2007 CADILLAC ESCALADE ESV warning

REPLACE BATTERY IN REMOTE KEY
If a remote keyless entry transmitter battery is low,
this message will display. The battery needs to
be replaced in the transmitter. See “Battery
Replacement” underRemote Keyless Entry
System Operation on page 115.
RIGHT REAR DOOR OPEN
If the passenger’s side rear door is not fully closed
and the vehicle is in a drive gear, this message
will display and a chime will sound. Stop and turn
off the vehicle, check the door for obstructions,
and close the door again. Check to see if the
message still appears on the DIC.
SERVICE AIR BAG
If there is a problem with the airbag system, this
message will display. Have your dealer inspect
the system for problems. SeeAirbag Readiness
Light on page 232andAirbag System on page 90
for more information.
SERVICE BATTERY CHARGING
SYSTEM
On some vehicles, if there is a problem with the
battery charging system, this message will display.
Under certain conditions, the battery warning
light may also turn on in the instrument panel
cluster. SeeCharging System Light on page 235.
Driving with this problem could drain the battery.
Turn off all unnecessary accessories. Have
the electrical system checked as soon as possible.
See your dealer.
SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM
If there is a problem with the brake system, this
message will display along with the brake system
warning light. SeeBrake System Warning Light
on page 235. 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 as soon as possible.
See your dealer.
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SERVICE TIRE MONITOR SYSTEM
If your vehicle has the Tire Pressure Monitor
(TPM) system, this message will display if a part
on the system is not working properly. If you
drive your vehicle while any of the four sensors
are missing or inoperable, the warning will
come on in about 20 minutes. A sensor would be
missing, for example, if you put different wheels
on your vehicle without transferring the sensors.
If the warning comes on and stays on, there
may be a problem with the TPM. See your dealer.
SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL
If your vehicle has StabiliTrak®, this message will
display when there is a problem with the traction
control system. When this message is displayed,
the system will not limit wheel spin. Adjust
your driving accordingly. See your dealer for
service. SeeStabiliTrak
®System on page 330
for more information.
STABILITRAK OFF
If your vehicle has StabiliTrak®, this message will
display when you turn off StabiliTrak®, or when
the stability control has been automatically
disabled. To limit wheel spin and realize the full
benets of the stability enhancement system, you
should normally leave StabiliTrak
®on. However,
you should turn StabiliTrak®off if your vehicle gets
stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow and you want
to rock your vehicle to attempt to free it, or if you
are driving in extreme off-road conditions and
require more wheel spin. SeeIf Your Vehicle is
Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow on page 368.
To turn the StabiliTrak
®system on or off, see
StabiliTrak®System on page 330.
There are several 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. See
Brake System Warning Light on page 235.
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TRANSMISSION HOT IDLE ENGINE
Notice:If you drive your vehicle while
the transmission uid is overheating and the
transmission temperature warning is displayed
on the instrument panel cluster and/or DIC,
you can damage the transmission. This could
lead to costly repairs that would not be
covered by your warranty. Do not drive your
vehicle with overheated transmission uid
or while the transmission temperature warning
is displayed.
If the transmission uid in the vehicle gets hot,
this message will display along with a continuous
chime. Driving with the transmission uid
temperature high can cause damage to the
vehicle. Stop the vehicle and let it idle to allow the
transmission to cool. This message will clear
and the chime will stop when the uid temperature
reaches a safe level.
TURN SIGNAL ON
If a turn signal is left on for 3/4 of a mile (1.2 km),
this message will display and a chime will
sound. Move the turn signal/multifunction lever to
the off position.
WASHER FLUID LOW ADD FLUID
If the washer uid level is low, this message will
display. Adding washer uid to the windshield
washer reservoir will clear the message. See
Windshield Washer Fluid on page 431.
This message will clear itself after 10 seconds,
until the next ignition cycle.
DIC Vehicle Customization
Your vehicle may have customization capabilities
that allow you to program certain features to
one preferred setting. Customization features
can only be programmed to one setting on
the vehicle and cannot be programmed to a
preferred setting for two different drivers.
All of the customization options may not be
available on your vehicle. Only the options
available will be displayed on your DIC.
The default settings for the customization features
were set when your vehicle left the factory, but
may have been changed from their default
state since then.
The customization preferences are automatically
recalled.
259

Control of a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your vehicle
go where you want it to go. They are the brakes,
the steering, and the accelerator. All three
systems have to do their work at the places where
the tires meet the road.
Sometimes, as when you are driving on snow or
ice, it is easy to ask more of those control systems
than the tires and road can provide. That means
you can lose control of your vehicle. See
StabiliTrak
®System on page 330.
Adding non-GM accessories can affect your
vehicle’s performance. SeeAccessories and
Modications on page 396.
Braking
SeeBrake System Warning Light on page 235.
Braking action involves perception time and
reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake
pedal. That is perception time. Then you have to
bring up your foot and do it. That is reaction time.
Average reaction time is about three-fourths of a
second. But that is only an average. It might
be less with one driver and as long as two or
three seconds or more with another. Age, physical
condition, alertness, coordination, and eyesight
all play a part. So do alcohol, drugs, and
frustration. But even in three-fourths of a second,
a vehicle moving at 60 mph (100 km/h) travels
66 feet (20 m). That could be a lot of distance in an
emergency, so keeping enough space between
your vehicle and others is important.
And, of course, actual stopping distances vary
greatly with the surface of the road, whether it is
pavement or gravel; the condition of the road,
whether it is wet, dry, or icy; tire tread; the
condition of your brakes; the weight of the vehicle;
and the amount of brake force applied.
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Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive
in spurts — heavy acceleration followed by
heavy braking — rather than keeping pace with
traffic. This is a mistake. Your brakes may
not have time to cool between hard stops. Your
brakes will wear out much faster if you do a lot of
heavy braking. If you keep pace with the traffic
and allow realistic following distances, you
will eliminate a lot of unnecessary braking. That
means better braking and longer brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you are driving,
brake normally but do not pump your brakes.
If you do, the pedal may get harder to push down.
If your engine stops, you will still have some
power brake assist. But you will use it when you
brake. Once the power assist is used up, it
may take longer to stop and the brake pedal
will be harder to push.
Adding non-GM accessories can affect your
vehicle’s performance. SeeAccessories and
Modications on page 396.Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
Your vehicle has the Anti-Lock Brake System
(ABS), an advanced electronic braking system
that will help prevent a braking skid.
When you start your engine and begin to drive
away, ABS will check itself. You may hear a
momentary motor or clicking noise while this test
is going on. This is normal.
If there is a problem
with ABS, this warning
light will stay on.
SeeAnti-Lock Brake
System Warning
Light on page 237.
Along with ABS, your vehicle has a Dynamic Rear
Proportioning (DRP) system. If there is a DRP
problem, both the brake and ABS warning lights
will come on accompanied by a 10-second
chime. The lights and chime will come on each
time the ignition is turned on until the problem is
repaired. See your dealer for service.
327

