Black plate (26,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
5-26 Instruments and Controls
Information Displays Driver Information
Center (DIC) Your vehicle has a Driver
Information Center (DIC).
The DIC displays information
about your vehicle. It also displays
warning messages if a system
problem is detected. The DIC
also allows some features to
be customized. See Vehicle
Personalization on page 5 ‑ 40
for more information.
All messages will appear in the DIC
display located in the center of the
instrument panel cluster.
The DIC comes on when the ignition
is on. After a short delay, the DIC
will display the information that was
last displayed before the engine
was turned off. Operation and Displays The DIC has different displays
which can be accessed by pressing
the DIC buttons located on the
instrument panel, next to the
steering wheel.
The DIC displays trip, fuel, and
vehicle system information, and
warning messages if a system
problem is detected. A digital
speedometer also appears at the
bottom of the DIC display. The
digital speedometer can be
enabled or disabled. See “ DISPLAY
DIGITAL SPEED ” under Vehicle
Personalization on page 5 ‑ 40 for
more information. DIC Buttons
The buttons are the trip/fuel,
vehicle information, customization,
and set/reset buttons. The button
functions are detailed in the
following pages.
3 (Trip/Fuel): Press to display
the odometer, trip odometer, fuel
range, average economy, fuel
used, timer, transmission
temperature, instantaneous
economy, and average vehicle
Black plate (27,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-27speed. The compass and outside air
temperature will also be shown in
the display. The temperature will be
shown in °C or °F depending on the
units selected.
T (Vehicle Information): Press
to display the oil life, units, side
blind zone system on/off, tire
pressure readings for vehicles
with the Tire Pressure Monitor
System (TPMS), compass zone
setting, and compass recalibration.
U (Customization): Press to
customize the feature settings
on your vehicle. See Vehicle
Personalization on page 5 ‑ 40 for
more information.
V (Set/Reset): Press to set or
reset certain functions and to turn
off or acknowledge messages on
the DIC. Trip/Fuel Menu Items
3 (Trip/Fuel): Press to scroll
through the following menu items:
Odometer
Press the trip/fuel button until
ODOMETER displays. This display
shows the distance the vehicle has
been driven in either kilometers (km)
or miles (mi).
To switch between English and
metric measurements, see “ Units ”
later in this section.
Trip Odometer
Press the trip/fuel button until TRIP
displays. This display shows the
current distance traveled in either
kilometers (km) or miles (mi)) since
the last reset for the trip odometer.
The trip odometer can be reset to
zero by pressing the set/reset
button while the trip odometer is
displayed. Fuel Range
Press the trip/fuel button until
FUEL RANGE displays. This display
shows the approximate number
of remaining kilometers (km) or
miles (mi) the vehicle can be driven
without refueling. The display will
show LOW if the fuel level is low.
The fuel range estimate is based on
an average of the vehicle's fuel
economy over recent driving history
and the amount of fuel remaining in
the fuel tank. This estimate will
change if driving conditions change.
For example, if driving in traffic and
making frequent stops, this display
may read one number, but if the
vehicle is driven on a freeway, the
number may change even though
the same amount of fuel is in the
fuel tank. This is because different
driving conditions produce different
fuel economies. Generally, freeway
driving produces better fuel
economy than city driving. Fuel
range cannot be reset.
Black plate (28,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
5-28 Instruments and Controls Average Economy
Press the trip/fuel button
until AVERAGE ECONOMY
displays. This display shows the
approximate average liters per
100 kilometers (L/100 km) or miles
per gallon (mpg). This number is
calculated based on the number of
L/100 km (mpg) recorded since the
last time this menu item was reset.
To reset AVERAGE ECONOMY,
press and hold the set/reset button.
Fuel Used
Press the trip/fuel button until
FUEL USED displays. This display
shows the number of liters (L) or
gallons (gal) of fuel used since the
last reset of this menu item. To reset
the fuel used information, press and
hold the set/reset button while FUEL
USED is displayed. Timer
Press the trip/fuel button until
TIMER displays. This display can
be used as a timer.
