Black plate (5,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
Introduction vVehicle 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)
% : 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
O : Power
/ : Remote Vehicle Start
> : Safety Belt Reminders
7 : Tire Pressure Monitor
_ : Tow/Haul Mode
d : Traction Control/StabiliTrak®
M : Windshield Washer Fluid
Black plate (1,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
In Brief 1-1
In Brief Instrument Panel Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . 1-4
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Liftgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8
Memory Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Second Row Seats . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Third Row Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Heated and Ventilated
Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Head Restraint
Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Passenger Sensing
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12
Mirror Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12
Steering Wheel
Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14 Throttle and Brake Pedal
Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . 1-16
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
Vehicle Features Radio(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Portable Audio Devices . . . . . . 1-18
Bluetooth ®
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Mobile Apps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . 1-19
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
Navigation System . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
Driver Information
Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
Side Blind Zone
Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-21
Rear Vision
Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-22
Ultrasonic Parking Assist . . . . 1-22
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-22
Universal Remote System . . . 1-22
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-23 Performance and Maintenance StabiliTrak ®
System . . . . . . . . . 1-24
Tire Pressure Monitor . . . . . . . . 1-24
Tire Sealant and
Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-24
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . 1-25
Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) . . . . . 1-25
Driving for Better Fuel
Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-25
Roadside Service . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-26
OnStar ®
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-26
Black plate (25,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
In Brief 1-25
Engine Oil Life System The engine oil life system calculates
engine oil life based on vehicle use
and displays a DIC message when
it is necessary to change the engine
oil and filter. The oil life system
should be reset to 100% only
following an oil change.
Resetting the Oil Life System
1. Display OIL LIFE REMAINING
on the DIC.
2. Press and hold the SET/RESET
button on the DIC for more than
five seconds. The oil life will
change to 100%.
See Engine Oil Life System on
page 10 ‑ 9 . Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) Vehicles that have a FlexFuel badge
and a yellow fuel cap can use either
unleaded gasoline or ethanol fuel
containing up to 85% ethanol (E85).
See Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) on
page 9 ‑ 54 . For all other vehicles,
use only the unleaded gasoline
described under Recommended
Fuel on page 9 ‑ 52 .
Driving for Better Fuel
Economy Driving habits can affect fuel
mileage. Here are some driving tips
to get the best fuel economy
possible. .
Avoid fast starts and accelerate
smoothly. .
Brake gradually and avoid
abrupt stops. .
Avoid idling the engine for long
periods of time. .
When road and weather
conditions are appropriate,
use cruise control. .
Always follow posted speed
limits or drive more slowly when
conditions require. .
Keep vehicle tires properly
inflated. .
Combine several trips into a
single trip. .
Replace the vehicle's tires with
the same TPC Spec number
molded into the tire's sidewall
near the size. .
Follow recommended scheduled
maintenance.
Black plate (6,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
2-6 Keys, Doors, and Windows
/ (Remote Start): This button will
be on the RKE transmitter if you
have remote start.
To start the vehicle using the remote
start feature:
1. Aim the transmitter at the
vehicle.
2. Press and release
Q .
3. Immediately press and hold
/until the turn signal lamps flash.
If you cannot see the vehicle's
lamps, press and hold
/ for
two to four seconds.
When the vehicle starts, the
parking lamps will turn on and
remain on while the vehicle is
running. The doors will be
locked and the climate control
system may come on.
The engine will continue to run
for 10 minutes. Repeat the steps
for a 10-minute time extension.
Remote start can be extended
only once. After entering the vehicle during a
remote start, insert and turn the key
to ON/RUN to drive the vehicle.
To cancel a remote start, do any of
the following: .
Aim the RKE transmitter at the
vehicle and press and hold
/until the parking lamps turn off. .
Turn on the hazard warning
flashers. .
Turn the ignition on and then
back off.
The vehicle can be remote started
two separate times between driving
sequences. The engine will run for
10 minutes after each remote start.
