2012 CADILLAC ESCALADE ESV check engine light

Black plate (13,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
Vehicle Care 10-13See Engine Compartment
Overview on page 10 ‑ 6 for more
information.
2. Flip the handle up and then pull
out the dipstick and wipe it with
a clean rag or paper towel.
3. Install the dipstick by pushing it
back in all the way, wait
three seconds, and then pull it
back out again.
4. Check both sides of the dipstick
and read the lower level. Repeat
the check procedure to verify the
reading.
5. Safe operating level is within the
HOT cross hatch band on the
dipstick. If the fluid level is not
within the HOT band, and the
transmission temperature is
between 71°C and 93°C (160°F and 200°F), add or drain fluid as
necessary to bring the level into
the HOT band. If the fluid level is
low, add only enough fluid to
bring the level into the HOT
band. It does not take much
fluid, generally less than 0.5 L
(1 pint). Do not overfill.
6. If the fluid level is in the
acceptable range, push the
dipstick back in all the way, then
flip the handle down to lock the
dipstick in place.
Consistency of Readings Always check the fluid level at least
twice using the procedures
described. Consistency (repeatable
readings) is important to maintaining
proper fluid level. If fluid is added, it
may take 15 minutes or longer to
obtain an accurate reading because
of residual fluid draining down the
dipstick tube. If inconsistent
readings persist, check the
transmission breather to be sure it is clean and not clogged. If readings
are still inconsistent, contact your
dealer.
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter See Engine Compartment Overview
on page 10 ‑ 6 for the location of the
engine air cleaner/filter.
Inspect the air cleaner/filter at the
scheduled maintenance intervals
and replace it at the first oil change
after each 80 000 km (50,000 mile)
interval. See Maintenance Schedule
on page 11 ‑ 3 for more information.
If driving on dusty/dirty conditions,
inspect the filter at each engine oil
change.
How to Inspect the Engine Air
Cleaner/Filter
To inspect the air cleaner/filter,
remove the engine air cleaner/filter
from the vehicle by following
Steps 1 through 6. When the engine
air cleaner/filter is removed, lightly
shake it to release loose dust and
dirt. If the engine air cleaner/filter

Black plate (25,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
Vehicle Care 10-25Replacing Brake System Parts The braking system on a vehicle is
complex. Its many parts have to be
of top quality and work well together
if the vehicle is to have really good
braking. The vehicle was designed
and tested with top-quality brake
parts. When parts of the braking
system are replaced, be sure to get
new, approved replacement parts.
If this is not done, the brakes might
not work properly. For example,
installing disc brake pads that are
wrong for the vehicle, can change
the balance between the front and
rear brakes — for the worse. The
braking performance expected can
change in many other ways if the
wrong replacement brake parts are
installed. Brake Fluid
The brake master cylinder reservoir
is filled with DOT 3 brake fluid. See
Engine Compartment Overview on
page 10 ‑ 6 for the location of the
reservoir.
There are only two reasons why the
brake fluid level in the reservoir
might go down: .
The brake fluid level goes down
because of normal brake lining
wear. When new linings are
installed, the fluid level goes
back up. .
A fluid leak in the brake
hydraulic system can also cause
a low fluid level. Have the brake
hydraulic system fixed, since a
leak means that sooner or later
the brakes will not work well. Do not top off the brake fluid.
Adding fluid does not correct a leak.
If fluid is added when the linings are
worn, there will be too much fluid
when new brake linings are
installed. Add or remove brake fluid,
as necessary, only when work is
done on the brake hydraulic system.
{ WARNINGIf too much brake fluid is added, it
can spill on the engine and burn,
if the engine is hot enough. You
or others could be burned, and
the vehicle could be damaged.
Add brake fluid only when work is
done on the brake hydraulic
system. See “ Checking Brake
Fluid ” in this section.
When the brake fluid falls to a low
level, the brake warning light comes
on. See Brake System Warning
Light on page 5 ‑ 19 .

