
Black plate (37,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2010
Also see “ Tow Haul Mode ” under Towing a Trailer on
page 6 ‑ 42
for more information.
The tow/haul mode works with the Autoride ®
feature,
if the vehicle has this, to enhance the ride when
trailering or with a loaded vehicle. See Autoride ®
on
page 6 ‑ 42
.
Grade Braking The Grade Braking shift modes can be activated by
pressing the button on the end of the shift control lever.
While in Range Selection Mode, Grade Braking is
deactivated allowing the driver to select a desired range
of gears.
Grade Braking is only active while the Tow/Haul Mode
is selected and you are not in the Range Selection
Mode. See “ Tow/Haul Mode listed previously and
Automatic Transmission Operation
on page 3 ‑ 32 for
more information on the Range Selection Mode. Grade
Braking assists in maintaining desired vehicle speeds
when driving on downhill grades by automatically
implementing a shift schedule that utilizes the engine
and transmission to slow the vehicle. This reduces wear
on the braking system and increases control of the
vehicle. Grade Braking monitors vehicle speed,
acceleration, engine torque and brake pedal usage.
Using this information, it detects when the vehicle is on
a downhill grade and the driver desires to slow the
vehicle by pressing the brake. Also see Towing a Trailer on page 6 ‑ 42 for more
information.
Cruise Grade Braking Cruise Grade Braking assists when driving on a
downhill grade. It maintains vehicle speed by
automatically implementing a shift schedule that uses
the engine and the transmission to slow the vehicle.
Cruise Grade Braking operates while Cruise Control is
engaged in Tow/Haul mode to assist in maintaining
vehicle speed under loaded vehicle conditions.
It utilizes vehicle acceleration and deviation from
desired speed to determine the correct gear for the
operating condition. If vehicle speed is above the
desired speed the transmission will downshift to slow
the vehicle. If vehicle speed is near or below desired
speed the trans will upshift, allowing vehicle speed to
increase.
While in the Range Select Mode (RSM) mode, cruise
grade braking is not available.
See Automatic Transmission Operation on page 3 ‑ 32 .
3-37

Black plate (1,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2010
Section 4 Instrument PanelInstrument Panel Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Tilt Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Heated Steering Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6
Windshield Wipers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6
Windshield Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-7
Rear Window Wiper/Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-7
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-8
Exterior Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-11
Headlamps on Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-15
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-15
Automatic Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-15
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-16
Instrument Panel Brightness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-16
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-17
Dome Lamp Override . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-17
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-17
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-17 Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-17
Electric Power Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-18
Battery Run-Down Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-18
Accessory Power Outlet(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-19
Ashtray(s) and Cigarette Lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-20
Analog Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-20
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-20
Dual Automatic Climate Control System . . . . . . . 4-20
Outlet Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-25
Rear Air Conditioning and Heating System and
Electronic Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-26
Warning Lights, Gauges, and Indicators . . . . . . . . 4-27
Instrument Panel Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-28
Speedometer and Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-29
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-29
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-29
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-29
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-30
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-31
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-32
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-33
4-1

Black plate (2,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2010
Section 4 Instrument PanelAntilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . 4-34
StabiliTrak ®
Indicator Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-34
Engine Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . 4-35
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-35
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-36
Oil Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-39
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-39
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-39
Lights On Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-40
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-40
Highbeam On Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-40
Tow/Haul Mode Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-40
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-41
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-41
DIC Operation and Displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-42
DIC Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-47
DIC Warnings and Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-49
DIC Vehicle Customization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-58 Audio System(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-68
Bluetooth ®
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-68
Rear Seat Entertainment (RSE) System
(Overhead) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-78
Rear Seat Entertainment (RSE) System
(Headrest DVD) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-87
Rear Seat Audio (RSA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-104
Theft-Deterrent Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-106
Audio Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-106
Radio Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-108
Rear Side Window Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-109
XM ™ Satellite Radio Antenna System . . . . . . . . 4-109
4-2

Black plate (8,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2010
The rear window wiper/washer will not operate if the
liftgate or liftglass is open or ajar. If the liftgate or
liftglass is opened while the rear wiper is on, the wiper
will return to the parked position and stop.
Cruise Control
{ WARNING: Cruise control can be dangerous where you
cannot drive safely at a steady speed. So, do not
use the cruise control on winding roads or in
heavy traffic.
Cruise control can be dangerous on slippery
roads. On such roads, fast changes in tire traction
can cause excessive wheel slip, and you could
lose control. Do not use cruise control on slippery
roads.
With cruise control, a speed of about 40 km/h (25 mph)
or more can be maintained without keeping your foot on
the accelerator. Cruise control does not work at speeds
below about 40 km/h (25 mph).
When the brakes are applied, cruise control is
turned off. For vehicles with an Allison ®
or Hydra ‐ Matic 6 ‐ speed
automatic transmission, see “ Grade Braking and Cruise
Grade Braking (Allison Transmission) under Tow/Haul
Mode
on page 3 ‑ 36 for an explanation of how cruise
control interacts with the Range Selection Mode, tow/
haul and grade braking systems.
If the vehicle has StabiliTrak ®
, and the system begins to
limit wheel spin, cruise control will automatically
disengage. See StabiliTrak ®
System on page 6 ‑ 6 .
When road conditions allow the cruise control to be
safely used again, it can be turned back on.
Cruise Control shown with
Heated Steering Wheel
Button (If Equipped)
4-8

