Cadillac CT6 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566829) -
2020 - CRC - 6/14/19
266 DRIVING AND OPERATING
Engine Cooling when Trailer
Towing
The cooling system may temporarily
overheat during severe operating
conditions. SeeEngine Overheating
0 288.
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.
{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 Vehicle Weight
Rating (GVWR)
For information about the vehicle's
maximum load capacity, see
Vehicle
Load Limits 0179. When calculating
the GVWR with a trailer attached, the trailer tongue weight must be
included as part of the weight the
vehicle is carrying.
Maximum Trailer Weight
The trailer should never weigh more
than 408 kg (900 lb) for Platinum
vehicles with the 4.2L V8 engine, or
454 kg (1,000 lb) for all other models.
The maximum allowable weight of the
trailer may be lower based on the
weight of the passengers and cargo in
your trailer.
Trailer Load Balance
The correct trailer load balance must
be maintained to ensure trailer
stability. Incorrect load balance is a
leading cause of trailer sway.
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DRIVING AND OPERATING 269
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) 0123.
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 075 and
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 076.
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270 VEHICLE CARE
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Engine Air Filter Life System . . . . 281
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . 282
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Brake Pad Life System . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291 Battery - North America . . . . . . . . . 292
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Park Brake and P (Park)
Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . 295
Windshield Replacement . . . . . . . . 295
Gas Strut(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Headlamp Aiming
Front Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . 297
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . . . . 298
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . 298
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . 306
Rear Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316
Low-Profile Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
Summer Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . 317 Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
Tire Terminology and
Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
Tire Pressure for High-Speed Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . 324
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . 333
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336
Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342Jump Starting
Jump Starting - North America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343
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VEHICLE CARE 271
Towing the Vehicle
Towing the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346
Recreational Vehicle Towing . . . . 348
Appearance Care
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 353
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356
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 0292 and
Jump Starting - North America 0343
and the back cover.
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272 VEHICLE CARE
California Perchlorate
Materials Requirements
Certain types of automotive
applications, such as airbag initiators,
seat belt pretensioners, and lithium
batteries contained in electronic keys,
may contain perchlorate materials.
Perchlorate Material–special
handling may apply. 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 076.
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 0385.
This vehicle has an airbag system.
Before attempting to do your own
service work, see Servicing the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 075.
Cadillac CT6 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566829) -
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VEHICLE CARE 273
If equipped with remote vehicle start,
open the hood before performing any
service work to prevent remote
starting the vehicle accidentally. See
Remote Vehicle Start017.
Keep a record with all parts receipts
and list the mileage and the date of
any service work performed. See
Maintenance Records 0371.
Caution
Even small amounts of
contamination can cause damage to
vehicle systems. Do not allow
contaminants to contact the fluids,
reservoir caps, or dipsticks.
Hood
{Warning
For vehicles with auto engine stop/
start, turn the vehicle off before
opening the hood. If the vehicle is
on, the engine will start when the
hood is opened. You or others could
be injured.
{Warning
Components under the hood can
get hot from running the engine. To
help avoid the risk of burning
unprotected skin, never touch these
components until they have cooled,
and always use a glove or towel to
avoid direct skin contact.
Clear any snow from the hood before
opening.
To open the hood: 1. Pull the hood release handle with the
isymbol. It is on the
lower left side of the instrument
panel between the door and the
steering wheel. Release the
handle, then pull the handle
again to fully release the hood.
2. After you have partially lifted the hood, the gas strut system will
automatically lift the hood and
hold it in the fully open position. To close the hood:
1. Before closing the hood, be sure all filler caps are on properly,
and all tools are removed.
2. Pull the hood down until the strut system is no longer holding
up the hood.
3. Allow the hood to fall. Check to make sure the hood is latched
completely. Repeat this process
with additional force if necessary.
{Warning
Do not drive the vehicle if the hood
is not latched completely. The hood
could open fully, block your vision,
and cause a crash. You or others
could be injured. Always close the
hood completely before driving.
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VEHICLE CARE 277
1. Passenger Side EngineCompartment Fuse Block. See
Engine Compartment Fuse Block
0299.
2. Engine Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap. See Cooling System
0 284.
3. Passenger Side Engine Air Cleaner/Filter. See Engine Air
Cleaner/Filter 0282.
4. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See Engine Oil
0 277.
5. Engine Oil Dipstick. See Engine
Oil 0277.
6. Engine Cooling Fan (Out of View). See Cooling System 0284.
7. Driver Side Engine Air Cleaner/ Filter. See Engine Air Cleaner/
Filter 0282.
8. Remote Positive (+) Battery Terminal. See Jump Starting -
North America 0343.
9. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See Brake
Fluid 0291. 10. Windshield Washer Fluid
Reservoir. See Washer Fluid
0 289.
11. Driver Side Engine Compartment Fuse Block. See Engine
Compartment Fuse Block 0299.
12. Remote Negative (-) Battery Terminal. See Jump Starting -
North America 0343.
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” later in
this section. .
Change the engine oil at the
appropriate time. See Engine Oil
Life System 0280.
. 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 0274 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.
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280 VEHICLE CARE
Engine Oil Additives/Engine Oil
Flushes
Do not add anything to the oil. The
recommended oils meeting the dexos
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. Neverdispose 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.
If the system is ever reset accidentally,
the oil must be changed at 5 000 km
(3,000 mi) since the last oil change.
Remember to reset the oil life system
whenever the oil is changed.
How to Reset the Engine Oil Life
System
Reset the system whenever the engine
oil is changed so that the system can
calculate the next engine oil change.
To reset the system:
1. Using the DIC buttons, display REMAINING OIL LIFE on the
DIC. See Driver Information Center
(DIC) 0132.