Black plate (90,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
10-90 Vehicle Care
The remote negative ( − ) terminal
is a stud located on the right
front of the engine, where the
negative battery cable attaches.
See Engine Compartment
Overview on page 10 ‑ 6 for more
information on the location of the
remote positive (+) and remote
negative ( − ) terminals. { WARNINGAn electric fan can start up even
when the engine is not running
and can injure you. Keep hands,
clothing and tools away from any
underhood electric fan.
{ WARNINGUsing an open flame near a
battery can cause battery gas to
explode. People have been hurt
doing this, and some have been
blinded. Use a flashlight if you
need more light.
Be sure the battery has enough
water. You do not need to add
water to the battery installed in
your new vehicle. But if a battery
has filler caps, be sure the right
amount of fluid is there. If it is low,
(Continued) WARNING (Continued) add water to take care of that
first. If you do not, explosive gas
could be present.
Battery fluid contains acid that
can burn you. Do not get it on
you. If you accidentally get it in
your eyes or on your skin, flush
the place with water and get
medical help immediately.
{ WARNING
Fans or other moving engine
parts can injure you badly. Keep
your hands away from moving
parts once the engine is running.
5. Check that the jumper cables do
not have loose or missing
insulation. If they do, you could
get a shock. The vehicles could
be damaged too.

Black plate (10,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
11-10 Service and Maintenance Battery
The battery supplies power to start
the engine and operate any
additional electrical accessories. .
To avoid break ‐ down or failure to
start the vehicle, maintain a
battery with full cranking power. .
Trained dealer technicians have
the diagnostic equipment to test
the battery and ensure that the
connections and cables are
corrosion ‐ free.
Belts .
Belts may need replacing if they
squeak or show signs of
cracking or splitting. .
Trained dealer technicians can
inspect the belts and
recommend replacement when
necessary. Brakes
Brakes stop the vehicle and are
crucial to safe driving. .
Signs of brake wear may include
chirping, grinding, or squealing
noises, or difficulty stopping. .
Trained dealer technicians have
access to tools and equipment
to inspect the brakes and
recommend quality parts
engineered for the vehicle.
Fluids
Proper fluid levels and approved
fluids protect the vehicle ’ s systems
and components. See
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants on page 11 ‑ 13 for GM
approved fluids. .
Engine oil and windshield
washer fluid levels should be
checked at every fuel fill. .
Instrument cluster lights may
come on to indicate that fluids
may be low and need to be
filled. Hoses
Hoses transport fluids and should
be regularly inspected to ensure
that there are no cracks or leaks.
With a multi ‐ point inspection, your
dealer can inspect the hoses and
advise if replacement is needed.
Lamps
Properly working headlamps,
taillamps, and brake lamps are
important to see and be seen on
the road. .
Signs that the headlamps need
attention include dimming, failure
to light, cracking, or damage.
The brake lamps need to be
checked periodically to ensure
that they light when braking. .
With a multi ‐ point inspection,
your dealer can check the lamps
and note any concerns.

Black plate (1,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
INDEX i-1
AAccessories and
Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Accessory Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Active Fuel Management ®
. . . . . 9-28
Add-On Electrical
Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-69
Additional Information,
OnStar ®
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-5
Adjustable Throttle and
Brake Pedal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-22
Adjustments
Lumbar, Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Air Cleaner/Filter, Engine . . . . . 10-13
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-7
Airbag System
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-40
How Does an Airbag
Restrain? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-31
Passenger Sensing
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-33
What Makes an Airbag
Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-31 Airbag System (cont'd)
What Will You See after an
Airbag Inflates? . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-32
When Should an Airbag
Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-29
Where Are the Airbags? . . . . . . 3-27
Airbags
Adding Equipment to the
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-38
Passenger Status Indicator . . . 5-14
Readiness Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Servicing Airbag-Equipped
Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-38
System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-25
Alarm System
Anti-theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . 10-27, 9-34
AM-FM Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-9
Antenna
Rear Side Window . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-17
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-18
Anti-theft
Alarm System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Alarm System Messages . . . . . 5-36 Antilock Brake
System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Appearance Care
Exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-96
Interior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-99
Armrest Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Ashtrays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Audio Players
CD/DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-18
MP3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-27
Audio System
Radio Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-17
Rear Seat (RSA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-60
Theft-Deterrent Feature . . . . . . . . 7-3
Automatic
Dimming Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Level Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-40
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . 10-10