To start the timer, press the
set/reset button while TIMER is
displayed. The display will show
the amount of time that has passed
since the timer was last reset, not
including time the ignition is off.
Time will continue to be counted as
long as the ignition is on, even if
another display is being shown on
the DIC. The timer will record up
to 99 hours, 59 minutes and
59 seconds (99:59:59) after which
the display will return to zero.
To stop the timer, press the
set/reset button briefly while
TIMER is displayed.
To reset the timer to zero, press
and hold the set/reset button while
TIMER is displayed. Transmission Temperature
Press the trip/fuel button until
TRANS TEMP displays. This
display shows the temperature of
the automatic transmission fluid in
either degrees Celsius (°C) or
degrees Fahrenheit (°F).
Instantaneous Economy
If your vehicle has this display,
press the trip/fuel button until INST
ECON displays. This display shows
the current fuel economy at a
particular moment and will change
frequently as driving conditions
change. This display shows the
instantaneous fuel economy in liters
per 100 kilometers (L/100 km) or
miles per gallon (mpg). Unlike
average economy, this screen
cannot be reset.
The display may also show if the
vehicle is currently in V4, V6 or
V8 mode.
Black plate (29,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-29Average Vehicle Speed
Press the trip/fuel button until
AVERAGE SPEED displays. This
display shows the average speed in
kilometers per hour (km/h) or miles
per hour (MPH).
Blank Display
This display shows no information.
Vehicle Information Menu
Items
T (Vehicle Information): Press
to scroll through the following menu
items:
Oil Life
Press the vehicle information
button until OIL LIFE REMAINING
displays. This display shows an
estimate of the oil's remaining useful
life. If you see 99% OIL LIFE
REMAINING on the display, that
means 99% of the current oil life
remains. The engine oil life system
will alert you to change the oil on a
schedule consistent with your
driving conditions. When the remaining oil life is low,
the CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
message will appear on the display.
See “ CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON ”
under Engine Oil Messages on
page 5 ‑ 34 . You should change the
oil as soon as you can. See Engine
Oil on page 10 ‑ 7 . In addition to the
engine oil life system monitoring the
oil life, additional maintenance is
recommended in the Maintenance
Schedule in this manual. See
Scheduled Maintenance on
page 11 ‑ 2 for more information.
Remember, you must reset the OIL
LIFE display yourself after each oil
change. It will not reset itself. Also,
be careful not to reset the OIL LIFE
display accidentally at any time
other than when the oil has just
been changed. It cannot be reset
accurately until the next oil change.
To reset the engine oil life system,
see Engine Oil Life System on
page 10 ‑ 10 . Side Blind Zone Alert
If your vehicle has the Side Blind
Zone Alert (SBZA) system, this
display allows the system to be
turned on or off. Once in this
display, press the set/reset button to
select between ON or OFF. If you
choose ON, the system will be
turned on. If you choose OFF, the
system will be turned off. When the
SBZA system is turned off, the DIC
will display the SIDE BLIND ZONE
ALERT SYSTEM OFF message as
a reminder that the system has
been turned off. See Object
Detection System Messages on
page 5 ‑ 36 and Side Blind Zone Alert
(SBZA) on page 9 ‑ 56 for more
information.
Black plate (35,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-35
Fuel System Messages FUEL LEVEL LOW This message displays and a chime
sounds if the fuel level is low. Refuel
as soon as possible. See Fuel
Gauge on page 5 ‑ 13 and Fuel on
page 9 ‑ 63 for more information.
TIGHTEN GAS CAP This message may display along
with the check engine light on the
instrument panel cluster if the fuel
cap is not tightened properly. See
Malfunction Indicator Lamp on
page 5 ‑ 18 . Reinstall the fuel cap
fully. See Filling the Tank on
page 9 ‑ 68 . 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. Key and Lock Messages REPLACE BATTERY IN
REMOTE KEY This message displays if a Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter
battery is low. The battery needs to
be replaced in the transmitter. See
“ Battery Replacement ” under
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System Operation on page 2 ‑ 3 .
