Black plate (21,1)Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-7707485) -
2015 - CRC - 10/31/14
Instruments and Controls 5-21
system readiness, your dealer
can prepare the vehicle for
inspection.
Brake System Warning
Light
The vehicle brake system consists
of two hydraulic circuits. If one
circuit is not working, the remaining
circuit can still work to stop the
vehicle. For normal braking
performance, both circuits need to
be working.
If the warning light comes on, there
is a brake problem. Have the brake
system inspected right away.
MetricEnglishThis light comes on briefly when the
vehicle is turned on. If it does not
come on then, have it fixed so it will
be ready to warn if there is a
problem.
If the light comes on and stays on,
there is a base brake problem.
{Warning
The brake system might not be
working properly if the brake
system warning light is on.
Driving with the brake system
warning light on can lead to a
crash. If the light is still on after
the vehicle has been pulled off
the road and carefully stopped,
have the vehicle towed for
service.
Electric Parking Brake
Light
MetricEnglish
This light comes on when the
parking brake is applied. If the light
continues flashing after the parking
brake is released, or while driving,
there is a problem with the Electric
Parking Brake system or another
system. A message may also
display in the Driver Information
Center (DIC). See Brake System
Messages on page 5-36.
If the light does not come on,
or remains flashing, see your dealer.
Black plate (32,1)Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-7707485) -
2015 - CRC - 10/31/14
5-32 Instruments and Controls
Head-Up Display (HUD)
{Warning
If the HUD image is too bright or
too high in your field of view, it
may take you more time to see
things you need to see when it is
dark outside. Be sure to keep the
HUD image dim and placed low in
your field of view.
If equipped with HUD, some
information concerning the
operation of the vehicle is projected
onto the windshield. The image is
projected through the HUD lens on
top of the instrument panel. The
information appears as an image
focused out toward the front of the
vehicle.
{Caution
If you try to use the HUD image
as a parking aid, you may
misjudge the distance and
damage your vehicle. Do not use
the HUD image as a parking aid.
The HUD information can be
displayed in various languages. The
speedometer reading and other
numerical values can be displayed
in either English or metric units.
The language selection is changed
through the radio and the units of
measurement is changed through
the instrument cluster. See Vehicle
Personalization on page 5-47 and
“Cluster Settings Menu” under
Instrument Cluster on page 5-9.
HUD Display on the Vehicle
Windshield
The HUD may display some of the
following vehicle information and
vehicle messages or alerts:
.Speed
.Tachometer
.Audio
.Phone
.Navigation
.Collision Alert
.Cruise Control
Black plate (3,1)Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-7707485) -
2015 - CRC - 10/31/14
Lighting 6-3
.The IntelliBeam system is
disabled by the high/low-beam
changer or the flash-to-pass
feature. If this happens, the high/
low-beam changer must be
activated two times within
two seconds to reactivate the
IntelliBeam system. The
instrument cluster light will come
on to indicate the IntelliBeam is
reactivated. SeeHeadlamp
High/Low-Beam Changer on
page 6-3 andFlash-to-Pass on
page 6-3.
The high beams may not turn off
automatically if the system cannot
detect another vehicle's lamps
because of any of the following:
.The other vehicle's lamps are
missing, damaged, obstructed
from view, or otherwise
undetected.
.The other vehicle's lamps are
covered with dirt, snow, and/or
road spray.
.The other vehicle's lamps cannot
be detected due to dense
exhaust, smoke, fog, snow, road
spray, mist, or other airborne
obstructions.
.The vehicle's windshield is dirty,
cracked, or obstructed by
something that blocks the view
of the light sensor.
.The vehicle is loaded such that
the front end points upward,
causing the light sensor to aim
high and not detect headlamps
and taillamps.
.Driving on winding or hilly roads.
The automatic high-beam
headlamps may need to be disabled
if any of the above conditions exist.
Exterior Lamps Off
Reminder
A warning chime sounds if the driver
door is opened while the ignition is
off and the exterior lamps are on.
Headlamp High/
Low-Beam Changer
2 3
(Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer): Push the turn signal
lever away from you and release, to
turn the high beams on. To return to
low beams, push the lever again or
pull it toward you and release.
This indicator light turns on in the
instrument cluster when the
high-beam headlamps are on.
Flash-to-Pass
To flash the high beams, pull the
turn signal lever toward you, and
release.
Black plate (2,1)Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-7707485) -
2015 - CRC - 10/31/14
9-2 Driving and Operating
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-61
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-61
Filling a Portable FuelContainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-63
Trailer Towing
General TowingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-64
Driving Characteristics and Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-64
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-67
Towing Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . 9-68
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-69
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 (10,1)Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-7707485) -
2015 - CRC - 10/31/14
9-10 Driving and Operating
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,
seeTowing the Vehicle on
page 10-78.
Vehicle Load Limits
It is very important to know how
much weight the vehicle can
carry. This weight is called the
vehicle capacity weight and
includes the weight of all
occupants, cargo, and all
nonfactory-installed options.
Two labels on the vehicle show
how much weight it may
properly carry: the Tire and
Loading Information label and
the Certification label.
