Black plate (2,1)Cadillac XTS Owner Manual - 2013 - 1st - 4/13/12
9-2 Driving and Operating
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-56
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-57
Filling a Portable FuelContainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-59
Towing
General TowingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-60
Driving Characteristics and Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-60
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-63
Towing Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . 9-64
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-65
Driving Information
Distracted Driving
Distraction comes in many forms
and can take your focus from the
task of driving. Exercise good
judgment and do not let other
activities divert your attention away
from the road. Many local
governments have enacted laws
regarding driver distraction. Become
familiar with the local laws in
your area.
To avoid distracted driving, always
keep your eyes on the road, hands
on the wheel, and mind on the drive.
.Do not use a phone in
demanding driving situations.
Use a hands-free method to
place or receive necessary
phone calls.
.Watch the road. Do not read,
take notes, or look up
information on phones or other
electronic devices.
.Designate a front seat
passenger to handle potential
distractions.
.Become familiar with vehicle
features before driving, such as
programming favorite radio
stations and adjusting climate
control and seat settings.
Program all trip information into
any navigation device prior to
driving.
.Wait until the vehicle is parked
to retrieve items that have fallen
to the floor.
.Stop or park the vehicle to tend
to children.
.Keep pets in an appropriate
carrier or restraint.
.Avoid stressful conversations
while driving, whether with a
passenger or on a cell phone.
Black plate (8,1)Cadillac XTS Owner Manual - 2013 - 1st - 4/13/12
9-8 Driving and Operating
Drive with caution, whatever the
condition. Accelerate gently so
traction is not lost. Accelerating too
quickly causes the wheels to spin
and makes the surface under the
tires slick, so there is even less
traction.
Try not to break the fragile traction.
If you accelerate too fast, the drive
wheels will spin and polish the
surface under the tires even more.
The Antilock Brake System (ABS)
improves vehicle stability during
hard stops on slippery roads, but
apply the brakes sooner than when
on dry pavement.
Allow greater following distance on
any slippery road and watch for
slippery spots. Icy patches can
occur on otherwise clear roads in
shaded areas. The surface of a
curve or an overpass can remain icy
when the surrounding roads are
clear. Avoid sudden steering
maneuvers and braking while
on ice.See
Antilock Brake System (ABS)
on page 9‑25.
Turn off cruise control, on slippery
surfaces.
Blizzard Conditions
Being stuck in snow can be a
serious situation. Stay with the
vehicle unless there is help nearby.
If possible, use Roadside Service.
See Roadside Service on
page 13‑5. To get help and keep
everyone in the vehicle safe:
.Turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
.Tie a red cloth to an outside
mirror.
{WARNING
Snow can trap engine exhaust
under the vehicle. This may
cause exhaust gases to get
inside. Engine exhaust contains
carbon monoxide (CO) which
(Continued)
WARNING (CONTINUED)
cannot be seen or smelled. It can
cause unconsciousness and even
death.
If the vehicle is stuck in the snow:
.Clear away snow from around
the base of your vehicle,
especially any that is blocking
the exhaust pipe.
.Check again from time to
time to be sure snow does
not collect there.
.Open a window about 5 cm
(2 in) on the side of the
vehicle that is away from the
wind to bring in fresh air.
.Fully open the air outlets on
or under the instrument
panel.
.Adjust the climate control
system to a setting that
circulates the air inside the
vehicle and set the fan speed(Continued)
Black plate (9,1)Cadillac XTS Owner Manual - 2013 - 1st - 4/13/12
Driving and Operating 9-9
WARNING (CONTINUED)
to the highest setting. See
“Climate Control Systems”in
the Index.
For more information about
carbon monoxide, see Engine
Exhaust on page 9‑21.
Run the engine for short periods
only as needed to keep warm, but
be careful.
