2008 CADILLAC ESCALADE ESV Owners Manual

Checking Brake Fluid The brake uid can be checked without taking off the
cap by looking at the brake uid reservoir.
The uid level should be
above MIN. If it is not,
have the brake hydraulic
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. See Recommended Fluids and Lubricants on
page 6-13 . Always clean the brake uid reservoir cap and the area
around the cap before removing it. This helps keep
dirt from entering the reservoir.
{ CAUTION: With the wrong kind of uid in the brake
hydraulic system, the brakes might not work
well. This could cause a crash. Always use the
proper brake uid.
Notice:
Using the wrong uid can badly damage brake
hydraulic system parts. For example, just a
few drops of mineral-based oil, such as engine
oil, in the brake hydraulic system can damage
brake hydraulic system parts so badly that they
will have to be replaced. Do not let someone
put in the wrong kind of uid.
If you spill brake uid on your vehicle’s painted
surfaces, the paint nish can be damaged.
Be careful not to spill brake uid on your
vehicle. If you do, wash it off immediately.
See Washing Your Vehicle on page 5-102 .
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Brake Wear Your vehicle has disc brakes. Disc brake pads have
built-in wear indicators that make a high-pitched warning
sound when the brake pads are worn and new pads
are needed. The sound can come and go or be heard all
the time your vehicle is moving, except when you are
pushing on the brake pedal rmly.
{ CAUTION: The brake wear warning sound means that soon
the brakes will not work well. That could lead to
an accident. When you hear the brake wear
warning sound, have your vehicle serviced.
Notice: Continuing to drive with worn-out brake
pads could result in costly brake repair.
Some driving conditions or climates can cause a brake
squeal when the brakes are rst applied or lightly
applied. This does not mean something is wrong with
the brakes. Properly torqued wheel nuts are necessary to help
prevent brake pulsation. When tires are rotated, inspect
brake pads for wear and evenly tighten wheel nuts in
the proper sequence to torque specications in
Capacities and Specifications on page 5-115 .
Brake linings should always be replaced as complete
axle sets.
Brake Pedal Travel See your dealer/retailer if the brake pedal does not
return to normal height, or if there is a rapid increase in
pedal travel. This could be a sign that brake service
might be required.
Brake Adjustment Every time you make a brake stop, the disc brakes
adjust for wear.
Replacing Brake System Parts The braking system on a vehicle is complex. Its many
parts have to be of top quality and work well together if
the vehicle is to have really good braking. Your vehicle
was designed and tested with top-quality brake parts.
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When you replace parts of the braking system — for
example, when the brake linings wear down and you
need new ones put in — be sure you get new approved
replacement parts. If you do not, the brakes might not
work properly. For example, if someone puts in brake
linings that are wrong for your vehicle,
the balance between the front and rear brakes can
change — for the worse. The braking performance you
have come to expect can change in many other ways if
someone puts in the wrong replacement brake parts.
Battery Your vehicle has a maintenance free battery. When it is
time for a new battery, see your dealer/retailer for
one that has the replacement number shown on the
original battery’s label. See Engine Compartment
Overview on page 5-12 for battery location.
Warning: Battery posts, terminals, and related
accessories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of California to cause
cancer and reproductive harm. Wash hands after
handling. Vehicle Storage
{ CAUTION: Batteries have acid that can burn you and gas
that can explode. You can be badly hurt if you
are not careful. See Jump Starting on
page 5-40 for tips on working around a battery
without getting hurt.
Infrequent Usage: If you drive your vehicle infrequently,
remove the black, negative ( − ) cable from the battery.
This will help keep the battery from running down.
Extended Storage: For extended storage of your vehicle,
remove the black, negative ( − ) cable from the battery
or use a battery trickle charger. This will help maintain
the charge of the battery over an extended period
of time.
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Jump Starting If your vehicle’s battery (or batteries) has run down, you
may want to use another vehicle and some jumper
cables to start your vehicle. Be sure to use the following
steps to do it safely.
{ CAUTION: Batteries can hurt you. They can be dangerous
because:
They contain acid that can burn you.
They contain gas that can explode or
ignite.
They contain enough electricity to
burn you.
If you do not follow these steps exactly, some
or all of these things can hurt you. Notice: Ignoring these steps could result in costly
damage to your vehicle that would not be covered
by your warranty.
Trying to start your vehicle by pushing or pulling it
will not work, and it could damage your vehicle.
1. Check the other vehicle. It must have a 12-volt
battery with a negative ground system.
Notice: If the other vehicle’s system is not a 12-volt
system with a negative ground, both vehicles can
be damaged. Only use vehicles with 12-volt systems
with negative grounds to jump start your vehicle.
2. Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper cables
can reach, but be sure the vehicles are not touching
each other. If they are, it could cause a ground
connection you do not want. You would not be able
to start your vehicle, and the bad grounding
could damage the electrical systems.
