brake fluid CADILLAC CTS 2011 2.G User Guide

Black plate (28,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
10-28 Vehicle Care
Brake linings should always 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 might be
required.
Brake Adjustment
Every time the brakes are applied,
with or without the vehicle moving,
the brakes adjust for wear.
Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a vehicle is
complex. Its many parts have to be
of top quality and work well together
if the vehicle is to have really good
braking. The vehicle was designed
and tested with top-quality brake
parts. When parts of the braking
system are replaced, be sure to get
new, approved replacement parts.
If this is not done, the brakes might
not work properly. For example,installing disc brake pads that are
wrong for the vehicle, can change
the balance between the front and
rear brakes
—for the worse. The
braking performance expected can
change in many other ways if the
wrong replacement brake parts are
installed.
Brake Fluid
The brake master cylinder reservoir
is filled with DOT 3 brake fluid as
indicated on the reservoir cap. See
Engine Compartment Overview
on
page 10‑6for the location of the
reservoir. There are only two reasons why the
brake fluid level in the reservoir
might go down:
.The brake fluid level goes down
because of normal brake lining
wear. When new linings are
installed, the fluid level goes
back up.
.A fluid leak in the brake
hydraulic system can also cause
a low fluid level. Have the brake
hydraulic system fixed, since a
leak means that sooner or later
the brakes will not work well.

Black plate (29,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-29
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 brake 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 on page 5‑22. What to Add
Use only new DOT 3 brake fluid
from a sealed container. See
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants on page 11‑7.
Always clean the brake fluid
reservoir cap and the area around
the cap before removing it. This
helps keep dirt from entering the
reservoir.
{WARNING
With the wrong kind of fluid in the
brake hydraulic system, the
brakes might not work well. This
could cause a crash. Always use
the proper brake fluid.
Notice:
.Using the wrong fluid can
badly damage brake
hydraulic system parts. For
example, just a few drops of
mineral-based oil, such as
engine oil, in the brake
hydraulic system can
damage brake hydraulic
system parts so badly that
they will have to be replaced.
Do not let someone put in
the wrong kind of fluid.
.If brake fluid is spilled on the
vehicle's painted surfaces,
the paint finish can be
damaged. Be careful not to
spill brake fluid on the
vehicle. If you do, wash it off
immediately.

Black plate (32,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
10-32 Vehicle Care
How to Check Lubricant
To get an accurate reading, the
vehicle should be on a level
surface.
If the level is below the bottom of
the filler plug hole, located on the
rear axle, you'll need to add some
lubricant. Add enough lubricant to
raise the level to the bottom of the
filler plug hole.
What to Use
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule
to determine what kind of lubricant
to use. SeeRecommended Fluids
and Lubricants on page 11‑7.
Starter Switch Check
{WARNING
When you are doing this
inspection, the vehicle could
move suddenly. If the vehicle
moves, you or others could be
injured.
1. Before starting this check, be sure there is enough room
around the vehicle.
2. Firmly apply both the parking brake and the regular brake.
See Parking Brake (Manual)
on
page 9‑33or Parking Brake
(Electric) on page 9‑34. Do not use the accelerator
pedal, and be ready to turn off
the engine immediately if it
starts.
3. For automatic transmission vehicles, try to start the engine
in each gear. The vehicle should
start only in P (Park) or
N (Neutral). If the vehicle starts
in any other position, contact
your dealer for service.
For manual transmission
vehicles, put the shift lever in
Neutral, push the clutch pedal
down halfway, and try to start
the engine. The vehicle should
start only when the clutch pedal
is pushed down all the way to
the floor. If the vehicle starts
when the clutch pedal is not
pushed all the way down,
contact your dealer for service.

