2011 CADILLAC ESCALADE ESV engine

Black plate (41,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-41R (Reverse): Use this gear to
back up.
Notice: Shifting to R (Reverse)
while the vehicle is moving
forward could damage the
transmission. The repairs would
not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Shift to R (Reverse)
only after the vehicle is stopped.
To rock the vehicle back and forth to
get out of snow, ice, or sand without
damaging the transmission, see If
the Vehicle is Stuck on page 9 ‑ 23 .
N (Neutral): In this position, the
engine does not connect with the
wheels. To restart when you are
already moving, use N (Neutral)
only. Also, use N (Neutral) when
the vehicle is being towed. { WARNINGShifting into a drive gear while
the engine is running at high
speed is dangerous. Unless your
foot is firmly on the brake pedal,
the vehicle could move very
rapidly. You could lose control
and hit people or objects. Do not
shift into a drive gear while the
engine is running at high speed.
Notice: Shifting out of P (Park)
or N (Neutral) with the engine
running at high speed may
damage the transmission. The
repairs would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Be sure the
engine is not running at high
speed when shifting the vehicle. D (Drive): This position is for
normal driving. It provides the best
fuel economy. If you need more
power for passing, and you are: .
Going less than about 55 km/h
(35 mph), push the accelerator
pedal about halfway down. .
Going about 55 km/h (35 mph) or
more, push the accelerator all
the way down.
By doing this, the vehicle shifts
down to the next gear and has
more power.
D (Drive) can be used when towing
a trailer, carrying a heavy load,
driving on steep hills, or for off-road
driving. You may want to shift the
transmission to a lower gear
selection if the transmission shifts
too often.

Black plate (42,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
9-42 Driving and Operating Downshifting the transmission in
slippery road conditions could result
in skidding, see “ Skidding ” under
Loss of Control on page 9 ‑ 6 .
M (Manual Mode): This position
lets drivers select the range of
gears appropriate for current driving
conditions. See “ Driver Shift Control
(DSC) ” under Manual Mode on
page 9 ‑ 43 .
Notice: Spinning the tires or
holding the vehicle in one
place on a hill using only the
accelerator pedal may damage
the transmission. The repair will
not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. If you are stuck, do not
spin the tires. When stopping on
a hill, use the brakes to hold the
vehicle in place. The vehicle has a shift stabilization
feature that adjusts the transmission
shifting to the current driving
conditions in order to reduce rapid
upshifts and downshifts. This shift
stabilization feature is designed
to determine, before making an
upshift, if the engine will be able to
maintain vehicle speed by analyzing
things such as vehicle speed,
throttle position and vehicle load.
If the shift stabilization feature
determines that a current vehicle
speed cannot be maintained, the
transmission does not upshift and
instead holds the current gear. In
some cases, this may appear to
be a delayed shift, however the
transmission is operating normally. The vehicle's transmission
uses adaptive shift controls that
compares key shift parameters to
pre-programmed ideal shifts stored
in the transmissions computer.
The transmission constantly makes
adjustments to improve vehicle
performance according to how the
vehicle is being used, such as with
a heavy load or when temperature
changes. During this adaptive shift
controls process, shifting may feel
different as the transmission
determines the best settings.
When temperatures are very cold,
the Hydra-Matic ®
6L80 automatic
transmission's gear shifting may be
delayed providing more stable shifts
until the engine warms up. Shifts
may be more noticeable with a cold
transmission. This difference in
shifting is normal.

Black plate (44,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
9-44 Driving and Operating 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 Continuous Damping Control
(CDC) on page 9 ‑ 50 .
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 Manual Mode on
page 9 ‑ 43 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 Equipment on
page 9 ‑ 78 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 Selection
Mode, Cruise Grade Braking is not
available.
See “ Range Selection Mode ” under
Manual Mode on page 9 ‑ 43 .

Black plate (45,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-45
Drive Systems All-Wheel Drive If the vehicle has this feature,
engine power is sent to all four
wheels when extra traction is
needed. This is like four-wheel
drive, but there is no separate lever
or switch to engage or disengage
the front axle. It is fully automatic,
and adjusts itself as needed for road
conditions.
If the vehicle is a hybrid, see
“ Four-Wheel Drive ” in the hybrid
supplement. Brakes 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, and it might
even be noticed that the brake
pedal moves a little. This is normal. If there is a problem with ABS, this
warning light stays on. See Antilock
Brake System (ABS) Warning Light
on page 5 ‑ 22 .
If driving safely on a wet road
and it becomes necessary to slam
on the brakes and continue braking
to avoid a sudden obstacle, 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 wheel.

