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 (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 (1,1)Cadillac DTS Owner Manual - 2011
A
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-3
Accessory Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-24
Accessory Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-33
Adaptive Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-14
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-103
Additives, Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-6
Air Cleaner/Filter, Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-19
Air Filter, Passenger Compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-42
AirbagAdding Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-69
Airbag System How Does an Airbag Restrain? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-61
Passenger Sensing System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-64
Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . 2-68
What Makes an Airbag Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-61
What Will You See After an Airbag Inflates? . . . . . . 2-62
When Should an Airbag Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-59
Where Are the Airbags? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-57
Airbags Passenger Status Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-48
Readiness Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-48
System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-54
Analog Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-34 Antenna
Backglass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-116
Antenna, XM™ Satellite Radio Antenna
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-116
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-4 Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-51
Appearance Care
Aluminum or Chrome-Plated Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . .6-100
Care of Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-97
Chemical Paint Spotting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-101
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-98
Fabric/Carpet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-95
Finish Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-98
Finish Damage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-101
Instrument Panel, Vinyl, and Other PlasticSurfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-97
Interior Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-94
Leather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-96
Sheet Metal Damage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-101
Speaker Covers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-97
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-101
Underbody Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-101
Washing Your Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-98
Weatherstrips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-97
Windshield and Wiper Blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-99
Wood Panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-97
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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
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