Black plate (55,1)Cadillac Escalade EXT Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-55
If your tires have too much air
(over‐inflation), you can get
the following:
.Unusual wear.
.Poor handling.
.Rough ride.
.Needless damage from
road hazards.
A vehicle-specific Tire and
Loading Information label is
attached to your vehicle. This
label shows your vehicle's
original equipment tires and the
correct inflation pressures for
your tires when they are cold.
The recommended cold tire
inflation pressure, shown on the
label, is the minimum amount of
air pressure needed to support
your vehicle's maximum
load-carrying capacity. For additional information
regarding how much weight
your vehicle can carry, and an
example of the Tire and Loading
Information label, see
Vehicle
Load Limits on page 9‑23. How
you load your vehicle affects
vehicle handling and ride
comfort. Never load your vehicle
with more weight than it was
designed to carry.
When to Check
Check your tires once a month
or more.
Do not forget to check the
pressure of the spare tire, if your
vehicle has one. See Full-Size
Spare Tire on page 10‑84 for
additional information. How to Check
Use a good quality pocket-type
gauge to check tire pressure.
You cannot tell if your tires are
properly inflated simply by
looking at them. Radial tires may
look properly inflated even when
they are under-inflated. Check
the tire's inflation pressure when
the tires are cold. Cold means
your vehicle has been sitting for
at least three hours or driven no
more than 1.6 km (1 mile).
Remove the valve cap from the
tire valve stem. Press the tire
gauge firmly onto the valve to
get a pressure measurement.
If the cold tire inflation pressure
matches the recommended
pressure on the Tire and
Loading Information label, no
further adjustment is necessary.
If the pressure is low, add air
until you reach the
recommended amount.
Black plate (64,1)Cadillac Escalade EXT Owner Manual - 2011
10-64 Vehicle Care
GM's exclusive TPC Spec system
considers over a dozen critical
specifications that impact the
overall performance of your
vehicle, including brake system
performance, ride and handling,
traction control, and tire pressure
monitoring performance. GM's TPC
Spec number is molded onto the
tire's sidewall near the tire size.
If the tires have an all‐season tread
design, the TPC spec number will
be followed by an MS for mud and
snow. SeeTire Sidewall Labeling on
page 10‑50 for additional
information.
GM recommends replacing tires in
sets of four. This is because uniform
tread depth on all tires will help
keep your vehicle performing most
like it did when the tires were new.
Replacing less than a full set of tires
can affect the braking and handling
performance of your vehicle. See
Tire Inspection on page 10‑61 and
Tire Rotation on page 10‑61 for
information on proper tire rotation.{WARNING
Tires could explode during
improper service. You or others
could be injured or killed if you
attempt to mount or dismount a
tire. Only your dealer or an
authorized tire service center
should mount and dismount the
tires.
{WARNING
Mixing tires could cause you to
lose control while driving. If you
mix tires of different sizes,
brands, or types (radial and
bias-belted tires), the vehicle
might not handle properly, and
you could have a crash. Using
tires of different sizes, brands,
or types could also cause
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
damage to your vehicle. Be sure
to use the same size, brand, and
type of tires on all wheels.
Your vehicle may have a different
size spare than the road tires
(those originally installed on your
vehicle). When new, your vehicle
included a spare tire and wheel
assembly with a similar overall
diameter as your vehicle's road
tires and wheels, so it is all right
to drive on it. Because this spare
was developed for use on your
vehicle, it will not affect vehicle
handling.
Black plate (65,1)Cadillac Escalade EXT Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-65
{WARNING
If you use bias-ply tires on the
vehicle, the wheel rim flanges
could develop cracks after
many miles of driving. A tire
and/or wheel could fail
suddenly, causing a crash.
Use only radial-ply tires with
the wheels on the vehicle.
If you must replace your vehicle's
tires with those that do not have a
TPC Spec number, make sure they
are the same size, load range,
speed rating, and construction type
(radial and bias‐belted tires) as your
vehicle's original tires.
Vehicles that have a tire pressure
monitoring system may give an
inaccurate low‐pressure warning if
non‐TPC Spec-rated tires are
installed on your vehicle. Non‐TPC
Spec-rated tires may give a
low‐pressure warning that is higher
or lower than the proper warning level you would get with TPC
Spec-rated tires. See
Tire Pressure
Monitor System on page 10‑56.
Your vehicle's original equipment
tires are listed on the Tire and
Loading Information label. See
Vehicle Load Limits on page 9‑23
for more information about the Tire
and Loading Information label and
its location on your vehicle.
Different Size Tires and
Wheels
If you add wheels or tires that are a
different size than your original
equipment wheels and tires, this
could affect the way your vehicle
performs, including its braking, ride
and handling characteristics,
stability, and resistance to rollover.
Additionally, if your vehicle has
electronic systems such as antilock
brakes, rollover airbags, traction
control, and electronic stability
control, the performance of these
systems can be affected.
{WARNING
If you add different sized
wheels, your vehicle may not
provide an acceptable level of
performance and safety if tires not
recommended for those wheels
are selected. You may increase
the chance that you will crash and
suffer serious injury. Only use GM
specific wheel and tire systems
developed for your vehicle, and
have them properly installed by a
GM certified technician.
