2008 CADILLAC ESCALADE EXT engine

Service............................................................5-3
Accessories and Modications..........................5-3
California Proposition 65 Warning.....................5-4
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements.....5-4
Doing Your Own Service Work.........................5-4
Adding Equipment to the Outside
of Your Vehicle...........................................5-5
Fuel................................................................5-5
Gasoline Octane............................................5-5
Gasoline Specications....................................5-6
California Fuel...............................................5-6
Additives.......................................................5-6
Fuels in Foreign Countries...............................5-7
Filling the Tank..............................................5-8
Filling a Portable Fuel Container.....................5-10
Checking Things Under the Hood....................5-10
Hood Release..............................................5-11
Engine Compartment Overview.......................5-12
Engine Oil...................................................5-13
Engine Oil Life System..................................5-16
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter................................5-17
Automatic Transmission Fluid.........................5-20
Engine Coolant.............................................5-23
Coolant Surge Tank Pressure Cap..................5-26
Engine Overheating.......................................5-26
Overheated Engine Protection Operating Mode . . .5-28Cooling System............................................5-29
Engine Fan Noise.........................................5-33
Power Steering Fluid.....................................5-34
Windshield Washer Fluid................................5-35
Brakes........................................................5-36
Battery........................................................5-39
Jump Starting...............................................5-40
All-Wheel Drive..............................................5-45
Rear Axle.......................................................5-46
Front Axle......................................................5-47
Headlamp Aiming...........................................5-48
Bulb Replacement..........................................5-51
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting............5-51
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Sidemarker,
Stoplamps and Back-up Lamps...................5-51
License Plate Lamp......................................5-52
Replacement Bulbs.......................................5-53
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement..............5-53
Tires..............................................................5-54
Tire Sidewall Labeling...................................5-55
Tire Terminology and Denitions.....................5-58
Ination - Tire Pressure.................................5-61
High-Speed Operation...................................5-62
Tire Pressure Monitor System.........................5-63
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation.....................5-64
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-1

California Proposition 65 Warning
Most motor vehicles, including this one, contain and/or
emit chemicals known to the State of California to
cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive
harm. Engine exhaust, many parts and systems
(including some inside the vehicle), many uids, and
some component wear by-products contain and/or emit
these chemicals.
California Perchlorate Materials
Requirements
Certain types of automotive applications, such as airbag
initiators, seat belt pretensioners, and lithium batteries
contained in remote keyless entry transmitters, may
contain perchlorate materials. Special handling
may be necessary. For additional information, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlorate.
Doing Your Own Service Work
{CAUTION:
You can be injured and your vehicle could be
damaged if you try to do service work on a
vehicle without knowing enough about it.
Be sure you have sufficient knowledge,
experience, the proper replacement parts,
and tools before you attempt any vehicle
maintenance task.
Be sure to use the proper nuts, bolts,
and other fasteners. English and metric
fasteners can be easily confused. If you
use the wrong fasteners, parts can later
break or fall off. You could be hurt.
5-4

If you want to do some of your own service work, you
should use the proper service manual. It tells you much
more about how to service your vehicle than this
manual can. To order the proper service manual, see
Service Publications Ordering Information on page 7-15.
Your vehicle has an airbag system. Before attempting
to do your own service work, seeServicing Your
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle on page 1-70.
You should keep a record with all parts receipts and list
the mileage and the date of any service work you
perform. SeeMaintenance Record on page 6-17.
Adding Equipment to the Outside
of Your Vehicle
Things you might add to the outside of your vehicle can
affect the airow around it. This can cause wind
noise and can affect fuel economy and windshield
washer performance. Check with your dealer/retailer
before adding equipment to the outside of your vehicle.
Fuel
Use of the recommended fuel is an important part of
the proper maintenance of your vehicle. To help
keep the engine clean and maintain optimum vehicle
performance, we recommend the use of gasoline
advertised as TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline.
Gasoline Octane
Use premium unleaded gasoline with a posted octane
rating of 91 or higher. You can also use regular
unleaded gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher, but
your vehicle’s acceleration could be slightly reduced,
and you might notice a slight audible knocking
noise, commonly referred to as spark knock. If the
octane is less than 87, you might notice a heavy
knocking noise when you drive. If this occurs, use a
gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher as soon as
possible. Otherwise, you could damage the engine.
If you are using gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher
and you hear heavy knocking, the engine needs service.
5-5

