2012 CADILLAC ESCALADE ESV warning

Black plate (29,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
Instruments and Controls 5-29
Battery Voltage and
Charging Messages BATTERY LOW START
VEHICLE When the vehicle ’ s battery is
severely discharged, this message
will display and four chimes
will sound. Start the vehicle
immediately. If the vehicle is not
started and the battery continues to
discharge, the climate controls,
heated seats, and audio systems
will shut off and the vehicle may
require a jump start. These systems
will function again after the vehicle
is started.
SERVICE BATTERY
CHARGING SYSTEM
On some vehicles, this message
displays if there is a problem
with the battery charging system.
Under certain conditions, the
charging system light may also turn
on in the instrument panel cluster. See Charging System Light on
page 5 ‑ 16 . Driving with this problem
could drain the battery. Turn off all
unnecessary accessories. Have the
electrical system checked as soon
as possible. See your dealer.
Brake System Messages SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM This message displays along with
the brake system warning light if
there is a problem with the brake
system. See Brake System Warning
Light on page 5 ‑ 19 . If this message
appears, stop as soon as possible
and turn off the vehicle. Restart the
vehicle and check for the message
on the DIC display. If the message
is still displayed or appears again
when you begin driving, the brake
system needs service as soon as
possible. See your dealer. SERVICE BRAKES SOON This message displays if there is a
problem with the brake system.
If this message appears, stop as
soon as possible and turn off the
vehicle. Restart the vehicle and
check for the message on the DIC
display. If the message is still
displayed or appears again when
you begin driving, the brake system
needs service. See your dealer.
Door Ajar Messages DRIVER DOOR OPEN This message displays and a
chime sounds if the driver door is
not fully closed and the vehicle is
shifted out of P (Park). Stop and turn
off the vehicle, check the door for
obstructions, and close the door
again. Check to see if the message
still appears on the DIC.

Black plate (30,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
5-30 Instruments and Controls HOOD OPEN This message displays and a chime
sounds if the hood is not fully
closed. Stop and turn off the
vehicle, check the hood for
obstructions, and close the hood
again. Check to see if the message
still appears on the DIC.
LEFT REAR DOOR OPEN This message displays and a chime
sounds if the driver side rear door is
not fully closed and the vehicle is
shifted out of P (Park). Stop and turn
off the vehicle, check the door for
obstructions, and close the door
again. Check to see if the message
still appears on the DIC.
PASSENGER DOOR OPEN
This message displays and a chime
sounds if the front passenger door
is not fully closed and the vehicle is
shifted out of P (Park). Stop and turn
off the vehicle, check the door for obstructions, and close the door
again. Check to see if the message
still appears on the DIC.
REAR ACCESS OPEN This message displays and a
chime sounds if the liftgate or
liftglass is open while the ignition is
in ON/RUN. Turn off the vehicle and
check the liftgate and liftglass.
Restart the vehicle and check for
the message on the DIC display.
RIGHT REAR DOOR OPEN This message displays and a chime
sounds if the passenger side rear
door is not fully closed and the
vehicle is shifted out of P (Park).
Stop and turn off the vehicle,
check the door for obstructions,
and close the door again. Check to
see if the message still appears on
the DIC. Engine Cooling System
Messages Notice: If you drive the vehicle
while the engine is overheating,
severe engine damage may
occur. If an overheat warning
appears on the instrument panel
cluster and/or DIC, stop the
vehicle as soon as possible.
See Engine Overheating on
page 10 ‑ 19 for more information.
ENGINE HOT A/C (Air
Conditioning) TURNED OFF This message displays when the
engine coolant becomes hotter than
the normal operating temperature.
See Engine Coolant Temperature
Gauge on page 5 ‑ 13 . To avoid
added strain on a hot engine,
the air conditioning compressor
automatically turns off. When the
coolant temperature returns to
normal, the air conditioning
compressor turns back on. You can
continue to drive your vehicle.

