2012 CADILLAC ESCALADE ESV airbag off

Black plate (13,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
Instruments and Controls 5-13
Engine Coolant
Temperature Gauge
This gauge shows the engine
coolant temperature.
If the indicator on the gauge moves
towards the shaded area on the
thermostat, it means that the engine
coolant has overheated. If the
vehicle has been operating under
normal driving conditions, pull off
the road, stop the vehicle and turn
off the engine as soon as possible.
See Engine Overheating on
page 10 ‑ 19 . Safety Belt Reminders Driver Safety Belt Reminder
Light There is a driver safety belt
reminder light on the instrument
panel cluster.
When the vehicle is started, this
light flashes and a chime may come
on to remind the driver to fasten
their safety belt. Then the light stays
on solid until the belt is buckled.
This cycle may continue several
times if the driver remains or
becomes unbuckled while the
vehicle is moving.
If the driver safety belt is buckled,
neither the light nor the chime
comes on. Passenger Safety Belt
Reminder Light
When the vehicle is started, this
light flashes and a chime may come
on to remind front passengers to
fasten their safety belt. Then the
light stays on solid until the belt is
buckled.
See Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator on page 5 ‑ 14 .
This cycle continues several times
if the front passenger remains or
becomes unbuckled while the
vehicle is moving.
If the front passenger safety belt is
buckled, neither the chime nor the
light comes on.

Black plate (14,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
5-14 Instruments and Controls The front passenger safety belt
reminder light and chime may turn
on if an object is put on the seat
such as a briefcase, handbag,
grocery bag, laptop, or other
electronic device. To turn off the
reminder light and/or chime, remove
the object from the seat or buckle
the safety belt.
Airbag Readiness Light The system checks the airbag's
electrical system for possible
malfunctions. If the light stays on it
indicates there is an electrical
problem. The system check includes
the airbag sensor(s), passenger
sensing system, the pretensioners,
the airbag modules, the wiring, and
the crash sensing and diagnostic
module. For more information on the
airbag system, see Airbag System
on page 3 ‑ 25 . The airbag readiness light comes on
solid for a few seconds when the
engine is started. If the light does
not come on then, have it fixed
immediately.
{ WARNINGIf the airbag readiness light stays
on after the vehicle is started or
comes on while driving, it means
the airbag system might not be
working properly. The airbags in
the vehicle might not inflate in a
crash, or they could even inflate
without a crash. To help avoid
injury, have the vehicle serviced
right away. If there is a problem with the airbag
system, a Driver Information Center
(DIC) message can also come on.
See Airbag System Messages on
page 5 ‑ 35 for more information.
Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator If the vehicle has the airbag status
indicator pictured in the following
illustration, then the vehicle has a
passenger sensing system for the
right front passenger position.
The passenger airbag status
indicator is on the overhead
console. See Passenger Sensing
System on page 3 ‑ 33 for important
safety information.
In addition, if the vehicle has a
passenger sensing system for the
right front passenger position, the
label on the vehicle's sun visors
refers to “ ADVANCED AIRBAGS. ”

Black plate (15,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
Instruments and Controls 5-15
United States
Canada and Mexico
When the vehicle is started, the
passenger airbag status indicator
will light ON and OFF, or the
symbols for on and off, for several
seconds as a system check. If you
are using remote start, if equipped,
to start the vehicle from a distance,
you may not see the system check. Then, after several more seconds,
the status indicator will light either
ON or OFF, or either the on or off
symbol to let you know the status of
the right front passenger frontal
airbag.
If the word ON or the on symbol is
lit on the passenger airbag status
indicator, it means that the right
front passenger frontal airbag is
enabled (may inflate).
If the word OFF or the off symbol is
lit on the airbag status indicator, it
means that the passenger sensing
system has turned off the right front
passenger frontal airbag.
If, after several seconds, both
status indicator lights remain on,
or if there are no lights at all, there
may be a problem with the lights or
the passenger sensing system.
See your dealer for service. { WARNINGIf the airbag readiness light ever
comes on and stays on, it means
that something may be wrong
with the airbag system. To help
avoid injury to yourself or others,
have the vehicle serviced right
away. See Airbag Readiness
Light on page 5 ‑ 14 for more
information, including important
safety information.

