tires CADILLAC CTS 2011 2.G Owner's Manual

Black plate (57,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-57
For a weight-carrying hitch, the
trailer tongue (A) should weigh 10 to
15 percent of the total loaded trailer
weight (B).
After loading the trailer, weigh the
trailer and then the tongue,
separately, to see if the weights are
proper. If they are not, adjustments
might be made by moving some
items around in the trailer.
Total Weight on the Vehicle's
Tires
Inflate the vehicle's tires to the
upper limit for cold tires. These
numbers can be found on the
Certification label or seeVehicle
Load Limits
on page 9‑11. Do not
go over the GVW limit for the
vehicle, or the GAWR, including the
weight of the trailer tongue.
Trailer Towing (CTS-V)
The vehicle is neither designed nor
intended to tow a trailer.
Towing Equipment
Hitches
Use the correct hitch equipment.
See your dealer or a hitch dealer for
assistance.
.The rear bumper on the vehicle
is not intended for hitches. Do
not attach rental hitches or other
bumper-type hitches to it. Use
only a frame-mounted hitch that
does not attach to the bumper.
.Will any holes be made in the
body of the vehicle when the
trailer hitch is installed? If there
are, seal the holes when the
hitch is removed. If the holes are
not sealed, dirt, water, and
deadly carbon monoxide (CO)
from the exhaust can get into the
vehicle. See Engine Exhaust
on
page 9‑24.

Black plate (2,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
10-2 Vehicle Care
Rear Compartment FuseBlock (CTS Coupe and
Sedan) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-58
Rear Compartment Fuse Block (CTS-V Coupe and
Sedan) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-60
Rear Compartment Fuse Block (CTS Wagon) . . . . . . . 10-62
Rear Compartment Fuse Block (CTS-V Wagon) . . . . . 10-64
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-66
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-67
Low-Profile Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-67
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . 10-68
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . 10-70
Tire Terminology andDefinitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-71
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-74
Tire Pressure for High-Speed Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-75
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-76
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-77
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-80
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-81 When It Is Time for New
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-82
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-83
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-85
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-85
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-87
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . 10-88
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-89
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . 10-90
Tire Sealant and Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . 10-92
Storing the Tire Sealant and Compressor Kit
(Wagon) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-101
Storing the Tire Sealant and Compressor Kit
(Coupe) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-101
Storing the Tire Sealant and Compressor Kit
(Sedan) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-102
Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-102
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . 10-111
Jump Starting
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-112
Towing
Towing the Vehicle . . . . . . . . 10-117
Recreational Vehicle Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-117
Appearance Care
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-120
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-124
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-127

Black plate (27,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-27
Open the cap with the washer
symbol on it. Add washer fluid until
the tank is full. SeeEngine
Compartment Overview
on
page 10‑6for reservoir location.
Notice:
.When using concentrated
washer fluid, follow the
manufacturer's instructions
for adding water.
.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.
Also, water does not clean as
well as washer fluid.
.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.
.Do not use engine coolant
(antifreeze) in the windshield
washer. It can damage the
vehicle's windshield washer
system and paint.
Brakes
This vehicle has disc brakes. Disc
brake pads have built-in wear
indicators that make a high-pitched
warning sound when the brake pads
are worn and new pads are needed.
The sound can come and go or be
heard all the time 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.
Notice: Continuing to drive with
worn-out brake pads could result
in costly brake repair.
Some driving conditions or climates
can cause a brake squeal when the
brakes are first applied or lightly
applied. 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 pads for wear and
evenly tighten wheel nuts in the
proper sequence to torque
specifications in Capacities and
Specifications on page 12‑2.

Black plate (35,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-35
6. Replace the blade with anew one.
7. Reinstall the wiper bladeassembly by sliding it over the
wiper arm to engage the
J-hooked end. Pull up on the
assembly to lock it into place.
8. Repeat the steps for the other wiper.
Headlamp Aiming
The vehicle has a visual optical
headlamp aiming system. The aim
has been preset at the factory and
should need no further adjustment.
However, if the vehicle is damaged
in a crash, the headlamp aim may
be affected and adjustment may be
necessary.
If oncoming vehicles flash their high
beams at you, this may also mean
the vertical aim needs to be
adjusted.
It is recommended that the vehicle
is taken to your dealer for service if
the headlamps need to be re-aimed.
It is possible, however, to re-aim the
headlamps as described.
The vehicle should:
.Be placed so the headlamps are
7.6 m (25 ft) from a light
colored wall.
.Have all four tires on a level
surface which is level all the way
to the wall.
.Be placed so it is perpendicular
to the wall.
.Not have any snow, ice, or mud
on it.
.Be fully assembled and have all
other work stopped while
headlamp aiming is being
performed.
.Be loaded with a full tank of fuel
and one person or 75 kg
(160 lbs) sitting on the
driver seat.
.Have all tires properly inflated.
.Have the spare tire (if equipped)
in its original location in the
vehicle.
Headlamp aiming is done with the
vehicle's low-beam headlamps. The
high-beam headlamps will be
correctly aimed if the low-beam
headlamps are aimed properly.

