2005 CADILLAC ESCALADE EXT wheel

DIC Warnings and Messages
Warning messages are displayed on the Driver
Information Center (DIC) to notify the driver that the
status of the vehicle has changed and that some action
may be needed by the driver to correct the condition.
If there is more than one message that needs to
be displayed they will appear one after another. Some
messages may not require immediate action, but
you should press any of the four DIC buttons on the
steering wheel, if equipped, to acknowledge that
you received the messages and clear them from the
display. If your vehicle is not equipped with DIC buttons
on the steering wheel, press the trip odometer reset
stem located on the instrument panel cluster to
acknowledge messages and clear them from the display.
Some messages cannot be cleared from the display
because they are more urgent. These messages require
action before they can be removed from the DIC
display. You should take any messages that appear on
the display seriously and remember that clearing the
messages will only make the messages disappear, not
correct the problem. The following are the possible
messages that can be displayed and some information
about them.
BATTERY NOT CHARGING
On some vehicles, if the battery is not charging during
operation, this message will appear on the DIC.
Driving with this problem could drain your battery. Have
the electrical system checked by your GM dealer as
soon as possible. Pressing any of the four DIC buttons,
if equipped, will clear the message from the DIC
display. If your vehicle is not equipped with the four DIC
buttons, pressing the trip odometer reset stem will
clear the message from the DIC display. SeeCharging
System Light on page 3-34andVoltmeter Gage on
page 3-35.
BUCKLE PASSENGER
If your vehicle is equipped with the passenger sensing
system, this message reminds you to buckle the
passenger’s seat belt. SeePassenger Sensing System
on page 1-54.
This message will display and a chime will sound when
the ignition is on, the driver’s seat belt is buckled, the
passenger’s seat belt is unbuckled with the passenger
airbag enabled and the vehicle is in motion. You should
have the passenger buckle their seat belt.
3-50

SERVICE 4WD
If a problem occurs with the all-wheel-drive system, this
message will appear on the DIC. If this message
appears, stop as soon as possible and turn off the
vehicle. Restart the vehicle and check for the message
on the DIC display. If the message is still displayed
or appears again when you begin driving, the
four-wheel-drive system needs service. See your
GM dealer. Pressing any of the four DIC buttons, if
equipped, will clear the message from the DIC display.
If your vehicle is not equipped with the four DIC
buttons, pressing the trip odometer reset stem will clear
the message from the DIC display.
SERVICE AIR BAG
If there is a problem with the airbag system, this
message will be displayed on the DIC. Have your
GM dealer inspect the system for problems. SeeAirbag
Readiness Light on page 3-32andAirbag System on
page 1-46for more information. Pressing any of the
four DIC buttons, if equipped, will clear the message
from the DIC display. If your vehicle is not equipped with
the four DIC buttons, pressing the trip odometer reset
stem will clear the message from the DIC display.
SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM
If a problem occurs with the brake system, this message
will appear on the DIC. If this message appears, stop
as soon as possible and turn off the vehicle. Restart the
vehicle and check for the message on the DIC display.
If the message is still displayed or appears again
when you begin driving, the brake system needs service.
See your GM dealer. Pressing any of the four DIC
buttons, if equipped, will clear the message from the
DIC display. If your vehicle is not equipped with the
four DIC buttons, pressing the trip odometer reset stem
will clear the message from the DIC display.
SERVICE CHARGING SYSTEM
On some vehicles, if there is a problem with the battery
charging system, this message will appear on the
DIC. Under certain conditions, the charging system light
may also turn on in the instrument panel cluster. See
Charging System Light on page 3-34. The battery
will not be charging at an optimal rate and the vehicle
will lose the ability to enter the fuel economy mode. The
vehicle is safe to drive, however you should have the
electrical system checked by your GM dealer. Pressing
any of the four DIC buttons, if equipped, will clear
the message from the DIC display. If your vehicle is not
equipped with the four DIC buttons, pressing the trip
odometer reset stem will clear the message from
the DIC display.
3-56

