
Cadillac ATS/ATS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-9369639) -
2016 - crc - 12/9/15
Driving and Operating 243
Safety Chains
Always attach chains between the
vehicle and the trailer. Cross the
safety chains under the tongue of
the trailer to help prevent the tongue
from contacting the road if it
becomes separated from the hitch.
Leave enough slack so the rig can
turn. Never allow safety chains to
drag on the ground.
Trailer Brakes
Does the trailer have its own
brakes? Be sure to read and follow
the instructions for the trailer brakes
so they are installed, adjusted, and
maintained properly.
Because the vehicle has antilock
brakes, do not tap into the vehicle's
brake system. If this is done, both
brake systems will not work well or
at all.
Conversions and
Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical
Equipment
{Warning
The Data Link Connector (DLC) is
used for vehicle service and
Emission Inspection/Maintenance
testing. SeeMalfunction Indicator
Lamp (Check Engine Light) 0118.
A device connected to the DLC —
such as an aftermarket fleet or
driver-behavior tracking device —
may interfere with vehicle
systems. This could affect vehicle
operation and cause a crash.
Such devices may also access
information stored in the vehicle’s
systems.
Caution
Some electrical equipment can
damage the vehicle or cause
components to not work and
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty. Always check
with your dealer before adding
electrical equipment.
Add-on equipment can drain the
vehicle's 12-volt battery, even if the
vehicle is not operating.
The vehicle has an airbag system.
Before attempting to add anything
electrical to the vehicle, see
Servicing the Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle 081 and Adding Equipment
to the Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle 081.

Cadillac ATS/ATS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-9369639) -
2016 - crc - 12/9/15
244 Vehicle Care
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 245
Accessories andModifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . 256
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . 258
Cooling System (Engine) . . . . . 259
Cooling System (Intercooler) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . 264
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . 270 Automatic Transmission Shift
Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . 270
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . 271
Windshield Replacement . . . . . 271
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Back-Up Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . 273
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . 274
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . 275
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Rear Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Run-Flat Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Summer Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Tire Pressure for High-SpeedOperation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 297
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Tire Sealant and Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Storing the Tire Sealant and Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307

Cadillac ATS/ATS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-9369639) -
2016 - crc - 12/9/15
Vehicle Care 245
Jump Starting
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Towing the Vehicle
Towing the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 310
Recreational VehicleTowing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311
Appearance Care
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
General Information
For service and parts needs, visit
your dealer. You will receive
genuine parts and trained and
supported service people.
Accessories and
Modifications
Adding non-dealer accessories or
making modifications to the vehicle
can affect vehicle performance and
safety, including such things as
airbags, braking, stability, ride and
handling, emissions systems,
aerodynamics, durability, and
electronic systems like antilock
brakes, traction control, and stability
control. These accessories or
modifications could even cause
malfunction or damage not covered
by the vehicle warranty.
Damage to suspension components
caused by modifying vehicle height
outside of factory settings will not be
covered by the warranty.
Damage to vehicle components
resulting from modifications or the
installation or use of non-GM certified parts, including control
module or software modifications, is
not covered under the terms of the
vehicle warranty and may affect
remaining warranty coverage for
affected parts.
GM Accessories are designed to
complement and function with other
systems on the vehicle. See your
dealer to accessorize the vehicle
using genuine GM Accessories
installed by a dealer technician.
Also, see
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 081.

Cadillac ATS/ATS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-9369639) -
2016 - crc - 12/9/15
248 Vehicle Care
1. Windshield Washer FluidReservoir. See Washer
Fluid 0266.
2. Remote Positive (+) Battery Terminal. See Jump
Starting 0307.
3. Remote Negative (-) Battery Terminal. See Jump
Starting 0307.
4. Engine Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap. See
Cooling System (Engine) 0259
or Cooling System
(Intercooler) 0261.
5. Engine Compartment Fuse
Block 0275.
6. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See Engine Oil 0254.
7. Engine Cooling Fan (Out of View). See Cooling System
(Engine) 0259 orCooling
System (Intercooler) 0261.
8. Engine Oil Dipstick. See Engine Oil 0254.
9. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See Brake Fluid 0267.
10. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter 0258.

Cadillac ATS/ATS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-9369639) -
2016 - crc - 12/9/15
250 Vehicle Care
1. Windshield Washer FluidReservoir. See Washer
Fluid 0266.
2. Remote Positive (+) Battery Terminal. See Jump
Starting 0307.
3. Remote Negative (-) Battery Terminal. See Jump
Starting 0307.
4. Engine Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap. See
Cooling System (Engine) 0259
or Cooling System
(Intercooler) 0261.
5. Engine Compartment Fuse
Block 0275.
6. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See Engine Oil 0254.
7. Engine Cooling Fan (Out of View). See Cooling System
(Engine) 0259 orCooling
System (Intercooler) 0261.
8. Engine Oil Dipstick. See Engine Oil 0254.
9. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See Brake Fluid 0267.
10. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter 0258.

