Cadillac CT6 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9235592) -
2016 - crc - 11/6/15
Introduction 3
{ DangerDanger indicates a hazard with a
high level of risk which will result
in serious injury or death.
{ WarningWarning indicates a hazard that
could result in injury or death.
CautionCaution indicates a hazard that
could result in property or vehicle
damage. A circle with a slash through it is a
safety symbol which means “ Do
Not, ” “ Do not do this, ” or “ Do not let
this happen. ”
Symbols The vehicle has components and
labels that use symbols instead of
text. Symbols are shown along with
the text describing the operation or
information relating to a specific
component, control, message,
gauge, or indicator.
M : Shown when the owner
manual has additional instructions
or information.
* : Shown when the service
manual has additional instructions
or information.
0 : Shown when there is more
information on another page —
“ see page. ”
Vehicle Symbol Chart
Here are some additional symbols
that may be found on the vehicle
and what they mean. For more
information on the symbol, refer to
the Index. 9 : Airbag Readiness Light
# : Air Conditioning
G : Air Conditioning Refrigerant Oil
! : Antilock Brake System (ABS)
g : Audio Steering Wheel Controls
or OnStar ®
(if equipped)
$ : Brake System Warning Light
I : Certified Technician
" : Charging System
I : Cruise Control
` : Do Not Puncture
^ : Do Not Service
B : Engine Coolant Temperature
O : Exterior Lamps
_ : Flame/Fire Prohibited
H : Flammable
. : Fuel Gauge
+ : Fuses
3 : Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer
( : Heated Steering Wheel
j : LATCH System Child Restraints
Cadillac CT6 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9235592) -
2016 - crc - 11/6/15
Instruments and Controls 109
Instruments and
Controls Controls Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . 110
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . 111
Heated Steering Wheel . . . . . . . 111
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . 111
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Wireless Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Instrument Cluster (Base
Level) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Instrument Cluster
(Uplevel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Boost Gauge (Performance
Configuration Only) . . . . . . . . . 125 Engine Oil Pressure Gauge
(Base Level Cluster Only) . . . 126
Engine Oil Temperature Gauge
(Performance
Configuration Only) . . . . . . . . . 127
Engine Coolant Temperature
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Voltmeter Gauge (Base Level
Cluster Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . 129
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . . 130
Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Charging System Light . . . . . . . 131
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
(Check Engine Light) . . . . . . . . 132
Brake System Warning
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Electric Parking Brake
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Service Electric Parking Brake
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Antilock Brake System (ABS)
Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Lane Keep Assist (LKA)
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Vehicle Ahead Indicator . . . . . . 136
Pedestrian Ahead Indicator . . . 136
Traction Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
StabiliTrak ®
OFF Light . . . . . . . . 136 Traction Control System (TCS)/
StabiliTrak ®
Light . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Engine Coolant Temperature
Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . 138
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . 138
Auto Stop Mode (Uplevel
Cluster) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . 139
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . 139
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . . 140
Door Ajar Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Information Displays Driver Information
Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Head-Up Display (HUD) . . . . . . 143
Vehicle Messages Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Battery Voltage and Charging
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Brake System Messages . . . . . 147
Compass Messages . . . . . . . . . . 148
Cruise Control Messages . . . . . 148
Door Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . . 148
Engine Cooling System
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Engine Oil Messages . . . . . . . . . 149
Cadillac CT6 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9235592) -
2016 - crc - 11/6/15
128 Instruments and Controls
Engine Coolant
Temperature Gauge
Base Level Metric Standard
Theme Shown Base Level English Standard
Theme Shown
Uplevel Metric Balanced
Configuration Shown Uplevel English Balanced
Configuration Shown
This gauge measures the
temperature of the vehicle's engine
coolant.
While driving under normal
operating conditions, if the needle
moves into the red area, the engine
is too hot. Pull off the road, stop the
vehicle, and turn off the engine as
soon as possible.
Cadillac CT6 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9235592) -
2016 - crc - 11/6/15
Instruments and Controls 149TRUNK OPEN This message will display along with
a symbol when the trunk is open.
