
Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-10292881) - 2017 -
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INSTRUMENTS AND CONTROLS 131
Oil Life :Shows an estimate of the
oil's remaining useful life.
If REMAINING OIL LIFE 99% is
displayed, that means 99% of the
current oil life remains.
When the remaining oil life is low, the
CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON message
will appear on the display. See Engine
Oil Messages 0137. The oil should be
changed as soon as possible. See
Engine Oil 0228. In addition to the
engine oil life system monitoring the
oil life, additional maintenance is
recommended. See Maintenance
Schedule 0288.
The Oil Life display must be reset
after each oil change. It will not reset
itself. Do not reset the Oil Life display
accidentally at any time other than
when the oil has just been changed.
It cannot be reset accurately until the
next oil change. To reset the engine
oil life system, press and hold SEL for
several seconds while the Oil Life
display is active. See Engine Oil Life
System 0230.
Tire Pressure : Shows the
approximate pressures of all four tires.
Tire pressure is displayed in either kilopascal (kPa) or in pounds per
square inch (psi). If the pressure is
low, the value for that tire is shown in
amber. See
Tire Pressure Monitor
System 0258 and Tire Pressure
Monitor Operation 0259.
Vehicle Odometer (Base Cluster) :
Shows the odometer.
Blank Page : Allows for no
information to be displayed in the
cluster info display areas.
Head-Up Display (HUD)
{Warning
If the HUD image is too bright or
too high in your field of view, it
may take you more time to see
things you need to see when it is
dark outside. Be sure to keep the
HUD image dim and placed low in
your field of view.
If equipped with HUD, some
information concerning the operation
of the vehicle is projected onto the
windshield. The image is projected
through the HUD lens on top of the instrument panel. The information
appears as an image focused out
toward the front of the vehicle.
Caution
If you try to use the HUD image as
a parking aid, you may misjudge
the distance and damage your
vehicle. Do not use the HUD image
as a parking aid.
The HUD information can be
displayed in various languages. The
speedometer reading and other
numerical values can be displayed in
either English or metric units.
The language selection is changed
through the radio and the units of
measurement is changed through the
instrument cluster. See Vehicle
Personalization 0144 and “Cluster
Settings Menu ”under Instrument
Cluster 0112.

Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-10292881) - 2017 -
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152 LIGHTING
AUTO. The blue high-beam on light
appears on the instrument cluster
when the high beams are on.
Driving with IntelliBeam
The system only activates the high
beams when driving over 40 km/h
(25 mph).
There is a sensor near the top center
of the windshield that automatically
controls the system. Keep this area of
the windshield clear of debris to allow
for best system performance.
The high-beam headlamps remain on,
under the automatic control, until one
of the following situations occurs:
.The system detects an
approaching vehicle's headlamps.
. The system detects a preceding
vehicle's taillamps.
. The outside light is bright enough
that high-beam headlamps are not
required.
. The vehicle's speed drops below
20 km/h (12 mph).
. The IntelliBeam system can be
disabled by the High/Low-Beam
Changer or the Flash-to-Pass feature. If this happens, the High/
Low-Beam Changer must be
activated two times within
two seconds to reactivate the
IntelliBeam system. The
instrument cluster light will come
on to indicate the IntelliBeam is
reactivated. See
Headlamp High/
Low-Beam Changer 0152 and
Flash-to-Pass 0153.
The high beams may not turn off
automatically if the system cannot
detect another vehicle's lamps because
of any of the following:
. The other vehicle's lamps are
missing, damaged, obstructed from
view, or otherwise undetected.
. The other vehicle's lamps are
covered with dirt, snow, and/or
road spray.
. The other vehicle's lamps cannot
be detected due to dense exhaust,
smoke, fog, snow, road spray, mist,
or other airborne obstructions.
. The vehicle's windshield is dirty,
cracked, or obstructed by
something that blocks the view of
the light sensor. .
The vehicle is loaded such that the
front end points upward, causing
the light sensor to aim high and
not detect headlamps and
taillamps.
. Driving on winding or hilly roads.
The automatic high-beam headlamps
may need to be disabled if any of the
above conditions exist.
Exterior Lamps Off
Reminder
A warning chime sounds if the driver
door is opened while the ignition is off
and the exterior lamps are on.
Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer
2 3
: Push the turn signal lever
away from you and release, to turn the
high beams on. To return to low
beams, push the lever again or pull it
toward you and release.