Or, you can extend the engine run
time by another 10 minutes within
the first 10 minute remote start time
frame, and before the engine stops.
For example, if
Q and then
/ are
pressed again after the vehicle has
been running for five minutes,
10 minutes are added, allowing the
engine to run for 15 minutes. The additional 10 minutes are
considered a second remote vehicle
start.
After the vehicle's engine has been
started two times using
/ , or a
single remote start with one time
extension, the vehicle must be
started with the key.
After the key is removed from the
ignition, the vehicle can be remote
started again.
The vehicle cannot be remote
started if the key is in the ignition,
the hood is not closed, or if there is
an emission control system
malfunction and the malfunction
indicator lamp is on.
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.
Black plate (1,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
Instruments and Controls 5-1
Instruments and
Controls Controls Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . 5-2
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . 5-2
Heated Steering Wheel . . . . . . . 5-4
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . 5-4
Rear Window
Wiper/Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Cigarette Lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Ashtrays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12 Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Engine Coolant Temperature
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . 5-13
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . 5-14
Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Charging System Light . . . . . . 5-16
Malfunction
Indicator Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Brake System Warning
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Antilock Brake System (ABS)
Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Tow/Haul Mode Light . . . . . . . . 5-20
StabiliTrak ®
OFF Light . . . . . . . 5-20
Traction Control System
(TCS)/StabiliTrak ®
Light . . . . 5-21
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . 5-22
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . 5-22 Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . 5-23
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Information Displays Driver Information
Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Vehicle Messages Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Battery Voltage and
Charging Messages . . . . . . . . 5-29
Brake System Messages . . . . 5-29
Door Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . 5-29
Engine Cooling System
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
Engine Oil Messages . . . . . . . . 5-31
Engine Power Messages . . . . 5-32
Fuel System Messages . . . . . . 5-32
Key and Lock Messages . . . . . 5-32
Lamp Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-32
Object Detection System
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-33
Ride Control System
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-34
Black plate (22,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
5-22 Instruments and Controls
Engine Oil Pressure Light Notice: Lack of proper engine oil
maintenance can damage the
engine. Driving with the engine
oil low can also damage the
engine. The repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Check the oil level as soon as
possible. Add oil if required, but
if the oil level is within the
operating range and the oil
pressure is still low, have the
vehicle serviced. Always follow
the maintenance schedule for
changing engine oil.
This light comes on briefly while
starting the engine. If it does not,
have the vehicle serviced by your
dealer. If the system is working
normally the indicator light then
goes off. If the light comes on and stays on, it
means that oil is not flowing through
the engine properly. The vehicle
could be low on oil and it might
have some other system problem.
If the vehicle is a hybrid, see the
hybrid supplement for more
information.
Security Light
The security light should come on
briefly as the engine is started. If the
system is working normally, the
indicator light turns off. If it does not
come on, have the vehicle serviced
by your dealer.
If the light stays on and the engine
does not start, there could be a
problem with the theft-deterrent
system. This light is also used to indicate
the status of the anti-theft alarm
system when the ignition is turned
off. The light will flash rapidly if the
alarm system is arming and one or
more of the monitored entry points
is not closed. The light will stay on if
the alarm is arming and all entry
points are closed.
For information regarding this light
and the vehicle's security system,
see Anti-theft Alarm System on
page 2 ‑ 13 .
High-Beam On Light
This light comes on when the
high-beam headlamps are in use.
See Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer on page 6 ‑ 5 for more
information.
Black plate (26,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
5-26 Instruments and Controls To start the timer, press the
set/reset button while TIMER is
displayed. The display will show the
amount of time that has passed
since the timer was last reset, not
including time the ignition is off.
Time will continue to be counted as
long as the ignition is on, even if
another display is being shown on
the DIC. The timer will record
up to 99 hours, 59 minutes and
59 seconds (99:59:59) after which
the display will return to zero.
To stop the timer, press the set/reset
button briefly while TIMER is
displayed.
