2008 CADILLAC ESCALADE ESV headlamp

Seats and Restraint Systems ........................... 1-1
Front Seats
............................................... 1-2
Rear Seats
.............................................. 1-10
Safety Belts
............................................. 1-29
Child Restraints
....................................... 1-50
Airbag System
......................................... 1-76
Restraint System Check
............................ 1-92
Features and Controls ..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-3
Doors and Locks
...................................... 2-10
Windows
................................................. 2-18
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................ 2-20
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
........... 2-24
Mirrors
.................................................... 2-41
Object Detection Systems
.......................... 2-48
OnStar ®
System
...................................... 2-50
Universal Home Remote System
................ 2-53
Storage Areas
......................................... 2-60
Sunroof
.................................................. 2-64
Instrument Panel ............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-4
Climate Controls
...................................... 3-26
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators
........ 3-33
Driver Information Center (DIC)
.................. 3-48
Audio System(s)
....................................... 3-70 Driving Your Vehicle ....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle
..... 4-2
Towing
................................................... 4-41
Service and Appearance Care .......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-5
Checking Things Under the Hood
............... 5-10
All-Wheel Drive
........................................ 5-45
Rear Axle
............................................... 5-46
Front Axle
............................................... 5-47
Headlamp Aiming
..................................... 5-48
Bulb Replacement
.................................... 5-51
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
......... 5-54
Tires
...................................................... 5-56
Appearance Care
..................................... 5-98
Vehicle Identication
............................... 5-107
Electrical System
.................................... 5-108
Capacities and Specications
................... 5-115
Maintenance Schedule ..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance Information .................... 7-1
Customer Assistance and Information
........... 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
........................... 7-13
Vehicle Data Recording and Privacy
........... 7-15
Index ................................................................ 12008 Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual
M

Content Theft-Deterrent Your vehicle has a content theft-deterrent alarm system.
This is the security light.
To arm the theft-deterrent system:
1. Open the door.
2. Lock the door with the Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter or the power door lock switch. The
security light will come on to inform the driver the
system is arming. If a door is open when the doors
are locked, the security light will ash.
If the delayed locking feature is turned on, the
theft-deterrent system will not start the arming
process until the last door is closed and the delay
timer has expired. See Delayed Locking on
page 2-11 .
3. Close all doors. The security light should go off
after about 30 seconds. The alarm is not armed
until the security light goes off. If a locked door is opened without using the RKE
transmitter, a ten second pre-alarm will occur. The horn
will chirp and the lights will ash. If the key is not
placed in the ignition and turned to START or the door
is not unlocked by pressing the unlock button on the
RKE transmitter during the ten second pre-alarm,
the alarm will go off. Your vehicle’s headlamps will ash
and the horn will sound for about two minutes, then
will turn off to save the battery power.
The theft-deterrent system will not activate if the doors
are locked with the vehicle’s key or the manual door
lock. It activates only if you use the power door
lock switch with the door open or the RKE transmitter.
You should also remember that you can start your
vehicle with the correct ignition key if the alarm has been
set off.
To avoid setting off the alarm by accident:
If you do not want to activate the theft-deterrent
system, the vehicle should be locked with the
door key after the doors are closed.
Always unlock the doors with the RKE transmitter.
Unlocking a door any other way will set off the
alarm if it is armed.
If you set off the alarm by accident, press unlock on the
RKE transmitter or place the key in the ignition and
turn it to START to turn off the alarm. The alarm will not
stop if you try to unlock a door any other way.
2-21

Testing the Alarm To test the alarm:
1. From inside the vehicle, lower the driver’s window
and open the driver’s door.
2. Activate the system by locking the doors with the
power door lock switch while the door is open, or
with the RKE transmitter.
3. Get out of the vehicle, close the door and wait for
the security light to go out.
4. Then reach in through the window, unlock the door
with the manual door lock and open the door. This
should set off the alarm.
While the alarm is set, the power door unlock switch will
not work.
If the alarm does not sound when it should but the
headlamps ash, check to see if the horn works. The
horn fuse may be blown. To replace the fuse, see Fuses
and Circuit Breakers on page 5-108 .
If the alarm does not sound or the headlamps do not
ash, the vehicle should be serviced by your
dealer/retailer. PASS-Key ®
III+ The PASS-Key ®
III+ system operates on a radio
frequency subject to Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) Rules and with Industry Canada.
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules.
Operation is subject to the following two conditions:
1. This device may not cause harmful interference.
2. This device must accept any interference received,
including interference that may cause undesired
operation.
This device complies with RSS-210 of Industry Canada.
Operation is subject to the following two conditions:
1. This device may not cause interference.
2. This device must accept any interference received,
including interference that may cause undesired
operation of the device.
Changes or modications to this system by other than
an authorized service facility could void authorization to
use this equipment.
PASS-Key ®
III+ uses a radio frequency transponder in
the key that matches a decoder in your vehicle.
2-22