Black plate (9,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2010
The cruise control buttons are located on left side of the
steering wheel.
T (On/Off): Turns the system on or off. The indicator
light is on when cruise control is on and turns off when
cruise control is off.
+ RES (Resume/Accelerate): Press to make the
vehicle accelerate or resume to a previously set speed.
SET − (Set/Coast): Press to set the speed or make the
vehicle decelerate.
[ (Cancel): Press to cancel cruise control without
erasing the set speed from memory.
Setting Cruise Control Cruise control will not work if the parking brake is set,
or if the master cylinder brake fluid level is low.
The cruise control light on the instrument panel cluster
comes on after the cruise control has been set to the
desired speed. { WARNING: If you leave your cruise control on when you are
not using cruise, you might hit a button and go
into cruise when you do not want to. You could be
startled and even lose control. Keep the cruise
control switch off until you want to use cruise
control.
1. Press the
I button.
2. Get up to the desired speed.
3. Press the SET − button located on the steering
wheel and release it.
4. Take your foot off the accelerator.
Resuming a Set Speed If the cruise control is set at a desired speed and then
the brakes are applied, this shuts off the cruise control.
But it does not need to be reset.
Once the vehicle speed reaches about 40 km/h
(25 mph) or more, press the +RES button on the
steering wheel. The vehicle returns to the previously set
speed and stays there.
4-9

Black plate (10,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2010
Increasing Speed While Using Cruise
Control To increase the cruise speed while using cruise control: .
Press and hold the +RES button on the steering
wheel until the desired speed is reached, then
release it. .
To increase vehicle speed in small increments,
press the +RES button. Each time this is done, the
vehicle goes about 1.6 km/h (1 mph) faster.
Reducing Speed While Using Cruise
Control To reduce the vehicle speed while using cruise control: .
Press and hold the SET – button on the steering
wheel until the desired lower speed is reached,
then release it. .
To slow down in very small amounts, press the
SET – button on the steering wheel briefly. Each
time this is done, the vehicle goes about 1.6 km/h
(1 mph) slower.
Passing Another Vehicle While Using
Cruise Control Use the accelerator pedal to increase the vehicle
speed. When you take your foot off the pedal, the
vehicle will slow down to the previous set cruise speed. Using Cruise Control on Hills How well the cruise control will work on hills depends
upon the vehicle speed, load, and the steepness of the
hills. When going up steep hills, you might have to step
on the accelerator pedal to maintain the vehicle's
speed. When going downhill, you might have to brake
or shift to a lower gear to keep the vehicle's speed
down. When the brakes are applied the cruise control
turns off.
Ending Cruise Control There are three ways to end cruise control: .
Step lightly on the brake pedal. .
Press the
[ button on the steering wheel. .
Press the
I button on the steering wheel.
Erasing Speed Memory The cruise control set speed memory is erased when
the cruise control or the ignition is turned off.
4-10

Black plate (40,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2010
Lights On Reminder This light comes on
whenever the parking
lamps are on.
See Exterior Lamps
on page 4 ‑ 11 for more information.
Cruise Control Light The cruise control light
comes on whenever the
cruise control is set.
The light goes out when the cruise control is turned off.
See Cruise Control
on page 4 ‑ 8 for more information. Highbeam On Light This light comes on when
the high-beam headlamps
are in use.
See Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer
on page 4 ‑ 5
for more information.
Tow/Haul Mode Light For vehicles with the
tow/haul mode feature,
this light comes on when
the Tow/Haul mode has
been activated.
For more information, see Tow/Haul Mode on
page 3 ‑ 36 .
4-40

Black plate (6,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2010
Using ABS Do not pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal
down firmly and let antilock work. The brakes might
vibrate or some noise might be heard, but this is
normal.
Braking in Emergencies ABS allows the driver to steer and brake at the same
time. In many emergencies, steering can help more
than even the very best braking.
Brake Assist This vehicle has a Brake Assist feature designed to
assist the driver in stopping or decreasing vehicle
speed in emergency driving conditions. This feature
uses the stability system hydraulic brake control module
to supplement the power brake system under conditions
where the driver has quickly and forcefully applied the
brake pedal in an attempt to quickly stop or slow down
the vehicle. The stability system hydraulic brake control
module increases brake pressure at each corner of the
vehicle until the ABS activates. Minor brake pedal
pulsations or pedal movement during this time is normal
and the driver should continue to apply the brake pedal
as the driving situation dictates The Brake Assist
feature will automatically disengage when the brake
pedal is released or brake pedal pressure is quickly
decreased. StabiliTrak ®
System The vehicle has a vehicle stability enhancement system
called StabiliTrak. It is an advanced computer controlled
system that assists the driver with directional control of
the vehicle in difficult driving conditions.
StabiliTrak activates when the computer senses a
discrepancy between the intended path and the
direction the vehicle is actually traveling. StabiliTrak
selectively applies braking pressure at any one of the
vehicle's brakes to assist the driver with keeping the
vehicle on the intended path.
When the vehicle is started and begins to move, the
system performs several diagnostic checks to insure
there are no problems. The system may be heard or felt
while it is working. This is normal and does not mean
there is a problem with the vehicle. The system should
initialize before the vehicle reaches 20 mph (32 km/h).
In some cases, it may take approximately two miles of
driving before the system initializes.
If cruise control is being used when StabiliTrak
activates, the cruise control automatically disengages.
The cruise control can be re-engaged when road
conditions allow. See Cruise Control on page 4 ‑ 8 .
6-6