2003 CADILLAC ESCALADE EXT transmission

If You Do Decide To Pull A Trailer
If you do, here are some important points:
·There are many different laws, including speed limit
restrictions, having to do with trailering. Make sure
your rig will be legal, not only where you live
but also where you'll be driving. A good source for
this information can be state or provincial police.
·Consider using a sway control if your trailer will
weigh 5,000 lbs. (2 270 kg) or less. You should
always use a sway control if your trailer will weigh
more than 5,000 lbs. (2 270 kg). You can ask a
hitch dealer about sway controls.
·Don't tow a trailer at all during the ®rst 500 miles
(800 km) your new vehicle is driven. Your engine,
axle or other parts could be damaged.
·Then, during the ®rst 500 miles (800 km) that you
tow a trailer, don't drive over 50 mph (80 km/h)
and don't make starts at full throttle. This helps your
engine and other parts of your vehicle wear in at
the heavier loads.
·You can tow in DRIVE (D). You may want to shift
the transmission to THIRD (3) or, if necessary,
a lower gear selection if the transmission shifts
too often (e.g., under heavy loads and/or hilly
conditions). See ªTow/Haul Modeº following.Three important considerations have to do with weight:
·the weight of the trailer,
·the weight of the trailer tongue
·and the weight on your vehicle's tires.
Tow/Haul Mode
The tow/haul feature assists when pulling a heavy trailer
or a large or heavy load. The purpose of the tow/haul
mode is to:
·Reduce the frequency and improve the predictability
of transmission shifts when pulling a heavy trailer or
a large or heavy load.
·Provide the same solid shift feel when pulling a
heavy trailer or a large or heavy load as when
the vehicle is unloaded.
·Improve control of vehicle speed while requiring
less throttle pedal activity when pulling a heavy
trailer or a large or heavy load.
Your vehicle is provided with a button at the end of
the shift lever which when pressed enables tow/haul.
When the button is pressed, a light on the instrument
panel will illuminate to indicate that tow/haul has
been selected. Tow/haul may be turned off by pressing
the button again, at which time the indicator light on
the instrument panel will turn off. The vehicle will
automatically turn off tow/haul every time it is started.
4-53

Tow/haul is designed to be most effective when the
vehicle and trailer combined weight is at least 75 percent
of the vehicle's Gross Combination Weight Rating
(GCWR). See
Weight of the Trailerlater in this section.
Tow/haul is most useful under the following driving
conditions:
·When pulling a heavy trailer or a large or heavy
load through rolling terrain.
·When pulling a heavy trailer or a large or heavy
load in stop and go traffic.
·When pulling a heavy trailer or a large or heavy
load in busy parking lots where improved low
speed control of the vehicle is desired.
Operating the vehicle in tow/haul when lightly loaded or
with no trailer at all will not cause damage. However,
there is no bene®t to the selection of tow/haul when the
vehicle is unloaded. Such a selection when unloaded
may result in unpleasant engine and transmission driving
characteristics and reduced fuel economy. Tow/haul
is recommended only when pulling a heavy trailer or a
large or heavy load.
Weight of the Trailer
How heavy can a trailer safely be?
It depends on how you plan to use your rig. For example,
speed, altitude, road grades, outside temperature and
how much your vehicle is used to pull a trailer are all
important. And, it can also depend on any special
equipment that you have on your vehicle.
Use one of the following charts to determine how much
your vehicle can weigh, based upon your vehicle
model and options.
Maximum trailer weight is calculated assuming only the
driver is in the tow vehicle and it has all the required
trailering equipment. The weight of additional optional
equipment, passengers and cargo in the tow vehicle
must be subtracted from the maximum trailer weight.
Notice:Your vehicle was not designed to be
used with a ®fth-wheel hitch device. Using such
a device could result in damage to the vehicle.
These damages would not be covered by your
vehicle's warranty.
4-54

Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gearbeforeyou start
down a long or steep downgrade. If you don't shift
down, you might have to use your brakes so much that
they would get hot and no longer work well.
You can tow in DRIVE (D). You may want to shift the
transmission to THIRD (3) or, if necessary, a lower gear
selection if the transmission shifts too often (e.g., under
heavy loads and/or hilly conditions).
You may also want to activate the tow/haul mode if the
transmission shifts too often. See ªTow/Haul Modeº
earlier.
When towing at high altitude on steep uphill grades,
consider the following: Engine coolant will boil at a lower
temperature than at normal altitudes. If you turn your
engine off immediately after towing at high altitude
on steep uphill grades, your vehicle may show signs
similar to engine overheating. To avoid this, let the
engine run while parked (preferably on level ground)
with the automatic transmission in PARK (P) for a
few minutes before turning the engine off. If you do get
the overheat warning, see
Engine Overheating on
page 5-27.
Parking on Hills
{CAUTION:
You really should not park your vehicle, with a
trailer attached, on a hill. If something goes
wrong, your rig could start to move. People
can be injured, and both your vehicle and the
trailer can be damaged.
But if you ever have to park your rig on a hill, here's
how to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but don't shift into
PARK (P) yet.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer
wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the
regular brakes until the chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your
parking brake and shift into PARK (P).
5. Release the regular brakes.
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When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while you:
·start your engine,
·shift into a gear, and
·release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the
chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you're
pulling a trailer. See the Maintenance Schedule for more
on this. Things that are especially important in trailer
operation are automatic transmission ¯uid (don't over®ll),
engine oil, axle lubricant, belts, cooling system and
brake system. Each of these is covered in this manual,
and the Index will help you ®nd them quickly. If you're
trailering, it's a good idea to review these sections
before you start your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and bolts
are tight.
4-60

