2007 Cadillac XLR Owners Manual

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Point of Interest (POI) Commands The following commands will cause the system to display icons if they are available on the map screen when the map scale is set to a half mile (eight-tenths km) or less. Restaurant, I’m Hungry: These commands will cause the system to display restaurant POI icons. American Restaurant, American Food: These commands will cause the system to display American restaurant POI icons. Chinese Restaurant, Chinese Food: These commands will cause the system to display Chinese restaurant POI icons. Continental Restaurant, Continental Food: These commands will cause the system to display Continental restaurant POI icons. French Restaurant, French Food: These commands will cause the system to display French restaurant POI icons. Italian Restaurant, Italian Food: These commands will cause the system to display Italian restaurant POI icons. 318 Japanese Restaurant, Japanese Food: These commands will cause the system to display Japanese restaurant POI icons. Mexican Restaurant, Mexican Food: These commands will cause the system to display Mexican restaurant POI icons. Seafood Restaurant, Seafood: These commands will cause the system to display Seafood restaurant POI icons. Other Restaurant, Other Food: These commands will cause the system to display other types of restaurant POI icons. Shopping, Shopping Mall: These commands will cause the system to display mall POI icons. Grocery Store: This command will cause the system to display grocery store POI icons. Gas Station, Gas: These commands will cause the system to display gas station POI icons. Parking Garage: This command will cause the system to display parking garage POI icons. Parking Lot: This command will cause the system to display parking lot POI icons. Rental Car Agency: This command will cause the system to display rental car POI icons. Automobile Club, Triple A: These commands will cause the system to display auto club POI icons. Auto Service And Maintenance, Auto Service, Maintenance: These commands will cause the system to display auto service POI icons. Hotel: This command will cause the system to display hotel POI icons. Golf Course: This command will cause the system to display golf course POI icons. Ski Resort, Skiing: These commands will cause the system to display ski resort POI icons. Amusement Park: This command will cause the system to display amusement park POI icons. Sport Complex, Stadium: These commands will cause the system to display sports complex POI icons. Casino: This command will cause the system to display casino POI icons. Marina: This command will cause the system to display marina POI icons. Tourist Attraction: This command will cause the system to display tourist attraction POI icons. Winery: This command will cause the system to display winery POI icons. City Hall: This command will cause the system to display city hall POI icons. Police Station: This command will cause the system to display police station POI icons. Library: This command will cause the system to display library POI icons. Hospital: This command will cause the system to display hospital POI icons. Park & Recreation, Parks & Recreation: These commands will cause the system to display parks and recreation POI icons. Civic Center, Community Center: These commands will cause the system to display community center POI icons. Convention Center, Exhibition Center: These commands will cause the system to display convention center POI icons. 319 Court House: This command will cause the system to display court house POI icons. Train Station: This command will cause the system to display train station POI icons. Airport: This command will cause the system to display airport POI icons. Bus Station: This command will cause the system to display bus station POI icons. Commuter Rail Station: This command will cause the system to display commuter rail station POI icons. Ferry Terminal: This command will cause the system to display ferry terminal POI icons. Park & Ride: This command will cause the system to display park & ride POI icons. Rest Area, Rest Stop: These commands will cause the system to display rest area POI icons. Tourist Information: This command will cause the system to display tourist information POI icons. 320 Historical Monument: This command will cause the system to display historical monument POI icons. Performing Arts: This command will cause the system to display performing arts POI icons. Museum: This command will cause the system to display museum POI icons. Bank: This command will cause the system to display bank POI icons. School: This command will cause the system to display school POI icons. ATM: This command will cause the system to display ATM POI icons. Higher Education, University, College: These commands will cause the system to display higher education POI icons. Business Facility: This command will cause the system to display business facility POI icons. City Center: This command will cause the system to display city center POI icons. POI Off: This command will cause the system to turn off POIs so they do not appear on the map screen. Section 5 Driving Your Vehicle Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle ............................................ 322 Defensive Driving ...................................... 322 Drunken Driving ........................................ 323 Control of a Vehicle .................................. 326 Braking ...................................................... 326 Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) .................. 327 Braking in Emergencies ............................. 329 Traction Control System (TCS) .................. 329 Magnetic Ride Control ............................... 331 Limited-Slip Rear Axle ............................... 331 StabiliTrak® System ................................... 331 Steering .................................................... 333 Off-Road Recovery .................................... 335 Passing ..................................................... 335 Loss of Control .......................................... 337 Racing or Other Competitive Driving (XLR-V) ...................................... 338 Driving at Night ......................................... 339 Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads ............ 340 City Driving ............................................... 343 Freeway Driving ........................................ 344 Before Leaving on a Long Trip .................. 345 Highway Hypnosis ..................................... 346 Hill and Mountain Roads ........................... 347 Winter Driving ........................................... 349 If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow .......................................... 353 Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out ........... 354 Loading Your Vehicle ................................ 354 Towing ........................................................ 359 Towing Your Vehicle ................................. 359 Recreational Vehicle Towing ...................... 359 Towing a Trailer ........................................ 359 321 Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle {CAUTION: Defensive Driving The best advice anyone can give about driving is: Drive defensively. Please start with a very important safety device in your vehicle: Buckle up. See Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone on page 13. 322 Defensive driving really means “Be ready for anything.” On city streets, rural roads, or expressways, it means “Always expect the unexpected.” Assume that pedestrians or other drivers are going to be careless and make mistakes. Anticipate what they might do and be ready. Rear-end collisions are about the most preventable of accidents. Yet they are common. Allow enough following distance. Defensive driving requires that a driver concentrate on the driving task. Anything that distracts from the driving task makes proper defensive driving more difficult and can even cause a collision, with resulting injury. Ask a passenger to help do these things, or pull off the road in a safe place to do them. These simple defensive driving techniques could save your life. Drunken Driving Death and injury associated with drinking and driving is a national tragedy. It is the number one contributor to the highway death toll, claiming thousands of victims every year. Alcohol affects four things that anyone needs to drive a vehicle: (cid:127) Judgment (cid:127) Muscular Coordination (cid:127) Vision (cid:127) Attentiveness Police records show that almost half of all motor vehicle-related deaths involve alcohol. In most cases, these deaths are the result of someone who was drinking and driving. In recent years, more than 16,000 annual motor vehicle-related deaths have been associated with the use of alcohol, with more than 300,000 people injured. Many adults — by some estimates, nearly half the adult population — choose never to drink alcohol, so they never drive after drinking. For persons under 21, it is against the law in every U.S. state to drink alcohol. There are good medical, psychological, and developmental reasons for these laws. The obvious way to eliminate the leading highway safety problem is for people never to drink alcohol and then drive. But what if people do? How much is “too much” if someone plans to drive? It is a lot less than many might think. Although it depends on each person and situation, here is some general information on the problem. The Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of someone who is drinking depends upon four things: (cid:127) The amount of alcohol consumed (cid:127) The drinker’s body weight (cid:127) The amount of food that is consumed before and during drinking (cid:127) The length of time it has taken the drinker to consume the alcohol 323 According to the American Medical Association, a 180 lb (82 kg) person who drinks three 12 ounce (355 ml) bottles of beer in an hour will end up with a BAC of about 0.06 percent. The person would reach the same BAC by