2010 CADILLAC ESCALADE EXT Owners Manual

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 benefit 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.
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.
6-49

Driving with a Trailer
{WARNING:
When towing a trailer, exhaust gases may collect
at the rear of the vehicle and enter if the liftgate,
trunk/hatch, or rear-most window is open.
Engine exhaust contains carbon monoxide (CO)
which cannot be seen or smelled. It can cause
unconsciousness and even death.
To maximize safety when towing a trailer:
.Have the exhaust system inspected for leaks
and make necessary repairs before starting
a trip.
.Never drive with the liftgate, trunk/hatch,
or rear-most window open.
.Fully open the air outlets on or under the
instrument panel.
.Adjust the Climate Control system to a setting
that brings in only outside air and set the fan
speed to the highest setting. See Climate
Control System in the Index.
For more information about carbon monoxide, see
Engine Exhaust on page 3‑44. Towing a trailer requires a certain amount of
experience. The combination you are driving is longer
and not as responsive as the vehicle itself. Get
acquainted with the handling and braking of the rig
before setting out for the open road.
Before starting, check all trailer hitch parts and
attachments, safety chains, electrical connectors,
lamps, tires and mirrors. If the trailer has electric
brakes, start the combination moving and then apply
the trailer brake controller by hand to be sure the
brakes work.
During the trip, check occasionally to be sure that the
load is secure and the lamps and any trailer brakes
still work.
Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the vehicle ahead as
you would when driving the vehicle without a trailer.
This can help to avoid heavy braking and sudden turns.
Passing
More passing distance is needed when towing a trailer.
The combination will not accelerate as quickly and is
longer so it is necessary to go much farther beyond the
passed vehicle before returning to the lane.
6-50

Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel with one hand.
Then, to move the trailer to the left, move that hand to
the left. To move the trailer to the right, move your hand
to the right. Always back up slowly and, if possible,
have someone guide you.
Making Turns
Notice:Making very sharp turns while trailering
could cause the trailer to come in contact with
the vehicle. The vehicle could be damaged.
Avoid making very sharp turns while trailering.
When turning with a trailer, make wider turns than
normal. Do this so the trailer will not strike soft
shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees or other objects.
Avoid jerky or sudden maneuvers. Signal well
in advance.
If the trailer turn signal bulbs burn out, the arrows on
the instrument panel will still flash for turns. It is
important to check occasionally to be sure the trailer
bulbs are still working.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear beforestarting
down a long or steep downgrade. If the transmission is
not shifted down, the brakes might get hot and no
longer work well.
Vehicles can tow in D (Drive). Shift the transmission to
a lower gear if the transmission shifts too often under
heavy loads and/or hilly conditions.
The tow/haul mode may be used if the transmission
shifts too often. See Tow/Haul Mode on page 3‑39.
When towing at high altitude on steep uphill grades,
consider the following: Engine coolant will boil at a
lower temperature than at normal altitudes. If the engine
is turned off immediately after towing at high altitude on
steep uphill grades, the vehicle may show signs similar
to engine overheating. To avoid this, let the engine run
while parked, preferably on level ground, with the
automatic transmission in P (Park) for a few minutes
before turning the engine off. If the overheat warning
comes on, see Engine Overheating on page 7‑33.
6-51

Parking on Hills
{WARNING:
Parking the vehicle on a hill with the trailer
attached can be dangerous. If something goes
wrong, the rig could start to move. People can be
injured, and both the vehicle and the trailer can be
damaged. When possible, always park the rig on
a flat surface.
If parking the rig on a hill: 1. Press the brake pedal, but do not shift into P (Park) yet. Turn the wheels into the curb if facing downhill
or into traffic if facing uphill.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the regular brakes until the chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the brake pedal. Then apply the parking brake and shift into P (Park).
5. Release the brake pedal.
{WARNING:
It can be dangerous to get out of the vehicle if the
shift lever is not fully in P (Park) with the parking
brake firmly set. The vehicle can roll.
If the engine has been left running, the vehicle
can move suddenly. You or others could be
injured. To be sure the vehicle will not move, even
when on fairly level ground, always put the shift
lever fully in P (Park) with the parking brake
firmly set.
Leaving After Parking on a Hill
1. Apply and hold the brake pedal.
2. Start the engine
3. Shift into a gear
4. Release the parking brake
5. Let up on the brake pedal.
6. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
7. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
6-52

Maintenance When Trailer Towing
The vehicle needs service more often when pulling a
trailer. See this manual's Maintenance Schedule or
Index for more information. Things that are especially
important in trailer operation are automatic transmission
fluid, engine oil, axle lubricant, belts, cooling system
and brake system. It is a good idea to inspect these
before and during the trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and bolts
are tight.
Trailer Wiring Harness
Heavy-Duty Trailer Wiring Harness Package
The vehicle has a seven-pin universal heavy-duty trailer
connector attached to the rear bumper beam 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 wires are not
connected. They should be connected by your
dealer/retailer or a qualified service center.
If charging a remote (non-vehicle) battery, press the
tow/haul mode button 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, turn on the headlamps as a second way
to boost the vehicle system and charge the battery.
6-53

Electric Brake Control Wiring
Provisions
These wiring provisions are included with the vehicle as
part of the trailer wiring package. These provisions are
for an electric brake controller. 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: Brake Signal to Trailer Connector
.Red/Black: Battery
.Light Blue/White: Brake Switch
.White: Ground
It should be installed by your dealer/retailer or a
qualified 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 figure 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 see Towing a Trailer
on
page 6‑42.
6-54

Section 7 Service and Appearance Care
Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-4
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-4
California Proposition 65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-5
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-5
Doing Your Own Service Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-5
Adding Equipment to the Outside of the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6
Gasoline Octane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7
Gasoline Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7
California Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7
Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7
Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-9
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-10
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-12
Checking Things Under the Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-12
Hood Release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-13
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-14
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-15
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-18
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-20 Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-22
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-26
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-27
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-33
Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-35
Engine Fan Noise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-35
Power Steering Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-36
Windshield Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-37
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-38
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-41
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-42
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-47
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-48
Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-49
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-50
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-53
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . 7-53
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Sidemarker, Stoplamps and Back-up Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-53
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-55
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-55
7-1

Section 7 Service and Appearance Care
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement. . . . . . . . . . .7-56
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-57
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-58
Tire Terminology and Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-61
Inflation - Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-64
High-Speed Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-65
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-66
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-67
Tire Inspection and Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-70
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-71
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-72
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-74
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-74
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-76
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-76
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-77
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-78
Changing a Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-79
Removing the Spare Tire and Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-80
Removing the Flat Tire and Installing the Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-84
Secondary Latch System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-89
Storing a Flat or Spare Tire and Tools . . . . . . . . . 7-92
Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-96 Appearance Care
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-96
Interior Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-96
Fabric/Carpet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-98
Leather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-98
Instrument Panel, Vinyl, and Other Plastic Surfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-99
Wood Panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-99
Speaker Covers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-99
Care of Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-99
Weatherstrips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-100
Washing Your Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-100
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-100
Finish Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-101
Windshield and Wiper Blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-101
Aluminum or Chrome-Plated Wheels and Trim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-102
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-103
Sheet Metal Damage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-103
Finish Damage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-103
Underbody Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-103
Chemical Paint Spotting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-103
Vehicle Identification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-104
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) . . . . . . . . . . . 7-104
Service Parts Identification Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-104
7-2