2010 CADILLAC ESCALADE ESV check engine light

Black plate (37,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2010
This light comes on during a malfunction in one of
two ways:
Light Flashing: A misfire condition has been detected.
A misfire increases vehicle emissions and could
damage the emission control system on the vehicle.
Diagnosis and service might be required.
To prevent more serious damage to the vehicle: .
Reduce vehicle speed. .
Avoid hard accelerations. .
Avoid steep uphill grades. .
If towing a trailer, reduce the amount of cargo
being hauled as soon as it is possible.
If the light continues to flash, when it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle. Find a safe place to park the vehicle.
Turn the vehicle off, wait at least 10 seconds, and
restart the engine. If the light is still flashing, follow the
previous steps and see your dealer for service as soon
as possible.
Light On Steady: An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on the vehicle.
Diagnosis and service might be required.
An emission system malfunction might be corrected by
doing the following: .
Make sure the fuel cap is fully installed. See Filling
the Tank on page 7 ‑ 11 . The diagnostic system
can determine if the fuel cap has been left off or improperly installed. A loose or missing fuel cap
allows fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere. A few
driving trips with the cap properly installed should
turn the light off. .
If the vehicle has been driven through a deep
puddle of water, the vehicle's electrical system
might be wet. The condition is usually corrected
when the electrical system dries out. A few driving
trips should turn the light off. .
Make sure to fuel the vehicle with quality fuel. Poor
fuel quality causes the engine not to run as
efficiently as designed and can cause: stalling after
start-up, stalling when the vehicle is changed into
gear, misfiring, hesitation on acceleration,
or stumbling on acceleration. These conditions
might go away once the engine is warmed up.
If one or more of these conditions occurs, change
the fuel brand used. It will require at least one full
tank of the proper fuel to turn the light off.
See Gasoline Octane on page 7 ‑ 8 .
If none of the above have made the light turn off, your
dealer can check the vehicle. The dealer has the proper
test equipment and diagnostic tools to fix any
mechanical or electrical problems that might have
developed.
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Black plate (39,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2010
Oil Pressure Light
{ WARNING: Do not keep driving if the oil pressure is low. The
engine can become so hot that it catches fire.
Someone could be burned. Check the oil as soon
as possible and have the vehicle serviced.
Notice: Lack of proper engine oil maintenance can
damage the engine. The repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty. Always follow the
maintenance schedule for changing engine oil.
This light comes on briefly while starting the engine. If it
does not, have the vehicle serviced by your dealer.
If the system is working normally the indicator light then
goes off. If the light comes on and stays on, it means that oil is
not flowing through the engine properly. The vehicle
could be low on oil and it might have some other
system problem.
Security Light For information regarding
this light and the vehicle's
security system, see
Content Theft-Deterrent
on page 3 ‑ 22 .
Front Fog Lamp Light The fog lamp light comes
on when the fog lamps
are in use.
The light goes out when the fog lamps are turned off.
See Fog Lamps
on page 4 ‑ 16 for more information.
4-39

Black plate (56,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2010
SIDE BLIND ZONE SYSTEM
UNAVAILABLE If your vehicle has the Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA)
system, this message displays when the SBZA system
is disabled because the sensor is blocked and cannot
detect vehicles in your blind zone. The sensor may be
blocked by mud, dirt, snow, ice, or slush. This message
may also display during heavy rain or due to road spray.
It may also come on when driving in isolated areas with
no guardrails, trees, or road signs and light traffic.
Your vehicle does not need service. For cleaning
instructions, see Washing Your Vehicle
on page 7 ‑ 103 .
See Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) on page 3 ‑ 48 for
more information.
STABILITRAK OFF If your vehicle has StabiliTrak, this message displays
when you turn off StabiliTrak, or when the stability
control has been automatically disabled. To limit wheel
spin and realize the full benefits of the stability
enhancement system, you should normally leave
StabiliTrak on. However, you should turn StabiliTrak off
if your vehicle gets stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow and
you want to rock your vehicle to attempt to free it, or if you are driving in extreme off-road conditions and
require more wheel spin. See If Your Vehicle is Stuck in
Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow
on page 6 ‑ 30 . To turn the
StabiliTrak system on or off, see StabiliTrak ®
System
on page 6 ‑ 6 .
There are several conditions that can cause this
message to appear. .
One condition is overheating, which could occur if
StabiliTrak activates continuously for an extended
period of time. .
The message also displays if the brake system
warning light is on. See Brake System Warning
Light on page 4 ‑ 33 . .
The message could display if the stability system
takes longer than usual to complete its diagnostic
checks due to driving conditions. .
The message displays if an engine or vehicle
related problem has been detected and the vehicle
needs service. See your dealer.
The message turns off as soon as the conditions that
caused the message to be displayed are no longer
present.
4-56

