
Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-9369309) -
2016 - crc - 7/30/15
118 Instruments and Controls
Uplevel Balanced Configuration
This gauge measures the engine
coolant temperature.
The warning area at the far end of
the gauge may appear shaded or
may be colored red.
If the pointer approaches the
warning area, or the shaded
thermostat symbol the engine may
be too hot.
Under some driving conditions,
including those listed below, it is
normal for the temperature to rise
above the usual operating range
and approach the far end of the
gauge: .
Stop and go driving in heavy
traffic.
. High speed operation in warm
weather.
. Uphill driving.
. Trailer towing or hauling a
heavy load.
It is normal for the reading to
fluctuate.
If the gauge pointer reaches the
warning area or the shaded
thermostat symbol at the far end of
the gauge and remains there for
more than 30 seconds, the engine
coolant has overheated.
If the engine coolant has
overheated, pull over and stop the
vehicle as soon as it is safe to do
so. Then, turn the engine off
immediately.
See Engine Overheating 0269 for
more information.
Safety Belt Reminders
Driver Safety Belt Reminder
Light
There is a driver safety belt
reminder light on the instrument
cluster.
When the vehicle is started, this
light flashes and a chime may come
on to remind the driver to fasten
their safety belt. Then the light stays
on solid until the belt is buckled.
This cycle may continue several
times if the driver remains or
becomes unbuckled while the
vehicle is moving.
If the driver safety belt is buckled,
neither the light nor the chime
comes on.

Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-9369309) -
2016 - crc - 7/30/15
126 Instruments and Controls
Engine Coolant
Temperature Warning
Light
On some vehicles this light comes
on briefly while starting the vehicle.
If it does not, have the vehicle
serviced by the dealer. If the system
is working normally the indicator
light goes off. For vehicles with the
reconfigurable cluster, this light may
not come on when starting the
vehicle.
Caution
The engine coolant temperature
warning light indicates that the
vehicle has overheated. Driving
with this light on can damage the(Continued)
Caution (Continued)
engine and it may not be covered
by the vehicle warranty. See
Engine Overheating0269.
The engine coolant temperature
warning light comes on when the
engine has overheated.
If this happens pull over and turn off
the engine as soon as possible. See
Engine Overheating 0269.
Tire Pressure Light
For vehicles with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS), this light
comes on briefly when the engine is
started. It provides information
about tire pressures and the TPMS. When the Light Is On Steady
This indicates that one or more of
the tires are significantly
underinflated.
A Driver Information Center (DIC)
tire pressure message may also
display. See
Tire Messages 0146.
Stop as soon as possible, and
inflate the tires to the pressure value
shown on the Tire and Loading
Information label. See Tire Pressure
0 292.
When the Light Flashes First and
Then Is On Steady
If the light flashes for about a minute
and then stays on, there may be a
problem with the TPMS. If the
problem is not corrected, the light
will come on at every ignition cycle.
See Tire Pressure Monitor
Operation 0295.

Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-9369309) -
2016 - crc - 7/30/15
Driving and Operating 187
wet enough and you are going fast
enough. When the vehicle is
hydroplaning, it has little or no
contact with the road.
There is no hard and fast rule about
hydroplaning. The best advice is to
slow down when the road is wet.
Other Rainy Weather Tips
Besides slowing down, other wet
weather driving tips include:
.Allow extra following distance.
. Pass with caution.
. Keep windshield wiping
equipment in good shape.
. Keep the windshield washer fluid
reservoir filled.
. Have good tires with proper
tread depth. See Tires0289.
. Turn off cruise control.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or through
mountains is different than driving
on flat or rolling terrain. Tips include: .
Keep the vehicle serviced and in
good shape.
. Check all fluid levels and brakes,
tires, cooling system, and
transmission.
. Shift to a lower gear when going
down steep or long hills.
{Warning
Using the brakes to slow the
vehicle on a long downhill slope
can cause brake overheating, can
reduce brake performance, and
could result in a loss of braking.
Shift the transmission to a lower
gear to let the engine assist the
brakes on a steep downhill slope.
{Warning
Coasting downhill in N (Neutral)
or with the ignition off is
dangerous. This can cause
overheating of the brakes and
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
loss of steering. Always have the
engine running and the vehicle
in gear.
. Drive at speeds that keep the
vehicle in its own lane. Do not
swing wide or cross the
center line.
. Be alert on top of hills;
something could be in your lane
(e.g., stalled car, accident).
. Pay attention to special road
signs (e.g., falling rocks area,
winding roads, long grades,
passing or no-passing zones)
and take appropriate action.
Winter Driving
Driving on Snow or Ice
Snow or ice between the tires and
the road creates less traction or
grip, so drive carefully. Wet ice can
occur at about 0 °C (32 °F) when

Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-9369309) -
2016 - crc - 7/30/15
Driving and Operating 245
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
gearbefore 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
0 269.
Parking on Hills
{Warning
Parking 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. 2. Have someone place chocks
under the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the regular
brakes until the chocks absorb
the load.
4. Reapply the brake pedal. Then apply the parking brake and
shift into P (Park).
5. Release the brake pedal.
Leaving After Parking on a Hill
1. Apply and hold the brake pedal.
2. Start the engine.
3. Shift into a gear.
4. Release the parking brake.
5. Let up on the brake pedal.
6. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
7. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.

Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-9369309) -
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Vehicle Care 249
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 250
Accessories andModifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . 261
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . 263
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . 269
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . 275
Automatic Transmission Shift Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276 Park Brake and P (Park)
Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . 276
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . 277
Windshield Replacement . . . . . 277
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . 279
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . 280
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . 280
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Rear Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Run-Flat Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291 Low-Profile Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Summer Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Tire Pressure for High-Speed
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 303
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
Tire Sealant and Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Storing the Tire Sealant and Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312
Jump Starting
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
Towing the Vehicle
Towing the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 315

Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-9369309) -
2016 - crc - 7/30/15
266 Vehicle Care
6.2L V8 LT4 Engine
1. Engine Coolant Surge Tankand Pressure Cap
2. Engine Cooling Fan (Out of View)
{Warning
An electric engine cooling fan
under the hood can start up even
when the engine is not running
and can cause injury. Keep
hands, clothing, and tools away
from any underhood electric fan.
{Warning
Heater and radiator hoses, and
other engine parts, can be very
hot. Do not touch them. If you do,
you can be burned.
Do not run the engine if there is a
leak. If you run the engine, it
could lose all coolant. That could
cause an engine fire, and you
could be burned. Get any leak
fixed before you drive the vehicle.
Caution
Using coolant other than
DEX-COOL®can cause
premature engine, heater core,
or radiator corrosion. In addition,
the engine coolant could require
changing sooner. Any repairs
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty. Always use
DEX-COOL (silicate-free) coolant
in the vehicle.
Engine Coolant
The cooling system in the vehicle is
filled with DEX-COOL engine
coolant. See Maintenance Schedule
0 329 andRecommended Fluids
and Lubricants 0333.
The following explains the cooling
system and how to check and add
coolant when it is low. If there is a
problem with engine overheating,
see Engine Overheating 0269.
What to Use
{Warning
Adding 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
(Continued)

Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-9369309) -
2016 - crc - 7/30/15
Vehicle Care 269
surge tank pressure cap and
upper radiator hose, is no
longer hot.
Turn the pressure cap slowly
counterclockwise. 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. Open the
surge tank service port cap to
the lower chamber. The service
port is behind the top chamber.3. Fill the surge tank top chamberwith the proper DEX-COOL
coolant mixture to the bottom
of the fill neck. The top
chamber needs to be
completely full. Fill the surge
tank bottom chamber through
the service port to
approximately half.
4. With the coolant surge tank pressure cap off and the surge
tank service port cap open,
start the engine and let it run
until you can feel the upper
radiator hose getting hot.
Watch out for the engine
cooling fan(s).
By this time, the coolant level
inside the coolant surge tank
top chamber may be lower.
If the level is lower, add more
of the proper DEX-COOL
coolant mixture to the surge
tank top chamber until the level
reaches the bottom of the
fill neck.
5. Replace the surge tank pressure cap tightly and close
the surge tank service port cap.Caution
If the pressure cap is not tightly
installed, coolant loss and
possible engine damage may
occur. Be sure the cap is properly
and tightly secured.
Check the level in the surge tank
top and bottom chambers when the
cooling system has cooled down.
If the coolant is not at the proper
levels, repeat Steps 1–3 and
reinstall the pressure cap and close
the service port. If the coolant still is
not at the proper levels when the
system cools down again, see your
dealer.
Engine Overheating
The vehicle has an indicator to warn
of the engine overheating.
If the decision is made not to lift the
hood when this warning appears,
get service help right away.
If the decision is made to lift the
hood, make sure the vehicle is
parked on a level surface.

Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-9369309) -
2016 - crc - 7/30/15
270 Vehicle Care
Then check to see if the engine
cooling fan is running. If the engine
is overheating, the fan should be
running. If it is not, do not continue
to run the engine. Have the vehicle
serviced.
Caution
Running the engine without
coolant may cause damage or a
fire. Vehicle damage would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
If Steam Is Coming from the
Engine Compartment
{Warning
Steam from an overheated engine
can burn you badly, even if you
just open the hood. Stay away
from the engine if you see or hear
steam coming from it. Just turn it
off and get everyone away from
the vehicle until it cools down.(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
Wait until there is no sign of
steam or coolant before you open
the hood.
If you keep driving when the
engine is overheated, the liquids
in it can catch fire. You or others
could be badly burned. Stop the
engine if it overheats, and get out
of the vehicle until the engine
is cool.
If Steam Is Coming from the
Engine Compartment with No
Overheat Warning
(V-Series Only)
The V-Series hood vent is
functional, and will allow water from
rain and car washes to enter the
engine compartment and contact
hot surfaces. If steam is seen
coming from the hood vent with no
accompanying overheat warning, no
action is required.
If No Steam Is Coming from
the Engine Compartment
If an engine overheat warning is
displayed but no steam can be seen
or heard, the problem may not be
too serious. Sometimes the engine
can get a little too hot when the
vehicle:
.Climbs a long hill on a hot day.
. Stops after high-speed driving.
. Idles for long periods in traffic.
If the overheat warning is displayed
with no sign of steam: 1. Turn the air conditioning off.
2. Turn the heater on to the highest temperature and to the
highest fan speed. Open the
windows as necessary.
3. When it is safe to do so, pull off the road, shift to P (Park) or
N (Neutral) and let the
engine idle.
If the overheat warning no longer
displays, the vehicle can be driven.
Continue to drive the vehicle slowly
for about 10 minutes. Keep a safe
vehicle distance from the vehicle in