drinking three 4 ounce (120 ml) glasses of wine or three mixed drinks if each had 1-1/2 ounces (45 ml) of liquors like whiskey, gin, or vodka. It is the amount of alcohol that counts. For example, if the same person drank three double martinis (3 ounces or 90 ml of liquor each) within an hour, the person’s BAC would be close to 0.12 percent. A person who consumes food just before or during drinking will have a somewhat lower BAC level. There is a gender difference, too. Women generally have a lower relative percentage of body water than men. Since alcohol is carried in body water, this means that a woman generally will reach a higher BAC level than a man of her same body weight will when each has the same number of drinks. The law in most U.S. states, and throughout Canada, sets the legal limit at 0.08 percent. In some other countries, the limit is even lower. For example, it is 0.05 percent in both France and Germany. The BAC limit for all commercial drivers in the United States is 0.04 percent. The BAC will be over 0.10 percent after three to six drinks (in one hour). Of course, as we have seen, it depends on how much alcohol is in the drinks, and how quickly the person drinks them. 324 But the ability to drive is affected well below a BAC of 0.10 percent. Research shows that the driving skills of many people are impaired at a BAC approaching 0.05 percent, and that the effects are worse at night. All drivers are impaired at BAC levels above 0.05 percent. Statistics show that the chance of being in a collision increases sharply for drivers who have a BAC of 0.05 percent or above. A driver with a BAC level of 0.06 percent has doubled his or her chance of having a collision. At a BAC level of 0.10 percent, the chance of this driver having a collision is 12 times greater; at a level of 0.15 percent, the chance is 25 times greater! The body takes about an hour to rid itself of the alcohol in one drink. No amount of coffee or number of cold showers will speed that up. “I will be careful” is not the right answer. What if there is an emergency, a need to take sudden action, as when a child darts into the street? A person with even a moderate BAC might not be able to react quickly enough to avoid the collision. There is something else about drinking and driving that many people do not know. Medical research shows that alcohol in a person’s system can make crash injuries worse, especially injuries to the brain, spinal cord, or heart. This means that when anyone who has been drinking — driver or passenger — is in a crash, that person’s chance of being killed or permanently disabled is higher than if the person had not been drinking. {CAUTION: Drinking and then driving is very dangerous. Your reﬂexes, perceptions, attentiveness, and judgment can be affected by even a small amount of alcohol. You can have a serious — or even fatal — collision if you drive after drinking. Please do not drink and drive or ride with a driver who has been drinking. Ride home in a cab; or if you are with a group, designate a driver who will not drink. 325 Control of a Vehicle You have three systems that make your vehicle go where you want it to go. They are the brakes, the steering, and the accelerator. All three systems have to do their work at the places where the tires meet the road. Sometimes, as when you are driving on snow or ice, it is easy to ask more of those control systems than the tires and road can provide. That means you can lose control of your vehicle. See Traction Control System (TCS) on page 329 and StabiliTrak® System on page 331. Adding non-GM accessories can affect your vehicle’s performance. See Accessories and Modiﬁcations on page 363. Braking See Brake System Warning Light on page 192. Braking action involves perception time and reaction time. First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal. That is perception time. Then you have to bring up your foot and do it. That is reaction time. Average reaction time is about three-fourths of a second. But that is only an average. It might be less with one driver and as long as two or three seconds or more with another. Age, physical condition, alertness, coordination, and eyesight all play a part. So do alcohol, drugs, and frustration. But even in three-fourths of a second, a vehicle moving at 60 mph (100 km/h) travels 66 feet (20 m). That could be a lot of distance in an emergency, so keeping enough space between your vehicle and others is important. And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly with the surface of the road, whether it is pavement or gravel; the condition of the road, whether it is wet, dry, or icy; tire tread; the condition of the brakes; the weight of the vehicle; and the amount of brake force applied. 326 Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in spurts — heavy acceleration followed by heavy braking — rather than keeping pace with traffic. This is a mistake. The brakes may not have time to cool between hard stops. The brakes will wear out much faster if you do a lot of heavy braking. If you keep pace with the traffic and allow realistic following distances, you will eliminate a lot of unnecessary braking. That means better braking and longer brake life. If your vehicle’s engine ever stops while you are driving, brake normally but do not pump the brakes. If you do, the pedal may get harder to push down. If the engine stops, you will still have some power brake assist. But you will use it when you brake. Once the power assist is used up, it may take longer to stop and the brake pedal will be harder to push. Adding non-GM accessories can affect your vehicle’s performance. See Accessories and Modiﬁcations on page 363. Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) Your vehicle has the Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS), an advanced electronic braking system that will help prevent a braking skid. When you start your engine and begin to drive away, ABS will check itself. You may hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while this test is going on, and you may even notice that your brake pedal moves a little. This is normal. If there is a problem with ABS, this warning light will stay on. See Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light on page 193. 327 ABS can change the brake pressure faster than any driver could. The computer is programmed to make the most of available tire and road conditions. This can help you steer around the obstacle while braking hard. Let us say the road is wet and you are driving safely. Suddenly, an animal jumps out in front of you. You slam on the brakes and continue braking. Here is what happens with ABS: A computer senses that wheels are slowing down. If one of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the computer will separately work the brakes at each wheel. 328 As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates on wheel speed and controls braking pressure accordingly. Remember: ABS does not change the time you need to get your foot up to the brake pedal or always decrease stopping distance. If you get too close to the vehicle in front of you, you will not have time to apply your brakes if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops. Always leave enough room up ahead to stop, even though you have ABS. Using ABS Do not pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down ﬁrmly and let anti-lock work for you. You may hear a motor or clicking noise and feel the brake pedal move a little during a stop, but this is normal. Braking in Emergencies With ABS, you can steer and brake at the same time. In many emergencies, steering can help you more than even the very best braking. Traction Control System (TCS) Your vehicle has a traction control system that limits wheel spin. This is especially useful in slippery road conditions. The system operates only if it senses that one or both of the rear wheels are spinning or beginning to lose traction. When this happens, the system works the rear brakes and reduces engine power to limit wheel spin. The TRAC SYSTEM ACTIVE message will display on the Driver Information Center (DIC) when the traction control system is limiting wheel spin. See DIC Warnings and Messages on page 206. You may feel or hear the system working, but this is normal. If your vehicle is in cruise control when the traction control system begins to limit wheel spin, the cruise control will automatically disengage. When road conditions allow you to safely use it again, you may reengage the cruise control. See Adaptive Cruise Control on page 150 or Cruise Control on page 147 for more information. 329 This warning light will come on to let you know if there is a problem with your traction control system. To turn the system off, press the front part of the traction control button located on the center console. See Traction Control System (TCS) Warning Light on page 194. When this warning light is on, the system will not limit wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly. The traction control system automatically comes on whenever you start your vehicle. To limit wheel spin, especially in slippery road conditions, you should always leave the system on. But you can turn the traction control system off if you ever need to. You should turn the system off if your vehicle ever gets stuck in sand, mud or snow and rocking the vehicle is required. See Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out on page 354 and If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow on page 353 for more information. The TRACTION SYSTEM OFF message will display on the DIC and the traction control system warning light will come on. If the system is limiting wheel spin when you press the button, the TRACTION SYSTEM OFF message will display – but the system will not turn off right away. It will wait until there is no longer a current need to limit wheel spin. You can turn the system back on at any time by pressing the button again. The TRACTION SYSTEM ON message should display brieﬂy on the Driver Information Center. See DIC Warnings and Messages on page 206 for more information. Adding non-GM accessories can affect your vehicle’s performance. See Accessories and Modiﬁcations on page 363 for more information. 