Black plate (57,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2010
TIGHTEN GAS CAP This message may display along with the check engine
light on the instrument panel cluster if the vehicle's fuel
cap is not tightened properly. See Malfunction Indicator
Lamp
on page 4 ‑ 36 . Reinstall the fuel cap fully. See
Filling the Tank on page 7 ‑ 11 . The diagnostic system
can determine if the fuel cap has been left off or
improperly installed. A loose or missing fuel cap allows
fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere. A few driving
trips with the cap properly installed should turn this light
and message off.
TIRE LEARNING ACTIVE On vehicles with the Tire Pressure Monitor System
(TPMS), this message displays when the TPMS is
re-learning the tire positions on your vehicle. The tire
positions must be re-learned after rotating the tires or
after replacing a tire or sensor. See Tire Inspection and
Rotation on page 7 ‑ 71 , Tire Pressure Monitor System
on page 7 ‑ 67 , and Inflation - Tire Pressure on
page 7 ‑ 65
for more information. TIRE LOW ADD AIR TO TIRE On vehicles with the Tire Pressure Monitor System
(TPMS), this message displays when the pressure in
one or more of the vehicle's tires is low. This message
also displays LEFT FRONT, RIGHT FRONT, LEFT
REAR, or RIGHT REAR to indicate which tire needs to
be checked. The low tire pressure warning light will also
come on. See Tire Pressure Light
on page 4 ‑ 35 . You
can receive more than one tire pressure message at a
time. To read the other messages that may have been
sent at the same time, press the set/reset button. If a
tire pressure message appears on the DIC, stop as
soon as you can. Have the tire pressures checked and
set to those shown on the Tire Loading Information
label. See Tires
on page 7 ‑ 58 , Loading the Vehicle on
page 6 ‑ 32 , and Inflation - Tire Pressure on page 7 ‑ 65 .
The DIC also shows the tire pressure values. See DIC
Operation and Displays on page 4 ‑ 42 .
TRACTION CONTROL OFF If your vehicle has StabiliTrak, this message displays
when the Traction Control System (TCS) is turned off.
Adjust your driving accordingly. See StabiliTrak ®
System on page 6 ‑ 6 for more information.
4-57

Black plate (5,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2010
Antilock Brake System (ABS) This vehicle has the Antilock Brake System (ABS), an
advanced electronic braking system that helps prevent
a braking skid.
When the engine is started and the vehicle begins to
drive away, ABS checks itself. A momentary motor or
clicking noise might be heard while this test is going on.
This is normal.
If there is a problem with
ABS, this warning light
stays on. See Antilock
Brake System (ABS)
Warning Light on
page 4 ‑ 34 .
Along with ABS, the vehicle has a Dynamic Rear
Proportioning (DRP) system. If there is a DRP problem,
both the brake and ABS warning lights come on
accompanied by a 10 ‐ second chime. The lights and
chime will come on each time the ignition is turned on
until the problem is repaired. See your dealer for
service. Let us say the road is wet and you are driving safely.
Suddenly, an animal jumps out in front of you. You slam
on the brakes and continue braking. Here is what
happens with ABS:
A computer senses that the wheels are slowing down.
If one of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the
computer will separately work the brakes at each front
wheel and at both rear wheels.
ABS can change the brake pressure to each wheel, as
required, faster than any driver could. This can help the
driver steer around the obstacle while braking hard.
As the brakes are applied, the computer keeps
receiving updates on wheel speed and controls braking
pressure accordingly.
Remember: ABS does not change the time needed to
get a foot up to the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too close to the vehicle in
front of you, there will not be enough time to apply the
brakes if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops. Always
leave enough room up ahead to stop, even with ABS.
6-5