Black plate (66,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
10-66 Vehicle Care
Wheels and Tires
Tires
Your new vehicle comes with
high-quality tires made by a
leading tire manufacturer. If you
ever have questions about your
tire warranty and where to
obtain service, see your vehicle
Warranty booklet for details. For
additional information refer to
the tire manufacturer.
{WARNING
.Poorly maintained and
improperly used tires are
dangerous.
.Overloading your tires can
cause overheating as a result
of too much flexing. You
could have a blowout and a
serious accident. SeeVehicle
Load Limits on page 9‑11.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
.Under inflated tires pose the
same danger as overloaded
tires. The resulting crash
could cause serious injury.
Check all tires frequently to
maintain the recommended
pressure. Tire pressure
should be checked when your
tires are cold.
.Over inflated tires are more
likely to be cut, punctured,
or broken by a sudden
impact—such as when you
hit a pothole. Keep tires at
the recommended pressure.
.Worn or old tires can cause a
crash. If your tread is badly
worn, replace them.
.Replace any tires that have
been damaged by impacts
with potholes, curbs, etc.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
.Improperly repaired tires can
cause a crash. Only your
dealer or an authorized tire
service center should repair,
replace, dismount, and mount
the tires.
.Do not spin the tires in
excess of 55 km/h (35 mph)
on slippery surfaces such as
snow, mud, ice, etc.
Excessive spinning may
cause the tires to explode.
See Tire Pressure for High-Speed
Operation
on page 10‑75for inflation
pressure adjustment for high-speed
driving.

Black plate (67,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-67
Winter Tires
If you expect to drive on snow or ice
covered roads often, you may want
to get winter tires for your vehicle.
All season tires provide good overall
performance on most surfaces but
they may not offer the traction you
would like or the same level of
performance as winter tires on snow
or ice covered roads.
Winter tires, in general, are
designed for increased traction on
snow and ice covered roads. With
winter tires, there may be decreased
dry road traction, increased road
noise, and shorter tread life. After
switching to winter tires, be alert for
changes in vehicle handling and
braking.
See your dealer for details
regarding winter tire availability and
proper tire selection. Also, see
Buying New Tires on page 10‑83.If you choose to use winter tires:.Use tires of the same brand and
tread type on all four wheel
positions.
.Use only radial ply tires of the
same size, load range, and
speed rating as the original
equipment tires.
Winter tires with the same speed
rating as your original equipment
tires may not be available for H, V,
W, and ZR speed rated tires. If you
choose winter tires with a lower
speed rating, never exceed the tire's
maximum speed capability.
Low-Profile Tires
If your vehicle has P235/50R18,
245/45ZR19, P245/45R19, 255/
40ZR19 or 285/35ZR19 size
tires, they are classified as
low‐profile tires. These tires are
designed for very responsive
driving on wet or dry pavement.
You may also notice more road noise with low‐profile
performance tires and that they
tend to wear faster.
Notice:If the vehicle has
low‐profile tires, they are more
susceptible to damage from
road hazards or curb impact
than standard profile tires.
Tire and/or wheel assembly
damage can occur when
coming into contact with road
hazards like, potholes,
or sharp edged objects,
or when sliding into a curb.
The vehicle warranty does not
cover this type of damage.
Keep tires set to the correct
inflation pressure and, when
possible avoid contact with
curbs, potholes, and other
road hazards.

Black plate (68,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
10-68 Vehicle Care
Summer Performance Tires
Many General Motors high
performance models come
factory‐equipped with tires that
are optimized for maximum dry
and wet road performance while
still retaining satisfactory tread
life, excellent durability, and low
noise levels. In severe winter
climates where snowfall may be
significant, these tires may be
found to provide less traction.
Tire Sidewall Labeling
Useful information about a tire is
molded into its sidewall. The
examples below show a typical
passenger vehicle tire and a
compact spare tire sidewall.
Passenger (P‐Metric) Tire Example
(A) Tire Size:The tire size is a
combination of letters and
numbers used to define a
particular tire's width, height,
aspect ratio, construction type,
and service description. See the
“Tire Size” illustration later in this
section for more detail.
(B) TPC Spec (Tire
Performance Criteria
Specification)
:Original
equipment tires designed to
GM's specific tire performance criteria have a TPC specification
code molded onto the sidewall.
GM's TPC specifications meet or
exceed all federal safety
guidelines.
(C) DOT (Department of
Transportation)
:The
Department of Transportation
(DOT) code indicates that the
tire is in compliance with the
U.S. Department of
Transportation Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards.
(D) Tire Identification Number
(TIN)
:The letters and numbers
following the DOT (Department
of Transportation) code is the
Tire Identification Number (TIN).
The TIN shows the
manufacturer and plant code,
tire size, and date the tire was
manufactured. The TIN is
molded onto both sides of the
tire, although only one side may
have the date of manufacture.

