Black plate (2,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
2012 Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual MDriving and Operating . . . . . . . . 9-1
Driving Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Starting and Operating . . . . . . . 9-21
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-29
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 9-30
Drive Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-34
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Ride Control Systems . . . . . . . . 9-37
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-41
Object Detection Systems . . . . 9-44
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-51
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-57
Conversions and Add-Ons . . . 9-69
Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Vehicle Checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33 Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
Electrical System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Wheels and Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-46
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-88
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-93
Appearance Care . . . . . . . . . . . 10-96
Service and Maintenance . . . 11-1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 11-1
Cadillac Premium Care
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-3
Maintenance Schedule . . . . . . . 11-3
Special Application
Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-9
Additional Maintenance
and Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-9
Recommended Fluids,
Lubricants, and Parts . . . . . . 11-13
Maintenance Records . . . . . . . 11-16 Technical Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Vehicle Identification . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Vehicle Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Customer Information . . . . . . . 13-1
Customer Information . . . . . . . . 13-1
Reporting Safety Defects . . . . 13-18
Vehicle Data Recording and
Privacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-19
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-1
OnStar Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-1
OnStar Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-2
OnStar Additional
Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-5
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i-1
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 (13,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
In Brief 1-13Power Folding Mirrors
To fold the mirrors:
1. Press (C) to fold the mirrors out
to the driving position.
2. Press (D) to fold the mirrors in to
the folded position.
See Power Mirrors on page 2 ‑ 16 .
Automatic Dimming Mirror
The driver outside mirror
automatically dimes for the glare
of headlamps from behind.
This feature is controlled by the
on and off setting on the inside
rearview mirror. See Automatic
Dimming Rearview Mirror on
page 2 ‑ 17 for more information.
Heated Mirrors
The heated outside rearview mirrors
turn on when the rear window
defogger is on.
Press
1 to heat the mirrors. See “ Rear Window Defogger ” under
Dual Automatic Climate Control
System on page 8 ‑ 1 for more
information.
Park Tilt Mirrors
If the vehicle has the memory
package, the exterior mirrors tilt to
a preselected position when the
vehicle is in R (Reverse). This
feature lets the driver view the curb
when parallel parking. The mirrors
return to the original position
when the vehicle is shifted out of
R (Reverse), or the ignition is turned
off or to OFF/LOCK.
This feature can be programed
through the Driver Information
Center (DIC). See Vehicle
Personalization on page 5 ‑ 38 for
more information. Interior Mirror Adjustment
Hold the rearview mirror in the
center and move it to view the area
behind the vehicle.
Automatic Dimming Rearview
Mirror
The mirror will automatically reduce
the glare from the headlamps from
behind. The dimming feature comes
on and the indicator light illuminates
each time the vehicle is started.
O : Press to turn the dimming
feature on or off.
See Automatic Dimming Rearview
Mirror on page 2 ‑ 17 for more
information.
Black plate (15,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
In Brief 1-15Dome Lamp Override
The dome lamp override button is
located next to the exterior lamps
control.
k : Press the button in and the
dome lamps remain off when a door
is opened. Press the button again to
return it to the extended position so
that the dome lamps come on when
a door is opened. Reading Lamps
For vehicles with reading lamps in
the overhead console, press the
button located next to the lamp to
turn it on or off.
The vehicle may also have reading
lamps in other locations. The lamps
cannot be adjusted.
For more information about interior
lamps, see: .
Dome Lamps on page 6 ‑ 9 . .
Reading Lamps on page 6 ‑ 9 ..
Instrument Panel Illumination
Control on page 6 ‑ 8 .Exterior Lighting
The exterior lamps control is located
on the instrument panel to the left of
the steering wheel.
P : Turns off the automatic
headlamps and Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL). Turning the headlamp
control to the off position again will
turn the automatic headlamps and
DRL back on.
For vehicles first sold in Canada,
the off position only works when the
vehicle is shifted into the P (Park)
position.
Black plate (16,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
1-16 In Brief AUTO: Automatically turns on the
headlamps at normal brightness,
along with the parking lamps,
instrument panel lights, license plate
lamps, and taillamps.
; : Turns on the parking lamps,
along with the instrument panel
lights, license plate lamps, and
taillamps.
5 : Turns on the headlamps,
parking lamps, instrument panel
lights, license plate lamps, and
taillamps.
For more information, see: .
Exterior Lamp Controls on
page 6 ‑ 1 ..
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)
on page 6 ‑ 5 ..
Fog Lamps on page 6 ‑ 8 .Windshield Wiper/Washer
The front and rear wiper controls
are located on the turn and
lane ‐ change lever.
Turn the band with the wiper symbol
to control the windshield wipers.
8 : For a single wipe, turn to
8 ,
then release. For several wipes,
hold the band on
8 longer.
9 : Turns the windshield
wipers off. 6 : Turn the band up for more
frequent wipes or down for less
frequent wipes.
6 : Slow wipes.
? : Fast wipes.
L : Push the paddle at the top of
the lever to spray washer fluid on
the windshield.
Rear Wiper Window Wiper/Washer
To turn the rear wiper on, slide the
lever to a wiper position.
9 : Turns the wiper off.
5 : Turns on the rear wiper delay.
Z : Turns on the rear wiper.
= : Press the button on the end of
the lever to spray washer fluid on
the rear window.
See Windshield Wiper/Washer on
page 5 ‑ 4 and Rear Window
Wiper/Washer on page 5 ‑ 5 .
