Cadillac 2005 XLR User manual

Seats and Restraint Systems ........................... 1-1
Front Seats ............................................... 1-2
Safety Belts .............................................. 1-5
Child Restraints ....................................... 1-19
Airbag System ......................................... 1-36
Restraint System Check ............................ 1-48
Features and Controls ..................................... 2-1
Keys ........................................................ 2-2
Doors and Locks ....................................... 2-9
Windows ................................................. 2-16
Theft-Deterrent Systems ............................ 2-19
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle ........... 2-21
Mirrors .................................................... 2-34
OnStar
®
System ...................................... 2-36
HomeLink
®
Transmitter ............................. 2-38
Storage Areas ......................................... 2-42
Retractable Hardtop .................................. 2-45
Vehicle Personalization ............................. 2-54
Instrument Panel ............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview .......................... 3-4
Climate Controls ...................................... 3-40
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators ........ 3-46
Driver Information Center (DIC) .................. 3-61
Trip Computer ......................................... 3-77
Audio System(s) ....................................... 3-78
Navigation System .......................................... 4-1
Overview .................................................. 4-2
Features and Controls ................................ 4-4
Navigation Audio System ........................... 4-45
Voice Recognition ......................................4-69
Driving Your Vehicle ....................................... 5-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle ..... 5-2
Towing ................................................... 5-35
Service and Appearance Care .......................... 6-1
Service ..................................................... 6-3
Fuel ......................................................... 6-5
Checking Things Under the Hood ............... 6-10
Rear Axle ............................................... 6-41
Headlamp Aiming ..................................... 6-42
Bulb Replacement .................................... 6-44
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement ......... 6-45
Tires ...................................................... 6-46
Appearance Care ..................................... 6-70
Vehicle Identification ................................. 6-79
Electrical System ...................................... 6-80
Capacities and Specifications ..................... 6-85
Maintenance Schedule ..................................... 7-1
Maintenance Schedule ................................ 7-2
Customer Assistance and Information .............. 8-1
Customer Assistance and Information ........... 8-2
Reporting Safety Defects ........................... 8-11
Index .................................................................1
2005 Cadillac XLR Owner Manual M

GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem, CADILLAC,
the CADILLAC Crest & Wreath, and the name XLR
are registered trademarks of General Motors
Corporation.
This manual includes the latest information at the time it
was printed. We reserve the right to make changes
after that time to the product without notice. For vehicles
first sold in Canada, substitute the name “General
Motors of Canada Limited” for Cadillac Motor Car
Division whenever it appears in this manual.
Keep this manual in the vehicle, so it will be there if it is
needed while you are on the road. If the vehicle is
sold, leave this manual in the vehicle.
Canadian Owners
A French language copy of this manual can be obtained
from your dealer or from:
Helm, Incorporated
P.O. Box 07130
Detroit, MI 48207
How to Use This Manual
Many people read the owner manual from beginning to
end when they first receive their new vehicle. If this
is done, it can help you learn about the features
and controls for the vehicle. Pictures and words work
together in the owner manual to explain things.
Index
A good place to quickly locate information about the
vehicle is the Index in the back of the manual. It is an
alphabetical list of what is in the manual and the
page number where it can be found.
Litho in U.S.A.
Part No. 05XLR A First Edition
©
2004 General Motors Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
ii

Safety Warnings and Symbols
There are a number of safety cautions in this book. We
use a box and the word CAUTION to tell about things
that could hurt you if you were to ignore the warning.
{CAUTION:
These mean there is something that could hurt
you or other people.
In the caution area, we tell you what the hazard is.
Then we tell you what to do to help avoid or reduce the
hazard. Please read these cautions. If you do not,
you or others could be hurt.
You will also find a circle
with a slash through it in
this book. This safety
symbol means “Do Not,”
“Do Not do this” or “Do Not
let this happen.”
iii

Vehicle Damage Warnings
Also, in this manual you will find these notices:
Notice: These mean there is something that could
damage your vehicle.
A notice tells about something that can damage the
vehicle. Many times, this damage would not be covered
by your vehicle’s warranty, and it could be costly. But
the notice will tell what to do to help avoid the damage.
When you read other manuals, you might see
CAUTION and NOTICE warnings in different colors or in
different words.
There are also warning labels on the vehicle. They use
the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE.
Vehicle Symbols
The vehicle has components and labels that use
symbols instead of text. Symbols are shown along with
the text describing the operation or information
relating to a specific component, control, message,
gage, or indicator.
If you need help figuring out a specific name of a
component, gage, or indicator, reference the following
topics:
•Seats and Restraint Systems in Section 1
•Features and Controls in Section 2
•Instrument Panel Overview in Section 3
•Climate Controls in Section 3
•Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators in Section 3
•Audio System(s) in Section 3
•Engine Compartment Overview in Section 5
iv

These are some examples of symbols that may be found on the vehicle:
v

✍NOTES
vi

Front Seats ......................................................1-2
Power Seats ..................................................1-2
Power Lumbar ...............................................1-2
Heated and Cooled Seats ................................1-3
Power Reclining Seatback ...............................1-4
Safety Belts .....................................................1-5
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone .................1-5
Questions and Answers About Safety Belts ........1-9
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly .................1-10
Driver Position ..............................................1-10
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy ..................1-17
Passenger Position .......................................1-18
Safety Belt Pretensioners ...............................1-18
Safety Belt Extender .....................................1-18
Child Restraints .............................................1-19
Older Children ..............................................1-19
Infants and Young Children ............................1-21
Child Restraint Systems .................................1-24
Top Strap ....................................................1-27
Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) ...........................1-28
Securing a Child Restraint Designed for the
LATCH System .........................................1-30
Securing a Child Restraint in the Passenger
Seat Position ............................................1-32
Airbag System ...............................................1-36
Where Are the Airbags? ................................1-38
When Should an Airbag Inflate? .....................1-41
What Makes an Airbag Inflate? .......................1-42
How Does an Airbag Restrain? .......................1-42
What Will You See After an Airbag Inflates? .....1-43
Airbag Off Switch ..........................................1-44
Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle ...........1-47
Restraint System Check ..................................1-48
Checking Your Restraint Systems ...................1-48
Replacing Restraint System Parts After
a Crash ...................................................1-48
Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
1-1

Front Seats
Power Seats
The power seat controls are located on the outboard
sides of both the driver’s and the passenger’s seats.
•Move the front of the horizontal control up or
down to adjust the front portion of the cushion.
•Move the rear of the horizontal control up or down
to adjust the rear portion of the cushion.
•Slide the control forward or rearward to move the
entire seat forward or rearward.
•Press the vertical control rearward to recline the
seatback. Press the vertical control forward to
raise the seatback. See Power Reclining Seatback
on page 1-4.
Power Lumbar
The driver’s and
passenger’s seatback
lumbar support switches
are located on the
outboard sides of
the seats.
Use the power seat controls first to get the proper
position, then continue with the lumbar adjustment.
1-2

Use the top lumbar switch to adjust support to the
middle seatback and the bottom lumbar switch to adjust
support to the lower seatback. Press the front of the
switch to increase support and the rear of the switch to
decrease support.
Keep in mind that as your seating position changes, as
it may during long trips, so should the position of
your lumbar support. Adjust the seat as needed.
Heated and Cooled Seats
The buttons for the heated and cooled seats are located
on the climate controls.
((Heated/Cooled Seat): Press this button to turn the
feature on. The button on the left controls the driver’s
seat and the button on the right controls the passenger’s
seat. Each press of the button will take you to a
different setting. The settings available in order are
HI HEAT, LO HEAT, OFF, HI COOL, LO COOL
and OFF. You will be able to feel the temperature
change in a few minutes.
The feature will automatically shut off when the vehicle
is turned off.
1-3

Power Reclining Seatback
The vertical power seat control described earlier allows
the seatback to recline. See Power Seats on page 1-2
for more information.
But don’t have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is
moving.
{CAUTION:
Sitting in a reclined position when your vehicle
is in motion can be dangerous. Even if you
buckle up, your safety belts can not do their
job when you are reclined like this.
The shoulder belt can not do its job. In a
crash, you could go into it, receiving neck or
other injuries.
The lap belt can not do its job either. In a crash
the belt could go up over your abdomen. The
belt forces would be there, not at your pelvic
bones. This could cause serious internal
injuries.
For proper protection when the vehicle is in
motion, have the seatback upright. Then sit well
back in the seat and wear your safety belt
properly.
1-4

Safety Belts
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone
This part of the manual tells you how to use safety
belts properly. It also tells you some things you should
not do with safety belts.
{CAUTION:
Do not let anyone ride where he or she can not
wear a safety belt properly. If you are in a
crash and you are not wearing a safety belt,
your injuries can be much worse. You can hit
things inside the vehicle or be ejected from it.
You can be seriously injured or killed. In the
same crash, you might not be if you are
buckled up. Always fasten your safety belt,
and check that your passenger’s belt is
fastened properly too.
{CAUTION:
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo
area, inside or outside of a vehicle. In a
collision, people riding in these areas are more
likely to be seriously injured or killed. Do not
allow people to ride in any area of your vehicle
that is not equipped with seats and safety
belts. Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a
seat and using a safety belt properly.
Your vehicle has a light
that comes on as a
reminder to buckle up. See
Safety Belt Reminder
Light on page 3-48.
In most states and all Canadian provinces, the law says
to wear safety belts. Here’s why: They work.
1-5