Service............................................................5-3
Doing Your Own Service Work.........................5-3
Adding Equipment to the Outside of
Your Vehicle..............................................5-4
Fuel................................................................5-4
Gasoline Octane............................................5-4
Gasoline Speci®cations....................................5-5
California Fuel...............................................5-5
Additives.......................................................5-6
Fuels in Foreign Countries...............................5-6
Filling Your Tank............................................5-7
Filling a Portable Fuel Container.......................5-9
Checking Things Under the Hood....................5-10
Hood Release..............................................5-10
Engine Compartment Overview.......................5-12
Engine Oil...................................................5-14
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter................................5-19
Automatic Transmission Fluid.........................5-21
Engine Coolant.............................................5-24
Coolant Surge Tank Pressure Cap..................5-27
Engine Overheating.......................................5-27
Cooling System............................................5-30
Engine Fan Noise.........................................5-36Power Steering Fluid.....................................5-37
Windshield Washer Fluid................................5-38
Brakes........................................................5-39
Battery........................................................5-43
Jump Starting...............................................5-44
All-Wheel Drive..............................................5-50
Rear Axle.......................................................5-51
Front Axle......................................................5-52
Headlamp Aiming...........................................5-53
Headlamp Horizontal Aiming...........................5-54
Headlamp Vertical Aiming..............................5-55
Bulb Replacement..........................................5-57
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting............5-57
Halogen Bulbs..............................................5-57
Headlamps..................................................5-58
Front Turn Signal, Sidemarker and
Daytime Running Lamps.............................5-62
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL).........5-63
Taillamps.....................................................5-63
Replacement Bulbs.......................................5-64
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement..............5-65
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-1

A. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter. SeeEngine Air
Cleaner/Filter on page 5-19.
B. Coolant Surge Tank. See
Cooling System on
page 5-30andCoolant Surge Tank Pressure Cap
on page 5-27.
C. Air Filter Restriction Indicator (If Equipped).
See
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter on page 5-19.
D. Engine Oil Fill. See
Engine Oil on page 5-14.
E. Engine Oil Dipstick. See
Engine Oil on page 5-14.
F. Automatic Transmission Dipstick. See
Automatic
Transmission Fluid on page 5-21.
G. Fan. See
Cooling System on page 5-30andEngine
Fan Noise on page 5-36.H. Remote Negative (-) Terminal (GND). See
Jump
Starting on page 5-44.
I. Remote Positive (+) Terminal. See
Jump Starting on
page 5-44.
J. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir (Out of View).
See
Power Steering Fluid on page 5-37.
K. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See
Brakes on page 5-39.
L. Underhood Fuse Block. See ªUnderhood Fuse Blockº
under
Fuses and Circuit Breakers on page 5-101.
M. Battery. See
Battery on page 5-43.
N. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See
Windshield
Washer Fluid on page 5-38.
5-13

Automatic Transmission Fluid
When to Check and Change
A good time to check your automatic transmission ¯uid
level is when the engine oil is changed.
Change both the ¯uid and ®lter every 50,000 miles
(83 000 km) if the vehicle is mainly driven under one or
more of these conditions:
·In heavy city traffic where the outside temperature
regularly reaches 90ÉF (32ÉC) or higher.
·In hilly or mountainous terrain.
·When doing frequent trailer towing.
·Uses such as found in taxi, police or delivery
service.
If you do not use your vehicle under any of these
conditions, change the ¯uid and ®lter every
100,000 miles (166 000 km).
See
Part A: Scheduled Maintenance Services on
page 6-4.
How to Check
Because this operation can be a little difficult, you may
choose to have this done at the dealership service
department.
If you do it yourself, be sure to follow all the instructions
here, or you could get a false reading on the dipstick.
Notice:Too much or too little ¯uid can damage
your transmission. Too much can mean that some
of the ¯uid could come out and fall on hot engine
part or exhaust system parts, starting a ®re.
Too little ¯uid could cause the transmission to
overheat. Be sure to get an accurate reading if you
check your transmission ¯uid.
Wait at least 30 minutes before checking the
transmission ¯uid level if you have been driving:
·When outside temperatures are above 90ÉF (32ÉC).
·At high speed for quite a while.
·In heavy traffic ± especially in hot weather.
·While pulling a trailer.
To get the right reading, the ¯uid should be at normal
operating temperature, which is 180ÉF to 200ÉF
(82ÉC to 93ÉC).
5-21

Get the vehicle warmed up by driving about 15 miles
(24 km) when outside temperatures are above 50ÉF
(10ÉC). If it's colder than 50ÉF (10ÉC), drive the vehicle
in THIRD (3) until the engine temperature gage
moves and then remains steady for 10 minutes.
A cold ¯uid check can be made after the vehicle has
been sitting for eight hours or more with the engine off,
but this is used only as a reference. Let the engine
run at idle for ®ve minutes if outside temperatures are
50ÉF (10ÉC) or more. If it's colder than 50ÉF (10ÉC), you
may have to idle the engine longer. Should the ¯uid
level be low during this cold check, you
mustcheck the
¯uid hot before adding ¯uid. Checking the ¯uid hot
will give you a more accurate reading of the ¯uid level.
Checking the Fluid Level
Prepare your vehicle as follows:
·Park your vehicle on a level place. Keep the engine
running.
·With the parking brake applied, place the shift lever
in PARK (P).
·With your foot on the brake pedal, move the shift
lever through each gear range, pausing for about
three seconds in each range. Then, position the shift
lever in PARK (P).
·Let the engine run at idle for three minutes or more.
Then, without shutting off the engine, follow these steps:
The transmission dipstick
handle with the graphic is
located at the rear of
the engine compartment,
on the passenger's side.
See
Engine Compartment Overview on page 5-12for
more information on location.
5-22