2009 CADILLAC ESCALADE EXT brake light

Driving Downhill
When off-roading takes you downhill, consider:
How steep is the downhill? Will I be able to maintain
vehicle control?
What is the surface like? Smooth? Rough?
Slippery? Hard-packed dirt? Gravel?
Are there hidden surface obstacles? Ruts? Logs?
Boulders?
What is at the bottom of the hill? Is there a hidden
creek bank or even a river bottom with large rocks?
If you decide you can go down a hill safely, try to keep
the vehicle headed straight down. Use a low gear
so engine drag can help the brakes so they do not have
to do all the work. Descend slowly, keeping the
vehicle under control at all times.
{CAUTION:
Heavy braking when going down a hill can cause
your brakes to overheat and fade. This could cause
loss of control and a serious accident. Apply the
brakes lightly when descending a hill and use a low
gear to keep vehicle speed under control.Things not to do when driving down a hill:
When driving downhill, avoid turns that take you
across the incline of the hill. A hill that is not too
steep to drive down might be too steep to drive
across. The vehicle could roll over.
Never go downhill with the transmission in
N (Neutral), called free-wheeling. The brakes will
have to do all the work and could overheat
and fade.
Vehicles are much more likely to stall when going uphill,
but if it happens when going downhill:
1. Stop the vehicle by applying the regular brakes and
apply the parking brake.
2. Shift to P (Park) and, while still braking, restart the
engine.
3. Shift back to a low gear, release the parking brake,
and drive straight down.
4. If the engine will not start, get out and get help.
5-20

Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving
because some drivers are likely to be impaired — by
alcohol or drugs, with night vision problems, or by
fatigue.
Night driving tips include:
Drive defensively.
Do not drink and drive.
Reduce headlamp glare by adjusting the inside
rearview mirror.
Slow down and keep more space between you and
other vehicles because headlamps can only light up
so much road ahead.
Watch for animals.
When tired, pull off the road.
Do not wear sunglasses.
Avoid staring directly into approaching headlamps.
Keep the windshield and all glass on your vehicle
clean — inside and out.
Keep your eyes moving, especially during turns or
curves.No one can see as well at night as in the daytime. But,
as we get older, these differences increase. A
50-year-old driver might need at least twice as much
light to see the same thing at night as a 20-year-old.
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads
Rain and wet roads can reduce vehicle traction
and affect your ability to stop and accelerate. Always
drive slower in these types of driving conditions
and avoid driving through large puddles and
deep-standing or owing water.
{CAUTION:
Wet brakes can cause crashes. They might not
work as well in a quick stop and could cause
pulling to one side. You could lose control of the
vehicle.
After driving through a large puddle of water or a
car/vehicle wash, lightly apply the brake pedal until
the brakes work normally.
CAUTION: (Continued)
5-24

Tow/Haul is designed to be most effective when the
vehicle and trailer combined weight is at least 75 percent
of the vehicle’s Gross Combined Weight Rating
(GCWR). See “Weight of the Trailer” earlier in the
section. Tow/Haul is most useful under the following
driving conditions:
When pulling a heavy trailer or a large or heavy
load through rolling terrain.
When pulling a heavy trailer or a large or heavy
load in stop and go traffic.
When pulling a heavy trailer or a large or heavy
load in busy parking lots where improved low
speed control of the vehicle is desired.
Operating the vehicle in Tow/Haul when lightly loaded
or with no trailer at all will not cause damage. However,
there is no benet to the selection of Tow/Haul when
the vehicle is unloaded. Such a selection when unloaded
may result in unpleasant engine and transmission
driving characteristics and reduced fuel economy.
Tow/Haul is recommended only when pulling a heavy
trailer or a large or heavy load.
The vehicle is equipped with Autoride
®which further
improves the vehicle’s ride while towing. SeeAutoride®
on page 5-39for more information.
Trailer Brakes
A loaded trailer that weighs more than 2,000 lbs
(900 kg) needs to have its own brake system that is
adequate for the weight of the trailer. Be sure to read
and follow the instructions for the trailer brakes so
they are installed, adjusted and maintained properly.
Since the vehicle is equipped with StabiliTrak
®,
the trailer brakes cannot tap into the vehicle’s hydraulic
system.
5-47

