
Black plate (29,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-29
Do not top off the brake fluid.
Adding fluid does not correct a leak.
If fluid is added when the linings are
worn, there will be too much fluid
when new brake linings are
installed. Add or remove brake fluid,
as necessary, only when work is
done on the brake hydraulic system.
{WARNING
If too much brake fluid is added, it
can spill on the engine and burn,
if the engine is hot enough. You
or others could be burned, and
the vehicle could be damaged.
Add brake fluid only when work is
done on the brake hydraulic
system.
When the brake fluid falls to a low
level, the brake warning light comes
on. See Brake System Warning
Light on page 5‑22. What to Add
Use only new DOT 3 brake fluid
from a sealed container. See
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants on page 11‑7.
Always clean the brake fluid
reservoir cap and the area around
the cap before removing it. This
helps keep dirt from entering the
reservoir.
{WARNING
With the wrong kind of fluid in the
brake hydraulic system, the
brakes might not work well. This
could cause a crash. Always use
the proper brake fluid.
Notice:
.Using the wrong fluid can
badly damage brake
hydraulic system parts. For
example, just a few drops of
mineral-based oil, such as
engine oil, in the brake
hydraulic system can
damage brake hydraulic
system parts so badly that
they will have to be replaced.
Do not let someone put in
the wrong kind of fluid.
.If brake fluid is spilled on the
vehicle's painted surfaces,
the paint finish can be
damaged. Be careful not to
spill brake fluid on the
vehicle. If you do, wash it off
immediately.

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.

Black plate (85,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-85
Vehicles that have a tire pressure
monitoring system could 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. See
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation
on
page 10‑77.
Your vehicle's original equipment
tires are listed on the Tire and
Loading Information label. See
Vehicle Load Limits
on page 9‑11,
for more information about the Tire
and Loading Information label and
its location on your vehicle.
Different Size Tires and
Wheels
If you add wheels or tires that are a
different size than your original
equipment wheels and tires, this
could affect the way your vehicle
performs, including its braking, ride
and handling characteristics,
stability, and resistance to rollover.
Additionally, if your vehicle has
electronic systems such as anti‐lock
brakes, traction control, and
electronic stability control, the
performance of these systems can
be affected.
See Buying New Tires
on
page 10‑83and Accessories and
Modificationson page 10‑4for
additional information.
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

Black plate (89,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-89
Used Replacement Wheels
{WARNING
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.
Tire Chains
{WARNING
Do not use tire chains. There is
not enough clearance. Tire chains
used on a vehicle without the
proper amount of clearance can
cause damage to the brakes,
suspension, or other vehicle
parts. The area damaged by the
tire chains could cause you to
lose control of the vehicle and
you or others may be injured in a
crash. Use another type of
traction device only if its
manufacturer recommends it for(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
use on the vehicle and tire size
combination and road conditions.
Follow that manufacturer's
instructions. To help avoid
damage to the vehicle, drive
slowly, re‐adjust or remove the
device if it is contacting the
vehicle, and do not spin the
wheels. If you do find traction
devices that will fit, install them on
the rear tires.

Black plate (14,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
13-14 Customer Information
Choose a reputable repair facility
that uses quality replacement parts.
See“Collision Parts” earlier in this
section.
If the airbag has inflated, see What
Will You See After an Airbag
Inflates? on page 3‑36.
Managing the Vehicle Damage
Repair Process
In the event that your vehicle
requires damage repairs, GM
recommends that you take an active
role in its repair. If you have a
pre-determined repair facility of
choice, take your vehicle there,
or have it towed there. Specify to
the facility that any required
replacement collision parts be
original equipment parts, either new
Genuine GM parts or recycled
original GM parts. Remember,
recycled parts will not be covered by
your GM vehicle warranty. Insurance pays the bill for the repair,
but you must live with the repair.
Depending on your policy limits,
your insurance company may
initially value the repair using
aftermarket parts. Discuss this with
your repair professional, and insist
on Genuine GM parts. Remember,
if your vehicle is leased, you may be
obligated to have the vehicle
repaired with Genuine GM parts,
even if your insurance coverage
does not pay the full cost.
If another party's insurance
company is paying for the repairs,
you are not obligated to accept a
repair valuation based on that
insurance company's collision policy
repair limits, as you have no
contractual limits with that company.
In such cases, you can have control
of the repair and parts choices as
long as the cost stays within
reasonable limits.
Service Publications
Ordering Information
Service Manuals
Service Manuals have the diagnosis
and repair information on the
engines, transmission, axle,
suspension, brakes, electrical,
steering, body, etc.
Service Bulletins
Service Bulletins give additional
technical service information
needed to knowledgeably service
General Motors cars and trucks.
Each bulletin contains instructions
to assist in the diagnosis and
service of your vehicle.

Black plate (2,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
i-2 INDEX
AutomaticDoor Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . 9-26 Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-15
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Automatic Transmission
Shift Lock Control
Function Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Auxiliary Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-36
Axle, Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-31
B
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30 Exterior Lighting BatterySaver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-112
Load Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Power Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Voltage and Charging Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-31 Blade Replacement, Wiper . . . 10-34
Bluetooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-38
Boost Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27
Antilock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-36
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33, 9-34
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-32
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Break-In, New Vehicle . . . . . . . . . 9-16
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-40 Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38, 6-5
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
High Intensity Discharge(HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
License Plate Lamps . . . . . . . 10-39
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-83
C
Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
California Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . 9-48
Perchlorate MaterialsRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Camera, Rear Vision . . . . . . . . . . 9-44
Canadian Vehicle Owners . . . . . . . . iv
Capacities and Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Carbon Monoxide Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Liftgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-20
Trunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-9
Cargo Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Management System . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Cargo Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4

Black plate (5,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
INDEX i-5
Engine (cont.)Coolant Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Coolant Temperature
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Coolant Temperature Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-19
Cooling System Messages . . . 5-35
Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-10
Drive Belt Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-4
Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Oil Pressure Gauge . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
Overheated Protection Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24
Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-36
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Running While Parked . . . . . . . . 9-25
Speed Limiter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4, 9-19
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-14
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-35 Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Equipment, Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-57
Event Data Recorders . . . . . . . . 13-17
Extender, Safety Belt . . . . . . . . . . 3-28
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lamps Off Reminder . . . 6-2
Exterior Lighting Battery
Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
F
FeaturesMemory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8
Filter
Engine Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . 10-16
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Flashers, Hazard Warning . . . . . . 6-4
Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-90
Flat Tire, Changing . . . . . . . . . .10-102
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10-127
Fluid Automatic Transmission . . . . 10-15
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Power Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-26
Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-26 Fog Lamps
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . 10-38, 6-5
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Folding Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-27
Front Seats Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Heated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-11
Heated and Ventilated . . . . . . . . 3-12
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-47 Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-49
Filling a Portable FuelContainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-51
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-50
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . . 9-48
Gasoline Specifications . . . . . . . 9-48
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Recommended . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-47
Requirements, California . . . . . 9-48
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-36
Fuel Economy Driving for Better . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-23