Black plate (69,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-69
(E) Tire Ply Material:The type
of cord and number of plies in
the sidewall and under the tread.
(F) Uniform Tire Quality
Grading (UTQG)
:Tire
manufacturers are required to
grade tires based on three
performance factors: treadwear,
traction, and temperature
resistance. For more information
see Uniform Tire Quality
Grading
on page 10‑85.
(G) Maximum Cold Inflation
Load Limit
:Maximum load that
can be carried and the
maximum pressure needed to
support that load.
Compact Spare Tire Example
(A) Tire Ply Material:The type
of cord and number of plies in
the sidewall and under the tread.
(B) Temporary Use Only
:The
compact spare tire or temporary
use tire has a tread life of
approximately 5 000 km
(3,000 miles) and should not be
driven at speeds over 105 km/h
(65 mph). The compact spare
tire is for emergency use when a
regular road tire has lost air and
gone flat. If your vehicle has a compact spare tire, see
Compact Spare Tire
on
page 10‑111
and If a Tire Goes
Flat
on page 10‑90.
(C) Tire Identification Number
(TIN)
:The letters and numbers
following the DOT (Department
of Transportation) code is the
Tire Identification Number (TIN).
The TIN shows the
manufacturer and plant code,
tire size, and date the tire was
manufactured. The TIN is
molded onto both sides of the
tire, although only one side may
have the date of manufacture.
(D) Maximum Cold Inflation
Load Limit
:Maximum load that
can be carried and the
maximum pressure needed to
support that load.

Black plate (70,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
10-70 Vehicle Care
(E) Tire Inflation:The
temporary use tire or compact
spare tire should be inflated to
420 kPa (60 psi). For more
information on tire pressure and
inflation see Tire Pressure
on
page 10‑74
.
(F) Tire Size
:A combination of
letters and numbers define a
tire's width, height, aspect ratio,
construction type, and service
description. The letter T as the
first character in the tire size
means the tire is for temporary
use only.
(G) TPC Spec (Tire
Performance Criteria
Specification)
:Original
equipment tires designed to
GM's specific tire performance
criteria have a TPC specification
code molded onto the sidewall.
GM's TPC specifications meet or
exceed all federal safety
guidelines.
Tire Designations
Tire Size
The following illustration shows
an example of a typical
passenger vehicle tire size.
(A) Passenger (P‐Metric) Tire:
The United States version of a
metric tire sizing system. The
letter P as the first character in
the tire size means a passenger
vehicle tire engineered to
standards set by the U.S. Tire
and Rim Association.
(B) Tire Width
:The three‐digit
number indicates the tire section
width in millimeters from
sidewall to sidewall. (C) Aspect Ratio
:A two‐digit
number that indicates the tire
height‐to‐width measurements.
For example, if the tire size
aspect ratio is 60, as shown in
item C of the illustration, it would
mean that the tire's sidewall is
60 percent as high as it is wide.
(D) Construction Code
:A
letter code is used to indicate
the type of ply construction in
the tire. The letter R means
radial ply construction; the
letter D means diagonal or bias
ply construction; and the letter B
means belted‐bias ply
construction.
(E) Rim Diameter
:Diameter of
the wheel in inches.

Black plate (73,1)Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-73
Radial Ply Tire:A pneumatic
tire in which the ply cords that
extend to the beads are laid at
90 degrees to the centerline of
the tread.
Rim
:A metal support for a tire
and upon which the tire beads
are seated.
Sidewall
:The portion of a tire
between the tread and the bead.
Speed Rating
:An
alphanumeric code assigned to
a tire indicating the maximum
speed at which a tire can
operate.
Traction
:The friction between
the tire and the road surface.
The amount of grip provided.
Tread
:The portion of a tire that
comes into contact with
the road. Treadwear Indicators
:Narrow
bands, sometimes called wear
bars, that show across the tread
of a tire when only 1.6 mm
(1/16 inch) of tread remains.
See When It Is Time for New
Tires
on page 10‑82.
UTQGS (Uniform Tire Quality
Grading Standards)
:
A tire information system that
provides consumers with
ratings for a tire's traction,
temperature, and treadwear.
Ratings are determined by
tire manufacturers using
government testing procedures.
The ratings are molded into the
sidewall of the tire. See Uniform
Tire Quality Grading
on
page 10‑85
. Vehicle Capacity Weight
:The
number of designated seating
positions multiplied by
68 kg (150 lbs) plus the rated
cargo load. See Vehicle Load
Limits
on page 9‑11.
Vehicle Maximum Load on the
Tire
:Load on an individual tire
due to curb weight, accessory
weight, occupant weight, and
cargo weight.
Vehicle Placard
:A label
permanently attached to a
vehicle showing the vehicle's
capacity weight and the original
equipment tire size and
recommended inflation pressure.
See “Tire and Loading
Information Label” underVehicle
Load Limits
on page 9‑11.