Black plate (5,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
Introduction v
Vehicle Symbol Chart
Here are some additional symbols
that may be found on the vehicle
and what they mean. For more
information on the symbol, refer to
the Index.
0:Adjustable Pedals
9:Airbag Readiness Light
#:Air Conditioning
!:Antilock Brake System (ABS)
g:Audio Steering Wheel Controls
or OnStar®
$: Brake System Warning Light
":Charging System
I:Cruise Control
B: Engine Coolant Temperature
O:Exterior Lamps
#:Fog Lamps
.: Fuel Gauge
+:Fuses
3: Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer
(: Heated Steering Wheel
j:LATCH System Child
Restraints
*: Malfunction Indicator Lamp
::Oil Pressure
g:Outside Power Foldaway
Mirrors
}: Power
/:Remote Vehicle Start
>:Safety Belt Reminders
7:Tire Pressure Monitor
_: Tow/Haul Mode
F:Traction Control
M:Windshield Washer Fluid
Black plate (19,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
In Brief 1-19
Driver Information
Center (DIC)
The DIC display is located at the
bottom of the instrument panel
cluster. It shows the status of
many vehicle systems and enables
access to the personalization menu.
The DIC buttons are located on
the instrument panel, next to the
steering wheel.
3:Press to display the
odometer, trip odometer, fuel
range, average economy, fuel
used, timer, transmission
temperature, instantaneous
economy, and average vehicle
speed. The compass and outside
air temperature will also be shown
in the display. The temperature
will be shown in °C or °F depending
on the units selected.
T: Press to display the oil life,
units, side blind zone system on/off,
tire pressure readings for vehicles
with the Tire Pressure Monitor
System (TPMS), compass zone
setting, and compass recalibration.
U: Press to customize the
feature settings on your vehicle.
See Vehicle Personalization on
page 5‑40 for more information.
V:Press to set or reset certain
functions and to turn off or
acknowledge messages on the DIC.
For more information, see Driver
Information Center (DIC) on
page 5‑26.
Vehicle Customization
Some vehicle features can be
programmed by using the DIC
buttons next to the steering wheel.
These features include:
.Language
.Door Lock and Unlock Settings
.RKE Lock and Unlock Feedback
.Lighting
.Chime Volume
.Memory Features
.Digital Speedometer Display
See Vehicle Personalization on
page 5‑40.
Black plate (7,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
Keys, Doors and Windows 2-7
Also, the engine will turn off during a
remote vehicle start if the coolant
temperature gets too high or if the
oil pressure gets low.
Door Locks
{WARNING
Unlocked doors can be
dangerous.
.Passengers, especially
children, can easily open
the doors and fall out of a
moving vehicle. When a door
is locked, the handle will not
open it. The chance of being
thrown out of the vehicle in
a crash is increased if the
doors are not locked. So, all
passengers should wear
safety belts properly and the
doors should be locked
whenever the vehicle is
driven.(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
.Young children who get into
unlocked vehicles may be
unable to get out. A child can
be overcome by extreme heat
and can suffer permanent
injuries or even death from
heat stroke. Always lock the
vehicle whenever leaving it.
.Outsiders can easily enter
through an unlocked door
when you slow down or stop
your vehicle. Locking your
doors can help prevent this
from happening.
There are several ways to lock and
unlock the vehicle. From outside, use the Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter
or the key in the driver door.
From inside, use the power door
locks or manual door locks. To lock
or unlock the door with the manual
locks, push down or pull up on the
manual lock knob.
Power Door Locks
With power door locks, the switches
on the front doors can be used to
lock and unlock the vehicle.
K(Unlock):
Press to unlock the
doors.
Q(Lock): Press to lock the doors.
Black plate (1,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-1
Instruments and
Controls
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . 5-2
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . 5-3
Heated Steering Wheel . . . . . . . 5-5
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . 5-5
Rear Window Wiper/Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Cigarette Lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Ashtrays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Engine Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . 5-15
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . 5-16
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Charging System Light . . . . . . 5-18
Malfunction
Indicator Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18 Brake System Warning
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Tow/Haul Mode Light . . . . . . . . 5-23
StabiliTrak
®Indicator Light . . . 5-23
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . 5-24
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
High-Beam on Light . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . 5-25
Lamps on Reminder . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Information Displays
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Black plate (27,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-27
The compass and outside air
temperature will also be shown in
the display. The temperature will be
shown in °C or °F depending on the
units selected.
T(Vehicle Information):
Press to display the oil life, units,
side blind zone system on/off,
tire pressure readings for vehicles
with the Tire Pressure Monitor
System (TPMS), compass zone
setting, and compass recalibration.
U(Customization): Press to
customize the feature settings
on your vehicle. See Vehicle
Personalization on page 5‑40
for more information.
V(Set/Reset): Press to set or
reset certain functions and to turn
off or acknowledge messages on
the DIC.
Trip/Fuel Menu Items
3(Trip/Fuel): Press to scroll
through the following menu items:
Odometer
Press the trip/fuel button until
ODOMETER displays. This display
shows the distance the vehicle has
been driven in either kilometers (km)
or miles (mi).
To switch between English and
metric measurements, see “Units”
later in this section.
Trip Odometer
Press the trip/fuel button until TRIP
displays. This display shows the
current distance traveled in either
kilometers (km) or miles (mi)) since
the last reset for the trip odometer.