Black plate (29,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2010
{ WARNING: Snow can trap engine exhaust under the vehicle.
This may cause exhaust gases to get inside.
Engine exhaust contains carbon monoxide (CO)
which cannot be seen or smelled. It can cause
unconsciousness and even death.
If the vehicle is stuck in the snow: .
Clear away snow from around the base of
your vehicle, especially any that is blocking
the exhaust pipe. .
Check again from time to time to be sure
snow does not collect there. .
Open a window about 5 cm (two inches) on
the side of the vehicle that is away from the
wind to bring in fresh air. .
Fully open the air outlets on or under the
instrument panel. .
Adjust the Climate Control system to a setting
that circulates the air inside the vehicle and
set the fan speed to the highest setting. See
Climate Control System in the Index.
(Continued)WARNING: (Continued) For more information about carbon monoxide, see
Engine Exhaust on page 3 ‑ 41 .
Snow can trap exhaust gases under your vehicle.
This can cause deadly CO (carbon monoxide) gas
to get inside. CO could overcome you and kill you.
You cannot see it or smell it, so you might not
know it is in your vehicle. Clear away snow from
around the base of your vehicle, especially any
that is blocking the exhaust.
Run the engine for short periods only as needed to
keep warm, but be careful.
To save fuel, run the engine for only short periods as
needed to warm the vehicle and then shut the engine
off and close the window most of the way to save heat.
Repeat this until help arrives but only when you feel
really uncomfortable from the cold. Moving about to
keep warm also helps.
If it takes some time for help to arrive, now and then
when you run the engine, push the accelerator pedal
slightly so the engine runs faster than the idle speed.
This keeps the battery charged to restart the vehicle
and to signal for help with the headlamps. Do this as
little as possible to save fuel.
6-29

Black plate (1,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2010
Section 7 Service and Appearance CareService . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-4
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-4
California Proposition 65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-5
California Perchlorate Materials
Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-5
Doing Your Own Service Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6
Adding Equipment to the Outside of the
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7
Gasoline Octane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8
Gasoline Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8
California Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8
Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-9
Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-9
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-10
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-11
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-13
Checking Things Under the Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-14
Hood Release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-15
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-16
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-17
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-20
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-22 Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-24
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-27
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-29
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-34
Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-37
Engine Fan Noise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-37
Power Steering Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-38
Windshield Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-39
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-40
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-43
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-44
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-49
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-50
Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-51
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-52
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-54
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . 7-54
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-55
Back-Up Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-55
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-56
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-56
7-1

Black plate (8,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2010
Gasoline Octane If the vehicle has the 6.0L V8 engine (VIN Code J), use
regular unleaded gasoline with a posted octane rating of
87 or higher. If the octane rating is less than 87, an
audible knocking noise, commonly referred to as spark
knock, might be heard when driving. If this occurs, use
a gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher as soon as
possible. If heavy knocking is heard when using
gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher, the engine needs
service.
If the vehicle has the 6.2L V8 engine (VIN Code F), use
premium unleaded gasoline with a posted octane rating
of 91 or higher. You can also use regular unleaded
gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher, but the vehicle's
acceleration could be slightly reduced, and a slight
audible knocking noise, commonly referred to as spark
knock, might be heard. If the octane is less than 87, you
might notice a heavy knocking noise when you drive.
If this occurs, use a gasoline rated at 87 octane or
higher as soon as possible. Otherwise, you could
damage the engine. If heavy knocking is heard when
using gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher, the engine
needs service. Gasoline Specifications At a minimum, gasoline should meet ASTM
specification D 4814 in the United States or
CAN/CGSB ‐ 3.5 or 3.511 in Canada. Some gasolines
contain an octane-enhancing additive called
methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl (MMT).
We recommend against the use of gasolines containing
MMT. See Additives
on page 7 ‑ 9 for additional
information.
California Fuel If the vehicle is certified to meet California Emissions
Standards, it is designed to operate on fuels that meet
California specifications. See the underhood emission
control label. If this fuel is not available in states
adopting California emissions standards, the vehicle
will operate satisfactorily on fuels meeting federal
specifications, but emission control system performance
might be affected. The malfunction indicator lamp could
turn on and the vehicle might fail a smog ‐ check test.
See Malfunction Indicator Lamp
on page 4 ‑ 36 . If this
occurs, return to your authorized dealer for diagnosis.
If it is determined that the condition is caused by the
type of fuel used, repairs might not be covered by the
vehicle warranty.
7-8