Mirrors Automatic Dimming Rearview Mirror
with Intellibeam ®
, OnStar ®
,
Compass, and Temperature Display Your vehicle may have an automatic dimming rearview
mirror with Intellibeam ®
, OnStar ®
, compass and
temperature display. For more information on OnStar ®
,
see OnStar ®
System on page 2-50 . For more
information on Intellibeam ®
, see “Intellibeam ®
Intelligent
High-Beam Headlamp Control System” under Exterior
Lamps on page 3-16 .
The mirror includes an eight-point compass display in
the upper right corner of the mirror face. When on,
the compass automatically calibrates as the vehicle is
driven. Outside temperature is also shown in the display.
Automatic Dimming Your vehicle has an inside automatic dimming rearview
mirror. The automatic dimming feature is activated
whenever the vehicle is turned on and dims only during
nighttime driving. Compass Operation AUTO
3 : Press and hold the “auto highbeam” button
for about three seconds to turn the
compass/temperature display on or off.
When the ignition and the display features are on, the
display will show two character boxes for about two
seconds. After two seconds, the mirror will display the
compass heading and temperature.
Compass Calibration If after two seconds the display does not show the
correct direction, (N for North for example), there may
be a strong magnetic eld interfering with the compass.
Such interference may be caused by a magnetic
antenna mount, magnetic note pad holder, or a similar
magnetic item.
The compass can be placed in calibration mode
manually by pressing and holding the “auto highbeam”
button for about nine seconds until CAL is shown in
the compass display.
The mirror can then be calibrated by driving the vehicle
in circles at 5 mph (8 km/h) or less until the display
reads the correct direction.
2-41

Press (C) to fold the mirrors out to the driving
position.
Press (D) to fold the mirrors in to the folded
position.
If the mirrors are accidentally folded/unfolded manually,
they may shake or utter at normal driving speeds
and may not stay in the unfolded position. If this
happens, you will need to reset the mirrors. See
“Resetting the Power Foldaway Mirrors” next.
Resetting the Power Foldaway Mirrors You will need to reset the power foldaway mirrors if the
following occurs:
The mirrors are accidentally obstructed while
folding.
They are accidentally manually folded/unfolded.
The mirrors will not stay in the unfolded position.
The mirrors shake and utter at normal driving
speeds.
To reset the power foldaway mirrors, fold and unfold
them one time using the mirror controls. This will reset
them to their normal position.
This mirror has the following features. Automatic Dimming The driver’s outside mirror will adjust for the glare of the
headlamps behind you. See Automatic Dimming
Rearview Mirror with OnStar ®
, Compass and
Temperature Display on page 2-43 .
Park Tilt Mirrors If your vehicle has the memory package, the outside
mirrors are able to perform the park tilt function. This
feature may be useful in allowing the driver to view the
curb when parallel parking. This feature will cause the
passenger’s and/or driver’s mirror to tilt to a preselected
position when the vehicle is in REVERSE (R).
The passenger’s and/or driver’s mirror will return to its
original position when the vehicle is shifted out of
REVERSE (R), or the ignition is turned off or to
OFF/LOCK.
This feature can be turned on or off through the Driver
Information Center (DIC). See DIC Vehicle
Customization on page 3-61 .
2-46