You never know if you’ll be in a crash. If you do have a
crash, you don’t know if it will be a bad one.
A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so
serious that even buckled up a person wouldn’t survive.
But most crashes are in between. In many of them,
people who buckle up can survive and sometimes walk
away. Without belts they could have been badly hurt
or killed.
After more than 30 years of safety belts in vehicles, the
facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does
matter...a lot!
Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as
it goes.
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it’s just a seat
on wheels.
1-6

Put someone on it. Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider
doesn’t stop.
1-7

The person keeps going until stopped by something. In
a real vehicle, it could be the windshield... or the instrument panel...
1-8

or the safety belts!
With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle does.
You get more time to stop. You stop over more distance,
and your strongest bones take the forces. That’s why
safety belts make such good sense.
Questions and Answers About
Safety Belts
Q: Won’t I be trapped in the vehicle after an
accident if I’m wearing a safety belt?
A: You could be — whether you’re wearing a safety
belt or not. But you can unbuckle a safety belt,
even if you’re upside down. And your chance
of being conscious during and after an accident, so
you can unbuckle and get out, is much greater if
you are belted.
Q: If my vehicle has airbags, why should I have to
wear safety belts?
A: Airbags are in many vehicles today and will be in
most of them in the future. But they are
supplemental systems only; so they work with
safety belts — not instead of them. Every airbag
system ever offered for sale has required the use of
safety belts. Even if you’re in a vehicle that has
airbags, you still have to buckle up to get the most
protection. That’s true not only in frontal collisions,
but especially in side and other collisions.
1-9

Q: If I’m a good driver, and I never drive far from
home, why should I wear safety belts?
A: You may be an excellent driver, but if you’re in an
accident — even one that isn’t your fault — you
and your passenger can be hurt. Being a good
driver doesn’t protect you from things beyond your
control, such as bad drivers.
Most accidents occur within 25 miles (40 km)
of home. And the greatest number of serious
injuries and deaths occur at speeds of less than
40 mph (65 km/h).
Safety belts are for everyone.
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
This part is only for people of adult size.
Be aware that there are special things to know about
safety belts and children. And there are different
rules for smaller children and babies. If a child will be
riding in your vehicle, see Older Children on page 1-19
or Infants and Young Children on page 1-21. Follow
those rules for everyone’s protection.
First, you will want to know which restraint systems your
vehicle has.
We will start with the driver position.
Driver Position
Lap-Shoulder Belt
The driver has a lap-shoulder belt. Here is how to wear
it properly.
1. Close the door.
2. Adjust the seat so you can sit up straight. To see
how, see “Seats” in the Index.
1-10

3. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Do not let it get twisted.
The lap-shoulder belt may lock if you pull the belt
across you very quickly. If this happens, let the belt
go back slightly to unlock it. Then pull the belt
across you more slowly.
4. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure.
When the shoulder belt is pulled out all the way,
it will lock. If it does, let it go back all the way and
start again.
If the belt is not long enough, see Safety Belt
Extender on page 1-18.
Make sure the release button on the buckle is
positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the
safety belt quickly if you ever had to.
5. To make the lap part tight, pull down on the buckle
end of the belt as you pull up on the shoulder belt.
1-11

The lap part of the belt should be worn low and snug on
the hips, just touching the thighs. In a crash, this
applies force to the strong pelvic bones. And you would
be less likely to slide under the lap belt. If you slid
under it, the belt would apply force at your abdomen.
This could cause serious or even fatal injuries. The
shoulder belt should go over the shoulder and across
the chest. These parts of the body are best able to take
belt restraining forces.
The safety belt locks if there is a sudden stop or crash,
or if you pull the belt very quickly out of the retractor.
1-12

Q: What is wrong with this?
A: The shoulder belt is too loose. It will not give nearly
as much protection this way.
{CAUTION:
You can be seriously hurt if your shoulder belt
is too loose. In a crash, you would move
forward too much, which could increase injury.
The shoulder belt should fit against your body.
1-13

Q: What is wrong with this?
A: The belt is buckled in the wrong place.
{CAUTION:
You can be seriously injured if your belt is
buckled in the wrong place like this. In a crash,
the belt would go up over your abdomen. The
belt forces would be there, not at the pelvic
bones. This could cause serious internal
injuries. Always buckle your belt into the
buckle nearest you.
1-14