2003 CADILLAC ESCALADE EXT Owners Manual

Properly torqued wheel nuts are necessary to help
prevent brake pulsation. When tires are rotated, inspect
brake pads for wear and evenly tighten wheel nuts in
the proper sequence to GM torque speci®cations.
Brake linings should always be replaced as complete
axle sets.
See
Brake System Inspection on page 6-16.
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal does not return to
normal height, or if there is a rapid increase in
pedal travel. This could be a sign of brake trouble.
Brake Adjustment
Every time you make a brake stop, your disc brakes
adjust for wear.
Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a vehicle is complex. Its many
parts have to be of top quality and work well together if
the vehicle is to have really good braking. Your vehicle
was designed and tested with top-quality GM brake
parts. When you replace parts of your braking
system Ð for example, when your brake linings wear
down and you need new ones put in Ð be sure you get
new approved GM replacement parts. If you don't,
your brakes may no longer work properly. For example,
if someone puts in brake linings that are wrong for
your vehicle, the balance between your front and rear
brakes can change Ð for the worse. The braking
performance you've come to expect can change in many
other ways if someone puts in the wrong replacement
brake parts.
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Battery
Your new vehicle comes with a maintenance free
ACDelcožbattery. When it's time for a new battery,
get one that has the replacement number shown on the
original battery's label. We recommend an ACDelco
ž
battery. SeeEngine Compartment Overview on
page 5-12for battery location.
Warning:Battery posts, terminals and related
accessories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of California to cause
cancer and reproductive harm. Wash hands after
handling.
Vehicle Storage
If you're not going to drive your vehicle for 25 days or
more, remove the black, negative (-) cable from
the battery. This will help keep your battery from
running down.
{CAUTION:
Batteries have acid that can burn you and gas
that can explode. You can be badly hurt if you
aren't careful. See ªJump Startingº next for
tips on working around a battery without
getting hurt.
Contact your dealer to learn how to prepare your
vehicle for longer storage periods.
Also, for your audio system, see
Theft-Deterrent
Feature on page 3-98.
To reprogram your sunroof (if equipped), see
Sunroof
on page 2-71.
5-43

Jump Starting
If your battery has run down, you may want to use
another vehicle and some jumper cables to start your
vehicle. But please use the following steps to do it
safely.
{CAUTION:
Batteries can hurt you. They can be dangerous
because:
·They contain acid that can burn you.
·They contain gas that can explode or ignite.
·They contain enough electricity to burn you.
If you don't follow these steps exactly, some or
all of these things can hurt you.
Notice:Ignoring these steps could result in costly
damage to your vehicle that wouldn't be covered
by your warranty.
Trying to start your vehicle by pushing or pulling it
won't work, and it could damage your vehicle.1. Check the other vehicle. It must have a 12-volt
battery with a negative ground system.
Notice:If the other system isn't a 12-volt system
with a negative ground, both vehicles can be
damaged.
2. Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper cables
can reach, but be sure the vehicles aren't touching
each other. If they are, it could cause a ground
connection you don't want. You wouldn't be able to
start your vehicle, and the bad grounding could
damage the electrical systems.
To avoid the possibility of the vehicles rolling, set
the parking brake ®rmly on both vehicles involved
in the jump start procedure. Put an automatic
transmission in PARK (P) or a manual transmission
in NEUTRAL before setting the parking brake.
Notice:If you leave your radio on, it could be badly
damaged. The repairs wouldn't be covered by
your warranty.
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Unplug
unnecessary accessories plugged into the cigarette
lighter or accessory power outlets. Turn off the
radio and all lamps that aren't needed. This will
avoid sparks and help save both batteries.
And it could save your radio!
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4. Open the hoods and locate the positive (+) and
negative (-) terminal locations of the other vehicle.
Your vehicle has a remote positive (+) jump
starting terminal and a remote negative (-) jump
starting terminal. You should always use these
remote terminals instead of the terminals on the
battery.
The remote positive (+)
terminal is located under a
red plastic cover near
the engine accessory drive
bracket. To access the
remote positive (+)
terminal, open the red
plastic cover.The remote negative (-)
terminal is located on the
engine accessory drive
bracket and is marked
GND.
See
Engine Compartment Overview on page 5-12for more information on location.
5-45

{CAUTION:
Using a match near a battery can cause battery
gas to explode. People have been hurt doing
this, and some have been blinded. Use a
¯ashlight if you need more light.
Be sure the battery has enough water. You don't
need to add water to the ACDelco
žbattery
installed in your new vehicle. But if a battery
has ®ller caps, be sure the right amount of ¯uid
is there. If it is low, add water to take care of
that ®rst. If you don't, explosive gas could be
present.
Battery ¯uid contains acid that can burn you.
Don't get it on you. If you accidentally get it in
your eyes or on your skin, ¯ush the place with
water and get medical help immediately.5. Check that the jumper cables don't have loose or
missing insulation. If they do, you could get a
shock. The vehicles could be damaged too.
Before you connect the cables, here are some
basic things you should know. Positive (+) will go to
positive (+) or to a remote positive terminal (+) if
the vehicle has one. Negative (-) will go to a heavy,
unpainted metal engine part or to a remote
negative (-) terminal, if the vehicle has one.
Don't connect positive (+) to negative (-) or you'll
get a short that would damage the battery and
maybe other parts too.
{CAUTION:
Fans or other moving engine parts can injure
you badly. Keep your hands away from moving
parts once the engine is running.
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6. Connect the red
positive (+) cable to the
positive (+) terminal of
the dead battery.
Use a remote positive (+)
terminal if the vehicle
has one.
7. Don't let the other end
touch metal. Connect it to
the positive (+) terminal
of the good battery.
Use a remote positive (+)
terminal if the vehicle
has one.8. Now connect the black
negative (-) cable to the
negative (-) terminal
of the good battery. Use
a remote negative (-)
terminal if the vehicle
has one. Your vehicle's
remote negative (-)
terminal is marked GND.
Don't let the other end touch anything until the
next step. The other end of the negative (-) cable
doesn't go to the dead battery. It goes to a
heavy, unpainted metal engine part or to a remote
negative (-) terminal on the vehicle with the
dead battery.
5-47

9. Connect the other end of
the negative (-) cable at
least 18 inches (45 cm)
away from the dead
battery, but not near
engine parts that move.
The electrical connection is just as good there, and
the chance of sparks getting back to the battery
is much less.10. Now start the vehicle with the good battery and
run the engine for awhile.
11. Try to start the vehicle that had the dead battery.
If it won't start after a few tries, it probably needs
service.
Notice:Damage to your vehicle may result from
electrical shorting if jumper cables are removed
incorrectly. To prevent electrical shorting, take care
that the cables don't touch each other or any
other metal. The repairs wouldn't be covered by
your warranty.
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A. Heavy, Unpainted Metal Engine Part or Remote
Negative (-) Terminal.
B. Good Battery or Remote Positive (+) and
Negative (-) Terminals.
C. Dead Battery or Remote Positive (+) Terminal.To disconnect the jumper cables from both vehicles
do the following:
1. Disconnect the black negative (-) cable from the
vehicle that had the dead battery.
2. Disconnect the black negative (-) cable from the
vehicle with the good battery.
3. Disconnect the red positive (+) cable from the
vehicle with the good battery.
4. Disconnect the red positive (+) cable from the
other vehicle.
5. Return the positive (+) remote terminal cover to its
original position.
Jumper Cable Removal
5-49