Black plate (35,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
Instruments and Controls 5-35TRACTION XX
STABILITRAK XX This message displays when the
traction control and/or StabiliTrak
systems have been turned on or off.
Adjust your driving accordingly.
To limit wheel spin and realize
the full benefits of the stability
enhancement system, you should
normally leave StabiliTrak on.
However, you should turn
StabiliTrak off if the vehicle gets
stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow
and you want to rock the vehicle
to attempt to free it, or if you
are driving in extreme off-road
conditions and require more wheel
spin. See If the Vehicle Is Stuck on
page 9 ‑ 15 . To turn the StabiliTrak
system on or off, see StabiliTrak ®
System on page 9 ‑ 37 . STABILITRAK OFF may also
display when the stability control
has been automatically disabled.
There are several conditions that
can cause this message to appear. .
One condition is overheating,
which could occur if StabiliTrak
activates continuously for an
extended period of time. .
The message also displays if the
brake system warning light is on.
See Brake System Warning
Light on page 5 ‑ 19 . .
The message could display if the
stability system takes longer
than usual to complete its
diagnostic checks due to driving
conditions. .
The message displays if an
engine or vehicle related
problem has been detected
and the vehicle needs service.
See your dealer. The message turns off as soon as
the conditions that caused the
message to be displayed are no
longer present.
Airbag System Messages SERVICE AIR BAG This message displays if there is a
problem with the airbag system.
Have your dealer inspect the
system for problems. See Airbag
Readiness Light on page 5 ‑ 14 and
Airbag System on page 3 ‑ 25 for
more information.

Black plate (23,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
Driving and Operating 9-23Retained Accessory Power (RAP)
will remain active. See Retained
Accessory Power (RAP) on
page 9 ‑ 26 .
This position locks the ignition.
It may also lock the steering wheel
and automatic transmission. The
key can be removed in LOCK/OFF.
Do not turn the engine off when the
vehicle is moving. This will cause a
loss of power assist in the brake
and steering systems and disable
the airbags.
If the vehicle must be shut off In an
emergency:
1. Brake using a firm and steady
pressure. Do not pump the
brakes repeatedly. This may
deplete power assist, requiring
increased brake pedal force.
2. Shift the vehicle to N (Neutral).
This can be done while the
vehicle is moving. After shifting
to N (Neutral), firmly apply the
brakes and steer the vehicle to a
safe location. 3. Come to a complete stop, shift
to P (Park), and turn the ignition
to LOCK/OFF. On vehicles with
an automatic transmission, the
shift lever must be in P (Park) to
turn the ignition switch to the
LOCK/OFF position.
4. Set the parking brake. See
Parking Brake on page 9 ‑ 36 .
{ WARNINGTurning off the vehicle while
moving may cause loss of power
assist in the brake and steering
systems and disable the airbags.
While driving, only shut the
vehicle off in an emergency.
If the vehicle cannot be pulled over,
and must be shut off while driving,
turn the ignition to ACC/
ACCESSORY.
The steering may bind with the
wheels turned off center. If this
happens, move the steering wheel
from right to left while turning the key to ACC/ACCESSORY. If this
doesn't work, then the vehicle needs
service.
Notice: Using a tool to force the
key to turn in the ignition could
cause damage to the switch or
break the key. Use the correct
key, make sure it is all the way in,
and turn it only with your hand.
If the key cannot be turned by
hand, see your dealer.
B (ACC/ACCESSORY): This
position lets things like the radio
and the windshield wipers operate
while the engine is off. Use this
position if the vehicle must be
pushed or towed.
C (ON/RUN): This position can be
used to operate the electrical
accessories and to display some
instrument panel cluster warning
and indicator lights. This position
can also be used for service and
diagnostics, and to verify the proper
operation of the malfunction
indicator lamp as may be required
for emission inspection purposes.

