2021 CADILLAC XT5 Owner's Manual

Cadillac XT5 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14590481) - 2021 - CRC - 10/22/20
208 CLIMATE CONTROLS
Adjustable air vents are in the center
and on the sides of the instrument
panel, and on the rear of the center
console storage.
Move the slider knobs to change the
direction of or to close off the airf low.
Operation Tips
.Clear away any ice, snow, or leaves
from air inlets at the base of the
windshield that could block the
flow of air into the vehicle.
.Clear snow off the hood to improve
visibility and help decrease moisture
drawn into the vehicle.
.Keep the path under the front seats
clear of objects to help circulate the
air inside of the vehicle more
effectively.
.Use of non-GM approved hood
deflectors can adversely affect the
performance of the system. Check
with your dealer before adding
equipment to the outside of the
vehicle.
.Do not attach any devices to the air
vent slats. This restricts airf low and
may cause damage to the air vents.
Maintenance
Passenger Compartment
Air Filter
The filter reduces dust, pollen, and
other airborne irritants from outside
air that is pulled into the vehicle. The
filter should be replaced as part of
routine scheduled maintenance. See
Maintenance Schedule0374.
See your dealer regarding replacement
of the filter.
Service
All vehicles have a label underhood
that identifies the refrigerant used in
the vehicle. The refrigerant system
should only be serviced by trained and
certified technicians. The air
conditioning evaporator should never
be repaired or replaced by one from a
salvage vehicle. It should only be
replaced by a new evaporator to
ensure proper and safe operation.
During service, all refrigerants should
be reclaimed with proper equipment.
Venting refrigerants directly to the
atmosphere is harmful to the environment and may also create
unsafe conditions based on inhalation,
combustion, frostbite, or other
health-based concerns.
The air conditioning system requires
periodic maintenance. See
Maintenance Schedule
0374.

Cadillac XT5 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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DRIVING AND OPERATING 209
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Driving for Better FuelEconomy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Impaired Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . 218
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Stop/Start System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229 Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Parking over Things
That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Active Fuel Management . . . . . . . . 230
Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Running the Vehicle While
Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . . . 232
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Brakes
Electric Brake Boost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . . 238
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/ElectronicStability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Driver Mode Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Adaptive Cruise Control (Advanced) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . . . . . 254
Assistance Systems for Parkingor Backing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Rear Pedestrian Alert . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Assistance Systems for Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Front Pedestrian Braking (FPB) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Night Vision System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . 272
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . . . . 272
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . . . . . 274
Fuel
Top Tier Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Recommended Fuel (2.0L L4 Engine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Recommended Fuel (3.6L V6 Engine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Prohibited Fuels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . . . . . 277

Cadillac XT5 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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210 DRIVING AND OPERATING
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Filling a Portable FuelContainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Trailer Towing
General Towing Information . . . . 279
Driving Characteristics andTowing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Towing Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Trailer Sway Control (TSC) . . . . . . 289
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . 290
Driving Information
Driving for Better Fuel
Economy
Driving habits can affect fuel mileage.
Here are some driving tips to get the
best fuel economy possible.
.Set the climate controls to the
desired temperature after the engine
is started, or turn them off when
not required.
.On AWD vehicles, use Tour Mode
when conditions permit.
.Avoid fast starts and accelerate
smoothly.
.Brake gradually and avoid abrupt
stops.
.Avoid idling the engine for long
periods of time.
.When road and weather conditions
are appropriate, use cruise control.
.Always follow posted speed limits or
drive more slowly when conditions
require.
.Keep vehicle tires properly inflated.
.Combine several trips into a
single trip.
.Replace the vehicle's tires with the
same TPC Spec number molded into
the tire's sidewall near the size.
.Follow recommended scheduled
maintenance.
Distracted Driving
Distraction comes in many forms and
can take your focus from the task of
driving. Exercise good judgment and
do not let other activities divert your
attention away from the road. Many
local governments have enacted laws
regarding driver distraction. Become
familiar with the local laws in
your area.
To avoid distracted driving, keep your
eyes on the road, keep your hands on
the steering wheel, and focus your
attention on driving.
.Do not use a phone in demanding
driving situations. Use a hands-free
method to place or receive
necessary phone calls.
.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.

