2007 CADILLAC ESCALADE brakes

Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
The arrows on your instrument panel will
ash whenever you signal a turn or lane change.
Properly hooked up, the trailer lamps will also
ash, telling other drivers you’re about to
turn, change lanes or stop.
When towing a trailer, the arrows on your
instrument panel will ash for turns even if the bulbs
on the trailer are burned out. Thus, you may think
drivers behind you are seeing your signal when
they are not. It’s important to check occasionally to
be sure the trailer bulbs are still working.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gearbefore
you 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 “Tow/Haul Mode” earlier.
When towing at high altitude on steep uphill
grades, consider the following: Engine coolant at
or near sea level will boil at a lower temperature
than at higher 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 at least ve minutes before
turning the engine off. If you do get the overheat
warning, seeEngine Overheating on page 422.
389

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.
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 overll), 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.
390

Electric Brake Control Wiring
Provisions
These wiring provisions are included with your
vehicle as part of the heavy-duty trailer wiring
package. These provisions are for an electric
brake controller. The red/black stripe power feed
will not be connected to the battery until the
ring terminal is unstowed and connected to the
underhood electrical center. The instrument panel
contains blunt cut wires near the data link
connector for the trailer brake controller. The
harness contains the following wires:
Dark Blue: Auxiliary
Red/Black: Battery
Light Blue/White: Brake Switch
White: Ground
It should be installed by your dealer or a qualied
service center.
Trailer Recommendations
You must subtract your hitch loads from the
Cargo Weight Rating (CWR). CWR is the
maximum weight of the load your vehicle can
carry. It doesn’t include the weight of the people
inside. But you can gure about 150 lbs. (68 kg)
for each seat. The total cargo load must not
be more than your vehicle’s CWR.
Weigh your vehicle with the trailer attached, so
that you won’t go over the GVWR or GAWR.
If you are using a weight-distributing hitch, weigh
the vehicle without the spring bars in place.
You’ll get the best performance if you spread
out the weight of your load the right way, and if
you choose the correct hitch and trailer brakes.
For more information, seeTowing a Trailer
on page 379.
392

Service........................................................ 396
Accessories and Modications................... 396
California Proposition 65 Warning.............. 397
Doing Your Own Service Work.................. 397
Adding Equipment to the Outside of Your
Vehicle................................................... 398
Fuel............................................................. 398
Gasoline Octane........................................ 398
Gasoline Specications.............................. 398
California Fuel........................................... 399
Additives................................................... 399
Fuels in Foreign Countries........................ 400
Filling the Tank......................................... 401
Filling a Portable Fuel Container............... 403
Checking Things Under the Hood.............. 404
Hood Release........................................... 405
Engine Compartment Overview.................. 406
Engine Oil................................................. 407
Engine Oil Life System.............................. 410
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter............................ 412
Automatic Transmission Fluid.................... 415
Engine Coolant.......................................... 419Coolant Surge Tank Pressure Cap............ 422
Engine Overheating................................... 422
Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode..................................... 424
Cooling System......................................... 425
Engine Fan Noise..................................... 430
Power Steering Fluid ................................. 430
Windshield Washer Fluid........................... 431
Brakes...................................................... 433
Battery...................................................... 436
Jump Starting............................................ 437
All-Wheel Drive........................................... 443
Rear Axle.................................................... 444
Front Axle................................................... 445
Headlamp Aiming........................................ 446
Bulb Replacement....................................... 449
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting..... 449
Back-Up Lamps......................................... 449
License Plate Lamp................................... 451
Replacement Bulbs................................... 451
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
393

Service
Your dealer knows your vehicle best and wants
you to be happy with it. We hope you will go
to your dealer for all your service needs. You will
get genuine GM parts and GM-trained and
supported service people.
We hope you will want to keep your GM vehicle
all GM. Genuine GM parts have one of these
marks:
Accessories and Modications
When you add non-GM accessories to your vehicle
they can affect your vehicle’s performance and
safety, including such things as, airbags, braking,
stability, ride and handling, emissions systems,
aerodynamics, durability, and electronic systems
like anti-lock brakes, traction control and
stability control. Some of these accessories may
even cause malfunction or damage not covered by
warranty.
GM Accessories are designed to complement and
function with other systems on your vehicle.
Your GM dealer can accessorize your vehicle
using genuine GM Accessories. When you go to
your GM dealer and ask for GM Accessories,
you will know that GM-trained and supported
service technicians will perform the work using
genuine GM Accessories.
396

A. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter. SeeEngine Air
Cleaner/Filter on page 412.
B. Air Filter Restriction Indicator (If Equipped).
SeeEngine Air Cleaner/Filter on page 412.
C. Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap.
SeeCooling System on page 425andCoolant
Surge Tank Pressure Cap on page 422.
D. Remote Positive (+) Terminal. SeeJump
Starting on page 437.
E. Battery. SeeBattery on page 436.
F. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See “When to Add Engine
Oil” underEngine Oil on page 407.
G. Automatic Transmission Dipstick (Out of View).
See “Checking the Fluid Level” under
Automatic Transmission Fluid on page 415.
H. Remote Negative (−) Terminal (GND) (Out of
View). SeeJump Starting on page 437.
I. Engine Oil Dipstick (Out of View). See
“Checking Engine Oil” underEngine Oil on
page 407.
J. Engine Cooling Fan (Out of View). SeeCooling
System on page 425.
K. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir (Out of View).
SeePower Steering Fluid on page 430.L. Brake Master Cylinder Reservoir. See “Brake
Fluid” underBrakes on page 433.
M. Underhood Fuse Block. SeeUnderhood Fuse
Block on page 511.
N. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See
“Adding Washer Fluid” underWindshield
Washer Fluid on page 431.
Engine Oil
If the ENGINE OIL LOW ADD OIL message
appears on the Driver Information Center (DIC), it
means you need to check your engine oil level
right away. For more information, see ENGINE OIL
LOW ADD OIL underDIC Warnings and
Messages on page 250.
You should check your engine oil level regularly;
this is an added reminder.
Checking Engine Oil
It is a good idea to check your engine oil every
time you get fuel. In order to get an accurate
reading, the oil must be warm and the vehicle must
be on level ground.
407

Brakes
Brake Fluid
Your brake master
cylinder reservoir is
lled with DOT-3 brake
uid. SeeEngine
Compartment Overview
on page 406for the
location of the reservoir.
There are only two reasons why the brake uid
level in the reservoir might go down. The rst
is that the brake uid goes down to an acceptable
level during normal brake lining wear. When
new linings are put in, the uid level goes back
up. The other reason is that uid is leaking out of
the brake system. If it is, you should have your
brake system xed, since a leak means that
sooner or later your brakes will not work well, or
will not work at all.So, it is not a good idea to top off your brake uid.
Adding brake uid will not correct a leak. If you
add uid when your linings are worn, then you will
have too much uid when you get new brake
linings. You should add or remove brake uid, as
necessary, only when work is done on the
brake hydraulic system.
{CAUTION:
If you have too much brake uid, it can spill
on the engine. The uid will burn if the
engine is hot enough. You or others could
be burned, and your vehicle could be
damaged. Add brake uid only when work
is done on the brake hydraulic system. See
“Checking Brake Fluid” in this section.
When the brake uid falls to a low level, the brake
warning light will come on. SeeBrake System
Warning Light on page 235.
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine
when to check your brake uid. SeeScheduled
Maintenance on page 521.
433

Checking Brake Fluid
You can check the brake uid without taking off
the cap.
Look at the brake uid
reservoir. The uid level
should be above
MIN. If it is not, have
your brake system
checked to see if there
is a leak.
After work is done on the brake hydraulic system,
make sure the level is above the MIN but not
over the MAX mark.
What to Add
When you do need brake uid, use only DOT-3
brake uid. Use new brake uid from a sealed
container only. SeeRecommended Fluids
and Lubricants on page 531.
Always clean the brake uid reservoir cap and the
area around the cap before removing it. This
will help keep dirt from entering the reservoir.
{CAUTION:
With the wrong kind of uid in your brake
system, your brakes may not work well, or
they may not even work at all. This could
cause a crash. Always use the proper
brake uid.
434