
Black plate (35,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-35
Engine Heater
The engine coolant heater can
provide easier starting and better
fuel economy during engine
warm-up in cold weather conditions
at or below−18°C (0°F). Vehicles
with an engine heater should be
plugged in at least four hours before
starting. An internal thermostat in
the plug-end of the cord may exist
which will prevent engine coolant
heater operation at temperatures
above −18°C (0°F).
To Use the Engine Coolant
Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and
unwrap the electrical cord.
The cord is secured to the
Engine Compartment Fuse
Block with a clip. Carefully
remove the wire tie which
secures the electrical cord.
Do not cut the electrical cord.
3. Plug the cord into a normal, grounded 110-volt AC outlet.
{WARNING
Plugging the cord into an
ungrounded outlet could cause
an electrical shock. Also, the
wrong kind of extension cord
could overheat and cause a fire.
You could be seriously injured.
Plug the cord into a properly
grounded three-prong 110-volt AC
outlet. If the cord will not reach,
use a heavy-duty three-prong
extension cord rated for at least
15 amps.
4. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug and store the
cord as it was before to keep
it away from moving engine
parts. If you do not, it could
be damaged.
The length of time the heater should
remain plugged in depends on
several factors. Ask a dealer in the
area where you will be parking the
vehicle for the best advice on this.
Retained Accessory
Power (RAP)
The following vehicle accessories
can be used for up to 10 minutes
after the engine is turned off:
.Audio System
.Power Windows
.OnStar System (if equipped)
.Sunroof (if equipped)
These features work when
the key is in ON/RUN or ACC/
ACCESSORY. Once the key is
turned from ON/RUN to LOCK/OFF,
the windows and sunroof continue
to work up to 10 minutes until any
door is opened. The radio continues
to work for up to 10 minutes or until
the driver door is opened.

Black plate (67,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-67
Many 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 (three gallons)
when refueling. You should drive the
vehicle immediately after refueling
for at least 11 km (seven miles) 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 (18,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
10-18 Vehicle Care
Cooling System
The cooling system allows the
engine to maintain the correct
working temperature.
A. Coolant Surge Tank
B. Coolant Surge TankPressure Cap
C. Engine Cooling Fan(s) (Out of View)
{WARNING
An electric engine cooling fan
under the hood can start up even
when the engine is not running
and can cause injury. Keep
hands, clothing, and tools away
from any underhood electric fan.
{WARNING
Heater and radiator hoses, and
other engine parts, can be very
hot. Do not touch them. If you do,
you can be burned.
Do not run the engine if there
is a leak. If you run the engine, it
could lose all coolant. That could
cause an engine fire, and you
could be burned. Get any leak
fixed before you drive the vehicle. Notice:
Using coolant other
than DEX-COOL
®can cause
premature engine, heater core,
or radiator corrosion. In addition,
the engine coolant could require
changing sooner, at 50 000 km
(30,000 miles) or 24 months,
whichever occurs first. Any
repairs would not be covered
by the vehicle warranty. Always
use DEX-COOL (silicate-free)
coolant in the vehicle.
Engine Coolant
The cooling system in the vehicle
is filled with DEX-COOL engine
coolant. This coolant is designed to
remain in the vehicle for 5 years or
240 000 km (150,000 mi), whichever
occurs first.
The following explains the cooling
system and how to check and add
coolant when it is low. If there is a
problem with engine overheating,
see Engine Overheating on
page 10‑22.

Black plate (19,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-19
What to Use
{WARNING
Adding only plain water or some
other liquid to the cooling system
can be dangerous. Plain water
and other liquids, can boil before
the proper coolant mixture will.
The vehicle's coolant warning
system is set for the proper
coolant mixture. With plain water
or the wrong mixture, the engine
could get too hot but you would
not get the overheat warning.
The engine could catch fire and
you or others could be burned.
Use a 50/50 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and DEX-COOL
coolant.Use a 50/50 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and DEX-COOL
coolant. If using this mixture,
nothing else needs to be added.
This mixture:.Gives freezing protection down
to
−37°C (−34°F), outside
temperature.
.Gives boiling protection up
to 129°C (265°F), engine
temperature.
.Protects against rust and
corrosion.
.Will not damage aluminum parts.
.Helps keep the proper engine
temperature.
Notice: If an improper coolant
mixture is used, the engine could
overheat and be badly damaged.
The repair cost would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Too much water in the mixture
can freeze and crack the engine,
radiator, heater core, and other
parts. Notice:
If extra inhibitors
and/or additives are used in
the vehicle's cooling system,
the vehicle could be damaged.
Use only the proper mixture of
the engine coolant listed in this
manual for the cooling system.
See Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants on page 11‑7 for more
information.
Checking Coolant
The vehicle must be on a level
surface when checking the coolant
level.
Check to see if coolant is visible in
the coolant surge tank. If the coolant
inside the coolant surge tank is
boiling, do not do anything else until
it cools down. If coolant is visible
but the coolant level is not at or
above the FULL COLD mark, add
a 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable
water and DEX-COOL coolant at the
coolant surge tank, but be sure the
cooling system is cool before this
is done.

Black plate (24,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
10-24 Vehicle Care
If No Steam Is Coming from
the Engine Compartment
The ENGINE OVERHEATED
STOP ENGINE or the ENGINE
OVERHEATED IDLE ENGINE
message, along with a low coolant
condition, can indicate a serious
problem.
If there is an engine overheat
warning, but see or hear no steam,
the problem may not be too serious.
Sometimes the engine can get a
little too hot when the vehicle:
.Climbs a long hill on a hot day.
.Stops after high-speed driving.
.Idles for long periods in traffic.
.Tows a trailer. SeeTrailer
Towing on page 9‑74. If the ENGINE OVERHEATED
STOP ENGINE or the ENGINE
OVERHEATED IDLE ENGINE
message appears with no sign of
steam, try this for a minute or so:
If the overheat warning is displayed
with no sign of steam:
1. Turn the air conditioning off.
2. Turn the heater on to the highest
temperature and to the highest
fan speed. Open the windows
as necessary.
3. In heavy traffic, let the engine idle in N (Neutral) while stopped.
If it is safe to do so, pull off
the road, shift to P (Park)
or N (Neutral) and let the
engine idle. If the temperature overheat gauge
is no longer in the overheat zone
or an overheat warning no longer
displays, the vehicle can be driven.
Continue to drive the vehicle slowly
for about 10 minutes. Keep a safe
vehicle distance from the vehicle in
front. If the warning does not come
back on, continue to drive normally.
If the warning continues, pull
over, stop, and park the vehicle
right away.
If there is no sign of steam, idle
the engine for five minutes while
parked. If the warning is still
displayed, turn off the engine until it
cools down. Also, see
“Overheated
Engine Protection Operating Mode”
later in this section.