Cadillac XT5 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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DRIVING AND OPERATING 211
.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 section 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 Belts048.
.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.
Impaired Driving
Death and injury associated with
impaired driving is a global tragedy.
{Warning
Drinking alcohol or taking drugs
and then driving is very dangerous.
Your reflexes, perceptions,
attentiveness, and judgment can be
affected by even a small amount of
alcohol or drugs. You can have a
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
serious—or even fatal —collision
if you drive after drinking or taking
drugs.
Do not drive while under the
influence of alcohol or drugs,
or ride with a driver who has been
drinking or is impaired by drugs.
Find alternate transportation home;
or if you are with a group, designate
a driver who will remain sober.
Control of a Vehicle
Braking, steering, and accelerating are
important factors in helping to control
a vehicle while driving.
Braking
Braking action involves perception
time and reaction time. Deciding to
push the brake pedal is perception
time. Actually doing it is
reaction time.
Average driver reaction time is about
three-quarters of a second. In that
time, a vehicle moving at 100 km/h

Cadillac XT5 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14590481) - 2021 - CRC - 10/22/20
212 DRIVING AND OPERATING
(60 mph) travels 20 m (66 ft), which
could be a lot of distance in an
emergency.
Helpful braking tips to keep in mind
include:
.Keep enough distance between you
and the vehicle in front of you.
.Avoid needless heavy braking.
.Keep pace with traffic.
If the engine ever stops while the
vehicle is being driven, brake normally
but do not pump the brakes. Doing so
could make the pedal harder to push
down. If the engine stops, there will
be some power brake assist but it will
be used when the brake is applied.
Once the power assist is used up, it
can take longer to stop and the brake
pedal will be harder to push.
Steering
Electric Power Steering
Caution
To avoid damage to the steering
system, do not drive over curbs,
parking barriers, or similar objects (Continued)
Caution (Continued)
at speeds greater than 3 km/h
(1 mph). Use care when driving over
other objects such as lane dividers
and speed bumps. Damage caused
by misuse of the vehicle is not
covered by the vehicle warranty.
The vehicle has electric power
steering. It does not have power
steering fluid. Regular maintenance is
not required.
If power steering assist is lost due to a
system malfunction, the vehicle can
be steered, but may require increased
effort. If the steering assist is used for an
extended period of time while the
vehicle is not moving, power assist
may be reduced.
If the steering wheel is turned until it
reaches the end of its travel and is
held against that position for an
extended period of time, power
steering assist may be reduced.
Normal use of the power steering
assist should return when the system
cools down.
See your dealer if there is a problem.
Curve Tips
.Take curves at a reasonable speed.
.Reduce speed before entering a
curve.
.Maintain a reasonable steady speed
through the curve.
.Wait until the vehicle is out of the
curve before accelerating gently into
the straightaway.
Steering in Emergencies
.There are some situations when
steering around a problem may be
more effective than braking.

Cadillac XT5 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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DRIVING AND OPERATING 213
.Holding both sides of the steering
wheel allows you to turn
180 degrees without removing
a hand.
.The Antilock Brake System (ABS)
allows steering while braking.
Off-Road Recovery
The vehicle's right wheels can drop off
the edge of a road onto the shoulder
while driving. Follow these tips:1. Ease off the accelerator and then, if there is nothing in the way, steer
the vehicle so that it straddles the
edge of the pavement. 2. Turn the steering wheel about
one-eighth of a turn, until the right
front tire contacts the
pavement edge.
3. Turn the steering wheel to go straight down the roadway.
Loss of Control
Skidding
There are three types of skids that
correspond to the vehicle's three
control systems:
.Braking Skid —wheels are not
rolling.
.Steering or Cornering Skid —too
much speed or steering in a curve
causes tires to slip and lose
cornering force.
.Acceleration Skid —too much
throttle causes the driving wheels
to spin.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by
taking reasonable care suited to
existing conditions, and by not
overdriving those conditions. But
skids are always possible. If the vehicle starts to slide, follow
these suggestions:
.Ease your foot off the accelerator
pedal and steer the way you want
the vehicle to go. The vehicle may
straighten out. Be ready for a
second skid if it occurs.
.Slow down and adjust your driving
according to weather conditions.
Stopping distance can be longer and
vehicle control can be affected when
traction is reduced by water, snow,
ice, gravel, or other material on the
road. Learn to recognize warning
clues
—such as enough water, ice,
or packed snow on the road to
make a mirrored surface —and
slow down when you have any
doubt.
.Try to avoid sudden steering,
acceleration, or braking, including
reducing vehicle speed by shifting
to a lower gear. Any sudden changes
could cause the tires to slide.
Remember: Antilock brakes help avoid
only the braking skid.

