
Black plate (1,1)Cadillac Escalade Hybrid - 2011
2011 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid MIn Brief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . 1-1
Hybrid Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Performance and
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Seats and Restraints . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Storage Compartments . . . . . . . . 4-1
Instruments and Controls . . . . 5-1
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Information Displays . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . 8-1
Driving and Operating . . . . . . . . 9-1
Driving Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-1
Starting and Operating . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-7
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . 9-7 Drive Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-11
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-16
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-16
Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-1
Vehicle Checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Electrical System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-15
Wheels and Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-17
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-31
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
Appearance Care . . . . . . . . . . . 10-40
Service and Maintenance . . . 11-1
Scheduled Maintenance . . . . . . 11-1
Recommended Fluids,
Lubricants, and Parts . . . . . . . 11-2
Technical Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Vehicle Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i-1 

Black plate (9,1)Cadillac Escalade Hybrid - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-9Notice: 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. D (Drive) or M (Manual Mode) 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.
Downshifting the transmission in
slippery road conditions could result
in skidding. See “ Loss of Control ” in
the owner manual.
When temperatures are very cold,
the 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.
M (Manual Mode): This position
lets drivers select the range of gears
appropriate for current driving
conditions. If the vehicle has this
feature, see Manual Mode on
page 9 ‑ 10 . 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 to reduce rapid upshifts
and downshifts. If the shift
stabilization feature determines that
a current vehicle speed cannot be
maintained, the transmission does
not upshift. In some cases, this may
appear to be a delayed shift,
however the transmission is
operating normally. 

Black plate (1,1)Cadillac Escalade Hybrid - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-1
Vehicle Care Vehicle Checks Doing Your Own
Service Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Engine Compartment
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Automatic Transmission
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-6
Drive Motor/Generator Control
Module (DMCM) Coolant
Surge Tank
Pressure Cap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-9
Drive Motor/Generator Control
Module (DMCM) Cooling
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-9
Power Steering Fluid . . . . . . . 10-13
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-13
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . 10-14
Electrical System High Voltage Devices and
Wiring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-15
Fuses and Circuit
Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-15
Engine Compartment Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-15 Wheels and Tires Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-17
Tire Pressure Monitor
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-18
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . 10-23
Tire Sealant and
Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24
Storing the Tire Sealant and
Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . 10-31
Jump Starting Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-31
Towing Recreational Vehicle
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
Appearance Care Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-40 

Black plate (17,1)Cadillac Escalade Hybrid - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-17Relays Usage
CAB
HTR
PUMP Cabin Heater Pump
COOL
PUMP Coolant Pump
FAN LOW Cooling Fan Low
Speed Relay
FAN
MID 1 Cooling Fan Mid 1
FAN HI Cooling Fan High
Speed Relay
FAN
MID 2 Cooling Fan Mid 2
FAN
CNTRL Cooling Fan Control Wheels and Tires Tire Pressure Tires need the correct amount of air
pressure to operate effectively.
Notice: Do not let anyone tell
you that under ‐ inflation or
over ‐ inflation is all right. It is
not. If your tires do not have
enough air (under ‐ inflation),
you can get the following: .
Tire overloading and
over-heating which could
lead to a blowout. .
Premature or
irregular wear. .
Poor handling. .
Reduced fuel economy. 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. 

Black plate (18,1)Cadillac Escalade Hybrid - 2011
10-18 Vehicle Care 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 ” in the owner
manual. 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.
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're
underinflated. 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.
If you overfill the tire, release air by
pushing on the metal stem in the
center of the tire valve. Recheck the
tire pressure with the tire gauge.
Be sure to put the valve caps back
on the valve stems. They help
prevent leaks by keeping out dirt
and moisture. Tire Pressure Monitor
Operation This vehicle may have a Tire
Pressure Monitor System (TPMS).
The TPMS is designed to warn the
driver when a low tire pressure
condition exists. TPMS sensors are
mounted onto each tire and wheel
assembly. The TPMS sensors
monitor the air pressure in the
vehicle's tires and transmit the tire
pressure readings to a receiver
located in the vehicle. 