Cadillac ATS/ATS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-9369639) -
2016 - crc - 12/9/15
252 Vehicle Care
1. Windshield Washer FluidReservoir. See Washer
Fluid 0266.
2. Remote Positive (+) Battery Terminal. See Jump
Starting 0307.
3. Remote Negative (-) Battery Terminal. See Jump
Starting 0307.
4. Engine Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap. See
Cooling System (Engine) 0259
or Cooling System
(Intercooler) 0261.
5. Engine Compartment Fuse
Block 0275.
6. Engine Cooling Fan (Out of View). See Cooling System
(Engine) 0259 orCooling
System (Intercooler) 0261.
7. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See Engine Oil 0254.
8. Engine Oil Dipstick. See Engine Oil 0254.
9. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See Brake Fluid 0267.
10. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter 0258.

Cadillac ATS/ATS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-9369639) -
2016 - crc - 12/9/15
254 Vehicle Care
1. Windshield Washer FluidReservoir. See Washer
Fluid 0266.
2. Remote Positive (+) Battery Terminal. See Jump
Starting 0307.
3. Remote Negative (-) Battery Terminal. See Jump
Starting 0307.
4. Engine Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap. See
Cooling System (Engine) 0259
or Cooling System
(Intercooler) 0261.
5. Engine Compartment Fuse
Block 0275.
6. Engine Cooling Fan (Out of View). See Cooling System
(Engine) 0259 orCooling
System (Intercooler) 0261.
7. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See Engine Oil 0254.
8. Engine Oil Dipstick. See Engine Oil 0254.
9. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See Brake Fluid 0267.
10. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter 0258.Engine Oil
To ensure proper engine
performance and long life, careful
attention must be paid to engine oil.
Following these simple, but
important steps will help protect
your investment:
.
Use engine oil approved to the
proper specification and of the
proper viscosity grade. See
“Selecting the Right Engine Oil”
in this section.
. Check the engine oil level
regularly and maintain the
proper oil level. See “Checking
Engine Oil” and“When to Add
Engine Oil” in this section.
. Change the engine oil at the
appropriate time. See Engine Oil
Life System 0256.
. Always dispose of engine oil
properly. See “What to Do with
Used Oil” in this section.
Checking Engine Oil
It is a good idea to check the engine
oil level at each fuel fill. In order to
get an accurate reading, the vehicle must be on level ground. The
engine oil dipstick handle is a loop.
See
Engine Compartment Overview
0 247 for the location of the engine
oil dipstick.
1. If the engine has been running recently, turn off the engine and
allow several minutes for the oil
to drain back into the oil pan.
Checking the oil level too soon
after engine shutoff will not
provide an accurate oil level
reading.
{Warning
The engine oil dipstick handle
may be hot; it could burn you.
Use a towel or glove to touch the
dipstick handle.
2. Pull out the dipstick and wipe it with a clean paper towel or
cloth, then push it back in all
the way. Remove it again,
keeping the tip down, and
check the level.

Cadillac ATS/ATS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-9369639) -
2016 - crc - 12/9/15
266 Vehicle Care
back on, continue to drive normally
and have the cooling system
checked for proper fill and function.
If the warning continues, pull over,
stop, and park the vehicle
right away.
If there is no sign of steam, idle the
engine for three minutes while
parked. If the warning is still
displayed, turn off the engine until it
cools down.
Washer Fluid
What to Use
When windshield washer fluid is
needed, be sure to read the
manufacturer's instructions before
use. If operating the vehicle in an
area where the temperature may fall
below freezing, use a fluid that has
sufficient protection against
freezing.
Adding Washer Fluid
Open the cap with the washer
symbol on it. Add washer fluid until
the tank is full. SeeEngine
Compartment Overview 0247 for
reservoir location.
Caution
. Do not use washer fluid that
contains any type of water
repellent coating. This can
cause the wiper blades to
chatter or skip.
. Do not use engine coolant
(antifreeze) in the
windshield washer. It can
damage the windshield
washer system and paint.
(Continued)
Caution (Continued)
.Do not mix water with
ready-to-use washer fluid.
Water can cause the
solution to freeze and
damage the washer fluid
tank and other parts of the
washer system.
. When using concentrated
washer fluid, follow the
manufacturer instructions for
adding water.
. Fill the washer fluid tank
only three-quarters full when
it is very cold. This allows
for fluid expansion if
freezing occurs, which could
damage the tank if it is
completely full.
Brakes
Disc brake pads have built-in wear
indicators that make a high-pitched
warning sound when the brake pads
are worn and new pads are needed.
The sound can come and go or be