Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-10292881) - 2017 -
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172 DRIVING AND OPERATING
{Warning
Coasting downhill in N (Neutral) or
with the ignition off is dangerous.
This can cause overheating of the
brakes and 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 freezing rain
begins to fall. Avoid driving on wet ice
or in freezing rain until roads can be
treated.
For Slippery Road Driving:
.
Accelerate gently. Accelerating too
quickly causes the wheels to spin
and makes the surface under the
tires slick.
. Turn on Traction Control. See
Traction Control/Electronic Stability
Control 0188.
. Antilock Brake System (ABS)
improves vehicle stability during
hard stops, but the brakes should
be applied sooner than when on
dry pavement. See Antilock Brake
System (ABS) 0185.
. Allow greater following distance
and watch for slippery spots. Icy
patches can occur on otherwise
clear roads in shaded areas. The
surface of a curve or an overpass
can remain icy when the
surrounding roads are clear. Avoid
sudden steering maneuvers and
braking while on ice.
. Turn off cruise control.
Blizzard Conditions
Stop the vehicle in a safe place and
signal for help. Stay with the vehicle
unless there is help nearby. To get
help and keep everyone in the
vehicle safe:
.Turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
. Tie a red cloth to an outside
mirror.
{Warning
Snow can trap engine exhaust
under the vehicle. This may cause
exhaust gases to get inside. Engine
exhaust contains carbon monoxide
(CO), which cannot be seen or
smelled. It can cause
unconsciousness and even death.
If the vehicle is stuck in snow:
. Clear snow from the base of
the vehicle, especially any
blocking the exhaust pipe.
(Continued)
Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-10292881) - 2017 -
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DRIVING AND OPERATING 217
Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the
vehicle ahead as you would when
driving the vehicle without a trailer.
This can help to avoid situations that
require heavy braking and sudden
turns.
Passing
More passing distance is needed when
towing a trailer. Because the rig is
longer, it is necessary to go 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 your 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 TurnsCaution
Making 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 so the trailer
will not strike soft shoulders, curbs,
road signs, trees, or other objects. Use
the turn signal well in advance and
avoid jerky or sudden maneuvers.
Turn Signals When Towing a
Trailer
The turn signal indicators on the
instrument cluster flash whenever
signaling a turn or lane change.
Properly hooked up, the trailer lamps
also flash, telling other drivers the
vehicle is turning, changing lanes,
or stopping. When towing a trailer, the arrows on
the instrument cluster flash for turns
even if the bulbs on the trailer are
burned out. 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 have
to be used so much that they would
get hot and no longer work well.
The vehicle can tow in D (Drive). Use
a lower gear if the transmission shifts
too often.
When towing at high altitude on steep
uphill grades, engine coolant boils 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 could show signs similar to
engine overheating. To avoid this, let
the engine run while parked,
preferably on level ground, with the
transmission in P (Park) for a few
minutes before turning the engine off.
If the overheat warning comes on, see
Engine Overheating
0237.
Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-10292881) - 2017 -
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218 DRIVING AND OPERATING
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 brake pedal
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
while you:
.Start the engine.
. Shift into a gear.
. Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer
Towing
The vehicle needs service more often
when pulling a trailer. See the
Maintenance Schedule 0288. Things
that are especially important in trailer
operation are automatic transmission
fluid, engine oil, axle lubricant, belts,
cooling system, and brake system.
Inspect these before and during
the trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch
nuts and bolts are tight.
Engine Cooling When Trailer
Towing
The cooling system may temporarily
overheat during severe operating
conditions. See Engine
Overheating 0237.
Trailer Towing
Before pulling a trailer, there are three
important considerations that have to
do with weight:
.
The weight of the trailer.
. The weight of the trailer tongue.
. The total weight on your vehicle's
tires.
Weight of the Trailer
How heavy can a trailer safely be?
It should never weigh more than
454 kg (1,000 lb). But even that can be
too heavy.
It depends on how the rig is used. For
example, speed, altitude, road grades,
outside temperature, and how much
the vehicle is used to pull a trailer are
all important. It can depend on any
special equipment on the vehicle, and
Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-10292881) - 2017 -
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VEHICLE CARE 221
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Accessories andModifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Engine Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . 231
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Overheated Engine Protection Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Power Steering Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242 Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Automatic Transmission Shift
Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Park Brake and P (Park)
Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . 244
Windshield Replacement . . . . . . . . 244Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Back-Up Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . . . . 247
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . 248
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . 251
Rear Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254 All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Low-Profile Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Summer Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Tire Pressure for High-Speed
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . 258
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Jump Starting
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Towing the Vehicle
Towing the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Recreational Vehicle Towing . . . . 276
Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-10292881) - 2017 -
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234 VEHICLE CARE
{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 engine and Charged Air Coolant
(CAC) cooling systems in the vehicle
are filled with DEX-COOL
®engine
coolant mixture. See Recommended
Fluids and Lubricants 0295 and
Maintenance Schedule 0288.