Black plate (4,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
11-4 Service and Maintenance
.Engine air cleaner filter
inspection. SeeEngine Air
Cleaner/Filter on page 10‑16.
.Brake system inspection (or
every 12 months, whichever
occurs first).
.Steering and suspension
inspection. Visual inspection for
damaged, loose, or missing
parts or signs of wear.
.Body hinges and latches, key
lock cylinders, folding seat
hardware, and sunroof
(if equipped) lubrication. See
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants
on page 11‑7. More
frequent lubrication may be
required when the vehicle is
exposed to a corrosive
environment. Applying silicone
grease on weatherstrips with a
clean cloth makes them last
longer, seal better, and not stick
or squeak.
.Restraint system component
check. See Safety System
Check on page 3‑28.
.Fuel system inspection for
damage or leaks.
.Exhaust system and nearby heat
shields inspection for loose or
damaged components.
Additional Required Services
Every 12 000 km/7,500 Miles
.Rotate tires. Tires should be
rotated every 12 000 km/
7,500 miles. See Tire Rotation
on page 10‑81.
At Each Fuel Stop
.Engine oil level check. See
Engine Oil on page 10‑11.
.Engine coolant level check. See
Engine Coolant on page 10‑19.
.Windshield washer fluid level
check. See Washer Fluidon
page 10‑26. Once a Month
.Tire inflation check. See
Tire
Pressure on page 10‑74.
.Tire wear inspection. See Tire
Inspection on page 10‑80.
.Sunroof track and seal
inspection, if equipped. See
Sunroof (Sedan and Wagon)
on
page 2‑32or Sunroof (Coupe)on page 2‑34.
Once a Year
.See Starter Switch Checkon
page 10‑32.
.See Automatic Transmission
Shift Lock Control Function
Check on page 10‑33.
.See Ignition Transmission Lock
Check on page 10‑33.
.See Park Brake and P (Park)
Mechanism Checkon
page 10‑33.
.Accelerator pedal check for
damage, high effort, or binding.
Replace if needed.

Black plate (7,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
Service and Maintenance 11-7
Recommended Fluids, Lubricants, and Parts
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants
UsageFluid/Lubricant
Engine Oil The engine requires a special oil meeting the dexos™
specification. Look
for and use only an oil that meets the dexos™ specification. For the proper
viscosity, see Engine Oil on page 10‑11.
Engine Coolant 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water and use only DEX-COOL
®Coolant.
See Engine Coolant on page 10‑19.
Hydraulic Brake System DOT 3 Hydraulic Brake Fluid (GM Part No. U.S. 88862806, in
Canada 88862807).
Windshield Washer Optikleen
®Washer Solvent.
Hydraulic Power Steering System GM Power Steering Fluid (GM Part No. U.S. 89021184, in
Canada 89021186).
Hydraulic Clutch System DOT 4 Hydraulic Clutch Fluid (GM Part No. U.S. 88958860, in
Canada 88901244).
Manual Transmission (CTS) SAE 75W-90 GL5 Gear Oil (GM Part No. U.S. 88862475, in
Canada 88862476).
Manual Transmission (CTS-V) Manual Transmission Fluid (GM Part No. U.S. 88861800, in
Canada 88861801).
Automatic Transmission DEXRON
®-VI Automatic Transmission Fluid.

Black plate (2,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
i-2 INDEX
AutomaticDoor Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . 9-26 Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-15
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Automatic Transmission
Shift Lock Control
Function Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Auxiliary Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-36
Axle, Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-31
B
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30 Exterior Lighting BatterySaver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-112
Load Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Power Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Voltage and Charging Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-31 Blade Replacement, Wiper . . . 10-34
Bluetooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-38
Boost Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27
Antilock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-36
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33, 9-34
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-32
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Break-In, New Vehicle . . . . . . . . . 9-16
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-40 Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38, 6-5
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
High Intensity Discharge(HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
License Plate Lamps . . . . . . . 10-39
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-83
C
Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
California Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . 9-48
Perchlorate MaterialsRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Camera, Rear Vision . . . . . . . . . . 9-44
Canadian Vehicle Owners . . . . . . . . iv
Capacities and Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Carbon Monoxide Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Liftgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-20
Trunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-9
Cargo Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Management System . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Cargo Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4