{Warning
Do not load the vehicle any
heavier than the Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating
(GVWR), or either the
maximum front or rear Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR).
This can cause systems to
break and change the way the
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
vehicle handles. This could
cause loss of control and a
crash. Overloading can also
shorten the life of the vehicle.
Tire and Loading Information
Label
Label Example
A vehicle-specific Tire and
Loading Information label is
attached to the vehicle center
Black plate (12,1)Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-7707485) -
2015 - CRC - 10/31/14
9-12 Driving and Operating
5.Determine the combined
weight of luggage and cargo
being loaded on the vehicle.
That weight may not safely
exceed the available cargo
and luggage load capacity
calculated in Step 4.
6.If your vehicle will be towing
a trailer, load from your trailer
will be transferred to your
vehicle. Consult this manual
to determine how this
reduces the available cargo
and luggage load capacity of
your vehicle.”
See Trailer Towing on page 9-67
for important information on
towing a trailer, towing safety
rules, and trailering tips.
Example 1
1.Vehicle Capacity Weight
for Example 1 = 453 kg
(1,000 lbs).
2.Subtract Occupant Weight
@ 68 kg (150 lbs) × 2 =
136 kg (300 lbs).
3.Available Occupant and
Cargo Weight = 317 kg
(700 lbs).
Example 2
1.Vehicle Capacity Weight
for Example 2 = 453 kg
(1,000 lbs).
2.Subtract Occupant Weight
@ 68 kg (150 lbs) × 5 =
340 kg (750 lbs).
3.Available Cargo Weight =
113 kg (250 lbs).
Black plate (20,1)Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-7707485) -
2015 - CRC - 10/31/14
9-20 Driving and Operating
Power to the power windows and
sunroof will continue to operate for
up to 10 minutes or until any door is
opened.
All of these features will work when
the ignition is in ON/RUN or ACC/
ACCESSORY.
Shifting Into Park
1. Hold the brake pedal down andapply the parking brake. See
Electric Parking Brake on
page 9-27.
2. Move the shift lever into P (Park) by pushing the lever all the way
toward the front of the vehicle.
3. Turn the ignition off.
Leaving the Vehicle with the
Engine Running
{Warning
It can be dangerous to leave the
vehicle with the engine running.
It could overheat and catch fire.
It is dangerous to get out of the
vehicle if the shift lever is not fully
in P (Park) with the parking brake
firmly set. The vehicle can roll.
Do not leave the vehicle when the
engine is running. If you have left
the engine running, the vehicle
can move suddenly. You or others
could be injured. To be sure the
vehicle will not move, even when
you are on fairly level ground,
always set the parking brake and
move the shift lever to P (Park).
See Shifting Into Park on
page 9-20. If you are towing a
trailer, see Driving Characteristics
and Towing Tips on page 9-64. If you have to leave the vehicle with
the engine running, be sure the
vehicle is in P (Park) and the
parking brake is firmly set before
you leave it. After you have moved
the shift lever into P (Park), hold
down the regular brake pedal. See if
you can move the shift lever away
from P (Park) without first pulling it
toward you. If you can, it means that
the shift lever was not fully locked
into P (Park).
Torque Lock
Torque lock is when the weight of
the vehicle puts too much force on
the parking pawl in the
transmission. This happens when
parking on a hill and shifting the
transmission into P (Park) is not
done properly and then it is difficult
to shift out of P (Park). To prevent
torque lock, set the parking brake
and then shift into P (Park). To find
out how, see "Shifting Into P (Park)"
listed previously.
Black plate (21,1)Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-7707485) -
2015 - CRC - 10/31/14
Driving and Operating 9-21
If torque lock does occur, your
vehicle may need to be pushed
uphill by another vehicle to relieve
the parking pawl pressure, so you
can shift out of P (Park).
If you are towing a trailer and
parking on a hill, seeDriving
Characteristics and Towing Tips on
page 9-64.
Shifting out of Park
This vehicle is equipped with an
automatic transmission shift lock
control system. The shift lock
control is designed to prevent
movement of the shift lever out of
P (Park), unless the ignition is in
ON/RUN and the brake pedal is
applied.
The shift lock control is always
functional except in the case of an
uncharged or low voltage (less than
9-volt) battery. If the vehicle has an uncharged
battery or a battery with low voltage,
try charging or jump starting the
battery. See
Jump Starting on
page 10-75.
To shift out of P (Park):
1. Turn the ignition to ON/RUN.
2. Apply the brake pedal.
3. Press the shift lever button.
4. Move the shift lever to the desired position.
If you still are unable to shift out of
P (Park):
1. Fully release the shift lever button.
2. Hold the brake pedal down and press the shift lever button
again. 3. Move the shift lever to the
desired position.
If you still cannot move the shift
lever from P (Park), consult your
dealer or a professional towing
service.
Parking over Things
That Burn
{Warning
Things that can burn could touch
hot exhaust parts under the
vehicle and ignite. Do not park
over papers, leaves, dry grass,
or other things that can burn.