330 Magnetic Ride Control Magnetic Ride Control automatically adjusts the ride of your vehicle. Automatic ride control is achieved through a computer used to control and monitor the suspension system. The controller receives input from various sensors to determine the proper system response. If the controller detects a problem within the system, the DIC will display a SERVICE RIDE CONTROL message. See DIC Warnings and Messages on page 206 for more information. See your dealer for service. Limited-Slip Rear Axle Your limited-slip rear axle can give you additional traction on snow, mud, ice, sand or gravel. It works like a standard axle most of the time, but when one of the rear wheels has no traction and the other does, this feature will allow the wheel with traction to move the vehicle. StabiliTrak® System The StabiliTrak® System is a computer controlled system that helps the driver maintain directional control of the vehicle in difficult driving conditions. This is accomplished by selectively applying any one of the vehicle’s brakes. When you ﬁrst start your vehicle and begin to drive away (6 mph (10 km/h)), especially during cold weather, the message STABILITRAK WARMING may be displayed in the Driver Information Center (DIC), the instrument panel cluster light will be on, and a chime will sound. This is normal. You can acknowledge this message by pressing the RESET button. The StabiliTrak® System performance is affected until the message, STABILITRAK READY, is displayed in the DIC. This can take up to 15 minutes. The WAIT FOR STABILITRAK message may be displayed in the DIC after exceeding 19 mph (30 km/h) for 10 seconds if the steering is not centered. The system is off until the STABILITRAK ACTIVE message is displayed. 331 ever need to. If you turn the StabiliTrak® system off, the Traction Control System will also be turned off. Adjust your driving accordingly. To turn the system off, press and hold the front part of the traction control button on the console for ﬁve seconds with the vehicle stopped. You can turn the system back on at any time by pressing the button. The DIC will display the appropriate message when you push the button, either TRAC/STABILITRAK ON or TRAC/STABILITRAK OFF. The STABILITRAK ACTIVE message will come on when the system is operating. See DIC Warnings and Messages on page 206 for more information. You may also feel or hear the system working. This is normal. The instrument panel cluster light will come on and a chime will sound to let you know if there is a problem with the system. The SERVICE STABILITRAK message will also be displayed. See DIC Warnings and Messages on page 206 for more information. When this light and the SERVICE STABILITRAK message are on, the system is not operational. Adjust your driving accordingly. The system comes on automatically whenever you start your vehicle. To help maintain directional control of the vehicle, you should always leave the system on. You can turn the system off if you 332 Steering Power Steering If you lose power steering assist because the engine stops or the system is not functioning, you can steer but it will take much more effort. Magnetic Speed Variable Assist Steering Your vehicle has a steering system that continuously adjusts the effort you feel when steering at all vehicle speeds. It provides ease when parking, yet a ﬁrm, solid feel at highway speeds. Steering Tips It is important to take curves at a reasonable speed. A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned on the news happen on curves. Here is why: Experienced driver or beginner, each of us is subject to the same laws of physics when driving on curves. The traction of the tires against the road surface makes it possible for the vehicle to change its path when you turn the front wheels. If there is no traction, inertia will keep the vehicle going in the same direction. If you have ever tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you will understand this. The traction you can get in a curve depends on the condition of the tires and the road surface, the angle at which the curve is banked, and your speed. While you are in a curve, speed is the one factor you can control. Suppose you are steering through a sharp curve. Then you suddenly accelerate. Both control systems — steering and acceleration — have to do their work where the tires meet the road. Adding the sudden acceleration can demand too much of those places. You can lose control. See Traction Control System (TCS) on page 329. What should you do if this ever happens? Ease up on the accelerator pedal, steer the vehicle the way you want it to go, and slow down. Speed limit signs near curves warn that you should adjust your speed. Of course, the posted speeds are based on good weather and road conditions. Under less favorable conditions you will want to go slower. 333 If you need to reduce your speed as you approach a curve, do it before you enter the curve, while the front wheels are straight ahead. Try to adjust your speed so you can “drive” through the curve. Maintain a reasonable, steady speed. Wait to accelerate until you are out of the curve, and then accelerate gently into the straightaway. Adding non-GM accessories can affect your vehicle’s performance. See Accessories and Modiﬁcations on page 363. Steering in Emergencies There are times when steering can be more effective than braking. For example, you come over a hill and ﬁnd a truck stopped in your lane, or a car suddenly pulls out from nowhere, or a child darts out from between parked cars and stops right in front of you. You can avoid these problems by braking — if you can stop in time. But sometimes you cannot; there is not room. That is the time for evasive action — steering around the problem. Your vehicle can perform very well in emergencies like these. First apply your brakes. 334 See Braking on page 326. It is better to remove as much speed as you can from a possible collision. Then steer around the problem, to the left or right depending on the space available. An emergency like this requires close attention and a quick decision. If you are holding the steering wheel at the recommended 9 and 3 o’clock positions, you can turn it a full 180 degrees very quickly without removing either hand. But you have to act fast, steer quickly, and just as quickly straighten the wheel once you have avoided the object. The fact that such emergency situations are always possible is a good reason to practice defensive driving at all times and wear safety belts properly. Off-Road Recovery You may ﬁnd that your right wheels have dropped off the edge of a road onto the shoulder while you are driving. If the level of the shoulder is only slightly below the pavement, recovery should be fairly easy. Ease off the accelerator and then, if there is nothing in the way, steer so that your vehicle straddles the edge of the pavement. You can turn the steering wheel up to one-quarter turn until the right front tire contacts the pavement edge. Then turn your steering wheel to go straight down the roadway. Passing The driver of a vehicle about to pass another on a two-lane highway waits for just the right moment, accelerates, moves around the vehicle ahead, then goes back into the right lane again. A simple maneuver? Not necessarily! Passing another vehicle on a two-lane highway is a potentially dangerous move, since the passing vehicle occupies the same lane as oncoming traffic for several seconds. A miscalculation, an error in judgment, or a brief surrender to frustration or anger can suddenly put the passing driver face to face with the worst of all traffic accidents — the head-on collision. 335 So here are some tips for passing: (cid:127) Drive ahead. Look down the road, to the sides, and to crossroads for situations that might affect your passing patterns. If you have any doubt whatsoever about making a successful pass, wait for a better time. (cid:127) Watch for traffic signs, pavement markings, and lines. If you can see a sign up ahead that might indicate a turn or an intersection, delay your pass. A broken center line usually indicates it is all right to pass, providing the road ahead is clear. Never cross a solid line on your side of the lane or a double solid line, even if the road seems empty of approaching traffic. (cid:127) Do not get too close to the vehicle you want to pass while you are awaiting an opportunity. For one thing, following too closely reduces your area of vision, especially if you are following a larger vehicle. Also, you will not have adequate space if the vehicle ahead suddenly slows or stops. Keep back a reasonable distance. (cid:127) When it looks like a chance to pass is coming up, start to accelerate but stay in the right lane and do not get too close. Time your move 336 so you will be increasing speed as the time comes to move into the other lane. If the way is clear to pass, you will have a running start that more than makes up for the distance you would lose by dropping back. And if something happens to cause you to cancel your pass, you need only slow down and drop back again and wait for another opportunity. If other vehicles are lined up to pass a slow vehicle, wait your turn. But take care that someone is not trying to pass you as you pull out to pass the slow vehicle. Remember to glance over your shoulder and check the blind spot. (cid:127) (cid:127) Check your vehicle’s mirrors, glance over your shoulder, and start your left lane change signal before moving out of the right lane to pass. When you are far enough ahead of the passed vehicle to see its front in your vehicle’s inside mirror, activate the right lane change signal and move back into the right lane. Remember that your vehicle’s passenger side outside mirror is convex. The vehicle you just passed may seem to be farther away from you than it really is. (cid:127) Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time on two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the next vehicle. (cid:127) Do not overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly. Even though the brake lamps are not ﬂashing, it may be slowing down or starting to turn. If you are being passed, make it easy for the following driver to get ahead of you. Perhaps you can ease a little to the right. (cid:127) Loss of Control Let us review what driving experts say about what happens when the three control systems — brakes, steering, and acceleration — do not have enough friction where the tires meet the road to do what the driver has asked. In any emergency, do not give up. Keep trying to steer and constantly seek an escape route or area of less danger. Skidding In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle. Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking reasonable care suited to existing conditions, and by not overdriving those conditions. But skids are always possible. The three types of skids correspond to your vehicle’s three control systems. In the braking skid, your wheels are not rolling. In the steering or cornering skid, too much speed or steering in a curve causes tires to slip and lose cornering force. And in the acceleration skid, too much throttle causes the driving wheels to spin. A cornering skid is best handled by easing your foot off the accelerator pedal. Remember: Any traction control system helps avoid only the acceleration skid. If your traction control system is off, then an acceleration skid is also best handled by easing your foot off the accelerator pedal. 337 If you use your vehicle for racing or Racing or Other Competitive Driving (XLR-V) See your warranty book before using your vehicle for racing or other competitive driving. Notice: other competitive driving, the engine may use more oil than it would with normal use. Low oil levels can damage the engine. Be sure to check the oil level often during racing or other competitive driving and keep the level at or near 2 quarts (2 L) above the upper mark that shows the proper operating range on the engine oil dipstick. For information on how to add oil, see Engine Oil on page 377. After the competitive driving, remove excess oil so that the level on the dipstick is not above the upper mark that shows the proper operating range. If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want the vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly enough, your vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready for a second skid if it occurs. Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice, gravel, or other material is on the road. For safety, you will want to slow down and adjust your driving to these conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and vehicle control more limited. While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration, or braking, including reducing vehicle speed by shifting to a lower gear. Any sudden changes could cause the tires to slide. You may not realize the surface is slippery until your vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize warning clues — such as enough water, ice, or packed snow on the road to make a mirrored surface — and slow down when you have any doubt. Remember: Any Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) helps avoid only the braking skid. 338 Driving at Night Night driving is more dangerous than day driving. One reason is that some drivers are likely to be impaired — by alcohol or drugs, with night vision problems, or by fatigue. Here are some tips on night driving. (cid:127) Drive defensively. (cid:127) Do not drink and drive. (cid:127) Adjust the inside rearview mirror to reduce the glare from headlamps behind you. (cid:127) Since you cannot see as well, you may need to slow down and keep more space between you and other vehicles. (cid:127) Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your vehicle’s headlamps can light up only so much road ahead. In remote areas, watch for animals. If you are tired, pull off the road in a safe place and rest. (cid:127) (cid:127) No one can see as well at night as in the daytime. But as we get older these differences increase. A 50-year-old driver may require at least twice as much light to see the same thing at night as a 20-year-old. What you do in the daytime can also affect your night vision. For example, if you spend the day in bright sunshine you are wise to wear sunglasses. Your eyes will have less trouble adjusting to night. But if you are driving, do not wear sunglasses at night. They may cut down on glare from headlamps, but they also make a lot of things invisible. You can be temporarily blinded by approaching headlamps. It can take a second or two, or even several seconds, for your eyes to re-adjust to the dark. When you are faced with severe glare, as from a driver who does not lower the high beams, or a vehicle with misaimed headlamps, slow down a little. Avoid staring directly into the approaching headlamps. 339 Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads Keep the windshield and all the glass on your vehicle clean — inside and out. Glare at night is made much worse by dirt on the glass. Even the inside of the glass can build up a ﬁlm caused by dust. Dirty glass makes lights dazzle and ﬂash more than clean glass would, making the pupils of your eyes contract repeatedly. Remember that the headlamps light up far less of a roadway when you are in a turn or curve. Keep your eyes moving; that way, it is easier to pick out dimly lighted objects. Just as the headlamps should be checked regularly for proper aim, so should your eyes be examined regularly. Some drivers suffer from night blindness — the inability to see in dim light — and are not even aware of it. Rain and wet roads can mean driving trouble. On a wet road, you cannot stop, accelerate, or turn as well because your tire-to-road traction is not as good as on dry roads. And, if your tires do not have much tread left, you will get even less traction. It is always wise to go slower and be cautious if rain starts to fall while you are driving. The surface may get wet suddenly when your reﬂexes are tuned for driving on dry pavement. 340 The heavier the rain, the harder it is to see. Even if your windshield wiper blades are in good shape, a heavy rain can make it harder to see road signs and traffic signals, pavement markings, the edge of the road, and even people walking. It is wise to keep your windshield wiping equipment in good shape and keep your windshield washer ﬂuid reservoir ﬁlled with washer ﬂuid. Replace your windshield wiper inserts when they show signs of streaking or missing areas on the windshield, or when strips of rubber start to separate from the inserts. {CAUTION: Wet brakes can cause accidents. They may not work as well in a quick stop and may cause pulling to one side. You could lose control of the vehicle. After driving through a large puddle of water or a car wash, apply your brake pedal lightly until your brakes work normally. Driving too fast through large water puddles or even going through some car washes can cause problems, too. The water may affect your brakes. Try to avoid puddles. But if you cannot, try to slow down before you hit them. Hydroplaning Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much water can build up under your tires that they can actually ride on the water. This can happen if the road is wet enough and you are going fast enough. When your vehicle is hydroplaning, it has little or no contact with the road. Hydroplaning does not happen often. But it can if your tires do not have much tread or if the pressure in one or more is low. It can happen if a lot of water is standing on the road. If you can see reﬂections from trees, telephone poles, or other vehicles, and raindrops dimple the water’s surface, there could be hydroplaning. Hydroplaning usually happens at higher speeds. There just is not a hard and fast rule about hydroplaning. The best advice is to slow down when it is raining. 341 CAUTION: (Continued) If this happens, you and other vehicle occupants could drown. Do not ignore police warning signs, and otherwise be very cautious about trying to drive through ﬂowing water. Some Other Rainy Weather Tips (cid:127) Besides slowing down, allow some extra following distance. And be especially careful when you pass another vehicle. Allow yourself more clear room ahead, and be prepared to have your view restricted by road spray. (cid:127) Have good tires with proper tread depth. See Tires on page 413. If you drive too quickly through Driving Through Deep Standing Water Notice: deep puddles or standing water, water can come in through your engine’s air intake and badly damage your engine. Never drive through water that is slightly lower than the underbody of your vehicle. If you cannot avoid deep puddles or standing water, drive through them very slowly. Driving Through Flowing Water {CAUTION: Flowing or rushing water creates strong forces. If you try to drive through ﬂowing water, as you might at a low water crossing, your vehicle can be carried away. As little as six inches of ﬂowing water can carry away a smaller vehicle. CAUTION: (Continued) 342 City Driving One of the biggest problems with city streets is the amount of traffic on them. You will want to watch out for what the other drivers are doing and pay attention to traffic signals. Here are ways to increase your safety in city driving: (cid:127) Know the best way to get to where you are going. Get a city map and plan your trip into an unknown part of the city just as you would for a cross-country trip. (cid:127) Try to use the freeways that rim and crisscross most large cities. You will save time and energy. See Freeway Driving on page 344. (cid:127) Treat a green light as a warning signal. A traffic light is there because the corner is busy enough to need it. When a light turns green, and just before you start to move, check both ways for vehicles that have not cleared the intersection or may be running the red light. 343 Freeway Driving Mile for mile, freeways — also called thruways, parkways, expressways, turnpikes, or superhighways — are the safest of all roads. But they have their own special rules. 