2008 CADILLAC ESCALADE ESV towing

Shifting Into PARK (P)
{ CAUTION: It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle
if the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with
the parking brake rmly set. Your vehicle can
roll. If you have left the engine running, the
vehicle can move suddenly. You or others
could be injured. To be sure your vehicle will
not move, even when you are on fairly level
ground, use the steps that follow. If you are
pulling a trailer, see Towing a Trailer on
page 4-44 .
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake.
2. Move the shift lever into the PARK (P) position by
pulling the shift lever toward you and moving it up
as far as it will go.
3. Turn the ignition key to LOCK/OFF.
4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can
leave your vehicle with the ignition key in your
hand, your vehicle is in PARK (P). Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine
Running
{ CAUTION: It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle with
the engine running. Your vehicle could move
suddenly if the shift lever is not fully in
PARK (P) with the parking brake rmly set.
And, if you leave the vehicle with the engine
running, it could overheat and even catch re.
You or others could be injured. Do not leave
your vehicle with the engine running.
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be sure your vehicle is in PARK (P) and the
parking brake is rmly set. After the shift lever is moved
into PARK (P), hold the regular brake pedal down.
Then, see if you can move the shift lever away from
PARK (P) without rst pulling it toward you. If you can, it
means that the shift lever was not fully locked into
PARK (P).
2-36

Running the Engine While Parked It is better not to park with the engine running. But if you
ever have to, here are some things to know.
{ CAUTION: Idling the engine with the climate control
system off could allow dangerous exhaust into
your vehicle. See the earlier caution under
Engine Exhaust on page 2-39 .
Also, idling in a closed-in place can let deadly
carbon monoxide (CO) into your vehicle even if
the climate control fan is at the highest setting.
One place this can happen is a garage.
Exhaust — with CO — can come in easily.
NEVER park in a garage with the engine
running.
Another closed-in place can be a blizzard. See
Winter Driving on page 4-30 . { CAUTION: It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle
if the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with
the parking brake rmly set. Your vehicle can
roll. Do not leave your vehicle when the engine
is running unless you have to. If you have left
the engine running, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You or others could be injured. To
be sure your vehicle will not move, even when
you are on fairly level ground, always set the
parking brake and move the shift lever to
PARK (P).
Follow the proper steps to be sure your vehicle will not
move. See Shifting Into PARK (P) on page 2-36 .
If you are pulling a trailer, see Towing a Trailer on
page 4-44 .
2-40

Brake System Warning Light With the ignition on, the brake system warning light will
come on when you set the parking brake. If you try
to drive with the parking brake engaged, a chime will
sound when the vehicle speed is greater than 3 mph
(5 km/h).
Your vehicle’s hydraulic brake system is divided into two
parts. If one part is not working, the other part can
still work and stop you. For good braking, though, you
need both parts working well.
If the warning light comes on and a chime sounds there
could be a brake problem. Have your brake system
inspected right away.
This light may also come on due to low brake uid. See
Brakes on page 5-36 for more information. This light should come on briey when you turn the
ignition key to RUN. If it does not come on then, have it
xed so it will be ready to warn you if there is a
problem.
If the light comes on while you are driving, pull off the
road and stop carefully. You may notice that the pedal is
harder to push or may go closer to the oor. It may
take longer to stop. If the light is still on, have the vehicle
towed for service. See Towing Your Vehicle on
page 4-41 .
{ CAUTION: Your brake system may not be working
properly if the brake system warning light is
on. Driving with the brake system warning light
on can lead to an accident. If the light is still
on after you have pulled off the road and
stopped carefully, have the vehicle towed for
service.
United States
Canada
3-40

If the Light is Flashing The following can prevent more serious damage to your
vehicle:
Reduce vehicle speed.
Avoid hard accelerations.
Avoid steep uphill grades.
If you are towing a trailer, reduce the amount of
cargo being hauled as soon as it is possible.
If the light stops ashing and remains on steady, see “If
the Light Is On Steady” following.
If the light continues to ash, when it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle. Find a safe place to park the vehicle.
Turn the ignition off, wait at least 10 seconds, and restart
the engine. If the light remains on steady, see “If the
Light Is On Steady” following. If the light is still ashing,
follow the previous steps and see your dealer/retailer
for service as soon as possible. If the Light Is On Steady You might be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you recently put fuel into your vehicle?
If so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully install
the cap. See Filling the Tank on page 5-7 . The
diagnostic system can determine if the fuel cap has
been left off or improperly installed. A loose or missing
fuel cap allows fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere.
A few driving trips with the cap properly installed should
turn the light off.
Did you just drive through a deep puddle of water?
If so, your vehicle’s electrical system might be wet. The
condition is usually corrected when the electrical system
dries out. A few driving trips should turn the light off.
3-44

Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle ......... .4-2
Defensive Driving .......................................... .4-2
Drunk Driving ................................................ .4-2
Control of a Vehicle ....................................... .4-3
Braking ........................................................ .4-3
Antilock Brake System (ABS) .......................... .4-4
Braking in Emergencies .................................. .4-5
Locking Differential ........................................ .4-5
Road Sensing Suspension .............................. .4-6
StabiliTrak ®
System ....................................... .4-6
All-Wheel Drive (AWD) System ........................ .4-8
Steering ....................................................... .4-9
Off-Road Recovery ...................................... .4-11
Passing ...................................................... .4-11
Loss of Control ............................................ .4-11
Off-Road Driving .......................................... .4-12
Driving at Night ........................................... .4-26 Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads ................. .4-27
Before Leaving on a Long Trip ...................... .4-28
Highway Hypnosis ....................................... .4-28
Hill and Mountain Roads ............................... .4-29
Winter Driving ............................................. .4-30
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice,
or Snow .................................................. .4-33
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out ................ .4-34
Recovery Hooks .......................................... .4-34
Loading Your Vehicle ................................... .4-35
Towing ......................................................... .4-41
Towing Your Vehicle .................................... .4-41
Recreational Vehicle Towing .......................... .4-42
Autoride ®
.................................................... .4-43
Towing a Trailer .......................................... .4-44
Trailer Recommendations .............................. .4-57Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
4-1

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 4-44 .
StabiliTrak ®
SystemYour vehicle may have the StabiliTrak ®
system 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
ensure 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.
If the system fails to turn on or activate, the StabiliTrak ®
light along with one of the following messages will be
displayed on the Driver Information Center (DIC):
TRACTION CONTROL OFF, SERVICE TRACTION
CONTROL, STABILITRAK OFF, SERVICE
STABILITRAK. If these DIC messages appear, make
sure the StabiliTrak ®
system has not been turned
off using the StabiliTrak ®
on/off button. Then turn the
steering wheel clockwise from the nine o’clock position
to the three o’clock position. If this clears the
message(s), your vehicle does not need servicing. If this
does not clear the message(s), then turn the vehicle
off, wait 15 seconds, and then turn it back on again to
reset the system. If any of these messages still appear
on the Driver Information Center (DIC), your vehicle
should be taken in for service. For more information on
the DIC messages, see Driver Information Center (DIC)
on page 3-48 .
4-6

Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out First, turn the steering wheel left and right to clear
the area around the front wheels. For vehicles with
StabiliTrak ®
, turn the traction control part of the system
off. See StabiliTrak ®
System on page 4-6 . Then shift
back and forth between REVERSE (R) and a forward
gear, spinning the wheels as little as possible. To
prevent transmission wear, wait until the wheels stop
spinning before shifting gears. Release the accelerator
pedal while you shift, and press lightly on the
accelerator pedal when the transmission is in gear. By
slowly spinning the wheels in the forward and reverse
directions, you will cause a rocking motion that
could free your vehicle. If that does not get your vehicle
out after a few tries, it might need to be towed out.
Or, you can use recovery hooks, if your vehicle
has them. If your vehicle does need to be towed out,
see Towing Your Vehicle on page 4-41 . Recovery Hooks
{ CAUTION: These hooks, when used, are under a lot of
force. Always pull the vehicle straight out.
Never pull on the hooks at a sideways angle.
The hooks could break off and you or others
could be injured from the chain or cable
snapping back.
4-34

5.
Determine the combined weight of luggage
and cargo being loaded on the vehicle. That
weight may not safely exceed the available
cargo and luggage load capacity calculated
in Step 4.6.
If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, the load
from your trailer will be transferred to your
vehicle. Consult this manual to determine
how this reduces the available cargo
and luggage load capacity of your vehicle.
See Towing a Trailer on page 4-44 for
important information on towing a trailer,
towing safety rules and trailering tips.
Item Description Total
A Vehicle Capacity
Weight for
Example 1 = 1,000 lbs
(453 kg)
B Subtract Occupant
Weight 150 lbs
(68 kg) × 2 = 300 lbs (136 kg)
C Available Occupant
and Cargo Weight = 700 lbs (317 kg )Example 1
4-37