lbs).
B.Subtract Occupant Weight
@ 91 kg (200 lbs) × 5 =
453 kg (1,000 lbs).
C.Available Cargo Weight =
0 kg (0 lbs).
Refer to the vehicle's Tire and
Loading Information label for
specific information about the
vehicle's capacity weight and seating positions. The combined
weight of the driver, passengers,
and cargo should never exceed
the vehicle's capacity weight.
Certification Label
Label Example
A vehicle specific Certification
label is attached to either the
driver's door edge or the lower
center pillar on the driver's side
of the vehicle. The label tells the
gross weight capacity of the
vehicle, called the Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating (GVWR). The
Black plate (15,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-15
GVWR includes the weight of
the vehicle, all occupants, fuel,
and cargo. Never exceed the
GVWR for the vehicle, or the
Gross Axle Weight Rating
(GAWR) for either the front or
rear axle.
If the vehicle is carrying a heavy
load, it should be spread out.
See“Steps for Determining
Correct Load Limit” earlier in this
section.
{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.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
These could cause you to lose
control and crash. Also,
overloading can shorten the
life of the vehicle.
{WARNING
Things you put inside the
vehicle can strike and injure
people in a sudden stop or
turn, or in a crash.
.Put things in the cargo
area of the vehicle. In the
cargo area, put them as
far forward as you can. Try
to spread the weight
evenly.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
.Never stack heavier
things, like suitcases,
inside the vehicle so that
some of them are above
the tops of the seats.
.Do not leave an
unsecured child restraint
in the vehicle.
.When you carry something
inside the vehicle, secure
it whenever you can.
.Do not leave a seat folded
down unless you need to.
Black plate (23,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-23
WARNING (Continued)
firmly set. And, if you leave the
vehicle with the engine running, it
could overheat and even catch
fire. You or others could be
injured. Do not leave the vehicle
with the engine running.
If you have to leave the vehicle with
the engine running, the vehicle must
be in P (Park) and the parking brake
set. After shifting into P (Park), try to
move the shift lever out without first
pushing the button on the shift lever.
If you can, the shift lever was not
fully locked into P (Park).
Torque Lock (Automatic
Transmission)
Torque lock is when the weight of
the vehicle puts too much force on
the parking pawl in the
transmission. This happens when
parking on a hill and shifting the
transmission into P (Park) is not
done properly and then it is difficult to shift out of P (Park). To prevent
torque lock, set the parking brake
and then shift into P (Park). To find
out how, see "Shifting Into Park"
listed previously.
If torque lock does occur, the
vehicle may need to be pushed
uphill by another vehicle to relieve
the parking pawl pressure, so you
can shift out of P (Park).
Shifting Out of Park
This vehicle is equipped with an
electronic shift lock release system.
The shift lock release is
designed to:
.Prevent ignition key removal
unless the shift lever is in
P (Park) with the shift lever
button fully released, for vehicles
with key access.
.Prevent movement of the shift
lever out of P (Park), unless the
ignition is in ON/RUN or ACC/
ACCESSORY and the brake
pedal is applied.
The shift lock release is always
functional except in the case of an
uncharged or low voltage (less than
9 volt) battery.
If the vehicle has an uncharged
battery or a battery with low voltage,
try charging or jump starting the
battery. See
Jump Starting
on
page 10‑112for more information.
To shift out of P (Park):
1. Apply the brake pedal.
2. Press the shift lever button.
3. Move the shift lever.
If unable to shift out of P (Park):
1. Fully release the shift lever button.
2. While holding down the brake pedal, press the shift lever
button again.
3. Move the shift lever.
If the shift lever will not move from
P (Park), consult your dealer or a
professional towing service.
Black plate (52,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
9-52 Driving and Operating
Towing
General Towing
Information
Only use towing equipment that has
been designed for the vehicle.
Contact your dealer or trailering
dealer for assistance with preparing
the vehicle for towing a trailer.
See the following trailer towing
information in this section:
.For information on driving while
towing a trailer, see“Driving
Characteristics and
Towing Tips.”
.For maximum vehicle and trailer
weights, see “Trailer Towing.”
.For information on equipment to
tow a trailer, see “Towing
Equipment.”
For information on towing a disabled
vehicle, see Towing the Vehicle
on
page 10‑117. For information on
towing the vehicle behind another vehicle such as a motorhome, see
Recreational Vehicle Towing
on
page 10‑117.
Driving Characteristics
and Towing Tips
{WARNING
The driver can lose control when
pulling a trailer if the correct
equipment is not used or the
vehicle is not driven properly. For
example, if the trailer is too
heavy, the brakes may not work
well —or even at all. The driver
and passengers could be
seriously injured. The vehicle may
also be damaged; the resulting
repairs would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Pull a trailer
only if all the steps in this section
have been followed. Ask your
dealer for advice and information
about towing a trailer with the
vehicle. The vehicle can tow a trailer if it is
equipped with the proper trailer
towing equipment. To identify the
trailering capacity of the vehicle, see
Trailer Towing (Except CTS-V)
on
page 9‑56or Trailer Towing
(CTS-V)on page 9‑57. Trailering
changes handling, acceleration,
braking, durability, and fuel
economy. With the added weight,
the engine, transmission, wheel
assemblies, and tires are forced to
work harder and under greater
loads. The trailer also adds wind
resistance, increasing the pulling
requirements. For safe trailering,
correctly use the proper trailering
equipment.
