Page 145 of 548

Black plate (11,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-11
Ashtrays The front ashtray is located in the
center console near the cupholders.
Press on the access door to open it
and use the ashtray.
Notice: If papers, pins, or other
flammable items are put in the
ashtray, hot cigarettes or other
smoking materials could ignite
them and possibly damage the
vehicle. Never put flammable
items in the ashtray.
To remove the ashtray, pull it from
the center console. Slide it back in
and push down to be sure it is
secure. Warning Lights,
Gauges, and
Indicators Warning lights and gauges can
signal that something is wrong
before it becomes serious enough
to cause an expensive repair or
replacement. Paying attention to the
warning lights and gauges could
prevent injury.
Warning lights come on when there
could be a problem with a vehicle
function. Some warning lights come
on briefly when the engine is started
to indicate they are working. Gauges can indicate when there
could be a problem with a vehicle
function. Often gauges and warning
lights work together to indicate a
problem with the vehicle.
When one of the warning lights
comes on and stays on while
driving, or when one of the gauges
shows there may be a problem,
check the section that explains what
to do. Follow this manual's advice.
Waiting to do repairs can be costly
and even dangerous.
Page 146 of 548
Black plate (12,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
5-12 Instruments and Controls
Instrument Cluster
English Shown, Metric Similar
Page 147 of 548

Black plate (13,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-13If the vehicle is a hybrid, see the
hybrid supplement for more
information.
Speedometer The speedometer shows the vehicle
speed in both kilometers per hour
(km/h) and miles per hour (mph).
Odometer The vehicle's odometer works
together with the Driver Information
Center (DIC). The Trip odometer can
be set. See “ Trip Odometer ” under
Driver Information Center (DIC) on
page 5 ‑ 26 for more information.
To check the odometer mileage
while the vehicle is not running,
press the trip stem on the
instrument panel cluster. If the vehicle ever needs a new
odometer installed, the new one will
be set to the correct mileage total of
the old odometer.
Trip Odometer The trip odometer can show how far
the vehicle has been driven since
the trip odometer was last set
to zero.
For more information see “ Trip
Odometer ” under Driver Information
Center (DIC) on page 5 ‑ 26 .
Tachometer The tachometer displays the engine
speed in revolutions per
minute (rpm). Fuel Gauge
When the ignition is on, the fuel
gauge shows about how much fuel
the vehicle has left in the tank.
An arrow on the fuel gauge
indicates the side of the vehicle the
fuel door is on.
The gauge will first indicate empty
before the vehicle is out of fuel, but
the vehicle's fuel tank should be
filled soon.
Page 148 of 548

Black plate (14,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
5-14 Instruments and Controls Here are some situations owners
may experience with the fuel gauge.
None of these indicate a problem
with the fuel gauge. .
At the gas station, the fuel pump
shuts off before the gauge
reads full. .
It takes a little more or less fuel
to fill up than the fuel gauge
indicated. For example, the
gauge may have indicated the
tank was half full, but it actually
took a little more or less than
half the tank's capacity to fill
the tank. .
The gauge goes back to empty
when the ignition is turned off. Engine Coolant
Temperature Gauge
This gauge shows the engine
coolant temperature. If the indicator on the gauge moves
towards the shaded area on the
thermostat, it means that the engine
coolant has overheated. If the
vehicle has been operating under
normal driving conditions, pull off
the road, stop the vehicle and turn
off the engine as soon as possible.
See Engine Overheating on
page 10 ‑ 20 .
Page 149 of 548

Black plate (15,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-15
Safety Belt Reminders Driver Safety Belt Reminder
Light When the engine is started, a chime
sounds for several seconds to
remind a driver to fasten the safety
belt, unless the driver safety belt is
already buckled.
The safety belt light flashes for
several seconds, then comes on
solid for several more. This chime and light sequence
are repeated if the driver remains
unbuckled and the vehicle is in
motion. If the driver safety belt is
already buckled, neither the chime
nor the light comes on.
Passenger Safety Belt
Reminder Light For vehicles equipped with the
passenger safety belt reminder light,
several seconds after the engine is
started, a chime sounds for several
seconds to remind the front
passenger to buckle their safety
belt. The passenger safety belt light,
located on the overhead console,
comes on and stays on for several
seconds, flashes for several more
seconds and then comes on solid
for several more. This chime and light sequence is
repeated if the passenger remains
unbuckled and the vehicle is in
motion.
If the passenger safety belt is
buckled, neither the chime nor the
light comes on.
The front passenger safety belt
warning light and chime may turn on
if an object is put on the seat such
as a briefcase, handbag, grocery
bag, laptop or other electronic
device. To turn off the warning light
and or chime, remove the object
from the seat or buckle the
safety belt.
Page 150 of 548

