Writing about Cadillacs is almost a daily practice on this blog. Today we will look at what type of gas best suits the Cadillac CT4. The CT4 is a relatively new car. However, this doesn’t mean the fuel requirements are all that simple. Here’s a quick answer:
Cadillac CT4 and CT4-V manufactured between 2020 – 2021 take premium gasoline with an octane rating of 93 or higher. From 2022 onwards, the CT4, CT4-V, and the CT4-V Blackwing have 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 CT4 generations. Read on!
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Does The Cadillac CT4 Require Premium Gasoline?
First, we have to specify some information regarding the different engine types used and what kinds of gasoline these engines can take. The Cadillac CT4 was introduced in 2020 with a 2.0L LSY turbo engine and a 2.7L L3B turbo engine. In 2021 Cadillac added the CT4-V (a high-performance version) with a 3.6L LF4 twin-turbo V6.
As stated, the 2020 – 2021 2.0L and 2.7L take 93 octane; however, you have to know the 2.0L can also take gasoline with an octane rating as low as 87, whereas this is a minimum of 91 for the 2.7L engine if higher octane gasoline is not available. Keep in mind that this will diminish the vehicle’s performance and is only supposed to be done when the recommended octane levels aren’t available.
From 2021 onwards, all three of the engines take 91 octane. The 2.0L can still take 87 octane, but the 2.7L engine and 3.6L engine can’t go lower than the recommended 91 octane because this will result in a knocking sound coming from the engine (more on that later).
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 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 CT4 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, / 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, using 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 it 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 (this is a recommendation for all engine types). 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 that 87 octane can be used with the 2.0L LSY even though 91 or 93 octane is recommended or that 91 octane can be used for the 2020 – 2021 2.7L engine even though 93 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 CT4?
Furthermore, we have to talk about the fuel economy of the Cadillac CT4. As expected, the CT4 isn’t the pinnacle of fuel efficiency. This is mainly because Cadillac isn’t known for this as a brand, and the fact that all of the engines are turbocharged. Furthermore, the CT4 isn’t offered as a hybrid or electric variant, making it a regular gasoline-driven car.
As you can see in the table below, the 2.0L and 2.7L engines aren’t terrible, they’re not good, but at least the MPG isn’t horrific. However, if you opt for the 3.6L V6 in the CT4-V, you can expect to be at the gas station a lot.
| Engine | Combined | City | Highway |
| 2.0L | 27 | 23 | 34 |
| 2.7L | 25 | 21 | 31 |
| 3.6L | 19 | 16 | 24 |
What’s The Gas Tank Size Of the Cadillac CT4?
All generations of the Cadillac CT4 have a fuel tank capacity of 17.5 gallons or 66 liters.
Sources
- https://my.gm.ca/cadillac/en/content/dam/gmownercenter/gmna/GMCC/dynamic/2020/cadillac/ct4/en/2020-cadillac-ct4-owners-manual-english.pdf
- https://cdn.dealereprocess.org/cdn/servicemanuals/cadillac/2022-ct4.pdf
- https://fueleconomy.gov/feg/PowerSearch.do?action=noform&srchtyp=ymm&path=1&year1=2022&year2=2022&make=Cadillac&model=CT4+V
- https://fueleconomy.gov/feg/PowerSearch.do?action=noform&srchtyp=ymm&path=1&year1=2022&year2=2022&make=Cadillac&model=CT4
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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