2012 CADILLAC ESCALADE EXT check engine

Black plate (4,1)Cadillac Escalade EXT Owner Manual - 2012
11-4 Service and Maintenance
Engine Oil Change
When the CHANGE ENGINE OIL
SOON message displays, have the
engine oil and filter changed within
the next 1 000 km/600 mi. If driven
under the best conditions, the
engine oil life system might not
indicate the need for vehicle service
for more than a year. The engine oil
and filter must be changed at least
once a year and the oil life system
must be reset. Your trained dealer
technician can perform this work.
If the engine oil life system is reset
accidentally, service the vehicle
within 5 000 km/3,000 mi since the
last service. Reset the oil life
system when the oil is changed.
SeeEngine Oil Life System on
page 10‑10.
Tire Rotation and
Required Services
Every 12 000 km/7,500 mi
Rotate the tires, if recommended for
the vehicle, and perform the
following services. See Tire
Rotation on page 10‑55.
.Check engine oil level and oil
life percentage. If needed,
change engine oil and filter, and
reset oil life system. See Engine
Oil on page 10‑8 andEngine Oil
Life System on page 10‑10.
.Check engine coolant level. See
Engine Coolant on page 10‑16.
.Check windshield washer fluid
level. See Washer Fluid on
page 10‑23.
.Visually inspect windshield wiper
blades for wear, cracking,
or contamination. See Exterior
Care on page 10‑82. Replace
worn or damaged wiper blades.
See Wiper Blade Replacement
on page 10‑31.
.Check tire inflation pressures.
See Tire Pressure on
page 10‑49.
.Inspect tire wear. See Tire
Inspection on page 10‑55.
.Visually check for fluid leaks.
.Inspect engine air cleaner filter.
See Engine Air Cleaner/Filter on
page 10‑14.
.Inspect brake system.

Black plate (10,1)Cadillac Escalade EXT Owner Manual - 2012
11-10 Service and Maintenance
Battery
The battery supplies power to start
the engine and operate any
additional electrical accessories.
.To avoid break‐down or failure to
start the vehicle, maintain a
battery with full cranking power.
.Trained dealer technicians have
the diagnostic equipment to test
the battery and ensure that the
connections and cables are
corrosion‐free.
Belts
.Belts may need replacing if they
squeak or show signs of
cracking or splitting.
.Trained dealer technicians can
inspect the belts and
recommend replacement when
necessary.
Brakes
Brakes stop the vehicle and are
crucial to safe driving.
.Signs of brake wear may include
chirping, grinding, or squealing
noises, or difficulty stopping.
.Trained dealer technicians have
access to tools and equipment
to inspect the brakes and
recommend quality parts
engineered for the vehicle.
Fluids
Proper fluid levels and approved
fluids protect the vehicle’s systems
and components. See
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants on page 11‑12 for GM
approved fluids.
.Engine oil and windshield
washer fluid levels should be
checked at every fuel fill.
.Instrument cluster lights may
come on to indicate that fluids
may be low and need to be
filled.
Hoses
Hoses transport fluids and should
be regularly inspected to ensure
that there are no cracks or leaks. With a multi‐point inspection, your
dealer can inspect the hoses and
advise if replacement is needed.
Lamps
Properly working headlamps,
taillamps, and brake lamps are
important to see and be seen on
the road.
.Signs that the headlamps need
attention include dimming, failure
to light, cracking, or damage.
The brake lamps need to be
checked periodically to ensure
that they light when braking.
.With a multi‐point inspection,
your dealer can check the lamps
and note any concerns.
Shocks and Struts
Shocks and struts help aid in control
for a smoother ride.
.Signs of wear may include
steering wheel vibration, bounce/
sway while braking, longer
stopping distance, or uneven
tire wear.

