
Black plate (4,1)Cadillac CTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
7707478) - 2015 - crc - 10/1/14
11-4 Service and Maintenance
for up to a year. The engine oil and
filter must be changed at least once
a year and the oil life system must
be reset. Your trained dealer
technician can perform this work.
If the engine oil life system is reset
accidentally, service the vehicle
within 5 000 km/3,000 mi since the
last service. Reset the oil life
system when the oil is changed.
SeeEngine Oil Life System on
page 10-12.
Tire Rotation and Required
Services Every 12 000 km/
7,500 mi
Rotate the tires, if recommended for
the vehicle, and perform the
following services. See Tire
Rotation on page 10-56.
.Check engine oil level and oil
life percentage. If needed,
change engine oil and filter, and
reset oil life system. See Engine
Oil on page 10-10 andEngine
Oil Life System on page 10-12.
.Check engine coolant level. See
Engine Coolant on page 10-18.
.Check windshield washer fluid
level. See Washer Fluid on
page 10-22.
.Visually inspect windshield wiper
blades for wear, cracking,
or contamination. See Exterior
Care on page 10-71. Replace
worn or damaged wiper blades.
See Wiper Blade Replacement
on page 10-28.
.Check tire inflation pressures.
See Tire Pressure on
page 10-50.
.Inspect tire wear. See Tire
Inspection on page 10-56.
.Visually check for fluid leaks.
.Inspect engine air cleaner filter.
See Engine Air Cleaner/Filter on
page 10-14.
.Inspect brake system. See
Exterior Care on page 10-71.
.Visually inspect steering,
suspension, and chassis
components for damaged, loose,
or missing parts or signs of
wear. See Exterior Care on
page 10-71.
.Check restraint system
components. See Safety System
Check on page 3-21.
.Visually inspect fuel system for
damage or leaks.
.Visually inspect exhaust system
and nearby heat shields for
loose or damaged parts.
.Lubricate body components. See
Exterior Care on page 10-71.
.Check starter switch. See Starter
Switch Check on page 10-27.
.Check automatic transmission
shift lock control function. See
Automatic Transmission Shift
Lock Control Function Check on
page 10-27.

Black plate (8,1)Cadillac CTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
7707478) - 2015 - crc - 10/1/14
11-8 Service and Maintenance
Maintenance Schedule
Additional Required
Services - Severe12 000 km/7,500 mi
24 000 km/15,000 mi
36 000 km/22,500 mi
48 000 km/30,000 mi
60 000 km/37,500 mi
72 000 km/45,000 mi
84 000 km/52,500 mi
96 000 km/60,000 mi
108 000 km/67,500 mi
120 000 km/75,000 mi
132 000 km/82,500 mi
144 000 km/90,000 mi
156 000 km/97,500 mi
168 000 km/105,000 mi 180 000 km/112,500 mi
192 000 km/120,000 mi
204 000 km/127,500 mi
216 000 km/135,000 mi
228 000 km/142,500 mi
240 000 km/150,000 mi
Rotate tires, if recommended for the vehicle, and
perform Required Services. Check engine oil level
and oil life percentage. Change engine oil and
filter, if needed. (1)@ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @
Replace passenger compartment air filter. (2)@ @@@@@
Inspect evaporative control system. (3)@ @@
Replace engine air cleaner filter. (4)@@@
2.0L LTG and 3.6L LF3 Engines: Replace spark
plugs. Inspect spark plug wires.@ @
3.6L LFX Engine Only: Replace spark plugs.
Inspect spark plug wires.@
Change automatic transmission fluid and filter.@@@
Change transfer case fluid, if equipped with
AWD. (5)@@@
Change rear axle fluid, if equipped with electronic
limited slip differential. (3.6L V6 Turbo LF3
Engine only)@@@
Except 3.6L V6 Turbo LF3 Engine: Change rear
axle fluid.@@@
Drain and fill engine cooling system. (6)@
Visually inspect accessory drive belts. (7)@
Replace brake fluid. (8)@@@

