2012 CADILLAC ESCALADE ESV brake

Black plate (13,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
Driving and Operating 9-13.
Pay attention to special road
signs (falling rocks area, winding
roads, long grades, passing or
no-passing zones) and take
appropriate action.
Winter Driving Driving on Snow or Ice Drive carefully when there is snow
or ice between the tires and the
road, creating less traction or grip.
Wet ice can occur at about 0°C
(32°F) when freezing rain begins to
fall, resulting in even less traction.
Avoid driving on wet ice or in
freezing rain until roads can be
treated with salt or sand. Drive with caution, whatever the
condition. Accelerate gently so
traction is not lost. Accelerating too
quickly causes the wheels to spin
and makes the surface under the
tires slick, so there is even less
traction.
Try not to break the fragile traction.
If you accelerate too fast, the drive
wheels will spin and polish the
surface under the tires even more.
The Antilock Brake System (ABS)
on page 9 ‑ 35 improves vehicle
stability during hard stops on
slippery roads, but apply the brakes
sooner than when on dry pavement. Allow greater following distance on
any slippery road and watch for
slippery spots. Icy patches can
occur on otherwise clear roads in
shaded areas. The surface of a
curve or an overpass can remain icy
when the surrounding roads are
clear. Avoid sudden steering
maneuvers and braking while
on ice.
Turn off cruise control, if equipped,
on slippery surfaces.

Black plate (21,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
Driving and Operating 9-21Automatic Level Control
The automatic level control rear
suspension comes as a part of
the Road Sensing Suspension.
See Road Sensing Suspension
on page 9 ‑ 40 .
This type of level control is fully
automatic and will provide a
better leveled riding position as
well as better handling under a
variety of passenger and loading
conditions. An air compressor
connected to the rear shocks
will raise or lower the rear of the
vehicle to maintain proper
vehicle height. The system is
activated when the ignition key
is turned to RUN and will automatically adjust vehicle
height thereafter. The system
may exhaust (lower vehicle
height) for up to 10 minutes after
the ignition key has been turned
to LOCK. You may hear the air
compressor operating when the
height is being adjusted.
If a weight-distributing hitch is
being used, it is recommended
to allow the shocks to inflate,
thereby leveling the vehicle prior
to adjusting the height. See
“ Weight distributing Hitches and
Weight Carrying Hitches ” under
Towing Equipment on
page 9 ‑ 65 .Starting and
Operating New Vehicle Break-In Notice: The vehicle does not
need an elaborate break-in. But it
will perform better in the long run
if you follow these guidelines: .
Keep the vehicle speed at
88 km/h (55 mph) or less for
the first 805 km (500 miles). .
Do not drive at any one
constant speed, fast or slow,
for the first 805 km
(500 miles). Do not make
full-throttle starts. Avoid
downshifting to brake or
slow the vehicle. .
Avoid making hard stops for
the first 322 km (200 miles) or
so. During this time the new
brake linings are not yet
broken in. Hard stops with

Black plate (22,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
9-22 Driving and Operating new linings can mean
premature wear and earlier
replacement. Follow this
breaking-in guideline every
time you get new brake
linings. .
Do not tow a trailer during
break-in. See Trailer Towing
on page 9 ‑ 61 for the trailer
towing capabilities of the
vehicle and more
information.
Following break ‐ in, engine speed
and load can be gradually
increased.
Adjustable Throttle and
Brake Pedal The vehicle has adjustable throttle
and brake pedals that allow you to
change their positions.
The feature will not operate when
the vehicle is in R (Reverse) or
while using the cruise control. The switch used to adjust the
pedals is located on the center
console below the climate control
system.
Press the right and left arrows to
move the pedals either closer or
further from your body.
Before you start driving, fully press
the brake pedal to confirm the
adjustment is right for you. While
driving, make only small
adjustments.
The vehicle has a memory function
which allows the pedal positions to
be saved and recalled. See Memory
Seats on page 3 ‑ 5 .Ignition Positions
The ignition switch has four different
positions.
To shift out of P (Park), the ignition
must be in ON/RUN or ACC/
ACCESSORY and the regular brake
pedal must be applied.
A (STOPPING THE ENGINE/
LOCK/OFF): When the vehicle is
stopped, turn the ignition switch to
LOCK/OFF to turn the engine off.

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 (26,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
9-26 Driving and Operating 3. Plug the cord into a normal,
grounded 110-volt AC outlet.
{ WARNINGPlugging the cord into an
ungrounded outlet could cause an
electrical shock. Also, the wrong
kind of extension cord could
overheat and cause a fire. You
could be seriously injured. Plug
the cord into a properly grounded
three-prong 110-volt AC outlet.
If the cord will not reach, use a
heavy-duty three-prong extension
cord rated for at least 15 amps.
4. Before starting the engine, be
sure to unplug and store the
cord as it was before to keep it
away from moving engine parts.
If you do not, it could be
damaged. The length of time the heater should
remain plugged in depends on
several factors. Ask a dealer in the
area where you will be parking the
vehicle for the best advice on this.
Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) The following vehicle accessories
can be used for up to 10 minutes
after the engine is turned off: .
Audio System .
Power Windows .
OnStar System (if equipped) .
Sunroof (if equipped)
These features work when the key
is in ON/RUN or ACC/
ACCESSORY. Once the key is
turned from ON/RUN to LOCK/OFF,
the windows and sunroof continue
to work up to 10 minutes until any
door is opened. The radio continues
to work for up to 10 minutes or until
the driver door is opened. Shifting Into Park
{ WARNINGIt can be dangerous to get out of
the vehicle if the shift lever is not
fully in P (Park) with the parking
brake firmly set. The vehicle can
roll. If you have left the engine
running, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You or others could be
injured. To be sure the vehicle will
not move, even when you are on
fairly level ground, use the steps
that follow. If you are pulling a
trailer, see Driving Characteristics
and Towing Tips on page 9 ‑ 57 .
1. Hold the brake pedal down, then
set the parking brake.
2. Move the shift lever into the
P (Park) position by pulling the
shift lever toward you and
moving it up as far as it will go.
3. Turn the ignition key to
LOCK/OFF.

