
Black plate (81,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-81
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 temporaryuse spare tires, tires with
nominal rim diameters of
10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm),
or to some limited-production
tires.
While the tires available on
General Motors passenger cars
and light trucks may vary with
respect to these grades, they
must also conform to federal
safety requirements and
additional General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC)
standards.
All Passenger Car Tires Must
Conform to Federal Safety
Requirements In Addition To
These Grades.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a
comparative rating based on the
wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a
specified government testcourse. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one and
a half (1½) times as well on the
government course as a tire
graded 100. The relative
performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of
their use, however, and may
depart significantly from the
norm due to variations in driving
habits, service practices and
differences in road
characteristics and climate.
Traction
–AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from
highest to lowest, are AA, A, B,
and C. Those grades represent
the tire's ability to stop on wet
pavement as measured under
controlled conditions on
specified government test
surfaces of asphalt and
concrete. A tire marked C may
have poor traction performance.

Black plate (84,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
10-84 Vehicle Care
If a Tire Goes Flat
It is unusual for a tire to blow out,
especially if the tires are maintained
properly. SeeTires on page 10‑63.
If air goes out of a tire, it is much
more likely to leak out slowly. But if
there is ever a blowout, here are a
few tips about what to expect and
what to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire
creates a drag that pulls the vehicle
toward that side. Take your foot off
the accelerator pedal and grip the
steering wheel firmly. Steer to
maintain lane position, and then
gently brake to a stop, well off the
road, if possible. A rear blowout, particularly on a
curve, acts much like a skid and
may require the same correction as
used in a skid. Stop pressing the
accelerator pedal and steer to
straighten the vehicle. It may be
very bumpy and noisy. Gently brake
to a stop, well off the road,
if possible.
{WARNING
Driving on a flat tire will cause
permanent damage to the tire.
Re-inflating a tire after it has been
driven on while severely
underinflated or flat may cause a
blowout and a serious crash.
Never attempt to re-inflate a tire
that has been driven on while
severely underinflated or flat.
Have your dealer or an authorized
tire service center repair or
replace the flat tire as soon as
possible.
{WARNING
Lifting a vehicle and getting under
it to do maintenance or repairs is
dangerous without the
appropriate safety equipment and
training. If a jack is provided with
the vehicle, it is designed only for
changing a flat tire. If it is used for
anything else, you or others could
be badly injured or killed if the
vehicle slips off the jack. If a jack
is provided with the vehicle, only
use it for changing a flat tire.
If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire
and wheel damage by driving slowly
to a level place, well off the road,
if possible. Turn on the hazard
warning flashers. See Hazard
Warning Flashers on page 6‑5.

Black plate (86,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
10-86 Vehicle Care
The following information explains
how to repair or change a tire.
Tire Sealant and
Compressor Kit
{WARNING
Idling a vehicle in an enclosed
area with poor ventilation is
dangerous. Engine exhaust may
enter the vehicle. Engine exhaust
contains carbon monoxide (CO)
which cannot be seen or smelled.
It can cause unconsciousness
and even death. Never run the
engine in an enclosed area that
has no fresh air ventilation. For
more information, seeEngine
Exhaust on page 9‑26.
{WARNING
Overinflating a tire could cause
the tire to rupture and you or
others could be injured. Be sure
to read and follow the tire sealant
and compressor kit instructions
and inflate the tire to its
recommended pressure. Do not
exceed the recommended
pressure.
{WARNING
Storing the tire sealant and
compressor kit or other
equipment in the passenger
compartment of the vehicle could
cause injury. In a sudden stop or
collision, loose equipment could
strike someone. Store the tire
sealant and compressor kit in its
original location. If this vehicle has a tire sealant and
compressor kit, there may not be a
spare tire, tire changing equipment,
and on some vehicles there may not
be a place to store a tire.
The tire sealant and compressor
can be used to temporarily seal
punctures up to 6 mm (¼ in) in the
tread area of the tire. It can also be
used to inflate an under inflated tire.
If the tire has been separated from
the wheel, has damaged sidewalls,
or has a large puncture, the tire is
too severely damaged for the tire
sealant and compressor kit to be
effective. See
Roadside Service
(U.S. and Canada) on page 13‑7 or
Roadside Service (Mexico) on
page 13‑9.
Read and follow all of the tire
sealant and compressor kit
instructions.

