Black plate (1,1)Cadillac DTS Owner Manual - 2011
Section 6 Service and Appearance Care
Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
California Proposition 65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Doing Your Own Service Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Adding Equipment to the Outside of the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Gasoline Octane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Gasoline Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
California Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-11
Checking Things Under the Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-12
Hood Release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-13
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-14
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-15
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-18
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-19
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-21
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-24
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-26
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-29 Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-31
Power Steering Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-32
Windshield Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-32
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-33
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-36
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-38
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-43
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-46
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . 6-46
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . . . . .6-46
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-48
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-49
Tire Terminology and Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-54
Inflation - Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-57
High-Speed Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-59
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-60
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-61
Tire Inspection and Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-65
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-67
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-68
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-70
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-70
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-72
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-72
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Black plate (2,1)Cadillac DTS Owner Manual - 2011
Section 6 Service and Appearance Care
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-73
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-73
Tire Sealant and Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-75
Tire Sealant and Compressor Kit Storage . . . . . . 6-82
Changing a Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-83
Removing the Spare Tire and Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-84
Removing the Flat Tire and Installing theSpare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-86
Storing a Flat or Spare Tire and Tools . . . . . . . . . 6-91
Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-93
Appearance Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-94
Interior Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-94
Fabric/Carpet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-95
Leather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-96
Instrument Panel, Vinyl, and Other Plastic Surfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-97
Wood Panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-97
Speaker Covers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-97
Care of Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-97
Weatherstrips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-97
Washing Your Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-98
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-98 Finish Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-98
Windshield and Wiper Blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-99
Aluminum or Chrome-Plated Wheels
and Trim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-100
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-101
Sheet Metal Damage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-101
Finish Damage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-101
Underbody Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-101
Chemical Paint Spotting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-101
Vehicle Identification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-102
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) . . . . . . . . . . . 6-102
Service Parts Identification Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-102
Electrical System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-103
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-103
Headlamp Wiring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-103
Windshield Wiper Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-103
Power Windows and Other Power Options . . . 6-104
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-104
Underhood Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-104
Rear Underseat Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-107
Capacities and Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-112
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Black plate (3,1)Cadillac DTS Owner Manual - 2011
Service
For service and parts needs, visit your dealer. You
will receive genuine GM parts and GM-trained and
supported service people.
Genuine GM parts have one of these marks:
Accessories and Modifications
When non‐dealer accessories are added to the vehicle,
they can affect vehicle performance and safety,
including such things as airbags, braking, stability, ride
and handling, emissions systems, aerodynamics,
durability, and electronic systems like antilock brakes,
traction control, and stability control. Some of these
accessories could even cause malfunction or damage
not covered by the vehicle warranty.
Damage to vehicle components resulting from the
installation or use of non‐GM certified parts, including
control module modifications, is not covered under the
terms of the vehicle warranty and may affect remaining
warranty coverage for affected parts.
GM Accessories are designed to complement and
function with other systems on the vehicle. Your GM
dealer can accessorize the vehicle using genuine GM
Accessories. When you go to your GM dealer and ask
for GM Accessories, you will know that GM-trained and
supported service technicians will perform the work
using genuine GM Accessories.
Also, seeAdding Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle on page 2‑69.
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Black plate (4,1)Cadillac DTS Owner Manual - 2011
California Proposition 65 Warning
Most motor vehicles, including this one, contain and/or
emit chemicals known to the State of California to
cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive
harm. Engine exhaust, many parts and systems, many
fluids, and some component wear by-products contain
and/or emit these chemicals.
California Perchlorate Materials
Requirements
Certain types of automotive applications, such as
airbag initiators, seat belt pretensioners, and lithium
batteries contained in remote keyless transmitters,
may contain perchlorate materials. Special handling
may be necessary. For additional information, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlorate.
Doing Your Own Service Work
{WARNING:
You can be injured and the vehicle could be
damaged if you try to do service work on a vehicle
without knowing enough about it.
.Be sure you have sufficient knowledge,
experience, the proper replacement parts,
and tools before attempting any vehicle
maintenance task.
.Be sure to use the proper nuts, bolts, and
other fasteners. English and metric fasteners
can be easily confused. If the wrong fasteners
are used, parts can later break or fall off. You
could be hurt.
If doing some of your own service work, use the proper
service manual. It tells you much more about how to
service the vehicle than this manual can. To order the
proper service manual, see Service Publications
Ordering Information on page 8‑15.
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Black plate (5,1)Cadillac DTS Owner Manual - 2011
This vehicle has an airbag system. Before attempting
to do your own service work, seeServicing Your
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle on page 2‑68.
Keep a record with all parts receipts and list the mileage
and the date of any service work performed. See
Maintenance Record on page 7‑12.
Adding Equipment to the Outside of
the Vehicle
Things added to the outside of the vehicle can affect
the airflow around it. This can cause wind noise and
can affect fuel economy and windshield washer
performance. Check with your dealer before adding
equipment to the outside of the vehicle.
Fuel
Use of the recommended fuel is an important part
of the proper maintenance of this vehicle. To help
keep the engine clean and maintain optimum vehicle
performance, we recommend the use of gasoline
advertised as TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline.
Look for the TOP TIER label on the fuel pump to ensure
gasoline meets enhanced detergency standards
developed by auto companies. A list of marketers
providing TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline can be found
at www.toptiergas.com.
