2012 CADILLAC ESCALADE ESV transmission

Black plate (2,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
2012 Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual MDriving and Operating . . . . . . . . 9-1
Driving Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Starting and Operating . . . . . . . 9-21
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-29
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 9-30
Drive Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-34
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Ride Control Systems . . . . . . . . 9-37
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-41
Object Detection Systems . . . . 9-44
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-51
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-57
Conversions and Add-Ons . . . 9-69
Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Vehicle Checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33 Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
Electrical System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Wheels and Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-46
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-88
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-93
Appearance Care . . . . . . . . . . . 10-96
Service and Maintenance . . . 11-1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 11-1
Cadillac Premium Care
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-3
Maintenance Schedule . . . . . . . 11-3
Special Application
Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-9
Additional Maintenance
and Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-9
Recommended Fluids,
Lubricants, and Parts . . . . . . 11-13
Maintenance Records . . . . . . . 11-16 Technical Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Vehicle Identification . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Vehicle Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Customer Information . . . . . . . 13-1
Customer Information . . . . . . . . 13-1
Reporting Safety Defects . . . . 13-18
Vehicle Data Recording and
Privacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-19
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-1
OnStar Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-1
OnStar Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-2
OnStar Additional
Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-5
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i-1

Black plate (1,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
In Brief 1-1
In Brief Instrument Panel Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . 1-4
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Liftgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8
Memory Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Second Row Seats . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Third Row Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Heated and Ventilated
Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Head Restraint
Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Passenger Sensing
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12
Mirror Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12
Steering Wheel
Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14 Throttle and Brake Pedal
Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . 1-16
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
Vehicle Features Radio(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Portable Audio Devices . . . . . . 1-18
Bluetooth ®
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Mobile Apps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . 1-19
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
Navigation System . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
Driver Information
Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
Side Blind Zone
Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-21
Rear Vision
Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-22
Ultrasonic Parking Assist . . . . 1-22
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-22
Universal Remote System . . . 1-22
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-23 Performance and Maintenance StabiliTrak ®
System . . . . . . . . . 1-24
Tire Pressure Monitor . . . . . . . . 1-24
Tire Sealant and
Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-24
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . 1-25
Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) . . . . . 1-25
Driving for Better Fuel
Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-25
Roadside Service . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-26
OnStar ®
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-26

Black plate (3,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
In Brief 1-3A. Air Vents on page 8 ‑ 7 .
B. Turn and Lane ‐ Change Lever.
See Turn and Lane-Change
Signals on page 6 ‑ 7 .
Windshield Wiper/Washer on
page 5 ‑ 4 .
C. Instrument Cluster on
page 5 ‑ 11 .
D. Hazard Warning Flashers on
page 6 ‑ 7 .
E. Shift Lever. See Automatic
Transmission on page 9 ‑ 30 .
Driver Shift Control (DSC).
See Manual Mode on
page 9 ‑ 33 .
F. Tow/Haul Mode on page 9 ‑ 33 .
G. Driver Information Center (DIC)
Buttons. See Driver Information
Center (DIC) on page 5 ‑ 23 .
H. Clock on page 5 ‑ 7 . I. Infotainment on page 7 ‑ 2 .
J. StabiliTrak ®
System on
page 9 ‑ 37 .
Rear Park Aid Disable Button.
See Ultrasonic Parking Assist
on page 9 ‑ 44 .
K. Steering Wheel Adjustment on
page 5 ‑ 2 .
L. Exterior Lamp Controls on
page 6 ‑ 1 .
M. Dome Lamp Override.
See Dome Lamps on page 6 ‑ 9 .
Instrument Panel Illumination
Control on page 6 ‑ 8 .
Fog Lamps on page 6 ‑ 8 .
N. Data Link Connector (DLC)
(Out of View). See Malfunction
Indicator Lamp on page 5 ‑ 16 .
O. Automatic Transfer Case
Control (Hybrid only). See the
hybrid supplement for more
information. P. Cruise Control on page 9 ‑ 41 .
Heated Steering Wheel on
page 5 ‑ 4 (If Equipped).
Q. Horn on page 5 ‑ 4 .
R. Steering Wheel Controls on
page 5 ‑ 2 .
S. Dual Automatic Climate Control
System on page 8 ‑ 1 .
T. Pedal Adjust Button. See
Adjustable Throttle and Brake
Pedal on page 9 ‑ 22 .
Power Assist Steps on
page 2 ‑ 12 (If Equipped).

