
Black plate (22,1)Cadillac DTS Owner Manual - 2011
Checking the Fluid Level
Prepare the vehicle as follows:1. Park the vehicle on a level place. Keep the engine running.
2. With the parking brake applied, place the shift lever in P (Park).
3. With your foot on the brake pedal, move the shift lever through each gear range, pausing for about
three seconds in each range. Then, position the
shift lever in P (Park).
4. Let the engine run at idle for three to five minutes. Then, without shutting off the engine, follow these
steps:
1. Locate the transmission fluid cap which is located next to the radiator hose and below the engine air
cleaner/filter assembly on the driver side of the
vehicle. The cap is marked TRANS FLUID. See
Engine Compartment Overview
on page 6‑14for
more information on location.
2. After removing the engine air cleaner/filter assembly to reach the transmission fluid cap, turn
the cap counterclockwise to remove. Pull out the
dipstick and wipe it with a clean rag or paper towel.
3. Push it back in all the way, wait three seconds, and then pull it back out again.
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Black plate (23,1)Cadillac DTS Owner Manual - 2011
4. Check both sides of the dipstick and read the lowerlevel. The fluid level must be in the
cross-hatched area.
5. If the fluid level is in the acceptable range, push the dipstick back in all the way and turn the handle
clockwise.
6. Reinstall the engine air cleaner/filter assembly.
How to Add Automatic Transmission
Fluid
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine what
kind of transmission fluid to use. See Recommended
Fluids and Lubricants on page 7‑9. If the fluid level is low, add only enough of the proper
fluid to bring the level into the cross-hatched area on
the dipstick.
1. Pull out the dipstick.
2. Using a long-neck funnel, add enough fluid at the dipstick hole to bring it to the proper level.
It does not take much fluid, generally less than
one pint (0.5 L). Do not overfill.
Notice: Use of the incorrect automatic transmission
fluid may damage the vehicle, and the damages may
not be covered by the vehicle's warranty. Always
use the automatic transmission fluid listed in
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants on page 7‑9.
3. After adding fluid, recheck the fluid level as described under “How to Check Automatic
Transmission Fluid,” earlier in this section.
4. When the correct fluid level is obtained, push the dipstick back in all the way and turn the handle
clockwise.
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Black plate (112,1)Cadillac DTS Owner Manual - 2011
Capacities and Specifications
The following approximate capacities are given in English and metric conversions. SeeRecommended Fluids and
Lubricantson page 7‑9for more information.
Application Capacities
English Metric
Air Conditioning Refrigerant For the air conditioning system refrigerant charge
amount, see the refrigerant label located under the hood. See your dealer for more information.
Cooling System 12.6 qt12.0 L
Engine Oil with Filter 7.5 qt7.1 L
Fuel Tank 18.5 gal70.0 L
Transmission Fluid (Bottom Pan Removal) 7.4 qt7.0 L
Wheel Nut Torque 100 lb ft140Y
All capacities are approximate. When adding, be sure to fill to the approximate level as recommended in this manual.
Recheck fluid level after filling.
Engine Specifications
Engine VIN CodeTransmission Spark Plug Gap
4.6L DOHC V8 Engine SAutomatic 0.050 in (1.27 mm)
4.6L DOHC V8 Engine 6Automatic 0.050 in (1.27 mm)
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Black plate (5,1)Cadillac DTS Owner Manual - 2011
Additional Required Services
Every 12 000 km/7,500 Miles
.Rotate tires. Tires should be rotated every
12 000 km/7,500 miles. SeeTire Inspection and
Rotation on page 6‑65.
At Each Fuel Stop
.Engine oil level check. See Engine Oilon
page 6‑15.
.Engine coolant level check. See Engine Coolanton page 6‑26.
.Windshield washer fluid level check. See
Windshield Washer Fluid on page 6‑32.
Once a Month
.Tire inflation pressures check. See Inflation - Tire
Pressure on page 6‑57.
.Tire wear inspection. See Tire Inspection and
Rotation on page 6‑65.
.Sunroof track and seal inspection, if equipped. See
Sunroof on page 3‑56.
Once a Year
.Starter switch check. See Owner Checks and
Services on page 7‑7.
.Automatic transmission shiftlock control function
check. See Owner Checks and Serviceson
page 7‑7.
.Ignition transmission lock check. See Owner
Checks and Services on page 7‑7.
.Parking brake and automatic transmission P (Park)
mechanism check. See Owner Checks and
Services on page 7‑7.
.Accelerator pedal check for damage, high effort,
or binding. Replace if needed.
.Underbody flushing service.
First Engine Oil Change After Every
40 000 km/25,000 Miles
.Passenger compartment air filter replacement (or
every 24 months, whichever occurs first). More
frequent replacement may be needed if you
drive in areas with heavy traffic, areas with
poor air quality, or areas with high dust levels.
Replacement may also be needed if you notice
reduced air flow, windows fogging up, or odors.
Your dealer can help you determine when it is the
right time to replace the filter.
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Black plate (6,1)Cadillac DTS Owner Manual - 2011
First Engine Oil Change After Every
80 000 km/50,000 Miles
.Engine air cleaner filter replacement. SeeEngine
Air Cleaner/Filter on page 6‑19.