Close the trunk completely.
Engine Cooling System
Messages A/C OFF DUE TO HIGH
ENGINE TEMP This message displays when the
engine coolant becomes hotter than
the normal operating temperature.
To avoid added strain on a hot
engine, the air conditioning
compressor automatically turns off.
When the coolant temperature
returns to normal, the air
conditioning compressor turns back
on. The vehicle can continue to be
driven.
If this message continues to appear,
have the system repaired by your
dealer as soon as possible to avoid
damage to the engine. COOLANT LEVEL LOW ADD
COOLANT This message will display if the
coolant is low. See Engine
Coolant 0 277 .
ENGINE OVERHEATED —
IDLE ENGINE This message displays when the
engine coolant temperature is too
hot. Stop and allow the vehicle to
idle until it cools down.
ENGINE OVERHEATED —
STOP ENGINE This message displays and a
continuous chime sounds if the
engine cooling system reaches
unsafe temperatures for operation.
Stop and turn off the vehicle as
soon as it is safe to do so to avoid
severe damage. This message
clears when the engine has cooled
to a safe operating temperature. HIGH COOLANT
TEMPERATURE This message may display if the
coolant temperature is hot. See
Engine Overheating 0 280 .
Engine Oil Messages CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON This message displays when the
engine oil needs to be changed.
When you change the engine oil, be
sure to reset the oil life system. See
Engine Oil Life System 0 272 , Driver
Information Center (DIC) 0 140 ,
Engine Oil 0 270 , and Maintenance
Schedule 0 344 .
ENGINE OIL HOT, IDLE
ENGINE This message displays when the
engine oil temperature is too hot.
Stop and allow the vehicle to idle
until it cools down.
ENGINE OIL LOW — ADD OIL
On some vehicles, this message
displays when the engine oil level
may be too low. Check the oil level
Cadillac CT6 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9235592) -
2016 - crc - 11/6/15
Driving and Operating 257necessary to go much farther
beyond the passed vehicle before
returning to the lane.
Backing Up Hold the bottom of the steering
wheel with one hand. To move the
trailer to the left, move that hand to
the left. To move the trailer to the
right, move your hand to the right.
Always back up slowly and,
if possible, have someone
guide you.
Making Turns
CautionMaking very sharp turns while
trailering could cause the trailer to
come in contact with the vehicle.
The vehicle could be damaged.
Avoid making very sharp turns
while trailering.
When turning with a trailer, make
wider turns than normal. Do this so
the trailer will not strike soft
shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees, or other objects. Avoid jerky or
sudden maneuvers. Signal well in
advance.
If the trailer turn signal bulbs burn
out, the arrows on the instrument
cluster will still flash for turns. It is
important to check occasionally to
be sure the trailer bulbs are still
working.
Driving on Grades Reduce speed and shift to a lower
gear before starting down a long or
steep downgrade. If the
transmission is not shifted down, the
brakes might get hot and no longer
work well.
Vehicles can tow in D (Drive). Shift
the transmission to a lower gear if
the transmission shifts too often
under heavy loads and/or hilly
conditions.
When towing at high altitude on
steep uphill grades, consider the
following: Engine coolant will boil at
a lower temperature than at normal
altitudes. If the engine is turned off
immediately after towing at high
altitude on steep uphill grades, the vehicle may show signs similar to
engine overheating. To avoid this,
let the engine run while parked,
preferably on level ground, with the
automatic transmission in P (Park)
for a few minutes before turning the
engine off. If the overheat warning
comes on, see Engine
Overheating 0 280 .
Parking on Hills
{ WarningParking the vehicle on a hill with
the trailer attached can be
dangerous. If something goes
wrong, the rig could start to move.
People can be injured, and both
the vehicle and the trailer can be
damaged. When possible, always
park the rig on a flat surface.
If parking the rig on a hill:
1. Press the brake pedal, but do
not shift into P (Park) yet. Turn
the wheels into the curb if
facing downhill or into traffic if
facing uphill.
