2007 CADILLAC ESCALADE instrument panel

The StabiliTrak®light
will ash on the
instrument panel cluster
when the system is
both on and activated.
StabiliTrak
®and part of
the traction control
system can be turned off
or back on by pressing
the StabiliTrak
®button
located on the
instrument panel.
When the system is turned off, the StabiliTrak
®
light will ash, and the STABILITRAK OFF
message will appear on the DIC to warn the
driver that both the stability system and part of
the traction control system are disabled. Your
vehicle will still have brake-traction control when
StabiliTrak
®is off, but will not be able to use the
engine speed management system. See “Traction
Control Operation” next for more information.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 Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand,
Mud, Ice, or Snow on page 368.
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 StabiliTrak
®light if
it senses that any of the wheels are spinning
or beginning to lose traction while driving.
331

If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand,
Mud, Ice, or Snow
In order to free your vehicle when it is stuck, you
will need to spin the wheels, but you do not
want to spin your wheels too fast. The method
known as rocking can help you get out when you
are stuck, but you must use caution.
{CAUTION:
If you let your tires spin at high speed,
they can explode, and you or others could
be injured. And, the transmission or other
parts of the vehicle can overheat. That
could cause an engine compartment re
or other damage. When you are stuck,
spin the wheels as little as possible. Do
not spin the wheels above 35 mph
(55 km/h) as shown on the speedometer.Notice:Spinning your wheels can destroy
parts of your vehicle as well as the tires. If you
spin the wheels too fast while shifting your
transmission back and forth, you can destroy
your transmission.
For more information about using tire chains on
your vehicle, seeTire Chains on page 475.
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out
First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That
will clear the area around your front wheels. If your
vehicle has the StabiliTrak
®System, turn the
system off by pressing the StabiliTrak®button so
that the STABILITY SYS DISABLED message
and the traction off light are illuminated on the
instrument panel cluster. Then shift back and
forth between REVERSE (R) and a forward gear,
spinning the wheels as little as possible.
Release the accelerator pedal while you shift,
and press lightly on the accelerator pedal
when the transmission is in gear.
368

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
Trailer” later in this section.
Press this button at the end of the shift lever to
enable/disable the tow/haul mode.A light on the instrument
panel will illuminate
to indicate that
tow/haul mode has
been selected.
The vehicle will automatically turn off tow/haul
every time it is started.
Driving with tow/haul activated without a heavy
load or with no trailer will cause reduced fuel
economy and unpleasant engine and transmission
driving characteristics, but will not cause
damage.
Operating the vehicle in tow/haul when lightly
loaded or with no trailer at all will not cause
damage. However, there is no benet 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.
381

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

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

Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement....... 452
Tires............................................................ 454
Tire Sidewall Labeling............................... 455
Tire Terminology and Denitions............... 457
Ination - Tire Pressure............................. 460
High-Speed Operation............................... 462
Tire Pressure Monitor System................... 462
Tire Inspection and Rotation...................... 467
When It Is Time for New Tires.................. 469
Buying New Tires...................................... 470
Different Size Tires and Wheels................ 472
Uniform Tire Quality Grading..................... 472
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance............ 474
Wheel Replacement.................................. 474
Tire Chains............................................... 475
If a Tire Goes Flat.................................... 476
Changing a Flat Tire................................. 476
Removing the Spare Tire and Tools.......... 478
Removing the Flat Tire and Installing
the Spare Tire....................................... 482
Secondary Latch System........................... 488
Storing a Flat or Spare Tire and Tools...... 492
Spare Tire................................................. 495Appearance Care........................................ 496
Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle.......... 496
Fabric/Carpet............................................. 497
Leather...................................................... 498
Instrument Panel, Vinyl, and Other
Plastic Surfaces..................................... 499
Wood Panels............................................. 499
Speaker Covers........................................ 499
Care of Safety Belts.................................. 499
Weatherstrips............................................ 500
Washing Your Vehicle............................... 500
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses................ 500
Finish Care............................................... 501
Windshield, Backglass, and
Wiper Blades......................................... 502
Aluminum or Chrome-Plated Wheels......... 502
Tires......................................................... 503
Sheet Metal Damage................................. 503
Finish Damage.......................................... 504
Underbody Maintenance............................ 504
Chemical Paint Spotting............................ 504
Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials............ 505
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
394

Vehicle Identication.................................. 506
Vehicle Identication Number (VIN)........... 506
Service Parts Identication Label............... 506
Electrical System........................................ 506
Add-On Electrical Equipment..................... 506
Windshield Wiper Fuses............................ 507
Power Windows and Other Power
Options.................................................. 507Fuses and Circuit Breakers....................... 507
Instrument Panel Fuse Block..................... 507
Center Instrument Panel Fuse Block......... 510
Underhood Fuse Block.............................. 511
Capacities and Specications.................... 515
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
395

Coolant Surge Tank Pressure Cap
Notice:If the pressure cap is not tightly
installed, coolant loss and possible engine
damage may occur. Be sure the cap is properly
and tightly secured.
The coolant surge tank pressure cap must be fully
installed on the coolant surge tank. SeeEngine
Compartment Overview on page 406for more
information on location.
Engine Overheating
You will nd a coolant temperature gage on your
vehicle’s instrument panel. SeeEngine Coolant
Temperature Gage on page 238.
In addition, the messages ENGINE OVERHEATED
STOP ENGINE, ENGINE OVERHEATED IDLE
ENGINE, or ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED could
appear in the Driver Information Center (DIC) on
the instrument panel. SeeDIC Warnings and
Messages on page 250.
If Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
{CAUTION:
Steam from an overheated engine can
burn you badly, even if you just open the
hood. Stay away from the engine if you
see or hear steam coming from it. Just
turn it off and get everyone away from the
vehicle until it cools down. Wait until
there is no sign of steam or coolant
before you open the hood.
If you keep driving when your engine is
overheated, the liquids in it can catch re.
You or others could be badly burned.
Stop your engine if it overheats, and get
out of the vehicle until the engine is cool.
SeeOverheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode on page 424for
information on driving to a safe place in
an emergency.
422