Cadillac Fuel Requirements

Fuel with an octane rating of 91 or more is usually considered premium fuel. The vehicles that require premium fuel in the Cadillac line up are the Cadillac SRX 2.8L V-6, the Cadillac CTS 6.2L V-8, all models of the Cadillac Escalade and all models of the Cadillac DTS. For the SRX 2.8L V-6 and the Cadillac CTS 6.2L V-8 , Cadillac recommends the use of 93 octane premium fuel for the best engine performance, but if it cannot be found, then 91 octane fuel can be used. According to the users' manuals for these vehicles, regular grade 87 octane fuel can be used in an emergency, but if it is used, then aggressive driving should be avoided to prevent knocking and permanent engine damage.

Some Cadillac vehicles can use mid-grade fuel rated at 87 octane. These vehicles include the Cadillac SRX 3.0 V-6, the Cadillac CTS V-6 and all models of Cadillac STS. According to the users' manual, using gasoline less than 87 octane in any of these vehicles can result in engine knocking.

Some models of the Cadillac SRX and Cadillac Escalade are considered Flex Fuel vehicles and will display a Flex Fuel badge on the vehicle and a yellow fuel cap. These vehicles can use either 87 octane standard gasoline or E85 fuel. Cadillac encourages the use of E85 in these vehicles as a more environmentally friendly choice. The users' manual warns that vehicles designed for E85 cannot use fuel that contains methanol because it will damage plastic and rubber parts, and this damage would not be covered under the warranty.

For all of its vehicles, excluding the Flex Fuel vehicles, Cadillac recommends the use of Top Tier Detergent gasoline. If the gas is rated Top Tier it will displayed on a label on the gas pump. If Top Tier gasoline is not available, then Cadillac recommends that GM Fuel System Treatment Plus be added each oil change to help remove deposits. In areas where gasoline is oxygenated with ether or ethanol, Cadillac recommends their use while still complying with the octane needs of the vehicle.