Black plate (27,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
Driving and Operating 9-274. Remove the key and take it with
you. If you can leave the vehicle
with the ignition key in your
hand, the vehicle is in P (Park).
Leaving the Vehicle with the
Engine Running
{ WARNINGIt can be dangerous to leave the
vehicle with the engine running.
The vehicle could move suddenly
if the shift lever is not fully in
P (Park) with the parking brake
firmly set. And, if you leave the
vehicle with the engine running, it
could overheat and even catch
fire. You or others could be
injured. Do not leave the vehicle
with the engine running.
If you have to leave the vehicle with
the engine running, be sure the
vehicle is in P (Park) and the
parking brake is firmly set. After the
shift lever is moved into P (Park),
hold the regular brake pedal down. Then, see if you can move the shift
lever away from P (Park) without
first pulling it toward you. If you can,
it means that the shift lever was not
fully locked into P (Park).
Torque Lock If you are parking on a hill and you
do not shift the transmission into
P (Park) properly, the weight of the
vehicle can put too much force on
the parking pawl in the
transmission. It might be difficult to
pull the shift lever out of P (Park).
This is called torque lock. To
prevent torque lock, set the parking
brake and then shift into P (Park)
properly before you leave the driver
seat. To find out how, see Shifting
Into Park on page 9 ‑ 26 .
When you are ready to drive, move
the shift lever out of P (Park) before
releasing the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you might
need to have another vehicle push
yours a little uphill to take some of
the pressure from the parking pawl in the transmission. Then you
should be able to pull the shift lever
out of P (Park).
Shifting out of Park This vehicle is equipped with an
electronic shift lock release system.
The shift lock release is
designed to: .
Prevent ignition key removal
unless the shift lever is in
P (Park) with the shift lever
button fully released. .
Prevent movement of the shift
lever out of P (Park), unless the
ignition is in ON/RUN or ACC/
ACCESSORY and the regular
brake pedal is applied.
The shift lock release is always
functional except in the case of an
uncharged or low voltage (less than
9 volt) battery.

Black plate (28,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
9-28 Driving and Operating If the vehicle has an uncharged
battery or a battery with low voltage,
try charging or jump starting the
battery. See Jump Starting on
page 10 ‑ 88 for more information.
To shift out of P (Park) use the
following:
1. Apply the brake pedal.
2. Move the shift lever to the
desired position.
If you still are unable to shift out of
P (Park):
1. Ease the pressure on the shift
lever.
2. While holding down the brake
pedal, press the shift lever all
the way into P (Park).
3. Move the shift lever to the
desired position.
If you are still having a problem
shifting, then have the vehicle
serviced soon. Parking over Things
That Burn
{ WARNINGThings that can burn could touch
hot exhaust parts under the
vehicle and ignite. Do not park
over papers, leaves, dry grass,
or other things that can burn.
Active Fuel Management ®
Vehicles with V8 engines may have
Active Fuel Management ™ . This
system allows the engine to operate
on either all or half of its cylinders,
depending on the driving conditions. When less power is required, such
as cruising at a constant vehicle
speed, the system will operate in
the half cylinder mode, allowing the
vehicle to achieve better fuel
economy. When greater power
demands are required, such as
accelerating from a stop, passing,
or merging onto a freeway, the
system will maintain full-cylinder
operation.
If the vehicle has an Active Fuel
Management ™ indicator, see Driver
Information Center (DIC) on
page 5 ‑ 23 for more information on
using this display.

Black plate (30,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
9-30 Driving and Operating
Running the Vehicle
While Parked It is better not to park with the
engine running. But if you ever have
to, here are some things to know.
{ WARNINGIdling a vehicle in an enclosed
area with poor ventilation is
dangerous. Engine exhaust may
enter the vehicle. Engine exhaust
contains carbon monoxide (CO)
which cannot be seen or smelled.
It can cause unconsciousness
and even death. Never run the
engine in an enclosed area that
has no fresh air ventilation. For
more information, see Engine
Exhaust on page 9 ‑ 29 .{ WARNINGIt can be dangerous to get out of
the vehicle if the automatic
transmission shift lever is not fully
in P (Park) with the parking brake
firmly set. The vehicle can roll. Do
not leave the vehicle when the
engine is running unless you
have to. If you have left the
engine running, the vehicle can
move suddenly. You or others
could be injured. To be sure the
vehicle will not move, even when
you are on fairly level ground,
always set the parking brake and
move the shift lever to P (Park).
Follow the proper steps to be sure
the vehicle will not move. See
Shifting Into Park on page 9 ‑ 26 .
If parking on a hill and pulling a
trailer, see Driving Characteristics
and Towing Tips on page 9 ‑ 57 .Automatic
Transmission If the vehicle is a hybrid, see the
hybrid supplement for more
information.
The vehicle has a
Hydra-Matic ®
6L80 automatic
transmission, and has an electronic
shift position indicator within the
instrument panel cluster. The
electronic shift position indicator
displays when the shift lever is
moved out of P (Park).
There are several different positions
for the shift lever.