Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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VEHICLE CARE 257
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . 272
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Battery - North America . . . . . . . . . 283
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284 Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Automatic Transmission Shift
Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Park Brake and P (Park)
Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . 286
Windshield Replacement . . . . . . . . 287
Gas Strut(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Back-Up Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . . . . 291
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . 291
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . 295
Rear Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Run-Flat Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Low-Profile Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Summer Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
Tire Terminology andDefinitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Tire Pressure for High-Speed Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . 309
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . 317
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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1. Windshield Washer FluidReservoir. See Washer Fluid
0 280.
2. Remote Positive (+) Battery Terminal. See Jump Starting -
North America 0329.
3. Engine Compartment Fuse Block
0292. 4. Engine Coolant Surge Tank and
Pressure Cap. See Cooling System
0 274.
5. Remote Negative (-) Battery Terminal. See Jump Starting -
North America 0329.
6. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See Engine Oil
0 268. 7. Engine Cooling Fan (Out of
View). See Cooling System 0274.
8. Engine Oil Dipstick. See Engine
Oil 0268.
9. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter 0272.
10. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See Brake
Fluid 0282.
Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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1. Windshield Washer FluidReservoir. See Washer Fluid
0 280.
2. Remote Positive (+) Battery Terminal. See Jump Starting -
North America 0329.
3. Remote Negative (-) Battery Terminal. See Jump Starting -
North America 0329. 4. Engine Coolant Surge Tank and
Pressure Cap. See Cooling System
0 274.
5. Engine Compartment Fuse Block
0292.
6. Engine Cooling Fan (Out of View). See Cooling System 0274. 7. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See
Engine Oil
0 268.
8. Engine Oil Dipstick. See Engine
Oil 0268.
9. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See Brake
Fluid 0282.
10. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter 0272.
Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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1. Windshield Washer FluidReservoir. See Washer Fluid
0 280.
2. Remote Positive (+) Battery Terminal. See Jump Starting -
North America 0329.
3. Engine Compartment Fuse Block
0292. 4. Engine Coolant Surge Tank and
Pressure Cap. See Cooling System
0 274.
5. Remote Negative (-) Battery Terminal. See Jump Starting -
North America 0329.
6. Engine Cooling Fan (Out of View). See Cooling System 0274. 7. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See
Engine Oil
0 268.
8. Engine Oil Dipstick. See Engine
Oil 0268.
9. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter 0272.
10. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See Brake
Fluid 0282.
Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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1. Windshield Washer FluidReservoir. See Washer Fluid
0 280.
2. Remote Positive (+) Battery Terminal. See Jump Starting -
North America 0329.
3. Engine Compartment Fuse Block
0292.
4. Engine Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap. See Cooling System
0 274.
5. Remote Negative (-) Battery Terminal. See Jump Starting -
North America 0329.
6. Engine Oil Dipstick. See Engine
Oil 0268.
7. Engine Cooling Fan (Out of View). See Cooling System 0274.
8. Engine Oil Fill Cap (Out of View). See Engine Oil 0268.
9. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter 0272.
10. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See Brake
Fluid 0282.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 0271.
. 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 0261 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.
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Adding Washer Fluid
Open the cap with the washer symbol
on it. Add washer fluid until the tank
is full. SeeEngine Compartment
Overview 0261 for reservoir location.
Caution
.
Do not use washer fluid that
contains any type of water
repellent coating. This can
cause the wiper blades to
chatter or skip.
. Do not use engine coolant
(antifreeze) in the windshield
washer. It can damage the
windshield washer system
and paint.
(Continued)
Caution (Continued)
.Do not mix water with
ready-to-use washer fluid.
Water can cause the solution
to freeze and damage the
washer fluid tank and other
parts of the washer system.
. When using concentrated
washer fluid, follow the
manufacturer instructions for
adding water.
. Fill the washer fluid tank only
three-quarters full when it is
very cold. This allows for
fluid expansion if freezing
occurs, which could damage
the tank if it is
completely full.
Brakes
Disc brake pads have built-in wear
indicators that make a high-pitched
warning sound when the brake pads
are worn and new pads are needed.
The sound can come and go or be heard all the time when the vehicle is
moving, except when applying the
brake pedal firmly.