Black plate (17,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
In Brief 1-17
Climate Controls The heating, cooling, and ventilation in the vehicle can be controlled with
this system.
Climate Control with Cooled and Heated Seats shown
A. Driver and Passenger
Temperature Controls
B. AUTO (Automatic Operation)
C. Defrost
D. Air Recirculation
E. Rear Window Defogger
F. Air Conditioning
G. Heated and Cooled Seats H. Fan Control
I. REAR (Rear Climate Control)
J. Air Delivery Mode Control
See Dual Automatic Climate Control
System on page 8 ‑ 1 and Rear
Climate Control System (Rear
Climate with Rear Seat Audio) on
page 8 ‑ 6 (If Equipped). Transmission Driver Shift Control (DSC)
The DSC switch is located on the
shift lever.
To enable the DSC feature:
1. Move the column shift lever to
the M (Manual) position. The
Driver Information Center (DIC)
display will show the message
MANUAL SHIFT on the first line
and the current gear will be
displayed on the second line.
This is the highest attainable
range with all lower gears
accessible. As an example,
when 5 (Fifth) gear is selected,
1 (First) through 5 (Fifth) gears
are available.

Black plate (20,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
1-20 In Brief
Cruise Control
Cruise Control Shown with
Heated Steering Wheel Button
(If Equipped)
The cruise control buttons are
located on the left side of the
steering wheel.
I : Press to turn the system on or
off. The indicator light is on when
cruise control is on and turns off
when cruise control is off. + RES: Press briefly to make the
vehicle resume to a previously
set speed, or press and hold to
accelerate.
SET − : Press to set the speed and
activate cruise control or make the
vehicle decelerate.
[ : Press to disengage cruise
control without erasing the set
speed from memory.
See Cruise Control on page 9 ‑ 41 .
Navigation System The navigation system provides
detailed maps of most major
freeways and roads throughout
the United States and Canada.
After a destination has been set,
the system provides turn-by-turn
instructions for reaching the
destination. In addition, the system
can help locate a variety of POIs
(Points of Interest), such as banks,
airports, restaurants, and more.
See Using the Navigation System
on page 7 ‑ 62 for more information. Driver Information
Center (DIC) The DIC display is located at the
bottom of the instrument panel
cluster. It shows the status of many
vehicle systems and enables
access to the personalization menu.
The DIC buttons are located on
the instrument panel, next to the
steering wheel.
3 : Press to display the
odometer, trip odometer, fuel range,
average economy, fuel used,
timer, transmission temperature,

Black plate (10,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
2-10 Keys, Doors, and Windows Press the touch pad on the
underside of the liftgate handle (B)
and lift up.
Use the pull cup to lower and close
the liftgate. Do not press the touch
pad while closing the liftgate. This
will cause the liftgate to be
unlatched.
Power Liftgate Operation On vehicles with a power liftgate,
the switch is on the overhead
console.
The vehicle must be in P (Park) to
use the power feature. The taillamps
will flash and a chime will sound
when the power liftgate moves.
{ WARNING
Exhaust gases can enter the
vehicle if it is driven with the
liftgate, trunk/hatch open, or with
any objects that pass through the
seal between the body and the
trunk/hatch or liftgate. Engine
(Continued) WARNING (Continued) exhaust contains Carbon
Monoxide (CO) which cannot be
seen or smelled. It can cause
unconsciousness and even death.
If the vehicle must be driven with
the liftgate, or trunk/hatch open: .
Close all of the windows. .
Fully open the air outlets on
or under the instrument
panel. .
Adjust the Climate Control
system to a setting that
brings in only outside air and
set the fan speed to the
highest setting. See Climate
Control System in the Index. .
If the vehicle is equipped with
a power liftgate, disable the
power liftgate function.
For more information about
carbon monoxide, see Engine
Exhaust on page 9 ‑ 29 . There are several ways to open and
close the power liftgate: .
Press and hold
8 on the
RKEtransmitter until the liftgate
starts moving. .
Press
8 on the overhead
console. .
Press
l on the bottom of the
liftgate next to the latch to close.
Pressing a second time while the
liftgate is moving reverses the
direction.
To disable the power liftgate
function, press OFFon the liftgate
switch.
The power liftgate may be
temporarily disabled under extreme
temperatures, or under low battery
conditions. If this occurs, the liftgate
can still be operated manually.
If the transmission is shifted out of
P (Park) while the power function is
in progress, the liftgate power
function will continue to completion.

