towing CADILLAC CTS 2016 3.G Owner's Manual
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Page 247 of 354

Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-9369309) -
2016 - crc - 7/30/15
246 Driving and Operating
Maintenance when Trailer
Towing
The vehicle needs service more
often when pulling a trailer. See
Maintenance Schedule0329.
Things that are especially important
in trailer operation are automatic
transmission fluid, engine oil, axle
lubricant, belts, cooling system, and
brake system. It is a good idea to
inspect these before and during
the trip.
Check periodically to see that all
hitch nuts and bolts are tight.
Trailer Towing (Sedan L4
Engine)
A maximum speed of 100km/h must
not be exceeded, even in countries
where higher speed limits are
permitted.
Before pulling a trailer, there are
three important considerations that
have to do with weight:
. The weight of the trailer.
. The weight of the trailer tongue. .
The total weight on your
vehicle's tires.
Weight of the Trailer
How heavy can a trailer safely be?
It should never weigh more than
1136 kg (2,500 lb). But even that
can be too heavy.
It depends on how the rig is used.
For example, speed, altitude, road
grades, outside temperature, and
how much the vehicle is used to pull
a trailer are all important. It can
depend on any special equipment
on the vehicle, and the amount of
tongue weight the vehicle can carry.
See “Weight of the Trailer Tongue”
later in this section.
Maximum trailer weight is calculated
assuming only the driver is in the
tow vehicle and it has all the
required trailering equipment. The
weight of additional optional
equipment, passengers, and cargo
in the tow vehicle must be
subtracted from the maximum trailer
weight.
Ask your dealer for trailering
information or advice.
Weight of the Trailer Tongue
The tongue load (1) of any trailer is
an important weight to measure
because it affects the total gross
weight of the vehicle. The Gross
Vehicle Weight (GVW) includes the
curb weight of the vehicle, any
cargo carried in it, and the people
who will be riding in the vehicle.
If there are a lot of options,
equipment, passengers, or cargo in
the vehicle, it will reduce the tongue
weight the vehicle can carry, which
will also reduce the trailer weight the
vehicle can tow. If towing a trailer,
the tongue load must be added to
the GVW because the vehicle will
be carrying that weight, too. See
Vehicle Load Limits 0189.
Page 248 of 354

Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-9369309) -
2016 - crc - 7/30/15
Driving and Operating 247
The trailer tongue (1) should weigh
10 to 15 percent of the total loaded
trailer weight (2).
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 Your Vehicle's
Tires
Be sure the vehicle's tires are
inflated to the upper limit for cold
tires. These numbers can be found
on the Tire and Loading Informationlabel. See
Vehicle Load Limits
0 189. Make sure not to go over the
GVW limit for the vehicle, including
the weight of the trailer tongue.
Trailer Towing (Sedan
V6 and V-Series)
The vehicle is neither designed nor
intended to tow a trailer.
Towing Equipment
(Sedan With L4 Engine)
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 so,
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 0199.
Safety Chains
Always attach chains between the
vehicle and the trailer. 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.
Leave enough slack so the rig can
turn. Never allow safety chains to
drag on the ground.
Trailer Brakes
Does the trailer have its own
brakes? Be sure to read and follow
the instructions for the trailer brakes
so they are installed, adjusted, and
maintained properly.
Because the vehicle has antilock
brakes, do not tap into the vehicle's
brake system. If this is done, both
brake systems will not work well or
at all.
Page 249 of 354

Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-9369309) -
2016 - crc - 7/30/15
248 Driving and Operating
Towing Equipment
(Sedan V6 and V-Series)
The vehicle is neither designed nor
intended to tow a trailer.
Conversions and
Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical
Equipment
{Warning
The Data Link Connector (DLC) is
used for vehicle service and
Emission Inspection/Maintenance
testing. SeeMalfunction Indicator
Lamp (Check Engine Light) 0121
. A device connected to the DLC
— such as an aftermarket fleet or
driver-behavior tracking device —
may interfere with vehicle
systems. This could affect vehicle
operation and cause a crash.
Such devices may also access
information stored in the vehicle’s
systems.
Caution
Some electrical equipment can
damage the vehicle or cause
components to not work and
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty. Always check
with your dealer before adding
electrical equipment.
Add-on equipment can drain the
vehicle's 12-volt battery, even if the
vehicle is not operating.
The vehicle has an airbag system.
Before attempting to add anything
electrical to the vehicle, see
Servicing the Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle 081 and Adding Equipment
to the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
0 82.
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Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-9369309) -
2016 - crc - 7/30/15
Vehicle Care 249
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 250
Accessories andModifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . 261
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . 263
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . 269
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . 275
Automatic Transmission Shift Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276 Park Brake and P (Park)
Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . 276
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . 277
Windshield Replacement . . . . . 277
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . 279
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . 280
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . 280
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Rear Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Run-Flat Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291 Low-Profile Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Summer Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Tire Pressure for High-Speed
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 303
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
Tire Sealant and Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Storing the Tire Sealant and Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312
Jump Starting
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
Towing the Vehicle
Towing the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 315
Page 251 of 354

Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-9369309) -
2016 - crc - 7/30/15
250 Vehicle Care
Recreational VehicleTowing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316
Appearance Care
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
General Information
For service and parts needs, visit
your dealer. You will receive
genuine parts and trained and
supported service people.
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 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 082.
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Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-9369309) -
2016 - crc - 7/30/15
Vehicle Care 315
{Warning
Fans or other moving engine
parts can injure you badly. Keep
your hands away from moving
parts once the engine is running.
5. Connect one end of the red positive (+) cable to the remote
positive (+) terminal on the
discharged battery.
6. Connect the other end of the red positive (+) cable to the
positive (+) terminal of the good
battery.
7. Connect one end of the black negative (–) cable to the
negative (–) terminal of the
good battery.
8. Connect the other end of the black negative (–) cable to the
remote negative (–) grounding
terminal for the discharged
battery.
9. Start the engine in the vehicle with the good battery and run
the engine at idle speed for at
least four minutes. 10. Try to start the vehicle that had
the dead battery. If it will not
start after a few tries, it
probably needs service.
Caution
If the jumper cables are
connected or removed in the
wrong order, electrical shorting
may occur and damage the
vehicle. The repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Always connect and remove the
jumper cables in the correct order,
making sure that the cables do
not touch each other or other
metal.
Jumper Cable Removal
Reverse the sequence exactly when
removing the jumper cables.
After starting the disabled vehicle
and removing the jumper cables,
allow it to idle for several minutes.
Towing the Vehicle
Caution
Incorrectly towing a disabled
vehicle may cause damage. The
damage would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty.
Do not lash or hook to
suspension components. Use the
proper straps around the tires to
secure the vehicle.
Have the vehicle towed on a flatbed
car carrier. A wheel lift tow truck
could damage the vehicle.
Page 317 of 354

Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-9369309) -
2016 - crc - 7/30/15
316 Vehicle Care
Due to low ramp angles on the
V-Series only, use care when
loading the vehicle onto a flatbed
carrier. Front spring spacers were
provided for lifting the front
suspension if more clearance is
necessary when towing.
Consult your dealer or a
professional towing service if the
disabled vehicle must be towed.
Use the tow eye for towing a
disabled vehicle or loading it onto a
flatbed car carrier. The tow eye
should not be used to recover a
vehicle from an off road situation.
Caution
Improper use of the tow eye can
cause vehicle damage. Use
caution and low speeds to
prevent damage to the vehicle.
Carefully open the cover in the
fascia by using the small notch that
conceals the tow eye socket.
Install the tow eye into the socket by
turning it clockwise until it stops.
When the tow eye is removed,
reinstall the cover with the notch in
the original position.
Recreational Vehicle
Towing
Recreational vehicle towing means
towing the vehicle behind another
vehicle such as a motor home. The
two most common types of
recreational vehicle towing are
known as dinghy towing and dolly
towing. Dinghy towing is towing the
vehicle with all four wheels on the
ground. Dolly towing is towing the vehicle with two wheels on the
ground and two wheels up on a
device known as a dolly.
Here are some important things to
consider before recreational vehicle
towing:
.
What is the towing capacity of
the towing vehicle? Be sure to
read the tow vehicle
manufacturer's
recommendations.
. What is the distance that will be
traveled? Some vehicles have
restrictions on how far and how
long they can tow.
. Is the proper towing equipment
going to be used? See your
dealer or trailering professional
for additional advice and
equipment recommendations.
. Is the vehicle ready to be
towed? Just as preparing the
vehicle for a long trip, make sure
the vehicle is prepared to be
towed.
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Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-9369309) -
2016 - crc - 7/30/15
Vehicle Care 317
Dinghy Towing
Caution
If the vehicle is towed with all four
wheels on the ground, the
drivetrain components could be
damaged. The repairs would not
be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Do not tow the vehicle
with all four wheels on the
ground.
The vehicle was not designed to be
towed with all four wheels on the
ground. If the vehicle must be towed, a dolly should be used. See
the following information on dolly
towing.
Caution
Use of a shield mounted in front
of the vehicle grille could restrict
airflow and cause damage to the
transmission. The repairs would
not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. If using a shield, only
use one that attaches to the
towing vehicle.
Dolly Towing
(Rear-Wheel-Drive Vehicles)
To dolly tow a rear-wheel-drive
vehicle from the rear:
1. Attach the dolly to the tow vehicle following the dolly
manufacturer instructions.
2. Put the rear wheels on the dolly.
3. Shift the transmission to P (Park).
4. Firmly set the parking brake.
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Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-9369309) -
2016 - crc - 7/30/15
318 Vehicle Care
5. Use an adequate clampingdevice designed for towing to
ensure that the front wheels
are locked into the
straight-ahead position.
6. Secure the vehicle to the dolly following the manufacturer
instructions.
7. Release the parking brake only after the vehicle being towed is
firmly attached to the towing
vehicle.
8. Turn the ignition to OFF.
Dolly Towing (All-Wheel Drive
Vehicles)
Vehicles with all-wheel drive cannot
be dolly towed.
Appearance Care
Exterior Care
Locks
Locks are lubricated at the factory.
Use a de-icing agent only when
absolutely necessary, and have the
locks greased after using. See
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants 0333.
Washing the Vehicle
To preserve the vehicle's finish,
wash it often and out of direct
sunlight.
Caution
Do not use petroleum-based,
acidic, or abrasive cleaning
agents as they can damage the
vehicle's paint, metal, or plastic
parts. If damage occurs, it would
not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Approved cleaning
products can be obtained from
(Continued)
Page 332 of 354

Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-9369309) -
2016 - crc - 7/30/15
Service and Maintenance 331
.Engine air cleaner filter
replacement or every 20 000 km/
12,500 Miles. If driving in dusty
conditions, inspect the filter at
each oil change or more often as
needed. See Engine Air Cleaner/
Filter 0263.
Every 40 000 km/25,000 Miles
. Passenger compartment air filter
replacement (or every
24 months, whichever occurs
first). More frequent replacement
may be needed if the vehicle is
driven in areas with heavy traffic,
poor air quality, areas with high
dust levels or are sensitive to
environmental allergens. Cabin
Air Filter replacement may also
be needed if you notice reduced
airflow, windows fogging up,
or odors. Your local GM Service
location can help you determine
when it is the right time to
replace your filter.
Every 72 000 km/45,000 Miles
. Replace brake fluid (or every
three years, whichever occurs
first). .
Rear axle fluid (If equipped with
limited slip).
Every 80 000 km/50,000 Miles
. Evaporative control system
inspection. Check all fuel and
vapor lines and hoses for proper
hook-up, routing, and condition.
Every 96 000 km/60,000 Miles
. Replace spark plugs. Inspect
spark plug wires. (2.0L LTG and
3.6L LF3 Turbo Engines)
Every 156 000 km/97,500 Miles
. Replace spark plugs. Inspect
spark plug wires. (3.6L LGX and
6.2L LT4 Engines)
Every 240 000 km/150,000 Miles
. Engine cooling system drain and
refill (or every five years,
whichever occurs first). See
Cooling System 0264. An
Emission Control Service.
. Engine drive belts inspection for
fraying, excessive cracks,
or obvious damage (or every
10 years, whichever occurs
first). Replace, if needed.Severe Conditions Requiring
More Frequent Maintenance*
.Public service, military,
or commercial use vehicles to
include the following:
‐Ambulances, police cars and
emergency rescue vehicles.
‐ Civilian vehicles such as light
duty pick-up trucks, SUVs and
passenger cars that are used
in military applications.
‐ Recovery vehicles such as
tow trucks and flatbed single
vehicle carriers or any vehicle
that is consistently used in
towing trailers or other loads.
‐ High use commercial vehicles
such as courier delivery
vehicles, private security patrol
vehicles or any vehicles that
operate on a 24 hour basis.
‐ Any vehicle consistently
operated in a high sand or
dust environment such as
those used on oil pipelines
and similar applications.