Black plate (48,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
9-48 Driving and Operating If these DIC messages appear,
make sure the StabiliTrak system
has not been turned off using the
StabiliTrak on/off button. Then turn
the vehicle off, wait 15 seconds,
and then turn it back on again to
reset the system. If any of these
messages still appear on the Driver
Information Center (DIC), the
vehicle should be taken in for
service. For more information on
the DIC messages, see Driver
Information Center (DIC) on
page 5 ‑ 26 .
The StabiliTrak light will flash on the
instrument panel cluster when the
system is both on and activated.
The system may be heard or felt
while it is working; this is normal. The traction control disable button is
located on the instrument panel.
The traction control part of
StabiliTrak can be turned off by
pressing and releasing the
StabiliTrak button if both systems
(traction control and StabiliTrak)
were previously on. To disable both
TCS and StabiliTrak, press and
hold
5 until
F illuminates and the
appropriate DIC message displays.
Traction control and StabiliTrak can
be turned on by pressing and
releasing the StabiliTrak button if
they are not automatically shut off
for any other reason.
When the traction control system
(TCS) or StabiliTrak system is
turned off, the StabiliTrak light and the appropriate TCS off or
StabiliTrak off message will be
displayed on the DIC to warn the
driver. The vehicle will still have
brake-traction control when traction
control is off, but will not be able to
use the engine speed management
system. See “ Traction Control
Operation ” next for more
information.
When the traction control system
has been turned off, system noises
may still be heard as a result of the
brake-traction control coming on.
It is recommended to leave the
system on for normal driving
conditions, but it may be necessary
to turn the system off if the vehicle
is stuck in sand, mud, ice or snow,
and you want to “ rock ” the vehicle to
attempt to free it. It may also be
necessary to turn off the system
when driving in extreme off-road
conditions where high wheel spin is
required. See If the Vehicle is Stuck
on page 9 ‑ 23 .

Black plate (49,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-49Traction Control Operation The traction control system is
part of the StabiliTrak system.
Traction control limits wheel
spin by reducing engine power
to the wheels (engine speed
management) and by applying
brakes to each individual wheel
(brake-traction control) as
necessary.
The traction control system is
enabled automatically when the
vehicle is started. It will activate and
the StabiliTrak light will flash if it
senses that any of the wheels are
spinning or beginning to lose
traction while driving. If traction
control is turned off, only the
brake-traction control portion of
traction control will work. The
engine speed management will be
disabled. In this mode, engine
power is not reduced automatically
and the driven wheels can spin
more freely. This can cause the
brake-traction control to activate
constantly. Notice: If the wheel(s) of one axle
is allowed to spin excessively
while the StabiliTrak ®
, ABS, brake
warning lights, and any relevant
DIC messages are displayed, the
transfer case could be damaged.
The repairs would not be covered
by the vehicle warranty. Reduce
engine power and do not spin the
wheel(s) excessively while these
lights and messages are
displayed.
The traction control system may
activate on dry or rough roads or
under conditions such as heavy
acceleration while turning or
abrupt upshifts/downshifts of the
transmission. When this happens, a
reduction in acceleration may be
noticed, or a noise or vibration may
be heard. This is normal. If cruise control is being used when
the system activates, the StabiliTrak
light will flash and cruise control will
automatically disengage. Cruise
control may be reengaged when
road conditions allow. See Cruise
Control on page 9 ‑ 51 .
StabiliTrak may also turn off
automatically if it determines
that a problem exists with the
system. If the problem does not
clear itself after restarting the
vehicle, see your dealer for service.
Locking Rear Axle Vehicles with a locking rear axle can
give more traction on snow, mud,
ice, sand, or gravel. It works like a
standard axle most of the time, but
when traction is low, this feature will
allow the rear wheel with the most
traction to move the vehicle.

Black plate (63,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-63When the System Does Not
Seem To Work Properly The rear vision camera system
might not work properly or display
a clear image if: .
The RVC is turned off. See
“ Turning the Rear Camera
System On or Off ” earlier in
this section. .
It is dark. .
The sun or the beam of
headlights is shining directly
into the camera lens. .
Ice, snow, mud, or anything else
builds up on the camera lens.
Clean the lens, rinse it with
water, and wipe it with a soft
cloth. .
The back of the vehicle is in an
accident, the position and
mounting angle of the camera
can change or the camera can
be affected. Be sure to have
the camera and its position and
mounting angle checked at your
dealer. Fuel Use of the recommended fuel
is an important part of the proper
maintenance of this vehicle. To help
keep the engine clean and maintain
optimum vehicle performance, we
recommend the use of gasoline
advertised as TOP TIER Detergent
Gasoline.
Look for the TOP TIER label on the
fuel pump to ensure gasoline meets
enhanced detergency standards
developed by auto companies. A list
of marketers providing TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline can be found at
www.toptiergas.com. Vehicles that have a FlexFuel badge
and a yellow fuel cap can use either
unleaded gasoline or ethanol fuel
containing up to 85% ethanol (E85).
See Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) on
page 9 ‑ 66 . For all other vehicles,
use only the unleaded gasoline
described under Recommended
Fuel on page 9 ‑ 64 .

Black plate (64,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
9-64 Driving and Operating
Recommended Fuel If the vehicles 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
(U.S. and Canada Only) 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 Fuel Additives
on page 9 ‑ 65 for additional
information. California Fuel
Requirements 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 5 ‑ 18 . 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.