2009 CADILLAC ESCALADE EXT check engine

❑Inspect brake system.See footnote (a).
❑Check engine coolant and windshield washer uid
levels and add uid as needed.
❑Perform any needed additional services. See
“Additional Required Services” in this section.
❑Inspect suspension and steering components.
See footnote (b).❑Inspect engine cooling system.See footnote (c).
❑Inspect wiper blades.See footnote (d).
❑Inspect restraint system components.
See footnote (e).
❑Lubricate body components.See footnote (f).
❑Check transmission uid level and add uid as
needed.
7-5

(i)Drain, ush, and rell cooling system. This service
can be complex; you should have your dealer/retailer
perform this service. See Engine Coolant on page 6-26
for what to use. Inspect hoses. Clean radiator,
condenser, pressure cap, and ller neck. Pressure test
the cooling system and pressure cap.
(j)A uid loss in any vehicle system could indicate a
problem. Have the system inspected and repaired and
the uid level checked. Add uid if needed.
(k)If driving regularly under dusty conditions, inspect
the lter at each engine oil change.
(l)Visually inspect belt for fraying, excessive cracks, or
obvious damage. Replace belt if necessary.
(m)Check vent hose at transfer case for kinks and
proper installation. Check to be sure vent hose is
unobstructed, clear, and free of debris. During any
maintenance, if a power washer is used to clean mud
and dirt from the underbody, care should be taken to not
directly spray the transfer case output seals. High
pressure water can overcome the seals and contaminate
the transfer case uid. Contaminated uid will decrease
the life of the transfer case and should be replaced.
(n)Severe Service: Change transfer case uid if
the vehicle is mainly used for trailer towing or driven in
city traffic, wet environment, or high ambient
temperatures.Owner Checks and Services
These owner checks and services should be performed
at the intervals specied to help ensure vehicle
safety, dependability, and emission control performance.
Your dealer/retailer can assist with these checks and
services.
Be sure any necessary repairs are completed at once.
Whenever any uids or lubricants are added to the
vehicle, make sure they are the proper ones, as shown
inRecommended Fluids and Lubricants on page 7-13.
At Each Fuel Fill
It is important to perform these underhood checks at
each fuel ll.
Engine Oil Level Check
Notice:It is important to check the engine oil
regularly and keep it at the proper level. Failure to
keep the engine oil at the proper level can cause
damage to the engine not covered by the vehicle
warranty.
Check the engine oil level and add the proper oil if
necessary. SeeEngine Oil on page 6-15.
7-9

Engine Coolant Level Check
Check the engine coolant level and add DEX-COOL®
coolant mixture if necessary. SeeEngine Coolant
on page 6-26.
Windshield Washer Fluid Level Check
Check the windshield washer uid level in the windshield
washer uid reservoir and add the proper uid if
necessary.
At Least Once a Month
Tire Ination Check
Inspect the vehicle’s tires and make sure they are
inated to the correct pressures. Do not forget to check
the spare tire. SeeInation - Tire Pressure on
page 6-60. Check to make sure the spare tire is stored
securely. SeeChanging a Flat Tire on page 6-77.
Tire Wear Inspection
Tire rotation may be required for high mileage highway
drivers prior to the Engine Oil Life System service
notication. Check the tires for wear and, if necessary,
rotate the tires. SeeTire Inspection and Rotation on
page 6-67.
At Least Once a Year
Starter Switch Check
{CAUTION:
When you are doing this inspection, the vehicle
could move suddenly. If the vehicle moves, you or
others could be injured.
1. Before starting this check, be sure there is enough
room around the vehicle.
2. Firmly apply both the parking brake and the regular
brake. SeeParking Brake on page 2-41.
Do not use the accelerator pedal, and be ready to
turn off the engine immediately if it starts.
3. Try to start the engine in each gear. The vehicle
should start only in P (Park) or N (Neutral). If the
vehicle starts in any other position, contact
your dealer/retailer for service.
7-10

Automatic Transmission Shift Lock
Control System Check
{CAUTION:
When you are doing this inspection, the vehicle
could move suddenly. If the vehicle moves, you or
others could be injured.
1. Before starting this check, be sure there is enough
room around the vehicle. It should be parked on a
level surface.
2. Firmly apply the parking brake. SeeParking Brake
on page 2-41.
Be ready to apply the regular brake immediately if
the vehicle begins to move.
3. With the engine off, turn the ignition to ON/RUN,
but do not start the engine. Without applying the
regular brake, try to move the shift lever out
of P (Park) with normal effort. If the shift lever
moves out of P (Park), contact your dealer/retailer
for service.
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 P (Park).
The ignition key should come out only in
LOCK/OFF.
Contact your dealer/retailer if service is required.
7-11

