
Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-10292881) - 2017 -
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178 DRIVING AND OPERATING
Do not turn the engine off when the
vehicle is moving. This will cause a
loss of power assist in the brake and
steering systems and disable the
airbags.
If the vehicle must be shut off in an
emergency:1. Brake using a firm and steady pressure. Do not pump the
brakes repeatedly. This may
deplete power assist, requiring
increased brake pedal force.
2. Shift the vehicle to N (Neutral). This can be done while the
vehicle is moving. After shifting
to N (Neutral), firmly apply the
brakes and steer the vehicle to a
safe location.
3. Come to a complete stop, shift to P (Park), and turn the ignition
off. On vehicles with an
automatic transmission, the shift
lever must be in P (Park) to turn
the ignition to the OFF position.
4. Set the parking brake. See Electric Parking Brake 0186.{Warning
Turning off the vehicle while
moving may cause loss of power
assist in the brake and steering
systems and disable the airbags.
While driving, only shut the vehicle
off in an emergency.
If the vehicle cannot be pulled over,
and must be shut off while driving,
press and hold the ENGINE START/
STOP button for longer than
two seconds, or press twice in
five seconds.
ACC/ACCESSORY (Amber Indicator
Light) : This mode allows the use of
some electrical accessories when the
engine is off.
With the ignition off, pressing the
button one time without the brake
pedal applied will place the ignition
system in ACC/ACCESSORY.
The ignition will switch from ACC/
ACCESSORY to OFF after five minutes
to prevent battery rundown. ON/RUN/START (Green Indicator
Light) :
This mode is for driving and
starting. With the ignition off, and the
brake pedal applied, pressing the
button once will place the ignition
system in ON/RUN/START. Once
engine cranking begins, release the
button. Engine cranking will continue
until the engine starts. See Starting the
Engine 0179. The ignition will then
remain in ON/RUN.
Service Only Mode
This power mode is available for
service and diagnostics, and to verify
the proper operation of the
malfunction indicator lamp as may be
required for emission inspection
purposes. With the vehicle off, and the
brake pedal not applied, pressing and
holding the button for more than
five seconds will place the vehicle in
Service Only Mode. The instruments
and audio systems will operate as they
do in ON/RUN, but the vehicle will
not be able to be driven. The engine
will not start in Service Only Mode.
Press the button again to turn the
vehicle off.

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DRIVING AND OPERATING 179
Starting the Engine
Move the shift lever to P (Park) or
N (Neutral). To restart the engine
when the vehicle is already moving,
use N (Neutral) only.
Caution
Do not try to shift to P (Park) if the
vehicle is moving. If you do, you
could damage the transmission.
Shift to P (Park) only when the
vehicle is stopped.
Caution
If the steering wheel is turned until
it reaches the end of its travel, and
is held in that position while
starting the vehicle, damage may
occur to the hydraulic power
steering system and there may be
loss of power steering assist.
Caution
If you add electrical parts or
accessories, you could change the
way the engine operates. Any
resulting damage would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty. See
Add-On Electrical Equipment0220.
Starting Procedure 1. With the Keyless Access system, the RKE transmitter must be in
the vehicle. Press the ENGINE
START/STOP button with the
brake pedal applied. When the
engine begins cranking, let go of
the button.
The idle speed will go down as
the engine gets warm. Do not
race the engine immediately
after starting it.
If the RKE transmitter is not in
the vehicle, if there is
interference, or if the RKE
transmitter battery is low, the
Driver Information Center (DIC)
will display a message. See Key
and Lock Messages 0137.
Caution
Cranking the engine for long
periods of time, by pressing
ENGINE START/STOP immediately
after cranking has ended, can
overheat and damage the cranking
motor, and drain the battery. Wait
at least 15 seconds between each
try, to let the cranking motor
cool down.
2. If the engine does not start after five to 10 seconds, especially in
very cold weather (below −18 °C
or 0 °F), it could be flooded with
too much gasoline. Try pushing
the accelerator pedal all the way
to the floor and holding it there
as you press the ENGINE
START/STOP button, for up to a
maximum of 15 seconds. Wait at
least 15 seconds between each
try, to allow the cranking motor
to cool down. When the engine
starts, let go of the button and
the accelerator. If the vehicle
starts briefly but then stops
again, do the same thing. This

Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-10292881) - 2017 -
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DRIVING AND OPERATING 181
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.
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 0215.
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 0273.
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.

Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-10292881) - 2017 -
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186 DRIVING AND OPERATING
a sudden obstacle, a computer senses
the wheels are slowing down. If one of
the wheels is about to stop rolling, the
computer will separately work the
brakes at each wheel.
ABS can change the brake pressure to
each wheel, as required, faster than
any driver could. This can help you
steer around the obstacle while
braking hard.
As the brakes are applied, the
computer keeps receiving updates on
wheel speed and controls braking
pressure accordingly.
Remember: ABS does not change the
time needed to get a foot up to the
brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too close
to the vehicle in front of you, there
will not be enough time to apply the
brakes if that vehicle suddenly slows
or stops. Always leave enough room
up ahead to stop, even with ABS.Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold the
brake pedal down firmly and let ABS
work. You may hear the ABS pump or
motor operating and feel the brake
pedal pulsate. This is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
ABS allows you to steer and brake at
the same time. In many emergencies,
steering can help more than even the
very best braking.
Electric Parking Brake
The EPB switch is on the left side of
the instrument panel. The EPB can
always be activated, even if the
ignition is off. To prevent draining the
battery, avoid repeated cycles of the
EPB when the engine is not running.
The system has a red parking brake
status light and an amber parking
brake warning light. SeeElectric
Parking Brake Light 0122 and Service
Electric Parking Brake Light 0123.
There are also parking brake-related
Driver Information Center (DIC)
messages. See Brake System Messages
0 135. In case of insufficient electrical
power, the EPB cannot be applied or
released.
Before leaving the vehicle, check the
red parking brake status light to
ensure that the parking brake is
applied.
EPB Apply
To apply the EPB:
1. Be sure the vehicle is at a complete stop.
2. Lift up the EPB switch momentarily.

Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-10292881) - 2017 -
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220 DRIVING AND OPERATING
carbon monoxide (CO) from the
exhaust can get into the vehicle.
SeeEngine Exhaust 0182.
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. See Malfunction Indicator
Lamp (Check Engine Light) 0120.
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 079
and Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 079.

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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

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VEHICLE CARE 225
1.Engine Air Cleaner/Filter 0231.
2. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir (Under Engine Cover). See Power
Steering Fluid 0238.
3. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See Engine
Oil 0228.
4. Engine Oil Dipstick (Out of View). See Engine Oil0228.
5. Engine Cover 0227.
6. Engine Cooling Fans (Out of View). See Cooling System 0233.
7. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See Brakes 0240.
8. Engine Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap. See Engine
Coolant 0234.
9. Battery 0242 (Battery Cover not
Shown).
10. Remote Positive (+) Terminal (Battery Cover not Shown). See
Jump Starting 0273.
11. Engine Compartment Fuse
Block 0248.
12. Remote Negative (−) Terminal (Out of View). See Jump
Starting 0273. 13. Windshield Washer Fluid
Reservoir. See Washer
Fluid 0239.

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VEHICLE CARE 227
1.Engine Air Cleaner/Filter 0231.
2. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir (Under Engine Cover). See Power
Steering Fluid 0238.
3. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See Engine
Oil 0228.
4. Engine Oil Dipstick. See Engine
Oil 0228.
5. Engine Cover 0227.
6. Engine Cooling Fans (Out of View). See Cooling System 0233.
7. Charged Air Coolant Reservoir and Pressure Cap. See Engine
Coolant 0234.
8. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See Brakes 0240.
9. Engine Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap. See Engine
Coolant 0234.
10. Battery 0242 (Battery Cover not
Shown).
11. Remote Positive (+) Terminal (Battery Cover not Shown). See
Jump Starting 0273.
12. Engine Compartment Fuse
Block 0248. 13. Windshield Washer Fluid
Reservoir. See Washer
Fluid 0239.
14. Remote Negative (−) Terminal (Out of View). See Jump
Starting 0273.
Engine Cover
3.6L V6 Engine
1. Engine Oil Fill Cap
2. Engine Cover Bolt
3. Engine Cover
To remove:
1. Remove the oil fill cap (1).
2. Remove the engine cover bolt (2). 3. Raise the engine cover (3) to
release it from the retainers.
4. Lift and remove the engine cover.
5. Reverse Steps 1–4 to reinstall the engine cover.
3.6L V6 Engine Twin Turbo Engine
1. Engine Oil Fill Cap
2. Engine Cover
3. Engine Cover Bolt
To remove:
1. Remove the oil fill cap (1).
2. Remove the engine cover bolt (3).
3. Raise the engine cover (2) to release it from the retainers.