2012 CADILLAC ESCALADE ESV engine overheat

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 (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 (32,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
5-32 Instruments and Controls
Engine Power Messages ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED This message displays and a chime
sounds when the cooling system
temperature gets too hot and the
engine further enters the engine
coolant protection mode. See
Engine Overheating on page 10 ‑ 19
for further information.
This message also displays when
the engine power is reduced.
Reduced engine power can affect
the vehicle's ability to accelerate.
If this message is on, but there is
no reduction in performance,
proceed to your destination.
The performance may be reduced
the next time the vehicle is driven.
The vehicle may be driven at a
reduced speed while this message
is on, but acceleration and speed
may be reduced. Anytime this
message stays on, the vehicle
should be taken to your dealer for
service as soon as possible. Fuel System Messages FUEL LEVEL LOW This message displays and a
chime sounds if the fuel level is low.
Refuel as soon as possible. See
Fuel Gauge on page 5 ‑ 12 and Fuel
on page 9 ‑ 51 for more information.
TIGHTEN GAS CAP This message may display along
with the check engine light on the
instrument panel cluster if the fuel
cap is not tightened properly.
See Malfunction Indicator Lamp on
page 5 ‑ 16 . Reinstall the fuel cap
fully. See Filling the Tank on
page 9 ‑ 55 . The diagnostic system
can determine if the fuel cap has
been left off or improperly installed.
A loose or missing fuel cap
allows fuel to evaporate into the
atmosphere. A few driving trips with
the cap properly installed should
turn this light and message off. Key and Lock Messages REPLACE BATTERY IN
REMOTE KEY This message displays if a Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter
battery is low. The battery needs to
be replaced in the transmitter.
See “ Battery Replacement ” under
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System Operation on page 2 ‑ 3 .
Lamp Messages SERVICE LEFT HEADLAMP
ASSEMBLY On some models, this message
will be displayed when the left
headlamp is out and needs to be
serviced. See “ LED Lighting ” in
LED Lighting on page 10 ‑ 36 for
more 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 (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 (8,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
9-8 Driving and Operating When driving on hills: .
Use a low gear and keep a firm
grip on the steering wheel. .
Maintain a slow speed. .
When possible, drive straight up
or down the hill. .
Slow down when approaching
the top of the hill. .
Use headlamps even during the
day to make the vehicle more
visible.
{ WARNINGDriving to the top of a hill at high
speed can cause an accident.
There could be a drop-off,
embankment, cliff, or even
another vehicle. You could be
seriously injured or killed. As you
near the top of a hill, slow down
and stay alert. .
Never go downhill forward or
backward with the transmission
in N (Neutral). The brakes could
overheat and you could lose
control. .
When driving down a hill, keep
the vehicle headed straight
down. Use a low gear because
the engine will work with the
brakes to slow the vehicle and
help keep the vehicle under
control.
{ WARNINGHeavy braking when going down
a hill can cause your brakes to
overheat and fade. This could
cause loss of control and you or
others could be injured or killed.
Apply the brakes lightly when
descending a hill and use a low
gear to keep vehicle speed under
control. If the vehicle stalls on a hill:
1. Apply the brakes to stop the
vehicle, and then apply the
parking brake.
2. Shift into P (Park) and then
restart the engine. .
If driving uphill when the
vehicle stalls, shift to
R (Reverse), release the
parking brake, and back
straight down. .
Never try to turn the vehicle
around. If the hill is steep
enough to stall the vehicle,
it is steep enough to cause
it to roll over. .
If you cannot make it up the
hill, back straight down
the hill. .
Never back down a hill in
N (Neutral) using only the
brake.

Black plate (15,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
Driving and Operating 9-15
If the Vehicle Is Stuck Slowly and cautiously spin the
wheels to free the vehicle when
stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow.
See “ Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It
Out ” later in this section.
If the vehicle has a traction system,
it can often help to free a stuck
vehicle. Refer to the vehicle's
traction system in the Index. If stuck
too severely for the traction system
to free the vehicle, turn the traction
system off and use the rocking
method.
{ WARNING
If the vehicle's tires spin at high
speed, they can explode, and you
or others could be injured. The
vehicle can overheat, causing an
engine compartment fire or other
damage. Spin the wheels as little
as possible and avoid going
above 56 km/h (35 mph). For information about using tire
chains on the vehicle, see Tire
Chains on page 10 ‑ 65 .
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get
It Out Turn the steering wheel left and
right to clear the area around the
front wheels. Turn off any traction or
stability system. Shift back and forth
between R (Reverse) and a forward
gear, spinning the wheels as little as
possible. To prevent transmission
wear, wait until the wheels stop
spinning before shifting gears.
Release the accelerator pedal while
shifting, and press lightly on the
accelerator pedal when the
transmission is in gear. Slowly
spinning the wheels in the forward
and reverse directions causes a
rocking motion that could free the
vehicle. If that does not get the
vehicle out after a few tries, it might
need to be towed out. Recovery
hooks can be used, if the vehicle has them. If the vehicle does need
to be towed out, see Towing the
Vehicle on page 10 ‑ 93 .
Recovery Hooks
{ WARNINGNever pull on recovery hooks
from the side. The hooks could
break and you and others could
be injured. When using recovery
hooks, always pull the vehicle
straight out.