
Black plate (2,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
11-2 Service and Maintenance
{WARNING
Performing maintenance work can
be dangerous. Some jobs can
cause serious injury. Perform
maintenance work only if you
have the required know-how and
the proper tools and equipment.
If in doubt, see your dealer to
have a qualified technician do
the work. SeeDoing Your Own
Service Work on page 10‑4.
At your dealer, you can be
certain that you will receive the
highest level of service available.
Your dealer has specially trained
service technicians, uses genuine
replacement parts, as well as,
up‐to‐date tools and equipment
to ensure fast and accurate
diagnostics. The proper replacement parts,
fluids, and lubricants to use are
listed in
Recommended Fluids
and Lubricants on page 11‑7 and
Maintenance Replacement Parts on
page 11‑9. We recommend the use
of genuine parts from your dealer.
Rotation of New Tires
To maintain ride, handling, and
performance of the vehicle, it is
important that the first rotation
service for new tires be performed.
Tires should be rotated every
12 000 km/7,500 miles. See Tire
Rotation on page 10‑64.
Scheduled
Maintenance
When the Change Engine Oil
Soon Message Displays
Change engine oil and filter.
See Engine Oil on page 10‑7.
An Emission Control Service.
When the CHANGE ENGINE OIL
SOON message displays, service is
required for the vehicle as soon as
possible, within the next 1 000 km/
600 miles. If driving under the best
conditions, the engine oil life system
might not indicate the need for
vehicle service for more than a year.
The engine oil and filter must be
changed at least once a year and
the oil life system must be reset.
Your dealer has trained service
technicians who will perform
this work and reset the system.

Black plate (3,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
Service and Maintenance 11-3
If the engine oil life system is reset
accidentally, service the vehicle
within 5 000 km/3,000 miles since
the last service. Reset the oil life
system whenever the oil is changed.
SeeEngine Oil Life System on
page 10‑11.
When the Change Engine Oil Soon
message displays, certain services,
checks, and inspections are
required.
Every Engine Oil Change
.Change engine oil and filter.
See Engine Oil on page 10‑7.
An Emission Control Service.
.Engine coolant level check.
See Engine Coolant on
page 10‑18.
.Engine cooling system
inspection. Visual inspection
of hoses, pipes, fittings, and
clamps and replacement,
if needed.
.Windshield washer fluid level
check. See Washer Fluid on
page 10‑26.
.Windshield wiper blade
inspection for wear, cracking,
or contamination and windshield
and wiper blade cleaning,
if contaminated. See Exterior
Care on page 10‑97. Worn
or damaged wiper blade
replacement. See Wiper Blade
Replacement on page 10‑35.
.Tire inflation pressures
check. See Tire Pressure on
page 10‑57.
.Tire wear inspection. See Tire
Inspection on page 10‑64.
.Rotate tires if necessary.
See Tire Rotation on
page 10‑64.
.Fluids visual leak check
(or every 12 months, whichever
occurs first). A leak in any
system must be repaired
and the fluid level checked.
.Engine air cleaner filter
inspection. See Engine Air
Cleaner/Filter on page 10‑16.
.Brake system inspection
(or every 12 months, whichever
occurs first).
.Lubricate the front suspension,
steering linkage, and parking
brake cable guides. Control arm
ball joints are maintenance‐free.

Black plate (4,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
11-4 Service and Maintenance
.Steering and suspension
inspection. Visual inspection
for damaged, loose, or missing
parts or signs of wear.
.Body hinges and latches,
key lock cylinders, rear
compartment hinges, outer
tailgate handle pivot points,
and folding seat hardware
lubrication. SeeRecommended
Fluids and Lubricants on
page 11‑7. More frequent
lubrication may be required
when the vehicle is exposed
to a corrosive environment.
Applying silicone grease on
weatherstrips with a clean cloth
makes them last longer, seal
better, and not stick or squeak.
.Restraint system component
check. See Safety System
Check on page 3‑38.
.Fuel system inspection for
damage or leaks.
.Exhaust system and nearby heat
shields inspection for loose or
damaged components.
Additional Required Services
Every 12 000 km/7,500 Miles
.Rotate tires. Tires should
be rotated every 12 000 km/
7,500 miles. See Tire Rotation
on page 10‑64. At Each Fuel Stop
.Engine oil level check.
See
Engine Oil on page 10‑7.
.Engine coolant level check.
SeeEngine Coolant on
page 10‑18.
.Windshield washer fluid level
check. See Washer Fluid on
page 10‑26.
Once a Month
.Tire inflation pressures check.
See Tire Pressure on
page 10‑57.
.Tire wear inspection. See Tire
Inspection on page 10‑64.
.Sunroof track and seal
inspection, if equipped.
See Sunroof on page 2‑22.

Black plate (9,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
Customer Information 13-9
.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.
Services Not Included in
Roadside Service
.Impound towing caused by
violation of any laws.
.Legal fines.
.Mounting, dismounting,
or changing of snow tires,
chains, or other traction devices.
.Towing or services for vehicles
driven on a non-public road or
highway.
Services Specific to
Canadian‐Purchased Vehicles
.Fuel delivery: Reimbursement
is approximately $5 Canadian.
Diesel fuel delivery may be
restricted. Propane and other
fuels are not provided through
this service.
.Lock-Out Service: Vehicle
registration is required.
.Trip Routing Service: Limit of
six requests per year.