To save fuel, run the engine for only
short periods as needed to warm
the vehicle and then shut the engine
off and close the window most of
the way to save heat. Repeat this
until help arrives but only when you
feel really uncomfortable from the
cold. Moving about to keep warm
also helps.
If it takes some time for help to
arrive, now and then when you run
the engine, push the accelerator
pedal slightly so the engine runs
faster than the idle speed. This keeps the battery charged to restart
the vehicle and to signal for help
with the headlamps. Do this as little
as possible to save fuel.
If the Vehicle Is Stuck
Slowly and cautiously spin the
wheels to free the vehicle when
stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow.
If stuck too severely for the traction
system to free the vehicle, turn the
traction system off and use the
rocking method. See
Traction
Control System (TCS) on
page 9‑28.
{WARNING
If the vehicle's tires spin at high
speed, they can explode, and you
or others could be injured. The
vehicle can overheat, causing an
engine compartment fire or other
damage. Spin the wheels as little
as possible and avoid going
above 56 km/h (35 mph).
Rocking the Vehicle to Get
it Out
Turn the steering wheel left and
right to clear the area around the
front wheels. Turn off any traction
system. Shift back and forth
between R (Reverse) and a low
forward gear, spinning the wheels
as little as possible. To prevent
transmission wear, wait until the
wheels stop spinning before shifting
gears. Release the accelerator
pedal while shifting, and press
lightly on the accelerator pedal
when the transmission is in gear.
Slowly spinning the wheels in the
forward and reverse directions
causes a rocking motion that could
free the vehicle. If that does not get
the vehicle out after a few tries, it
might need to be towed out. If the
vehicle does need to be towed out,
see Towing the Vehicle on
page 10‑74.
Black plate (60,1)Cadillac XTS Owner Manual - 2013 - 1st - 4/13/12
9-60 Driving and Operating
Towing
General Towing
Information
Only use towing equipment that has
been designed for the vehicle.
Contact your dealer or trailering
dealer for assistance with preparing
the vehicle for towing a trailer. Read
the entire section before towing a
trailer.
For towing a disabled vehicle, see
Towing the Vehicle on page 10‑74.
For towing the vehicle behind
another vehicle such as a motor
home, seeRecreational Vehicle
Towing on page 10‑74.
Driving Characteristics
and Towing Tips
Driving with a Trailer
When towing a trailer:
.Become familiar with the state
and local laws that apply
specifically to trailer towing.
.Do not tow a trailer during the
first 800 km (500 miles), to
prevent damage to the engine,
axle or other parts.
.Then, during the first 800 km
(500 miles) trailer towing, do not
drive over 80 km/h (50 mph) and
do not make starts at full throttle.
.The vehicle can tow in D (Drive)
but M (Manual Mode) is
recommended. See Manual
Mode on page 9‑24. Use a lower
gear if the transmission shifts
too often.
{WARNING
When towing a trailer, exhaust
gases may collect at the rear of
the vehicle and enter if the
liftgate, trunk/hatch, or rear-most
window is open.
(Continued)
WARNING (CONTINUED)
When towing a trailer:
.Do not drive with the liftgate,
trunk/hatch, or rear-most
window open.
.Fully open the air outlets on
or under the instrument
panel.
.Also adjust the Climate
Control system to a setting
that brings in only outside air.
See Climate Control System
in the Index.
For more information about
Carbon Monoxide, see Engine
Exhaust on page 9‑21.
Towing a trailer requires a certain
amount of experience. The
combination you are driving is
longer and not as responsive as the
vehicle itself. Get acquainted with
the handling and braking of the rig
before setting out for the open road.