The following explains the cooling
systems and how to check and add
coolant when it is low. If there is a
problem with engine overheating, see
Engine Overheating 0237.
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
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
warning. The engine could catch
fire and you or others could be
burned. Use a 50/50 mixture of
clean, drinkable water and
DEX-COOL coolant.
Use a 50/50 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and DEX-COOL
coolant. If using this mixture, nothing
else needs to be added. This mixture:
. Gives freezing protection down to
−37 °C (−34 °F), outside
temperature.
. Gives boiling protection up to 129
°C (265 °F), engine temperature.
. Protects against rust and
corrosion.
. Will not damage aluminum parts.
. Helps keep the proper engine
temperature.
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VEHICLE CARE 237
2. Fill the CAC bottle with theproper mixture to the COLD FILL
mark pointed to on the front of
the CAC bottle.
3. Replace the pressure cap tightly.
Engine Overheating
The vehicle has an engine coolant
temperature gauge and an engine
temperature light to warn of engine
overheating.
There are also engine hot messages
that may be displayed in the Driver
Information Center (DIC). See Engine
Cooling System Messages 0136.
If the decision is made not to lift the
hood when one of these warnings
appears, but get service help
right away.
If the decision is made to lift the
hood, make sure the vehicle is parked
on a level surface.
Then check to see if the engine
cooling fans are running. If the engine
is overheating, the fans should be
running. If they are not, do not
continue to run the engine and 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. See Overheated
Engine Protection Operating Mode
0 238 for information on driving to
a safe place in an emergency.
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. Wait until there
is no sign of steam or coolant
before you open the hood.
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
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 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.
. Tows a trailer.
If the overheat warning is displayed
with no sign of steam:
1. Turn the air conditioning off.
Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-10292881) - 2017 -
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254 VEHICLE CARE
FusesUsage
F30 Front camera/EOCM
F31 Rear parking assist/ Lane departure
warning
F32 –
F33 –
F34 –
F35 –
F36 –
F37 –
Relays Usage
K1 –
K2 Front courtesy lamps relay
K3 Leveling compressor relay
K4 LogicWheels and Tires
Tires
Every new GM vehicle has
high-quality tires made by a
leading tire manufacturer. See the
warranty manual for information
regarding the tire warranty and
where to get service. For
additional information refer to the
tire manufacturer.
{Warning
.Poorly maintained and
improperly used tires are
dangerous.
.Overloading the tires can
cause overheating as a
result of too much flexing.
There could be a blowout
and a serious crash. See
Vehicle Load Limits 0173.
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
.Underinflated tires pose
the same danger as
overloaded tires. The
resulting crash could cause
serious injury. Check all
tires frequently to
maintain the
recommended pressure.
Tire pressure should be
checked when the tires
are cold.
.Overinflated tires are more
likely to be cut, punctured,
or broken by a sudden
impact —such as when
hitting a pothole. Keep
tires at the recommended
pressure.
.Worn or old tires can
cause a crash. If the tread
is badly worn,
replace them.
(Continued)
Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-10292881) - 2017 -
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256 VEHICLE CARE
Low-Profile Tires
If the vehicle has P245/40R20 or
P245/45R19 size tires, they are
classified as low-profile tires.Caution
Low-profile tires are more
susceptible to damage from road
hazards or curb impact than
standard profile tires. Tire and/or
wheel assembly damage can occur
when coming into contact with
road hazards like potholes, or sharp
edged objects, or when sliding into
a curb. The warranty does not cover
this type of damage. Keep tires set
to the correct inflation pressure and
when possible, avoid contact with
curbs, potholes, and other road
hazards.
Summer Tires
This vehicle may come with high
performance summer tires. These tires
have a special tread and compound
that are optimized for maximum dry
and wet road performance. This special tread and compound will have
decreased performance in cold
climates, and on ice and snow. It is
recommended that winter tires be
installed on the vehicle if frequent
driving at temperatures below
approximately 5 °C (40 °F) or on ice or
snow covered roads is expected. See
Winter Tires
0255.
Caution
High performance summer tires
have rubber compounds that lose
flexibility and may develop surface
cracks in the tread area at
temperatures below −7 °C (20 °F).
Always store high performance
summer tires indoors and at
temperatures above −7 °C (20 °F)
when not in use. If the tires have
been subjected to −7 °C (20 °F) or
less, let them warm up in a heated
space to at least 5 °C (40 °F) for
24 hours or more before being
installed or driving a vehicle on
which they are installed. Do not
apply heat or blow heated air
(Continued)
Caution (Continued)
directly on the tires. Always inspect
tires before use. SeeTire
Inspection 0262.
Tire Pressure
Tires need the correct amount of
air pressure to operate effectively.
Caution
Neither tire underinflation nor
overinflation is good.
Underinflated tires, or tires that
do not have enough air, can
result in:
.Tire overloading and
overheating which could
lead to a blowout.
.Premature or
irregular wear.
.Poor handling.
.Reduced fuel economy.
(Continued)