Black plate (2,1)Cadillac Escalade EXT Owner Manual - 2012
12-2 Technical Data
Vehicle Data
Capacities and Specifications
The following approximate capacities are given in metric and English conversions. SeeRecommended Fluids and
Lubricants on page 11‑12 for more information.
Application Capacities
Metric English
Air Conditioning Refrigerant R134a For the Air Conditioning system refrigerant charge
amount, see the refrigerant label located under the hood. See your dealer for more information.
Cooling System 16.0 L 16.9 qt
Engine Oil with Filter 5.7 L† 6.0 qt†
Fuel Tank 119.2 L 31.5 gal
Transmission Fluid (Pan Removal and Filter Replacement) 5.7 L 6.0 qt
Transfer Case Fluid 1.4 L 1.5 qt
Wheel Nut Torque 190 Y140 lb ft
All capacities are approximate. When adding, be sure to fill to the approximate level, as recommended in this
manual. Re-check fluid after filling.
†Oil filter should be changed at every oil change.

Black plate (17,1)Cadillac Escalade EXT Owner Manual - 2012
Customer Information 13-17
Service Publications
Ordering Information
Service Manuals
Service Manuals have the diagnosis
and repair information on the
engines, transmission, axle,
suspension, brakes, electrical,
steering, body, etc.
Service Bulletins
Service Bulletins give additional
technical service information
needed to knowledgeably service
General Motors cars and trucks.
Each bulletin contains instructions
to assist in the diagnosis and
service of the vehicle.
Owner Information
Owner publications are written
specifically for owners and intended
to provide basic operational
information about the vehicle. The
Owner Manual includes the
Maintenance Schedule for all
models.
In-Portfolio: Includes a Portfolio,
Owner Manual, and Warranty
Booklet.
RETAIL SELL PRICE:
$35.00 (U.S.) plus handling and
shipping fees.
Without Portfolio: Owner
Manual only.
RETAIL SELL PRICE:
$25.00 (U.S.) plus handling and
shipping fees.
Current and Past Models
Technical Service Bulletins and
Manuals are available for current
and past model GM vehicles.
ORDER TOLL FREE:
1-800-551-4123 Monday - Friday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM Eastern Time
For Credit Card Orders Only
(VISA-MasterCard-Discover), visit
Helm, Inc. at: www.helminc.com.
Or write to:
Helm, Incorporated
P.O. Box 07130
Detroit, MI 48207
Prices are subject to change without
notice and without incurring
obligation. Allow ample time for
delivery.
All listed prices are quoted in U.S.
funds. Make checks payable in U.S.
funds.

Black plate (5,1)Cadillac Escalade EXT Owner Manual - 2012
OnStar 14-5
Diagnostics
OnStar Vehicle Diagnostics will
perform a vehicle check every
month. It will check the engine,
transmission, antilock brakes, and
major vehicle systems. It also
checks the tire pressures, if the
vehicle is equipped with the Tire
Pressure Monitoring System. If a
diagnostics check is needed
between e-mails, push
Q, and an
Advisor can run a check.
OnStar Additional
Information
Transferring Service
PushQto request account transfer
eligibility information. The Advisor
can assist in canceling or removing
account information. If OnStar
receives information that vehicle
ownership has changed, OnStar
may send a voice message to the
vehicle, requesting updated account
information.
Reactivation for Subsequent
Owners
PushQand follow the prompts to
speak to an Advisor as soon as
possible after acquiring the vehicle.
The Advisor will update vehicle
records and will explain the OnStar
service offers and options available.
How OnStar Service Works
Automatic Crash Response,
Emergency Services, Crisis Assist,
Stolen Vehicle Assistance, Vehicle
Diagnostics, Remote Door Unlock,
Roadside Assistance, Turn-by-Turn
Navigation, and Hands-Free Calling
are available on most vehicles. Not
all OnStar services are available
everywhere or on all vehicles. For
more information, a full description
of OnStar services, system
limitations, and OnStar terms and
conditions, see www.onstar.com
(U.S.) or www.onstar.ca
(Canada); contact OnStar at
1-888-4-ONSTAR (1‐888‐466‐7827)
or TTY 1‐877‐248‐2080; or
push
Qto speak with an Advisor.
OnStar services require a vehicle
electrical system, wireless service,
and GPS satellite technologies to be
available and operating for features
to function properly. These systems
may not operate if the battery is
discharged or disconnected.

