Cadillac CT6 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566829) -
2020 - CRC - 6/14/19
DRIVING AND OPERATING 173
.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 infotainment manual for
more information on using that
system and the navigation system,
if equipped, including pairing and
using a cell phone.
Defensive Driving
Defensive driving means “always
expect the unexpected.” The first step
in driving defensively is to wear the
seat belt. See Seat Belts057.
. Assume that other road users
(pedestrians, bicyclists, and other
drivers) are going to be careless
and make mistakes. Anticipate
what they may do and be ready.
. Allow enough following distance
between you and the driver in
front of you.
. Focus on the task of driving.
Drunk Driving
Death and injury associated with
drinking and driving is a global
tragedy.
{Warning
Drinking and then driving is very
dangerous. Your reflexes,
perceptions, attentiveness, and
judgment can be affected by even a
small amount of alcohol. You can
have a serious —or even fatal —
collision if you drive after drinking.
Do not drink and drive or ride with
a driver who has been drinking.
Ride home in a cab; or if you are
with a group, designate a driver
who will not drink.
Control of a Vehicle
Braking, steering, and accelerating are
important factors in helping to control
a vehicle while driving.
Cadillac CT6 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566829) -
2020 - CRC - 6/14/19
178 DRIVING AND OPERATING
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 0203.
. 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) 0199.
See Driver Mode Control 0204. .
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
Stop the vehicle in a safe place and
signal for help. Stay with the vehicle
unless there is help nearby. If possible,
use Roadside Service. See Roadside
Service 0380. 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 CT6 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566829) -
2020 - CRC - 6/14/19
DRIVING AND OPERATING 179
Warning (Continued)
fan speed to the highest
setting. See“Climate Control
Systems.”
For more information about CO, see
Engine Exhaust 0192.
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 0203.
{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
0346.
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 CT6 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566829) -
2020 - CRC - 6/14/19
186 DRIVING AND OPERATING
too much gasoline. Try pushing
the accelerator pedal all the way
to the floor and holding it there
as you press ENGINE START/
STOP. Wait at least 15 seconds
between each try, to allow the
cranking motor to cool down.
When the engine starts, release
the accelerator. If the vehicle
starts briefly but then stops
again, do the same thing. This
clears the extra gasoline from the
engine. Do not race the engine
immediately after starting it.
Operate the engine and
transmission gently until the oil
warms up and lubricates all
moving parts.
Stop/Start System
If equipped, the Stop/Start system will
shut off the engine to help conserve
fuel. It has components designed for
the increased number of starts.
{Warning
The automatic engine Stop/Start
feature causes the engine to shut
off while the vehicle is still on. Do
not exit the vehicle before shifting
to P (Park). The vehicle may restart
and move unexpectedly. Always
shift to P (Park), and then turn the
ignition off before exiting the
vehicle.
Auto Engine Stop/Start
When the brakes are applied and the
vehicle is at a complete stop, the
engine may turn off. When stopped,
the tachometer displays AUTO STOP.
See Tachometer 0116. When the brake
pedal is released or the accelerator
pedal is pressed, the engine will
restart.
To maintain vehicle performance,
other conditions may cause the engine
to automatically restart before the
brake pedal is released. Auto Stops may not occur and/or Auto
Starts may occur because:
.
The climate control settings
require the engine to be running
to cool or heat the vehicle interior.
. The vehicle battery charge is low.
. The vehicle battery has recently
been disconnected.
. Minimum vehicle speed has not
been reached since the last
Auto Stop.
. The accelerator pedal is pressed.
. The engine or transmission is not
at the required operating
temperature.
. The outside temperature is not in
the required operating range.
. The vehicle transmission is shifted
out of D (Drive) to any gear other
than P (Park).
. Driver modes have been selected.
. The vehicle is on a steep hill or
grade.
Cadillac CT6 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566829) -
2020 - CRC - 6/14/19
264 DRIVING AND OPERATING
Warning (Continued)
.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
0 192.
Towing a trailer requires experience.
The combination of the vehicle and
trailer is longer and not as responsive
as the vehicle itself. Get used to the
handling and braking of the
combination by driving on a level road
surface before driving on public roads.
The trailer structure, the tires, and the
brakes must be all be rated to carry
the intended cargo. Inadequate trailer
equipment can cause the combination
to operate in an unexpected or unsafe
manner. Before driving, inspect all
trailer hitch parts and attachments,
safety chains, electrical connectors,
lamps, tires, and mirrors. See Towing
Equipment 0267. If the trailer has electric brakes, start the combination
moving and then manually apply the
trailer brake controller to check the
trailer brakes work. During the trip,
occasionally check that the cargo and
trailer are secure and that the lamps
and any trailer brakes are working.
Towing with a Stability Control
System
When towing, the stability control
system might be heard. The system
reacts to vehicle movement caused by
the trailer, which mainly occurs
during cornering. This is normal when
towing heavier trailers.
Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the
vehicle ahead as you would when
driving without a trailer. This can help
to avoid heavy braking and sudden
turns.
