maintenance CADILLAC XLR 2009 1.G User Guide

Care of Your CDs
Handle CDs carefully. Store them in their original cases
or other protective cases and away from direct sunlight
and dust. The CD player scans the bottom surface of the
disc. If the surface of a CD is damaged, such as cracked,
broken, or scratched, the CD does not play properly or
not at all. If the surface of a CD is soiled, take a soft, lint
free cloth or dampen a clean, soft cloth in a mild, neutral
detergent solution mixed with water, and clean it. Make
sure the wiping process starts from the center to
the edge.
Do not touch the bottom side of a CD while handling it;
this could damage the surface. Pick up CDs by
grasping the outer edges or the edge of the hole and
the outer edge.
Care of the CD Player
Do not use CD lens cleaners for CD players because
the lens of the CD optics can become contaminated
by lubricants.
Diversity Antenna System
The AM-FM antenna is a hidden self tuning system.
It optimizes the AM and FM signals relative to the
vehicle’s position and radio station source.
No maintenance or adjustments are needed.
XM™ Satellite Radio Antenna
System
The vehicle may have the XM™ Satellite Radio
antennas that are located in the outside rear view
mirrors. These antennas are hidden from view and
are not accessible.
3-91

Mexican Restaurant, Mexican Food:Displays
Mexican restaurant POI icons.
Seafood Restaurant, Seafood:Displays Seafood
restaurant POI icons.
Other Restaurant, Other Food:Displays other types
of restaurant POI icons.
Shopping, Shopping Mall:Displays mall POI icons.
Grocery Store:Displays grocery store POI icons.
Gas Station, Gas:Displays gas station POI icons.
Parking Garage:Displays parking garage POI icons.
Parking Lot:Displays parking lot POI icons.
Rental Car Agency:Displays rental car POI icons.
Automobile Club, Triple A:Displays auto club
POI icons.
Auto Service And Maintenance, Auto Service,
Maintenance:Displays auto service POI icons.
Hotel:Displays hotel POI icons.
Golf Course:Displays golf course POI icons.Ski Resort, Skiing:Displays ski resort POI icons.
Amusement Park:Displays amusement park
POI icons.
Sport Complex, Stadium:Displays sports complex
POI icons.
Casino:Displays casino POI icons.
Marina:Displays marina POI icons.
Tourist Attraction:Displays tourist attraction POI icons.
Winery:Displays winery POI icons.
City Hall:Displays city hall POI icons.
Police Station:Displays police station POI icons.
Library:Displays library POI icons.
Hospital:Displays hospital POI icons.
Park & Recreation, Parks & Recreation:Displays
parks and recreation POI icons.
Civic Center, Community Center:Displays community
center POI icons.
4-79

When It Is Time for New Tires.......................6-61
Buying New Tires.........................................6-62
Different Size Tires and Wheels......................6-63
Uniform Tire Quality Grading..........................6-64
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance..................6-65
Wheel Replacement......................................6-66
Tire Chains..................................................6-68
Lifting the Vehicle.........................................6-68
If a Tire Goes Flat........................................6-72
Appearance Care............................................6-74
Interior Cleaning...........................................6-74
Fabric/Carpet...............................................6-75
Leather.......................................................6-75
Instrument Panel, Vinyl, and Other Plastic
Surfaces..................................................6-76
Wood Panels...............................................6-76
Speaker Covers............................................6-76
Care of Safety Belts......................................6-76
Weatherstrips...............................................6-77
Washing Your Vehicle...................................6-77
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses.....................6-77
Finish Care..................................................6-78Windshield and Wiper Blades.........................6-78
Aluminum or Chrome-Plated Wheels
and Trim..................................................6-79
Tires...........................................................6-80
Sheet Metal Damage.....................................6-80
Finish Damage.............................................6-80
Underbody Maintenance................................6-80
Fiberglass Springs (Composite Springs)...........6-81
Chemical Paint Spotting.................................6-81
Vehicle Identication......................................6-81
Vehicle Identication Number (VIN).................6-81
Service Parts Identication Label.....................6-82
Electrical System............................................6-82
Add-On Electrical Equipment..........................6-82
Windshield Wiper Fuses................................6-83
Power Windows and Other Power Options.......6-83
Fuses and Circuit Breakers............................6-83
Instrument Panel Fuse Block..........................6-83
Underhood Fuse Block..................................6-87
Capacities and Specications..........................6-90
Section 6 Service and Appearance Care
6-2

