2023 CADILLAC XT5 Owners Manual

Cadillac XT5 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
16406251) - 2023 - CRC - 3/25/22
232 Climate Controls
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
0429.

Cadillac XT5 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
16406251) - 2023 - CRC - 3/25/22
Driving and Operating 233
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Driving for Better FuelEconomy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . 235
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . 235
Impaired Driving . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . 236
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . 238
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . 243
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . 246
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . 247
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . 251
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . 252
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . 254
Stop/Start System . . . . . . . . 255
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256 Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . 258
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . 259
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Active Fuel Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . 260
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Automatic Transmission
AutomaticTransmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Brakes
Electric Brake Boost . . . . . 268
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Electric Parking Brake . . . 269
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . 271
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/ Electronic Stability
Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Driver Mode Control . . . . . . 273
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Adaptive Cruise Control (Advanced) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Driver Assistance
Systems
Driver AssistanceSystems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Assistance Systems for Parking or Backing . . . . . . 290
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Surround Vision System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Park Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Automatic Parking Assist (APA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Reverse Automatic Braking (RAB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Rear Pedestrian Alert . . . 300
Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) System . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Assistance Systems for Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302

Cadillac XT5 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
16406251) - 2023 - CRC - 3/25/22
234 Driving and Operating
Forward Collision Alert(FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
Front Pedestrian Braking
(FPB) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Night Vision System . . . . . . 310
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
Fuel
Top Tier Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
Recommended Fuel (2.0LL4 Engine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318
Recommended Fuel (3.6L V6 Engine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318
Prohibited Fuels . . . . . . . . . . . . 318
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
Trailer Towing
General TowingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322 Driving Characteristics
and Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . 322
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
Towing Equipment . . . . . . . . . 331
Trailer Sway Control (TSC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On ElectricalEquipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336
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.

Cadillac XT5 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
16406251) - 2023 - CRC - 3/25/22
Driving and Operating 235
.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.
.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

Cadillac XT5 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
16406251) - 2023 - CRC - 3/25/22
236 Driving and Operating
driving defensively is to wear
the seat belt. See Seat Belts
060.
.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
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
small amount of alcohol or
drugs. You can have a
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 (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

Cadillac XT5 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
16406251) - 2023 - CRC - 3/25/22
Driving and Operating 237
is used up, it can take longer
to stop and the brake pedal
will be harder to push.
Steering
Caution
To avoid damage to the
steering system, do not
drive over curbs, parking
barriers, or similar objects 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.
Electric Power Steering
The vehicle is equipped with
an electric power steering
system, which reduces the
amount of effort needed to
steer the vehicle. It does not
have power steering fluid.
Regular maintenance is not
required.
If the vehicle experiences a
system malfunction and loses
power steering, greater
steering effort may be
required. Power steering
assist also may be reduced if
you turn the steering wheel asfar as it can turn and hold it
there with force for an
extended period of time.
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.
.Holding both sides of the
steering wheel allows you to
turn 180 degrees without
removing a hand.

Cadillac XT5 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
16406251) - 2023 - CRC - 3/25/22
238 Driving and Operating
.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

Cadillac XT5 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
16406251) - 2023 - CRC - 3/25/22
Driving and Operating 239
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.
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 airflow 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.
(Continued)