344 The most important advice on freeway driving is: Keep up with traffic and keep to the right. Drive at the same speed most of the other drivers are driving. Too-fast or too-slow driving breaks a smooth traffic ﬂow. Treat the left lane on a freeway as a passing lane. At the entrance, there is usually a ramp that leads to the freeway. If you have a clear view of the freeway as you drive along the entrance ramp, you should begin to check traffic. Try to determine where you expect to blend with the ﬂow. Try to merge into the gap at close to the prevailing speed. Switch on your turn signal, check your mirrors, and glance over your shoulder as often as necessary. Try to blend smoothly with the traffic ﬂow. Once you are on the freeway, adjust your speed to the posted limit or to the prevailing rate if it is slower. Stay in the right lane unless you want to pass. Before changing lanes, check your mirrors. Then use your turn signal. Just before you leave the lane, glance quickly over your shoulder to make sure there is not another vehicle in your blind spot. Once you are moving on the freeway, make certain you allow a reasonable following distance. Expect to move slightly slower at night. When you want to leave the freeway, move to the proper lane well in advance. If you miss your exit, do not, under any circumstances, stop and back up. Drive on to the next exit. The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply. The exit speed is usually posted. Reduce your speed according to your speedometer, not to your sense of motion. After driving for any distance at higher speeds, you may tend to think you are going slower than you actually are. Before Leaving on a Long Trip Make sure you are ready. Try to be well rested. If you must start when you are not fresh — such as after a day’s work — do not plan to make too many miles that ﬁrst part of the journey. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes you can easily drive in. Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep it serviced and maintained, it is ready to go. If it needs service, have it done before starting out. Of course, you will ﬁnd experienced and able service experts in GM dealerships all across North America. They will be ready and willing to help if you need it. Here are some things you can check before a trip: (cid:127) Windshield Washer Fluid: Is the reservoir full? Are all windows clean inside and outside? (cid:127) Wiper Blades: Are they in good shape? (cid:127) Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: Have you checked all levels? (cid:127) Lamps: Are they all working? Are the lenses clean? 345 (cid:127) Tires: They are vitally important to a safe, trouble-free trip. Is the tread good enough for long-distance driving? Are the tires all inﬂated to the recommended pressure? (cid:127) Weather Forecasts: What is the weather outlook along your route? Should you delay your trip a short time to avoid a major storm system? (cid:127) Maps: Do you have up-to-date maps? Highway Hypnosis Is there actually such a condition as highway hypnosis? Or is it just plain falling asleep at the wheel? Call it highway hypnosis, lack of awareness, or whatever. There is something about an easy stretch of road with the same scenery, along with the hum of the tires on the road, the drone of the engine, and the rush of the wind against the vehicle that can make you sleepy. Do not let it happen to you! If it does, your vehicle can leave the road in less than a second, and you could crash and be injured. What can you do about highway hypnosis? First, be aware that it can happen. Then here are some tips: (cid:127) Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a comfortably cool interior. (cid:127) Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road ahead and to the sides. Check your rearview mirrors and your instruments frequently. If you get sleepy, pull off the road into a rest, service, or parking area and take a nap, get some exercise, or both. For safety, treat drowsiness on the highway as an emergency. (cid:127) 346 Hill and Mountain Roads Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from driving in ﬂat or rolling terrain. If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you are planning to visit there, here are some tips that can make your trips safer and more enjoyable. (cid:127) Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all ﬂuid levels and also the brakes, tires, cooling system, and transmission. These parts can work hard on mountain roads. {CAUTION: If you do not shift down, your brakes could get so hot that they would not work well. You would then have poor braking or even none going down a hill. You could crash. Shift down to let your engine assist your brakes on a steep downhill slope. 347 (cid:127) Stay in your own lane when driving on two-lane roads in hills or mountains. Do not swing wide or cut across the center of the road. Drive at speeds that let you stay in your own lane. (cid:127) As you go over the top of a hill, be alert. There could be something in your lane, like a stalled car or an accident. (cid:127) You may see highway signs on mountains that warn of special problems. Examples are long grades, passing or no-passing zones, a falling rocks area, or winding roads. Be alert to these and take appropriate action. {CAUTION: Coasting downhill in NEUTRAL (N) or with the ignition off is dangerous. Your brakes will have to do all the work of slowing down. They could get so hot that they would not work well. You would then have poor braking or even none going down a hill. You could crash. Always have your engine running and your vehicle in gear when you go downhill. (cid:127) Know how to go down hills. The most important thing to know is this: let your engine do some of the slowing down. Shift to a lower gear when you go down a steep or long hill. (cid:127) Know how to go uphill. You may want to shift down to a lower gear. The lower gears help cool your engine and transmission, and you can climb the hill better. 348 Winter Driving Here are some tips for winter driving: (cid:127) Have your vehicle in good shape for winter. (cid:127) You may want to put winter emergency supplies in your vehicle. Also see Tires on page 413. Include an ice scraper, a small brush or broom, a supply of windshield washer ﬂuid, a rag, some winter outer clothing, a small shovel, a ﬂashlight, a red cloth, and a couple of reﬂective warning triangles. And, if you will be driving under severe conditions, include a small bag of sand, a piece of old carpet, or a couple of burlap bags to help provide traction. Be sure you properly secure these items in your vehicle. 349 Driving On Snow or Ice Most of the time, those places where the tires meet the road probably have good traction. However, if there is snow or ice between the tires and the road, you can have a very slippery situation. You will have a lot less traction, or grip, and will need to be very careful. What is the worst time for this? Wet ice. Very cold snow or ice can be slick and hard to drive on. But wet ice can be even more trouble because it may offer the least traction of all. You can get wet ice when it is about freezing, 32°F (0°C), and freezing rain begins to fall. Try to avoid driving on wet ice until salt and sand crews can get there. Whatever the condition — smooth ice, packed, blowing, or loose snow — drive with caution. Traction control improves your ability to accelerate when driving on a slippery road. Even though your vehicle has the Traction Control System (TCS), you will want to slow down and adjust your driving to the road conditions. Under certain conditions, you may want to turn the TCS off, such as when driving through deep snow and loose gravel, to help maintain vehicle motion at lower speeds. See Traction Control System (TCS) on page 329. The StabiliTrak® System may also activate. See StabiliTrak® System on page 331. 350 The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) improves your vehicle’s stability when you make a hard stop on a slippery road. Even though you have ABS, you will want to begin stopping sooner than you would on dry pavement. See Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) on page 327. (cid:127) Allow greater following distance on any slippery road. (cid:127) Watch for slippery spots. The road might be ﬁne until you hit a spot that is covered with ice. On an otherwise clear road, ice patches may appear in shaded areas where the sun cannot reach, such as around clumps of trees, behind buildings, or under bridges. Sometimes the surface of a curve or an overpass may remain icy when the surrounding roads are clear. If you see a patch of ice ahead of you, brake before you are on it. Try not to brake while you are actually on the ice, and avoid sudden steering maneuvers. If You Are Caught in a Blizzard If you are stopped by heavy snow, you could be in a serious situation. You should probably stay with your vehicle unless you know for sure that you are near help and you can hike through the snow. Here are some things to do to summon help and keep yourself and your passengers safe: (cid:127) Turn on your hazard ﬂashers. (cid:127) Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police that you have been stopped by the snow. (cid:127) Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket around you. If you do not have blankets or extra clothing, make body insulators from newspapers, burlap bags, rags, ﬂoor mats — anything you can wrap around yourself or tuck under your clothing to keep warm. 351 {CAUTION: Snow can trap exhaust gases under your vehicle. This can cause deadly CO (carbon monoxide) gas to get inside. CO could overcome you and kill you. You cannot see it or smell it, so you might not know it is in your vehicle. Clear away snow from around the base of your vehicle, especially any that is blocking your exhaust pipe. And check around again from time to time to be sure snow does not collect there. Open a window just a little on the side of the vehicle that is away from the wind. This will help keep CO out. Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves fuel. When you run the engine, make it go a little faster than just idle. That is, push the accelerator slightly. This uses less fuel for the heat that you get and it keeps the battery charged. You can run the engine to keep warm, but be careful. 