Black plate (19,1)Cadillac Escalade Hybrid - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-19
When a low tire pressure condition
is detected, the TPMS will illuminate
the low tire pressure warning
symbol located on the instrument
panel cluster. If the warning light
comes on, stop as soon as possible
and inflate the tires to the
recommended pressure shown on
the tire loading information label.
See “ Vehicle Load Limits ” in the
owner manual for more information.
At the same time a message to
check the pressure in a specific tire
appears on the Driver Information
Center (DIC) display. The low tire
pressure warning light and the DIC
warning message come on at each
ignition cycle until the tires are
inflated to the correct inflation
pressure. Using the DIC, tire
pressure levels can be viewed by
the driver. For additional information and details about the DIC operation
and displays see Driver Information
Center (DIC) on page 5 ‑ 5 .
The low tire pressure warning light
may come on in cool weather when
the vehicle is first started, and then
turn off as you start to drive. This
could be an early indicator that the
air pressure in the tire(s) are getting
low and need to be inflated to the
proper pressure.
A Tire and Loading Information
label, attached to your vehicle,
shows the size of your vehicle's
original equipment tires and the
correct inflation pressure for your
vehicle's tires when they are cold.
See “ Vehicle Load Limits ” for an
example of the Tire and Loading
Information label and its location on
your vehicle. Also see Tire Pressure
on page 10 ‑ 17 .
Your vehicle's TPMS can warn you
about a low tire pressure condition
but it does not replace normal tire maintenance. See “ Tire Inspection, ”
“ Tire Rotation ” and “ Tires ” in the
owner manual for more information.
Notice: Tire sealant materials are
not all the same. A non-approved
tire sealant could damage the Tire
Pressure Monitor System (TPMS)
sensors. TPMS sensor damage
caused by using an incorrect tire
sealant is not covered by the
vehicle warranty. Always use only
the GM approved tire sealant
available through your dealer or
included in the vehicle.
Your vehicle, when new, included a
factory ‐ installed Tire Sealant and
Compressor Kit. This kit uses a GM
approved liquid tire sealant. See
Tire Sealant and Compressor Kit on
page 10 ‑ 24 . 

Black plate (20,1)Cadillac Escalade Hybrid - 2011
10-20 Vehicle Care TPMS Malfunction Light and
Message The TPMS will not function properly
if one or more of the TPMS sensors
are missing or inoperable. When the
system detects a malfunction, the
low tire warning light flashes for
about one minute and then stays on
for the remainder of the ignition
cycle. A DIC warning message is
also displayed. The low tire warning
light and DIC warning message
come on at each ignition cycle until
the problem is corrected. Some of
the conditions that can cause the
malfunction light and DIC message
to come on are: .
The TPMS sensor matching
process was started but not
completed or not completed
successfully after rotating the
vehicle's tires. The DIC message
and TPMS malfunction light
should go off once the TPMS
sensor matching process is
performed successfully. See
“ TPMS Sensor Matching
Process ” later in this section. .
One or more TPMS sensors are
missing or damaged. The DIC
message and the TPMS
malfunction light should go off
when the TPMS sensors are
installed and the sensor
matching process is performed
successfully. See your dealer for
service. .
Replacement tires or wheels do
not match your vehicle's original
equipment tires or wheels. Tires
and wheels other than those
recommended for your vehicle
could prevent the TPMS from
functioning properly. See
“ Buying New Tires ” in the owner
manual. .
Operating electronic devices or
being near facilities using radio
wave frequencies similar to the
TPMS could cause the TPMS
sensors to malfunction. If the TPMS is not functioning it
cannot detect or signal a low tire
condition. See your dealer for
service if the TPMS malfunction
light and DIC message comes on
and stays on.
TPMS Sensor Matching
Process Each TPMS sensor has a unique
identification code. Any time you
rotate your vehicle's tires or replace
one or more of the TPMS sensors,
the identification codes will need to
be matched to the new tire/wheel
position. The sensors are matched
to the tire/wheel positions in the
following order: driver side front tire,
passenger side front tire, passenger
side rear tire, and driver side rear
tire using a TPMS diagnostic tool.
See your dealer for service. 

Black plate (21,1)Cadillac Escalade Hybrid - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-21The TPMS sensors can also be
matched to each tire/wheel position
by increasing or decreasing the
tire's air pressure. If increasing the
tire's air pressure, do not exceed
the maximum inflation pressure
indicated on the tire's sidewall.
To decrease air-pressure out of a
tire you can use the pointed end of
the valve cap, a pencil-style air
pressure gauge, or a key.
You have two minutes to match
the first tire/wheel position, and
five minutes overall to match all four
tire/wheel positions. If it takes longer
than two minutes, to match the first
tire and wheel, or more than
five minutes to match all four tire
and wheel positions the matching
process stops and you need to
start over.
The TPMS sensor matching process
is outlined below:
1. Set the parking brake.
2. Turn the ignition switch to ON/
RUN with the engine off. 3. Press
Q and
K on the Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter
at the same time for
approximately five seconds. The
horn sounds twice to signal the
receiver is in relearn mode and
TIRE LEARNING ACTIVE
message displays on the DIC
screen.
4. Start with the driver side
front tire.
5. Remove the valve cap from the
valve cap stem. Activate the
TPMS sensor by increasing or
decreasing the tire's air pressure
for five seconds, or until a horn
chirp sounds. The horn chirp,
which may take up to
30 seconds to sound, confirms
that the sensor identification
code has been matched to this
tire and wheel position.
6. Proceed to the passenger side
front tire, and repeat the
procedure in Step 5. 7. Proceed to the passenger side
rear tire, and repeat the
procedure in Step 5.
8. Proceed to the driver side rear
tire, and repeat the procedure in
Step 5. The horn sounds
two times to indicate the sensor
identification code has been
matched to the driver side rear
tire, and the TPMS sensor
matching process is no longer
active. The TIRE LEARNING
ACTIVE message on the DIC
display screen goes off.
9. Turn the ignition switch to
LOCK/OFF.
10. Set all four tires to the
recommended air pressure
level as indicated on the Tire
and Loading Information label.
11. Put the valve caps back on the
valve stems.