Black plate (11,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-11If the transmission is shifted out of
P (Park) and the vehicle accelerates
before the power liftgate latches
closed, the liftgate may reverse to
the open position. Cargo could fall
out of the vehicle. Always make
sure the power liftgate is closed and
latched before driving away.
If the liftgate is opened using power
operation and the liftgate support
struts have lost pressure, the turn
signals flash and a chime will
sound. The liftgate stays open
temporarily, and then slowly closes.
See a dealer for service before
using the liftgate.
Obstacle Detection Features If the liftgate encounters an obstacle
during a power open or close cycle,
a warning chime will sound and the
liftgate will automatically reverse
direction to the full closed or open
position. After removing the
obstruction, the power liftgate
operation can be used again. If the
liftgate encounters multiple obstacles on the same power cycle,
the power function will deactivate
and a message will display in the
Driver Information Center (DIC), see
Object Detection System Messages
on page 5 ‑ 33 . After removing the
obstructions, the liftgate will resume
normal power operation.
Pinch sensors are located on the
side edges of the liftgate. If an
object is caught between the liftgate
and the vehicle and presses against
this sensor, the liftgate will reverse
direction and open fully. The liftgate
will remain open until it is activated
again or closed manually.
Manual Operation of Power
Liftgate To change the liftgate to manual
operation, press OFFon the liftgate
switch.
With the power liftgate disabled and
all of the doors unlocked, the liftgate
can be manually opened and
closed. To open the liftgate, press the touch
pad on the handle (B) and lift up.
Use the pull cup to lower and close
the liftgate. Do not press the touch
pad while closing the liftgate. This
will cause the liftgate to be
unlatched. The liftgate latch will
power close. Always close the
liftgate before driving.
If
8 on the RKEtransmitter or
l on the liftgate is pressed while
power operation is disabled, the
lamps will flash three times, but the
liftgate will not move.
It is not recommended to drive with
the liftgate open, however, when
driving with the liftgate open; the
liftgate should be set to manual
operation by pressing OFFon the
liftgate switch on the center console.
The liftgate has an electric latch.
If the battery is disconnected or has
low voltage, the liftgate will not
open. The liftgate will resume
operation when the battery is
reconnected and charged.

Black plate (11,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
Seats and Restraints 3-11Automatic Fold and Tumble
Feature The transmission must be in
P (Park) for this feature to work.
{ WARNINGAutomatically folding and
tumbling the seat when someone
is sitting in the seat, could cause
injury to the person sitting there.
Always make sure there is no one
sitting in the seat before pressing
the automatic seat release button.
Folding and Tumbling the Second
Row Seat from the Third Row Seat
or Outside the Vehicle
{ WARNING
Using the third row seating
position while the second row is
folded, or folded and tumbled,
could cause injury in a sudden
(Continued) WARNING (Continued) stop or crash. Be sure to return
the seat to the passenger seating
position. Push and pull on the
seat to make sure it is locked into
place.
To fold and tumble the seat from the
third row seat, if equipped:
1. Make sure that there is nothing
under, in front of, or on the seat.
Notice: Folding a rear seat with
the safety belts still fastened may
cause damage to the seat or the
safety belts. Always unbuckle the
safety belts and return them to
their normal stowed position
before folding a rear seat. Driver Side Rear Panel Button
Shown
2. Press the automatic seat release
button on the panel behind the
rear doors.
The seatback automatically folds
flat and the seat tumbles
forward. There will be a slight
delay between the folding of the
seatback and the tumbling of
the seat.