Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12032610) -
2019 - crc - 8/22/18
232 DRIVING AND OPERATING
with the automatic transmission in
P (Park) for a few minutes before
turning the engine off. If the overheat
warning comes on, seeEngine
Overheating 0253.
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.
Maintenance when Trailer
Towing
The vehicle needs service more often
when pulling a trailer. See
Maintenance Schedule 0322. Things
that are especially important in trailer
operation are automatic transmission fluid, engine oil, axle lubricant, belts,
cooling system, and brake system. It is
a good idea to inspect these before
and during the trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch
nuts and bolts are tight.
Trailer Towing
{Warning
The driver can lose control when
pulling a trailer if the correct
equipment is not used or the
vehicle is not driven properly. For
example, if the trailer is too heavy
or the trailer brakes are inadequate
for the load, the vehicle may not
stop as expected. The driver and
passengers could be seriously
injured. The vehicle may also be
damaged; the resulting repairs
would not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Pull a trailer only if all the
steps in this section have been
followed. Ask your dealer for advice
and information about towing a
trailer with the vehicle.
Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12032610) -
2019 - crc - 8/22/18
DRIVING AND OPERATING 235
Conversions and
Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical
Equipment
{Warning
The Data Link Connector (DLC) is
used for vehicle service and
Emission Inspection/Maintenance
testing. SeeMalfunction Indicator
Lamp (Check Engine Light) 0131.
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 087 and
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 087.
Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12032610) -
2019 - crc - 8/22/18
236 VEHICLE CARE
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Engine Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . 248
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Overheated Engine Protection Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Power Steering Fluid (LF3 and LFX with AWD) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255 Power Steering Fluid (LFX
with FWD) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Battery - North America . . . . . . . . . 258
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Automatic Transmission Shift Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . 260
Windshield Replacement . . . . . . . . 261
Gas Strut(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Back-Up Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . . . . 264
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . 265
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265 Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . 268
Rear Compartment Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Low-Profile Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Summer Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Tire Terminology andDefinitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Tire Pressure for High-Speed Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . 281
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . 289
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12032610) -
2019 - crc - 8/22/18
VEHICLE CARE 237
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Tire Sealant andCompressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Storing the Tire Sealant and
Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
Full-Size Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
Jump Starting
Jump Starting - North America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Towing the Vehicle
Towing the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
Recreational Vehicle Towing . . . . 310
Appearance Care
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
General Information
For service and parts needs, visit your
dealer. You will receive genuine GM
parts and GM-trained and supported
service people.
Genuine GM parts have one of these
marks:
California Proposition
65 Warning
{Warning
Most motor vehicles, including this
one, as well as many of its service
parts and fluids, contain and/or
emit chemicals known to the State
of California to cause cancer and
birth defects or other reproductive
harm. Engine exhaust, many parts
and systems, many fluids, and
some component wear by-products
contain and/or emit these
chemicals. For more information go
to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/
passenger-vehicle.
See Battery - North America 0258 and
Jump Starting - North America 0306
and the back cover.
Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12032610) -
2019 - crc - 8/22/18
238 VEHICLE CARE
California Perchlorate
Materials Requirements
Certain types of automotive
applications, such as airbag initiators,
seat belt pretensioners, and lithium
batteries contained in Remote Keyless
Entry transmitters, may contain
perchlorate materials. Special
handling may be necessary. For
additional information, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/
perchlorate.
Accessories and
Modifications
Adding non-dealer accessories or
making modifications to the vehicle
can affect vehicle performance and
safety, including such things as
airbags, braking, stability, ride and
handling, emissions systems,
aerodynamics, durability, and
electronic systems like antilock
brakes, traction control, and stability
control. These accessories or
modifications could even cause
malfunction or damage not covered by
the vehicle warranty.Damage to suspension components
caused by modifying vehicle height
outside of factory settings will not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Damage to vehicle components
resulting from modifications or the
installation or use of non-GM certified
parts, including control module or
software modifications, is not covered
under the terms of the vehicle
warranty and may affect remaining
warranty coverage for affected parts.
GM Accessories are designed to
complement and function with other
systems on the vehicle. See your
dealer to accessorize the vehicle using
genuine GM Accessories installed by a
dealer technician.
Also, see
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 087.
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your Own
Service Work
{Warning
It can be dangerous to work on
your vehicle if you do not have the
proper knowledge, service manual,
tools, or parts. Always follow
owner’s manual procedures and
consult the service manual for your
vehicle before doing any
service work.
If doing some of your own service
work, use the proper service manual.
It tells you much more about how to
service the vehicle than this manual
can. To order the proper service
manual, see Publication Ordering
Information 0348.
