2011 CADILLAC ESCALADE engine overheat

Black plate (20,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
10-20 Vehicle Care
The coolant surge tank is located
in the engine compartment on the
passenger side of the vehicle.
SeeEngine Compartment Overview
on page 10‑6 for more information
on location.
The coolant level should be at or
above the FULL COLD mark. If it is
not, the vehicle may have a leak in
the cooling system.
How to Add Coolant to the
Surge Tank
{WARNING
You can be burned if you spill
coolant on hot engine parts.
Coolant contains ethylene glycol
and it will burn if the engine parts
are hot enough. Do not spill
coolant on a hot engine.
Notice: This vehicle has a
specific coolant fill procedure.
Failure to follow this procedure
could cause the engine to
overheat and be severely
damaged.
{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
Steam and scalding liquids from a
hot cooling system can blow out
and burn you badly. They are
under pressure, and if you
turn the surge tank pressure
cap —even a little —they can
come out at high speed. Never
turn the cap when the cooling
system, including the surge tank
pressure cap, is hot. Wait for the
cooling system and surge tank
pressure cap to cool if you ever
have to turn the pressure cap.

Black plate (22,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
10-22 Vehicle Care
5. Replace the pressure cap.Be sure the pressure cap is
hand-tight and fully seated.
6. Verify coolant level after engine is shut off and the coolant is
cold. If necessary, repeat coolant
fill procedure Steps 1 through 6.
Notice: If the pressure cap is not
tightly installed, coolant loss and
possible engine damage may
occur. Be sure the cap is properly
and tightly secured.Engine Overheating
The vehicle has several indicators
to warn of engine overheating.
There is a coolant temperature
gauge on your vehicle's instrument
panel. See Engine Coolant
Temperature Gauge on page 5‑14.
In addition, ENGINE OVERHEATED
STOP ENGINE, ENGINE
OVERHEATED IDLE ENGINE, and
a ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED
message comes on in the Driver
Information Center (DIC) on the
instrument panel. See Engine
Cooling System Messages on
page 5‑33 andEngine Power
Messages on page 5‑34. If the decision is made not to lift the
hood when this warning appears,
but instead get service help right
away. See
Roadside Service
(U.S. and Canada) on page 13‑7
or Roadside Service (Mexico) on
page 13‑10.
If the decision is made to lift the
hood, make sure the vehicle is
parked on a level surface.
Then check to see if the engine
cooling fans are running. If the
engine is overheating, both fans
should be running. If they are not,
do not continue to run the engine
and have the vehicle serviced.

Black plate (23,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-23
Notice:Engine damage from
running the engine without
coolant is not covered by the
vehicle warranty. See Overheated
Engine Protection Operating
Mode on page 10‑25 for
information on driving to a
safe place in an emergency.
Notice: If the engine catches fire
while driving with no coolant, the
vehicle can be badly damaged.
The costly repairs would not
be covered by the vehicle
warranty. See Overheated Engine
Protection Operating Mode on
page 10‑25 for information on
driving to a safe place in an
emergency.If Steam Is Coming from the
Engine Compartment
{WARNING
Steam from an overheated engine
can burn you badly, even if you
just open the hood. Stay away
from the engine if you see or hear
steam coming from it. Turn it off
and get everyone away from the
vehicle until it cools down. Wait
until there is no sign of steam
or coolant before you open
the hood.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
If you keep driving when the
vehicles engine is overheated,
the liquids in it can catch fire.
You or others could be badly
burned. Stop the engine if it
overheats, and get out of the
vehicle until the engine is cool.
SeeOverheated Engine
Protection Operating Mode on
page 10‑25 for information on
driving to a safe place in an
emergency.

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.

