Black plate (1,1)Cadillac Escalade Hybrid - 2011
In Brief 1-1
In Brief Initial Drive Information Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Hybrid Features High Voltage Safety
Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Fuel Economy Gauge . . . . . . . . . 1-3
Automatic Engine Start/Stop
Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3
Regenerative Braking . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Performance and Maintenance Tire Sealant and
Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5 Initial Drive
Information Transmission Range Selection Mode
The Range Selection Mode switch
is located on the shift lever. To
enable the Range Selection feature,
move the column shift lever to the M
(Manual) position. The current range
will appear next to the M. This is the
highest attainable range with all
lower gears accessible. As an example, when 3 (Third) gear is
selected, 1 (First) through 3 (Third)
gears are available.
Press the plus/minus buttons,
located on the steering column shift
lever, to select the desired range of
gears for current driving conditions.
See Automatic Transmission
Operation in the owner manual.
Cruise control can be used while the
vehicle is in Range Selection Mode.
See Manual Mode on page 9 ‑ 10 .
Four-Wheel Drive If the vehicle has four-wheel drive,
you can send the engine's driving
power to all four wheels for extra
traction. Read the following before
using four-wheel drive.
Black plate (2,1)Cadillac Escalade Hybrid - 2011
1-2 In Brief Automatic Transfer Case
The transfer case knob is located to
the left of the instrument panel
cluster. You can choose among five
driving settings:
2
m (Two-Wheel Drive High): This
setting is used for driving in most
street and highway situations.
AUTO (Automatic Four-Wheel
Drive): This setting is ideal for use
when road surface traction
conditions are variable. 4
m (Four-Wheel Drive High): Use
the four-wheel high position when
you need extra traction, such as on
snowy or icy roads or in most
off-road situations.
4
n (Four-Wheel Drive Low) : This
setting delivers extra torque. You
might choose Four-Wheel Drive Low
if you are driving off-road in deep
sand, deep mud, deep snow, and
while climbing or descending
steep hills.
N (Neutral): Shift the vehicle's
transfer case to N (Neutral) only
when towing the vehicle. See
Recreational Vehicle Towing on
page 10 ‑ 36 and “ Towing the
Vehicle ” in the owner manual.
See Four-Wheel Drive on
page 9 ‑ 11 .Hybrid Features High Voltage Safety
Information This vehicle has a standard
12-volt battery and a high voltage
hybrid battery. Only a trained
service technician with the proper
knowledge and tools should inspect,
test, or replace the hybrid battery.
See your dealer if the hybrid battery
needs service.
The 12-volt battery cables, in the
engine compartment, are clearly
labeled. In emergency situations,
first responders can cut those
cables to disable the high voltage
hybrid battery system.
Black plate (7,1)Cadillac Escalade Hybrid - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-7
Engine Oil Messages OIL PRESSURE LOW STOP
ENGINE If engine oil pressure is low, this
message will be displayed on the
DIC. Stop the vehicle as soon as
safely possible and do not operate it
until the cause of the low oil
pressure has been corrected. Check
your oil level as soon as possible
and have your vehicle serviced. See
“ Engine Oil ” in the owner manual. Service Vehicle Messages SERVICE HYBRID SYSTEM If this message is displayed on the
DIC, the vehicle may continue to
operate, but you need to have it
serviced as soon as possible.
SERVICE POWER STEERING This message displays if a problem
has been detected with the electric
power steering. Have your vehicle
serviced by your dealer immediately. Transmission Messages SERVICE 4 WHEEL DRIVE This message may display if a
problem occurs with the
four-wheel-drive system. If this
message appears, stop as soon as
possible and turn off the vehicle.
Make sure the key is in the LOCK/
OFF position for at least one minute
and then restart the vehicle and
check for the message on the DIC
display. If the message is still
displayed or appears again when
you begin driving, the
four-wheel-drive system needs
service. See your dealer.
Black plate (1,1)Cadillac Escalade Hybrid - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-1
Driving and
Operating Driving Information Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-1
Starting and Operating Starting the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Engine Coolant Heater . . . . . . . . 9-4
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Engine Exhaust Running the Vehicle While
Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-7 Automatic Transmission Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . 9-7
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-10
Drive Systems Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-11
Brakes Regenerative Braking . . . . . . . . 9-16
Towing Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-16
Towing Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . 9-17
Driving Information Steering This vehicle has On-Demand
Electric-Assist Power Steering
instead of conventional full-time
hydraulic power steering. It uses
electricity supplied by the same
battery which is re-charged by the
regenerative braking system.
Because the system is On-Demand
Electric-Assist, energy is used only
when the steering wheel is turned,
or when the steering gear is used to
help isolate the forces of rough
roads. This system does not use
power steering fluid, making it
maintenance-free.
Black plate (5,1)Cadillac Escalade Hybrid - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-5
Shifting Into Park
{ WARNINGIt can be dangerous to get out of
the vehicle if the shift lever is not
fully in P (Park) with the parking
brake firmly set. The vehicle can
roll. If you have left the engine
running, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You or others could be
injured. To be sure the vehicle will
not move, even when you are on
fairly level ground, use the steps
that follow. With four-wheel drive,
(Continued) WARNING (Continued) if the transfer case is in
N (Neutral), the vehicle will be
free to roll, even if the shift lever
is in P (Park). So, be sure the
transfer case is in a drive
gear — not in N (Neutral). If you
are pulling a trailer, see “ Driving
Characteristics and Towing Tips ”
in the owner manual.
