Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11354412) -
2018 - crc - 11/16/17
CLIMATE CONTROLS 167
Move the slider knobs (2) to change
the direction of the airf low.
Additional air vents are beneath the
windshield and the driver and
passenger side door windows. These
are fixed and cannot be adjusted.Operation Tips
.
Clear away any ice, snow, or leaves
from air inlets at the base of the
windshield that could block the
flow of air into the vehicle.
. Clear snow off the hood to
improve visibility and help
decrease moisture drawn into the
vehicle.
. Keep the path under the front
seats clear of objects to help
circulate the air inside of the
vehicle more effectively.
. Use of non-GM approved hood
deflectors can adversely affect the
performance of the system. Check
with your dealer before adding
equipment to the outside of the
vehicle.
. Do not attach any devices to the
air vent slats. This restricts airflow
and may cause damage to the air
vents.
Maintenance
Passenger Compartment
Air Filter
The filter reduces dust, pollen, and
other airborne irritants from outside
air that is pulled into the vehicle. The
filter should be replaced as part of
routine scheduled maintenance. See
Maintenance Schedule 0317.
See your dealer regarding replacement
of the filter.
Service
This vehicle may have the new
environmentally friendly refrigerant,
R1234yf. This refrigerant has a
significantly reduced global warming
impact on the environment, compared
to the traditional automotive
refrigerant, R-134a. All vehicles have a
label underhood that identifies the
refrigerant used in the vehicle.
Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11354412) -
2018 - crc - 11/16/17
168 CLIMATE CONTROLS
The refrigerant system should only be
serviced by trained and certified
technicians. The air conditioning
evaporator should never be repaired or
replaced by one from a salvage
vehicle. It should only be replaced by
a new evaporator to ensure proper
and safe operation.
During service, all refrigerants should
be reclaimed with proper equipment.
Venting refrigerants directly to the
atmosphere is harmful to the
environment and may also create
unsafe conditions based on inhalation,
combustion, frostbite, or other
health-based concerns.
Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11354412) -
2018 - crc - 11/16/17
170 DRIVING AND OPERATING
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . 230Driving Information
Distracted Driving
Distraction comes in many forms and
can take your focus from the task of
driving. Exercise good judgment and
do not let other activities divert your
attention away from the road. Many
local governments have enacted laws
regarding driver distraction. Become
familiar with the local laws in
your area.
To avoid distracted driving, keep your
eyes on the road, keep your hands on
the steering wheel, and focus your
attention on driving.
.Do not use a phone in demanding
driving situations. Use a
hands-free method to place or
receive necessary phone calls.
. Watch the road. Do not read, take
notes, or look up information on
phones or other electronic devices.
. Designate a front seat passenger
to handle potential distractions. .
Become familiar with vehicle
features before driving, such as
programming favorite radio
stations and adjusting climate
control and seat settings. Program
all trip information into any
navigation device prior to driving.
. Wait until the vehicle is parked to
retrieve items that have fallen to
the floor.
. Stop or park the vehicle to tend to
children.
. Keep pets in an appropriate carrier
or restraint.
. Avoid stressful conversations
while driving, whether with a
passenger or on a cell phone.
{Warning
Taking your eyes off the road too
long or too often could cause a
crash resulting in injury or death.
Focus your attention on driving.
Refer to the CUE manual for more
information on using the CUE system,
if equipped.
Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11354412) -
2018 - crc - 11/16/17
DRIVING AND OPERATING 175
.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 0193.
. 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) 0191.
. 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
Stay with the vehicle unless there is
help nearby. If possible, use Roadside
Assistance. See Roadside Service 0338.
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.
. 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
(Continued)
Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11354412) -
2018 - crc - 11/16/17
176 DRIVING AND OPERATING
Warning (Continued)
fan speed to the highest
setting. See“Climate Control
Systems.”
For more information about CO, see
Engine Exhaust 0187.
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 0193.
{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
0304.
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.
Two labels on the vehicle may
show how much weight it may
properly carry: the Tire and
Loading Information label and the
Certification label.
Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11354412) -
2018 - crc - 11/16/17
226 DRIVING AND OPERATING
Trailer Towing
General Towing
Information
Only use towing equipment that has
been designed for the vehicle. Contact
your dealer or trailering dealer for
assistance with preparing the vehicle
for towing a trailer. Read the entire
section before towing a trailer.