See Buying New Tires on
page 10‑63 andAccessories and
Modifications on page 10‑3 for
additional information.
Black plate (66,1)Cadillac Escalade EXT Owner Manual - 2011
10-66 Vehicle Care
Uniform Tire Quality
Grading
Quality grades can be found
where applicable on the tire
sidewall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width. For
example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA
Temperature A
The following information relates
to the system developed by the
United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA), which grades tires
by treadwear, traction, and
temperature performance. This
applies only to vehicles sold in
the United States. The grades
are molded on the sidewalls of
most passenger car tires. The
Uniform Tire Quality Grading(UTQG) system does not apply
to deep tread, winter-type snow
tires, space-saver, or temporary
use spare tires, tires with
nominal rim diameters of
10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm),
or to some limited-production
tires.
While the tires available on
General Motors passenger cars
and light trucks may vary with
respect to these grades, they
must also conform to federal
safety requirements and
additional General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC)
standards.
All Passenger Car Tires Must
Conform to Federal Safety
Requirements In Addition To
These Grades.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a
comparative rating based on the
wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on
a specified government test
course. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one and
a half (1½) times as well on the
government course as a tire
graded 100. The relative
performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of
their use, however, and may
depart significantly from the
norm due to variations in
driving habits, service practices
and differences in road
characteristics and climate.
Black plate (69,1)Cadillac Escalade EXT Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-69
Tire Chains
{WARNING
Do not use tire chains. There is
not enough clearance. Tire chains
used on a vehicle without the
proper amount of clearance can
cause damage to the brakes,
suspension, or other vehicle
parts. The area damaged by the
tire chains could cause you to
lose control of the vehicle and
you or others may be injured in
a crash. Use another type of(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
traction device only if its
manufacturer recommends it for
use on the vehicle and tire size
combination and road conditions.
Follow that manufacturer's
instructions. To help avoid
damage to the vehicle, drive
slowly, re‐adjust or remove the
device if it is contacting the
vehicle, and do not spin the
wheels. If you do find traction
devices that will fit, install them on
the rear tires.
If a Tire Goes Flat
It is unusual for a tire to blowout
while you are driving, especially if
you maintain your vehicle's tires
properly. If air goes out of a tire, it is
much more likely to leak out slowly.
But if you should ever have a
blowout, here are a few tips about
what to expect and what to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire
creates a drag that pulls the vehicle
toward that side. Take your foot off
the accelerator pedal and grip the
steering wheel firmly. Steer to
maintain lane position, and then
gently brake to a stop, well off the
road, if possible.
A rear blowout, particularly on a
curve, acts much like a skid and
may require the same correction
you would use in a skid. In any
rear blowout remove your foot from
the accelerator pedal. Get the
vehicle under control by steering the
way you want the vehicle to go.
Black plate (9,1)Cadillac Escalade EXT Owner Manual - 2011
Customer Information 13-9
Cadillac and General Motors of
Canada Limited reserve the right
to limit services or payment to an
owner or driver if they decide the
claims are made too often, or the
same type of claim is made many
times.
Cadillac Owner Privileges™
.Emergency Fuel Delivery:
Delivery of enough fuel for the
vehicle to get to the nearest
service station.
.Lock‐Out Service:Service to
unlock the vehicle if you are
locked out. A remote unlock may
be available if you have OnStar.
For security reasons, the driver
must present identification
before this service is given.
.Emergency Tow From a Public
Road or Highway: Tow to the
nearest Cadillac dealer for
warranty service, or if the vehicle
was in a crash and cannot be
driven. Assistance is also given
when the vehicle is stuck in the
sand, mud, or snow.
.Flat Tire Change: Service to
change a flat tire with spare
tire. The spare tire, if equipped,
must be in good condition and
properly inflated. It is your
responsibility for the repair or
replacement of the tire if it is not
covered by the warranty.
.Battery Jump Start: Service to
jump start a dead battery.
.Trip Routing Service: Detailed
maps of North America are
provided when requested either
with the most direct route or the
most scenic route. Additional
travel information is also
available. Allow three weeks
for delivery.
.Trip Interruption Benefits
and Service: If your trip is
interrupted due to a warranty
failure, incidental expenses
may be reimbursed during
the 5 years/160 000 km
(100,000 miles) Powertrain
warranty period. Items
considered are hotel, meals,
and rental car.
Cadillac Technician Roadside
Service (U.S. only)
Cadillac's exceptional Roadside
Service is more than an auto club
or towing service. It provides every
Cadillac owner in the United States
with the advantage of contacting
a Cadillac advisor and, where
available, a Cadillac trained dealer
technician who can provide on-site
service.
A dealer technician will travel to
your location within a 30 mile
radius of a participating Cadillac
dealership. If beyond this radius, we
will arrange to have your car towed
to the nearest Cadillac dealership.
Each technician travels with a
specially equipped service vehicle
complete with the necessary
Cadillac parts and tools required to
handle most roadside repairs.