Black plate (1,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Section 6 Service and Appearance Care
Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
California Proposition 65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Doing Your Own Service Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Adding Equipment to the Outside of the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Gasoline Octane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Gasoline Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
California Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-11
Checking Things Under the Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-12
Hood Release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-12
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-13
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-16
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-20
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-21
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-23
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-24
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-25
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-30 Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-32
Power Steering Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-33
Windshield Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-34
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-35
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-38
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-38
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-43
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-44
Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-45
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-46
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-47
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . 6-47
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-47
Back-Up Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-48
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-48
Windshield Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-48
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . . . . .6-49
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-50
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-51
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-52
Tire Terminology and Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-55
Inflation - Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-58
High-Speed Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-60
6-1
Black plate (12,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Checking Things Under
the Hood
{WARNING:
An electric fan under the hood can start up and
injure you even when the engine is not running.
Keep hands, clothing, and tools away from any
underhood electric fan.
{WARNING:
Things that burn can get on hot engine parts and
start a fire. These include liquids like fuel, oil,
coolant, brake fluid, windshield washer and other
fluids, and plastic or rubber. You or others could
be burned. Be careful not to drop or spill things
that will burn onto a hot engine.
Hood Release
To open the hood:
1. Pull the hood releaselever with this symbol
on it. It is located
inside the vehicle on
the lower left side of
the instrument panel.
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Black plate (15,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
After you have removed the sight shields (if equipped):A. Underhood Fuse Block. See Underhood Fuse
Block on page 6‑116.
B. Remote Negative (-) Terminal. See Jump Starting
on page 6‑38.
C. Remote Positive (+) Terminal. See Jump Starting
on page 6‑38.
D. Battery. See Battery on page 6‑38.
E. Passenger Compartment Air Filter. See Passenger
Compartment Air Filter on page 4‑50.
F. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir. See Power
Steering Fluid on page 6‑33.
G. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See “When to Add Engine Oil”
under Engine Oil on page 6‑16.
H. Engine Oil Dipstick (Out of View). See “Checking
Engine Oil” underEngine Oil on page 6‑16. I. Brake Master Cylinder Reservoir. See
“Brake
Fluid” under Brakes on page 6‑35.
J. Engine Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap. See Cooling System on page 6‑24.
K. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter. See Engine Air Cleaner/
Filter on page 6‑21.
L. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See “Adding
Washer Fluid” underWindshield Washer Fluid
on
page 6‑34.
If your vehicle is equipped with front compartment
underhood sight shields, before closing the hood be
sure to reinstall the sight shields. To reinstall the
shields, locate the tabs on the left and right sides and
insert them into the openings in the tower to tower
brace. Then insert the fasteners into the top of the
shield and push the fasteners back into place.
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Black plate (22,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
When to Inspect the Engine Air
Cleaner/Filter
Inspect the air cleaner/filter at the scheduled
maintenance intervals and replace it at the first oil
change after each 80 000 km (50,000 mile) interval. See
Scheduled Maintenance
on page 7‑3for more
information. If you are driving in dusty/dirty conditions,
inspect the filter at each engine oil change.
How to Inspect the Engine Air
Cleaner/Filter
To inspect the air cleaner/filter remove the filter from the
vehicle and lightly shake the filter to release loose dust
and dirt. If the filter remains caked with dirt, a new filter
is required.
To inspect or replace the filter:
1. Remove the two screws located on the top of the cover.
2. Disconnect the coolant recovery hose so that it is not going across the top of the engine air cleaner/
filter.
3. Loosen the clamp and remove the duct from the passenger's side of the engine air cleaner/filter. 4. The two sides of the airbox are hinged at the
bottom. Open the airbox by pushing the top of the
airbox cover toward the engine.
5. Remove the air filter by lifting it straight up through the opening in the airbox.
6. Inspect or replace the engine air cleaner/filter. See Maintenance Replacement Parts
on page 7‑11for
the correct part number for the filter.
7. Reinstall the cover by reversing Steps 1 through 4.
{WARNING:
Operating the engine with the air cleaner/filter off
can cause you or others to be burned. The air
cleaner not only cleans the air; it helps to stop
flames if the engine backfires. Use caution when
working on the engine and do not drive with the
air cleaner/filter off.
