Black plate (2,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
2012 Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner ManualM
Climate Controls. . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . 8-1
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-6
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-6
Driving and Operating . . . . . . . . 9-1
Driving Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Starting and Operating . . . . . . . 9-16
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 9-27
Manual Transmission . . . . . . . . . 9-31
Drive Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Ride Control Systems . . . . . . . . 9-38
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-41
Object Detection Systems . . . . 9-44
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-50
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-55
Conversions and Add-Ons . . . 9-61 Vehicle Care
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Vehicle Checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . 10-34
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Electrical System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-39
Wheels and Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-63
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-104
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-108
Appearance Care . . . . . . . . . . 10-110
Service and Maintenance . . . 11-1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 11-1
Cadillac Premium Care
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-3
Maintenance Schedule . . . . . . . 11-3
Special Application Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-9
Additional Maintenance and Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-10 Recommended Fluids,
Lubricants, and Parts . . . . . . 11-13
Maintenance Records . . . . . . . 11-17
Technical Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Vehicle Identification . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Vehicle Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Customer Information . . . . . . . 13-1
Customer Information . . . . . . . . 13-1
Reporting Safety Defects . . . . 13-18
Vehicle Data Recording and Privacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-19
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-1
OnStar Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-1
OnStar Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-2
OnStar Additional Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-5
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i-1
Black plate (6,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
6-6 Lighting
If after signaling a turn or lane
change the arrow flashes rapidly
or does not come on, a signal bulb
may be burned out.
Have the bulbs replaced. If the bulb
is not burned out, check the fuse.
SeeFuses and Circuit Breakers on
page 10‑40.
Turn Signal On Chime
If the turn signal is left on for about
1.6 km (1 mi), a warning chime will
sound and the TURN SIGNAL ON
message will appear on the Driver
Information Center (DIC) display.
See “Turn Signal On” underLamp
Messages on page 5‑39 for more
information.Fog Lamps
Use the fog lamps for better vision
in foggy or misty conditions. The fog
lamp control is located on the turn
signal/multifunction lever.
#(Fog Lamps): Turn the fog lamp
band on the lever up to
#and
release it, to turn the fog lamps on
or off. The band will return to its
original position. The parking lamps must be on for
the fog lamps to work.
If the high-beam headlamps are
turned on, the fog lamps will also
turn off. They will turn back on again
when you change back to low-beam
headlamps.
Some localities have laws that
require the headlamps to be on
along with the fog lamps.
Black plate (58,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
9-58 Driving and Operating
shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees,
or other objects. Avoid jerky or
sudden maneuvers. Signal well in
advance.
Turn Signals When Towing a
Trailer
The arrows on the instrument panel
flash whenever signaling a turn or
lane change. Properly hooked up,
the trailer lamps also flash, telling
other drivers the vehicle is turning,
changing lanes, or stopping.
When towing a trailer, the arrows on
the instrument panel flash for turns
even if the bulbs on the trailer are
burned out. For this reason you may
think other drivers are seeing the
signal when they are not. It is
important to check occasionally to
be sure the trailer bulbs are still
working.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a
lower gear before starting down a
long or steep downgrade. If the
transmission is not shifted down, thebrakes might have to be used so
much that they would get hot and no
longer work well.
Vehicles with an automatic
transmission can tow in D (Drive)
but M (Manual Mode) is
recommended. Shift the
transmission to a lower gear if the
transmission shifts too often under
heavy loads and/or hilly conditions.
For vehicles with a manual
transmission, it is better not to use
the highest gear.
When towing at high altitude on
steep uphill grades, consider the
following: Engine coolant will boil at
a lower temperature than at normal
altitudes. If the engine is turned off
immediately after towing at high
altitude on steep uphill grades, the
vehicle may show signs similar to
engine overheating. To avoid this,
let the engine run while parked,
preferably on level ground, with the
automatic transmission in P (Park)
for a few minutes before turning the
engine off. For vehicles with manual
transmissions, let the engine runwhile parked, preferably on level
ground, with the transmission out of
gear and the parking brake applied,
for a few minutes before turning the
engine off. If the overheat warning
comes on, see
Engine Overheating
on page 10‑23.
Parking on Hills
{WARNING
Parking the vehicle on a hill with
the trailer attached can be
dangerous. If something goes
wrong, the rig could start to move.
People can be injured, and both
the vehicle and the trailer can be
damaged. When possible, always
park the rig on a flat surface.