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LIGHTING 153
This indicator light turns on in the
instrument cluster when the
high-beam headlamps are on.
Flash-to-Pass
To flash the high beams, pull the turn
signal lever toward you, and release.
Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL)
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can
make it easier for others to see the
front of your vehicle during the day.
For vehicles with High Intensity
Discharge (HID) headlamps, the
dedicated DRL will come on when all
of the following conditions are met:
.The ignition is on.
. The exterior lamp control is
in AUTO. .
The light sensor determines it is
daytime.
. The parking brake is released or
the vehicle is not in P (Park).
When the DRL are on, the taillamps,
sidemarker lamps, and other lamps
will not be on.
The DRL turn off when the headlamps
are turned to
Oor the ignition is off.
Automatic Headlamp
System
When the exterior lamp control is set
to AUTO and it is dark enough
outside, the headlamps come on
automatically.
There is a light sensor on top of the
instrument panel. Do not cover the
sensor.
The system may also turn on the
headlamps when driving through a
parking garage or tunnel.
If the vehicle is started in a dark
garage, the automatic headlamp
system comes on immediately. If it is
light outside when the vehicle leaves
the garage, there is a slight delay
before the automatic headlamp
system changes to the DRL. During
that delay, the instrument cluster may
not be as bright as usual. Make sure
the instrument panel brightness
control is in the full bright position.
See Instrument Panel Illumination
Control 0155.
When it is bright enough outside, the
headlamps will turn off or may change
to Daytime Running Lamps (DRL).
The automatic headlamp system turns
off when the exterior lamp control is
turned to
Oor the ignition is off.

Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-10292881) - 2017 -
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DRIVING AND OPERATING 167
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . 171
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Retained AccessoryPower (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . . . 183
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Brakes
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . . 185
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/ElectronicStability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Magnetic Ride Control . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Limited-Slip Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Automatic Level Control . . . . . . . . . 191
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Adaptive Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . 194
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . . . . . 201
Assistance Systems for Parking or Backing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202 Assistance Systems for
Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Forward Automatic
Braking (FAB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . 210
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Filling a Portable FuelContainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Trailer Towing
General Towing Information . . . . 215
Driving Characteristics andTowing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Towing Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . 220

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DRIVING AND OPERATING 173
Warning (Continued)
.Open a window about 5 cm
(2 in) on the vehicle side that
is away from the wind, to
bring in fresh air.
. Fully open the air outlets on
or under the instrument
panel.
. Adjust the climate control
system to circulate the air
inside the vehicle and set the
fan speed to the highest
setting. See “Climate Control
Systems.”
For more information about CO, see
Engine Exhaust 0182.
To save fuel, run the engine for short
periods to warm the vehicle and then
shut the engine off and partially close
the window. Moving about to keep
warm also helps.
If it takes time for help to arrive,
when running the engine, push the
accelerator pedal slightly so the
engine runs faster than the idle speed.
This keeps the battery charged to restart the vehicle and to signal for
help with the headlamps. Do this as
little as possible, to save fuel.
If the Vehicle Is Stuck
Slowly and cautiously spin the wheels
to free the vehicle when stuck in sand,
mud, ice, or snow.
If stuck too severely for the traction
system to free the vehicle, turn the
traction system off and use the
rocking method. See
Traction Control/
Electronic Stability Control 0188.
{Warning
If the vehicle's tires spin at high
speed, they can explode, and you or
others could be injured. The vehicle
can overheat, causing an engine
compartment fire or other damage.
Spin the wheels as little as possible
and avoid going above 56 km/h
(35 mph).
Rocking the Vehicle to Get it Out
Turn the steering wheel left and right
to clear the area around the front
wheels. Turn off any traction system.
Shift back and forth between
R (Reverse) and a low forward gear,
spinning the wheels as little as
possible. To prevent transmission
wear, wait until the wheels stop
spinning before shifting gears. Release
the accelerator pedal while shifting,
and press lightly on the accelerator
pedal when the transmission is in
gear. Slowly spinning the wheels in
the forward and reverse directions
causes a rocking motion that could
free the vehicle. If that does not get
the vehicle out after a few tries, it
might need to be towed out. If the
vehicle does need to be towed out, see
Towing the Vehicle 0276.
Vehicle Load Limits
It is very important to know how
much weight the vehicle can carry.
This weight is called the vehicle
capacity weight and includes the
weight of all occupants, cargo, and
all nonfactory-installed options.

Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-10292881) - 2017 -
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DRIVING AND OPERATING 175
3.Subtract the combined weight
of the driver and passengers
from XXX kg or XXX lbs.
4.The resulting figure equals
the available amount of cargo
and luggage load capacity. For
example, if the "XXX" amount
equals 1400 lbs. and there
will be five 150 lb passengers
in your vehicle, the amount
of available cargo and luggage
load capacity is 650 lbs.
(1400-750 (5 x 150) =
650 lbs.)
5.Determine the combined
weight of luggage and cargo
being loaded on the vehicle.
That weight may not safely
exceed the available cargo
and luggage load capacity
calculated in Step 4.
6.If your vehicle will be towing
a trailer, load from your
trailer will be transferred to
your vehicle. Consult this
manual to determine howthis reduces the available
cargo and luggage load
capacity of your vehicle.”
See Trailer Towing 0218 for
important information on towing
a trailer, towing safety rules, and
trailering tips.
Example 1
1.Vehicle Capacity Weight
for Example 1 = 453 kg
(1,000 lbs).
2.Subtract Occupant Weight
@ 68 kg (150 lbs) × 2 =
136 kg (300 lbs).
3.Available Occupant and
Cargo Weight = 317 kg
(700 lbs).
Example 2
1.Vehicle Capacity Weight
for Example 2 = 453 kg
(1,000 lbs).
2.Subtract Occupant Weight
@ 68 kg (150 lbs) × 5 =
340 kg (750 lbs).
3.Available Cargo Weight =
113 kg (250 lbs).

Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-10292881) - 2017 -
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180 DRIVING AND OPERATING
clears the extra gasoline from the
engine. Do not race the engine
immediately after starting it.
Operate the engine and
transmission gently until the oil
warms up and lubricates all
moving parts.
Retained Accessory
Power (RAP)
These vehicle accessories can be used
for up to 10 minutes after the engine
is turned off:
.Infotainment System
. Power Windows
. Sunroof (If Equipped)
. Accessory Power Outlets
Power to the infotainment system will
continue to operate for up to
10 minutes or until the driver door is
opened.
Power to the power windows and
sunroof will continue to operate for
up to 10 minutes or until any door is
opened. All of these features will work when
the ignition is in ON/RUN or ACC/
ACCESSORY.
Shifting Into Park
1. Hold the brake pedal down and
apply the parking brake. See
Electric Parking Brake 0186.
2. Move the shift lever into P (Park) by pushing the lever all the way
toward the front of the vehicle.
3. Turn the ignition off.
Leaving the Vehicle with the
Engine Running
{Warning
It can be dangerous to leave the
vehicle with the engine running.
It could overheat and catch fire.
It is dangerous to get out of the
vehicle if the shift lever is not fully
in P (Park) with the parking brake
firmly set. The vehicle can roll. (Continued)
Warning (Continued)
Do not leave the vehicle when the
engine is running. If you have left
the engine running, the vehicle can
move suddenly. You or others could
be injured. To be sure the vehicle
will not move, even when you are
on fairly level ground, always set
the parking brake and move the
shift lever to P (Park). See Shifting
Into Park 0180. If you are towing a
trailer, see Driving Characteristics
and Towing Tips 0215.
If you have to leave the vehicle with
the engine running, be sure the
vehicle is in P (Park) and the parking
brake is firmly set before you leave it.
After you have moved the shift lever
into P (Park), hold down the regular
brake pedal. See if you can move the
shift lever away from P (Park) without
first pulling it toward you. If you can,
it means that the shift lever was not
fully locked into P (Park).

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.