2009 CADILLAC ESCALADE ESV Owners Manual

If the ignition is on when the parking brake is released,
the brake system warning light goes off.
Notice: Driving with the parking brake on can
overheat the brake system and cause premature
wear or damage to brake system parts. Make sure
that the parking brake is fully released and the brake
warning light is off before driving.
If you are towing a trailer and are parking on any hill,
see Towing a Trailer on page 5-44 .
For vehicles without a release handle, set the parking
brake by holding the regular brake pedal down,
then pushing down the parking brake pedal. If the ignition is on, the brake system warning light will
come on. See Brake System Warning Light on
page 3-39 .
Notice: Driving with the parking brake on can
overheat the brake system and cause premature
wear or damage to brake system parts. Make sure
that the parking brake is fully released and the brake
warning light is off before driving.
To release the parking brake, hold the regular brake
pedal down, then push down momentarily on the parking
brake pedal until you feel the pedal release. Slowly
pull your foot up off the park brake pedal. If the parking
brake is not released when you begin to drive, the
brake system warning light will ash and a chime will
sound warning you that the parking brake is still on.
If you are towing a trailer and are parking on a hill, see
Towing a Trailer on page 5-44 .
2-35

Shifting Into Park
{ CAUTION: It can be dangerous to get out of the vehicle if the
shift lever is not fully in P (Park) with the parking
brake rmly set. The vehicle can roll. If you have
left the engine running, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You or others could be injured. To be
sure the vehicle will not move, even when you are
on fairly level ground, use the steps that follow.
If you are pulling a trailer, see Towing a Trailer on
page 5-44 .
1. Hold the brake pedal down, then set the parking
brake.
2. Move the shift lever into the P (Park) position by
pulling the shift lever toward you and moving it up
as far as it will go.
3. Turn the ignition key to LOCK/OFF.
4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can
leave the vehicle with the ignition key in your
hand, the vehicle is in P (Park). Leaving the Vehicle With the Engine
Running
{ CAUTION: It can be dangerous to leave the vehicle with the
engine running. The vehicle could move suddenly if
the shift lever is not fully in P (Park) with the parking
brake rmly set. And, if you leave the vehicle with
the engine running, it could overheat and even
catch re. You or others could be injured. Do not
leave the vehicle with the engine running.
If you have to leave the vehicle with the engine running,
be sure the vehicle is in P (Park) and the parking
brake is rmly set. After the shift lever is moved into
P (Park), hold the regular brake pedal down. Then, see
if you can move the shift lever away from P (Park)
without rst pulling it toward you. If you can, it means
that the shift lever was not fully locked into P (Park).
2-36

Torque Lock If you are parking on a hill and you do not shift the
transmission into P (Park) properly, the weight of the
vehicle can put too much force on the parking pawl in the
transmission. It might be difficult to pull the shift lever out
of P (Park). This is called torque lock. To prevent torque
lock, set the parking brake and then shift into P (Park)
properly before you leave the driver seat. To nd out how,
see Shifting Into Park on page 2-36 .
When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out of
P (Park) before releasing the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you might need to have another
vehicle push yours a little uphill to take some of the
pressure from the parking pawl in the transmission. Then
you should be able to pull the shift lever out of P (Park).
Shifting Out of Park This vehicle is equipped with an electronic shift lock
release system. The shift lock release is designed to:
Prevent ignition key removal unless the shift
lever is in P (Park) with the shift lever button fully
released, and
Prevent movement of the shift lever out of
P (Park), unless the ignition is in ON/RUN or ACC/
ACCESSORY and the regular brake pedal is applied. The shift lock release is always functional except in the
case of an uncharged or low voltage (less than 9 volt)
battery.
If the vehicle has an uncharged battery or a battery with
low voltage, try charging or jump starting the battery.
See Jump Starting on page 6-40 for more information.
To shift out of P (Park) use the following:
1. Apply the brake pedal.
2. Move the shift lever to the desired position.
If you still are unable to shift out of P (Park):
1. Ease the pressure on the shift lever.
2. While holding down the brake pedal, press the shift
lever all the way into P (Park).
3. Move the shift lever to the desired position.
If you are still having a problem shifting, then have the
vehicle serviced soon.
2-37

Parking Over Things That Burn
{ CAUTION: Things that can burn could touch hot exhaust parts
under the vehicle and ignite. Do not park over
papers, leaves, dry grass, or other things that
can burn.
Engine Exhaust
{ CAUTION: Engine exhaust contains Carbon Monoxide (CO)
which cannot be seen or smelled. Exposure to CO
can cause unconsciousness and even death.
Exhaust may enter the vehicle if:
The vehicle idles in areas with poor ventilation
(parking garages, tunnels, deep snow that
may block underbody airow or tail pipes).
The exhaust smells or sounds strange or
different.
CAUTION: (Continued) CAUTION: (Continued)
The exhaust system leaks due to corrosion or
damage.
The vehicle’s exhaust system has been
modied, damaged or improperly repaired.
There are holes or openings in the vehicle
body from damage or after-market
modications that are not completely sealed.
If unusual fumes are detected or if it is suspected
that exhaust is coming into the vehicle:
Drive it only with the windows
completely down.
Have the vehicle repaired immediately.
Never park the vehicle with the engine running in an
enclosed area such as a garage or a building that
has no fresh air ventilation.
2-38