Black plate (16,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
13-16 Customer Information Move the vehicle only if its position
puts you in danger, or you are
instructed to move it by a police
officer.
Give only the necessary information
to police and other parties involved
in the crash.
For emergency towing see
Roadside Service (U.S. and
Canada) on page 13 ‑ 7 or Roadside
Service (Mexico) on page 13 ‑ 9 .
Gather the following information: .
Driver name, address, and
telephone number. .
Driver license number. .
Owner name, address, and
telephone number. .
Vehicle license plate number. .
Vehicle make, model, and
model year. .
Vehicle Identification
Number (VIN). .
Insurance company and policy
number. .
General description of the
damage to the other vehicle.
Choose a reputable repair facility
that uses quality replacement parts.
See “ Collision Parts ” earlier in this
section.
If the airbag has inflated, see What
Will You See after an Airbag
Inflates? on page 3 ‑ 32 .
Managing the Vehicle Damage
Repair Process In the event that the vehicle requires
damage repairs, GM recommends
that you take an active role in its
repair. If you have a pre-determined
repair facility of choice, take the
vehicle there, or have it towed there.
Specify to the facility that any
required replacement collision parts
be original equipment parts, either
new Genuine GM parts or recycled
original GM parts. Remember,
recycled parts will not be covered by
the GM vehicle warranty. Insurance pays the bill for the repair,
but you must live with the repair.
Depending on your policy limits,
your insurance company may
initially value the repair using
aftermarket parts. Discuss this with
the repair professional, and insist on
Genuine GM parts. Remember,
if the vehicle is leased, you may be
obligated to have the vehicle
repaired with Genuine GM parts,
even if your insurance coverage
does not pay the full cost.
If another party's insurance
company is paying for the repairs,
you are not obligated to accept a
repair valuation based on that
insurance company's collision policy
repair limits, as you have no
contractual limits with that company.
In such cases, you can have control
of the repair and parts choices as
long as the cost stays within
reasonable limits.

Black plate (7,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
INDEX i-7LATCH System
Replacing Parts after a
Crash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-56
LATCH, Lower Anchors and
Tethers for Children . . . . . . . . . . 3-49
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
Level Control
Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-40
Liftgate
Carbon Monoxide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Lighter, Cigarette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Lighting
Entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
Exit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
Illumination Control . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
LED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
Lights
Airbag Readiness . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Antilock Brake System
(ABS) Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Brake System Warning . . . . . . . 5-19
Charging System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Engine Oil Pressure . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Front Fog Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23 Lights (cont'd)
High-Beam On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . . 6-5
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . 5-13
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
StabiliTrak ®
OFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Traction Control System
(TCS)/StabiliTrak ®
. . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Locking Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-40
Locks
Automatic Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Lockout Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Power Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Lower Anchors and Tethers
for Children (LATCH
System) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-49
Lumbar Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3 M Maintenance
Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11-16
Maintenance Schedule
Recommended Fluids
and Lubricants . . . . . . . . . . . . .11-13
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . 5-16
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Map Data Updates . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-98
Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-63
Memory Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Memory Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5
Menu
Configure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-84
Messages
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-35
Anti-theft Alarm System . . . . . . . 5-36
Battery Voltage and
Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-29
Brake System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-29
Door Ajar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-29
Engine Cooling System . . . . . . . 5-30
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-31
Engine Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-32
Fuel System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-32
Key and Lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-32

Black plate (11,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
INDEX i-11Seats
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Heated and Ventilated Front . . . 3-7
Heated, Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8
Lumbar Adjustment, Front . . . . . 3-3
Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5
Power Adjustment, Front . . . . . . 3-3
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Second Row . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8
Third Row Seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-12
Second Row Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8
Secondary Latch System . . . . . 10-85
Securing Child
Restraints . . . . . . . . 3-56, 3-59, 3-60
Security
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
OnStar ®
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-2
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13 Service
Accessories and
Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Doing Your Own Work . . . . . . . . 10-4
Engine Soon Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Maintenance Records . . . . . . .11-16
Maintenance, General
Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-1
Parts Identification Label . . . . . 12-1
Publications Ordering
Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-17
Scheduling Appointments . . . 13-13
Servicing the Airbag . . . . . . . . . . . 3-38
Shift Lock Control Function
Check, Automatic
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Shifting
Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Side Blind Zone Alert . . . . . . . . . . 9-45 Signals, Turn and
Lane-Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Specifications and
Capacities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
StabiliTrak
OFF Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-37
Start Assist, Hills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-36
Start Vehicle, Remote . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Fluid, Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22
Heated Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
Wheel Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Wheel Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Steps
Power Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Storage
Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2