To reset the timer to zero, press and
hold the set/reset button while
TIMER is displayed.
Transmission Temperature
Press the trip/fuel button until
TRANS TEMP displays. This
display shows the temperature of
the automatic transmission fluid in
either degrees Celsius (°C) or
degrees Fahrenheit (°F). Instantaneous Economy
If your vehicle has this display,
press the trip/fuel button until INST
ECON displays. This display shows
the current fuel economy at a
particular moment and will change
frequently as driving conditions
change. This display shows the
instantaneous fuel economy in liters
per 100 kilometers (L/100 km) or
miles per gallon (mpg). Unlike
average economy, this screen
cannot be reset.
The display may also show if the
vehicle is currently in V4, V6 or
V8 mode.
Average Vehicle Speed
Press the trip/fuel button until
AVERAGE SPEED displays.
This display shows the average
speed in kilometers per hour (km/h)
or miles per hour (MPH).
Blank Display
This display shows no information. Vehicle Information Menu
Items
T (Vehicle Information): Press
to scroll through the following menu
items:
Oil Life
Press the vehicle information
button until OIL LIFE REMAINING
displays. This display shows an
estimate of the oil's remaining
useful life. If you see 99% OIL LIFE
REMAINING on the display, that
means 99% of the current oil life
remains. The engine oil life system
will alert you to change the oil on a
schedule consistent with your
driving conditions.
When the remaining oil life is low,
the CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
message will appear on the display.
See “ CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON ”
under Engine Oil Messages on
page 5 ‑ 31 . You should change the
oil as soon as you can. See Engine
Oil on page 10 ‑ 7 . In addition to the
Black plate (27,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
Instruments and Controls 5-27engine oil life system monitoring the
oil life, additional maintenance is
recommended in the Maintenance
Schedule in this manual. See
Maintenance Schedule on
page 11 ‑ 3 for more information.
Remember, you must reset the OIL
LIFE display yourself after each oil
change. It will not reset itself. Also,
be careful not to reset the OIL LIFE
display accidentally at any time
other than when the oil has just
been changed. It cannot be reset
accurately until the next oil change.
To reset the engine oil life system,
see Engine Oil Life System on
page 10 ‑ 9 .
Side Blind Zone Alert
If your vehicle has the Side Blind
Zone Alert (SBZA) system, this
display allows the system to be
turned on or off. Once in this
display, press the set/reset button
to select between ON or OFF. If you choose ON, the system will
be turned on. If you choose OFF,
the system will be turned off. When
the SBZA system is turned off, the
DIC will display the SIDE BLIND
ZONE ALERT SYSTEM OFF
message as a reminder that the
system has been turned off. See
Object Detection System Messages
on page 5 ‑ 33 and Side Blind Zone
Alert (SBZA) on page 9 ‑ 45 for more
information.
Units
Press the vehicle information button
until UNITS displays. This display
allows you to select between metric
or English units of measurement.
Once in this display, press the
set/reset button to select between
ENGLISH or METRIC units.
All of the vehicle information will
then be displayed in the unit of
measurement selected. Tire Pressure
On vehicles with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS), the
pressure for each tire can be
viewed in the DIC. The tire pressure
will be shown in either pounds
kilopascals (kPa) or per square
inch (psi). Press the vehicle
information button until the DIC
displays FRONT TIRES kPa (PSI)
LEFT ## RIGHT ##. Press the
vehicle information button again
until the DIC displays REAR
TIRES kPa (PSI) LEFT ##
RIGHT ##.
If a low tire pressure condition is
detected by the system while
driving, a message advising you to
add air to a specific tire will appear
in the display. See Tire Pressure on
page 10 ‑ 52 and Tire Messages on
page 5 ‑ 36 for more information.
If the tire pressure display shows
dashes instead of a value, there
may be a problem with your vehicle.
If this consistently occurs, see your
dealer for service.