2021 CADILLAC XT6 brakes

Cadillac XT6 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14574701) -
2021 - CRC - 2/8/21
298 DRIVING AND OPERATING
To remove the hitch cover,
if equipped:1. Undo the two fasteners on the bottom surface by turning them
counter-clockwise.
2. Pull the lower edge of the cover to about a 45 degree angle.
3. Pull the cover downward to disengage the upper attachments.
To reinstall the hitch cover: 1. Hold the cover at a 45 degree angle to the vehicle and push the upper
tabs into the slots in the bumper.
2. Push the bottom of the cover forward until the holes on the
cover line up with the holes on the
bumper.
3. Snap the hitch cover into place by pushing the upper corners forward.
4. Reinstall the two fasteners on the lower surface by turning clockwise.
Consider using mechanical sway
controls with any trailer. Ask a
trailering professional about sway
controls or refer to the trailer
manufacturer's recommendations and
instructions.Weight-Distributing Hitch
Adjustment
A weight-distributing hitch may be
useful with some trailers.
1. Front of Vehicle
2. Body to Ground Distance
When using a weight-distributing
hitch, measure the front fender height
above the front axle distance (2)
before and after connecting the trailer.
Adjust the spring bars until the front
fender height distance (2) is
approximately halfway between the
first and second measurements.
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 Tires 0337 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

Cadillac XT6 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14574701) -
2021 - CRC - 2/8/21
DRIVING AND OPERATING 299
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 minimums that
can vary from state to state.
Read and follow the instructions for
the trailer brakes so they are installed,
adjusted, and maintained properly.
{Warning
Never attempt to tap into your
vehicle's hydraulic brake system
when installing a trailer brake
controller. If you do, both the
vehicle antilock brakes and the
trailer brakes may not function,
which could result in a crash. You
or others could be seriously injured
or killed.
Trailer Wiring Harness
lf equipped, the trailer wiring harness,
with a 7-pin connector is mounted on
the trailer hitch.
1. Left Turn/Brake
2. Taillamps
3. Reverse Lamps
4. Battery feed
5. Right Turn/Brake
6. Electric Brakes
7. Ground
If the vehicle is not equipped with a
trailer connector on the trailer hitch, a
seven-wire trailering harness is tied to
the vehicles frame. The harness
requires the installation of a 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/Gray
Stop/Turn Signal
Right Green/Violet
Taillamps/
Parking Lamps Gray/Brown or
Brown
Reverse Lamps White/Green
or Gray
Battery Feed Red/Green or
Orange
Ground Black or White
Electric Trailer
Brake Blue
Electric Brake Control Wiring
Provisions
If equipped, four blunt-cut wires are
near the driver's feet for an
aftermarket electric trailer brake

Cadillac XT6 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14574701) -
2021 - CRC - 2/8/21
300 DRIVING AND OPERATING
controller as part of the trailer wiring
package. The harness contains the
following circuits:Electric Trailer
Brakes Blue
Battery Feed Red/Black or
Red/Blue
Brake Apply
Signal White/Blue
Ground Black or White
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.
It may be necessary to have a
technician connect the 12-volt power
to the engine compartment fuse block.
The electric trailer brake controller
should be installed by your dealer or a
qualified service center.
Trailer Lamps
Always check that 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 should 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.
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
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 pedal. 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 0248.
{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)

Cadillac XT6 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14574701) -
2021 - CRC - 2/8/21
VEHICLE CARE 303
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . 313
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314
Engine Air Filter Life System . . . . 314
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . 315
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322 Battery - North America . . . . . . . . . 323
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
Park Brake and P (Park)
Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . 325
Windshield Replacement . . . . . . . . 326
Gas Strut(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
Headlamp Aiming
Front Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . 327
Bulb Replacement
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . . . . 327
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . 328
Engine Compartment Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . 332
Rear Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338
Summer Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . 339 Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340
Tire Terminology and
Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 341
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343
Tire Pressure for High-Speed Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . 346
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 353
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . 354
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357
Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364
Jump Starting
Jump Starting - North America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364

Cadillac XT6 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14574701) -
2021 - CRC - 2/8/21
VEHICLE CARE 305
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 0406.
This vehicle has an airbag system.
Before attempting to do your own
service work, see Servicing the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 070.

Cadillac XT6 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14574701) -
2021 - CRC - 2/8/21
322 VEHICLE CARE
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 0394.
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 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.
See
Engine Compartment Overview
0 308 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.

Cadillac XT6 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14574701) -
2021 - CRC - 2/8/21
VEHICLE CARE 323
.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
0 117. 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
0380.
What to Add
Use only GM approved DOT 3 brake
fluid from a clean, sealed container.
See Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants 0389.
{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.
Battery - North America
The original equipment battery is
maintenance free. Do not remove the
cap and do not add fluid.
Refer to the replacement number on
the original battery label when a new
battery is needed. For replacement of
the battery, see your dealer.
The vehicle has an Absorbed Glass
Mat (AGM) 12-volt battery.
Installation of a standard 12-volt
battery will result in reduced 12-volt
battery life.
When using a 12-volt battery charger
on the 12-volt AGM battery, some
chargers have an AGM battery setting
on the charger. If available, use the
AGM setting on the charger, to limit
charge voltage to 14.8 volts.
Stop/Start System
This vehicle has a Stop/Start system
to shut off the engine to help
conserve fuel. See Stop/Start System
0 234.

Cadillac XT6 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14574701) -
2021 - CRC - 2/8/21
354 VEHICLE CARE
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 0228.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 0353 and
Accessories and Modifications 0305.
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