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 (3,1)Cadillac XTS Owner Manual - 2013 - 1st - 4/13/12
INDEX i-3
CheckEngine Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Child Restraints Infants and YoungChildren . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-43
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children . . . . . . . . . 3-48
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-41
Securing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-54, 3-57
Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-45
Cigarette Lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-26
Cleaning
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-76
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-79
Climate Control Systems
Dual Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1, 8-6
Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-9
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Cluster, Instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Collision Damage Repair . . . . . . 13-9
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . 10-70
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5 Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-35
Compressor Kit, Tire
Sealant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-57 Connections
OnStar®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-3
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Convenience Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
Convex Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18
Coolant Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-12
Engine Temperature
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
Engine Temperature Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-11 Engine Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-36
Courtesy Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Courtesy Transportation Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-8
Cover Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-6
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-31 Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-35
Cruise Control, Active . . . . . . . . . 9-34
Cupholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2 Customer Assistance . . . . . . . . . . 13-4
Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-3
Text Telephone (TTY)
Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-4
Customer Information Service PublicationsOrdering Information . . . . . . .13-11
Customer Satisfaction Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-1
D
Damage Repair, Collision . . . . . . 13-9
Danger, Warnings, andCautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
Data Recorders, Event . . . . . . . 13-14
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Diagnostics
OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-5
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Black plate (4,1)Cadillac XTS Owner Manual - 2013 - 1st - 4/13/12
i-4 INDEX
DoorAjar Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-36
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
Power Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Rear Seat Pass-Through . . . . . 3-13
Drive Belt Routing, Engine . . . . . 12-3
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . 10-20, 9-24
Driver Assistance Systems . . . . 9-42
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Driving Assistance Systems . . . . . . . . . . 9-46
Characteristics andTowing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-60
Defensive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Drunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
For Better Fuel Economy . . . . . 1-24
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . 9-7
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . . . 9-9
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5 Driving (cont'd)
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 9-10
Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-7
Dual Automatic Climate Control System . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1, 8-6
E
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Electric Parking Brake Light . . . 5-21
Electrical Equipment,Add-On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-65
Electrical System Engine CompartmentFuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-26
Fuses and Circuit
Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-26
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Rear Compartment Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-32
Emergency OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-2 Engine
Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . 10-10
Check and Service Engine
Soon Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Compartment Overview . . . . . . . 10-5
Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-12
Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
Coolant Temperature Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10-11
Cooling System Messages . . . 5-36
Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-6
Drive Belt Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-3
Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-18
Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-9
Oil Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-37
Overheated Protection
Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . 10-16
Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-14
Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-37
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Running While Parked . . . . . . . . 9-22
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-17
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Black plate (9,1)Cadillac XTS Owner Manual - 2013 - 1st - 4/13/12
INDEX i-9
OnStar®Emergency . . . . . . . . . . . 14-2
OnStar®Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-2
OnStar®Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-1
OnStar®Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-2
Ordering Service Publications . . . . . . . . .13-11
Outlets
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-16
Overheating, Engine . . . . . . . . . . 10-14
Overview, Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-3
P
ParkShifting Into . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-19
Shifting Out of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-20
Parking Brake and P (Park)Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . 10-21
Over Things That Burn . . . . . . . 9-21 Parking or Backing
Assistance Systems . . . . . . . . . . 9-43
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Passenger Compartment Air Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-12
Passenger Sensing System . . . 3-34
Perchlorate Materials
Requirements, California . . . . . 10-3
Personalization Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-44
Phone Bluetooth . . . . . . . . . 7-18, 7-20, 7-24
Port USB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-14
Power
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19
Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Protection, Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Retained Accessory (RAP) . . . 9-19
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Steering Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-16
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-21
Pregnancy, Using Safety
Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-20 Privacy
Radio Frequency
Identification (RFID) . . . . . . . 13-15
Program Courtesy Transportation . . . . . . 13-8
Proposition 65 Warning, California . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
R
Radio Frequency
Identification (RFID) . . . . . . . . 13-15
Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-15
Radios
AM-FM Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7
Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-10
Satellite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-9
Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Rear Climate Control System . . . 8-9
Rear Seat Pass-Through Door . . . . . . . . . . 3-13
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-11 Heated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-12
Rearview Mirrors
Automatic Dimming . . . . . . . . . . . 2-20
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6