This vehicle has an airbag system.
Before attempting to do your own
service work, see Servicing the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 087.
Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12032610) -
2019 - crc - 8/22/18
244 VEHICLE CARE
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.
4. Lift and remove the engine cover.
5. Reverse Steps 1–4 to reinstall the engine cover.
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” in this
section.
. Change the engine oil at the
appropriate time. See Engine Oil
Life System 0246.
. Always dispose of engine oil
properly. See “What to Do with
Used Oil” in this section.
Checking Engine Oil
Check the engine oil level regularly,
every 650 km (400 mi), especially prior
to a long trip. The engine oil dipstick handle is a loop. See
Engine
Compartment Overview 0240 for the
location.
{Warning
The engine oil dipstick handle may
be hot; it could burn you. Use a
towel or glove to touch the dipstick
handle.
If a low oil Driver Information Center
(DIC) message displays, check the oil
level.
Follow these guidelines:
. To get an accurate reading, park
the vehicle on level ground. Check
the engine oil level after the
engine has been off for at least
two hours. Checking the engine oil
level on steep grades or too soon
after engine shutoff can result in
incorrect readings. Accuracy
improves when checking a cold
engine prior to starting. Remove
the dipstick and check the level.
Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12032610) -
2019 - crc - 8/22/18
246 VEHICLE CARE
as meeting the dexos1 specification
are marked with the dexos1 approved
logo. See www.gmdexos.com.
Caution
Failure to use the recommended
engine oil or equivalent can result
in engine damage not covered by
the vehicle warranty.
Viscosity Grade
Use SAE 5W-30 viscosity grade
engine oil.
Cold Temperature Operation: In an
area of extreme cold, where the
temperature falls below −29 °C
(−20 °F), an SAE 0W-30 oil may be
used. An oil of this viscosity grade will
provide easier cold starting for the
engine at extremely low temperatures. When selecting an oil of the
appropriate viscosity grade, it is
recommended to select an oil of the
correct specification. See
“Specification
”earlier in this section.
Engine Oil Additives/Engine Oil
Flushes
Do not add anything to the oil. The
recommended oils meeting the dexos1
specification are all that is needed for
good performance and engine
protection.
Engine oil system flushes are not
recommended and could cause engine
damage not covered by the vehicle
warranty.
What to Do with Used Oil
Used engine oil contains certain
elements that can be unhealthy for
your skin and could even cause
cancer. Do not let used oil stay on
your skin for very long. Clean your
skin and nails with soap and water,
or a good hand cleaner. Wash or
properly dispose of clothing or rags containing used engine oil. See the
manufacturer's warnings about the
use and disposal of oil products.
Used oil can be a threat to the
environment. If you change your own
oil, be sure to drain all the oil from
the filter before disposal. Never
dispose of oil by putting it in the trash
or pouring it on the ground, into
sewers, or into streams or bodies of
water. Recycle it by taking it to a place
that collects used oil.
Engine Oil Life System
When to Change Engine Oil
This vehicle has a computer system
that indicates when to change the
engine oil and filter. This is based on a
combination of factors which include
engine revolutions, engine
temperature, and miles driven. Based
on driving conditions, the mileage at
which an oil change is indicated can
vary considerably. For the oil life
system to work properly, the system
must be reset every time the oil is
changed.
Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12032610) -
2019 - crc - 8/22/18
VEHICLE CARE 249
3.6L V6 Twin Turbo Engine
1. Screws
2. Secondary Air Hose
3. Lower Air Duct Clamp
4. Lower Electrical Connector
5. Upper Electrical Connector
6. Upper Air Duct Clamp
1. Disconnect the lower and upperoutlet ducts by loosening the
lower (3) and upper (6) air duct
clamps.
2. Disconnect the lower (4) and upper (5) electrical connectors
and wiring attachments from the
air cleaner/filter cover.
3. Remove the screws (1) on top of the air cleaner/filter cover.
4. Lift the air cleaner/filter cover housing away from the engine.
5. Pull out the air cleaner/filter.
6. Inspect or replace the engine air cleaner/filter.
7. Reverse Steps 1–5 to reinstall the air cleaner/filter cover housing.
{Warning
Operating the engine with the air
cleaner/filter off can cause you or
others to be burned. Use caution
when working on the engine. Do
not start the engine or drive the
vehicle with the air cleaner/filter
off, as flames may be present if the
engine backfires.
Caution
If the air cleaner/filter is off, dirt
can easily get into the engine,
which could damage it. Always have
the air cleaner/filter in place when
driving.