Black plate (89,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-89
8. Turn the selector switch (A)counterclockwise to the Sealant
+ Air position.
9. Press the on/off button (B) to turn the tire sealant and
compressor kit on.
The compressor will inject
sealant and air into the tire.
The pressure gauge (C) will
initially show a high pressure
while the compressor pushes the
sealant into the tire. Once the
sealant is completely dispersed
into the tire, the pressure will
quickly drop and start to rise
again as the tire inflates with
air only.
10. Inflate the tire to the recommended inflation
pressure using the pressure
gauge (C). The recommended
inflation pressure can be found
on the Tire and Loading
Information label. See Tire
Pressure on page 10‑70. The pressure gauge (C) may
read higher than the actual tire
pressure while the compressor
is on. Turn the compressor off
to get an accurate pressure
reading. The compressor may
be turned on/off until the
correct pressure is reached.
Notice: If the recommended
pressure cannot be reached after
approximately 25 minutes, the
vehicle should not be driven
farther. The tire is too severely
damaged and the tire sealant and
compressor kit cannot inflate the
tire. Remove the power plug from
the accessory power outlet and
unscrew the inflating hose from
the tire valve. See Roadside
Service (U.S. and Canada) on
page 13‑7 orRoadside Service
(Mexico) on page 13‑9.
11. Press the on/off button (B) to turn the tire sealant and
compressor kit off. The tire is not sealed and will
continue to leak air until the
vehicle is driven and the
sealant is distributed in the tire,
therefore, Steps 12 through
18 must be done immediately
after Step 11.
Be careful while handling the
tire sealant and compressor kit
as it could be warm after
usage.
12. Unplug the power plug (H) from the accessory power outlet in
the vehicle.
13. Turn the sealant/air hose (F) counterclockwise to remove it
from the tire valve stem.
14. Replace the tire valve stem cap.
15. Replace the sealant/air hose (F), and the power
plug (H) back in their original
location.

Black plate (90,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
10-90 Vehicle Care
16. If the flat tire was able to inflateto the recommended inflation
pressure, remove the
maximum speed label from the
sealant canister (E) and place
it in a highly visible location. Do
not exceed the speed on this
label until the damaged tire is
repaired or replaced.
17. Return the equipment to its original storage location in the
vehicle.
18. Immediately drive the vehicle 8 km (5 mi) to distribute the
sealant in the tire. 19. Stop at a safe location and
check the tire pressure. Refer
to Steps 1 through 11 under
“Using the Tire Sealant and
Compressor Kit without Sealant
to Inflate a Tire (Not
Punctured).”
If the tire pressure has fallen
more than 68 kPa (10 psi)
below the recommended
inflation pressure, stop driving
the vehicle. The tire is too
severely damaged and the tire
sealant cannot seal the tire.
SeeRoadside Service (U.S.
and Canada) on page 13‑7 or
Roadside Service (Mexico) on
page 13‑9.
If the tire pressure has not
dropped more than 68 kPa
(10 psi) from the recommended
inflation pressure, inflate the
tire to the recommended
inflation pressure. 20. Wipe off any sealant from the
wheel, tire, and vehicle.
21. Dispose of the used sealant canister (E) and sealant/air
hose (F) assembly at a local
dealer or in accordance with
local state codes and practices.
22. Replace it with a new canister available from your dealer.
23. After temporarily sealing the tire using the tire sealant and
compressor kit, take the
vehicle to an authorized dealer
within 161 km (100 mi) of
driving to have the tire repaired
or replaced.

