Writing about Cadillacs is almost a daily practice on this blog. Today we will look at what type of gas best suits the Cadillac XT4. The XT4 is a relatively new car. However, this doesn’t mean the fuel requirements are all that simple. Here’s a quick answer:
Cadillac XT4 manufactured between 2019 – 2021 take premium gasoline with an octane rating of 93 or higher. From 2022 onwards, the XT4 has premium gasoline with an octane rating of 91 recommended.
However, this doesn’t tell us the whole story. In the article below, we’ll discuss what kind of gasoline is used for what engine. Furthermore, we’ll discuss different additives that can and can’t be used, what percentage of ethanol is acceptable, and the gas tank size of the different XT4 generations. Read on!
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Does The Cadillac XT4 Require Premium Gasoline?
As you already read, the 2019 – 2021 model years of the XT4 take 93 octane whereas, from 2022 onwards, this changed to 91 octane. However, there’s more to it than just that. First, it’s good to know that all these model years have the same 2.0L LSY turbo engine, which means Cadillac simply used a different tuning for the later model years.
Furthermore, it’s good to know that all model years of the XT4 can take regular gasoline with an octane rating of 87. However, the engine can only take this temporarily as it will diminish the engine’s performance. It’s, therefore, wise to only use regular gasoline when premium gasoline is unavailable.
Furthermore, please ensure you’re using unleaded gasoline, as leaded gasoline will harm the engine and fuel system beyond repair.
If you’re interested in the different gasoline requirements for all Cadillacs, please read the article we just linked.
What Types Of Gasoline Can And Can’t Be Used?
Reformulated Gasoline
First, we need to discuss the use of reformulated and non-reformulated gasoline. Reformulated gasoline is the gasoline that is designed to burn cleaner than non-reformulated gasoline. For this reason, it has become widely popular in many regions of the United States. It has become mandatory in many states to use this fuel.
Therefore, it’s good to know that all engines used in all generations of the Cadillac XT4 are designed to take both reformulated and non-reformulated gasoline. Consequently, you don’t have to worry about what gasoline you put in your engine (at least not for this criterion).
However, we have to say that Cadillac recommends using reformulated gasoline whenever possible. Like other carmakers, GM (Cadillac owners) realizes that this gasoline type is better for the environment. Furthermore, this type of gasoline doesn’t diminish the performance of your engine in any way, shape, or form, and it also carries the same price as non-reformulated gasoline.
Gasoline/Oxygenated Blends Or E-85
Furthermore, we have to talk about using oxygenated blends of gasoline. These oxygenated blends typically contain ethanol or methanol; both are made with bio-sources such as corn. For this reason, they burn cleaner than gasoline which doesn’t contain it. However, there are some strict rules for these types of gasoline.
First of all, all model years of the XT4 are compatible with gasoline that contains a maximum of 15% ethanol (also referred to as E15). However, this also means that E30 or E85 (also referred to as FlexFuel) are strictly forbidden and will result in unrepairable damage to the engine and fuel system.
Also, the use of gasoline mixed with any percentage of methanol is strictly forbidden as this will also damage the engine and fuel system.
Gasoline With Added Materials
Typically, car manufacturers recommend against the use of fuel additives. Fuel additives are usually sold as octane-boosting substances or advertised to help keep your engine clean.
Boosting octane is a reasonably useless practice since it’s recommended and safer for your engine to buy premium gasoline at a certified retailer. Furthermore, cleaning additives are also advised against because they typically contain silicones or metallic, damaging the engine instead of cleaning it.
Therefore, Cadillac instead recommends using TOP TIER gasoline sold by certified retailers. This type of gasoline already has all the proper additives mixed into it, and it has been scientifically proven that this gasoline helps keep your engine clean and perform optimally. It also doesn’t cost any more than non-TOP TIER gasoline. You can find a retailer on toptiergas.com.
If for whatever reason, you don’t have access to TOP TIER gasoline sold by certified retailers, Cadillac advises you to use their own certified additive. Cadillac sells this additive as ‘ACDelco Fuel System Treatment Plus’. Cadillac advises you to add this to your fuel tank at every oil change (every 9,000 miles). The reason for using this is that this will keep your engine deposit free and, therefore, in optimum condition.
What If I Hear A Knocking Noise From The Engine After Refilling?
Hearing a slight knocking sound coming from the engine is normal. Especially when the car is performing at peak levels, such as when towing, a slight knocking sound can be heard. However, if this knocking sound becomes very audible and happens right after refilling, you may have more significant problems.
First off, in this case, it’s very likely you’re using gasoline with a lower-than-recommended octane rating. For example, Cadillac states 87 octane can be used in some instances even though 91 or 93 octane is recommended. However, if this creates a situation where you hear a loud knocking from the engine, it’s advised to stop immediately.
This knocking noise tells you the engine is misfiring because it can’t handle the octane level used. It’s best to stop your car immediately and call your dealer or garage. Your car will need to be drained from its fuel, and the fuel filter will need to be replaced. Continuing to drive will result in severe engine damage.
What’s the Fuel Economy Of A Cadillac XT4?
In order to get a complete overview of the XT4 and its relation to gasoline, we also have to know what kind of fuel economy the car has. This depends on whether you have an FWD or AWD version of the vehicle.
However, the XT4 doesn’t have a hybrid or electric version, so its MPG will not be great, no matter how you put it. The MPG isn’t terrible for its size, but it’s certainly not a fuel-efficient vehicle, as you can see in the table below.
| Engine | Combined | City | Highway |
| 2.0L FWD | 26 | 24 | 30 |
| 2.0L AWD | 24 | 22 | 29 |
What’s The Gas Tank Size Of the Cadillac XT4?
Cadillac XT4 manufactured from 2019 onwards have a fuel tank capacity of 15.9 gallons (60.2 liters) when they have FWD, whereas the AWD versions have a fuel tank capacity of 16.3 gallons (61.7 liters).
Sources
- https://my.gm.ca/cadillac/en/content/dam/gmownercenter/gmna/GMCC/dynamic/2019/cadillac/XT4/en/2019-cadillac-xt4-owners-manual-english.pdf
- https://cdn.dealereprocess.org/cdn/servicemanuals/cadillac/2021-xt4.pdf
- https://cdn.dealereprocess.org/cdn/servicemanuals/cadillac/2022-xt4.pdf
- https://fueleconomy.gov/feg/search.shtml?words=xt4
Hi! My name is Stefan; I’m the owner and lead writer at TheDriverAdviser.com.
I’m an active writer on this blog myself, as well as a novice car mechanic. For the really technical stuff, I find writers with experience as a mechanic or who have studied mechanical engineering.
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