Black plate (50,1)Cadillac XTS Owner Manual - 2013 - 1st - 4/13/12
10-50 Vehicle Care
Treadwear indicators are one way to
tell when it is time for new tires.
Treadwear indicators appear when
the tires have only 1.6 mm (1/16 in)
or less of tread remaining. SeeTire
Inspection on page 10‑48 andTire
Rotation on page 10‑48.
The rubber in tires ages over time.
This also applies to the spare tire,
if the vehicle has one, even if it is
never used. Multiple factors
including temperatures, loading
conditions, and inflation pressure
maintenance affect how fast aging
takes place. GM recommends that
tires, including the spare if equipped, be replaced after six
years, regardless of tread wear. The
tire manufacturer date is the last
four digits of the DOT Tire
Identification Number (TIN) which is
molded into one side of the tire
sidewall. The first two digits
represent the week (01–52) and the
last two digits, the year. For
example, the third week of the year
2010 would have a four-digit DOT
date of 0310.Vehicle Storage
Tires age when stored normally
mounted on a parked vehicle. Park
a vehicle that will be stored for at
least a month in a cool, dry, clean
area away from direct sunlight to
slow aging. This area should be free
of grease, gasoline, or other
substances that can deteriorate
rubber.
Parking for an extended period can
cause flat spots on the tires that
may result in vibrations while
driving. When storing a vehicle for
at least a month, remove the tires or
raise the vehicle to reduce the
weight from the tires.
Buying New Tires
GM has developed and matched
specific tires for the vehicle. The
original equipment tires installed
were designed to meet General
Motors Tire Performance Criteria
Specification (TPC Spec)
system rating. When
replacement tires are needed,
GM strongly recommends
buying tires with the same TPC
Spec rating.
GM's exclusive TPC Spec
system considers over a dozen
critical specifications that impact
the overall performance of the
vehicle, including brake system
performance, ride and handling,
traction control, and tire
pressure monitoring
performance. GM's TPC Spec
Black plate (52,1)Cadillac XTS Owner Manual - 2013 - 1st - 4/13/12
10-52 Vehicle Care
sure they are the same size,
load range, speed rating, and
construction (radial) as the
original tires.
Vehicles that have a tire
pressure monitoring system
could give an inaccurate
low-pressure warning if non-TPC
Spec rated tires are installed.
SeeTire Pressure Monitor
System on page 10‑43.
The Tire and Loading
Information label indicates the
original equipment tires on the
vehicle. See Vehicle Load Limits
on page 9‑10.
Different Size Tires and
Wheels
If wheels or tires are installed that
are a different size than the original
equipment wheels and tires, vehicle
performance, including its braking,
ride and handling characteristics,
stability, and resistance to rollover may be affected. If the vehicle has
electronic systems such as antilock
brakes, rollover airbags, traction
control, and electronic stability
control, the performance of these
systems can also be affected.
{WARNING
If different sized wheels are used,
there may not be an acceptable
level of performance and safety if
tires not recommended for those
wheels are selected. This
increases the chance of a crash
and serious injury. Only use GM
specific wheel and tire systems
developed for the vehicle, and
have them properly installed by a
GM certified technician.
See Buying New Tires on
page 10‑50 andAccessories and
Modifications on page 10‑3.
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 tires,
compact spare tires, tires with
Black plate (53,1)Cadillac XTS Owner Manual - 2013 - 1st - 4/13/12
Vehicle Care 10-53
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 test
course. For example, a tiregraded 150 would wear one and
one-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.
Warning: The traction grade
assigned to this tire is based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include
acceleration, cornering,
hydroplaning, or peak traction
characteristics.