STABILITY SYS DISABLED
The STABILITY SYS DISABLED message will turn on
when you press the StabiliTrak®button or when the
stability control has been automatically disabled. There
are four conditions that can cause this message to
appear.
One condition is overheating, which could occur if
StabiliTrak®activates continuously for an extended
period of time.
The message will also be displayed if the brake
system warning light is on. SeeBrake System
Warning Light on page 3-35.
The message could be displayed if the stability
system takes longer than usual to complete its
diagnostic checks due to driving conditions.
Also, if an engine or vehicle related problem has
been detected, and the vehicle needs service,
the message will appear.
The message will turn off as soon as the conditions that
caused the message to be displayed are no longer
present.
For more information on the StabiliTrak
®system, see
StabiliTrak®System on page 4-8.
TIGHTEN FUEL CAP
If the vehicle’s fuel cap is not tightened properly this
message may appear along with the check engine light
on the instrument panel. SeeMalfunction Indicator
Lamp on page 3-40. Reinstall the fuel cap, making sure
to fully install the cap. SeeFilling Your Tank on
page 5-8. The diagnostic system can determine if the
fuel cap has been left off or improperly installed. A loose
or missing fuel cap will allow fuel to evaporate into
the atmosphere. A few driving trips with the cap properly
installed should turn the light and message off.
TRACTION ACTIVE
When the traction control system has detected that
any of the vehicle’s wheels are slipping, the traction
control system will activate and this message will appear
on the DIC. For more information on traction control
and the StabiliTrak
®system, seeStabiliTrak®System
on page 4-8.
TRACTION SYS LIMITED
If the brake traction control system activates constantly
or if the brakes have heated up due to high-speed
braking, brake traction control will be disabled and the
TRACTION SYS LIMITED message will be displayed.
For more information on the StabiliTrak
®system and
traction control, seeStabiliTrak®System on page 4-8.
3-58

Audio Steering Wheel Controls
Some audio controls can be adjusted at the steering
wheel. They include the following:
g(OnStar/Voice Recognition):If your vehicle has
OnStar®, press this button to interact with the OnStar®
system. See the OnStar®manual provided with your
vehicle for more information.
If your vehicle does not have OnStar
®, press this
button to silence the system. Press it again, or any
other radio button, to turn on the sound.PROG (Program):Press this button to play a station
you have programmed on the radio preset pushbuttons.
The radio will only seek preset stations with a strong
signal that are in the selected band.
When a CD is playing in the CD changer, press this
button to go to the next available CD, if multiple CDs are
loaded.
QSOURCER:Press this button to switch between
FM1, FM2, AM, or XM1 or XM2 (if equipped), or a
CD. If a CD is loaded the CD symbol will appear on the
display.
QSEEKR:Press the up or the down arrow to go
to the next or to the previous radio station and stay
there. The radio will only seek stations with a strong
signal that are in the selected band.
When a CD is playing, press the up or the down arrow
to fast forward or reverse.
QVOLR(Volume):Press the up or the down arrow
to increase or to decrease the volume.
3-96

Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle..........4-2
Defensive Driving...........................................4-2
Drunken Driving.............................................4-2
Control of a Vehicle........................................4-5
Braking.........................................................4-5
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS).........................4-6
Braking in Emergencies...................................4-8
Road Sensing Suspension...............................4-8
StabiliTrak
®System........................................4-8
Steering......................................................4-11
Off-Road Recovery.......................................4-13
Passing.......................................................4-14
Loss of Control.............................................4-15
Operating Your All-Wheel-Drive Vehicle
Off Paved Roads.......................................4-16
Driving at Night............................................4-29Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads..................4-30
City Driving..................................................4-33
Freeway Driving...........................................4-34
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.......................4-35
Highway Hypnosis........................................4-36
Hill and Mountain Roads................................4-36
Winter Driving..............................................4-38
If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow.......4-42
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out.................4-42
Recovery Hooks...........................................4-43
Loading Your Vehicle....................................4-44
Towing..........................................................4-50
Towing Your Vehicle.....................................4-50
Recreational Vehicle Towing...........................4-50
Towing a Trailer...........................................4-51
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
4-1