Black plate (31,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
Instruments and Controls 5-31If this message continues to appear,
have the system repaired by your
dealer as soon as possible to avoid
damage to the engine.
ENGINE OVERHEATED
IDLE ENGINE This message displays when the
engine coolant temperature is too
hot. Stop and allow the vehicle to
idle until it cools down. See Engine
Coolant Temperature Gauge on
page 5 ‑ 13 .
See Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode on page 10 ‑ 22 for
information on driving to a safe
place in an emergency.
ENGINE OVERHEATED
STOP ENGINE
This message displays and a chime
sounds if the engine cooling system
reaches unsafe temperatures for
operation. Stop and turn off the
vehicle as soon as it is safe to
do so to avoid severe damage. This message clears when the
engine has cooled to a safe
operating temperature.
Engine Oil Messages CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON This message displays when the
engine oil needs to be changed.
When you change the engine oil, be
sure to reset the CHANGE ENGINE
OIL SOON message. See Engine
Oil Life System on page 10 ‑ 9 for
information on how to reset the
message. See Engine Oil on
page 10 ‑ 7 and Maintenance
Schedule on page 11 ‑ 3 for more
information.
ENGINE OIL HOT IDLE
ENGINE
This message displays when the
engine oil becomes hotter than the
normal operating temperature. Stop
and allow the vehicle to idle until it
cools down. See Engine Coolant
Temperature Gauge on page 5 ‑ 13 .OIL PRESSURE LOW
STOP ENGINE Notice: If you drive the vehicle
while the engine oil pressure is
low, severe engine damage
may occur. If a low oil pressure
warning appears on the Driver
Information Center (DIC), stop
the vehicle as soon as possible.
Do not drive the vehicle until the
cause of the low oil pressure is
corrected. See Engine Oil on
page 10 ‑ 7 for more information.
This message displays if low oil
pressure levels occur. Stop the
vehicle as soon as safely possible
and do not operate it until the cause
of the low oil pressure has been
corrected. Check the oil as soon
as possible and have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer. See Engine
Oil on page 10 ‑ 7 .

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 (36,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
5-36 Instruments and Controls
Anti-theft Alarm System
Messages SERVICE THEFT DETERRENT
SYSTEM This message displays when there
is a problem with the theft-deterrent
system. The vehicle may or may not
restart so you may want to take the
vehicle to your dealer before turning
off the engine. See Immobilizer
Operation on page 2 ‑ 14 for more
information.
Tire Messages SERVICE TIRE MONITOR
SYSTEM On vehicles with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS), this
message displays if a part on the
TPMS is not working properly. The tire pressure light also flashes
and then remains on during the
same ignition cycle. See Tire
Pressure Light on page 5 ‑ 21 .
Several conditions may cause this
message to appear. See Tire
Pressure Monitor Operation on
page 10 ‑ 55 for more information.
If the warning comes on and stays
on, there may be a problem with the
TPMS. See your dealer.
TIRE LEARNING ACTIVE On vehicles with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS), this
message displays when the TPMS
is re-learning the tire positions on
your vehicle. The tire positions must
be re-learned after rotating the tires
or after replacing a tire or sensor.
See Tire Inspection on page 10 ‑ 57 ,
Tire Rotation on page 10 ‑ 58 , Tire
Pressure Monitor System on
page 10 ‑ 53 , and Tire Pressure on
page 10 ‑ 52 for more information. TIRE LOW ADD AIR TO TIRE On vehicles with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS), this
message displays when the
pressure in one or more of the
vehicle's tires needs to be checked.
This message also displays
LEFT FRT (left front), RIGHT FRT
(right front), LEFT RR (left rear),
or RIGHT RR (right rear) to indicate
the location of the low tire. The low
tire pressure warning light will also
come on. See Tire Pressure Light
on page 5 ‑ 21 . You can receive more
than one tire pressure message at a
time. To read the other messages
that may have been sent at the
same time, press the set/reset
button or the trip odometer reset
stem. If a tire pressure message
appears on the DIC, stop as soon
as you can. Have the tire pressures
checked and set to those shown on
the Tire Loading Information label.