Cadillac XT5 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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214 DRIVING AND OPERATING
Off-Road Driving
All-Wheel Drive vehicles can be used
for off-road driving. Vehicles without
All-Wheel Drive and vehicles not
equipped with All Terrain (AT) or
On-Off Road (OOR) tires must not be
driven off-road except on a level, solid
surface. To contact the tire
manufacturer for more information
about the original equipment tires, see
the Limited Warranty and Owner
Assistance Information manual.
Controlling the vehicle is the key to
successful off-road driving. One of the
best ways to control the vehicle is to
control the speed.
{Warning
When driving off-road, bouncing
and quick changes in direction can
easily throw you out of position.
This could cause you to lose control
and crash. You and your passengers
should always wear seat belts.
Before Driving Off-Road
.Have all necessary maintenance and
service work completed.
.Fuel the vehicle, fill fluid levels, and
check inflation pressure in all tires,
including the spare, if equipped.
.Read all the information about
All-Wheel Drive vehicles in this
manual.
.Make sure all underbody shields,
if equipped, are properly attached.
.Know the local laws that apply to
off-road driving.
To gain more ground clearance if
needed, it may be necessary to remove
the front fascia lower air dam.
However, driving without the air dam
reduces fuel economy.
Caution
Operating the vehicle for extended
periods without the front fascia
lower air dam installed can cause
improper airf low to the engine.
Reattach the front fascia air dam
after off-road driving.
Loading the Vehicle for Off-Road
Driving
{Warning
.Unsecured cargo on the load
floor can be tossed about when
driving over rough terrain. You or
your passengers can be struck by
flying objects. Secure the cargo
properly.
.Keep cargo in the cargo area as
far forward and as low as
possible. The heaviest things
should be on the floor, forward
of the rear axle.
.Heavy loads on the roof raise the
vehicle's center of gravity,
making it more likely to roll over.
You can be seriously or fatally
injured if the vehicle rolls over.
Put heavy loads inside the cargo
area, not on the roof.
For more information about loading
the vehicle, see Vehicle Load Limits
0 220.

Cadillac XT5 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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DRIVING AND OPERATING 215
Environmental Concerns
.Always use established trails, roads,
and areas that have been set aside
for public off-road recreational
driving and obey all posted
regulations.
.Do not damage shrubs, flowers,
trees, or grasses or disturb wildlife.
.Do not park over things that burn.
SeeParking over Things That Burn
0 230.
Driving on Hills
Driving safely on hills requires good
judgment and an understanding of
what the vehicle can and cannot do.
{Warning
Many hills are simply too steep for
any vehicle. Driving up hills can
cause the vehicle to stall. Driving
down hills can cause loss of control.
Driving across hills can cause a
rollover. You could be injured or
killed. Do not drive on steep hills. Before driving on a hill, assess the
steepness, traction, and obstructions.
If the terrain ahead cannot be seen,
get out of the vehicle and walk the hill
before driving further.
When driving on hills:
.Use a low gear and keep a firm grip
on the steering wheel.
.Maintain a slow speed.
.When possible, drive straight up or
down the hill.
.Slow down when approaching the
top of the hill.
.Use headlamps even during the day
to make the vehicle more visible.
{Warning
Driving to the top of a hill at high
speed can cause a crash. There
could be a drop-off, embankment,
cliff, or even another vehicle. You
could be seriously injured or killed.
As you near the top of a hill, slow
down and stay alert.
.Never go downhill forward or
backward with the transmission in
N (Neutral). The brakes could
overheat and you could lose control.
.When driving down a hill, keep the
vehicle headed straight down. Use a
low gear because the engine will
work with the brakes to slow the
vehicle and help keep the vehicle
under control.
{Warning
Heavy braking when going down a
hill can cause your brakes to
overheat and fade. This could cause
loss of control and you or others
could be injured or killed. Apply the
brakes lightly when descending a
hill and use a low gear to keep
vehicle speed under control.
If the vehicle stalls on a hill: 1. Apply the brakes to stop the vehicle, and then apply the parking
brake.