Let us say the road is wet and you are driving safely.
Suddenly, an animal jumps out in front of you. You slam
on the brakes and continue braking. Here is what
happens with ABS:
A computer senses that wheels are slowing down. If
one of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the computer
will separately work the brakes at each front wheel
and at both rear wheels.The anti-lock system can change the brake pressure
faster than any driver could. The computer is
programmed to make the most of available tire and
road conditions. This can help you steer around
the obstacle while braking hard.
As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates
on wheel speed and controls braking pressure
accordingly.
4-7

Remember: Anti-lock does not change the time you
need to get your foot up to the brake pedal or always
decrease stopping distance. If you get too close to
the vehicle in front of you, you will not have time to apply
your brakes if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops.
Always leave enough room up ahead to stop, even
though you have anti-lock brakes.
Using Anti-Lock
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal
down rmly and let anti-lock work for you. You may feel
the brakes vibrate, or you may notice some noise,
but this is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
With anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the same
time. In many emergencies, steering can help you more
than even the very best braking.
Road Sensing Suspension
The Road Sensing Suspension (RSS) feature provides
superior vehicle ride and handling under a variety of
passenger and loading conditions.The system is fully automatic and uses a computer
controller to continuously monitor vehicle speed, wheel
to body position, lift/dive and steering position of the
vehicle. The controller then sends signals to each shock
absorber to independently adjust the damping level to
provide the optimum vehicle ride.
RSS also interacts with the tow/haul mode that, when
engaged, will provide additional control of the shock
absorbers. This additional control results in better ride
and handling characteristics when the vehicle is
loaded or towing a trailer. See “Tow/Haul Mode” under
Towing a Trailer on page 4-51.
StabiliTrak®System
Your vehicle is equipped with StabiliTrak®, which
combines antilock brake, traction and stability control
systems and helps the driver maintain directional control
of the vehicle in most driving conditions.
When you rst start your vehicle and begin to drive
away, the system performs several diagnostic checks
to insure there are no problems. You may hear or
feel the system working. This is normal and does not
mean there is a problem with your vehicle. The system
should initialize before the vehicle reaches 20 mph
(32 km/h). In some cases, it may take approximately
two miles of driving before the system initializes.
4-8

When the StabiliTrak®system has been turned off
you may still hear system noises as a result of
the brake-traction control coming on.
To limit wheel spin and realize the full benets of the
stability enhancement system, you should normally
leave StabiliTrak
®on, but it may be necessary to turn
the system off if your vehicle is stuck in sand, mud,
ice or snow, and you want to “rock” your vehicle
to attempt to free it. It may also be necessary to turn off
the system when driving in extreme off-road conditions
where high wheel spin is required. SeeIf You Are Stuck:
In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow on page 4-42.
Traction Control Operation
The traction control system is part of the StabiliTrak®
system. Traction control limits wheel spin by reducing
engine power to the wheels (engine speed
management) and by applying brakes to each individual
wheel (brake-traction control) as necessary.
The traction control system is enabled automatically
when you start your vehicle, and it will activate
and display the TRACTION ACTIVE message in the
Driver Information Center (DIC) if it senses that any of
the wheels are spinning or beginning to lose traction
while driving. If you turn off StabiliTrak
®, only the
brake-traction control portion of traction control will work.
The engine speed management will be disabled.In this state, engine power is not reduced automatically
and the driven wheels can spin more freely. This
can cause the brake-traction control to activate
constantly. For more information on the traction active
message, seeDriver Information Center (DIC) on
page 3-46.
Notice:If the traction off light comes on due to
heavy braking and/or because the traction control
system has been continuously active, do not
allow the wheel(s) of one axle to spin excessively.
If you do, you may be causing damage to the
transfer case. This could lead to costly repairs not
covered by your warranty.
If the brake traction-control system activates constantly
or if the brakes have heated up due to high-speed
braking, brake traction-control will be disabled and the
TRACTION SYS LIMITED message will be displayed.
In the limited mode, the traction control system will only
use engine traction-control and is limited in its ability
to provide optimal performance since the system will not
utilize brake traction-control to control slip on the
drive wheels. The system will return to normal operation
after the brakes have cooled. This can take up to
two minutes or longer depending on brake usage.
4-10