Black plate (25,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-25
Overheated Engine
Protection
Operating Mode
If an overheated engine condition
exists and the ENGINE POWER IS
REDUCED message is displayed,
an overheat protection mode which
alternates firing groups of cylinders
helps prevent engine damage.
In this mode, a loss in power and
engine performance will be noticed.
This operating mode allows the
vehicle to be driven to a safe place
in an emergency. Driving extended
distances and/or towing a trailer
in the overheat protection mode
should be avoided.
Notice:After driving in the
overheated engine protection
operating mode, to avoid engine
damage, allow the engine to cool
before attempting any repair.
The engine oil will be severely degraded. Repair the cause
of coolant loss, change the oil
and reset the oil life system.
See
Engine Oil on page 10‑7.Engine Fan
The vehicle has electric cooling
fans. The fans spinning at low
speed during most everyday driving
might be heard. The fans can turn
off if no cooling is required. Under
heavy vehicle loading, trailer towing,
and/or high outside temperatures,
or if operating the air conditioning
system, the fans can change to high
speed and an increase in fan noise
might be heard. This is normal and
indicates that the cooling system
is functioning properly. The fans
change to low speed when
additional cooling is no longer
required.
Power Steering Fluid
SeeEngine Compartment Overview
on page 10‑6 for reservoir location.
When to Check Power Steering
Fluid
It is not necessary to regularly
check power steering fluid unless
there is a leak suspected in the
system or an unusual noise is
heard. A fluid loss in this system
could indicate a problem. Have the
system inspected and repaired.

Black plate (4,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
i-4 INDEX
Driving for Better FuelEconomy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-23
Dual Automatic Climate Control System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
DVD Rear SeatEntertainment
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-33, 7-43
DVD/CD Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-19
E
E85 Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-66
Electrical Equipment, Add-On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-82
Electrical System Engine CompartmentFuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-43
Fuses and Circuit
Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-42
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-47
Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-41 Engine
Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . 10-16
Check and Service Engine
Soon Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Compartment Overview . . . . . . . 10-6
Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-18
Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-18
Cooling System Messages . . . 5-33
Drive Belt Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-3
Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-38
Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Overheated Protection Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22
Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-34
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Running While Parked . . . . . . . . 9-39
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Engine Oil
Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10-11
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-34 Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-11
Equipment, Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-78
Event Data Recorders . . . . . . . . 13-18
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-11
Extender, Safety Belt . . . . . . . . . . 3-38
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lamps Off Reminder . . . 6-5
F
Fan
Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Features Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8
Filter Engine Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . 10-16
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Flashers, Hazard Warning . . . . . . 6-8
Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-73
Flat Tire, Changing . . . . . . . . . . . 10-75
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10-105
Fluid Automatic Transmission . . . . 10-12
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Power Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-26

Black plate (8,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
i-8 INDEX
N
NavigationDestination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-69
Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-64
Using the System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-60
Navigation System Vehicle Data Recording
and Privacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-19
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . . 9-30
O
Object Detection System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-36
Object Detection, Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . 9-56
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13 Trip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Off-Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-7
Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-7
Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Oil Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-7
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . .10-11
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-34
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Older Children, Restraints . . . . . 3-55 Online Owner Center . . . . . . . . . . 13-6
OnStar
®System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-24
Outlets Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Overheating, Engine . . . . . . . . . . 10-22
Overview, Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-3
P
ParkShifting Into . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-36
Shifting Out of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-37
Park Tilt Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18
Parking Assist, Ultrasonic . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-54
Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-46
Brake and P (Park)
Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . 10-35
Over Things That Burn . . . . . . . 9-38
Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Passenger Sensing System . . . 3-48 Perchlorate Materials
Requirements, California . . . . . 10-3
Phone Bluetooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-102
Power Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Protection, Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-12
Retained Accessory (RAP) . . . 9-35
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Steering Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-20
Power Assist Steps . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Pregnancy, Using Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-36
Privacy Radio FrequencyIdentification (RFID) . . . . . . . 13-19
Problems with Route Guidance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-97
Program Courtesy Transportation . . . . .13-11
Proposition 65 Warning, California . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2