2008 CADILLAC ESCALADE brake

Ignition Transmission Lock Check
While parked, and with the parking brake set, try to turn
the ignition to LOCK/OFF in each shift lever position.
The ignition should turn to LOCK/OFF only
when the shift lever is in PARK (P).
The ignition key should come out only in LOCK/OFF.
Contact your dealer/retailer if service is required.
Parking Brake and Automatic
Transmission Park (P) Mechanism
Check
{CAUTION:
When you are doing this check, your vehicle
could begin to move. You or others could be
injured and property could be damaged.
Make sure there is room in front of your vehicle
in case it begins to roll. Be ready to apply the
regular brake at once should the vehicle begin
to move.Park on a fairly steep hill, with the vehicle facing
downhill. Keeping your foot on the regular brake,
set the parking brake.
To check the parking brake’s holding ability:
With the engine running and transmission in
NEUTRAL (N), slowly remove foot pressure from
the regular brake pedal. Do this until the vehicle is
held by the parking brake only.
To check the PARK (P) mechanism’s holding
ability: With the engine running, shift to PARK (P).
Then release the parking brake followed by the
regular brake.
Contact your dealer/retailer if service is required.
Hood and Liftgate Support Gas Strut
Service
Visually inspect gas strut for signs of wear, corrosion,
cracks, loss of lubricant, or other damage. Check
the hold open ability of gas strut. If necessary, replace
with genuine parts from your dealer/retailer.
Underbody Flushing Service
At least every spring, use plain water to ush any
corrosive materials from the underbody. Take care to
clean thoroughly any areas where mud and other debris
can collect.
6-12

Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants
Fluids and lubricants identied below by name, part
number, or specication can be obtained from your
dealer/retailer.
Usage Fluid/Lubricant
Engine OilThe engine requires a special
engine oil meeting GM Standard
GM4718M. Oils meeting this
standard can be identied as
synthetic, and should also be
identied with the American
Petroleum Institute (API) Certied
for Gasoline Engines starburst
symbol. However, not all synthetic
API oils with the starburst symbol
will meet this GM standard.
Look for and use only oil that
meets GM Standard GM4718M.
For the proper viscosity, seeEngine
Oil on page 5-14.
Usage Fluid/Lubricant
Engine Coolant50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable
water and use only DEX-COOL
®
Coolant. SeeEngine Coolant on
page 5-23.
Hydraulic Brake
SystemDelco
®Supreme 11 Brake Fluid or
equivalent DOT-3 brake uid.
Windshield
WasherOptikleen
®Washer Solvent.
Power Steering
SystemGM Power Steering Fluid
(GM Part No. U.S. 89021184,
in Canada 89021186).
Automatic
TransmissionDEXRON
®-VI Automatic
Transmission Fluid.
Key Lock
CylindersMulti-Purpose Lubricant, Superlube
(GM Part No. U.S. 12346241,
in Canada 10953474).
Chassis
LubricationChassis Lubricant
(GM Part No. U.S. 12377985,
in Canada 88901242) or lubricant
meeting requirements of NLGI #2,
Category LB or GC-LB.
6-13

Reporting Safety Defects to the
Canadian Government
If you live in Canada, and you believe that your
vehicle has a safety defect, notify Transport Canada
immediately, in addition to notifying General Motors of
Canada Limited. Call them at 1-800-333-0510 or write to:
Transport Canada
Road Safety Branch
2780 Sheffield Road
Ottawa, Ontario K1B 3V9
Reporting Safety Defects to
General Motors
In addition to notifying NHTSA (or Transport Canada) in
a situation like this, please notify General Motors.
Call 1-800-458-8006, or write:
Cadillac Customer Assistance Center
Cadillac Motor Car Division
P.O. Box 33169
Detroit, MI 48232-5169
In Canada, call 1-888-446-2000, or write:
Canadian Cadillac Customer Communication Centre,
CA1-163-005
General Motors of Canada Limited
1908 Colonel Sam Drive
Oshawa, Ontario L1H 8P7
Service Publications Ordering
Information
Service Manuals
Service Manuals have the diagnosis and repair
information on engines, transmission, axle suspension,
brakes, electrical, steering, body, etc.
Service Bulletins
Service Bulletins’ give additional technical service
information needed to knowledgeably service General
Motors cars and trucks. Each bulletin contains
instructions to assist in the diagnosis and service of
your vehicle.
Owner Information
Owner publications are written specically for owners
and intended to provide basic operational information
about the vehicle. The owner manual includes the
Maintenance Schedule for all models.
In-Portfolio: Includes a Portfolio, Owner Manual, and
Warranty Booklet.
RETAIL SELL PRICE: $35.00 (U.S.) plus processing fee
Without Portfolio: Owner Manual only.
RETAIL SELL PRICE: $25.00 (U.S.) plus processing fee
7-15

