Black plate (19,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
In Brief 1-19
Driver Information
Center (DIC) The DIC display is located at the
bottom of the instrument panel
cluster. It shows the status of
many vehicle systems and enables
access to the personalization menu.
The DIC buttons are located on
the instrument panel, next to the
steering wheel. 3 : Press to display the
odometer, trip odometer, fuel
range, average economy, fuel
used, timer, transmission
temperature, instantaneous
economy, and average vehicle
speed. 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 : 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 : Press to customize the feature
settings on your vehicle. See
Vehicle Personalization on
page 5 ‑ 40 for more information. V : Press to set or reset certain
functions and to turn off or
acknowledge messages on the DIC.
For more information, see Driver
Information Center (DIC) on
page 5 ‑ 26 .
Vehicle Customization Some vehicle features can be
programmed by using the DIC
buttons next to the steering wheel.
These features include: .
Language .
Door Lock and Unlock Settings .
RKE Lock and Unlock Feedback .
Lighting .
Chime Volume .
Memory Features .
Digital Speedometer Display
See Vehicle Personalization on
page 5 ‑ 40 .
Black plate (1,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-1
Instruments and
Controls Controls Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . 5-2
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . 5-3
Heated Steering Wheel . . . . . . . 5-5
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . 5-5
Rear Window Wiper/
Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Cigarette Lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Ashtrays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11 Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Engine Coolant Temperature
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . 5-15
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . 5-16
Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Charging System Light . . . . . . 5-18
Malfunction
Indicator Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18 Brake System Warning
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Antilock Brake System (ABS)
Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Tow/Haul Mode Light . . . . . . . . 5-23
StabiliTrak ®
Indicator Light . . . 5-23
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . 5-24
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . 5-25
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Information Displays Driver Information
Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
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.
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 (39,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-39
Tire Messages SERVICE TIRE MONITOR
SYSTEM On vehicles with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS), this
message displays if a part on the
TPMS is not working properly. The
tire pressure light also flashes and
then remains on during the same
ignition cycle. See Tire Pressure
Light on page 5 ‑ 23 . Several
conditions may cause this message
to appear. See Tire Pressure
Monitor Operation on page 10 ‑ 56
for more information. If the warning
comes on and stays on, there may
be a problem with the TPMS. See
your dealer. TIRE LEARNING ACTIVE On vehicles with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS), this
message displays when the TPMS
is re-learning the tire positions on
your vehicle. The tire positions must
be re-learned after rotating the tires
or after replacing a tire or sensor.
See Tire Inspection on page 10 ‑ 58 ,
Tire Rotation on page 10 ‑ 59 , Tire
Pressure Monitor System on
page 10 ‑ 54 , and Tire Pressure on
page 10 ‑ 52 for more information.
TIRE LOW ADD AIR TO TIRE On vehicles with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS), this
message displays when the
pressure in one or more of the
vehicle's tires needs to be checked.
This message also displays LEFT
FRT (left front), RIGHT FRT (right front), LEFT RR (left rear),
or RIGHT RR (right rear) to indicate
the location of the low tire. The low
tire pressure warning light will also
come on. See Tire Pressure Light
on page 5 ‑ 23 . You can receive more
than one tire pressure message at a
time. To read the other messages
that may have been sent at the
same time, press the set/reset
button or the trip odometer reset
stem. If a tire pressure message
appears on the DIC, stop as soon
as you can. Have the tire pressures
checked and set to those shown on
the Tire Loading Information label.
See Tires on page 10 ‑ 46 , Vehicle
Load Limits on page 9 ‑ 24 , and Tire
Pressure on page 10 ‑ 52 . The DIC
also shows the tire pressure values.
See “ DIC Operation and Displays
(With DIC Buttons) ” earlier in this
section.
Black plate (12,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
10-12 Vehicle Care How to Check Automatic
Transmission Fluid Notice: Too much or too
little fluid can damage the
transmission. Too much can
mean that some of the fluid could
come out and fall on hot engine
parts or exhaust system parts,
starting a fire. Too little fluid
could cause the transmission
to overheat. Be sure to get an
accurate reading if checking the
transmission fluid.
Before checking the fluid level,
prepare the vehicle as follows:
1. Start the engine and park the
vehicle on a level surface. Keep
the engine running.
2. Apply the parking brake and
place the shift lever in P (Park).
3. With your foot on the brake
pedal, move the shift lever
through each gear range,
pausing for about three seconds
in each range. Then, move the
shift lever back to P (Park). 4. Allow the engine to idle
(500 – 800 rpm) for at least
one minute. Slowly release the
brake pedal.
5. Keep the engine running and
press the Trip/Fuel button or
trip odometer reset stem until
TRANS TEMP (Transmission
Temperature) displays on the
Driver Information Center (DIC).
6. Using the TRANS TEMP
reading, determine and
perform the appropriate check
procedure. If the TRANS TEMP
reading is not within the required
temperature ranges, allow the
vehicle to cool, or operate the
vehicle until the appropriate
transmission fluid temperature is
reached.
Cold Check Procedure
Use this procedure only as a
reference to determine if the
transmission has enough fluid
to be operated safely until a hot
check procedure can be made. The hot check procedure is the
most accurate method to check the
fluid level. Perform the hot check
procedure at the first opportunity.
Use this cold check procedure
to check fluid level when the
transmission temperature is
between 27°C and 32°C
(80°F and 90°F).
1. Locate the transmission dipstick
at the rear of the engine
compartment, on the passenger
side of the vehicle.
See Engine Compartment
Overview on page 10 ‑ 6 for more
information.
2. Flip the handle up and then pull
out the dipstick and wipe it with
a clean rag or paper towel.
Black plate (65,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-65
Wheel Alignment and Tire
Balance The tires and wheels were aligned
and balanced at the factory to
provide the longest tire life and best
overall performance. Adjustments to
wheel alignment and tire balancing
will not be necessary on a regular
basis. However, check the
alignment if there is unusual tire
wear or if the vehicle is pulling to
one side or the other. If the vehicle
vibrates when driving on a smooth
road, the tires and wheels might
need to be rebalanced. See your
dealer for proper diagnosis.
Wheel Replacement Replace any wheel that is bent,
cracked, or badly rusted or
corroded. If wheel nuts keep
coming loose, the wheel, wheel
bolts, and wheel nuts should be
replaced. If the wheel leaks air,
replace it. Some aluminum wheels
can be repaired. See your dealer if
any of these conditions exist. Your dealer will know the kind of
wheel that is needed.
Each new wheel should have the
same load-carrying capacity,
diameter, width, offset, and be
mounted the same way as the
one it replaces.
Replace wheels, wheel bolts, wheel
nuts, or Tire Pressure Monitor
System (TPMS) sensors with new
GM original equipment parts.
{ WARNINGUsing the wrong replacement
wheels, wheel bolts, or wheel
nuts can be dangerous. It could
affect the braking and handling of
the vehicle. Tires can lose air,
and cause loss of control, causing
a crash. Always use the correct
wheel, wheel bolts, and wheel
nuts for replacement. Notice: The wrong wheel can
also cause problems with
bearing life, brake cooling,
speedometer or odometer
calibration, headlamp aim,
bumper height, vehicle ground
clearance, and tire or tire chain
clearance to the body and
chassis.
See If a Tire Goes Flat on
page 10 ‑ 66 for more information.
Used Replacement Wheels
{ WARNINGReplacing a wheel with a used
one is dangerous. How it has
been used or how far it has been
driven may be unknown. It could
fail suddenly and cause a crash.
When replacing wheels, use a
new GM original equipment
wheel.