2008 CADILLAC ESCALADE ESV automatic transmission

Automatic Release Fold and Tumble
Feature The transmission must be in PARK (P) for this feature
to work.
Folding and Tumbling the Seat(s)
{ CAUTION: Automatically folding and tumbling the seat
when someone is sitting in the seat, could
cause injury to the person sitting there. Always
make sure there is no one sitting in the seat
before pressing the automatic seat release
button.
To fold and tumble the seat, do the following:
1. Make sure that there is nothing under, in front of, or
on the seat.
Notice: Folding a rear seat with the safety belts
still fastened may cause damage to the seat or the
safety belts. Always unbuckle the safety belts
and return them to their normal stowed position
before folding a rear seat. 2. From the front seats,
press one of the
automatic seat release
buttons located on
the overhead console.
When accessing the third row seats, if your vehicle
has them, from the outside of the vehicle, press
the button on the panel behind either rear door.
One press of the button automatically folds
the seatback at and tumbles the seat forward.
There will be a slight delay between the folding of
the seatback and the tumbling of the seat.Overhead Console
Buttons shown, Panel
Button similar
1-15

Automatic Release Fold and Tumble
Feature The transmission must be in PARK (P) for this feature
to work.
Folding and Tumbling the Seat(s)
{ CAUTION: Automatically folding and tumbling the seat
when someone is sitting in the seat, could
cause injury to the person sitting there. Always
make sure there is no one sitting in the seat
before pressing the automatic seat release
button. To fold and tumble the seat, do the following:
1. Make sure that there is nothing under, in front of, or
on the seat.
Notice: Folding a rear seat with the safety belts
still fastened may cause damage to the seat or the
safety belts. Always unbuckle the safety belts
and return them to their normal stowed position
before folding a rear seat.
2. From the front seats,
press one of the
automatic seat release
buttons located on
the overhead console.
Overhead Console
Buttons shown
1-22

Keys .............................................................. .2-3
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System ............... .2-4
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System
Operation .................................................. .2-4
Remote Vehicle Start ..................................... .2-7
Doors and Locks ........................................... .2-10
Door Locks ................................................. .2-10
Power Door Locks ....................................... .2-10
Delayed Locking .......................................... .2-11
Programmable Automatic Door Locks ............. .2-11
Rear Door Security Locks ............................. .2-11
Lockout Protection ....................................... .2-12
Liftgate/Liftglass ........................................... .2-13
Power Liftgate ............................................. .2-14
Power Running Boards ................................. .2-17
Windows ....................................................... .2-18
Power Windows ........................................... .2-19
Sun Visors .................................................. .2-20
Theft-Deterrent Systems ................................. .2-20
Content Theft-Deterrent ................................ .2-21
PASS-Key ®
III+ ........................................... .2-22
PASS-Key ®
III+ Operation ............................. .2-23 Starting and Operating Your Vehicle ............... .2-24
New Vehicle Break-In ................................... .2-24
Ignition Positions ......................................... .2-25
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) .................. .2-26
Starting the Engine ...................................... .2-26
Adjustable Throttle and Brake Pedal ............... .2-28
Engine Coolant Heater ................................. .2-28
Automatic Transmission Operation .................. .2-30
Tow/Haul Mode ........................................... .2-34
Parking Brake ............................................. .2-35
Shifting Into PARK (P) .................................. .2-36
Shifting Out of PARK (P) .............................. .2-37
Parking Over Things That Burn ...................... .2-38
Engine Exhaust ........................................... .2-39
Running the Engine While Parked .................. .2-40
Mirrors .......................................................... .2-41
Automatic Dimming Rearview Mirror with
Intellibeam ®
, OnStar ®
, Compass, and
Temperature Display ................................. .2-41
Automatic Dimming Rearview Mirror with
OnStar ®
, Compass and Temperature
Display ................................................... .2-43
Outside Power Foldaway Mirrors .................... .2-45Section 2 Features and Controls
2-1

If you shift the transmission out of PARK (P) while the
power function is in progress, the liftgate power function
will continue to completion. If you shift the transmission
out of PARK (P) and accelerate before the power
liftgate latches closed, the liftgate may reverse to the
open position. Cargo could fall out of the vehicle. Always
make sure the power liftgate is closed and latched
before you drive away.
If you power open the liftgate and the liftgate support
struts have lost pressure, the lights will ash and a
chime will sound. The liftgate will stay open temporarily,
then slowly close. See your dealer/retailer for service
before using the liftgate. Obstacle Detection Features If the liftgate encounters an obstacle during a power
open or close cycle, a warning chime will sound and the
liftgate will automatically reverse direction to the full
closed or open position. After removing the obstruction,
the power liftgate operation can be used again. If the
liftgate encounters multiple obstacles on the same power
cycle, the power function will deactivate, and you
must manually open or close the liftgate. The REAR
ACCESS OPEN warning message in the Driver
Information Center (DIC) will indicate that the liftgate is
open. After removing the obstructions, manually
open the liftgate to the full open position or close the
liftgate to the fully closed and latched position. The
liftgate will now resume normal power operation.
Your vehicle has pinch sensors located on the side
edges of the liftgate. If an object is caught between the
liftgate and the body and presses against this sensor,
the liftgate will reverse direction and open fully.
The liftgate will remain open until it is activated again or
closed manually. Do not force the liftgate open or
closed during a power cycle.
2-16