Running the Vehicle While Parked It is better not to park with the engine running. But if you
ever have to, here are some things to know.
{ CAUTION: Idling a vehicle in an enclosed area with poor
ventilation is dangerous. Engine exhaust may
enter the vehicle. Engine exhaust contains Carbon
Monoxide (CO) which cannot be seen or smelled.
It can cause unconsciousness and even death.
Never run the engine in an enclosed area that has
no fresh air ventilation. For more information, see
Engine Exhaust on page 2-38 .{ CAUTION: It can be dangerous to get out of the vehicle
if the automatic transmission shift lever is not
fully in P (Park) with the parking brake rmly set.
The vehicle can roll. Do not leave the 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 the vehicle will not move, even when
you are on fairly level ground, always set the
parking brake and move the shift lever to P (Park).
Follow the proper steps to be sure the vehicle will not
move. See Shifting Into Park on page 2-36 .
If parking on a hill and pulling a trailer, see Towing a
Trailer on page 5-44 .
2-39

Mirrors Manual Rearview Mirror Hold the inside rearview mirror in the center to move it for
a clearer view behind your vehicle. Adjust the mirror to
avoid glare from the headlamps behind you. Push the tab
forward for daytime use and pull it for nighttime use.
Automatic Dimming Rearview Mirror This vehicle may have an automatic dimming inside
rearview mirror with OnStar ®
. It may also have
Intellibeam ®
. For more information on Intellibeam™, see
“Intellibeam™ Intelligent High-Beam Headlamp Control
System” under Exterior Lamps on page 3-16 . For more
information on OnStar ®
, see OnStar ®
System on
page 2-52 .
Automatic Dimming Mirror Operation Automatic dimming reduces the glare of lights from
behind the vehicle. The dimming feature comes on and
the indicator light illuminates each time the vehicle is
started.
O (On/Off): Press to turn the dimming feature on
or off. Cleaning the Mirror Do not spray glass cleaner directly on the mirror. Use a
soft towel dampened with water.
Outside Power Foldaway Mirrors Controls for the outside
power foldaway mirrors are
located on the driver door
armrest.
Mirror Adjustment 1. Press (C) to fold the mirrors out to the driving
position.
2. Press (D) to fold the mirrors in to the folded
position.
2-40

Resetting the Power Foldaway Mirrors Reset the power foldaway mirrors if:
The mirrors are accidentally obstructed while
folding.
They are accidentally manually folded/unfolded.
The mirrors will not stay in the unfolded position.
The mirrors vibrate at normal driving speeds.
Fold and unfold the mirrors one time using the mirror
controls to reset them to their normal position. A popping
noise may be heard during the resetting of the power
foldaway mirrors. This sound is normal after a manual
folding operation.
Automatic Dimming Adjust the driver outside mirror for the glare of the
headlamps behind your vehicle. See Automatic Dimming
Rearview Mirror on page 2-40 for more information.
Turn Signal Indicator The vehicle has a turn signal indicator on the mirror.
An arrow on the mirror ashes in the direction of the
turn or lane change. Park Tilt Mirrors If the vehicle has the memory package, the passenger
and/or driver mirror tilts to a preselected position when
the vehicle is in R (Reverse). This feature lets the driver
view the curb when parallel parking. The mirror(s) return
to the original position when the vehicle is shifted out of
R (Reverse), or the ignition is turned off or to OFF/LOCK.
Turn this feature on or off through the Driver Information
Center (DIC). See DIC Vehicle Customization on
page 3-65 for more information.
Outside Convex Mirror
{ CAUTION: A convex mirror can make things, like other
vehicles, look farther away than they really are.
If you cut too sharply into the right lane, you could
hit a vehicle on the right. Check the inside mirror or
glance over your shoulder before changing lanes.
The passenger side mirror is convex shaped. A convex
mirror’s surface is curved so more can be seen from
the driver seat.
2-41

Outside Heated Mirrors < (Rear Window Defogger): Press to heat the
mirrors.
See “Rear Window Defogger” under Dual Automatic
Climate Control System on page 3-27 for more
information.
Object Detection Systems Ultrasonic Rear Parking
Assist (URPA) For vehicles with the Ultrasonic Rear Parking Assist
(URPA) system, it operates at speeds less than 5 mph
(8 km/h), and assists the driver with parking and avoiding
objects while in R (Reverse). The sensors on the rear
bumper are used to detect the distance to an object up to
8 feet (2.5 m) behind the vehicle, and at least 10 inches
(25.4 cm) off the ground. { CAUTION: The Ultrasonic Rear Parking Assist (URPA)
system does not replace driver vision. It cannot
detect:
objects that are below the bumper,
underneath the vehicle, or if they are too
close or far from the vehicle
children, pedestrians, bicyclists, or pets.
If you do not use proper care before and while
backing; vehicle damage, injury, or death could
occur. Even with URPA, always check behind the
vehicle before backing up. While backing, be sure
to look for objects and check the vehicle’s mirrors.
2-42