2012 CADILLAC ESCALADE ESV open hood

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 (25,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
Driving and Operating 9-25prevent possible vehicle
component damage. When this
happens, hold the ignition switch
in the START position to
continue engine cranking.
Notice: Cranking the engine for
long periods of time, by returning
the key to the START position
immediately after cranking has
ended, can overheat and damage
the cranking motor, and drain the
battery. Wait at least 15 seconds
between each try, to let the
cranking motor cool down.
2. If the engine does not start after
5-10 seconds, especially in very
cold weather (below − 18°C or
0°F), it could be flooded with too
much gasoline. Try pushing the
accelerator pedal all the way to
the floor and holding it there as
you hold the key in START for
up to a maximum of 15 seconds. Wait at least 15 seconds
between each try, to allow the
cranking motor to cool down.
When the engine starts, let go of
the key and accelerator. If the
vehicle starts briefly but then
stops again, repeat these steps.
This clears the extra gasoline
from the engine. Do not race the
engine immediately after starting
it. Operate the engine and
transmission gently until the oil
warms up and lubricates all
moving parts.
Notice: If you add electrical parts
or accessories, you could change
the way the engine operates. Any
resulting damage would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
See Add-On Electrical Equipment
on page 9 ‑ 69 . Engine Heater The engine coolant heater can
provide easier starting and better
fuel economy during engine
warm-up in cold weather conditions
at or below − 18°C (0°F). Vehicles
with an engine heater should be
plugged in at least four hours before
starting. An internal thermostat in
the plug-end of the cord may exist
which will prevent engine coolant
heater operation at temperatures
above − 18°C (0°F).
To Use the Engine Coolant
Heater 1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the
electrical cord. The cord is
secured to the engine
compartment fuse block with a
clip. Carefully remove the wire
tie which secures the electrical
cord. Do not cut the
electrical cord.

Black plate (52,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
9-52 Driving and Operating
Recommended Fuel Use premium unleaded gasoline
with a posted octane rating of 91 or
higher. You can also use regular
unleaded gasoline rated at
87 octane or higher, but the
vehicle's acceleration could be
slightly reduced, and a slight audible
knocking noise, commonly referred
to as spark knock, might be heard.
If the octane is less than 87, you
might notice a heavy knocking noise
when you drive. If this occurs, use a
gasoline rated at 87 octane or
higher as soon as possible.
Otherwise, you could damage the
engine. If heavy knocking is heard
when using gasoline rated at
91 octane or higher, the engine
needs service. Gasoline Specifications
(U.S. and Canada Only) At a minimum, gasoline should meet
ASTM specification D 4814 in the
United States or CAN/CGSB ‐ 3.5
or 3.511 in Canada. Some
gasolines contain an
octane-enhancing additive called
methylcyclopentadienyl manganese
tricarbonyl (MMT). We recommend
against the use of gasolines
containing MMT. See Fuel Additives
on page 9 ‑ 53 for additional
information.
California Fuel
Requirements If the vehicle is certified to meet
California Emissions Standards, it is
designed to operate on fuels that
meet California specifications. See
the underhood emission control
label. If this fuel is not available in
states adopting California Emissions
Standards, the vehicle will operate satisfactorily on fuels meeting
federal specifications, but emission
control system performance might
be affected. The malfunction
indicator lamp could turn on and the
vehicle might fail a smog ‐ check test.
See Malfunction Indicator Lamp on
page 5 ‑ 16 . If this occurs, return to
your authorized dealer for diagnosis.
If it is determined that the condition
is caused by the type of fuel used,
repairs might not be covered by the
vehicle warranty.
Fuels in Foreign
Countries Never use leaded gasoline or any
other fuel not recommended in the
previous text on fuel. Costly repairs
caused by use of improper fuel
would not be covered by the vehicle
warranty.
To check the fuel availability, ask an
auto club, or contact a major oil
company that does business in the
country where you will be driving.

Black plate (4,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
10-4 Vehicle Care
Vehicle Checks Doing Your Own
Service Work If the vehicle is a hybrid, see the
hybrid supplement for more
information.
{ WARNINGIt can be dangerous to work on
your vehicle if you do not have
the proper knowledge, service
manual, tools, or parts. Always
follow owner manual procedures
and consult the service manual
for your vehicle before doing any
service work. If doing some of your own service
work, use the proper service
manual. It tells you much more
about how to service the vehicle
than this manual can. To order the
proper service manual, see Service
Publications Ordering Information
on page 13 ‑ 17 .
This vehicle has an airbag system.
Before attempting to do your own
service work, see Airbag System
Check on page 3 ‑ 40 .
Keep a record with all parts receipts
and list the mileage and the date of
any service work performed. See
Maintenance Records on
page 11 ‑ 16 . Hood To open the hood:
1. Pull the handle with this symbol
on it. It is located inside the
vehicle to the lower left of the
steering wheel.