Temperature
–A, B, C
The temperature grades are A
(the highest), B, and C,
representing the tire's resistance
to the generation of heat and its
ability to dissipate heat when
tested under controlled
conditions on a specified indoor
laboratory test wheel. Sustained
high temperature can cause the
material of the tire to degenerate
and reduce tire life, and
excessive temperature can lead
to sudden tire failure. The grade
C corresponds to a level of
performance which all
passenger car tires must meet
under the Federal Motor Safety
Standard No. 109. Grades B and
A represent higher levels of
Black plate (55,1)Cadillac XTS Owner Manual - 2013 - 1st - 4/13/12
Vehicle Care 10-55
Used Replacement Wheels
{WARNING
Replacing a wheel with a used
one is dangerous. How it has
been used or how far it has been
driven may be unknown. It could
fail suddenly and cause a crash.
When replacing wheels, use a
new GM original equipment
wheel.
Tire Chains
{WARNING
Do not use tire chains. There is
not enough clearance. Tire chains
used on a vehicle without the
proper amount of clearance can
cause damage to the brakes,
suspension, or other vehicle(Continued)
WARNING (CONTINUED)
parts. The area damaged by the
tire chains could cause loss of
control and a crash.
Use another type of traction
device only if its manufacturer
recommends it for the vehicle's
tire size combination and road
conditions. Follow that
manufacturer's instructions. To
avoid vehicle damage, drive slow
and readjust or remove the
traction device if it contacts the
vehicle. Do not spin the wheels.
If traction devices are used, install
them on the front tires.
If a Tire Goes Flat
It is unusual for a tire to blow out
while driving, especially if the tires
are maintained properly. See Tires
on page 10‑34. 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.
Black plate (7,1)Cadillac XTS Owner Manual - 2013 - 1st - 4/13/12
INDEX i-7
L
Labeling, Tire Sidewall . . . . . . . . 10-36
LampsCourtesy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Daytime Running (DRL) . . . . . . . 6-4
Dome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Exterior Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lamps OffReminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
License Plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24
Malfunction Indicator . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-38
On Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-53
Lane Departure Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-16
LATCH System Replacing Parts after aCrash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-54
LATCH, Lower Anchors and
Tethers for Children . . . . . . . . . . 3-48 LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-23
Level Control
Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-31
Leveling Control Headlamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Light Adaptive Forward Lighting
(AFL) Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Lighter, Cigarette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Lighting Adaptive Forward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Exit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Illumination Control . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
LED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-23
Lights
Airbag Readiness . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Antilock Brake System(ABS) Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Brake System Warning . . . . . . . 5-20
Charging System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . 5-21
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning . . . . . . . 5-24
Engine Oil Pressure . . . . . . . . . . 5-25 Lights (cont'd)
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
High-Beam On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . . 6-3
Lane Departure Warning . . . . . . 5-22
Low Fuel Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . 5-15
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Service Electric Parking
Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
StabiliTrak
®OFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Traction Control System (TCS)/StabiliTrak
®. . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Traction Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Locks Automatic Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
Lockout Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Power Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . . 5-25
Black plate (12,1)Cadillac XTS Owner Manual - 2013 - 1st - 4/13/12
i-12 INDEX
T
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Text Telephone (TTY) Users . . . 13-4
Theft-Deterrent Systems . . . . . . . 2-17Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Thigh Support Adjustment . . . . . . 3-5
Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Tires Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-50
Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-55
Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-65
Compact Spare . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-70
Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Different Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-52
Full-Size Spare . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-71
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . 10-55
Inflation Monitor System . . . . 10-44
Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-48
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-42
Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-43
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Pressure Monitor System . . . 10-43
Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-48
Sealant andCompressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . 10-57 Tires (cont'd)
Sealant and Compressor
Kit, Storing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-65
Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
Terminology and
Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-52
Wheel Alignment and Tire
Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-54
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . 10-54
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-49
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
Towing Driving Characteristics . . . . . . . . 9-60
Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-64
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 9-60
Recreational Vehicle . . . . . . . . 10-74
Trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-63
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-74
Traction Control System (TCS) . . . . . . . . 9-28
Control System (TCS)/
StabiliTrak
®Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23 Trailer
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-63
Transmission Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-22
Fluid, Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-10
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-43
Transportation Program,
Courtesy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-8
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Trunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
U
Uniform Tire QualityGrading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-52
Universal Remote System . . . . . 5-50 Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-53
Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-50
Updates Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7
USB Port . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-14
Using This Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii