Black plate (104,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
10-104 Vehicle Care
Jump Starting
For more information about the
vehicle battery, seeBattery on
page 10‑29.
If the vehicle battery has run down,
you may want to use another
vehicle and some jumper cables to
start your vehicle. Be sure to use
the following steps to do it safely.
{WARNING
Batteries can hurt you. They can
be dangerous because:
.They contain acid that can
burn you.
.They contain gas that can
explode or ignite.
.They contain enough
electricity to burn you.
If you do not follow these steps
exactly, some or all of these
things can hurt you. Notice:
Ignoring these steps
could result in costly damage to
the vehicle that would not be
covered by the warranty.
Trying to start the vehicle by
pushing or pulling it will not
work, and it could damage the
vehicle.
1. Check the other vehicle. It must
have a 12-volt battery with a
negative ground system.
Notice: Only use a vehicle that
has a 12-volt system with a
negative ground for jump
starting. If the other vehicle does
not have a 12-volt system with a
negative ground, both vehicles
can be damaged.
2. Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper cables can reach,
but be sure the vehicles are not
touching each other. If they are,
it could cause a ground
connection you do not want. You
would not be able to start your vehicle and the bad grounding
could damage the electrical
systems.
To avoid the possibility of the
vehicles rolling, set the parking
brake firmly on both vehicles
involved in the jump start
procedure. Put an automatic
transmission in P (Park) or a
manual transmission in Neutral
before setting the parking brake.
Notice: If any accessories are left
on or plugged in during the jump
starting procedure, they could be
damaged. The repairs would not
be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Whenever possible,
turn off or unplug all accessories
on either vehicle when jump
starting the vehicle.
3. Turn off the ignition on both
vehicles. Unplug unnecessary
accessories plugged into the
cigarette lighter or the accessory
power outlets. Turn off the radio
and all lamps that are not
Black plate (10,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
11-10 Service and Maintenance
Additional
Maintenance and Care
Your vehicle is an important
investment and caring for it properly
may help to avoid future costly
repairs. To maintain vehicle
performance, additional
maintenance services may be
required. It is recommended
that your dealer perform these
services—their trained dealer
technicians know your vehicle best.
Your dealer can also perform a
thorough assessment with a
multi‐point inspection to recommend
when your vehicle may need
attention. The following list is
intended to explain the services and
conditions to look for that may
indicate services are required. Battery
The battery supplies power to start
the engine and operate any
additional electrical accessories.
.To avoid break‐down or failure to
start the vehicle, maintain a
battery with full cranking power.
.Trained dealer technicians have
the diagnostic equipment to test
the battery and ensure that the
connections and cables are
corrosion‐free.
Belts
.Belts may need replacing if they
squeak or show signs of
cracking or splitting.
.Trained dealer technicians
can inspect the belts and
recommend replacement when
necessary. Brakes
Brakes stop the vehicle and are
crucial to safe driving.
.Signs of brake wear may include
chirping, grinding, or squealing
noises, or difficulty stopping.
.Trained dealer technicians have
access to tools and equipment
to inspect the brakes and
recommend quality parts
engineered for the vehicle.
Fluids
Proper fluid levels and approved
fluids protect the vehicle’s
systems and components. See
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants on page 11‑13 for GM
approved fluids.
.Engine oil and windshield
washer fluid levels should be
checked at every fuel fill.
.Instrument cluster lights may
come on to indicate that fluids
may be low and need to be
filled.
Black plate (11,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
Service and Maintenance 11-11
Hoses
Hoses transport fluids and should
be regularly inspected to ensure
that there are no cracks or leaks.
With a multi‐point inspection, your
dealer can inspect the hoses and
advise if replacement is needed.
Lamps
Properly working headlamps,
taillamps, and brake lamps are
important to see and be seen on
the road.
.Signs that the headlamps need
attention include dimming, failure
to light, cracking, or damage.
The brake lamps need to be
checked periodically to ensure
that they light when braking.
.With a multi‐point inspection,
your dealer can check the lamps
and note any concerns.Shocks and Struts
Shocks and struts help aid in control
for a smoother ride.
.Signs of wear may include
steering wheel vibration, bounce/
sway while braking, longer
stopping distance, or uneven
tire wear.
.As part of the multi‐point
inspection, trained dealer
technicians can visually inspect
the shocks and struts for signs
of leaking, blown seals,
or damage, and can advise
when service is needed.
Tires
Tires need to be properly inflated,
rotated, and balanced. Maintaining
the tires can save money, fuel, and
can reduce the risk of tire failure.
.Signs that the tires need to be
replaced include three or more
visible treadwear indicators; cord
or fabric showing through the
rubber; cracks or cuts in the
tread or sidewall; or a bulge or
split in the tire.
.Trained dealer technicians can
inspect and recommend the right
tires. Your dealer can also
provide tire/wheel balancing
services to ensure smooth
vehicle operation at all speeds.
Your dealer sells and services
name brand tires.
