tow CADILLAC XTS 2018 User Guide

Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11354412) -
2018 - crc - 11/16/17
102 SEATS AND RESTRAINTS
6. If the child restraint has a toptether, follow the child restraint
manufacturer’s instructions
regarding the use of the top
tether. See Lower Anchors and
Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) 094.
7. Before placing a child in the child restraint, make sure it is
securely held in place. To check,
grasp the child restraint at the
seat belt path and attempt to
move it side to side and back
and forth. When the child
restraint is properly installed,
there should be no more than
2.5 cm (1 in) of movement.
To remove the child restraint,
unbuckle the vehicle seat belt and let
it return to the stowed position. If the
top tether is attached to a top tether
anchor, disconnect it.Securing Child Restraints
(With the Seat Belt in the
Front Seat)
This vehicle has airbags. A rear seat is
a safer place to secure a
forward-facing child restraint. See
Where to Put the Restraint 093.
In addition, the vehicle has a
passenger sensing system which is
designed to turn off the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag and
knee airbag under certain conditions.
See Passenger Sensing System 081 and
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator 0126
for more information, including
important safety information.
Never put a rear-facing child seat in
the front. This is because the risk to
the rear-facing child is so great if the
airbag deploys.
{Warning
A child in a rear-facing child
restraint can be seriously injured or
killed if the front outboard
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
passenger frontal airbag inflates.
This is because the back of the
rear-facing child restraint would be
very close to the inflating airbag.
A child in a forward-facing child
restraint can be seriously injured or
killed if the front outboard
passenger frontal airbag inflates
and the passenger seat is in a
forward position.
Even if the passenger sensing
system has turned off the front
outboard passenger airbag(s), no
system is fail-safe. No one can
guarantee that an airbag will not
deploy under some unusual
circumstance, even though the
airbag(s) are off.
Secure rear-facing child restraints
in a rear seat, even if the airbag(s)
are off. If you secure a
forward-facing child restraint in the
front outboard passenger seat,(Continued)

Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11354412) -
2018 - crc - 11/16/17
SEATS AND RESTRAINTS 105
7. If the vehicle does not have arear seat and the child restraint
manufacturer recommends using
a top tether anchor, attach the
top tether to the top tether
anchor. Refer to the instructions
that came with the child
restraint and to Lower Anchors
and Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) 094.
8. Before placing a child in the child restraint, make sure it is
securely held in place. To check,
grasp the child restraint at the
seat belt path and attempt to
move it side to side and back
and forth. When the child
restraint is properly installed,
there should be no more than
2.5 cm (1 in) of movement.
If the airbags are off, the off indicator
in the passenger airbag status
indicator will come on and stay on
when the vehicle is started.
If a child restraint has been installed
and the on indicator is lit, see “If the
On Indicator Is Lit for a Child
Restraint ”under Passenger Sensing
System 081. To remove the child restraint,
unbuckle the vehicle seat belt and let
it return to the stowed position. If the
top tether is attached to a top tether
anchor, disconnect it.

Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11354412) -
2018 - crc - 11/16/17
INSTRUMENTS AND CONTROLS 113
Wiper Arm Assembly Protection
When using an automatic car wash,
move the windshield wiper lever to
OFF. This disables the automatic
Rainsense windshield wipers.
With Rainsense, if the transmission is
in N (Neutral) and the vehicle speed is
very slow, the wipers will
automatically stop at the base of the
windshield.
The wiper operations return to normal
when the transmission is no longer in
N (Neutral) or the vehicle speed has
increased.
nL: Pull the windshield wiper lever
toward you to spray windshield
washer fluid and activate the wipers.
The wipers will continue until the
lever is released or the maximum
wash time is reached. When the
windshield wiper lever is released,
additional wipes may occur depending
on how long the windshield washer
had been activated. See Washer Fluid
0 251 for information on filling the
windshield washer fluid reservoir.
{Warning
In freezing weather, do not use the
washer until the windshield is
warmed. Otherwise the washer fluid
can form ice on the windshield,
blocking your vision.
Compass
The vehicle may have a compass
display on the Driver Information
Center (DIC). The compass receives its
heading and other information from
the Global Positioning System (GPS)
antenna, StabiliTrak, and vehicle
speed information.
The compass system is designed to
operate for a certain number of miles
or degrees of turn before needing a
signal from the GPS satellites. When
the compass display shows CAL, drive
the vehicle for a short distance in an
open area where it can receive a GPS
signal. The compass system will
automatically determine when a GPS
signal is restored and provide a
heading again.
Clock
The time and date for the clock can be
set using the infotainment system. See
“Time/Date ”in “System“under
“Settings ”in the infotainment manual.
Power Outlets
Power Outlets 12-Volt Direct
Current
The accessory power outlets can be
used to plug in electrical equipment,
such as a cell phone or MP3 player.
The vehicle has two accessory power
outlets:
.
Inside the front storage area below
the climate control system.
. Inside the center console.
Lift the cover to access the accessory
power outlet.
The vehicle has two charging only
USB ports on the rear of the center
storage console.

Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11354412) -
2018 - crc - 11/16/17
128 INSTRUMENTS AND CONTROLS
Have it checked by your dealer.
Driving while this light is on could
drain the battery.
When this light comes on, or is
flashing, the Driver Information
Center (DIC) also displays a message.
If a short distance must be driven
with the light on, be sure to turn off
all accessories, such as the radio and
air conditioner.
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
(Check Engine Light)
This light is part of the vehicle’s
emission control on-board diagnostic
system. If this light is on while the
engine is running, a malfunction has
been detected and the vehicle may
require service. The light should come
on to show that it is working when
the ignition is in Service Mode. See
Ignition Positions0181.
Malfunctions are often indicated by
the system before any problem is
noticeable. Being aware of the light
and seeking service promptly when it
comes on may prevent damage.
Caution
If the vehicle is driven continually
with this light on, the emission
control system may not work as
well, the fuel economy may be
lower, and the vehicle may not run
smoothly. This could lead to costly
repairs that might not be covered
by the vehicle warranty.
Caution
Modifications to the engine,
transmission, exhaust, intake,
or fuel system, or the use of
replacement tires that do not meet
the original tire specifications, can
cause this light to come on. This
could lead to costly repairs not
covered by the vehicle warranty.
This could also affect the vehicle’s
ability to pass an Emissions
Inspection/Maintenance test. See
Accessories and Modifications 0234.
If the light is f lashing : A
malfunction has been detected that
could damage the emission control
system and increase vehicle
emissions. Diagnosis and service may
be required.
To help prevent damage, reduce
vehicle speed and avoid hard
accelerations and uphill grades.
If towing a trailer, reduce the amount
of cargo being hauled as soon as
possible.

Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11354412) -
2018 - crc - 11/16/17
130 INSTRUMENTS AND CONTROLS
still work to stop the vehicle. For
normal braking performance, both
circuits need to be working.
If the warning light comes on, there is
a brake problem. Have the brake
system inspected right away.
MetricEnglish
This light should come on briefly
when the engine is started. If it does
not come on then, have it fixed so it
will be ready to warn you if there is a
problem.
If the light comes on and stays on,
there is a brake problem.
{Warning
The brake system might not be
working properly if the brake
system warning light is on. Driving (Continued)
Warning (Continued)
with the brake system warning light
on can lead to a crash. If the light is
still on after the vehicle has been
pulled off the road and carefully
stopped, have the vehicle towed for
service.
Electric Parking Brake
Light
MetricEnglish
This light comes on when the parking
brake is applied. If the light continues
flashing after the parking brake is
released, or while driving, there is a
problem with the Electric Parking
Brake system. A message may also
display in the Driver Information
Center (DIC). If the light does not come on,
or remains flashing, see your dealer.
Service Electric Parking
Brake Light
On some vehicles the service electric
parking brake light should come on
briefly when the vehicle is started.
If it does not come on, have it fixed so
it will be ready to warn if there is a
problem. For vehicles with the
reconfigurable cluster, this light may
not come on when the vehicle is
started.
If this light stays on, the vehicle
should be taken to a dealer as soon as
possible. See
Electric Parking Brake
0 191. A message may also display in
the Driver Information Center (DIC).

Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11354412) -
2018 - crc - 11/16/17
INSTRUMENTS AND CONTROLS 139
square inch (psi). If the pressure is
low, the value for that tire is shown in
amber.
SeeTire Pressure Monitor System 0276
and Tire Pressure Monitor Operation
0 277.
Vehicle Odometer (Base Cluster) :
Shows the odometer.
Blank Page : Allows for no
information to be displayed in the
cluster info display areas.
Head-Up Display (HUD)
{Warning
If the HUD image is too bright or
too high in your field of view, it
may take you more time to see
things you need to see when it is
dark outside. Be sure to keep the
HUD image dim and placed low in
your field of view.
If equipped with HUD, some
information concerning the operation
of the vehicle is projected onto the
windshield. The image is projected through the HUD lens on top of the
instrument panel. The information
appears as an image focused out
toward the front of the vehicle.
Caution
If you try to use the HUD image as
a parking aid, you may misjudge
the distance and damage your
vehicle. Do not use the HUD image
as a parking aid.
The HUD information can be
displayed in various languages. The
speedometer reading and other
numerical values can be displayed in
either English or metric units.
The language selection is changed
through the radio and the units of
measurement is changed through the
instrument cluster. See Vehicle
Personalization 0143 and “Cluster
Options Menu ”under Instrument
Cluster 0118.
HUD Display on the Vehicle
Windshield
The HUD may display some of the
following vehicle information and
vehicle messages or alerts:
. Speed
. Tachometer
. Audio
. Phone
. Navigation
. Collision Alert
. Adaptive Cruise Control
. Lane Departure or Lane Keep
Assist

Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11354412) -
2018 - crc - 11/16/17
LIGHTING 153
Turning On and Enabling IntelliBeam
To enable the IntelliBeam system,
with the turn signal lever in the
neutral position, turn the exterior
lamp control to AUTO. The blue
high-beam on light appears on the
instrument cluster when the high
beams are on.
The IntelliBeam system is disabled by
the high/low-beam changer or the
flash-to-pass feature. If this happens,
the high/low-beam changer must be
activated two times within
two seconds to reactivate the
IntelliBeam system. The instrument
cluster light will come on to indicate
the IntelliBeam is reactivated.
SeeHeadlamp High/Low-Beam Changer
0 153 and Flash-to-Pass 0154.
Driving with IntelliBeam
The system only activates the high
beams when driving over 40 km/h
(25 mph).
There is a sensor near the top center
of the windshield that automatically
controls the system. Keep this area of
the windshield clear of debris to allow
for best system performance. The high-beam headlamps remain on,
under the automatic control, until one
of the following situations occurs:
.
The system detects an
approaching vehicle's headlamps.
. The system detects a preceding
vehicle's taillamps.
. The outside light is bright enough
that high-beam headlamps are not
required.
. The vehicle's speed drops below
20 km/h (12 mph).
The high beams may not turn off
automatically if the system cannot
detect another vehicle's lamps because
of any of the following:
. The other vehicle's lamps are
missing, damaged, obstructed from
view, or otherwise undetected.
. The other vehicle's lamps are
covered with dirt, snow, and/or
road spray.
. The other vehicle's lamps cannot
be detected due to dense exhaust,
smoke, fog, snow, road spray, mist,
or other airborne obstructions. .
The vehicle's windshield is dirty,
cracked, or obstructed by
something that blocks the view of
the light sensor.
. The vehicle is loaded such that the
front end points upward, causing
the light sensor to aim high and
not detect headlamps and
taillamps.
. Driving on winding or hilly roads.
The automatic high-beam headlamps
may need to be disabled if any of the
above conditions exist.
Exterior Lamps Off
Reminder
A warning chime sounds if the driver
door is opened while the ignition is off
and the exterior lamps are on.
Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer
Push the turn signal lever away from
you and release, to turn the high
beams on. To return to low beams,
push the lever again or pull it toward
you and release.

Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11354412) -
2018 - crc - 11/16/17
154 LIGHTING
This indicator light turns on in the
instrument cluster when the
high-beam headlamps are on.
Flash-to-Pass
To flash the high beams, pull the turn
signal lever toward you, and release.
Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL)
DRL can make it easier for others to
see the front of your vehicle during
the day. Fully functional DRL are
required on all vehicles first sold in
Canada.
The dedicated DRL will come on when
all of the following conditions are met:
.The ignition is on.
. The exterior lamp control is
in AUTO. .
The light sensor determines it is
daytime.
. The parking brake is released or
the vehicle is not in P (Park).
When the DRL are on, the taillamps,
sidemarker lamps, and other lamps
will not be on.
The DRL turn off when the headlamps
are turned to
Oor the ignition is off.
For vehicles first sold in Canada, the
DRL can only be turned off when the
vehicle is parked.
Automatic Headlamp
System
When the exterior lamp control is set
to AUTO and it is dark enough
outside, the headlamps come on
automatically.
There is a light sensor on top of the
instrument panel. Do not cover the
sensor.
The system may also turn on the
headlamps when driving through a
parking garage or tunnel.
If the vehicle is started in a dark
garage, the automatic headlamp
system comes on immediately. If it is
light outside when the vehicle leaves
the garage, there is a slight delay
before the automatic headlamp
system changes to the DRL. During
that delay, the instrument cluster may
not be as bright as usual. Make sure
the instrument panel brightness
control is in the full bright position.
See Instrument Panel Illumination
Control 0156.

Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11354412) -
2018 - crc - 11/16/17
DRIVING AND OPERATING 169
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . 174
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Retained AccessoryPower (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186 Parking over Things
That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . . . 188
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Brakes
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . . 191
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/ElectronicStability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Magnetic Ride Control . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Limited-Slip Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Automatic Level Control . . . . . . . . . 195
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Adaptive Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . 198
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . . . . . 206
Assistance Systems for Parking or Backing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Assistance Systems for Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Forward Automatic Braking (FAB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . 217
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . . . . 217
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . . . . . 220
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
California Fuel Requirements . . . . 223
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . . . . . 223
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Trailer Towing
General Towing Information . . . . 226
Driving Characteristics andTowing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Towing Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229

Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11354412) -
2018 - crc - 11/16/17
176 DRIVING AND OPERATING
Warning (Continued)
fan speed to the highest
setting. See“Climate Control
Systems.”
For more information about CO, see
Engine Exhaust 0187.
To save fuel, run the engine for short
periods to warm the vehicle and then
shut the engine off and partially close
the window. Moving about to keep
warm also helps.
If it takes time for help to arrive,
when running the engine, push the
accelerator pedal slightly so the
engine runs faster than the idle speed.
This keeps the battery charged to
restart the vehicle and to signal for
help with the headlamps. Do this as
little as possible, to save fuel.
If the Vehicle Is Stuck
Slowly and cautiously spin the wheels
to free the vehicle when stuck in sand,
mud, ice, or snow. If stuck too severely for the traction
system to free the vehicle, turn the
traction system off and use the
rocking method. See
Traction Control/
Electronic Stability Control 0193.
{Warning
If the vehicle's tires spin at high
speed, they can explode, and you or
others could be injured. The vehicle
can overheat, causing an engine
compartment fire or other damage.
Spin the wheels as little as possible
and avoid going above 56 km/h
(35 mph).
Rocking the Vehicle to Get it Out
Turn the steering wheel left and right
to clear the area around the front
wheels. Turn off any traction system.
Shift back and forth between
R (Reverse) and a low forward gear,
spinning the wheels as little as
possible. To prevent transmission
wear, wait until the wheels stop
spinning before shifting gears. Release
the accelerator pedal while shifting,
and press lightly on the accelerator pedal when the transmission is in
gear. Slowly spinning the wheels in
the forward and reverse directions
causes a rocking motion that could
free the vehicle. If that does not get
the vehicle out after a few tries, it
might need to be towed out. If the
vehicle does need to be towed out, see
Towing the Vehicle
0304.
Vehicle Load Limits
It is very important to know how
much weight the vehicle can carry.
This weight is called the vehicle
capacity weight and includes the
weight of all occupants, cargo, and
all nonfactory-installed options.
Two labels on the vehicle may
show how much weight it may
properly carry: the Tire and
Loading Information label and the
Certification label.