.Automatic transmission fluid and filter change
(severe service) for vehicles mainly driven in heavy
city traffic in hot weather, in hilly or mountainous
terrain, when frequently towing a trailer, or used for
taxi, police, or delivery service. See Automatic
Transmission Fluid on page 6‑21.
.Evaporative control system inspection. Check all
fuel and vapor lines and hoses for proper hook‐up,
routing, and condition. Check that the purge valve,
if the vehicle has one, works properly. Replace as
needed. An Emission Control Service. The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency or the California
Air Resources Board has determined that the
failure to perform this maintenance item will not
nullify the emission warranty or limit recall liability
prior to the completion of the vehicle's useful life.
We, however, urge that all recommended
maintenance services be performed at the
indicated intervals and the maintenance be
recorded.
First Engine Oil Change After Every
160 000 km/100,000 Miles
.Automatic transmission fluid and filter change
(normal service). See Automatic Transmission
Fluid on page 6‑21.
.Spark plug replacement and spark plug wires
inspection. An Emission Control Service.
First Engine Oil Change After Every
240 000 km/150,000 Miles
.Engine cooling system drain, flush, and refill
(or every five years, whichever occurs first). See
Engine Coolant
on page 6‑26.An Emission
Control Service.
.Engine drive belts inspection for fraying, excessive
cracks, or obvious damage (or every 10 years,
whichever occurs first). Replace, if needed.
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Black plate (9,1)Cadillac DTS Owner Manual - 2011
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants
Fluids and lubricants identified below by name, part
number, or specification can be obtained from your
dealer.Usage Fluid/Lubricant
Engine Oil The engine requires engine oil
approved to the dexos™
specification.
Oils meeting this specification can
be identified with the dexos™
certification mark. Look for and use only
an engine oil that displays the dexos™
certification mark of the proper viscosity
grade. See Engine Oil on page 6‑15.
Engine
Coolant 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water
and use only DEX-COOL Coolant. See
Engine Coolant on page 6‑26.
Hydraulic
Brake System DOT 3 Hydraulic Brake Fluid
(GM Part No. U.S. 88862806, in
Canada 88862807).
Windshield Washer Optikleen
®Washer Solvent.
Parking Brake Cable Guides Chassis Lubricant (GM Part No.
U.S. 12377985, in Canada 88901242)
or lubricant meeting requirements of
NLGI #2, Category LB or GC-LB.
Usage
Fluid/Lubricant
Power
Steering
System GM Power Steering Fluid
(GM Part No. U.S. 89021184, in
Canada 89021186).
Automatic
Transmission DEXRON
®-VI Automatic Transmission
Fluid.
Key Lock
Cylinders Multi-Purpose Lubricant, Superlube
(GM Part No. U.S. 12346241, in
Canada 10953474).
Hood Latch Assembly,
Secondary
Latch, Pivots,
Spring Anchor,
and
Release Pawl Lubriplate Lubricant Aerosol
(GM Part No. U.S. 12346293, in
Canada 992723) or lubricant meeting
requirements of NLGI #2, Category LB
or GC-LB.
Hood and
Door Hinges Multi-Purpose Lubricant, Superlube
(GM Part No. U.S. 12346241, in
Canada 10953474).
Weatherstrip Conditioning Weatherstrip Lubricant (GM Part No.
U.S. 3634770, in Canada 10953518)
or Dielectric Silicone Grease
(GM Part No. U.S. 12345579, in
Canada 992887).
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Black plate (2,1)Cadillac DTS Owner Manual - 2011
Audio System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-86Audio Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-114
Navigation/Radio System, see Navigation
Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-106
Radio Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-115
Setting the Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-87
Theft-Deterrent Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-114
XM™ Satellite Radio Antenna System . . . . . . . . . . . 4-116
Audio System(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-90
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-21
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-26
B
Backglass Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-116
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-36
Electric Power Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-32
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-30
Inadvertent Power Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-32
Load Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-31
Run-Down Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-33
Belt Routing, Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-11
Bluetooth
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-107
Brake Emergencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5 Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-33
Antilock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-29
System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-50
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-3
Braking in Emergencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-5
Break-In, New Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-22
Bulb Replacement Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-29
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-43
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-46
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . 6-46
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-68
C
Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10, 3-35
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
California Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-6
Canadian Owners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
Capacities and Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-112
Carbon Monoxide Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-33
Trunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-12
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
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Black plate (6,1)Cadillac DTS Owner Manual - 2011
F
FilterEngine Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-19
Finish Damage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-101
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-10
Flashers, Hazard Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-3
Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-73
Flat Tire, Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-83
Flat Tire, Storing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-91
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-54
Fluid Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-21
Power Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-32
Windshield Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-32
Fog Lamps Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-29
Footwell Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-31
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-6
Front Fog Lamps Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-58
Front Storage Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-54
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-5 Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
California Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-11
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7 Fuel (cont.)
Gasoline Octane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Gasoline Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-59
Fuel Economy Driving for Better . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-22
Fuses Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-104
Rear Underseat Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-107
Underhood Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-104
Windshield Wiper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-103
G
Garage Door Opener . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-47
GasolineOctane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Gauges Engine Coolant Temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-53
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-59
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-46
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-46
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-54
GM Mobility Reimbursement Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8-7
i - 6