Black plate (5,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
INDEX i-5
Engine (cont.)Coolant Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Coolant Temperature
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Coolant Temperature Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-19
Cooling System Messages . . . 5-35
Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-10
Drive Belt Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-4
Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Oil Pressure Gauge . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
Overheated Protection Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24
Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-36
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Running While Parked . . . . . . . . 9-25
Speed Limiter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4, 9-19
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-14
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-35 Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Equipment, Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-57
Event Data Recorders . . . . . . . . 13-17
Extender, Safety Belt . . . . . . . . . . 3-28
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lamps Off Reminder . . . 6-2
Exterior Lighting Battery
Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
F
FeaturesMemory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8
Filter
Engine Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . 10-16
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Flashers, Hazard Warning . . . . . . 6-4
Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-90
Flat Tire, Changing . . . . . . . . . .10-102
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10-127
Fluid Automatic Transmission . . . . 10-15
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Power Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-26
Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-26 Fog Lamps
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . 10-38, 6-5
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Folding Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-27
Front Seats Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Heated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-11
Heated and Ventilated . . . . . . . . 3-12
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-47 Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-49
Filling a Portable FuelContainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-51
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-50
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . . 9-48
Gasoline Specifications . . . . . . . 9-48
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Recommended . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-47
Requirements, California . . . . . 9-48
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-36
Fuel Economy Driving for Better . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-23

Black plate (8,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
i-8 INDEX
Lights (cont.)Engine Coolant
Temperature Warning . . . . . . . 5-25
Engine Oil Pressure . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
High-Beam On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . . 6-2
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . 5-17
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Traction Control System
(TCS)/StabiliTrak
®. . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Up-Shift . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Limited-Slip Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . 9-40
Locks Automatic Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Central Door UnlockingSystem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15 Locks (cont.)
Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Lockout Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Power Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Low-Profile Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-67
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH
SYSTEM) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-53
Lumbar Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7 Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7
M
Magnetic Ride Control . . . . . . . . . 9-39
MaintenanceRecords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-11
Maintenance Schedule Recommended Fluids andLubricants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-7
Scheduled Maintenance . . . . . . 11-3 Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . 5-19
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Manual Transmission . . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-15
Memory Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8
Messages Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-42
Anti-Theft Alarm System . . . . . . 5-42
Battery Voltage and
Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-31
Brake System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-32
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-34
Door Ajar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-34
Engine Cooling System . . . . . . . 5-35
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-35
Engine Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-36
Fuel System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-36
Key and Lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-36
Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-39
Object Detection System . . . . . 5-39

Black plate (9,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
INDEX i-9
Messages (cont.)Ride Control System . . . . . . . . . . 5-40
Service Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-43
Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-43
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-44
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-31
Vehicle Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-45
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-45
Mirrors
Automatic DimmingRearview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-28
Convex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-27
Folding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-27
Heated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-27
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-27
Monitor System, Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-76
MP3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-25
Multi-Band Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-17N
Navigation System
Vehicle Data Recordingand Privacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-18
Net Cargo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
Net, Convenience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . . 9-16
O
Object Detection System
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-39
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Trip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Oil Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10-11
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . 10-14
Engine Oil Pressure
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-35
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26 Older Children, Restraints . . . . . 3-44
Online Owner Center . . . . . . . . . . 13-6
OnStar
®System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-24
Operation, Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2
Outlets Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Overheating, Engine . . . . . . . . . . 10-24
P
Parade Dimming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Park
Shifting Into . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-22
Shifting Out of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Assist, Ultrasonic . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-42
Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33, 9-34
Brake and P (Park)Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . 10-33
Over Things That Burn . . . . . . . 9-24