Black plate (5,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
Vehicle Care 10-5
2. Then go to the front of the
vehicle and locate the secondary
hood release, near the center of
the grille. 3. Push the secondary hood
release to the right.
4. Lift the hood.
Before closing the hood, be sure
all the filler caps are on properly.
Then bring the hood from full
open to within 152 mm (6 in)
from the closed position, pause,
then push the front center of the
hood with a swift, firm motion to
fully close the hood.

Black plate (20,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
10-20 Vehicle Care instrument panel. See Engine
Cooling System Messages on
page 5 ‑ 30 and Engine Power
Messages on page 5 ‑ 32 .
If the decision is made not to lift the
hood when this warning appears,
but instead get service help right
away. See Roadside Service (U.S.
and Canada) on page 13 ‑ 7 or
Roadside Service (Mexico) on
page 13 ‑ 9 .
If the decision is made to lift the
hood, make sure the vehicle is
parked on a level surface.
Then check to see if the engine
cooling fans are running. If the
engine is overheating, both fans
should be running. If they are not,
do not continue to run the engine
and have the vehicle serviced.
Notice: Engine damage from
running the engine without
coolant is not covered by the
vehicle warranty. See Overheated
Engine Protection Operating Mode on page 10 ‑ 22 for
information on driving to a safe
place in an emergency.
Notice: If the engine catches fire
while driving with no coolant, the
vehicle can be badly damaged.
The costly repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
See Overheated Engine
Protection Operating Mode on
page 10 ‑ 22 for information on
driving to a safe place in an
emergency.
If Steam Is Coming from the
Engine Compartment
{ WARNING
Steam from an overheated engine
can burn you badly, even if you
just open the hood. Stay away
from the engine if you see or hear
steam coming from it. Turn it off
and get everyone away from the
vehicle until it cools down. Wait
(Continued) WARNING (Continued) until there is no sign of steam or
coolant before you open
the hood.
If you keep driving when the
vehicles engine is overheated,
the liquids in it can catch fire. You
or others could be badly burned.
Stop the engine if it overheats,
and get out of the vehicle until the
engine is cool.
See Overheated Engine
Protection Operating Mode on
page 10 ‑ 22 for information on
driving to a safe place in an
emergency.

Black plate (34,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
10-34 Vehicle Care Headlamp aiming is done with the
vehicle's low-beam headlamps. The
high-beam headlamps will be
correctly aimed if the low-beam
headlamps are aimed properly.
To adjust the vertical aim:
1. Open the hood. See Hood on
page 10 ‑ 4 for more information.
2. Locate the center of the
projector lens of the low ‐ beam
headlamp. 3. Record the distance from the
ground to the center of the
projector lens of the low ‐ beam
headlamp.
4. At a wall, measure from the
ground upward (A) to the
recorded distance from
Step 3 and mark it.
5. Draw or tape a horizontal line (B)
on the wall the width of the
vehicle at the height of the mark
in Step 4. Notice: Do not cover a headlamp
to improve beam cut-off when
aiming. Covering a headlamp may
cause excessive heat build-up
which may cause damage to the
headlamp.
6. Turn on the low-beam
headlamps and place a piece of
cardboard or equivalent in front
of the headlamp not being
adjusted. This allows only the
beam of light from the headlamp
being adjusted to be seen on the
flat surface.

Black plate (89,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
Vehicle Care 10-892. Get the vehicles close enough
so the jumper cables can reach,
but be sure the vehicles are not
touching each other. If they are,
it could cause a ground
connection you do not want. You
would not be able to start your
vehicle, and the bad grounding
could damage the electrical
systems.
To avoid the possibility of the
vehicles rolling, set the parking
brake firmly on both vehicles
involved in the jump start
procedure. Put the automatic
transmission in P (Park) or a
manual transmission in
N (Neutral) before setting the
parking brake. If you have a
four-wheel-drive vehicle, be sure
that the transfer case is in a
drive gear, not in N (Neutral). Notice: If any accessories are left
on or plugged in during the jump
starting procedure, they could be
damaged. The repairs would not
be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Whenever possible,
turn off or unplug all accessories
on either vehicle when jump
starting the vehicle.
3. Turn off the ignition on both
vehicles. Unplug unnecessary
accessories plugged into the
accessory power outlets. Turn
off the radio and all the lamps
that are not needed. This avoids
sparks and helps save both
batteries. And it could save the
radio! 4. Open the hood on the other
vehicle and locate the
positive (+) and negative ( − )
terminal locations on that
vehicle.
Your vehicle has a remote
positive (+) jump starting
terminal and a remote
negative ( − ) jump starting
terminal. You should always use
these remote terminals instead
of the terminals on the battery.
If the vehicle has a remote
positive (+) terminal, it is located
under a red plastic cover at the
positive battery post. To uncover
the remote positive (+) terminal,
open the red plastic cover.