Gasoline Specications
At a minimum, gasoline should meet ASTM specication
D 4814 in the United States or CAN/CGSB-3.5 or
3.511 in Canada. Some gasolines contain an
octane-enhancing additive called methylcyclopentadienyl
manganese tricarbonyl (MMT). We recommend
against the use of gasolines containing MMT. See
Additives on page 5-6for additional information.
California Fuel
If your vehicle is certied to meet California Emissions
Standards, it is designed to operate on fuels that meet
California specications. See the underhood emission
control label. If this fuel is not available in states adopting
California emissions standards, your vehicle will operate
satisfactorily on fuels meeting federal specications, but
emission control system performance might be affected.The malfunction indicator lamp could turn on and your
vehicle might fail a smog-check test. SeeMalfunction
Indicator Lamp on page 3-40. If this occurs, return to your
authorized dealer/retailer for diagnosis. If it is determined
that the condition is caused by the type of fuel used,
repairs might not be covered by your warranty.
Additives
To provide cleaner air, all gasolines in the United States
are now required to contain additives that help prevent
engine and fuel system deposits from forming, allowing
the emission control system to work properly. In
most cases, you should not have to add anything to the
fuel. However, some gasolines contain only the
minimum amount of additive required to meet U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency regulations. To help
keep fuel injectors and intake valves clean, or if
your vehicle experiences problems due to dirty injectors
or valves, look for gasoline that is advertised as TOP
TIER Detergent Gasoline. Also, your dealer/retailer has
additives that will help correct and prevent most
deposit-related problems.
5-6

Filling the Tank
{CAUTION:
Fuel vapor burns violently and a fuel re can
cause bad injuries. To help avoid injuries to
you and others, read and follow all the
instructions on the pump island. Turn off your
engine when you are refueling. Do not smoke
if you are near fuel or refueling your vehicle.
Do not use cellular phones. Keep sparks,
ames, and smoking materials away from fuel.
Do not leave the fuel pump unattended when
refueling your vehicle. This is against the law
in some places. Do not re-enter the vehicle
while pumping fuel. Keep children away from
the fuel pump; never let children pump fuel.The tethered fuel cap is located behind a hinged fuel
door on the driver’s side of the vehicle.
To remove the fuel cap, turn it slowly counterclockwise.
It will require more effort to turn the fuel cap on the
last turn as you loosen it.
5-8

Filling a Portable Fuel Container
{CAUTION:
Never ll a portable fuel container while it is in
your vehicle. Static electricity discharge from
the container can ignite the fuel vapor. You
can be badly burned and your vehicle
damaged if this occurs. To help avoid injury to
you and others:
Dispense fuel only into approved
containers.
Do not ll a container while it is inside a
vehicle, in a vehicle’s trunk, pickup bed,
or on any surface other than the ground.
Bring the ll nozzle in contact with the
inside of the ll opening before operating
the nozzle. Contact should be maintained
until the lling is complete.
Do not smoke while pumping fuel.
Do not use a cellular phone while
pumping fuel.
Checking Things Under
the Hood
{CAUTION:
An electric fan under the hood can start up
and injure you even when the engine is not
running. Keep hands, clothing, and tools away
from any underhood electric fan.
{CAUTION:
Things that burn can get on hot engine parts
and start a re. These include liquids like fuel,
oil, coolant, brake uid, windshield washer and
other uids, and plastic or rubber. You or
others could be burned. Be careful not to drop
or spill things that will burn onto a hot engine.
5-10

Engine Compartment Overview
When you open the hood on the 6.2L engine this is what you will see:
5-12

A. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter. SeeEngine Air
Cleaner/Filter on page 5-17.
B. Air Filter Restriction Indicator (If Equipped). See
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter on page 5-17.
C. Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap. SeeCooling
System on page 5-29andCoolant Surge Tank
Pressure Cap on page 5-26.
D. Remote Positive (+) Terminal. SeeJump Starting
on page 5-40.
E. Battery. SeeBattery on page 5-39.
F. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See “When to Add Engine Oil”
underEngine Oil on page 5-13.
G. Automatic Transmission Dipstick (Out of View).
See “Checking the Fluid Level” underAutomatic
Transmission Fluid on page 5-20.
H. Remote Negative (−) Terminal (GND) (Out of View).
SeeJump Starting on page 5-40.
I. Engine Oil Dipstick (Out of View). See “Checking
Engine Oil” underEngine Oil on page 5-13.
J. Engine Cooling Fan (Out of View). SeeCooling
System on page 5-29.
K. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir (Out of View).
SeePower Steering Fluid on page 5-34.L. Brake Master Cylinder Reservoir. See “Brake Fluid”
underBrakes on page 5-36.
M. Underhood Fuse Block. SeeUnderhood Fuse Block
on page 5-111.
N. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See “Adding
Washer Fluid” underWindshield Washer Fluid
on page 5-35.
Engine Oil
Checking Engine Oil
It is a good idea to check the engine oil every time you
get fuel. In order to get an accurate reading, the oil
must be warm and the vehicle must be on level ground.
The engine oil dipstick handle is a yellow loop. See
Engine Compartment Overview on page 5-12for
the location of the engine oil dipstick.
1. Turn off the engine and give the oil several minutes
to drain back into the oil pan. If you do not do this,
the oil dipstick might not show the actual level.
2. Pull out the dipstick and clean it with a paper towel
or cloth, then push it back in all the way. Remove it
again, keeping the tip down, and check the level.
5-13