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 (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.
Black plate (65,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-65
Fuels in Foreign
Countries Never use leaded gasoline or any
other fuel not recommended in the
previous text on fuel. Costly repairs
caused by use of improper fuel
would not be covered by the vehicle
warranty.
To check the fuel availability, ask an
auto club, or contact a major oil
company that does business in the
country where you will be driving. Fuel Additives To provide cleaner air, all gasolines
in the United States are now
required to contain additives that
help prevent engine and fuel system
deposits from forming, allowing the
emission control system to work
properly. In most cases, nothing
should have to be added to the fuel.
However, some gasolines contain
only the minimum amount of
additive required to meet U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency
regulations. To help keep fuel
injectors and intake valves clean
and avoid problems due to dirty
injectors or valves, look for gasoline
that is 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 the auto companies. A list of
marketers providing TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline can be found at
www.toptiergas.com.
For customers who do not use TOP
TIER Detergent Gasoline regularly,
one bottle of GM Fuel System
Treatment PLUS, added to the fuel
tank at every engine oil change,
can help clean deposits from fuel
injectors and intake valves. GM Fuel
System Treatment PLUS is the only
gasoline additive recommended by
General Motors. It is available at
your dealer.
Gasolines containing oxygenates,
such as ethers and ethanol, and
reformulated gasolines might
be available in your area. We
recommend that you use these
gasolines, if they comply with the
specifications described earlier.
Black plate (67,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-67Many service stations will not have
an 85% ethanol fuel (E85) pump
available. The U.S. Department of
Energy has an alternative fuels
website (www.afdc.energy.gov/afdc/
locator/stations/) that can help you
find E85 fuel. Those stations that
do have E85 should have a label
indicating ethanol content. Do not
use the fuel if the ethanol content is
greater than 85%.
At a minimum, E85 should meet
ASTM Specification D 5798. By
definition, this means that fuel
labeled E85 will have an ethanol
content between 70% and 85%.
Filling the fuel tank with fuel
mixtures that do not meet ASTM
specifications can affect driveability
and could cause the malfunction
indicator lamp to come on. To ensure quick starts in the
wintertime, the E85 fuel must be
formulated properly for your climate
according to ASTM specification
D 5798. If you have trouble starting
on E85, it could be because the
E85 fuel is not properly formulated
for your climate. If this happens,
switching to gasoline or adding
gasoline to the fuel tank can
improve starting. For good starting
and heater efficiency below 0°C
(32°F), the fuel mix in the fuel
tank should contain no more
than 70% ethanol. It is best not
to alternate repeatedly between
gasoline and E85. If you do switch
fuels, it is recommended that you
add as much fuel as possible — do
not add less than 11 L (3 gal) when
refueling. You should drive the
vehicle immediately after refueling
for at least 11 km (7 mi) to allow the
vehicle to adapt to the change in
ethanol concentration. E85 has less energy per liter
(gallon) than gasoline, so you will
need to refill the fuel tank more
often when using E85 than when
you are using gasoline. See Filling
the Tank on page 9 ‑ 68 .
Notice: Some additives are not
compatible with E85 fuel and can
harm the vehicle's fuel system.
Do not add anything to E85.
Damage caused by additives
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty.
Notice: This vehicle was not
designed for fuel that contains
methanol. Do not use fuel
containing methanol. It can
corrode metal parts in the fuel
system and also damage plastic
and rubber parts. That damage
would not be covered under the
vehicle warranty.
Black plate (4,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
i-4 INDEX
EE85 Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-66
Electrical Equipment,
Add-On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-82
Electrical System
Engine Compartment
Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-39
Fuses and Circuit
Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-39
Instrument Panel Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-44
Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Engine
Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . 10-14
Check and Service Engine
Soon Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Compartment Overview . . . . . . . 10-6
Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-16
Coolant Temperature
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-16
Cooling System Messages . . . 5-33
Drive Belt Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-3
Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-38
Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22
Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35 Engine (cont.)
Overheated Protection
Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22
Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-20
Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-34
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Running While Parked . . . . . . . . 9-39
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Engine Oil
Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-10
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-34
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-11
Equipment, Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-78
Event Data Recorders . . . . . . . . 13-18
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-11
Extender, Safety Belt . . . . . . . . . . 3-34
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lamps Off Reminder . . . 6-5
F Fan
Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22
Features
Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8 Filter,
Engine Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . 10-14
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Flashers, Hazard Warning . . . . . . 6-8
Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-66
Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-68
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-98
Fluid
Automatic Transmission . . . . .10-11
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-26
Power Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-23
Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24
Fog Lamps
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Front Fog Lamp
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Front Seats
Heated and Ventilated . . . . . . . . . 3-8
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-63
Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-65
E85 (85% Ethanol) . . . . . . . . . . . 9-66
Filling a Portable Fuel
Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-70
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-68
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . . 9-65