Passing
More passing distance is needed when
towing a trailer. The combination of
the vehicle and trailer will not
accelerate as quickly and is much
longer than the vehicle alone. It is necessary to go much farther beyond
the passed vehicle before returning to
the lane. Pass on level roadways.
Avoid passing on hills if possible.
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel
with one hand. To move the trailer to
the left, move that hand to the left. To
move the trailer to the right, move
that hand to the right. Always back up
slowly and, if possible, have someone
guide you.
Making Turns
Caution
Turn more slowly and make wider
arcs when towing a trailer to
prevent damage to your vehicle.
Making very sharp turns could
cause the trailer to contact the
vehicle.
Make wider turns than normal when
towing, so trailer will not go over soft
shoulders, over curbs, or strike road
Cadillac CT6 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566829) -
2020 - CRC - 6/11/19
334 VEHICLE CARE
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
government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction
performance. Warning: The
traction grade assigned to this tire
is based on straight-ahead braking
traction tests, and does notinclude acceleration, cornering,
hydroplaning, or peak traction
characteristics.
Temperature
The temperature grades are A (the
highest), B, and C, representing
the tire's resistance to the
generation of heat and its ability
to dissipate heat when tested
under controlled conditions on a
specified indoor laboratory test
wheel. Sustained high temperature
can cause the material of the tire
to degenerate and reduce tire life,
and excessive temperature can
lead to sudden tire failure. The
grade C corresponds to a level of
performance which all passenger
car tires must meet under the
Federal Motor Safety Standard
No. 109. Grades B and A represent
higher levels of performance on
the laboratory test wheel than the
minimum required by law.
Warning: The temperature grade
for this tire is established for a tirethat is properly inflated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed,
underinflation, or excessive
loading, either separately or in
combination, can cause heat
buildup and possible tire failure.
Wheel Alignment and Tire
Balance
The tires and wheels were aligned and
balanced at the factory to provide the
longest tire life and best overall
performance. Adjustments to wheel
alignment and tire balancing are not
necessary on a regular basis. Consider
an alignment check if there is unusual
tire wear or the vehicle is significantly
pulling to one side or the other. Some
slight pull to the left or right,
depending on the crown of the road
and/or other road surface variations
such as troughs or ruts, is normal.
If the vehicle is vibrating when driving
on a smooth road, the tires and
wheels may need to be rebalanced.
See your dealer for proper diagnosis.
Cadillac CT6 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566829) -
2020 - CRC - 6/11/19
INDEX 401
Assistance Systems for Parkingand Backing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Auto Stop Stop/Start System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Automatic Climate Control System . . . . . 158, 163
Dimming Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Emergency Braking (AEB) . . . . . . . . 246
Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Vehicle Hold Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Automatic Transmission Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Automatic Vehicle Hold (AVH) . . . . 202
B
Battery
Exterior Lighting BatterySaver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Load Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Power Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Battery - North America . . . . . .292, 343
Blade Replacement, Wiper . . . . . . . . . 295
Boost Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Brake Electric Boost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199 Brake (cont'd)
Parking, Electric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Brake Pad Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Antilock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Pad Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174 Automatic Emergency (AEB) . . . . . 246
Braking System Front Pedestrian (FPB) . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Break-In, New Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Bulb Replacement
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331
C
Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
California
Perchlorate MaterialsRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
California Proposition 65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . .271, 292, 343, Back Cover
Canadian Vehicle Owners . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Capacities and Specifications . . . . . . 373
Carbon Monoxide
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Trunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Cargo Tie-Downs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Caution, Danger, and Warning . . . . . . . . 2
Center Console Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Chains, Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335
Charging Wireless . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Check Engine Light (MalfunctionIndicator) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Child Restraints Infants and Young Children . . . . . . . . 79
Lower Anchors and Tethers forChildren . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Securing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92, 94
Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
Cleaning Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 353
Cadillac CT6 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566829) -
2020 - CRC - 6/11/19
402 INDEX
Climate Control SystemsAutomatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158, 163
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Cluster, Instrument . . . . . . . . . . . .110, 113
Collision Damage Repair . . . . . . . . . . . 383
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342
Compartments Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Connected Services Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 398
Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 399
Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 397
Connections Connected Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 398
Control
Traction and ElectronicStability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Convenience Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Convex Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Coolant Engine Temperature Gauge . . . . . . 119
Engine Temperature WarningLight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Cooling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .158, 163
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Cornering Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153 Courtesy Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Courtesy Transportation
Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 382
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209 Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Cruise Control, Adaptive . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Cruise Control, Super . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Cupholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Customer Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378 Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378
Text Telephone (TTY) Users . . . . . 378
Customer Information Publications OrderingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385
Customer Satisfaction Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376
Cybersecurity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 387
D
Damage Repair, Collision . . . . . . . . . . . 383
Danger, Warning, and Caution . . . . . . . . 2
Data Collection Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 388
Data Recorders, Event . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 388
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . 151
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Diagnostics
Connected Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 399
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Door Ajar Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Power Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Rear Seat Pass-Through . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Drive Belt Routing, Engine . . . . . . . . . 375
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199, 293
Driver Assistance Systems . . . . . . . . . 234
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Driver Mode Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Driver Mode Control Light . . . . . . . . . 129
Driving Assistance Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Characteristics andTowing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Defensive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Drunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . 177
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175