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.
Notice:If you allow the wheel(s) of one axle
to spin excessively while the StabiliTrak
®,
ABS and brake warning lights and the
SERVICE STABILITRAK message are
displayed, you could damage the transfer
case. The repairs would not be covered by
your warranty. Reduce engine power and
do not spin the wheel(s) excessively while
these lights and this message are displayed.
The traction control system may activate on
dry or rough roads or under conditions such
as heavy acceleration while turning or abrupt
upshifts/downshifts of the transmission. When
this happens you may notice a reduction in
acceleration, or may hear a noise or vibration.
This is normal.If your vehicle is in cruise control when the system
activates, the StabiliTrak
®light will ash and the
cruise control will automatically disengage.
When road conditions allow you to use cruise
again, you may re-engage the cruise control.
SeeCruise Control on page 202.
StabiliTrak
®may also turn off automatically if it
determines that a problem exists with the system.
If the problem does not clear itself after restarting
the vehicle, you should see your dealer for
service.
Adding non-GM accessories can affect your
vehicle’s performance. SeeAccessories and
Modications on page 396for more information.
All-Wheel Drive (AWD) System
If your vehicle is equipped with this feature,
engine power is sent to all four wheels when extra
traction is needed. This is like four-wheel drive,
but there is no separate lever or switch to engage
or disengage the front axle. It is fully automatic,
and adjusts itself as needed for road conditions.
332

Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the
engine stops or the system is not functioning,
you can steer but it will take much more effort.
Steering Tips
It is important to take curves at a reasonable
speed.
A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents
mentioned on the news happen on curves.
Here is why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each of us is
subject to the same laws of physics when driving on
curves. The traction of the tires against the road
surface makes it possible for the vehicle to change
its path when you turn the front wheels. If there is
no traction, inertia will keep the vehicle going in the
same direction. If you have ever tried to steer a
vehicle on wet ice, you will understand this.The traction you can get in a curve depends on
the condition of your tires and the road surface,
the angle at which the curve is banked, and
your speed. While you are in a curve, speed is
the one factor you can control.
Suppose you are steering through a sharp curve.
Then you suddenly accelerate. Both control
systems — steering and acceleration — have to
do their work where the tires meet the road.
Adding the sudden acceleration can demand too
much of those places. You can lose control.
SeeStabiliTrak
®System on page 330.
What should you do if this ever happens? Ease up
on the accelerator pedal, steer the vehicle the
way you want it to go, and slow down.
If you have StabiliTrak
®, you may see the
STABILITY SYSTEM ACTIVE message on the
message center. See “Stability System Active
Message” underDIC Warnings and Messages
on page 250.
Speed limit signs near curves warn that you
should adjust your speed. Of course, the posted
speeds are based on good weather and road
conditions. Under less favorable conditions you will
want to go slower.
333

If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off
the accelerator pedal and quickly steer the
way you want the vehicle to go. If you start
steering quickly enough, your vehicle may
straighten out. Always be ready for a second skid
if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow,
ice, gravel, or other material is on the road.
For safety, you will want to slow down and adjust
your driving to these conditions. It is important
to slow down on slippery surfaces because
stopping distance will be longer and vehicle control
more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced traction,
try your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration,
or braking, including reducing vehicle speed by
shifting to a lower gear. Any sudden changes could
cause the tires to slide. You may not realize the
surface is slippery until your vehicle is skidding.
Learn to recognize warning clues — such as
enough water, ice, or packed snow on the road to
make a mirrored surface — and slow down when
you have any doubt.
Remember: Any Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
helps avoid only the braking skid.Off-Road Driving
This off-road guide is for vehicles that have
all-wheel drive. If your vehicle does not have
all-wheel drive or if it has 20-inch tire/wheel
assemblies, you should not drive off-road unless
you are on a level, solid surface. SeeTires
on page 454.
Many of the same design features that help make
your vehicle responsive on paved roads during
poor weather conditions — features like all-wheel
drive — help make it much better suited for
off-road use. Its higher ground clearance also
helps your vehicle step over some off-road
obstacles. But your vehicle does not have features
like special underbody shielding and a transfer
case low gear range, things that are usually
thought necessary for extended or severe off-road
service.
Also, seeBraking on page 326.
Off-road driving can be great fun. But it does have
some denite hazards. The greatest of these is
the terrain itself.
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