2020 CADILLAC XT5 Brakes

236 DRIVING AND OPERATING
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 will
not accelerate as quickly and is much
longer so 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 TurnsCaution
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
signs, trees, or other objects. Always
signal turns well in advance. Do not
steer or brake suddenly.
Driving on Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear
before starting down a long or steep
downhill grade. If the transmission is
not shifted down, the brakes may
overheat and result in reduced braking
efficiency.
The vehicle 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. When towing at higher altitudes,
engine coolant will boil at a lower
temperature than at lower altitudes.
If the engine is turned off immediately
after towing at high altitude on steep
uphill grades, the vehicle could show
signs similar to engine overheating. To
avoid this, let the engine run,
preferably on level ground, with the
transmission in P (Park) for a few
minutes before turning the engine off.
If the overheat warning comes on, see
Engine Overheating
0264.
Parking on Hills
{Warning
To prevent serious injury or death,
always park your vehicle and trailer
on a level surface when possible.
When parking your vehicle and your
trailer on a hill: 1. Press the brake pedal, but do not shift into P (Park) yet. Turn the
wheels into the curb if facing
downhill or into traffic if facing
uphill.

238 DRIVING AND OPERATING
.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.
To check that the weight of the
vehicle and trailer are within the
GCWR for the vehicle, follow these
steps:
. Start with the “curb weight”fro the
Trailering Information Label
. Add the weight of the trailer
loaded with cargo and ready for
the trip
. Add the weight of all passengers
. Add the weight of all cargo in the
vehicle
. Add the weight of hitch hardware
such as a draw bar, ball, load
equalizer bars, or sway bars
. Add the weight of any accessories
or aftermarket equipment added
to the vehicle The resulting weight cannot exceed
the GCWR value shown on the
Trailering Information Label.
The gross combined weight can also
be confirmed by weighing the truck
and trailer on a public scale. The truck
and trailer should be loaded for the
trip with passengers and cargo.

DRIVING AND OPERATING 243
Tires
.Do not tow a trailer while using a
compact spare tire on the vehicle.
. Tires must be properly inflated to
support loads while towing a
trailer. See Tires0282 for
instructions on proper tire
inflation.
Safety Chains
Always attach chains between the
vehicle and the trailer, and attach the
chains to the holes on the trailer hitch
platform. Instructions about safety
chains may be provided by the hitch
manufacturer or by the trailer
manufacturer.
Cross the safety chains under the
tongue of the trailer to help prevent
the tongue from contacting the road if
it becomes separated from the hitch.
Always leave just enough slack so the
combination can turn. Never allow
safety chains to drag on the ground.
Trailer Brakes
Loaded trailers over 450 kg (1,000 lb)
must be equipped with brake systems
and with brakes for each axle. Trailer braking equipment conforming to
Canadian Standards Association (CSA)
requirement CAN3-D313, or its
equivalent, is recommended.
State or local regulations may require
trailers to have their own braking
system if the loaded weight of the
trailer exceeds certain requirements
that can vary from state to state.
Read and follow the instructions for
the trailer brakes so they are installed,
adjusted, and maintained properly.
Never attempt to tap into your
vehicle's hydraulic brake system.
If you do, both the vehicle anti-lock
brakes and the trailer brakes may not
function and could result in a crash.
Trailer Wiring
The trailer wiring harness (if
equipped), with a seven-pin connector
is located at the rear of the vehicle,
and it is tied to the vehicle's frame.
If the vehicle is not equipped with a
seven-pin trailer connector, the body
harness has provisions to connect a
trailer harness and a seven-pin trailer
connector which is available through
your dealer.
Use only a round, seven-wire
connector with flat blade terminals
meeting SAE J2863 specifications for
proper electrical connectivity.
The seven-wire harness contains the
following trailer circuits:
Stop/Turn
Signal Left Yellow/Blue
Stop/Turn Signal
Right Green/Brown

244 DRIVING AND OPERATING
Tail/Parking
LampsGray/Brown
Reverse Lamps White/Green
Battery Feed Red/Green
Ground Black
Electric Trailer
Brake* Blue
* Circuit powered by electric trailer
brake control wiring provisions.
Electric Trailer Brake Control
Wiring Provisions
Wiring provisions for an aftermarket
electric trailer brake controller are
included with the vehicle as part of
the trailer wiring package. The
harness contains the following
circuits: Electric Trailer
Brakes Blue
Battery Feed Red/Green or
Red/Blue
Brake Apply
Signal White/Blue
Ground Black Refer to the aftermarket electric trailer
brake controller owner's manual to
determine wire color coding of the
electric trailer brake controller. The
wire colors on the brake controller
may be different from the vehicle. The
electric trailer brake controller should
be installed by your dealer or a
qualified service center.
If equipped, there are four blunt cut
wires inside the front driver side
instrument panel. It will be necessary
to have a technician connect the
12-volt power to the engine
compartment fuse block.Trailer Lamps
Always check all trailer lamps are
working at the beginning of each trip,
and periodically on longer trips.
Turn Signals When Towing a
Trailer
When properly connected, the trailer
turn signals will illuminate to indicate
the vehicle is turning, changing lanes,
or stopping. When towing a trailer,
the arrows on the instrument cluster
will illuminate even if the trailer is not
properly connected or the bulbs are
burned out.
Always check all trailer lamps are
working at the beginning of each trip,
and periodically on longer trips.
Trailer Sway Control (TSC)
Vehicles with StabiliTrak/Electronic
Stability Control (ESC) have a Trailer
Sway Control (TSC) feature. Trailer
sway is unintended side-to-side
motion of a trailer while towing. If the
vehicle is towing a trailer and the TSC
detects that sway is increasing, the
vehicle brakes are selectively applied
at each wheel, to help reduce
excessive trailer sway. If equipped with
the Integrated Trailer Brake Control
(ITBC) system, and the trailer has an
electric brake system, StabiliTrak/ESC
may also apply the trailer brakes.

VEHICLE CARE 247
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Engine Air Filter Life System . . . . 259
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . 259
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Battery - North America . . . . . . . . . 268 All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Park Brake and P (Park)
Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . 270
Windshield Replacement . . . . . . . . 271
Gas Strut(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Headlamp Aiming
Front Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . 272
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . . . . 273
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . 274
Engine Compartment Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . 277
Rear Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Summer Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286 Tire Terminology and
Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Tire Pressure for High-Speed Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . 291
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . 299
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Tire Sealant and Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
Storing the Tire Sealant and Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
Jump Starting
Jump Starting - North America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316

VEHICLE CARE 249
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 071.
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 0358.
This vehicle has an airbag system.
Before attempting to do your own
service work, see Servicing the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 071.

266 VEHICLE CARE
If there is no sign of steam, idle the
engine for three minutes while parked.
If the warning is still displayed, turn
off the engine until it cools down.
Washer Fluid
What to Use
When windshield washer fluid is
needed, be sure to read the
manufacturer's instructions before
use. If operating the vehicle in an area
where the temperature may fall below
freezing, use a fluid that has sufficient
protection against freezing.
Adding Washer Fluid
The appropriate message will appear
in the Driver Information Center (DIC)
when the fluid level is low.
Open the cap with the washer symbol
on it. Add washer fluid until the tank
is full. SeeEngine Compartment
Overview 0252 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.
. 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.
(Continued)
Caution (Continued)
.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 can 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
(Continued)

VEHICLE CARE 267
Warning (Continued)
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.
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. See Capacities and
Specifications 0346. 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 if parts are improperly installed.
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
0 252 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