If parking the rig on a hill:
1. Press the brake pedal, but do not shift into P (Park) yet for
vehicles with an automatic
transmission, or into gear for
vehicles with a manual
Black plate (1,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-1
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
California Proposition 65Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . 10-3
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-5
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-6
Engine Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-9
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-10
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . 10-12
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-14
Manual Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-14 Hydraulic Clutch . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-14
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . 10-15
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-18
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-18
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . 10-23
Overheated Engine
Protection
Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24
Power Steering Fluid . . . . . . . 10-24
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-26
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . 10-30
Automatic Transmission Shift Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-31
Ignition Transmission Lock Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-31
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . 10-32
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-32
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . 10-34
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
High Intensity Discharge(HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
License Plate Lamp (Coupe and Sedan) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
License Plate Lamp (Wagon) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . 10-39
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-39
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-40
Engine Compartment Fuse Block (CTS Coupe and
Sedan) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-40
Engine Compartment Fuse Block (CTS V Coupe and
Sedan) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-44
Black plate (37,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-37
Bulb Replacement
For the proper type of replacement
bulbs, seeReplacement Bulbs on
page 10‑39.
For any bulb‐changing procedure
not listed in this section, contact
your dealer.
Halogen Bulbs
{WARNING
Halogen bulbs have pressurized
gas inside and can burst if you
drop or scratch the bulb. You or
others could be injured. Be sure
to read and follow the instructions
on the bulb package.
High Intensity Discharge
(HID) Lighting
{WARNING
The low beam high intensity
discharge lighting system
operates at a very high voltage.
If you try to service any of the
system components, you could be
seriously injured. Have your
dealer or a qualified technician
service them.
After an HID headlamp bulb has
been replaced, the beam might be a
slightly different shade than it was
originally. This is normal.
Fog Lamps
To replace a front fog lamp bulb:
1. Pull out the push-pins located on the underside of the protection
shield to remove the shield.
2. Reach up behind the front bumper area from under the
vehicle to access the lamp
housing.
3. Remove the electrical connector from the bulb by lifting the two
plastic clips.
4. Remove the bulb socket from the lamp housing by turning the
bulb socket one-quarter turn
counterclockwise.
Black plate (38,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
10-38 Vehicle Care
5. Pull the old bulb from the lamphousing keeping the bulb
straight as you pull it out.
6. Install a new bulb.
7. Reinstall the electrical connector by pushing in the two plastic
clips.
8. Push the bulb socket into the lamp housing and turn the
socket one‐quarter turn
clockwise.License Plate Lamp
(Coupe and Sedan)
To replace one of these bulbs:
1. Push the tab to remove the
license plate lamp.
2. Turn the license plate lamp assembly down to remove it.
3. Turn the socket counterclockwise and remove it.
4. Pull the bulb straight out to remove it.
5. Push the new bulb straight into the socket.
6. Reverse Steps 1 through 3 to reinstall the license plate lamp
assembly.
License Plate Lamp
(Wagon)
To replace one of these bulbs:
1. Open the liftgate. See Liftgate
on page 2‑20 for more
information.
Passenger Side Shown, Driver
Side Similar
2. Push the left end of the lamp assembly toward the right.
3. Turn the lamp assembly down to remove it from the liftgate.
Black plate (39,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-39
A. Bulb Socket
B. Bulb
C. Lamp Assembly
4. Turn the bulb socket (A) counterclockwise to remove it
from the lamp assembly (C).
5. Pull the bulb (B) straight out of the bulb socket. 6. Push the replacement bulb
straight into the bulb socket and
turn the bulb socket clockwise to
install it into the lamp assembly.
7. Turn the lamp assembly into the liftgate engaging the clip side
first.
8. Push on the lamp side opposite the clip until the lamp assembly
snaps into place.
Replacement Bulbs
Exterior Lamp Bulb
Number
Fog Lamp
(Uplevel Only) H11LL
License Plate Lamp W5WLL
For replacement bulbs not listed
here, contact your dealer.
Electrical System
Electrical System
Overload
The vehicle has fuses and circuit
breakers to protect against an
electrical system overload.
When the current electrical load is
too heavy, the circuit breaker opens
and closes, protecting the circuit
until the current load returns to
normal or the problem is fixed. This
greatly reduces the chance of circuit
overload and fire caused by
electrical problems.
Fuses and circuit breakers protect
power devices in the vehicle.
Replace a bad fuse with a new one
of the identical size and rating.
If there is a problem on the road and
a fuse needs to be replaced, the
same amperage fuse can be
borrowed. Choose some feature of
the vehicle that is not needed to use
and replace it as soon as possible.
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