Notice: If the air cleaner/filter is off, dirt can easily
get into the engine, which could damage it. Always
have the air cleaner/filter in place when you are
driving.
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Black plate (24,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Cooling System
The cooling system allows the engine to maintain the
correct working temperature.
A. Electric Engine Cooling Fan(s) (Out of view)
B. Mechanical Engine Cooling Fan (If equipped)(Out of view)
C. Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap
{WARNING:
An electric engine cooling fan under the hood can
start up even when the engine is not running and
can cause injury. Keep hands, clothing, and tools
away from any underhood electric fan.
6-24
Black plate (25,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
{WARNING:
Heater and radiator hoses, and other engine
parts, can be very hot. Do not touch them. If you
do, you can be burned.
Do not run the engine if there is a leak. If you run
the engine, it could lose all coolant. That could
cause an engine fire, and you could be burned.
Get any leak fixed before you drive the vehicle.
Notice: Using coolant other than DEX-COOL
®can
cause premature engine, heater core, or radiator
corrosion. In addition, the engine coolant could
require changing sooner, at 50 000 km (30,000 miles)
or 24 months, whichever occurs first. Any repairs
would not be covered by the vehicle warranty.
Always use DEX-COOL (silicate-free) coolant in the
vehicle.
Engine Coolant
The cooling system in the vehicle is filled with
DEX-COOL®engine coolant. This coolant is designed
to remain in the vehicle for five years or 240 000 km
(150,000 miles), whichever occurs first.
The following explains the cooling system and how to
check and add coolant when it is low. If there is a
problem with engine overheating, see Engine
Overheating on page 6‑30
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Black plate (26,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
What to Use
{WARNING:
Adding only plain water or some other liquid to the
cooling system can be dangerous. Plain water
and other liquids, can boil before the proper
coolant mixture will. The vehicle's coolant warning
system is set for the proper coolant mixture. With
plain water or the wrong mixture, the engine could
get too hot but you would not get the overheat
warning. The engine could catch fire and you or
others could be burned. Use a 50/50 mixture of
clean, drinkable water and DEX-COOL coolant.
Use a 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water and
DEX-COOL
®coolant. If using this mixture, nothing else
needs to be added. This mixture:
.Gives freezing protection down to −34°F (−37°C),
outside temperature.
.Gives boiling protection up to 265°F (129°C),
engine temperature.
.Protects against rust and corrosion.
.Will not damage aluminum parts.
.Helps keep the proper engine temperature.
Notice: If an improper coolant mixture is used, the
engine could overheat and be badly damaged. The
repair cost would not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Too much water in the mixture can freeze
and crack the engine, radiator, heater core, and
other parts.
Notice: If extra inhibitors and/or additives are used
in the vehicle's cooling system, the vehicle could be
damaged. Use only the proper mixture of the engine
coolant listed in this manual for the cooling system.
See Recommended Fluids and Lubricants
on
page 7‑9for more information.
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Black plate (27,1)Cadillac STS Owner Manual - 2011
Checking Coolant
The vehicle must be on a level surface when checking
the coolant level.
The coolant surge tank and pressure cap are located on
the driver's side of the vehicle, toward the rear of the
engine compartment. SeeEngine Compartment
Overview
on page 6‑13for more information on
location. Check to see if coolant is visible in the coolant surge
tank. If the coolant inside the coolant surge tank is
boiling, do not do anything else until it cools down.
If coolant is visible but the coolant level is not at or
above the FULL COLD/FROID line, add a 50/50 mixture
of clean, drinkable water and DEX-COOL
®coolant at
the coolant surge tank, but be sure the cooling system
is cool before this is done.
When the engine is cold, the coolant level should be at
or above the FULL COLD/FROID line on the side of the
coolant surge tank. Follow the arrow from the top of the
tank down the side to the horizontal mark. If it is not,
there could be a leak in the cooling system.
If the coolant is low, add the coolant or take the vehicle
to a dealer for service
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