The following information has
important trailering tips and rules for
your safety and that of your
passengers. Read this section
carefully before pulling a trailer.
Black plate (53,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-53
Pulling A Trailer
Here are some important points:
.There are many laws, including
speed limit restrictions that apply
to trailering. Check for legal
requirements with state or
provincial police.
.Do not tow a trailer at all during
the first 1 600 km (1,000 miles)
the new vehicle is driven. The
engine, axle, or other parts could
be damaged.
.During the first 800 km
(500 miles) that a trailer is
towed, do not drive over 80 km/h
(50 mph) and do not make starts
at full throttle. This reduces wear
on the vehicle.
.Vehicles with automatic
transmissions can tow in
D (Drive) but M (Manual Mode)
is recommended. SeeManual
Mode
on page 9‑28for more
information. Use a lower gear if
the transmission shifts too often. For vehicles with a manual
transmission, it is better not to
use the highest gear.
.Use the cruise control when
towing.
.Obey speed limit restrictions. Do
not drive faster than the
maximum posted speed for
trailers, or no more than 90 km/h
(55 mph), to reduce wear on the
vehicle.
Driving with a Trailer
Towing a trailer requires experience.
Get familiar with handling and
braking with the added trailer
weight. The vehicle is now longer
and not as responsive as the
vehicle is by itself.
Check all trailer hitch parts and
attachments, safety chains,
electrical connectors, lamps, tires,
and mirror adjustments. If the trailer
has electric brakes, start the vehicle
and trailer moving and then apply
the trailer brake controller by hand
to be sure the brakes are working.During the trip, check regularly to be
sure that the load is secure, and the
lamps and trailer brakes are working
properly.
Towing with a Stability Control
System
When towing, the sound of the
stability control system might be
heard. The system is reacting to the
vehicle movement caused by the
trailer, which mainly occurs during
cornering. This is normal when
towing heavier trailers.
Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the
vehicle ahead as you would when
driving the vehicle without a trailer.
This can help to avoid situations
that require heavy braking and
sudden turns.
Black plate (56,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
9-56 Driving and Operating
Engine Cooling When Trailer
Towing
The cooling system may temporarily
overheat during severe operating
conditions. SeeEngine Overheating
on page 10‑24.
Trailer Towing
(Except CTS-V)
Before pulling a trailer, there are
three important considerations that
have to do with weight:
.The weight of the trailer.
.The weight of the trailer tongue.
.The total weight on the vehicle's
tires.
Weight of the Trailer
How heavy can a trailer safely be?
It should never weigh more than
450 kg (1,000 lbs). But even that
can be too heavy. Speed, altitude, road grades,
outside temperature, special
equipment, and the amount of
tongue weight the vehicle can carry
must be considered. See
“Weight of
the Trailer Tongue” later in this
section for more information.
Maximum trailer weight is calculated
assuming only the driver is in the
tow vehicle and it has all the
required trailering equipment. The
weight of additional optional
equipment, passengers, and cargo
in the tow vehicle must be
subtracted from the maximum
trailer weight.
Ask your dealer for our trailering
information or advice, or write us at
our Customer Assistance Offices.
See Roadside Service
on
page 13‑7for more information.
Weight of the Trailer Tongue
The tongue load (A) of any trailer is
an important weight to measure
because it affects the total gross
weight of the vehicle. The Gross
Vehicle Weight (GVW) includes the
curb weight of the vehicle, any
cargo carried in it, and the people
who will be riding in the vehicle.
If there are a lot of options,
equipment, passengers or cargo in
the vehicle, it will reduce the tongue
weight the vehicle can carry, which
will also reduce the trailer weight the
vehicle can tow. If towing a trailer,
the tongue load must be added to
the GVW because the vehicle will
be carrying that weight, too. See
Vehicle Load Limits
on page 9‑11for more information about the
vehicle's maximum load capacity.
Black plate (57,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-57
For a weight-carrying hitch, the
trailer tongue (A) should weigh 10 to
15 percent of the total loaded trailer
weight (B).
After loading the trailer, weigh the
trailer and then the tongue,
separately, to see if the weights are
proper. If they are not, adjustments
might be made by moving some
items around in the trailer.
Total Weight on the Vehicle's
Tires
Inflate the vehicle's tires to the
upper limit for cold tires. These
numbers can be found on the
Certification label or seeVehicle
Load Limits
on page 9‑11. Do not
go over the GVW limit for the
vehicle, or the GAWR, including the
weight of the trailer tongue.
Trailer Towing (CTS-V)
The vehicle is neither designed nor
intended to tow a trailer.
Towing Equipment
Hitches
Use the correct hitch equipment.
See your dealer or a hitch dealer for
assistance.
.The rear bumper on the vehicle
is not intended for hitches. Do
not attach rental hitches or other
bumper-type hitches to it. Use
only a frame-mounted hitch that
does not attach to the bumper.
.Will any holes be made in the
body of the vehicle when the
trailer hitch is installed? If there
are, seal the holes when the
hitch is removed. If the holes are
not sealed, dirt, water, and
deadly carbon monoxide (CO)
from the exhaust can get into the
vehicle. See Engine Exhaust
on
page 9‑24.
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.