To avoid the possibility of the vehicles rolling, set
the parking brake rmly on both vehicles involved
in the jump start procedure. Put the automatic
transmission in PARK (P) or a manual transmission
in NEUTRAL before setting the parking brake.
If you have a four-wheel-drive vehicle, be sure the
transfer case is in a drive gear, not in NEUTRAL.
5-40

Notice: If you leave your radio or other accessories
on during the jump starting procedure, they could
be damaged. The repairs would not be covered
by your warranty. Always turn off your radio and
other accessories when jump starting your vehicle.
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Unplug
unnecessary accessories plugged into the cigarette
lighter or the accessory power outlets. Turn off
the radio and all the lamps that are not needed.
This avoids sparks and helps save both batteries.
And it could save the radio!
4. Open the hood on the other vehicle and locate the
positive (+) and negative ( − ) terminal locations on
that vehicle.
Your vehicle has a remote positive (+) jump starting
terminal and a remote negative ( − ) jump starting
terminal. You should always use these remote
terminals instead of the terminals on the battery.
If the vehicle has a remote positive (+) terminal, it is
located under a red plastic cover at the positive
battery post. To uncover the remote positive (+)
terminal, open the red plastic cover. The remote negative (-) terminal is a stud located
on the right front of the engine, where the negative
battery cable attaches.
See Engine Compartment Overview on page 5-12
for more information on the location of the remote
positive (+) and remote negative (-) terminals.
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{ CAUTION: An electric fan can start up even when the
engine is not running and can injure you.
Keep hands, clothing and tools away from any
underhood electric fan.
{ CAUTION: Using a match near a battery can cause battery
gas to explode. People have been hurt doing
this, and some have been blinded. Use a
ashlight if you need more light.
Be sure the battery has enough water. You do
not need to add water to the battery installed
in your new vehicle. But if a battery has ller
caps, be sure the right amount of uid is there.
CAUTION: (Continued) CAUTION: (Continued) If it is low, add water to take care of that rst.
If you do not, explosive gas could be present.
Battery uid contains acid that can burn you.
Do not get it on you. If you accidentally get it
in your eyes or on your skin, ush the place
with water and get medical help immediately.
{ CAUTION: Fans or other moving engine parts can injure
you badly. Keep your hands away from moving
parts once the engine is running.
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5. Check that the jumper cables do not have loose or
missing insulation. If they do, you could get a
shock. The vehicles could be damaged too.
Before you connect the cables, here are some
basic things you should know. Positive (+) will go to
positive (+) or to a remote positive (+) terminal if
the vehicle has one. Negative ( − ) will go to a heavy,
unpainted metal engine part or to a remote
negative ( − ) terminal if the vehicle has one.
Do not connect positive (+) to negative ( − )oryou
will get a short that would damage the battery
and maybe other parts too. And do not connect the
negative ( − ) cable to the negative ( − ) terminal on
the dead battery because this can cause sparks.
6. Connect the red
positive (+) cable to the
positive (+) terminal
of the vehicle with the
dead battery. Use
a remote positive (+)
terminal if the
vehicle has one. 7. Do not let the other end touch metal. Connect it to
the positive (+) terminal of the good battery. Use a
remote positive (+) terminal if the vehicle has one.
8. Now connect the black negative ( − ) cable to the
negative ( − ) terminal of the good battery. Use a
remote negative ( − ) terminal if the vehicle has one.
Do not let the other end touch anything until the
next step. The other end of the negative ( − ) cable
does not go to the dead battery. It goes to a
heavy, unpainted metal engine part or to the remote
negative ( − ) terminal on the vehicle with the dead
battery.
9. Connect the other end of the negative ( − ) cable to
the remote negative ( − ) terminal, on the vehicle with
the dead battery.
10. Now start the vehicle with the good battery and run
the engine for a while.
11. Try to start the vehicle that had the dead battery.
If it will not start after a few tries, it probably
needs service.
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Notice: If the jumper cables are connected or
removed in the wrong order, electrical shorting may
occur and damage the vehicle. The repairs would
not be covered by your warranty. Always connect
and remove the jumper cables in the correct
order, making sure that the cables do not touch
each other or other metal.
A. Heavy, Unpainted Metal Engine Part or Remote
Negative ( − ) Terminal
B. Good Battery or Remote Positive (+) and Remote
Negative ( − ) Terminals
C. Dead Battery or Remote Positive (+) Terminal To disconnect the jumper cables from both vehicles do
the following:
1. Disconnect the black negative ( − ) cable from the
vehicle that had the bad battery.
2. Disconnect the black negative ( − ) cable from the
vehicle with the good battery.
3. Disconnect the red positive (+) cable from the
vehicle with the good battery.
4. Disconnect the red positive (+) cable from the other
vehicle.
5. Return the remote positive (+) terminal cover, if the
vehicle has one, to its original position.
Jumper Cable Removal
5-44