2009 CADILLAC ESCALADE ESV Owners Manual

Properly torqued wheel nuts are necessary to help
prevent brake pulsation. When tires are rotated, inspect
brake pads for wear and evenly tighten wheel nuts in
the proper sequence to torque specications in
Capacities and Specifications on page 6-113 .
Brake linings should always be replaced as complete
axle sets.
Brake Pedal Travel See your dealer/retailer if the brake pedal does not
return to normal height, or if there is a rapid increase in
pedal travel. This could be a sign that brake service
might be required.
Brake Adjustment Every brake stop, the disc brakes adjust for wear.
Replacing Brake System Parts The braking system on a vehicle is complex. Its many
parts have to be of top quality and work well together if
the vehicle is to have really good braking. The vehicle
was designed and tested with top-quality brake parts. When parts of the braking system are replaced — for
example, when the brake linings wear down and new
ones are installed — be sure to get new approved
replacement parts. If this is not done, the brakes might
not work properly. For example, if someone puts in brake
linings that are wrong for the vehicle, the balance
between the front and rear brakes can change — for the
worse. The braking performance expected can change in
many other ways if the wrong replacement brake parts
are installed.
Battery If the vehicle is a Two-mode Hybrid, see the Two-mode
Hybrid manual for more information.
This vehicle has a maintenance free battery. When it is
time for a new battery, see your dealer/retailer for
one that has the replacement number shown on the
original battery’s label. See Engine Compartment
Overview on page 6-14 for battery location.
Warning: Battery posts, terminals, and related
accessories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of California to cause
cancer and reproductive harm. Wash hands after
handling.
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Vehicle Storage
{ CAUTION: Batteries have acid that can burn you and gas
that can explode. You can be badly hurt if you
are not careful. See Jump Starting on page 6-40
for tips on working around a battery without
getting hurt.
Infrequent Usage: If the vehicle is driven infrequently,
remove the black, negative ( − ) cable from the battery.
This helps keep the battery from running down.
Extended Storage: For extended storage of the vehicle,
remove the black, negative ( − ) cable from the battery
or use a battery trickle charger. This helps maintain
the charge of the battery over an extended period
of time. Jump Starting If the vehicle is a Two-mode Hybrid, see the Two-mode
Hybrid manual for more information.
If the vehicle’s battery (or batteries) has run down, you
may want to use another vehicle and some jumper
cables to start your vehicle. Be sure to use the following
steps to do it safely.
{ CAUTION: Batteries can hurt you. They can be dangerous
because:
They contain acid that can burn you.
They contain gas that can explode or ignite.
They contain enough electricity to burn you.
If you do not follow these steps exactly, some or
all of these things can hurt you.
Notice: Ignoring these steps could result in costly
damage to the vehicle that would not be covered
by the warranty.
Trying to start the vehicle by pushing or pulling it
will not work, and it could damage the vehicle.
1. Check the other vehicle. It must have a 12-volt
battery with a negative ground system.
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Notice: If the other vehicle’s system is not a 12-volt
system with a negative ground, both vehicles can
be damaged. Only use vehicles with 12-volt systems
with negative grounds to jump start your vehicle.
2. Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper cables
can reach, but be sure the vehicles are not touching
each other. If they are, it could cause a ground
connection you do not want. You would not be
able to start your vehicle, and the bad grounding
could damage the electrical systems.
To avoid the possibility of the vehicles rolling, set
the parking brake rmly on both vehicles involved
in the jump start procedure. Put the automatic
transmission in P (Park) or a manual transmission
in Neutral before setting the parking brake. If
you have a four-wheel-drive vehicle, be sure the
transfer case is in a drive gear, not in Neutral. Notice: If you leave the radio or other accessories
on during the jump starting procedure, they could
be damaged. The repairs would not be covered by
the warranty. Always turn off the radio and other
accessories when jump starting the vehicle.
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Unplug
unnecessary accessories plugged into the cigarette
lighter or the accessory power outlets. Turn off
the radio and all the lamps that are not needed.
This avoids sparks and helps save both batteries.
And it could save the radio!
4. Open the hood on the other vehicle and locate the
positive (+) and negative ( − ) terminal locations on
that vehicle.
Your vehicle has a remote positive (+) jump starting
terminal and a remote negative ( − ) jump starting
terminal. You should always use these remote
terminals instead of the terminals on the battery.
If the vehicle has a remote positive (+) terminal, it is
located under a red plastic cover at the positive
battery post. To uncover the remote positive (+)
terminal, open the red plastic cover.
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The remote negative (-) terminal is a stud located
on the right front of the engine, where the negative
battery cable attaches.
See Engine Compartment Overview on page 6-14
for more information on the location of the
remote positive (+) and remote negative ( − )
terminals. { CAUTION: An electric fan can start up even when the engine
is not running and can injure you. Keep hands,
clothing and tools away from any underhood
electric fan.
{ CAUTION: Using a match near a battery can cause battery
gas to explode. People have been hurt doing this,
and some have been blinded. Use a ashlight if
you need more light.
Be sure the battery has enough water. You do not
need to add water to the battery installed in your
new vehicle. But if a battery has ller caps, be
sure the right amount of uid is there. If it is low,
add water to take care of that rst. If you do not,
explosive gas could be present.
CAUTION: (Continued)
6-42