Parking Brake and Automatic
Transmission P (Park) Mechanism
Check
{CAUTION:
When you are doing this check, the vehicle could
begin to move. You or others could be injured and
property could be damaged. Make sure there is
room in front of the 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 N (Neutral),
slowly remove foot pressure from the regular
brake pedal. Do this until the vehicle is held by the
parking brake only.
To check the P (Park) mechanism’s holding
ability: With the engine running, shift to P (Park).
Then release the parking brake followed by
the regular brake.
Contact your dealer/retailer if service is required.
Hood 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.
7-12

ORDER TOLL FREE: 1-800-551-4123
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Eastern Time
For Credit Card Orders Only
(VISA-MasterCard-Discover), visit Helm, Inc. on the
World Wide Web at: helminc.com
Or you can write to:
Helm, Incorporated
P.O. Box 07130
Detroit, MI 48207
Prices are subject to change without notice and without
incurring obligation. Allow ample time for delivery.
Note to Canadian Customers: All listed prices are
quoted in U.S. funds. Canadian residents are to make
checks payable in U.S. funds.
Vehicle Data Recording and
Privacy
Your GM vehicle has a number of sophisticated
computers that record information about the vehicle’s
performance and how it is driven. For example,
your vehicle uses computer modules to monitor and
control engine and transmission performance, to monitor
the conditions for airbag deployment and deploy
airbags in a crash and, if so equipped, to provideantilock braking to help the driver control the vehicle.
These modules may store data to help your
dealer/retailer technician service your vehicle. Some
modules may also store data about how you operate the
vehicle, such as rate of fuel consumption or average
speed. These modules may also retain the owner’s
personal preferences, such as radio pre-sets, seat
positions, and temperature settings.
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
8-16

Audio System (cont.)
Theft-Deterrent Feature................................3-87
XM™ Satellite Radio Antenna System............3-90
Automatic Headlamp System............................3-17
Automatic Transmission
Fluid..........................................................6-21
Operation...................................................2-36
Autoride
®.......................................................5-39
B
Battery..........................................................6-39
Electric Power Management..........................3-19
Run-Down Protection...................................3-20
Bluetooth
®.....................................................3-66
Brake
Emergencies................................................ 5-6
Brake Fluid....................................................6-35
Brakes..........................................................6-35
System Warning Light..................................3-33
Braking........................................................... 5-4
Braking in Emergencies..................................... 5-6
Break-In, New Vehicle.....................................2-31
Bulb Replacement...........................................6-51
Headlamp Aiming........................................6-48
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting...........6-51
License Plate Lamps....................................6-52Bulb Replacement (cont.)
Replacement Bulbs......................................6-53
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Sidemarker, Stoplamps,
and Back-Up Lamps.................................6-51
Buying New Tires...........................................6-69
C
Calibration.....................................................3-46
California Fuel.................................................. 6-6
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements....... 6-4
California Proposition 65 Warning....................... 6-4
Canadian Owners............................................... iii
Capacities and Specications..........................6-110
Carbon Monoxide...................2-11, 2-21, 2-45, 5-27
Care of
Safety Belts................................................6-97
Cargo Area, All-Weather..................................2-77
Cargo Cover Panels........................................2-68
Center Console Storage Area...........................2-66
Chains, Tire...................................................6-75
Charging System Light....................................3-32
Check
Engine Lamp..............................................3-36
Checking Things Under the Hood......................6-12
Chemical Paint Spotting.................................6-101
2

Electronic Immobilizer
PASS-Key®III+...........................................2-29
Electronic Immobilizer Operation
PASS-Key
®III+...........................................2-29
Engine
Air Cleaner/Filter.........................................6-19
Check and Service Engine Soon Lamp...........3-36
Coolant......................................................6-26
Coolant Heater............................................2-34
Coolant Temperature Gage...........................3-35
Drive Belt Routing.......................................7-16
Engine Compartment Overview......................6-14
Exhaust.....................................................2-45
Fan Noise..................................................6-33
Oil .............................................................6-15
Oil Life System...........................................6-18
Overheated Protection Operating Mode...........6-33
Overheating................................................6-30
Starting......................................................2-32
Entry/Exit Lighting...........................................3-19
Event Data Recorders.....................................8-16
Extender, Safety Belt.......................................1-31
Exterior Cargo Lamps......................................3-18
Exterior Lamps...............................................3-13
F
Features
Memory ....................................................... 1-7
Filter
Engine Air Cleaner......................................6-19
Finish Damage.............................................6-101
Fixed Mast Antenna........................................3-90
Flashers, Hazard Warning.................................. 3-5
Flash-to-Pass................................................... 3-8
Flat Tire........................................................6-76
Flat Tire, Changing.........................................6-77
Flat Tire, Storing.............................................6-90
Fluid
Automatic Transmission................................6-21
Power Steering...........................................6-33
Windshield Washer......................................6-34
Fog Lamp
Fog ...........................................................3-18
Fog Lamp Light..............................................3-40
Front Axle......................................................6-47
Fuel............................................................... 6-5
Additives...................................................... 6-7
California Fuel.............................................. 6-6
Driving for Better Economy............................. 5-2
E85 (85% Ethanol)........................................ 6-8
Filling a Portable Fuel Container....................6-11
5