California Proposition 65 Warning
Most motor vehicles, including this one, contain and/or
emit chemicals known to the State of California to cause
cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm.
Engine exhaust, many parts and systems (including
some inside the vehicle), many uids, and some
component wear by-products contain and/or emit
these chemicals.
California Perchlorate Materials
Requirements
Certain types of automotive applications, such as
airbag initiators, seat belt pretensioners, and lithium
batteries contained in remote keyless transmitters,
may contain perchlorate materials. Special handling
may be necessary. For additional information, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlorate.
Doing Your Own Service Work
{CAUTION:
You can be injured and the vehicle could be
damaged if you try to do service work on a vehicle
without knowing enough about it.
Be sure you have sufficient knowledge,
experience, the proper replacement parts,
and tools before attempting any vehicle
maintenance task.
Be sure to use the proper nuts, bolts, and
other fasteners. English and metric fasteners
can be easily confused. If the wrong fasteners
are used, parts can later break or fall off.
You could be hurt.
6-4

If doing some of your own service work, use the proper
service manual. It tells you much more about how to
service the vehicle than this manual can. To order
the proper service manual, seeService Publications
Ordering Information on page 8-15.
This vehicle has an airbag system. Before attempting
to do your own service work, seeServicing Your
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle on page 1-50.
Keep a record with all parts receipts and list the
mileage and the date of any service work performed.
SeeMaintenance Record on page 7-15.
Adding Equipment to the Outside of
the Vehicle
Things added to the outside of the vehicle can affect the
airow around it. This can cause wind noise and can
affect fuel economy and windshield washer performance.
Check with your dealer/retailer before adding equipment
to the outside of the vehicle.
Fuel
Use of the recommended fuel is an important part of
the proper maintenance of this vehicle. To help keep
the engine clean and maintain optimum vehicle
performance, we recommend the use of gasoline
advertised as TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline.
The 8th digit of the Vehicle Identication Number (VIN)
shows the code letter or number that identies the
vehicle’s engine. The VIN is at the top left of the
instrument panel. SeeVehicle Identification Number
(VIN) on page 6-81.
Gasoline Octane
If the vehicle has the 4.6L V8 engine (VIN Code A), use
premium unleaded gasoline with a posted octane rating
of 91 or higher. You can also use regular unleaded
gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher, but the vehicle’s
acceleration could be slightly reduced, and you might
notice a slight audible knocking noise, commonly referred
to as spark knock. If the octane is less than 87, you might
notice a heavy knocking noise when you drive. If this
occurs, use a gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher as
soon as possible. Otherwise, you could damage the
engine. If you are using gasoline rated at 87 octane or
higher and you hear heavy knocking, the engine needs
service.
6-5

Engine Air Cleaner/Filter
SeeEngine Compartment Overview on page 6-12for
the location of the engine air cleaner/lters.
Notice:If you spray water into the engine air
cleaner/lter intake and water enters the engine air
cleaner/lter housing, you could damage your
vehicle’s engine. The repairs would not be covered
by your warranty. Do not spray water into the
engine air cleaner/lter intake and/or housing.
When to Inspect the Engine Air
Cleaner/Filters
Inspect the air cleaner/lters at the MaintenanceII
intervals and replace them at the rst oil change after
each 50,000 mile (80 000 km) interval. SeeScheduled
Maintenance on page 7-4for more information.
If you are driving in dusty/dirty conditions, inspect the
lters at each engine oil change.
How to Inspect the Engine Air
Cleaner/Filters
To inspect the air cleaner/lters, remove the lters from
the vehicle and lightly shake the lters to release loose
dust and dirt. If the lters remain caked with dirt, new
lters are required.To inspect or replace the lters:
1. Some XLR-V vehicles, have a single piece black
cover that snaps over the entire air cleaner
assembly. For vehicles with this cover, simply pull it’s
left/right sides toward the outside of the vehicle and
lift up to remove cover. Reinstall the cover when you
are nished inspecting/replacing the lters.
2. For vehicles that do not have a single piece black
cover, move the clasps on the top of the engine air
cleaner/lter cover forward to unlatch the cover.
3. Lift the front of the cover at an angle and remove.
This is necessary due to the four tabs located on
the rear of the cover.
6-20