1. Hold the brake pedal down, then
set the parking brake.
See “ Parking Brake ” in the
owner manual.
2. Move the shift lever into the
P (Park) position by pulling the
shift lever toward you and
moving it up as far as it will go. 3. Be sure the transfer case
(if equipped) is in a drive
gear — not in N (Neutral).
4. Turn the ignition key to
LOCK/OFF.
5. Remove the key and take it with
you. If you can leave the vehicle
with the ignition key in your
hand, the vehicle is in P (Park).
Black plate (6,1)Cadillac Escalade Hybrid - 2011
9-6 Driving and Operating Leaving the Vehicle with the
Engine Running
{ WARNINGIt can be dangerous to leave the
vehicle with the engine running.
The vehicle could move suddenly
if the shift lever is not fully in
P (Park) with the parking brake
firmly set.
If you have four-wheel drive and
the transfer case is in N (Neutral),
the vehicle will be free to roll,
even if the shift lever is in
P (Park). So be sure the transfer
case is in a drive gear — not in
N (Neutral).
(Continued) WARNING (Continued) And, if you leave the vehicle with
the engine running, it could
overheat and even catch fire. You
or others could be injured. Do not
leave the vehicle with the engine
running unless you have to.
If you have to leave the vehicle with
the engine running, be sure your
vehicle is in P (Park) and the
parking brake is firmly set before
you leave it. After you move the shift
lever into P (Park), hold the regular
brake pedal down. Then, see if you
can move the shift lever away from
P (Park) without first pulling it toward
you. If you can, it means that the
shift lever was not fully locked into
P (Park). Torque Lock If parking on a hill and the
transmission not shifted into
P (Park) properly, the weight
of the vehicle may put too much
force on the parking pawl in the
transmission. You may find it difficult
to pull the shift lever out of P (Park).
This is called torque lock. To
prevent torque lock, set the parking
brake and then shift into P (Park)
properly before you leave the driver
seat. To find out how, see Shifting
Into Park on page 9 ‑ 5 .
When you are ready to drive, move
the shift lever out of P (Park) before
you release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may
need to have another vehicle push
yours a little uphill to take some of
the pressure from the parking pawl
in the transmission, then you will be
able to pull the shift lever out of
P (Park).
Black plate (8,1)Cadillac Escalade Hybrid - 2011
9-8 Driving and Operating When parked on a hill, especially
when the vehicle has a heavy load,
you may notice an increase in the
effort to shift out of P (Park). See
Shifting Into Park on page 9 ‑ 5 .
{ WARNINGIt is dangerous to get out of the
vehicle if the shift lever is not fully
in P (Park) with the parking brake
firmly set. The vehicle can roll.
Do not leave the vehicle when the
engine is running unless you
have to. If you have left the
engine running, the vehicle can
move suddenly. You or others
could be injured. To be sure the
vehicle will not move, even when
you are on fairly level ground,
always set the parking brake and
move the shift lever to P (Park).
See Shifting Into Park on
page 9 ‑ 5 . If you are pulling a
trailer, see “ Driving
Characteristics and Towing Tips ”
in the owner manual. { WARNINGIf you have Four-Wheel Drive, the
vehicle will be free to roll — even
if the shift lever is in P (Park) — if
the transfer case is in Neutral. So,
be sure the transfer case is in a
drive gear, Two-Wheel Drive High
or Four-Wheel Drive High or
Four-Wheel Drive Low — not in
Neutral. See Shifting Into Park
on page 9 ‑ 5 .
R (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 ” in the owner
manual.
N (Neutral): In this position, the
engine and transmission are not
connected with the wheels. To
restart the engine when the vehicle
is already moving, use
N (Neutral) only.
{ 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.
Black plate (11,1)Cadillac Escalade Hybrid - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-11
Drive Systems Four-Wheel Drive If the vehicle has four-wheel drive,
you can send the engine's driving
power to all four wheels for extra
traction. Read the following before
using four-wheel drive.
Notice: Driving on clean, dry
pavement in Four-Wheel Drive
High or Four-Wheel Drive Low for
an extended period of time may
cause premature wear on the
vehicle's powertrain. Do not drive
on clean, dry pavement in
Four-Wheel Drive High or
Four-Wheel Drive Low for
extended periods of time. While driving on clean dry pavement
and during tight turns, you may
experience a vibration in the
steering system.
The vehicle has StabiliTrak. Shifting
into Four-Wheel Drive Low will turn
Traction Control and StabiliTrak off.
See “ StabiliTrak System ” in the
owner manual.
Front Axle The front axle engages and
disengages automatically when you
shift the transfer case. Some delay
for the axle to engage or disengage
is normal. Automatic Transfer Case
The transfer case knob is located to
the left of the instrument panel
cluster.
Use this dial to shift into and out of
four-wheel drive.