Cadillac CT6 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9235592) -
2016 - crc - 11/6/15
270 Vehicle Care 1. Engine Coolant Surge Tank
and Pressure Cap. See
Cooling System 0 275 .
2. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter 0 273 .
3. Engine Cooling Fan (Out of
View). See Cooling
System 0 275 .
4. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See
Engine Oil 0 270 .
5. Engine Oil Dipstick. See
Engine Oil 0 270 .
6. Remote Positive (+) Battery
Terminal. See Jump Starting -
North America 0 327 .
7. Engine Compartment Fuse
Block 0 290 .
8. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See
Brake Fluid 0 283 .
9. Windshield Washer Fluid
Reservoir. See Washer
Fluid 0 281 .
10. Remote Negative (-) Battery
Terminal. See Jump Starting -
North America 0 327 . 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 ” later in this section.
.
Change the engine oil at the
appropriate time. See Engine Oil
Life System 0 272 .
.
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
0 265 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.
{ WarningThe 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 CT6 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9235592) -
2016 - crc - 11/6/15
278 Vehicle Care Checking Coolant The vehicle must be on a level
surface when checking the coolant
level.
2.0L L4 and 3.0L V6 Engine
Coolant Surge Tank 3.6L V6 Engine Coolant
Surge Tank
Check to see if coolant is visible in
the coolant surge tank. If the coolant
inside the coolant surge tank is
boiling, do not do anything else until
it cools down. See Engine
Overheating 0 280 .
The coolant surge tank is in the
engine compartment on the
passenger side of the vehicle. See
Engine Compartment
Overview 0 265 . How to Add Coolant to the
Coolant Surge Tank
CautionThis vehicle has a specific
coolant fill procedure. Failure to
follow this procedure could cause
the engine to overheat and be
severely damaged.
If no problem is found, check to see
if coolant is visible in the coolant
surge tank. If coolant is visible but
the coolant level mark is not visible,
add a 50/50 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and DEX-COOL
coolant at the coolant surge tank to
the top rib on the middle of the tank,
but be sure the cooling system,
including the coolant surge tank
pressure cap, is cool before this is
done. See Engine
Overheating 0 280 .
Cadillac CT6 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9235592) -
2016 - crc - 11/6/15
Vehicle Care 279
{ WarningSteam and scalding liquids from a
hot cooling system can blow out
and burn you badly. Never turn
the cap when the cooling system,
including the surge tank pressure
cap, is hot. Wait for the cooling
system and surge tank pressure
cap to cool.
{ WarningAdding only plain water or some
other liquid to the cooling system
can be dangerous. Plain water
and other liquids, can boil before
the proper coolant mixture will.
The coolant warning system is set
for the proper coolant mixture.
With plain water or the wrong
mixture, the engine could get too
hot but you would not get the
overheat warning. The engine
could catch fire and you or others
(Continued) Warning (Continued) could be burned. Use a 50/
50 mixture of clean, drinkable
water and DEX-COOL coolant.
CautionIn cold weather, water can freeze
and crack the engine, radiator,
heater core, and other parts. Use
the recommended coolant and
the proper coolant mixture.
{ Warning
You can be burned if you spill
coolant on hot engine parts.
Coolant contains ethylene glycol
and it will burn if the engine parts
are hot enough. Do not spill
coolant on a hot engine.
1. Remove the coolant surge tank
pressure cap when the cooling
system, including the coolant surge tank pressure cap and
upper radiator hose, is no
longer hot.
Turn the pressure cap slowly
counterclockwise about
one-quarter of a turn. If you
hear a hiss, wait for that to
stop. This will allow any
pressure still left to be vented
out the discharge hose.
2. Keep turning the pressure cap
slowly and remove it.
3. Fill the coolant surge tank with
the proper mixture to the
indicated level mark.
4. With the coolant surge tank
pressure cap off, start the
engine and let it run until you
can feel the upper radiator
hose getting hot. Watch out for
the engine cooling fan.
By this time, the coolant level
inside the coolant surge tank
may be lower. If the level is
lower, add more of the proper
mixture to the coolant surge
tank until the level reaches the
indicated level mark.