{Warning
The brake wear warning sound
means that soon the brakes will not
work well. That could lead to a
crash. When the brake wear
warning sound is heard, have the
vehicle serviced.
Caution
Continuing to drive with worn-out
brake pads could result in costly
brake repair.
Some driving conditions or climates
can cause a brake squeal when the
brakes are first applied or lightly
applied. This does not mean
something is wrong with the brakes.
Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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282 VEHICLE CARE
If equipped with high performance
brake linings, there could be an
increased build-up of brake dust as
well as minor noises as compared to
standard brake linings.
Properly torqued wheel nuts are
necessary to help prevent brake
pulsation. When tires are rotated,
inspect brake pads for wear and
evenly tighten wheel nuts in the
proper sequence to torque
specifications. SeeCapacities and
Specifications 0359.
Brake pads should be replaced as
complete sets.
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal does
not return to normal height, or if
there is a rapid increase in pedal
travel. This could be a sign that brake
service may be required.
Replacing Brake System Parts
Always replace brake system parts
with new, approved replacement parts.
If this is not done, the brakes may not
work properly. The braking
performance expected can change in many other ways if the wrong
replacement brake parts are installed
or parts are improperly installed.
Cold Weather Brake Operation
(CTS-V Model)
High performance brake components
may bind and clunk when moving the
vehicle. This may be noticeable after
parking when the brakes have been
wet, such as when driving in the rain
or after a car wash. This is normal for
brakes with high friction pads and
does not affect the operation of the
brakes. Apply the brakes several times
until the binding or clunking stops.
Drive the vehicle and apply the brakes
several times if it is washed before
long-term storage.
Brake Fluid
The brake master cylinder reservoir is
filled with GM approved DOT 3 brake
fluid as indicated on the reservoir cap.
See
Engine Compartment Overview
0 261 for the location of the reservoir.
Checking Brake Fluid
With the vehicle in P (Park) on a level
surface, the brake fluid level should be
between the minimum and maximum
marks on the brake fluid reservoir.
There are only two reasons why the
brake fluid level in the reservoir may
go down:
. Normal brake lining wear. When
new linings are installed, the fluid
level goes back up.
. A fluid leak in the brake hydraulic
system. Have the brake hydraulic
system fixed. With a leak, the
brakes will not work well.
Always clean the brake fluid reservoir
cap and the area around the cap
before removing it.
Do not top off the brake fluid. Adding
fluid does not correct a leak. If fluid is
added when the linings are worn,
there will be too much fluid when
Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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VEHICLE CARE 283
new brake linings are installed. Add or
remove fluid, as necessary, only when
work is done on the brake hydraulic
system.
{Warning
If too much brake fluid is added, it
can spill on the engine and burn,
if the engine is hot enough. You or
others could be burned, and the
vehicle could be damaged. Add
brake fluid only when work is done
on the brake hydraulic system.
When the brake fluid falls to a low
level, the brake warning light comes
on. See Brake System Warning Light
0 131.
Brake fluid absorbs water over time
which degrades the effectiveness of
the brake fluid. Replace brake fluid at
the specified intervals to prevent
increased stopping distance. See
Maintenance Schedule 0345. What to Add
Use only GM approved DOT 3 brake
fluid from a clean, sealed container.
See
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants 0354.{Warning
The wrong or contaminated brake
fluid could result in damage to the
brake system. This could result in
the loss of braking leading to a
possible injury. Always use the
proper GM approved brake fluid.
Caution
If brake fluid is spilled on the
vehicle's painted surfaces, the paint
finish can be damaged. Immediately
wash off any painted surface.
Battery - North America
The original equipment battery is
maintenance free. Do not remove the
cap and do not add fluid. The battery is in the trunk, behind the
trim panel, on the driver side of the
vehicle. Refer to the replacement
number shown on the original battery
label when a new battery is needed.
{Warning
WARNING:
Battery posts,
terminals, and related accessories
contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and birth
defects or other reproductive harm.
Batteries also contain other
chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer. WASH
HANDS AFTER HANDLING. For
more information go to
www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/
passenger-vehicle.
See California Proposition 65 Warning
0 258 and the back cover.
After a power loss, such as
disconnecting the battery or removing
the maxi fuses in the power
distribution fuse block, the following