Black plate (13,1)Cadillac CTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
7707478) - 2015 - crc - 10/1/14
Service and Maintenance 11-13
Recommended Fluids, Lubricants, and Parts
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants
UsageFluid/Lubricant
Engine Oil Use only engine oil meeting the dexos1™ specification of the proper SAE
viscosity grade. Look for the dexos1 approved logo for GM approved
engine oil. See Engine Oil on page 10-10.
Engine Coolant 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water and use only DEX-COOL
®Coolant.
See Engine Coolant on page 10-18.
Hydraulic Brake System DOT 3 Hydraulic Brake Fluid (GM Part No. 19299818, in Canada 19299819).
Windshield Washer Automotive windshield washer fluid that meets regional freeze protection requirements.
6-Speed Automatic Transmission (w/
2.0L L4 and 3.6L LFX AWD Engines) DEXRON
®-VI Automatic Transmission Fluid.
8-Speed Automatic Transmission (w/ 3.6L LFX RWD and 3.6L LF3 Engines) ATF-WS Automatic Transmission Fluid (GM Part No. 88863400, in
Canada 88863401).
Transfer Case (All-Wheel Drive) Transfer Case Fluid (GM Part No. 88861950, in Canada 88861951). Rear Axle (Non-Limited Slip Differential) SAE 75W-90 Synthetic Axle Lubricant (GM Part No. 88863089, in
Canada 88863090) meeting GM Specification 9986285.

Black plate (3,1)Cadillac CTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
7707478) - 2015 - crc - 10/1/14
Technical Data 12-3
ApplicationCapacities
Metric English
Fuel Tank 72 L 19 gal
Transfer Case –AWD 0.8 L0.8 qt
Rear Axle (with limited slip) 1.2 L1.3 qt
Wheel Nut Torque 150Y 110 lb ft
All capacities are approximate. When adding, be sure to fill to the approximate level, as recommended in this
manual. Recheck fluid level after filling.
Engine Specifications
Engine VIN CodeTransmission Spark Plug Gap
2.0L L4 Engine (LTG) XAutomatic 0.75–0.90 mm (0.030–
0.035 in)
3.6L V6 Engine (LFX) 3Automatic 0.95–1.10 mm (0.037–
0.043 in)
3.6L V6 Engine (LF3) 8Automatic 0.75–0.90 mm (0.030–
0.035 in)

Black plate (1,1)Cadillac CTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
7707478) - 2015 - crc - 10/1/14
INDEX i-1
A
Accessories andModifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Accessory Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-19
Active Emergency Braking System . . . . . . . . 1-18, 9-54
Adaptive Cruise Control . . . . . . . 9-37
Adaptive Forward
Lighting (AFL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Adaptive Forward Lighting (AFL) Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-70
Additional Information OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-6
Additional Maintenance
and Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-10
Adjustments Lumbar, Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Thigh Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5
Air Cleaner/Filter, Engine . . . . . 10-14
Air Filter, Passenger Compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-9
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-8 Airbag System
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-34
How Does an Airbag
Restrain? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-27
Passenger Sensing System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-29
What Makes an Airbag
Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-27
What Will You See after an Airbag Inflates? . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-27
When Should an Airbag
Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-26
Where Are the Airbags? . . . . . . 3-24
Airbags Adding Equipment to theVehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-34
Passenger Status Indicator . . . 5-18
Readiness Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Servicing Airbag-Equipped Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-33
System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-22
Alarm Vehicle Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Alert Lane Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-56
Side Blind Zone (SBZA) . . . . . . 9-56 All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-42
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . 9-26, 10-26
Antilock Brake
System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Appearance Care Exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-71
Interior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-75
Armrest Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Assistance Systems for Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-51
Assistance Systems for Parking and Backing . . . . . . . . . 9-46
Automatic Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . 10-14
Automatic Transmission Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Shift Lock ControlFunction Check . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27