Event Data Recorders
This vehicle has an Event Data Recorder (EDR).
The main purpose of an EDR is to record, in certain
crash or near crash-like situations, such as an airbag
deployment or hitting a road obstacle, data that will
assist in understanding how a vehicle’s systems
performed. The EDR is designed to record data related
to vehicle dynamics and safety systems for a short
period of time, typically 30 seconds or less. The EDR in
this vehicle is designed to record such data as:
How various systems in your vehicle were operating
Whether or not the driver and passenger safety
belts were buckled/fastened
How far, if at all, the driver was pressing the
accelerator and/or brake pedal
How fast the vehicle was traveling
This data can help provide a better understanding of the
circumstances in which crashes and injuries occur.Important:EDR data is recorded by your vehicle
only if a non-trivial crash situation occurs; no data is
recorded by the EDR under normal driving conditions
and no personal data (e.g., name, gender, age, and
crash location) is recorded. However, other parties,
such as law enforcement, could combine the EDR data
with the type of personally identifying data routinely
acquired during a crash investigation.
To read data recorded by an EDR, special equipment
is required, and access to the vehicle or the EDR
is needed. In addition to the vehicle manufacturer,
other parties, such as law enforcement, that have the
special equipment, can read the information if they have
access to the vehicle or the EDR.
GM will not access this data or share it with others
except: with the consent of the vehicle owner or, if the
vehicle is leased, with the consent of the lessee; in
response to an official request of police or similar
government office; as part of GM’s defense of litigation
through the discovery process; or, as required by
law. Data that GM collects or receives may also be used
for GM research needs or may be made available to
others for research purposes, where a need is shown
and the data is not tied to a specic vehicle or
vehicle owner.
7-17

A
Accessories and Modications............................ 5-3
Accessory Power Outlets.................................3-24
Adding Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle.......................................................1-88
Additives, Fuel................................................. 5-6
Add-On Electrical Equipment...........................5-106
Adjustable Throttle and Brake Pedal..................2-28
Air Cleaner/Filter, Engine.................................5-17
Air Conditioning..............................................3-26
Airbag
Passenger Status Indicator...........................3-37
Readiness Light..........................................3-36
Airbag System................................................1-74
Adding Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle...................................................1-88
How Does an Airbag Restrain?......................1-81
Passenger Sensing System...........................1-83
Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle..........1-88
What Makes an Airbag Inate?......................1-81
What Will You See After an Airbag Inates?........1-82
When Should an Airbag Inate?....................1-79
Where Are the Airbags?...............................1-77
All-Wheel Drive...............................................5-44
All-Wheel-Drive (AWD) System........................... 4-8
Analog Clock..................................................3-25
Antenna, Rear Side Window...........................3-106
Antenna, XM™ Satellite Radio Antenna
System.....................................................3-106Antilock Brake System (ABS)............................. 4-4
Anti-lock Brake, System Warning Light...............3-41
Appearance Care
Aluminum or Chrome-Plated Wheels.............5-102
Care of Safety Belts....................................5-99
Chemical Paint Spotting..............................5-103
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses..................5-100
Fabric/Carpet..............................................5-97
Finish Care...............................................5-100
Finish Damage..........................................5-103
Instrument Panel, Vinyl, and Other
Plastic Surfaces.......................................5-98
Interior Cleaning..........................................5-96
Leather......................................................5-98
Sheet Metal Damage..................................5-103
Speaker Covers..........................................5-99
Tires........................................................5-103
Underbody Maintenance.............................5-103
Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials...............5-104
Washing Your Vehicle.................................5-100
Weatherstrips..............................................5-99
Windshield, Backglass, and Wiper Blades......5-101
Wood Panels..............................................5-99
Appointments, Scheduling Service....................... 7-9
Ashtray.........................................................3-25
Assist Handles...............................................2-62
Audio System.................................................3-68
Audio Steering Wheel Controls....................3-104
Navigation/Radio System,
see Navigation Manual..............................3-92
1