Brakes
Brake Fluid
The brake master cylinder
reservoir is lled with
DOT-3 brake uid. See
Engine Compartment
Overview on page 6-12for
the location of the reservoir.
There are only two reasons why the brake uid level in
the reservoir might go down:
The brake uid level goes down because of normal
brake lining wear. When new linings are installed,
the uid level goes back up.
A uid leak in the brake hydraulic system can also
cause a low uid level. Have the brake hydraulic
system xed, since a leak means that sooner
or later the brakes will not work well.Do not top off the brake uid. Adding uid does not
correct a leak. If uid is added when the linings
are worn, there will be too much uid when new brake
linings are installed. Add or remove brake uid, as
necessary, only when work is done on the brake
hydraulic system.
{CAUTION:
If too much brake uid 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 uid only when work is
done on the brake hydraulic system. See
“Checking Brake Fluid” in this section.
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine when
to check the brake uid. SeeScheduled Maintenance
on page 7-4.
6-32

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 — for
example, when the brake linings wear down and new
ones are installed — be sure to get new approved
replacement parts. If this is not done, the brakes might
not work properly. For example, if someone puts in brake
linings that are wrong for the vehicle, the balance
between the front and rear brakes can change — for the
worse. The braking performance expected can change in
many other ways if the wrong replacement brake parts
are installed.
Battery
This vehicle has a maintenance free battery. When it is
time for a new battery, see your dealer/retailer for
one that has the replacement number shown on the
original battery’s label.
For battery replacement, see your dealer/retailer or the
service manual. To purchase a service manual, see
Service Publications Ordering Information on page 8-15.
Warning:Battery posts, terminals, and related
accessories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of California to cause
cancer and reproductive harm. Wash hands after
handling.
6-35

Bulb Replacement
It is recommended that all bulbs be replaced by your
dealer/retailer.
Windshield Replacement
The windshield is part of the Head-Up Display (HUD)
system. If you ever have to get the windshield replaced,
get one that is designed for HUD or the HUD image
may look out of focus.
Windshield Wiper Blade
Replacement
Windshield wiper blades should be inspected for wear
and cracking. SeeScheduled Maintenance on page 7-4
for more information.
Replacement blades come in different types and are
removed in different ways. For proper type and length,
seeMaintenance Replacement Parts on page 7-13.To replace the windshield wiper blade assembly:
1. Lift the wiper arm away from the windshield.
6-45

As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been
equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS)
that illuminates a low tire pressure telltale when one or
more of your tires is signicantly under-inated.
Accordingly, when the low tire pressure telltale
illuminates, you should stop and check your tires as soon
as possible, and inate them to the proper pressure.
Driving on a signicantly under-inated tire causes the
tire to overheat and can lead to tire failure. Under-ination
also reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life, and may
affect the vehicle’s handling and stopping ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute for proper
tire maintenance, and it is the driver’s responsibility to
maintain correct tire pressure, even if under-ination has
not reached the level to trigger illumination of the
TPMS low tire pressure telltale.
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a TPMS
malfunction indicator to indicate when the system is not
operating properly. The TPMS malfunction indicator iscombined with the low tire pressure telltale. When the
system detects a malfunction, the telltale will ash for
approximately one minute and then remain continuously
illuminated. This sequence will continue upon
subsequent vehicle start-ups as long as the malfunction
exists.
When the malfunction indicator is illuminated, the system
may not be able to detect or signal low tire pressure as
intended. TPMS malfunctions may occur for a variety of
reasons, including the installation of replacement or
alternate tires or wheels on the vehicle that prevent the
TPMS from functioning properly. Always check the TPMS
malfunction telltale after replacing one or more tires or
wheels on your vehicle to ensure that the replacement or
alternate tires and wheels allow the TPMS to continue to
function properly.
SeeTire Pressure Monitor Operation on page 6-57for
additional information.
6-56