Black plate (37,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
Instruments and Controls 5-37See Tires on page 10 ‑ 46 , Vehicle
Load Limits on page 9 ‑ 16 , and Tire
Pressure on page 10 ‑ 52 . The DIC
also shows the tire pressure values.
See “ DIC Operation and Displays
(With DIC Buttons) ” earlier in this
section.
Transmission Messages MANUAL SHIFT This message displays when the
automatic transmission is in manual
mode. See Manual Mode on
page 9 ‑ 33 for more information. TRANSMISSION HOT IDLE
ENGINE Notice: Do not drive the vehicle
while the transmission fluid is
overheating and the transmission
temperature warning is displayed
on the instrument panel cluster
and/or DIC, or the transmission
can be damaged. This could lead
to costly repairs that would not
be covered by the warranty.
This message displays along with
four chimes if the transmission fluid
in the vehicle gets hot. Driving with
the transmission fluid temperature
high can cause damage to the
vehicle. Stop the vehicle and let it
idle to allow the transmission to
cool. This message clears and the
chime stops when the fluid
temperature reaches a safe level. Vehicle Reminder
Messages ICE POSSIBLE DRIVE
WITH CARE This message displays when ice
conditions are possible.
Washer Fluid Messages WASHER FLUID LOW ADD
FLUID This message displays when the
windshield washer fluid is low.
Fill the windshield washer fluid
reservoir as soon as possible.
See Engine Compartment Overview
on page 10 ‑ 6 for the location of the
windshield washer fluid reservoir.
Also, see Washer Fluid on
page 10 ‑ 23 for more information.

Black plate (1,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
Lighting 6-1
Lighting Exterior Lighting Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lamps Off
Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Automatic Headlamp
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6 Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . 6-7
Turn and Lane-Change
Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Interior Lighting Instrument Panel Illumination
Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
Lighting Features Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
Battery Load Management . . . 6-10
Battery Power Protection . . . . 6-10 Exterior Lighting Exterior Lamp Controls
The exterior lamps control is located
on the instrument panel to the left of
the steering wheel.
It controls the following systems: .
Headlamps .
Taillamps .
Parking Lamps .
License Plate Lamps .
Instrument Panel Lights

Black plate (7,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
Lighting 6-7The regular headlamp system can
be turned on when needed.
Hazard Warning Flashers
| (Hazard Warning Flashers):
Press this button located on top of
the steering column, to make the
front and rear turn signal lamps
flash on and off. This warns others
that you are having trouble. Press
again to turn the flashers off.
When the hazard warning flashers
are on, the vehicle's turn signals will
not work. Turn and Lane-Change
Signals
An arrow on the instrument panel
cluster flashes in the direction of the
turn or lane change.
Move the turn signal lever all the
way up or down to signal a turn.
Raise or lower the lever until the
arrow starts to flash to signal a lane
change. The turn signals
automatically flash three times.
It will flash six times if the tow-haul
mode is active. Holding the turn
signal lever for more than
one second causes the turn signals
to flash until the lever is released. The lever returns to its starting
position when it is released.
If after signaling a turn or a lane
change the arrows flash rapidly or
do not come on, a signal bulb may
be burned out.
Have the bulbs replaced. If the bulb
is not burned out, check the fuse.
See Instrument Panel Fuse Block
on page 10 ‑ 43 and Engine
Compartment Fuse Block on
page 10 ‑ 39 .
Turn Signal On Chime
If the turn signal is left on for more
than 1.2 km (0.75 mi), a chime
sounds at each flash of the turn
signal and the message TURN
SIGNAL ON also appears in the
DIC. See Lamp Messages on
page 5 ‑ 32 . To turn the chime and
message off, move the turn signal
lever to the off position.