2009 CADILLAC ESCALADE ESV coolant

ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED This message displays and a chime sounds when the
cooling system temperature gets too hot and the engine
further enters the engine coolant protection mode. See
Engine Overheating on page 6-30 for further information.
This message also displays when the vehicle’s engine
power is reduced. Reduced engine power can affect the
vehicle’s ability to accelerate. If this message is on, but
there is no reduction in performance, proceed to your
destination. The performance may be reduced the next
time the vehicle is driven. The vehicle may be driven at a
reduced speed while this message is on, but acceleration
and speed may be reduced. Anytime this message stays
on, the vehicle should be taken to your dealer/retailer for
service as soon as possible.
FUEL LEVEL LOW This message displays and a chime sounds if the fuel
level is low. Refuel as soon as possible. See Fuel Gage
on page 3-46 and Fuel on page 6-5 for more information.
HEATED WASHER FLUID SYSTEM OFF This message displays when the heated windshield
washer has been turned off. See Windshield Washer
on page 3-11 for more information. HEATING WASH FLUID WASH WIPES
PENDING This message displays when the heated windshield
washer system is heating the uid. See Windshield
Washer on page 3-11 for more information.
HOOD OPEN This message displays and a chime sounds if the hood
is not fully closed. Stop and turn off the vehicle, check the
hood for obstructions, and close the hood again. Check to
see if the message still appears on the DIC.
ICE POSSIBLE DRIVE WITH CARE This message displays when ice conditions are possible.
LEFT REAR DOOR OPEN This message displays and a chime sounds if the driver
side rear door is not fully closed and the vehicle is shifted
out of P (Park). Stop and turn off the vehicle, check the
door for obstructions, and close the door again. Check to
see if the message still appears on the DIC.
3-58

Driving On Grades Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before starting
down a long or steep downgrade. If the transmission is
not shifted down, the brakes might have to be used so
much that they would get hot and no longer work well.
Vehicles can tow in D (Drive). Shift the transmission to
a lower gear if the transmission shifts too often under
heavy loads and/or hilly conditions.
The tow/haul mode may be used if the transmission
shifts too often. See Tow/Haul Mode Light on page 3-46 .
When towing at high altitude on steep uphill grades,
consider the following: Engine coolant will boil at a lower
temperature than at normal altitudes. If the engine is
turned off immediately after towing at high altitude on
steep uphill grades, the vehicle may show signs similar to
engine overheating. To avoid this, let the engine run while
parked, preferably on level ground, with the transmission
in P (Park) for a few minutes before turning the engine
off. If the overheat warning comes on, see Engine
Overheating on page 6-30 . Parking on Hills
{ CAUTION: Parking the vehicle on a hill with the trailer
attached can be dangerous. If something goes
wrong, the rig could start to move. People can be
injured, and both the vehicle and the trailer can be
damaged. When possible, always park the rig on a
at surface.
If parking the rig on a hill:
1. Press the brake pedal, but do not shift into P (Park)
yet. Turn the wheels into the curb if facing downhill
or into traffic if facing uphill.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer
wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the
regular brakes until the chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the brake pedal. Then apply the parking
brake and shift into P (Park).
5. Release the brake pedal.
5-54

Service ........................................................... .6-3
Accessories and Modications ......................... .6-3
California Proposition 65 Warning .................... .6-4
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements .... .6-4
Doing Your Own Service Work ........................ .6-4
Adding Equipment to the Outside of
the Vehicle ................................................ .6-5
Fuel ............................................................... .6-5
Gasoline Octane ........................................... .6-5
Gasoline Specications ................................... .6-6
California Fuel .............................................. .6-6
Additives ...................................................... .6-6
Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) ................................. .6-7
Fuels in Foreign Countries .............................. .6-8
Filling the Tank ............................................. .6-9
Filling a Portable Fuel Container .................... .6-11
Checking Things Under the Hood ................... .6-12
Hood Release ............................................. .6-13
Engine Compartment Overview ...................... .6-14
Engine Oil .................................................. .6-15
Engine Oil Life System ................................. .6-18
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter ............................... .6-19
Automatic Transmission Fluid ........................ .6-20
Cooling System ........................................... .6-24
Engine Coolant ............................................ .6-25
Engine Overheating ...................................... .6-30 Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode ........................................ .6-33
Engine Fan Noise ........................................ .6-33
Power Steering Fluid .................................... .6-33
Windshield Washer Fluid ............................... .6-34
Brakes ....................................................... .6-36
Battery ....................................................... .6-39
Jump Starting .............................................. .6-40
All-Wheel Drive ............................................. .6-45
Rear Axle ...................................................... .6-46
Front
Axle ..................................................... .6-47
Headlamp Aiming .......................................... .6-48
Bulb Replacement ......................................... .6-51
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting ........... .6-51
LED Lighting ............................................... .6-51
Back-Up Lamps ........................................... .6-51
License Plate Lamp ..................................... .6-53
Replacement Bulbs ...................................... .6-53
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement ............. .6-54
Tires ............................................................. .6-56
Tire Sidewall Labeling .................................. .6-57
Tire Terminology and Denitions .................... .6-59
Ination - Tire Pressure ................................ .6-62
High-Speed Operation .................................. .6-63Section 6 Service and Appearance Care
6-1