Automatic Transmission Operation Your vehicle has a Hydra-Matic ®
6L80 automatic
transmission, and has an electronic shift position
indicator within the instrument panel cluster. The
electronic shift position indicator displays when the shift
lever is moved out of PARK (P).
There are several different positions for the shift lever.
PARK (P): This position locks your rear wheels. It is
the best position to use when you start your engine
because your vehicle cannot move easily.
When parked on a hill, especially when the vehicle has
a heavy load, you may notice an increase in the
effort to shift out of PARK (P). See Torque Lock
(Automatic Transmission) under Shifting Into PARK (P)
on page 2-36 for more information. { CAUTION: It is 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 your
parking brake and move the shift lever to
PARK (P). See Shifting Into PARK (P) on
page 2-36 . If you are pulling a trailer, see
Towing a Trailer on page 4-44 .
REVERSE (R): Use this gear to back up.
Notice: Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your vehicle
is moving forward could damage the transmission.
The repairs would not be covered by your warranty.
Shift to REVERSE (R) only after your vehicle is
stopped.
2-30

MANUAL MODE (M): This position lets drivers select
the range of gears appropriate for current driving
conditions. See Driver Shift Control (DSC) later in this
section.
Notice: Spinning the tires or holding the vehicle in
one place on a hill using only the accelerator
pedal may damage the transmission. The repair will
not be covered by your warranty. If you are stuck,
do not spin the tires. When stopping on a hill,
use the brakes to hold the vehicle in place.
Your vehicle has a shift stabilization feature that adjusts
the transmission shifting to the current driving
conditions in order to reduce rapid upshifts and
downshifts. This shift stabilization feature is designed to
determine, before making an upshift, if the engine
will be able to maintain vehicle speed by analyzing
things such as vehicle speed, throttle position and
vehicle load. If the shift stabilization feature determines
that a current vehicle speed cannot be maintained,
the transmission does not upshift and instead holds the
current gear. In some cases, this may appear to be
a delayed shift, however the transmission is operating
normally. Your vehicle’s transmission uses adaptive shift controls
that compares key shift parameters to pre-programmed
ideal shifts stored in the transmissions computer.
The transmission constantly makes adjustments to
improve vehicle performance according to how
the vehicle is being used, such as with a heavy load or
when temperature changes. During this adaptive
shift controls process, shifting may feel different as the
transmission determines the best settings.
When temperatures are very cold, the Hydra-Matic ®
6L80 automatic transmission’s gear shifting may
be delayed providing more stable shifts until the engine
warms up. Shifts may be more noticeable with a cold
transmission. This difference in shifting is normal.
2-32

Driver Shift Control (DSC)
Your vehicle has a Driver Shift Control (DSC). The DSC
controls the vehicle’s transmission and vehicle speed
while driving down hill or towing a trailer by allowing you
to select a desired range of gears.
To use this feature, do the following:
1. Move the shift lever to the MANUAL MODE (M).
2. Press the plus/minus button, to upshift or downshift
selecting the desired range of gears for your current
driving conditions. The DIC display will show the message MANUAL
SHIFT on the rst line and the current gear will be
displayed on the second line. See Driver Information
Center (DIC) on page 3-48 and DIC Operation and
Displays on page 3-49 for more information. The number
displayed in the DIC is the highest gear that can be
used. However, your vehicle can automatically shift to
lower gears as it adjusts to driving conditions. This
means that all gears below that number are available.
When FIFTH (5) is selected, FIRST (1) through
FIFTH (5) gears are automatically shifted by the vehicle,
but SIXTH (6) cannot be used until the plus/minus
button located on the steering column lever is used to
change to the gear.
Grade Braking is not available when the Driver Shift
Control is active. See Tow/Haul Mode on page 2-34 for
more information.
While using the DSC, cruise control and the tow/haul
mode can be used.
2-33

Tow/Haul Mode
Your vehicle has a tow/haul mode. The tow/haul mode
adjusts the transmission shift pattern to reduce shift
cycling, providing increased performance, vehicle
control, and transmission cooling when towing or hauling
heavy loads.
Press the button located on the end of the shift lever to
turn the tow/haul on or off. When the tow/haul is on,
a light on the instrument panel cluster will come on.
See Tow/Haul Mode Light on page 3-47 for more
information. Also see “Tow Haul Mode” under Towing a Trailer on
page 4-44 for more information.
The tow/haul mode works with the Autoride ®
feature, if
the vehicle has this, to enhance the ride when
trailering or with a loaded vehicle. See Autoride ®
on
page 4-43 .
Grade Braking Grade Braking assists when driving on a downhill grade.
It maintains the vehicle’s speed by automatically
implementing a shift schedule that uses the engine and
the transmission to slow the vehicle. This reduces
wear on the brakes system and increases control of the
vehicle. The system constantly monitors the vehicle’s
speed, acceleration, throttle position, and whether
the brake pedal is being pressed, and determines when
to keep the current vehicle speed or to slow down.
The system will then automatically command downshifts
that reduces the vehicles speed, until the brake pedal
is no longer being pressed. This indicates the desired
vehicle speed has been reached.
The tow/haul mode and grade braking shift modes can
be activated by pressing the button on the end of
the shift control stalk. While in the DSC mode, grade
braking is deactivated, allowing the driver to select
a gear.
See Automatic Transmission Operation on page 2-30 for
more information.
2-34