CAUTION: (Continued) Battery uid contains acid that can burn you.
Do not get it on you. If you accidentally get it in
your eyes or on your skin, ush the place with
water and get medical help immediately.
{ CAUTION: Fans or other moving engine parts can injure you
badly. Keep your hands away from moving parts
once the engine is running.
5. Check that the jumper cables do not have loose or
missing insulation. If they do, you could get a
shock. The vehicles could be damaged too.
Before you connect the cables, here are some
basic things you should know. Positive (+) will go to
positive (+) or to a remote positive (+) terminal if
the vehicle has one. Negative ( − ) will go to a heavy,
unpainted metal engine part or to a remote
negative ( − ) terminal if the vehicle has one. Do not connect positive (+) to negative ( − )oryou
will get a short that would damage the battery
and maybe other parts too. And do not connect the
negative ( − ) cable to the negative ( − ) terminal on
the dead battery because this can cause sparks.
6. Connect the red
positive (+) cable to the
positive (+) terminal
of the vehicle with the
dead battery. Use
a remote positive (+)
terminal if the
vehicle has one.
7. Do not let the other end touch metal. Connect it to
the positive (+) terminal of the good battery. Use a
remote positive (+) terminal if the vehicle has one.
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8. Now connect the black negative ( − ) cable to the
negative ( − ) terminal of the good battery. Use a
remote negative ( − ) terminal if the vehicle has one.
Do not let the other end touch anything until the
next step. The other end of the negative ( − ) cable
does not go to the dead battery. It goes to a
heavy, unpainted metal engine part or to the remote
negative ( − ) terminal on the vehicle with the dead
battery.
9. Connect the other end of the negative ( − ) cable to
the remote negative ( − ) terminal, on the vehicle with
the dead battery.
10. Now start the vehicle with the good battery and run
the engine for a while.
11. Try to start the vehicle that had the dead battery.
If it will not start after a few tries, it probably needs
service. Notice: If the jumper cables are connected or
removed in the wrong order, electrical shorting may
occur and damage the vehicle. The repairs would
not be covered by the vehicle warranty. Always
connect and remove the jumper cables in the correct
order, making sure that the cables do not touch
each other or other metal.
A. Heavy, Unpainted Metal Engine Part or Remote
Negative ( − ) Terminal
B. Good Battery or Remote Positive (+) and Remote
Negative ( − ) Terminals
C. Dead Battery or Remote Positive (+) Terminal Jumper Cable Removal
6-44

To disconnect the jumper cables from both vehicles do
the following:
1. Disconnect the black negative ( − ) cable from the
vehicle that had the bad battery.
2. Disconnect the black negative ( − ) cable from the
vehicle with the good battery.
3. Disconnect the red positive (+) cable from the
vehicle with the good battery.
4. Disconnect the red positive (+) cable from the other
vehicle.
5. Return the remote positive (+) terminal cover, if the
vehicle has one, to its original position.
All-Wheel Drive Transfer Case If your vehicle is equipped with All-Wheel Drive, be
sure to perform the lubricant checks described in this
section. There are two additional systems that need
lubrication.
When to Check Lubricant Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine
how often to check the lubricant. See Scheduled
Maintenance on page 7-4 . How to Check Lubricant
To get an accurate reading, the vehicle should be on a
level surface.
If the level is below the bottom of the ller plug hole,
located on the transfer case, you’ll need to add
some lubricant. Add enough lubricant to raise the level
to the bottom of the ller plug hole. Use care not to
overtighten the plug. (A) Drain Plug (B) Filler Plug
6-45

What to Use Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine what
kind of lubricant to use. See Recommended Fluids
and Lubricants on page 7-13 .
Rear Axle When to Check Lubricant It is not necessary to regularly check rear axle uid
unless you suspect there is a leak or you hear an
unusual noise. A uid loss could indicate a problem.
Have it inspected and repaired.
All axle assemblies are lled by volume of uid during
production. They are not lled to reach a certain level.
When checking the uid level on any axle, variations in
the readings can be caused by factory ll differences
between the minimum and the maximum uid volume.
Also, if a vehicle has just been driven before checking
the uid level, it may appear lower than normal because
uid has traveled out along the axle tubes and has not
drained back to the sump area. Therefore, a reading
taken ve minutes after the vehicle has been driven will
appear to have a lower uid level than a vehicle that has
been stationary for an hour or two. Remember that the
rear axle assembly must be supported to get a true
reading. How to Check Lubricant
To get an accurate reading, the vehicle should be on a
level surface.
For Two-Wheel-Drive vehicles, the proper level is
from 0.6 inch to 1.6 inches (15 mm to 40 mm) below
the bottom of the ller plug hole, located on the rear
axle. Add only enough uid to reach the proper level.
For All-Wheel-Drive vehicles, the proper level is from
0.04 inch to 0.75 inch (1.0 mm to 19.0 mm) below
the bottom of the ller plug hole, located on the rear
axle. Add only enough uid to reach the proper level.
6-46