For towing a disabled vehicle, see
Towing the Vehicle0304. For towing
the vehicle behind another vehicle
such as a motor home, see
Recreational Vehicle Towing 0304.
Driving Characteristics and
Towing Tips
Driving with a Trailer
When towing a trailer:
.
Become familiar with the state
and local laws that apply to trailer
towing. .
Do not tow a trailer during the
first 800 km (500 mi) to prevent
damage to the engine, axle,
or other parts.
. Then during the first 800 km
(500 mi) of trailer towing, do not
drive over 80 km/h (50 mph) and
do not make starts at full throttle.
. 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.
. Do not use Adaptive Cruise
Control when towing.
. The Forward Automatic Braking
System should be set to Off when
towing. See Forward Automatic
Braking (FAB) 0215.
. Turn off Parking Assist when
towing.
{Warning
When towing a trailer, exhaust
gases may collect at the rear of the
vehicle and enter if the liftgate,
trunk/hatch, or rear-most window
is open.
When towing a trailer:
. Do not drive with the liftgate,
trunk/hatch, or rear-most
window open.
. Fully open the air outlets on
or under the instrument
panel.
. Also adjust the climate
control system to a setting
that brings in only outside air.
See “Climate Control Systems ”
in the Index.
For more information about carbon
monoxide, see Engine Exhaust
0 187.
Towing a trailer requires a certain
amount of experience. The
combination you are driving is longer
Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11354412) -
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284 VEHICLE CARE
Warning (Continued)
the chance of a crash and serious
injury. Only use GM specific wheel
and tire systems developed for the
vehicle, and have them properly
installed by a GM certified
technician.
See Buying New Tires 0282 and
Accessories and Modifications 0234.
Uniform Tire Quality
Grading
The following information relates
to the system developed by the
United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA), which grades tires by
treadwear, traction, and
temperature performance. This
applies only to vehicles sold in the
United States. The grades are
molded on the sidewalls of most
passenger car tires. The Uniform
Tire Quality Grading (UTQG) system does not apply to deep
tread, winter tires, compact spare
tires, tires with nominal rim
diameters of 10 to 12 inches
(25 to 30 cm), or to some
limited-production tires.
While the tires available on
General Motors passenger cars
and light trucks may vary with
respect to these grades, they must
also conform to federal safety
requirements and additional
General Motors Tire Performance
Criteria (TPC) standards.
Quality grades can be found where
applicable on the tire sidewall
between tread shoulder and
maximum section width. For
example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA
Temperature A
All Passenger Car Tires Must
Conform to Federal Safety
Requirements In Addition To
These Grades.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a
comparative rating based on the
wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a
specified government test course.
For example, a tire graded
150 would wear one and one-half
(1½) times as well on the
government course as a tire
graded 100. The relative
performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of
their use, however, and may
depart significantly from the norm
due to variations in driving habits,
service practices and differences
in road characteristics and
climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from highest
to lowest, are AA, A, B, and C.
Those grades represent the tire's
ability to stop on wet pavement as
measured under controlled
conditions on specified
Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11354412) -
2018 - crc - 11/16/17
INDEX 359
Automatic (cont'd)Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Forward Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Level Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Automatic Transmission Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Shift Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
B
BatteryExterior Lighting BatterySaver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Power Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Battery - North America . . . . . .254, 301
Blade Replacement, Wiper . . . . . . . . . 255
Boost Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Brake Parking, Electric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Antilock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171 Braking (cont'd)
Automatic Forward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Break-In, New Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Bulb Replacement Back-up Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
License Plate Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
C
Cadillac Premium Care
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
California
Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Perchlorate MaterialsRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
California Proposition
65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . .233, 254, 301, Back Cover
Canadian Vehicle Owners . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Capacities and Specifications . . . . . . 331
Carbon Monoxide Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Trunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175 Cargo
Management System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Tie-Downs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Caution, Danger, and Warning . . . . . . . . 3
Center Console Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Chains, Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Charging Wireless . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Check Engine Light (Malfunction
Indicator) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Child Restraints Infants and Young Children . . . . . . . . 89
Lower Anchors and Tethers forChildren . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Securing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100, 102
Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Cigarette Lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Cleaning Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311
Climate Control Systems
Dual Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113