352 You will need a well-charged battery to restart the vehicle, and possibly for signaling later on with your headlamps. Let the heater run for a while. Then, shut the engine off and close the window almost all the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine again and repeat this only when you feel really uncomfortable from the cold. But do it as little as possible. Preserve the fuel as long as you can. To help keep warm, you can get out of the vehicle and do some fairly vigorous exercises every half hour or so until help comes. If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow In order to free your vehicle when it is stuck, you will need to spin the wheels, but you do not want to spin your wheels too fast. The method known as rocking can help you get out when you are stuck, but you must use caution. {CAUTION: If you let your vehicle’s tires spin at high speed, they can explode, and you or others could be injured. And, the transmission or other parts of the vehicle can overheat. That could cause an engine compartment ﬁre or other damage. When you are stuck, spin the wheels as little as possible. Do not spin the wheels above 35 mph (55 km/h) as shown on the speedometer. Notice: Spinning the wheels can destroy parts of your vehicle as well as the tires. If you spin the wheels too fast while shifting the transmission back and forth, you can destroy the transmission. For information about using tire chains on your vehicle, see Tire Chains on page 435. 353 Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out First, turn the steering wheel left and right. That will clear the area around the front wheels. You should turn the traction control system off. See Traction Control System (TCS) on page 329. Then shift back and forth between REVERSE (R) and a forward gear, spinning the wheels as little as possible. Release the accelerator pedal while you shift, and press lightly on the accelerator pedal when the transmission is in gear. By slowly spinning the wheels in the forward and reverse directions, you will cause a rocking motion that may free your vehicle. If that does not get your vehicle out after a few tries, it may need to be towed out. If your vehicle does need to be towed out, see Towing Your Vehicle on page 359. Loading Your Vehicle It is very important to know how much weight your 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 your vehicle show how much weight it may properly carry, the Tire and Loading Information label and the Certiﬁcation label. {CAUTION: Do not load your vehicle any heavier than the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), or either the maximum front or rear Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR). If you do, parts on your vehicle can break, and it can change the way your vehicle handles. These could cause you to lose control and crash. Also, overloading can shorten the life of your vehicle. 354 Tire and Loading Information Label Label Example A vehicle speciﬁc Tire and Loading Information label is attached to the center pillar (B-pillar) of your vehicle. With the driver’s door open, you will ﬁnd the label attached below the door latch. This label shows the number of occupant seating positions (A), and the maximum vehicle capacity weight (B) in kilograms and pounds. The Tire and Loading Information label also shows the size of the original equipment tires (C) and the recommended cold tire inﬂation pressures (D). For more information on tires and inﬂation see Tires on page 413 and Inﬂation - Tire Pressure on page 422. There is also important loading information on the vehicle Certiﬁcation label. It tells you the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) and the Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for the front and rear axle. See “Certiﬁcation Label” later in this section. Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit 1. Locate the statement “The combined weight of occupants and cargo should never exceed XXX kg or XXX lbs” on your vehicle’s placard. 2. Determine the combined weight of the driver and passengers that will be riding in your vehicle. 3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver and passengers from XXX kg or XXX lbs. 355 4. The resulting ﬁgure equals the available amount of cargo and luggage load capacity. For example, if the “XXX” amount equals 1400 lbs and there will be ﬁve 150 lb passengers in your vehicle, the amount of available cargo and luggage load capacity is 650 lbs (1400 − 750 (5 x 150) = 650 lbs). 5. Determine the combined weight of luggage and cargo being loaded on the vehicle. That weight may not safely exceed the available cargo and luggage load capacity calculated in Step 4. 6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, the load from your trailer will be transferred to your vehicle. Consult this manual to determine how this reduces the available cargo and luggage load capacity of your vehicle. Your vehicle is neither designed nor intended to tow a trailer. 356 Example 1 Item Description Total Vehicle Capacity Weight for Example 1 = Subtract Occupant Weight @ 150 lbs (68 kg) x 1 = Available Occupant and Cargo Weight = 400 lbs (181 kg) 150 lbs (68 kg) 250 lbs (113 kg) Example 2 Example 3 Item Description Total Item Description Total Vehicle Capacity Weight for Example 2 = Subtract Occupant Weight @ 150 lbs (68 kg) x 2 = Available Cargo Weight = 400 lbs (181 kg) 300 lbs (136 kg) 100 lbs (45 kg) Vehicle Capacity Weight for Example 3 = Subtract Occupant Weight @ 200 lbs (91 kg) x 2 = Available Cargo Weight = 400 lbs (181 kg) 400 lbs (181 kg) 0 lbs (0 kg) Refer to your vehicle’s Tire and Loading Information label for speciﬁc information about your vehicle’s capacity weight and seating positions. The combined weight of the driver, passengers, and cargo should never exceed your vehicle’s capacity weight. 357 Certiﬁcation Label A vehicle speciﬁc Certiﬁcation label is attached to the rear edge of the driver’s door. It tells you the gross weight capacity of your vehicle, called the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR). The GVWR includes the weight of the vehicle, all occupants, fuel, and cargo. Never exceed the GVWR for your vehicle, or the Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for either the front or rear axle. And, if you do have a heavy load, you should spread it out. 358 {CAUTION: Do not load your vehicle any heavier than the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), or either the maximum front or rear Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR). If you do, parts on your vehicle can break, and it can change the way your vehicle handles. These could cause you to lose control and crash. Also, overloading can shorten the life of your vehicle. Notice: Overloading your vehicle may cause damage. Repairs would not be covered by your warranty. Do not overload your vehicle. If you put things inside your vehicle — like suitcases, tools, packages, or anything else — they will go as fast as the vehicle goes. If you have to stop or turn quickly, or if there is a crash, they will keep going. {CAUTION: Things you put inside your vehicle can strike and injure people in a sudden stop or turn, or in a crash. (cid:127) Put things in the rear area of your vehicle. Try to spread the weight evenly. (cid:127) Never stack heavier things, like suitcases, inside the vehicle so that some of them are above the tops of the seats. (cid:127) Do not leave an unsecured child restraint in your vehicle. (cid:127) When you carry something inside the vehicle, secure it whenever you can. Towing Towing Your Vehicle Consult your dealer or a professional towing service if you need to have your disabled vehicle towed. See Roadside Service on page 487. Recreational Vehicle Towing Recreational vehicle towing means towing your vehicle behind another vehicle — such as behind a motorhome. The two most common types of recreational vehicle towing are known as “dinghy towing”, towing your vehicle with all four wheels on the ground, and “dolly towing”, towing your vehicle with two wheels on the ground and two wheels up on a device known as a “dolly”. Your vehicle was not designed to be towed with any of its wheels on the ground. If your vehicle must be towed, see “Towing Your Vehicle” earlier in this section. Towing a Trailer Your XLR is neither designed nor intended to tow a trailer. 359 ✍ NOTES 360 Section 6 Service and Appearance Care Service ........................................................ 363 Accessories and Modiﬁcations ................... 363 California Proposition 65 Warning .............. 364 Doing Your Own Service Work .................. 364 Adding Equipment to the Outside of Your Vehicle ................................................... 365 Fuel ............................................................. 365 Gasoline Octane ........................................ 366 Gasoline Speciﬁcations .............................. 366 California Fuel ........................................... 367 Additives ................................................... 367 Fuels in Foreign Countries ........................ 368 Filling the Tank ......................................... 369 Filling a Portable Fuel Container ............... 371 Checking Things Under the Hood .............. 372 Hood Release ........................................... 373 Engine Compartment Overview .................. 374 Engine Oil ................................................. 377 Engine Oil Life System .............................. 380 Supercharger Oil ....................................... 382 Engine Air Cleaner/Filter ............................ 382 Automatic Transmission Fluid .................... 384 Engine Coolant .......................................... 385 Coolant Surge Tank Pressure Cap .............. 388 Engine Overheating ................................... 388 Overheated Engine Protection Operating Mode ..................................... 390 Cooling System ......................................... 391 Power Steering Fluid ................................. 