Black plate (16,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
5-16 Instruments and Controls
Airbag Readiness Light The system checks the airbag's
electrical system for possible
malfunctions. If the light stays on it
indicates there is an electrical
problem. The system check
includes the airbag sensor, the
pretensioners, the airbag modules,
the wiring, and the crash sensing
and diagnostic module. For more
information on the airbag system,
see Airbag System on page 3 ‑ 35 .
The airbag readiness light comes on
solid for a few seconds when the
engine is started. If the light does
not come on then, have it fixed
immediately. { WARNINGIf the airbag readiness light stays
on after the vehicle is started or
comes on while driving, it means
the airbag system might not be
working properly. The airbags in
the vehicle might not inflate in a
crash, or they could even inflate
without a crash. To help avoid
injury, have the vehicle serviced
right away.
If there is a problem with the airbag
system, a Driver Information Center
(DIC) message can also come on.
See Airbag System Messages on
page 5 ‑ 38 for more information. Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator If the vehicle has the airbag status
indicator pictured in the following
illustration, then the vehicle has a
passenger sensing system for the
right front passenger position. The
passenger airbag status indicator is
on the overhead console. See
Passenger Sensing System on
page 3 ‑ 44 for important safety
information.
In addition, if the vehicle has a
passenger sensing system for the
right front passenger position, the
label on the vehicle's sun visors
refers to “ ADVANCED AIRBAGS. ”
Page 151 of 548

Black plate (17,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-17
United States
Canada and Mexico
When the vehicle is started, the
passenger airbag status indicator
will light ON and OFF, or the
symbols for on and off, for several
seconds as a system check. If you
are using remote start, if equipped,
to start the vehicle from a distance,
you may not see the system check. Then, after several more seconds,
the status indicator will light either
ON or OFF, or either the on or off
symbol to let you know the status of
the right front passenger frontal
airbag.
If the word ON or the on symbol is
lit on the passenger airbag status
indicator, it means that the right
front passenger frontal airbag is
enabled (may inflate).
If the word OFF or the off symbol is
lit on the airbag status indicator, it
means that the passenger sensing
system has turned off the right front
passenger frontal airbag.
If, after several seconds, both status
indicator lights remain on, or if there
are no lights at all, there may be a
problem with the lights or the
passenger sensing system. See
your dealer for service. { WARNINGIf the airbag readiness light ever
comes on and stays on, it means
that something may be wrong
with the airbag system. To help
avoid injury to yourself or others,
have the vehicle serviced right
away. See Airbag Readiness
Light on page 5 ‑ 16 for more
information, including important
safety information.
Page 152 of 548

Black plate (18,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
5-18 Instruments and Controls
Charging System Light
This light comes on briefly when
the ignition key is turned to START,
but the engine is not running, as a
check to show it is working.
If it does not, have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer.
The light should go out once the
engine starts. If it stays on,
or comes on while driving, there
could be a problem with the
charging system. A charging system
message in the Driver Information Center (DIC) can also appear. See
Battery Voltage and Charging
Messages on page 5 ‑ 31 for more
information. This light could indicate
that there are problems with a
generator drive belt, or that there is
an electrical problem. Have it
checked right away. If the vehicle
must be driven a short distance with
the light on, turn off accessories,
such as the radio and air
conditioner.
If the vehicle is a hybrid, see the
hybrid supplement for more
information. Malfunction
Indicator Lamp A computer system called OBD II
(On-Board Diagnostics-Second
Generation) monitors operation of
the fuel, ignition, and emission
control systems. It ensures that
emissions are at acceptable levels
for the life of the vehicle, helping to
produce a cleaner environment.
This light should come on when the
ignition is on, but the engine is not
running, as a check to show it is
working. If it does not, have the
vehicle serviced by your dealer.