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.
6-12

A. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter on page 6-19 .
B. Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap. See Cooling
System on page 6-24 .
C. Remote Positive (+) Terminal. See Jump Starting on
page 6-40 .
D. Battery on page 6-39 .
E. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See “When to Add Engine Oil”
under Engine Oil on page 6-15 .
F. Automatic Transmission Dipstick (Out of View).
See “Checking the Fluid Level” under Automatic
Transmission Fluid on page 6-20 .
G. Remote Negative ( − ) Terminal (GND) (Out of View).
See Jump Starting on page 6-40 .
H. Engine Oil Dipstick (Out of View). See “Checking
Engine Oil” under Engine Oil on page 6-15 .
I. Engine Cooling Fan (Out of View). See Cooling
System on page 6-24 .
J. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir (Out of View).
See Power Steering Fluid on page 6-33 .
K. Brake Master Cylinder Reservoir. See “Brake Fluid”
under Brakes on page 6-36 . L. Underhood Fuse Block on page 6-109 .
M. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See “Adding
Washer Fluid” under Windshield Washer Fluid
on page 6-34 .
Engine Oil
Checking Engine Oil It is a good idea to check the engine oil level at each
fuel ll. 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 6-14
for 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 this is not done, 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.
6-15

Consistency of Readings Always check the uid level at least twice using
the procedures described. Consistency (repeatable
readings) is important to maintaining proper uid level.
If uid is added, it may take 15 minutes or longer
to obtain an accurate reading because of residual
uid draining down the dipstick tube. If inconsistent
readings persist, check the transmission breather to be
sure it is clean and not clogged. If readings are still
inconsistent, contact your dealer/retailer.
Cooling System The cooling system allows the engine to maintain the
correct working temperature.
A. Coolant Surge Tank
B. Coolant Surge Tank Pressure Cap
C. Engine Cooling Fan(s)
6-24

{ CAUTION: An electric engine cooling fan under the hood can
start up even when the engine is not running and
can cause injury. Keep hands, clothing, and tools
away from any underhood electric fan.
{ CAUTION: Heater and radiator hoses, and other engine parts,
can be very hot. Do not touch them. If you do, you
can be burned.
Do not run the engine if there is a leak. If you run
the engine, it could lose all coolant. That could
cause an engine re, and you could be burned.
Get any leak xed before you drive the vehicle. Notice: Using coolant other than DEX-COOL ®
can
cause premature engine, heater core, or radiator
corrosion. In addition, the engine coolant could
require changing sooner, at 50 000 km (30,000 miles)
or 24 months, whichever occurs rst. Any repairs
would not be covered by the vehicle warranty.
Always use DEX-COOL ®
(silicate-free) coolant in the
vehicle.
Engine Coolant The cooling system in the vehicle is lled with
DEX-COOL ®
engine coolant. This coolant is designed
to remain in the vehicle for ve years or 150,000 miles
(240 000 km), whichever occurs rst.
The following explains the cooling system and how to
check and add coolant when it is low. If there is a
problem with engine overheating, see Engine
Overheating on page 6-30 .
6-25

What to Use
{ CAUTION: Adding only plain water to the cooling system can
be dangerous. Plain water, or some other liquid
such as alcohol, can boil before the proper coolant
mixture will. The vehicle’s coolant warning system
is set for the proper coolant mixture. With plain
water or the wrong mixture, the engine could get
too hot but you would not get the overheat
warning. The engine could catch re and you or
others could be burned. Use a 50/50 mixture of
clean, drinkable water and DEX-COOL ®
coolant. Use a 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water and
DEX-COOL ®
coolant. If using this mixture, nothing else
needs to be added. This mixture:
Gives freezing protection down to − 34°F ( − 37°C),
outside temperature.
Gives boiling protection up to 265°F (129°C),
engine temperature.
Protects against rust and corrosion.
Will not damage aluminum parts.
Helps keep the proper engine temperature.
Notice: If an improper coolant mixture is used,
the engine could overheat and be badly damaged.
The repair cost would not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Too much water in the mixture can freeze
and crack the engine, radiator, heater core, and other
parts.
Notice: If extra inhibitors and/or additives are used
in the vehicle’s cooling system, the vehicle could
be damaged. Use only the proper mixture of
the engine coolant listed in this manual for the
cooling system. See Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants on page 7-13 for more information.
6-26