396 Windshield Washer Fluid ........................... 397 Brakes ...................................................... 399 Battery ...................................................... 402 Jump Starting ............................................ 403 Rear Axle .................................................... 407 Headlamp Aiming ........................................ 408 Headlamp Vertical Aiming .......................... 410 Bulb Replacement ....................................... 412 Windshield Replacement ............................ 412 Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement ....... 412 Tires ............................................................ 413 Winter Tires (XLR-V) ................................. 414 Tire Sidewall Labeling ............................... 415 Tire Terminology and Deﬁnitions ............... 417 Run-Flat Tires ........................................... 420 Inﬂation - Tire Pressure ............................. 422 Tire Pressure Monitor System ................... 423 Tire Inspection and Rotation ...................... 426 361 Section 6 Service and Appearance Care When It Is Time for New Tires .................. 428 Buying New Tires ...................................... 428 Different Size Tires and Wheels ................ 430 Uniform Tire Quality Grading ..................... 431 Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance ............ 432 Wheel Replacement .................................. 432 Tire Chains ............................................... 435 Lifting Your Vehicle ................................... 435 If a Tire Goes Flat .................................... 440 Appearance Care ........................................ 441 Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle .......... 441 Fabric/Carpet ............................................. 443 Leather ...................................................... 444 Instrument Panel, Vinyl, and Other Plastic Surfaces ..................................... 444 Wood Panels ............................................. 445 Speaker Covers ........................................ 445 Care of Safety Belts .................................. 445 Weatherstrips ............................................ 445 Washing Your Vehicle ............................... 446 Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses ................ 446 Finish Care ............................................... 447 Windshield and Wiper Blades .................... 447 Aluminum or Chrome-Plated Wheels ......... 448 Tires ......................................................... 449 Sheet Metal Damage ................................. 449 Finish Damage .......................................... 449 Underbody Maintenance ............................ 449 Chemical Paint Spotting ............................ 450 Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials ............ 450 Vehicle Identiﬁcation .................................. 451 Vehicle Identiﬁcation Number (VIN) ........... 451 Service Parts Identiﬁcation Label ............... 451 Electrical System ........................................ 452 Add-On Electrical Equipment ..................... 452 Windshield Wiper Fuses ............................ 452 Power Windows and Other Power Options .................................................. 452 Fuses and Circuit Breakers ....................... 453 Instrument Panel Fuse Block ..................... 453 Underhood Fuse Block .............................. 455 Capacities and Speciﬁcations .................... 458 362 Service Your dealer knows your vehicle best and wants you to be happy with it. We hope you will go to your dealer for all your service needs. You will get genuine GM parts and GM-trained and supported service people. We hope you will want to keep your GM vehicle all GM. Genuine GM parts have one of these marks: Accessories and Modiﬁcations When you add non-GM accessories to your vehicle they can affect your vehicle’s performance and safety, including such things as, airbags, braking, stability, ride and handling, emissions systems, aerodynamics, durability, and electronic systems like anti-lock brakes, traction control and stability control. Some of these accessories may even cause malfunction or damage not covered by warranty. GM Accessories are designed to complement and function with other systems on your vehicle. Your GM dealer can accessorize your vehicle using genuine GM Accessories. When you go to your GM dealer and ask for GM Accessories, you will know that GM-trained and supported service technicians will perform the work using genuine GM Accessories. 363 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 ﬂuids, and some component wear by-products contain and/or emit these chemicals. Doing Your Own Service Work {CAUTION: You can be injured and your vehicle could be damaged if you try to do service work on a vehicle without knowing enough about it. (cid:127) Be sure you have sufficient knowledge, experience, the proper replacement parts, and tools before you attempt any vehicle maintenance task. (cid:127) Be sure to use the proper nuts, bolts, and other fasteners. English and metric fasteners can be easily confused. If you use the wrong fasteners, parts can later break or fall off. You could be hurt. If you want to do some of your own service work, you will want to use the proper service manual. It tells you much more about how to service your vehicle than this manual can. To order the proper service manual, see Service Publications Ordering Information on page 497. 364 Your vehicle has an airbag system. Before attempting to do your own service work, see Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle on page 58. You should keep a record with all parts receipts and list the mileage and the date of any service work you perform. See Maintenance Record on page 477. Adding Equipment to the Outside of Your Vehicle Things you might add to the outside of your vehicle can affect the airﬂow around it. This may cause wind noise and affect windshield washer performance. Check with your dealer before adding equipment to the outside of your vehicle. Fuel Use of the recommended fuel is an important part of the proper maintenance of your vehicle. To help keep your engine clean and maintain optimum vehicle performance, GM recommends the use of gasoline advertised as TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline. The 8th digit of your Vehicle Identiﬁcation Number (VIN) shows the code letter or number that identiﬁes your engine. You will ﬁnd the VIN at the top left of the instrument panel. See Vehicle Identiﬁcation Number (VIN) on page 451. 365 Gasoline Octane If your vehicle has the 4.6L V8 engine (VIN Code A), use premium unleaded gasoline with a posted octane rating of 91 or higher. You may also use regular unleaded gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher, but your vehicle’s acceleration may be slightly reduced, and you may notice a slight audible knocking noise, commonly referred to as spark knock. If the octane is less than 87, you may 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 might damage your engine. If you are using gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher and you hear heavy knocking, your engine needs service. If your vehicle has the 4.4L V8 engine (VIN Code D), use premium unleaded gasoline with a posted octane rating of 91 or higher. For best performance, use premium unleaded gasoline with a posted octane rating of 93. In an emergency, you can use regular unleaded gasoline with an octane rating of 87 or higher. If 87 octane fuel is used, do not perform any aggressive driving maneuvers such as wide open throttle applications. You may also hear audible spark knock during acceleration. Reﬁll your tank with premium fuel as soon as possible to avoid damaging your engine. If you are using gasoline rated at 91 octane or higher and you hear heavy knocking, your engine needs service. Gasoline Speciﬁcations At a minimum, gasoline should meet ASTM speciﬁcation D 4814 in the United States or CAN/CGSB-3.5 in Canada. Some gasolines may contain an octane-enhancing additive called methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl (MMT). General Motors recommends against the use of gasolines containing MMT. See Additives on page 367 for additional information. 366 California Fuel If your vehicle is certiﬁed to meet California Emissions Standards, it is designed to operate on fuels that meet California speciﬁcations. See the underhood emission control label. If this fuel is not available in states adopting California emissions standards, your vehicle will operate satisfactorily on fuels meeting federal speciﬁcations, but emission control system performance may be affected. The malfunction indicator lamp may turn on and your vehicle may fail a smog-check test. See Malfunction Indicator Lamp on page 196. If this occurs, return to your authorized GM dealer for diagnosis. If it is determined that the condition is caused by the type of fuel used, repairs may not be covered by your warranty. Additives To provide cleaner air, all gasolines in the United States are now required to contain additives that will help prevent engine and fuel system deposits from forming, allowing your emission control system to work properly. In most cases, you should not have to add anything to your fuel. However, some gasolines contain only the minimum amount of additive required to meet U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations. To help keep fuel injectors and intake valves clean, or if your vehicle experiences problems due to dirty injectors or valves, look for gasoline that is advertised as TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline. Also, your dealer has additives that will help correct and prevent most deposit-related problems. 