Black plate (13,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-13
Vehicle Security This vehicle has theft-deterrent
features; however, they do not make
it impossible to steal.
Anti-theft Alarm System Your vehicle has a content
theft-deterrent alarm system.
This is the security light.
To arm the theft-deterrent system:
1. Open the door.
2. Lock the door with the Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter
or the power door lock switch. The security light will come on to
inform the driver the system is
arming. If a door is open when
the doors are locked, the
security light will flash.
If the delayed locking feature is
turned on, the theft ‐ deterrent
system will not start the arming
process until the last door is
closed and the delay timer has
expired. See Delayed Locking
on page 2 ‑ 8 .
3. Close all doors. The security
light should go off after about
30 seconds. The alarm is not
armed until the security light
goes off.
If a locked driver door is opened
without using the RKE transmitter, a
10-second pre-alarm will occur. The
horn will chirp and the lights will
flash. If the key is not placed in the
ignition and turned to START or the
door is not unlocked by pressing the
unlock button on the RKE
transmitter during the 10-second pre-alarm, the alarm will go off. Your
vehicle's headlamps will flash and
the horn will sound for about
30 seconds, then will turn off to save
the battery power.
The theft-deterrent system will not
activate if the doors are locked with
the vehicle's key or the manual door
lock. It activates only if you use the
power door lock switch with the door
open or the RKE transmitter. You
should also remember that you can
start your vehicle with the correct
ignition key if the alarm has been
set off.
To avoid setting off the alarm by
accident: .
If you do not want to activate the
theft-deterrent system, the
vehicle should be locked with
the door key after the doors are
closed. .
Always unlock the doors with the
RKE transmitter. Unlocking a
door any other way will set off
the alarm if it is armed.
Black plate (14,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
2-14 Keys, Doors, and Windows If you set off the alarm by accident,
press unlock on the RKE transmitter
or place the key in the ignition and
turn it to START to turn off the
alarm. The alarm will not stop if you
try to unlock a door any other way.
Testing the Alarm To test the alarm:
1. From inside the vehicle, lower
the driver window and open the
driver door.
2. Activate the system by locking
the doors with the power door
lock switch while the door is
open, or with the RKE
transmitter.
3. Get out of the vehicle, close the
door and wait for the security
light to go out.
4. Then reach in through the
window, unlock the door with the
manual door lock and open the
door. This should set off the
alarm. While the alarm is set, the power
door unlock switch will not work.
If the alarm does not sound when it
should but the headlamps flash,
check to see if the horn works. The
horn fuse may be blown. To replace
the fuse, see Fuses and Circuit
Breakers on page 10 ‑ 39 .
If the alarm does not sound or the
headlamps do not flash, the vehicle
should be serviced by your dealer.
Immobilizer See Radio Frequency Statement on
page 13 ‑ 21 for information
regarding Part 15 of the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC)
rules and Industry Canada
Standards RSS-GEN/210/220/310. Immobilizer Operation This vehicle has PASS-Key ®
III+
(Personalized Automotive Security
System) theft-deterrent system.
PASS-Key III+ is a passive
theft-deterrent system.
The system is automatically armed
when the key is removed from the
ignition.
The system is automatically
disarmed when the key is turned to
ON/RUN, ACC/ACCESSORY,
or START from the LOCK/OFF
position.
You do not have to manually arm or
disarm the system.
The security light will come on if
there is a problem with arming or
disarming the theft-deterrent
system.
When the PASS-Key III+ system
senses that someone is using the
wrong key, it prevents the vehicle
from starting. Anyone using a
trial-and-error method to start the
Black plate (17,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-17See Power Mirrors on page 2 ‑ 16 .
Turn Signal Indicator The vehicle has a turn signal
indicator on the mirror. An arrow on
the mirror flashes in the direction of
the turn or lane change.
Heated Mirrors The heated outside rearview mirrors
turn on when the rear window
defogger is on.
1 (Rear Window Defogger): This
button is on the climate control
panel.
See “ Rear Window Defogger ” under
Dual Automatic Climate Control
System on page 8 ‑ 1 for more
information.
Automatic Dimming
Mirror The vehicle has an automatic
dimming mirror. The driver outside
mirror automatically adjusts for the
glare of headlamps behind you. This feature is controlled by the on and
off setting on the inside rearview
mirror. See Automatic Dimming
Rearview Mirror on page 2 ‑ 17 for
more information.
Park Tilt Mirrors If the vehicle has the memory
package, the passenger and/or
driver mirror tilts to a preselected
position when the vehicle is in
R (Reverse). This feature lets the
driver view the curb when parallel
parking. The mirror(s) return to the
original position when the vehicle is
shifted out of R (Reverse), or the
ignition is turned off or to
OFF/LOCK.
Turn this feature on or off through
the Driver Information Center (DIC).
See Driver Information Center (DIC)
on page 5 ‑ 23 for more information.Interior Mirrors Automatic Dimming
Rearview Mirror To adjust the inside rearview mirror,
hold the rearview mirror in the
center and move it to view the area
behind the vehicle.
The automatic dimming rearview
mirror will automatically reduce the
glare from the headlamps from
behind. The dimming feature comes
on when the vehicle is started.
O (On/Off): Press to turn the
dimming feature on or off.
The vehicle may have IntelliBeam ®
.
For more information on IntelliBeam,
see “ IntelliBeam Intelligent
High ‐ Beam Headlamp Control
System ” under Exterior Lamp
Controls on page 6 ‑ 1 .