You walk back to your car after dinner on the Square, and your Cadillac tires look fine. What you can't tell is how much tread is left, or when they were last rotated.
Check three things once a month: tire pressure when the tires are cold, using the label inside the driver's door frame; the tread wear indicators; and any cracks, bulges, or cuts. Rotate the tires about every 7,500 miles, and replace them when the wear indicators show in three or more places.
Your Cadillac tires need replacing when the tread wear indicators show in three or more places around the tire. They're narrow strips of smooth rubber across the tread that become visible as the tire wears. How long tires last depends on how you drive and how well they're maintained, so there's no set mileage.
It's also time to have a tire looked at if you find cracks in the tread or sidewall, cuts deep enough to show cord or fabric, bumps, bulges, or splits, or a puncture. Check for these at least once a month.
Alignment, tire pressure, and rotation all affect how your tires wear, and each sign in the table points somewhere different.
| What you notice | What it can suggest | Best next step |
|---|---|---|
| Uneven wear across a tire, or the car pulls to one side | The wheel alignment may be off. | Schedule an alignment check so a technician can see whether the wheels are pointing where they should. |
| Vibration while you drive | Alignment, unevenly worn tires, or tires that need balancing can all cause it. | Schedule a tire inspection so a technician can tell which one it is. |
| Tires wearing faster than expected, or at different rates | Tire pressure that's too low or too high, or tires that haven't been rotated. | Check the pressure against the door-frame label when the tires are cold, and rotate the tires on schedule. |
| Cracks, bulges, cuts, or cord showing | The tire is damaged. | Have it inspected right away. A tire with cord or fabric showing needs to be replaced. |
Most Cadillac owner's manuals call for a rotation about every 7,500 miles. Rotation helps the tires wear evenly, which can extend their life.
The first rotation is the most important one. Any time you notice unusual wear, rotate the tires as soon as possible and have the alignment checked.
Some Cadillacs can't be rotated front to back, because they have directional tires or different tire sizes on the front and rear, so your owner's manual shows the right pattern for your vehicle. After a rotation, the tire pressures get adjusted to the label and the tire pressure monitor gets reset.
Replacing tires in a set of four is preferable, and rotating them regularly helps them wear evenly so they can be replaced together. If you replace only two, choose tires of the same brand and model as the other two.
On an all-wheel-drive Cadillac, tires that differ in size, brand, or wear can strain the drivetrain, so check your owner's manual before replacing fewer than four.
A solid light means one or more tires is low on air. Check all four tires when they're cold and add air to the recommended pressure. A message such as Check Tire Pressure, Low Tire Pressure, or Add Air to Tire can appear too.
Driving on a low tire can cause overheating and blowouts, so check the pressure soon.
If the light flashes for about a minute when you start the car and then stays on, the monitoring system itself has a problem, such as a missing or damaged sensor. Until it's fixed, it can't warn you about a low tire, so have it serviced.
Our Tire Center handles tire inspections, replacements, and maintenance, and our Certified Service experts help you choose the right tires for your Cadillac and make sure they're properly inspected, balanced, and aligned. We also handle alignment checks.
The Tire Finder narrows tires down by your vehicle year, model, and tire size, and we can recommend tires for your driving habits and budget.
If getting the car here is the problem, our Cadillac Mobile Service van can handle tire rotations and pressure checks at your home or workplace, where local laws and property rules allow it. Ask our team what that covers for your Cadillac.
