2021 CADILLAC XT5 brakes

Cadillac XT5 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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288 DRIVING AND OPERATING
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
Tail/Parking
Lamps Gray/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:

Cadillac XT5 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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DRIVING AND OPERATING 289
Electric Trailer
BrakesBlue
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.
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. See Traction Control/
Electronic Stability Control 0240.
{Warning
Trailer sway can result in a crash
and in serious injury or death, even
if the vehicle is equipped with TSC.
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
(Continued)

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Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Engine Air Filter Life System . . . . 302
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . 303
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311
Battery - North America . . . . . . . . . 312
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312 Park Brake and P (Park)
Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . 313
Windshield Replacement . . . . . . . . 314
Gas Strut(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314
Headlamp Aiming
Front Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . 315
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . . . . 316
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . 316
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . 320
Rear Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
Summer Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . 327
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328
Tire Terminology andDefinitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331 Tire Pressure for High-Speed
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . 334
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 341
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . 342
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345
Tire Sealant and Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347
Storing the Tire Sealant and Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352
Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 353
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358
Jump Starting
Jump Starting - North America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 359

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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 065.
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 0401.
This vehicle has an airbag system.
Before attempting to do your own
service work, see Servicing the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 065.
If equipped with remote vehicle start,
open the hood before performing any
service work to prevent remote
starting the vehicle accidentally. See
Remote Vehicle Start 013.
Keep a record with all parts receipts
and list the mileage and the date of
any service work performed. See
Maintenance Records 0386.
Caution
Even small amounts of
contamination can cause damage to
vehicle systems. Do not allow
contaminants to contact the fluids,
reservoir caps, or dipsticks.

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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.
.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 linings have built-in wear
indicators that make a high-pitched
warning sound when the brake linings
are worn and new linings 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
crash. When the brake wear
warning sound is heard, have the
vehicle serviced.
Caution
Continuing to drive with worn-out
brake linings could result in costly
brake repairs.
Some driving conditions or climates
can cause a brake squeal when the
brakes are first applied, clearing up following several applications. 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 linings for wear and
evenly tighten wheel nuts in the
proper sequence to torque
specifications. See
Capacities and
Specifications 0388.
Brake pads should be replaced as
complete axle 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 can change in many

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VEHICLE CARE 311
ways if the wrong 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.
SeeEngine Compartment Overview
0 296 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
new brake linings are installed. Add or
remove fluid, as necessary, only when
work is done on the brake hydraulic
system.
{Warning
If too much brake fluid is added, it
can spill on the engine and burn,
if the engine is hot enough. You or
others could be burned, and the
vehicle could be damaged. Add
brake fluid only when work is done
on the brake hydraulic system.
When the brake fluid falls to a low
level, the brake warning light comes
on. See Brake System Warning Light
0 110. Brake fluid absorbs water over time
which degrades the effectiveness of
the brake fluid. Replace brake fluid at
the specified intervals to prevent
increased stopping distance. See
Maintenance Schedule
0374.
What to Add
Use only GM approved DOT 3 brake
fluid from a clean, sealed container.
See Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants 0383.
{Warning
The wrong or contaminated brake
fluid could result in damage to the
brake system. This could result in
the loss of braking leading to a
possible injury. Always use the
proper GM approved brake fluid.
Caution
If brake fluid is spilled on the
vehicle's painted surfaces, the paint
finish can be damaged. Immediately
wash off any painted surface.

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Warning (Continued)
and cause a crash. Use only
radial-ply tires with the wheels
on the vehicle.
Winter tires with the same speed
rating as the original equipment
tires may not be available for H, V,
W, Y and ZR speed rated tires.
Never exceed the winter tires’
maximum speed capability when
using winter tires with a lower
speed rating.
If the vehicle tires must be
replaced with a tire that does not
have a TPC Spec number, make
sure they are the same size, load
range, speed rating, and
construction (radial) as the
original tires.
The Tire and Loading Information
label indicates the original
equipment tires on the vehicle.
See Vehicle Load Limits 0220.Different Size Tires and
Wheels
If wheels or tires are installed that are
a different size than the original
equipment wheels and tires, vehicle
performance, including its braking,
ride and handling characteristics,
stability, and resistance to rollover
may be affected. If the vehicle has
electronic systems such as antilock
brakes, rollover airbags, traction
control, electronic stability control,
or All-Wheel Drive, the performance
of these systems can also be affected.
{Warning
If different sized wheels are used,
there may not be an acceptable
level of performance and safety if
tires not recommended for those
wheels are selected. This increases
the chance of a crash and serious
injury. Only use GM specific wheel
and tire systems developed for the
vehicle, and have them properly
installed by a GM certified
technician. See
Buying New Tires 0341 and
Accessories and Modifications 0294.
Uniform Tire Quality
Grading
The following information relates
to the system developed by the
United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA), which grades tires by
treadwear, traction, and
temperature performance. This
applies only to vehicles sold in the
United States. The grades are
molded on the sidewalls of most
passenger car tires. The Uniform
Tire Quality Grading (UTQG)
system does not apply to deep
tread, winter tires, compact spare
tires, tires with nominal rim
diameters of 10 to 12 inches
(25 to 30 cm), or to some
limited-production tires.
While the tires available on
General Motors passenger cars
and light trucks may vary with
respect to these grades, they must

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Warning (Continued)
used on a vehicle without the
proper amount of clearance can
cause damage to the brakes,
suspension, or other vehicle parts.
The area damaged by the tire
chains could cause loss of control
and a crash. Use another type of
traction device only if its
manufacturer recommends it for
the vehicle's tire size combination
and road conditions. Follow that
manufacturer's instructions. To
avoid vehicle damage, drive slow
and readjust or remove the traction
device if it contacts the vehicle. Do
not spin the wheels. If traction
devices are used, install them on
the front tires.
Caution
If the vehicle is equipped with a tire
size other than 235/55R20, use tire
chains only where legal and only
when necessary. Use low profile
chains that add no more than(Continued)
Caution (Continued)
12 mm thickness to the tire tread
and inner sidewall. Use chains that
are the proper size for the tires.
Install them on the tires of the
front axle. Do not use chains on the
tires of the rear axle. Tighten them
as tightly as possible with the ends
securely fastened. Drive slowly and
follow the chain manufacturer's
instructions. If the chains contact
the vehicle, stop and retighten
them. If the contact continues, slow
down until it stops. Driving too fast
or spinning the wheels with chains
on will damage the vehicle.
If a Tire Goes Flat
It is unusual for a tire to blow out
while driving, especially if the tires are
maintained properly. See Tires0325.
If air goes out of a tire, it is much
more likely to leak out slowly. But if
there is ever a blowout, here are a few
tips about what to expect and what
to do: If a front tire fails, the flat tire creates
a drag that pulls the vehicle toward
that side. Take your foot off the
accelerator pedal and grip the steering
wheel firmly. Steer to maintain lane
position, and then gently brake to a
stop, well off the road, if possible.
A rear blowout, particularly on a
curve, acts much like a skid and may
require the same correction as used in
a skid. Stop pressing the accelerator
pedal and steer to straighten the
vehicle. It may be very bumpy and
noisy. Gently brake to a stop, well off
the road, if possible.
{Warning
Driving on a flat tire will cause
permanent damage to the tire.
Re-inflating a tire after it has been
driven on while severely
underinflated or flat may cause a
blowout and a serious crash. Never
attempt to re-inflate a tire that has
been driven on while severely
underinflated or flat. Have your
(Continued)