winter tires CADILLAC XTS 2014 Owner's Manual

Black plate (8,1)Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-6006999) -
2014 - CRC - 9/11/13
9-8 Driving and Operating
Warning (Continued)
could result in a loss of braking.
Shift the transmission to a lower
gear to let the engine assist the
brakes on a steep downhill slope.
{Warning
Coasting downhill in N (Neutral)
or with the ignition off is
dangerous. This can cause
overheating of the brakes and
loss of steering. Always have the
engine running and the vehicle
in gear.
.Stay in your own lane. Do not
swing wide or cut across the
center of the road. Drive at
speeds that let you stay in your
own lane.
.Be alert on top of hills;
something could be in your lane
(stalled car, accident).
.Pay attention to special road
signs (falling rocks area, winding
roads, long grades, passing or
no-passing zones) and take
appropriate action.
Winter Driving
Driving on Snow or Ice
Drive carefully when there is snow
or ice between the tires and the
road, creating less traction or grip.
Wet ice can occur at about 0°C
(32°F) when freezing rain begins to
fall, resulting in even less traction.
Avoid driving on wet ice or in
freezing rain until roads can be
treated with salt or sand.
Drive with caution, whatever the
condition. Accelerate gently so
traction is not lost. Accelerating too
quickly causes the wheels to spin
and makes the surface under the
tires slick, so there is even less
traction.Try not to break the fragile traction.
If you accelerate too fast, the drive
wheels will spin and polish the
surface under the tires even more.
If equipped, Traction Control should
be turned on. See
Traction Control/
Electronic Stability Control on
page 9-29.
The Antilock Brake System (ABS)
improves vehicle stability during
hard stops on slippery roads, but
apply the brakes sooner than when
on dry pavement.
Allow greater following distance on
any slippery road and watch for
slippery spots. Icy patches can
occur on otherwise clear roads in
shaded areas. The surface of a
curve or an overpass can remain icy
when the surrounding roads are
clear. Avoid sudden steering
maneuvers and braking while
on ice.
See Antilock Brake System (ABS)
on page 9-26.

Black plate (1,1)Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-6006999) -
2014 - CRC - 9/11/13
Vehicle Care 10-1
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . 10-3
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-5
Engine Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-8
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-9
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . 10-11
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-13
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . 10-13
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-15
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-16
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . 10-19 Overheated Engine
Protection
Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . 10-20
Power Steering Fluid (LF3 and LFX
with AWD) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-21
Power Steering Fluid (LFX with FWD) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-21
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-23
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . 10-25
Automatic Transmission Shift Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-26
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . 10-26
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27
Windshield Replacement . . . 10-27
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Back-Up Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . 10-29
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-31
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-34
Rear Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-39
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-39
Summer Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-39
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . 10-40
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . 10-42

Black plate (39,1)Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-6006999) -
2014 - CRC - 9/11/13
Vehicle Care 10-39
SeeTire Pressure for
High-Speed Operation on
page 10-47 for inflation pressure
adjustment for high-speed
driving.
All-Season Tires
This vehicle may come with
all-season tires. These tires are
designed to provide good overall
performance on most road surfaces
and weather conditions. Original
equipment tires designed to GM's
specific tire performance criteria
have a TPC specification code
molded onto the sidewall. Original
equipment all-season tires can be
identified by the last two characters
of this TPC code, which will
be “MS.”
Consider installing winter tires on
the vehicle if frequent driving on
snow or ice-covered roads is
expected. All-season tires provide
adequate performance for most
winter driving conditions, but they
may not offer the same level of traction or performance as winter
tires on snow or ice-covered roads.
See
Winter Tires on page 10-39.
Winter Tires
This vehicle was not originally
equipped with winter tires. Winter
tires are designed for increased
traction on snow and ice-covered
roads. Consider installing winter
tires on the vehicle if frequent
driving on ice or snow covered
roads is expected. See your dealer
for details regarding winter tire
availability and proper tire selection.
Also, see Buying New Tires on
page 10-55.
With winter tires, there may be
decreased dry road traction,
increased road noise, and shorter
tread life. After changing to winter
tires, be alert for changes in vehicle
handling and braking.
If using 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 the original equipment tires
may not be available for H, V, W, Y,
and ZR speed rated tires. If winter
tires with a lower speed rating are
chosen, never exceed the tire's
maximum speed capability.
Summer Tires
This vehicle may come with high
performance summer tires. These
tires have a special tread and
compound that are optimized for
maximum dry and wet road
performance. This special tread and
compound will decrease
performance in cold climates, and
on ice and snow. We recommend
installing winter tires on the vehicle
if frequent driving in cold
temperatures or on snow or ice
covered roads is expected. See
Winter Tires on page 10-39.