The trip odometer can be reset to
zero by pressing the set/reset
button while the trip odometer is
displayed. Fuel Range
Press the trip/fuel button until
FUEL RANGE displays. This display
shows the approximate number
of remaining kilometers (km) or
miles (mi) the vehicle can be driven
without refueling. The display will
show LOW if the fuel level is low.
The fuel range estimate is based
on an average of the vehicle's fuel
economy over recent driving history
and the amount of fuel remaining
in the fuel tank. This estimate will
change if driving conditions change.
For example, if driving in traffic and
making frequent stops, this display
may read one number, but if the
vehicle is driven on a freeway, the
number may change even though
the same amount of fuel is in the
fuel tank. This is because different
driving conditions produce different
fuel economies. Generally, freeway
driving produces better fuel
economy than city driving.
Fuel range cannot be reset.
Black plate (34,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
5-34 Instruments and Controls
Engine Oil Messages
CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
This message displays when the
engine oil needs to be changed.
When you change the engine oil,
be sure to reset the CHANGE
ENGINE OIL SOON message.
SeeEngine Oil Life System on
page 10‑11 for information on how
to reset the message. See Engine
Oil on page 10‑7 andScheduled
Maintenance on page 11‑2 for more
information.
ENGINE OIL HOT IDLE
ENGINE
This message displays when the
engine oil becomes hotter than the
normal operating temperature. Stop
and allow the vehicle to idle until it
cools down. See Engine Coolant
Temperature Gauge on page 5‑14.
OIL PRESSURE LOW STOP
ENGINE
Notice: If you drive the vehicle
while the engine oil pressure is
low, severe engine damage may
occur. If a low oil pressure
warning appears on the Driver
Information Center (DIC), stop
the vehicle as soon as possible.
Do not drive the vehicle until the
cause of the low oil pressure is
corrected. See Engine Oil on
page 10‑7 for more information.
This message displays if low oil
pressure levels occur. 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 the oil as soon
as possible and have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer. See Engine
Oil on page 10‑7.
Engine Power Messages
ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED
This message displays and a
chime sounds when the cooling
system temperature gets too hot
and the engine further enters the
engine coolant protection mode.
See Engine Overheating on
page 10‑22 for further information.
This message also displays
when the vehicle's engine power
is reduced. Reduced engine
power can affect the vehicle's
ability to accelerate. If this message
is on, but there is no reduction in
performance, proceed to your
destination. The performance
may be reduced the next time
the vehicle is driven. The vehicle
may be driven at a reduced speed
while this message is on, but
acceleration and speed may be
reduced. Anytime this message
stays on, the vehicle should be
taken to your dealer for service
as soon as possible.
Black plate (73,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-73
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering
wheel with one hand. Then, to
move the trailer to the left, move
that hand to the left. To move the
trailer to the right, move your hand
to the right. Always back up slowly
and, if possible, have someone
guide you.
Making Turns
Notice:Making very sharp turns
while trailering could cause the
trailer to come in contact with
the vehicle. The vehicle could be
damaged. Avoid making very
sharp turns while trailering.
When turning with a trailer, make
wider turns than normal. Do this
so the trailer will not strike soft
shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees
or other objects. Avoid jerky or
sudden maneuvers. Signal well in
advance.
If the trailer turn signal bulbs burn
out, the arrows on the instrument
panel will still flash for turns. It is important to check occasionally to
be sure the trailer bulbs are still
working.
Driving on Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a
lower gear
beforestarting down a
long or steep downgrade. If the
transmission is not shifted down,
the brakes might get hot and no
longer work well.
Vehicles can tow in D (Drive).
Shift the transmission to a lower
gear if the transmission shifts too
often under heavy loads and/or hilly
conditions.
The tow/haul mode may be used
if the transmission shifts too often.
See Tow/Haul Mode on page 9‑43.
When towing at high altitude on
steep uphill grades, consider the
following: Engine coolant will boil at
a lower temperature than at normal
altitudes. If the engine is turned off
immediately after towing at high
altitude on steep uphill grades, the
vehicle may show signs similar to engine overheating. To avoid this,
let the engine run while parked,
preferably on level ground, with the
automatic transmission in P (Park)
for a few minutes before turning the
engine off. If the overheat warning
comes on, see
Engine Overheating
on page 10‑22.
Parking on Hills
{WARNING
Parking the vehicle on a hill
with the trailer attached can be
dangerous. If something goes
wrong, the rig could start to move.
People can be injured, and both
the vehicle and the trailer can be
damaged. When possible, always
park the rig on a flat surface.
If parking the rig on a hill:
1. Press the brake pedal, but do not shift into P (Park) yet.
Turn the wheels into the curb if
facing downhill or into traffic if
facing uphill.
Black plate (10,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
10-10 Vehicle Care
Use of oils that do not meet the
dexos™specification, however, may
result in reduced performance under
certain circumstances.
Viscosity Grade
SAE 5W-30 is the best viscosity
grade for the vehicle. Do not
use other viscosity oils such as
SAE 10W‐30, 10W‐40, or 20W-50.Cold Temperature Operation:
In an area of extreme cold,
where the temperature falls
below −29°C (−20°F), an
SAE 0W-30 oil should be used.
An oil of this viscosity grade
will provide easier cold starting
for the engine at extremely low
temperatures. When selecting
an oil of the appropriate viscosity
grade, be sure to always
select an oil that meets the
required specification, dexos™.
See “Specification” for more
information.