Black plate (1,1)Cadillac Escalade EXT Owner Manual - 2012
INDEX i-1
A
Accessories andModifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Accessory Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Active Fuel Management
®. . . . . 9-30
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-67
Additional Information, OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-5
Adjustable Throttle and Brake Pedal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Adjustments Lumbar, Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Air Cleaner/Filter, Engine . . . . . 10-14
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-6
Airbag Adding Equipment to theVehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-30
Airbag System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-32
How Does an Airbag
Restrain? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-24
Passenger Sensing System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-26
What Makes an Airbag
Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-24 Airbag System (cont'd)
What Will You See after an
Airbag Inflates? . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-25
When Should an Airbag
Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-22
Where Are the Airbags? . . . . . . 3-21
Airbags Passenger Status Indicator . . . 5-14
Readiness Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Servicing Airbag-EquippedVehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-30
System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-19
Alarm System Anti-theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . 10-27, 9-36
AM-FM Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-9
Antenna Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-18
Anti-theft Alarm System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Alarm System Messages . . . . . 5-34
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-36
Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19 Appearance Care
Exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-82
Interior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-85
Armrest Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Ashtrays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Audio Players CD/DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-18
MP3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-27
Audio System Fixed Mast Antenna . . . . . . . . . . 7-18
Radio Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-17
Rear Seat (RSA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-40
Theft-Deterrent Feature . . . . . . . . 7-3
Automatic Dimming Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-20
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Level Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-42
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . 9-31 Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10-11
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-34
Shift Lock ControlFunction Check . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Auxiliary Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-30
Axle, Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Axle, Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28

Black plate (2,1)Cadillac Escalade EXT Owner Manual - 2012
i-2 INDEX
B
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-76
Load Management . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-10
Power Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-10
Voltage and ChargingMessages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Blade Replacement, Wiper . . . 10-31
Bluetooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-81
Brake Pedal and Adjustable
Throttle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Brake System Warning Light . . . 5-18
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24 Antilock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-36
Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-38
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-37
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Break-In, New Vehicle . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . 10-32
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-34 Bulb Replacement (cont'd)
High Intensity Discharge
(HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-34
License Plate Lamps . . . . . . . 10-35
Taillamps, Turn Signal,
Sidemarker, Stoplamps,
and Backup Lamps . . . . . . . . 10-34
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-57
C
Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
California Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . 9-52
Perchlorate MaterialsRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Camera, Rear Vision . . . . . . . . . . 9-47
Canadian Vehicle Owners . . . . . . . . iii
Capacities and Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Carbon Monoxide Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Midgate
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Tailgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-13 Cargo
Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Cover Panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5
Tie-Downs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-12
Cautions, Danger, and Warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
CD/DVD Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-18
Center Console Storage . . . . . . . . 4-1
Chains, Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-62
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . 5-15
Check
Engine Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
IgnitionTransmission Lock . . . . . . . . 10-30
Child Restraints Infants and Young
Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-35
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children . . . . . . . . . 3-41
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-33
Securing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-47, 3-49
Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-37
Cigarette Lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36

Black plate (4,1)Cadillac Escalade EXT Owner Manual - 2012
i-4 INDEX
Driving (cont'd)Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 9-16
Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-11
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-13
Dual Automatic Climate Control System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
DVD Rear Seat EntertainmentSystem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-31
DVD/CD Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-18
E
E85 Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-53
Electrical Equipment, Add-On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-67
Electrical System
Engine CompartmentFuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-41
Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
Emergency, OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . 14-2 Engine
Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . 10-14
Check and Service Engine
Soon Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
Compartment Overview . . . . . . . 10-6
Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-16
Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-16
Cooling System Messages . . . 5-29
Drive Belt Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-3
Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22
Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Overheated Protection Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22
Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-20
Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-31
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Running While Parked . . . . . . . . 9-31
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-10
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
Entry/Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-10
Equipment, Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-64 Event Data Recorders . . . . . . . . 13-19
Extender, Safety Belt . . . . . . . . . . 3-17
Exterior Cargo Lamps . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lamps Off Reminder . . . 6-5
F
Fan
Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22
Features Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8
Filter, Engine Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . 10-14
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Flashers, Hazard Warning . . . . . . 6-7
Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-62 Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-64
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-88
Fluid
Automatic Transmission . . . . .10-11
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Power Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-23
Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-23
Fog Lamps Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28