Lamp Messages SERVICE LEFT HEADLAMP
ASSEMBLY On some models, this message
will be displayed when the left
headlamp is out and needs to be
serviced. See “ LED Lighting ” in LED
Lighting on page 10 ‑ 36 for more
information. SERVICE RIGHT HEADLAMP
ASSEMBLY On some models, this message
will be displayed when the right
headlamp is out and needs to be
serviced. See “ LED Lighting ” in LED
Lighting on page 10 ‑ 36 for more
information.
TURN SIGNAL ON This message displays and a chime
sounds if a turn signal is left on for
1.2 km (3/4 of a mile). Move the turn
signal/multifunction lever to the off
position.
Black plate (50,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
5-50 Instruments and Controls Exiting the Feature
Settings Menu The feature settings menu will be
exited when any of the following
occurs: .
The vehicle is no longer in
ON/RUN. .
The trip/fuel or vehicle
information DIC buttons are
pressed. .
The end of the feature settings
menu is reached and exited. .
A 40 second time period has
elapsed with no selection made. Universal Remote
System See Radio Frequency Statement on
page 13 ‑ 19 for information
regarding Part 15 of the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC)
rules and Industry Canada
Standards RSS-210/220/310.
Universal Remote System
Programming
Vehicles with the Universal Remote
System will have these buttons
located in the headliner. This system provides a way to
replace up to three remote control
transmitters used to activate
devices such as garage door
openers, security systems, and
home automation devices.
Do not use this system with any
garage door opener that does not
have the stop and reverse feature.
This includes any garage door
opener model manufactured before
April 1, 1982.
Read the instructions completely
before attempting to program the
transmitter. Because of the steps
involved, it may be helpful to have
another person assist with
programming the transmitter.
Black plate (1,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-1
Driving and
Operating Driving Information Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-7
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . 9-18
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . 9-20
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 9-20
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . 9-23
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Starting and Operating New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . 9-30
Adjustable Throttle and Brake
Pedal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-31
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35 Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-36
Shifting Out of Park . . . . . . . . . . 9-37
Parking Over Things
That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-38
Active Fuel Management ®
. . . 9-38
Engine Exhaust Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-38
Running the Vehicle While
Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-39
Automatic Transmission Automatic Transmission . . . . . 9-40
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-43
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-43
Drive Systems All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-45
Brakes Antilock Brake
System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-45
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-46
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-47 Ride Control Systems StabiliTrak ®
System . . . . . . . . . 9-47
Locking Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . 9-49
Road Sensing Suspension . . . 9-50
Continuous Damping
Control (CDC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-50
Automatic Level Control . . . . . 9-50
Cruise Control Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-51
Object Detection Systems Ultrasonic Parking Assist . . . . 9-54
Side Blind Zone
Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-56
Rear Vision
Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-59
Fuel Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-63
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . 9-64
Gasoline Specifications (U.S.
and Canada Only) . . . . . . . . . . 9-64
California Fuel
Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-64
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 9-65
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-65
Black plate (2,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
9-2 Driving and Operating Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) . . . . . 9-66
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-68
Filling a Portable Fuel
Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-70
Towing General Towing
Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-70
Driving Characteristics and
Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-71
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-74
Towing Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . 9-78
Conversions and Add-Ons Add-On Electrical
Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-82 Driving Information Defensive Driving Defensive driving means “ always
expect the unexpected. ” The first
step in driving defensively is to wear
the safety belt. See Safety Belts on
page 3 ‑ 18 .
{ WARNINGAssume that other road users
(pedestrians, bicyclists, and other
drivers) are going to be careless
(Continued) WARNING (Continued) and make mistakes. Anticipate
what they might do and be ready.
In addition: .
Allow enough following
distance between you and
the driver in front of you. .
Focus on the task of driving.
Driver distraction can cause
collisions resulting in injury or
possible death. These simple
defensive driving techniques
could save your life.