Black plate (107,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-107
8. Now connect the blacknegative (−) cable to the
negative terminal of the good
battery. Use a remote
negative (−) terminal if the
vehicle has one.
Do not let the other end touch
anything until the next step. The
other end of the negative (−)
cable does not go to the dead
battery. It goes to a heavy,
unpainted metal engine part or
to a remote negative (−) terminal
on the vehicle with the dead
battery.
9. Connect the other end of the negative (−) cable at least 45 cm
(18 in) away from the dead
battery, but not near engine
parts that move. The electrical
connection is just as good there,
and the chance of sparks getting
back to the battery is much less. Use a remote negative (−)
terminal if the vehicle has
one. Your vehicle's remote
negative (−) ground location is
for this purpose.
10. Now start the vehicle with the good battery and run the
engine for a while.
11. Try to start the vehicle that had the dead battery. If it will not
start after a few tries, it
probably needs service.
Notice: If the jumper cables are
connected or removed in the
wrong order, electrical shorting
may occur and damage the
vehicle. The repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Always connect and remove the
jumper cables in the correct
order, making sure that the
cables do not touch each other or
other metal.
Jumper Cable Removal
A. Heavy, Unpainted Metal Engine Part or Remote Negative (−)
Terminal
B. Good Battery or Remote Positive (+) and Remote
Negative (−) Terminals
C. Dead Battery or Remote Positive (+) Terminal

Black plate (108,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
10-108 Vehicle Care
To disconnect the jumper cables
from both vehicles, do the following:
1. Disconnect the blacknegative (−) cable from the
vehicle that had the dead
battery.
2. Disconnect the black negative (−) cable from the
vehicle with the good battery.
3. Disconnect the red positive (+) cable from the vehicle with the
good battery.
4. Disconnect the red positive (+) cable from the other vehicle.Towing
Towing the Vehicle
Notice: To avoid damage, the
disabled vehicle should be towed
with all four wheels off the
ground. Care must be taken with
vehicles that have low ground
clearance and/or special
equipment. Always flatbed on a
car carrier.
Consult your dealer or a
professional towing service if the
disabled vehicle must be towed.
See Roadside Service (U.S. and
Canada) on page 13‑7 orRoadside
Service (Mexico) on page 13‑9.
To tow the vehicle behind another
vehicle for recreational purposes,
such as behind a motor home, see
“Recreational Vehicle Towing” in this
section.
Recreational Vehicle
Towing
Recreational vehicle towing means
towing the vehicle behind another
vehicle –such as behind a
motorhome. The two most common
types of recreational vehicle towing
are known as dinghy towing and
dolly towing. Dingy towing is towing
the vehicle with all four wheels on
the ground. Dolly towing is towing
the vehicle with two wheels on the
ground and two wheels up on a
device known as a dolly.
Here are some important things to
consider before recreational vehicle
towing:
.What is the towing capacity of
the towing vehicle? Be sure to
read the tow vehicle
manufacturer's
recommendations.
.What is the distance that will be
travelled? Some vehicles have
restrictions on how far and how
long they can tow.

Black plate (1,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
Service and Maintenance 11-1
Service and
Maintenance
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 11-1
Cadillac Premium Care
Maintenance
Cadillac Premium CareMaintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-3
Maintenance Schedule
Maintenance Schedule . . . . . . . 11-3
Special Application Services
Special ApplicationServices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-9
Additional Maintenance
and Care
Additional Maintenanceand Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-10
Recommended Fluids,
Lubricants, and Parts
Recommended Fluids andLubricants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-13
Maintenance Replacement Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-15
Maintenance Records
Maintenance Records . . . . . . 11-17
General Information
Your vehicle is an important
investment. This section describes
the required maintenance for the
vehicle. Follow this schedule to
help protect against major repair
expenses resulting from neglect or
inadequate maintenance. It may
also help to maintain the value of
the vehicle if it is sold. It is the
responsibility of the owner to have
all required maintenance performed.
Your dealer has trained technicians
who can perform required
maintenance using genuine
replacement parts. They have
up‐to‐date tools and equipment
for fast and accurate diagnostics.
Many dealers have extended
evening and Saturday hours,
courtesy transportation, and online
scheduling to assist with service
needs.
Your dealer recognizes the
importance of providing
competitively priced maintenance
and repair services. With trained