Trailer Wiring Harness
Heavy-Duty Trailer Wiring Package
The vehicle is equipped with the seven-wire trailer
towing harness. This harness with a seven-pin universal
heavy-duty trailer connector is attached to the rear
bumper beam. It is located next to the integrated
trailer hitch.The seven-wire harness contains the following trailer
circuits:
Yellow: Left Stop/Turn Signal
Dark Green: Right Stop/Turn Signal
Brown: Taillamps
White: Ground
Light Green: Back-up Lamps
Red w/ Black Stripe: Battery Feed*
Dark Blue: Trailer Brake*
*The fuses for these two circuits are installed in the
underhood electrical center, but the circuits are
not connected. They should be installed by your dealer
or a qualied service center.
If charging a remote (non-vehicle) battery, press the
Tow/Haul mode button, if equipped, located at the end
of the shift lever. This will boost the vehicle system
voltage and properly charge the battery. If the trailer is
too light for Tow/Haul mode, or the vehicle is not
equipped with Tow/Haul, turn on the headlamps as a
second way to boost the vehicle system and charge the
battery.
5-51

Electric Brake Control Wiring
Provisions
These wiring provisions are included with the vehicle as
part of the heavy-duty trailer wiring package. These
provisions are for an electric brake controller. The
red/black stripe power feed will not be connected to the
battery until the ring terminal is unstowed and
connected to the underhood electrical center. The
instrument panel contains blunt cut wires near the data
link connector for the trailer brake controller. The
harness contains the following wires:
Dark Blue: Auxiliary
Red/Black: Battery
Light Blue/White: Brake Switch
White: Ground
The trailer brake controller should be installed by your
dealer/retailer or a qualied service center.
Trailer Recommendations
Subtract the hitch loads from the Cargo Weight Rating
(CWR). CWR is the maximum weight of the load
the vehicle can carry. It does not include the weight of
the people inside, but you can gure about 150 lbs.
(68 kg) for each passenger. The total cargo load must
not be more than the vehicles CWR.
Weigh the vehicle with the trailer attached, so the
GVWR or GAWR are not exceeded. If using a
weight-distributing hitch, weigh the vehicle without the
spring bars in place.
The best performance is obtained by correctly spreading
out the weight of the load and choosing the correct
hitch and trailer brakes.
For more information seeTowing a Trailer on page 5-40.
5-52

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.......................................................6-7
Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol)..................................6-8
Fuels in Foreign Countries...............................6-9
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.........................6-21
Cooling System............................................6-25
Engine Coolant.............................................6-26
Engine Overheating.......................................6-30Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode........................................6-33
Engine Fan Noise.........................................6-33
Power Steering Fluid.....................................6-33
Windshield Washer Fluid................................6-34
Brakes........................................................6-35
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
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Sidemarker, Stoplamps
and Back-up Lamps...................................6-51
License Plate Lamp......................................6-52
Replacement Bulbs.......................................6-53
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement..............6-53
Tires..............................................................6-54
Tire Sidewall Labeling...................................6-55
Tire Terminology and Denitions.....................6-57
Ination - Tire Pressure.................................6-60
High-Speed Operation...................................6-61
Section 6 Service and Appearance Care
6-1

Do not top off the brake uid. Adding uid does not
correct a leak. If uid is added when the linings
are worn, there will be too much uid when new brake
linings are installed. Add or remove brake uid, as
necessary, only when work is done on the brake
hydraulic system.
{CAUTION:
If too much brake uid is added, it can spill on the
engine and burn, if the engine is hot enough. You
or others could be burned, and the vehicle could
be damaged. Add brake uid only when work is
done on the brake hydraulic system. See
“Checking Brake Fluid” in this section.
When the brake uid falls to a low level, the brake
warning light comes on. SeeBrake System Warning
Light on page 3-33.
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine when
to check the brake uid. SeeScheduled Maintenance
on page 7-4.
Checking Brake Fluid
Check brake uid by looking at the brake uid reservoir.
SeeEngine Compartment Overview on page 6-14.
The uid level should be
above MIN. If it is not,
have the brake hydraulic
system checked to
see if there is a leak.
After work is done on the brake hydraulic system,
make sure the level is above the MIN but not over the
MAX mark.
6-36

Brake Wear
This vehicle has disc brakes. Disc brake pads have
built-in wear indicators that make a high-pitched warning
sound when the brake pads are worn and new pads
are needed. The sound can come and go or be heard all
the time the vehicle is moving, except when applying
the brake pedal rmly.
{CAUTION:
The brake wear warning sound means that soon
the brakes will not work well. That could lead to an
accident. When the brake wear warning sound is
heard, have the vehicle serviced.
Notice:Continuing to drive with worn-out brake
pads could result in costly brake repair.
Some driving conditions or climates can cause a brake
squeal when the brakes are rst applied or lightly
applied. This does not mean something is wrong with
the brakes.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 Specications on page 6-110.
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.
6-38