Audio System (cont.)
Radio Reception........................................3-105
Rear Seat Audio (RSA)...............................3-102
Setting the Clock.........................................3-69
Theft-Deterrent Feature...............................3-104
XM™ Satellite Radio Antenna System...........3-106
Audio System(s).............................................3-70
Rear Side Window Antenna.........................3-106
Automatic Headlamp System............................3-20
Automatic Transmission
Fluid..........................................................5-20
Operation...................................................2-30
Autoride
®.......................................................4-43
B
Battery..........................................................5-38
Electric Power Management..........................3-23
Run-Down Protection...................................3-24
Bench Seat, Split (60/40).................................1-10
Brake
Emergencies................................................ 4-5
Brakes..........................................................5-35
System Warning Light..................................3-40
Braking........................................................... 4-3
Braking in Emergencies..................................... 4-5
Break-In, New Vehicle.....................................2-24
Bucket Seats, Rear.........................................1-16Bulb Replacement...........................................5-49
Back-Up Lamps...........................................5-50
Headlamp Aiming........................................5-46
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting...........5-49
License Plate Lamps....................................5-51
Replacement Bulbs......................................5-51
Buying New Tires...........................................5-70
C
Calibration.............................................2-40, 2-42
California Fuel.................................................. 5-5
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements....... 5-4
California Proposition 65 Warning....................... 5-3
Canadian Owners................................................ ii
Capacities and Specications..........................5-113
Carbon Monoxide...................2-12, 2-14, 2-38, 4-30
Care of
Safety Belts................................................5-99
Cargo Cover..................................................2-64
CD, MP3 .......................................................3-87
Center Console Storage Area...........................2-62
Center Seat...................................................1-10
Chains, Tire...................................................5-75
Charging System Light....................................3-39
Check
Engine Light...............................................3-43
Checking Things Under the Hood......................5-10
Chemical Paint Spotting.................................5-103
2

Instrument Panel
Brightness..................................................3-22
Cluster.......................................................3-34
Overview..................................................... 3-4
J
Jump Starting.................................................5-39
K
Keyless Entry System....................................... 2-4
Keys............................................................... 2-3
L
Labeling, Tire Sidewall.....................................5-55
Lamps
Dome ........................................................3-22
Dome Lamp Override...................................3-22
Reading.....................................................3-23
Lap Belt........................................................1-47
Lap-Shoulder Belt...........................................1-41
LATCH System
Child Restraints...........................................1-59
License Plate Lamps.......................................5-51Liftgate, Power...............................................2-14
Liftgate/Liftglass..............................................2-12
Liftglass/Liftgate..............................................2-12
Light
Airbag Readiness........................................3-36
Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) Warning...........3-41
Brake System Warning.................................3-40
Charging System.........................................3-39
Cruise Control.............................................3-46
Fog Lamp ..................................................3-46
Highbeam On.............................................3-47
Lights On Reminder.....................................3-46
Malfunction Indicator....................................3-43
Oil Pressure...............................................3-45
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator..................3-37
Safety Belt Reminders..................................3-35
Security.....................................................3-46
StabiliTrak®Indicator....................................3-41
Tire Pressure..............................................3-42
Tow/Haul Mode...........................................3-47
Lighting
Entry.........................................................3-22
Exit...........................................................3-22
Lights
Exterior Lamps............................................3-16
High/Low Beam Changer................................ 3-9
On Reminder..............................................3-20
Loading Your Vehicle.......................................4-35
7

O
Odometer......................................................3-35
Odometer, Trip...............................................3-35
Off-Road Driving.............................................4-12
Off-Road Recovery..........................................4-11
Oil
Engine.......................................................5-14
Pressure Light.............................................3-45
Oil, Engine Oil Life System..............................5-16
Older Children, Restraints................................1-49
Online Owner Center........................................ 7-4
OnStar, Privacy..............................................7-18
OnStar
®System, see OnStar®Manual...............2-51
Operation, Universal Home Remote System........2-54
Other Warning Devices...................................... 3-6
Outlet Adjustment............................................3-31
Outlets
Accessory Power.........................................3-24
Outside
Power Foldaway Mirrors...............................2-45
Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode..........................................5-28
Owner Checks and Services.............................6-10
Owners, Canadian............................................... ii
P
Paint, Damage..............................................5-103
Park
Shifting Into................................................2-36
Shifting Out of............................................2-37
Park Aid........................................................2-48
Park Brake....................................................2-35
Parking
Assist........................................................2-48
Over Things That Burn.................................2-38
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator.....................3-37
Passenger Sensing System..............................1-83
Passing.........................................................4-11
PASS-KEY
®III+ Electronic Immobilizer...............2-22
PASS-Key®III+ Electronic Immobilizer
Operation...................................................2-23
Perchlorate Materials Requirements,
California..................................................... 5-4
Power
Door Locks.................................................2-10
Electrical System.......................................5-106
Liftgate......................................................2-14
Lumbar Controls........................................... 1-3
Reclining Seatbacks...................................... 1-7
Retained Accessory (RAP)............................2-26
9