Black plate (4,1)Cadillac CTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
7707478) - 2015 - crc - 10/1/14
i-4 INDEX
Driving (cont'd)Track Events and
Competitive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 9-11
Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-7
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-8
Driving Mode Competitive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Dual Automatic Climate
Control System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
E
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Electrical Equipment,Add-On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-70
Electrical System
Engine CompartmentFuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-32
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-32
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-31
Rear Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38 Emergency
OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-2
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . 10-14
Check and Service EngineSoon Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Compartment Overview . . . . . . . 10-5
Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-18
Coolant Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-19
Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Coolant Temperature Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-16
Cooling System Messages . . . 5-38
Drive Belt Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-4
Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-22
Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-12
Oil Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-39
Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-21
Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-39
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Running While Parked . . . . . . . . 9-22
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4, 9-18
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Equipment, Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-69 Event Data Recorders . . . . . . . . 13-14
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Extender, Safety Belt . . . . . . . . . . 3-20
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lamps Off Reminder . . . 6-3
Exterior Lighting Battery
Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
F
Features
Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8
Filter, Engine Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . 10-14
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Flashers, Hazard Warning . . . . . . 6-5
Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-64
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-79
Fluid Automatic Transmission . . . . 10-14
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24
Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22
Folding Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-20
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-52
Frequency Statement Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13-11

Black plate (7,1)Cadillac CTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
7707478) - 2015 - crc - 10/1/14
INDEX i-7
Lights (cont'd)Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Door Ajar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-29
Engine Coolant
Temperature Warning . . . . . . . 5-25
Engine Oil Pressure . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
High-Beam On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . . 6-3
Low Fuel Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . 5-16
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Service Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
StabiliTrak
®OFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Traction Control System (TCS)/StabiliTrak
®. . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Traction Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Limited-Slip Differential . . . . . . . . 9-34
Locks Automatic Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
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 . . . . . . . . 5-27
Low-Profile Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-44
Lower Anchors and Tethers
for Children (LATCH
System) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-43
Lumbar Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
M
MaintenanceRecords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11-16
Maintenance and Care
Additional . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11-10
Maintenance Schedule . . . . . . . . 11-3 Recommended Fluidsand Lubricants . . . . . . . . . . . . .11-13
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . 5-19
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Memory Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8
Memory Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
Messages Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-44
Battery Voltage and
Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-36
Brake System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-36 Messages (cont'd)
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-37
Door Ajar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-38
Engine Cooling System . . . . . . . 5-38
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-39
Engine Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-39
Fuel System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-39
Key and Lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-39
Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-40
Object Detection System . . . . . 5-41
Ride Control System . . . . . . . . . . 5-43
Safety Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-44
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-45
Service Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-45
Starting the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 5-45
Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-46
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-46
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-36
Vehicle Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-47
Vehicle Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-47
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-47
Mirrors Automatic Dimming
Rearview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-20
Convex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19
Folding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-20

Black plate (12,1)Cadillac CTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
7707478) - 2015 - crc - 10/1/14
i-12 INDEX
TransmissionAutomatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Fluid, Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-14
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-46
Transportation Program, Courtesy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-7
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Trunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Turn and Lane-Change
Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
U
Uniform Tire QualityGrading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-61
Universal Remote System . . . . . 5-55 Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-58
Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-55
Using This Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
V
Vehicle
Alarm System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Canadian Owners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
IdentificationNumber (VIN) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-1 Vehicle (cont'd)
Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-11
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-36
Personalization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-47
Reminder Messages . . . . . . . . . . 5-47
Remote Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Speed Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-47
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-68
Vehicle Ahead Indicator . . . . . . . 5-24
Vehicle Care Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-50
Vehicle Data Recording and Privacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-13
Vehicle Diagnostics OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-6
Ventilation, Air . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-8
Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-23
W
Warning Brake System Light . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Lane Departure (LDW) . . . . . . . 9-58
Warning Lights, Gauges, and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9 Warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
Cautions and Danger . . . . . . . . . . . .iv
Hazard Flashers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22 Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-47
Wheels Alignment and Tire
Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-62
Different Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-60
Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-62
When It Is Time for New
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-58
Where to Put the Restraint . . . . 3-42
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-21 Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-21
Windshield
Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Wiper/Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-8
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-42
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . 10-28