367 Gasolines containing oxygenates, such as ethers and ethanol, and reformulated gasolines may be available in your area. General Motors recommends that you use these gasolines if they comply with the speciﬁcations described earlier. However, E85 (85% ethanol) and other fuels containing more than 10% ethanol must not be used in vehicles that were not designed for those fuels. Notice: Your vehicle was not designed for fuel that contains methanol. Do not use fuel containing methanol. It can corrode metal parts in your fuel system and also damage the plastic and rubber parts. That damage would not be covered under your warranty. Some gasolines that are not reformulated for low emissions may contain an octane-enhancing additive called methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl (MMT); ask the attendant where you buy gasoline whether the fuel contains MMT. General Motors recommends against the use of such gasolines. Fuels containing MMT can reduce the life of spark plugs and the performance of the emission control system may be affected. The malfunction indicator lamp may turn on. If this occurs, return to your dealer for service. Fuels in Foreign Countries If you plan on driving in another country outside the United States or Canada, the proper fuel may be hard to ﬁnd. Never use leaded gasoline or any other fuel not recommended in the previous text on fuel. Costly repairs caused by use of improper fuel would not be covered by your warranty. To check the fuel availability, ask an auto club, or contact a major oil company that does business in the country where you will be driving. 368 Filling the Tank {CAUTION: Fuel vapor burns violently and a fuel ﬁre can cause bad injuries. To help avoid injuries to you and others, read and follow all the instructions on the pump island. Turn off your engine when you are refueling. Do not smoke if you are near fuel or refueling your vehicle. Keep sparks, ﬂames, and smoking materials away from fuel. Do not leave the fuel pump unattended when refueling your vehicle. This is against the law in some places. Keep children away from the fuel pump; never let children pump fuel. The tethered fuel cap is located behind a hinged fuel door on the driver’s side of the vehicle. The fuel door release button is located on the left side of the instrument panel. The button only works when the vehicle is in PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) and the valet lockout button is in OFF. 369 An alternate fuel door release is located inside the trunk behind a panel on the driver’s side of the vehicle. Pull the handle to release the fuel door. To remove the fuel cap, turn it slowly counterclockwise. The fuel cap has a spring in it; if the cap is released too soon, it will spring back to the right. While refueling, hang the tethered fuel cap from the hook on the fuel door. 370 {CAUTION: If you spill fuel and then something ignites it, you could be badly burned. Fuel can spray out on you if you open the fuel cap too quickly. This spray can happen if your tank is nearly full, and is more likely in hot weather. Open the fuel cap slowly and wait for any hiss noise to stop. Then unscrew the cap all the way. Be careful not to spill fuel. Do not top off or overﬁll the tank and wait a few seconds after you have ﬁnished pumping before removing the nozzle. Clean fuel from painted surfaces as soon as possible. See Washing Your Vehicle on page 446. When replacing the fuel cap, turn it clockwise until it clicks. Make sure the cap is fully installed. The diagnostic system can determine if the fuel cap has been left off or improperly installed. This would allow fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere. See Malfunction Indicator Lamp on page 196. The CHECK GAS CAP message in the Driver Information Center (DIC) will be displayed if the fuel cap is not properly installed. {CAUTION: If a ﬁre starts while you are refueling, do not remove the nozzle. Shut off the ﬂow of fuel by shutting off the pump or by notifying the station attendant. Leave the area immediately. If you need a new fuel cap, be sure to Notice: get the right type. Your dealer can get one for you. If you get the wrong type, it may not ﬁt properly. This may cause your malfunction indicator lamp to light and may damage your fuel tank and emissions system. See Malfunction Indicator Lamp on page 196. Filling a Portable Fuel Container {CAUTION: Never ﬁll a portable fuel container while it is in your vehicle. Static electricity discharge from the container can ignite the gasoline vapor. You can be badly burned and your vehicle damaged if this occurs. To help avoid injury to you and others: (cid:127) Dispense gasoline only into approved containers. (cid:127) Do not ﬁll a container while it is inside a vehicle, in a vehicle’s trunk, pickup bed, or on any surface other than the ground. (cid:127) Bring the ﬁll nozzle in contact with the inside of the ﬁll opening before operating the nozzle. Contact should be maintained until the ﬁlling is complete. (cid:127) Do not smoke while pumping gasoline. 371 Checking Things Under the Hood {CAUTION: An electric fan under the hood can start up and injure you even when the engine is not running. Keep hands, clothing, and tools away from any underhood electric fan. {CAUTION: Things that burn can get on hot engine parts and start a ﬁre. These include liquids like fuel, oil, coolant, brake ﬂuid, windshield washer and other ﬂuids, and plastic or rubber. You or others could be burned. Be careful not to drop or spill things that will burn onto a hot engine. 372 Hood Release To lift the hood, use the following steps: 1. Pull the lever with this symbol on it. It is located on the lower left side of the instrument panel. 2. Then go to the front of the vehicle and ﬁnd the secondary hood release lever. The lever is located under the hood near the center of the vehicle. Move the release lever to the right and raise the hood. Before closing the hood, be sure all ﬁller caps are on properly. Then pull the hood down and close it ﬁrmly. 373 Engine Compartment Overview When you open the hood on the 4.6L V8 engine, here is what you will see: 374 A. Battery. See Battery on page 402. B. Passenger Compartment Air Filter. See Passenger Compartment Air Filter on page 184. C. Underhood Fuse Block. See Underhood Fuse Block on page 455. D. Power Steering Fluid. See Power Steering Fluid on page 396. E. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter. See Engine Air Cleaner/Filter on page 382. F. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See “When to Add Engine Oil” under Engine Oil on page 377. G. Engine Oil Dipstick. See “Checking Engine Oil” under Engine Oil on page 377. H. Brake Master Cylinder Reservoir. See “Brake Fluid” under Brakes on page 399. I. Engine Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap. See Coolant Surge Tank Pressure Cap on page 388. J. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See “Adding Washer Fluid” under Windshield Washer Fluid on page 397. 375 When you open the hood on the 4.4L V8 XLR-V engine, here is what you will see: 376 A. Battery. See Battery on page 402. B. Passenger Compartment Air Filter. See Passenger Compartment Air Filter on page 184. C. Underhood Fuse Block. See Underhood Fuse Block on page 455. D. Power Steering Fluid. See Power Steering Fluid on page 396. E. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter. See Engine Air Cleaner/Filter on page 382. F. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See “When to Add Engine Oil” under Engine Oil on page 377. G. Engine Oil Dipstick. See “Checking Engine Oil” under Engine Oil on page 377. H. Brake Master Cylinder Reservoir. See “Brake Fluid” under Brakes on page 399. I. Engine Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap. See Coolant Surge Tank Pressure Cap on page 388. J. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See “Adding Washer Fluid” under Windshield Washer Fluid on page 397. Engine Oil If the LOW OIL LEVEL or LOW OIL PRESSURE message on the Driver Information Center (DIC) appears, it means you need to check the engine oil level right away. For more information, see LOW OIL LEVEL and LOW OIL PRESSURE under DIC Warnings and Messages on page 206. You should check the engine oil level regularly; this is an added reminder. Checking Engine Oil It is a good idea to check the engine oil every time you get fuel. In order to get an accurate reading, the oil must be warm and the vehicle must be on level ground. The engine oil dipstick handle is a yellow loop. See Engine Compartment Overview on page 374 for the location of the engine oil dipstick. 1. Turn off the engine and give the oil several minutes to drain back into the oil pan. If you do not do this, the oil dipstick might not show the actual level. 2. Pull out the dipstick and clean it with a paper towel or cloth, then push it back in all the way. Remove it again, keeping the tip down, and check the level. 377 When to Add Engine Oil See Engine Compartment Overview on page 374 for the location of the engine oil ﬁll cap. If the oil is below the cross-hatched area at the tip of the dipstick, you will need to add at least one quart/liter of oil. But you must use the right kind. This section explains what kind of oil to use. For engine oil crankcase capacity, see Capacities and Speciﬁcations on page 458. Notice: Do not add too much oil. If the engine has so much oil that the oil level gets above the cross-hatched area that shows the proper operating range, the engine could be damaged. Be sure to add enough oil to put the level somewhere in the proper operating range. Push the dipstick all the way back in when you are through. 378 What Kind of Engine Oil to Use Look for two things: (cid:127) GM4718M Your vehicle’s engine requires a special oil meeting GM Standard GM4718M. Oils meeting this standard may be identiﬁed as synthetic. However, not all synthetic oils will meet this GM standard. You should look for and use only an oil that meets GM Standard GM4718M. If you use oils that do not have the Notice: GM4718M Standard designation, you can cause engine damage not covered by your warranty. (cid:127) SAE 5W-30 As shown in the viscosity chart, SAE 5W-30 is best for your vehicle. These numbers on an oil container show its viscosity, or thickness. Do not use other viscosity oils such as SAE 20W-50.

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2007 Cadillac XLR Owners Manual