Black plate (2,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
i-2 INDEX
B
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-89
Load Management . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-11
Power Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-12
Voltage and ChargingMessages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-31
Blade Replacement, Wiper . . . 10-35
Bluetooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-102
Brake Pedal and Adjustable
Throttle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-31
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27 Antilock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-45
Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-47
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-46
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-31
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Break-In, New Vehicle . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-41 Back-Up Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-40
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37 Bulb Replacement (cont.)
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-39
High Intensity Discharge
(HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-39
License Plate Lamps . . . . . . . 10-41
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-66
C
Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
California Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . 9-64
Perchlorate Materials
Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Camera, Rear Vision . . . . . . . . . . 9-59
Canadian Vehicle Owners . . . . . . . . iii
Capacities and Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Carbon Monoxide Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-38
Liftgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9, 2-10
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Cautions, Danger, and Warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv CD
DVD Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-19
Center Console Storage . . . . . . . . 4-3
Chains, Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-72
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . 5-18
Check Engine Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Ignition
Transmission Lock . . . . . . . . 10-34
Child Restraints Infants and Young
Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-57
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children . . . . . . . . . 3-63
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-55
Securing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-72, 3-75
Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-60
Cigarette Lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-42
Cleaning Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-97
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-101
Climate Control Systems Dual Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-6

Black plate (9,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
INDEX i-9
R
Radio FrequencyIdentification (RFID) . . . . . . . . 13-19
Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-19
Radios AM-FM Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-10
CD/DVD Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-19
Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-17
Satellite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-16
Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-10
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-32 Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-49
Rear Climate Control System . . . 8-6
Rear Seat Audio (RSA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-58
Rear Seat
Entertainment
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-33, 7-43
Rear Seat Audio (RSA) . . . . . . . 7-58
Rear Seats
Heated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Rear Side Window Antenna . . . 7-18
Rear Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . 9-59
Rear Window Washer/Wiper . . . . 5-6 Rearview Mirrors
Automatic Dimming . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-7
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . 9-64
Records Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11-10
Recreational Vehicle Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-94
Reimbursement Program,
GM Mobility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-7
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2, 2-3
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Replacement Glass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . 10-41
Replacement Parts Airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-54
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-9
Replacing Airbag System . . . . . . 3-54
Replacing LATCH System Parts After a Crash . . . . . . . . . . . 3-71 Replacing Safety Belt
System Parts After a
Crash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-39
Reporting Safety Defects Canadian Government . . . . . . 13-17
General Motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-17
U.S. Government . . . . . . . . . . . 13-16
Restraints Where to Put . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-62
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Ride Control Systems Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-37
Road Sensing Suspension . . . 9-50
Road Sensing Suspension . . . . 9-50
Roadside Service . . . . . . . 13-7, 13-10
Roof Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-22
Roof Rack System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Rotation, Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-64
Routing, Engine Drive Belt . . . . . 12-3
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-39

Black plate (11,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
INDEX i-11
Storage AreasArmrest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Center Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Roof Rack System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Stuck Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Sun Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-22
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-22
Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
Symbols, Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . 7-64
System Roof Rack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
System Needs Service, If . . . . . . 7-98
T
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Text Telephone (TTY) Users . . . 13-6
Theft-Deterrent Systems . . . . . . . 2-15 Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Third-Row Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-18
Throttle, Adjustable . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-31
Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8 Tires
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-66
Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-72
Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-75
Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-53
Different Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-68
Full-Size Spare . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-88
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . 10-73
Inflation Monitor System . . . . 10-60
Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-64
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-39
Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-58
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Pressure Monitor System . . . 10-59
Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-64
Secondary Latch System . . . 10-86
Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . 10-52
Terminology and
Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-54
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-69
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-71
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . 10-71
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-65 Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-43
Tow/Haul Mode Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Towing
Driving Characteristics . . . . . . . . 9-71
Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-78
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 9-70
Recreational Vehicle . . . . . . . . 10-94
Trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-74
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-94
Traction Road Sensing Suspension . . . 9-50
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-74
Transmission Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-40
Fluid, Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-12
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-40
Transportation Program, Courtesy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-11
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8

Black plate (12,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
i-12 INDEX
U
Ultrasonic Parking Assist . . . . . . 9-54
Uniform Tire QualityGrading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-69
Universal Remote System . . . . . 5-50 Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-55
Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-50
Updates Map Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-98
Using this Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
V
Vehicle Canadian Owners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-31
Personalization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-40
Remote Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-94 Vehicle Care
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-57
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Service Parts IdentificationLabel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Vehicle Positioning . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-97
Vehicle Reminder
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-40
Ventilation, Air . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-8
Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-22
Voice Recognition . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-99W
Warning Lights, Gauges, and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv Cautions and Danger . . . . . . . . . . . .iv
Hazard Flashers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-26
Washer Fluid Messages . . . . . . . 5-40 Wheels
Alignment and Tire
Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-71
Different Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-68
Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-71
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-65
Where to Put the Restraint . . . . 3-62
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19 Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-20
Windshield
Wiper/Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . 10-35
Wipers Rear Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6