Black plate (1,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
INDEX i-1
A
Accessories andModifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Accessory Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-22
Adaptive Forward Lighting (AFL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Add-On Electrical
Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-61
Additional Information, OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-5
Adjustments
Lumbar, Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5
Thigh Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
Air Cleaner/Filter, Engine . . . . . 10-15
Air Filter, Passenger Compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-6
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-6
Airbag Adding Equipment to theVehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-32 Airbag System
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-33
How Does an Airbag
Restrain? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-25
Passenger Sensing System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-27
What Makes an Airbag
Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-25
What Will You See after an Airbag Inflates? . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-26
When Should an Airbag
Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-23
Where Are the Airbags? . . . . . . 3-22
Airbags Passenger Status Indicator . . . 5-18
Readiness Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Servicing Airbag-EquippedVehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-32
System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-20 Alarm System
Anti-theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-24
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . 10-30, 9-33
AM-FM Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8
Antenna Multi-band . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-16
Anti-theft
Alarm System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-24
Alarm System Messages . . . . . 5-43
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Appearance Care Exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-110
Interior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-113
Ashtrays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Audio Players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-16
CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-16
CD/DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-19
MP3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-24
Black plate (2,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
i-2 INDEX
Audio SystemBackglass Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . 7-16
Hard Drive Device (HDD) . . . . . 7-28
Radio Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-15
Theft-Deterrent Feature . . . . . . . . 7-2
Automatic Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . 9-27 Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-14
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-29
Shift Lock ControlFunction Check . . . . . . . . . . . 10-31
Auxiliary Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-33B
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29 Exterior Lighting BatterySaver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-104
Load Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Power Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
Voltage and Charging Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-31
Blade Replacement, Wiper . . . 10-32
Bluetooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-35
Boost Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Brake System Warning Light . . . 5-22
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-26 Antilock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-37
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-34, 9-35
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-32
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4 Break-In, New Vehicle . . . . . . . . . 9-16
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-39
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37, 6-6
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . 10-34
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
High Intensity Discharge(HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
License Plate Lamps . . . . . . . 10-38
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-79
C
Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
California Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . 9-51
Perchlorate MaterialsRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Camera, Rear Vision . . . . . . . . . . 9-48
Canadian Vehicle Owners . . . . . . . . iii
Black plate (5,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
INDEX i-5
EngineAir Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . 10-15
Check and Service Engine
Soon Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Compartment Overview . . . . . . . 10-6
Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-18
Coolant Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-22
Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Coolant Temperature Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-18
Cooling System Messages . . . 5-35
Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-9
Drive Belt Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-4
Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Oil Pressure Gauge . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
Overheated Protection Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24
Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-23
Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-36
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Running While Parked . . . . . . . . 9-26
Speed Limiter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4, 9-20 Engine Oil
Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-12
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-35
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Equipment, Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-61
Event Data Recorders . . . . . . . . 13-19
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Extender, Safety Belt . . . . . . . . . . 3-18
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lamps Off Reminder . . . 6-2
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
F
FeaturesMemory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Filter, Engine Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . 10-15
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Flashers, Hazard Warning . . . . . . 6-5
Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-84 Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-95
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-116 Fluid
Automatic Transmission . . . . 10-14
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27
Power Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24
Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Fog Lamps Bulb Replacement . . . . . . 10-37, 6-6
Folding Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-28
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Front Seats
Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Heated and Ventilated . . . . . . . . 3-10
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-50 Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-52
Filling a Portable FuelContainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-55
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-53
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . . 9-52
Gasoline Specifications . . . . . . . 9-51
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Recommended . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-51
Requirements, California . . . . . 9-51
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-36
Black plate (7,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
INDEX i-7
I
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . 9-16, 9-18
Ignition Transmission LockCheck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-31
Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-25
Infants and Young Children, Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-37
Infotainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Instrument Panel Storage Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
J
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10-104
K
Key and Lock Messages . . . . . . . 5-37
Keyless Entry Remote (RKE) System . . . 2-5, 2-6
Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
L
Labeling, Tire Sidewall . . . . . . . . 10-65
Lamp Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-39
Lamps Daytime Running (DRL) . . . . . . . 6-3
Exterior Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lamps OffReminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
License Plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Malfunction Indicator . . . . . . . . . 5-19
On Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-14
LATCH System Replacing Parts after aCrash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-49
LATCH, Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children . . . . . . . . . . 3-43
Liftgate Carbon Monoxide . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-20 Light
StabiliTrak®OFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Lighter, Cigarette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Lighting Adaptive Forward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Exit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Illumination Control . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Parade Dimming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Lights Airbag Readiness . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Antilock Brake System
(ABS) Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Brake System Warning . . . . . . . 5-22
Charging System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning . . . . . . . 5-24
Engine Oil Pressure . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Front Fog Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
High-Beam On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . . 6-2
Black plate (8,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
i-8 INDEX
Lights (cont.)Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . 5-16
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Traction Control System
(TCS)/StabiliTrak
®. . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Up-Shift . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Limited-Slip Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . 9-41
Locks Automatic Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Central Door UnlockingSystem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14, 2-15
Lockout Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Power Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Low-Profile Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-64
Lower Anchors and Tethers
for Children (LATCH
System) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-43
Lumbar Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5
Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5
M
Magnetic Ride Control . . . . . . . . . 9-40
MaintenanceRecords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11-17
Maintenance Schedule Recommended Fluidsand Lubricants . . . . . . . . . . . . .11-13
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . 5-19
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-29
Manual Transmission . . . . . . . . . . 9-31 Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-14
Memory Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Memory Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8
Messages Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-43
Anti-theft Alarm System . . . . . . . 5-43
Battery Voltage andCharging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-31
Brake System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-32
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-34
Door Ajar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-34
Engine Cooling System . . . . . . . 5-35
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-35
Engine Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-36
Fuel System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-36
Key and Lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-37 Messages (cont.)
Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-39
Object Detection System . . . . . 5-39
Ride Control System . . . . . . . . . . 5-40
Service Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-43
Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-43
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-44
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-31
Vehicle Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-45
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-45
Mirrors Automatic DimmingRearview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-29
Convex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-28
Folding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-28
Heated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-28
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-28
Monitor System, Tire
Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-72
MP3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-24
Multi-band Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-16