Cadillac XT5 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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244 DRIVING AND OPERATING
Engine Cooling When Trailer
Towing
The cooling system may temporarily
overheat during severe operating
conditions. SeeEngine Overheating
0 265.
Trailer Towing
Caution
Towing a trailer improperly can
damage the vehicle and result in
costly repairs not covered by the
vehicle warranty. To tow a trailer
correctly, follow the directions in
this section and see your dealer for
important information about
towing a trailer with the vehicle.
Trailer Weight
{Warning
Never exceed the towing capacity
for your vehicle. Safe trailering requires monitoring the
weight, speed, altitude, road grades,
outside temperature, dimensions of
the front of the trailer, and how
frequently the vehicle is used to tow a
trailer.
Trailer Weight Ratings
When towing a trailer, the combined
weight of the vehicle, vehicle contents,
trailer, and trailer contents must be
below all of the maximum weight
ratings for the vehicle, including:
.
GCWR: Gross Combined Weight
Rating
. GVWR: Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating
. Maximum Trailer Weight Rating
. Maximum Trailer Tongue Weight
Rating
The only way to be sure the weight is
not exceeding any of these ratings is
to weigh the tow vehicle and trailer
combination, fully loaded for the trip,
getting individual weights for each of
these items.
{Warning
You and others could be seriously
injured or killed if the trailer is too
heavy or the trailer brakes are
inadequate for the load. The vehicle
may be damaged, and the repairs
would not be covered by the vehicle
warranty.
Only tow a trailer if all the steps in
this section have been followed. Ask
your dealer for advice and
information about towing a trailer.
Gross Combined Weight
Rating (GCWR)
GCWR is the total allowable weight of
the completely loaded vehicle and
trailer including any fuel, passengers,
cargo, equipment, and accessories. Do
not exceed the GCWR for your vehicle.
The GCWR for the vehicle is on the
Tow Rating Chart following.
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DRIVING AND OPERATING 251
(ITBC) system, and the trailer has an
electric brake system, StabiliTrak/ESC
may also apply the trailer brakes.
If TSC is enabled, the Traction Control
System (TCS)/StabiliTrak/ESC warning
light will flash on the instrument
cluster. Reduce vehicle speed by
gradually removing your foot from the
accelerator. If trailer sway continues,
StabiliTrak/ESC can reduce engine
torque to help slow the vehicle. TSC
will not function if StabiliTrak/ESC is
turned off. SeeTraction Control/
Electronic Stability Control 0205.
{Warning
Trailer sway can result in a crash
and in serious injury or death, even
if the vehicle is equipped with TSC.
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
If the trailer begins to sway, reduce
vehicle speed by gradually removing
your foot from the accelerator. Then
pull over to check the trailer and
vehicle to help correct possible
causes, including an improperly or
overloaded trailer, unrestrained
cargo, improper trailer hitch
configuration, or improperly
inflated or incorrect vehicle or
trailer tires. SeeTowing Equipment
0 247 for trailer ratings and hitch
setup recommendations.
Trailer Tires
Special Trailer (ST) tires differ from
vehicle tires. Trailer tires are designed
with stiff sidewalls to help prevent
sway and to support heavy loads.
These features can make it difficult to
determine if the trailer tire pressures
are low only based on a visual
inspection. Always check all trailer tire pressures
before each trip when the tires are
cool. Low trailer tire pressure is a
leading cause of trailer tire blow-outs.
Trailer tires deteriorate over time. The
trailer tire sidewall will show the week
and year the tire was manufactured.
Many trailer tire manufacturers
recommend replacing tires more than
six years old.
Overloading is another leading cause
of trailer tire blow-outs. Never load
your trailer with more weight than the
tires are designed to support. The load
rating is located on the trailer tire
sidewall.
Always know the maximum speed
rating for the trailer tires before
driving. This may be significantly
lower than the vehicle tire speed
rating. The speed rating may be on
the trailer tire sidewall. If the speed
rating is not shown, the default trailer
tire speed rating is 105 km/h
(65 mph).
Cadillac XT5 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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252 DRIVING AND OPERATING
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) 0132.
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 086 and
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 086.
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VEHICLE CARE 253
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . 262
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Battery - North America . . . . . . . . . 269
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270 Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Park Brake and P (Park)
Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . 271
Windshield Replacement . . . . . . . . 272
Gas Strut(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Headlamps and Front Turn Signal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . . . . 275
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . 275
Engine Compartment FuseBlock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . 279
Rear Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Summer Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . 286 Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Tire Terminology and
Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Tire Pressure for High-Speed Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . 293
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . 301
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
Tire Sealant and Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Storing the Tire Sealant and Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312
Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318
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254 VEHICLE CARE
Jump Starting
Jump Starting - NorthAmerica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
Towing the Vehicle
Towing the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
Recreational Vehicle Towing . . . . 322
Appearance Care
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331
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 0269 and
Jump Starting - North America 0319
and the back cover.
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VEHICLE CARE 255
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 086.
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 0359.
This vehicle has an airbag system.
Before attempting to do your own
service work, see Servicing the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 086.
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258 VEHICLE CARE
1.Engine Air Cleaner/Filter 0262.
2. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See Engine Oil
0 258.
3. Engine Oil Dipstick. See Engine
Oil 0258.
4. Engine Cooling Fan (Out of View). See Cooling System 0262.
5. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See Brake
Fluid 0268.
6. Battery - North America 0269.
7. Engine Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap. See Cooling System
0 262.
8. Positive (+) Battery Terminal (Under Cover). See Jump Starting
- North America 0319.
9. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See Washer Fluid
0 267.
10. Engine Compartment Fuse Block
0276.
11. Remote Negative (-) Battery Terminal. See Jump Starting -
North America 0319.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 0260.
. 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 0257 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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260 VEHICLE CARE
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.
When the system has calculated that
oil life has been diminished, it
indicates that an oil change is
necessary. A CHANGE ENGINE OIL
SOON message comes on. Change the
oil as soon as possible within the next
1 000 km (600 mi). It is possible that,
if driving under the best conditions,
the oil life system might indicate that
an oil change is not necessary for up
to a year. The engine oil and filter
must be changed at least once a year
and at this time the system must be
reset. Your dealer has trained service
people who will perform this work and
reset the system. It is also important
to check the oil regularly over the
course of an oil drain interval and
keep it at the proper level.