Gasoline Octane
Use premium unleaded gasoline with a posted
octane rating of 91 or higher. You can also use
regular unleaded gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher,
but the vehicle's acceleration could be slightly reduced,
and a slight audible knocking noise, commonly referred
to as spark knock, might be heard. If the octane is less
than 87, you might notice a heavy knocking noise
when you drive. If this occurs, use a gasoline rated
at 87 octane or higher as soon as possible.
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Black plate (6,1)Cadillac DTS Owner Manual - 2011
Otherwise, you could damage the engine. If heavy
knocking is heard when using gasoline rated
at 87 octane or higher, the engine needs service.
Gasoline Specifications
At a minimum, gasoline should meet ASTM
specification D 4814 in the United States or
CAN/CGSB‐3.5 or 3.511 in Canada. Some
gasolines contain an octane-enhancing additive
called methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl
(MMT). We recommend against the use of gasolines
containing MMT. SeeAdditives
on page 6‑6for
additional information.
California Fuel
If the vehicle is certified to meet California Emissions
Standards, it is designed to operate on fuels that meet
California specifications. See the underhood emission
control label. If this fuel is not available in states
adopting California emissions standards, the vehicle
will operate satisfactorily on fuels meeting federal
specifications, but emission control system performance
might be affected. The malfunction indicator lamp could
turn on and the vehicle might fail a smog‐check test. See
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
on page 4‑54. If this
occurs, return to your authorized dealer for diagnosis.
If it is determined that the condition is caused by the
type of fuel used, repairs might not be covered by the
vehicle warranty.
Additives
To provide cleaner air, all gasolines in the United States
are now required to contain additives that help prevent
engine and fuel system deposits from forming, allowing
the emission control system to work properly. In most
cases, nothing should have to be added to the fuel.
However, some gasolines contain only the minimum
amount of additive required to meet U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency regulations. To help keep fuel
injectors and intake valves clean, or if the vehicle
experiences problems due to dirty injectors or valves,
look for gasoline that is advertised as TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline.
For customers who do not use TOP TIER Detergent
Gasoline regularly, one bottle of GM Fuel System
Treatment PLUS, added to the fuel tank at every engine
oil change, can help clean deposits from fuel injectors
and intake valves. GM Fuel System Treatment PLUS is
the only gasoline additive recommended by General
Motors.
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Black plate (7,1)Cadillac DTS Owner Manual - 2011
Also, your dealer has additives that will help correct and
prevent most deposit‐related problems.
Gasolines containing oxygenates, such as ethers and
ethanol, and reformulated gasolines might be available
in your area. We recommend that you use these
gasolines, if they comply with the specifications
described earlier. However, E85 (85% ethanol) and
other fuels containing more than 10% ethanol must not
be used in vehicles that were not designed for those
fuels.
Notice:This vehicle was not designed for fuel that
contains methanol. Do not use fuel containing
methanol. It can corrode metal parts in the fuel
system and also damage plastic and rubber parts.
That damage would not be covered under the
vehicle warranty. Some gasolines that are not reformulated for low
emissions can contain an octane-enhancing additive
called methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl
(MMT); ask the attendant where you buy gasoline
whether the fuel contains MMT. We recommend against
the use of such gasolines. Fuels containing MMT can
reduce the life of spark plugs and the performance of
the emission control system could be affected. The
malfunction indicator lamp might turn on. If this occurs,
return to your dealer for service.
Fuels in Foreign Countries
If you plan on driving in another country outside the
United States or Canada, the proper fuel might be hard
to find. Never use leaded gasoline or any other fuel
not recommended in the previous text on fuel. Costly
repairs caused by use of improper fuel would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
To check the fuel availability, ask an auto club,
or contact a major oil company that does business
in the country where you will be driving.
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Black plate (16,1)Cadillac DTS Owner Manual - 2011
Obtaining an accurate oil level reading is essential:1. If the engine has been running recently, turn off the engine and allow several minutes for the oil to
drain back into the oil pan. Checking your oil level
too soon after engine shut off will not provide an
accurate oil level reading.
2. Pull out the dipstick and clean it with a paper towel or cloth, then push it back in all the way. Remove it
again, keeping the tip down, and check the level.
When to Add Engine Oil
If the oil is below the cross-hatched area at the tip of
the dipstick, add one liter/quart of the recommended oil
and then recheck the level. See “Selecting the Right
Engine Oil” for an explanation of what kind of oil to use.
For engine oil crankcase capacity, see Capacities and
Specifications on page 6‑112. Notice:
Do not add too much oil. Oil levels above or
below the acceptable operating range shown on the
dipstick are harmful to the engine. If you find that
you have an oil level above the operating range,
i.e. the engine has so much oil that the oil level gets
above the cross-hatched area that shows the proper
operating range, the engine could be damaged. You
should drain out the excess oil or limit your driving
of the vehicle and seek a service professional to
remove the excess amount of oil.
See Engine Compartment Overview
on page 6‑14for
the location of the engine oil fill cap.
Add enough oil to put the level somewhere in the proper
operating range. Push the dipstick all the way back in
when through.
Selecting the Right Engine Oil
Selecting the right engine oil depends on both the
proper oil specification and viscosity grade:
Specification
Use and ask for engine oils with the dexos™
certification mark. Oils meeting the requirements
of your vehicle should have the dexos™ certification
mark on the container. This certification mark
indicates that the oil has been approved to the
dexos™ specification.
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