Black plate (56,1)Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-6006999) -
2014 - CRC - 9/11/13
10-56 Vehicle Care
If proper rotation and
maintenance have been done,
all four tires should wear out at
about the same time. SeeTire
Rotation on page 10-53.
However, if it is necessary to
replace only one axle set of
worn tires, place the new tires
on the rear axle.
Winter tires with the same speed
rating as the original equipment
tires may not be available for H,
V, W, Y and ZR speed rated
tires. Never exceed the winter
tires’ maximum speed capability
when using winter tires with a
lower speed rating.
{Warning
Tires could explode during
improper service. Attempting
to mount or dismount a tire
could cause injury or death.
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
Only your dealer or authorized
tire service center should
mount or dismount the tires.
{Warning
Mixing tires of different sizes,
brands, or types may cause
loss of control of the vehicle,
resulting in a crash or other
vehicle damage. Use the
correct size, brand, and type
of tires on all wheels.
{Warning
Using bias-ply tires on the
vehicle may cause the wheel
rim flanges to develop cracks
after many miles of driving.
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
A tire and/or wheel could fail
suddenly and cause a crash.
Use only radial-ply tires with
the wheels on the vehicle.
If the vehicle tires must be
replaced with a tire that does not
have a TPC Spec number, make
sure they are the same size,
load range, speed rating, and
construction (radial) as the
original tires.
Vehicles that have a tire
pressure monitoring system
could give an inaccurate
low-pressure warning if non-TPC
Spec rated tires are installed.
See Tire Pressure Monitor
System on page 10-48.

Black plate (57,1)Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-6006999) -
2014 - CRC - 9/11/13
Vehicle Care 10-57
The Tire and Loading
Information label indicates the
original equipment tires on the
vehicle. SeeVehicle Load Limits
on page 9-10.
Different Size Tires and
Wheels
If wheels or tires are installed that
are a different size than the original
equipment wheels and tires, vehicle
performance, including its braking,
ride and handling characteristics,
stability, and resistance to rollover
may be affected. If the vehicle has
electronic systems such as antilock
brakes, rollover airbags, traction
control, electronic stability control,
or All-Wheel Drive, the performance
of these systems can also be
affected.
{Warning
If different sized wheels are used,
there may not be an acceptable
level of performance and safety if
tires not recommended for those
wheels are selected. This
increases the chance of a crash
and serious injury. Only use GM
specific wheel and tire systems
developed for the vehicle, and
have them properly installed by a
GM certified technician.
See Buying New Tires on
page 10-55 andAccessories and
Modifications on page 10-3.
Uniform Tire Quality
Grading
Quality grades can be found
where applicable on the tire
sidewall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width. For
example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA
Temperature A
The following information relates
to the system developed by the
United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA), which grades tires by
treadwear, traction, and
temperature performance. This
applies only to vehicles sold in
the United States. The grades
are molded on the sidewalls of
most passenger car tires. The
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
(UTQG) system does not apply
to deep tread, winter tires,
compact spare tires, tires with

Black plate (2,1)Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-6006999) -
2014 - CRC - 9/11/13
i-2 INDEX
B
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25Exterior Lighting BatterySaver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-76
Power Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
Voltage and Charging Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-37
Blade Replacement, Wiper . . . 10-27
Brake Parking, Electric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
System Warning Light . . . . . . . . 5-22
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22 Antilock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-23
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-37
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Braking System Active Emergency . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
Break-In, New Vehicle . . . . . . . . . 9-15 Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Back-up Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
High Intensity Discharge
(HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
License Plate Lamps . . . . . . . 10-29
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-55
C
Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
California Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . 9-59
Perchlorate Materials
Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Canadian Vehicle Owners . . . . . . . . iii
Capacities and Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Carbon Monoxide Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-22
Trunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-8
Cargo Management System . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
Tie-Downs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4 Cautions, Danger, and
Warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
Center Console Storage . . . . . . . . 4-3
Chains, Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-60
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . 5-19
Check Engine Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Child Restraints Infants and YoungChildren . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-38
Lower Anchors and
Tethers for Children . . . . . . . . . 3-43
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-36
Securing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-50, 3-52
Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-40
Cigarette Lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Cleaning
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-82
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-87
Climate Control Systems
Dual Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-6
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Cluster, Instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Collision Damage Repair . . . . . . 13-9

Black plate (11,1)Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-6006999) -
2014 - CRC - 9/11/13
INDEX i-11
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-17
Starting the VehicleMessages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-46
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4 Fluid, Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-21
Heated Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
Wheel Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Wheel Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Storage Areas Armrest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Cargo Management System . . . 4-4
Center Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Convenience Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Storage Compartments . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Storing the Tire Sealant and Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . 10-69
Stuck Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-10
Sun Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-23
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-25
Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv System
Active Emergency Braking . . . . 9-52
Forward Collision
Alert (FCA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-50
Infotainment . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1, 13-15
Systems Driver Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-43
T
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Text Telephone (TTY) Users . . . 13-4
Theft-Deterrent Systems . . . . . . . 2-18Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18
Thigh Support Adjustment . . . . . . 3-5
Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Tires Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-55
Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-60
Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-70
Compact Spare . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-75
Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-42
Different Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-57
Full-Size Spare . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-76
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . 10-60
Inflation Monitor System . . . . 10-49
Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-53 Tires (cont'd)
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-46
Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-47
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Pressure Monitor System . . . 10-48
Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-53
Sealant and
Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . 10-62
Sealant and Compressor
Kit, Storing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-69
Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . 10-40
Terminology and Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-43
Uniform Tire Quality
Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-57
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-59
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . 10-59
When It Is Time for New
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-54
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-39
Towing Driving Characteristics . . . . . . . . 9-62
Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-67
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 9-62

Black plate (13,1)Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-6006999) -
2014 - CRC - 9/11/13
INDEX i-13
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-21Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-47
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-21
Windshield Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27
Wiper/Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
Winter
Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-8
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-39
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . 10-27