Instrument Panel Overview .............................. .3-4
Hazard Warning Flashers ............................... .3-6
Other Warning Devices .................................. .3-6
Horn ............................................................ .3-6
Tilt Wheel .................................................... .3-6
Heated Steering Wheel .................................. .3-7
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever ........................ .3-7
Turn and Lane-Change Signals ....................... .3-8
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer ................. .3-9
Windshield Wipers ......................................... .3-9
Rainsense™ II Wipers .................................. .3-10
Windshield Washer ...................................... .3-11
Rear Window Wiper/Washer .......................... .3-12
Cruise Control ............................................. .3-13
Exterior Lamps ............................................ .3-16
Headlamps on Reminder ............................... .3-19
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) ...................... .3-20
Automatic Headlamp System ......................... .3-20
Fog Lamps ................................................. .3-21
Instrument Panel Brightness .......................... .3-21
Dome Lamps .............................................. .3-22
Dome Lamp Override ................................... .3-22
Entry Lighting .............................................. .3-22
Exit Lighting ................................................ .3-22
Reading Lamps ........................................... .3-22
Electric Power Management .......................... .3-23 Battery Run-Down Protection ......................... .3-23
Accessory Power Outlet(s) ............................ .3-24
Ashtray(s) and Cigarette Lighter ..................... .3-25
Analog Clock .............................................. .3-25
Climate Controls ........................................... .3-26
Dual Automatic Climate Control System .......... .3-26
Outlet Adjustment ........................................ .3-31
Rear Air Conditioning and Heating System and
Electronic Climate Controls ........................ .3-31
Warning
Lights, Gages, and Indicators ........... .3-33
Instrument Panel Cluster ............................... .3-34
Speedometer and Odometer .......................... .3-35
Trip Odometer ............................................. .3-35
Tachometer ................................................ .3-35
Safety Belt Reminders .................................. .3-35
Airbag Readiness Light ................................. .3-36
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator .................. .3-37
Charging System Light ................................. .3-39
Brake System Warning Light ......................... .3-40
Antilock Brake System Warning Light .............. .3-41
StabiliTrak ®
Indicator Light ............................. .3-41
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage ................. .3-42
Tire Pressure Light ...................................... .3-42
Malfunction Indicator Lamp ............................ .3-43
Oil Pressure Light ........................................ .3-46Section 3 Instrument Panel
3-1

To tilt the wheel, hold the steering wheel and pull the
lever. Then move the steering wheel to a comfortable
position and release the lever to lock the wheel in place.
Heated Steering Wheel Your vehicle may have a heated steering wheel.
The button with this
symbol is located on the
left side of the steering
wheel.
Press the button to turn the heated steering wheel on or
off. A light on the button will display when the feature
is turned on.
The steering wheel will take about three minutes to start
heating. Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever
The lever on the left side of the steering column
includes the following:

G Turn and Lane Change Signals. See Turn and
Lane-Change Signals on page 3-8 .

53 Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer. See
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer on page 3-9 .

N Windshield Wipers. See Windshield Wipers on
page 3-9 .

L Windshield Washer. See Windshield Washer
on page 3-11 .
3-7

Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer 53 (Headlamp High/Low Beam Changer): To
change the headlamps from low to high beam, push the
lever toward the instrument panel. To return to
low-beam headlamps, pull the multifunction lever toward
you. Then release it.
When the high beams are
on, this indicator light on
the instrument panel
cluster will also be on.
Windshield Wipers Clear ice and snow from the wiper blades before using
them. If they are frozen to the windshield, gently
loosen or thaw them. Damaged wiper blades may not
clear the windshield well, making it harder to see
and drive safely. If the blades do become damaged,
install new blades or blade inserts. For more information,
see Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement on page 5-54 . Heavy snow or ice can overload the wiper motor. A
circuit breaker will stop the motor until it cools down.
Clear away snow or ice to prevent an overload.
Turn the band with the wiper symbol to control the
windshield wipers.
8 (Mist): Turn the band to mist for a single wiping
cycle. Hold it there until the wipers start. Then let
go. The wipers stop after one wipe. Hold the band on
mist longer, for more wipe cycles.
9 (Off): To stop the wipers, move the band to off.
6 (Delay): Turn the band to adjust the delay time. The
delay between wiping cycles becomes shorter as
the band is moved to the top of the lever. This can be
very useful in light rain or snow.
6 (Low Speed): Turn the band away from you to
the rst solid band past the delay settings, for steady
wiping at low speed.
? (High Speed): Turn the band further, to the
second solid band past the delay settings, for
high-speed wiping.
3-9