Black plate (2,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
i-2 INDEX Automatic Transmission
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Shift Lock Control
Function Check . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Auxiliary
Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-30
Axle, Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Axle, Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
BBattery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-88
Load Management . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-10
Power Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-10
Voltage and Charging
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-29
Blade Replacement, Wiper . . . 10-32
Bluetooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-103 Brake
Pedal and Adjustable
Throttle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-22
System Warning Light . . . . . . . . 5-19
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24
Antilock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-36
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-36
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-29
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Break-In, New Vehicle . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Back-up Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
High Intensity Discharge
(HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
License Plate Lamps . . . . . . . 10-37
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-60 C Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
California
Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . 9-52
Perchlorate Materials
Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Camera, Rear Vision . . . . . . . . . . 9-48
Canadian Vehicle Owners . . . . . . . . iii
Capacities and
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Carbon Monoxide
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-29
Liftgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-13
Cautions, Danger, and
Warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
CD/DVD Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-18
Center Console Storage . . . . . . . . 4-3
Chains, Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-65
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . 5-16
Check
Engine Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Ignition
Transmission Lock . . . . . . . . 10-31

Black plate (4,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
i-4 INDEX Driver Information
Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Driving
Characteristics and
Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-57
Defensive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Drunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
For Better Fuel Economy . . . . . 1-25
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-12
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . 9-12
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . . 9-15
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Off-Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 9-16
Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-11
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-13
Dual Automatic Climate
Control System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
DVD
Rear Seat
Entertainment
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-31, 7-41
DVD/CD Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-18 E E85 Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-54
Electrical Equipment,
Add-On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-69
Electrical System
Engine Compartment
Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-39
Fuses and Circuit
Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-39
Instrument Panel Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-43
Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Emergency, OnStar ®
. . . . . . . . . . 14-2
Engine
Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . 10-13
Check and Service Engine
Soon Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Compartment Overview . . . . . . . 10-6
Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-16
Coolant Temperature
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-15
Cooling System Messages . . . 5-30 Engine (cont'd)
Drive Belt Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-3
Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-29
Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22
Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-9
Oil Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-31
Overheated Protection
Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22
Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-19
Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-32
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Running While Parked . . . . . . . . 9-30
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
Equipment, Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-65
Event Data Recorders . . . . . . . . 13-19
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
Extender, Safety Belt . . . . . . . . . . 3-24
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lamps Off Reminder . . . 6-5

Black plate (6,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
i-6 INDEX
HHazard Warning Flashers . . . . . . . 6-7
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Headlamps
Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
High Intensity Discharge
(HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . . 6-5
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Heated
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8
Steering Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
Heated and Ventilated Front
Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7
Heated Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Heater
Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22 High-Speed Operation . . . . . . . . 10-53
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-12
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . 9-12
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . . 9-36
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
How to Wear Safety Belts
Properly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-16
I Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-22
Ignition Transmission Lock
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-31
Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Infants and Young Children,
Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-43
Infotainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
J Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-88 K Key and Lock Messages . . . . . . . 5-32
Keyless Entry
Remote (RKE) System . . . . . . . . 2-3
Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
L Labeling, Tire Sidewall . . . . . . . . 10-47
Lamps
Daytime Running (DRL) . . . . . . . 6-5
Dome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
Exterior Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lamps Off
Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
License Plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Malfunction Indicator . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-32
On Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
Lap Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-23
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-17