2012 CADILLAC ESCALADE EXT cooling

Black plate (14,1)Cadillac Escalade EXT Owner Manual - 2012
1-14 In Brief
Climate Controls
The heating, cooling, and ventilation in the vehicle can be controlled with
this system.
Climate Control with Heated and Cooled Seats shown
A. Driver and Passenger Temperature Controls
B. AUTO (Auto Operation)
C. Air Recirculation
D. Air Conditioning
E. Heated and Cooled Seats F. Fan Control
G. Defrost
H. Rear Window Defogger
I. Air Delivery Mode Control
See
Dual Automatic Climate Control
System on page 8‑1.
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.

Black plate (5,1)Cadillac Escalade EXT Owner Manual - 2012
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-5
To replace the battery:
1. Separate the transmitter with aflat, thin object inserted into the
notch, located above the
metal base.
2. Remove the old battery. Do not use a metal object.
3. Insert the new battery, positive side facing up. Replace with a
CR2032 or equivalent battery.
4. Snap the transmitter back together.
Remote Vehicle Start
This feature allows you to start the
engine from outside of the vehicle.
It may also start up the vehicle's
heating or air conditioning systems
and rear window defogger. Normal
operation of the system will return
after the key is turned to the ON/
RUN position.
During a remote start, the climate
control system will default to a
heating or cooling mode depending
on the outside temperatures.
During a remote start, if the vehicle
has an automatic climate control
system and heated seats, the
heated seats will turn on during
colder outside temperatures and will
shut off when the key is turned to
ON/RUN. If the vehicle does not
have an automatic climate control
system, during remote start, you will
need to manually turn the heated
seats on and off. See Heated and
Ventilated Front Seats on page 3‑7
for additional information. Laws in some communities may
restrict the use of remote starters.
For example, some laws may
require a person using the remote
start to have the vehicle in view
when doing so. Check local
regulations for any requirements on
remote starting of vehicles.
Do not use the remote start feature
if the vehicle is low on fuel. The
vehicle may run out of fuel.
If the vehicle has the remote start
feature, the RKE transmitter
functions will have an increased
range of operation. However, the
range may be less while the vehicle
is running.
There are other conditions which
can affect the performance of the
transmitter, see
Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE) System on page 2‑2 for
additional information.
/(Remote Start): This button will
be on the RKE transmitter if you
have remote start.

Black plate (9,1)Cadillac Escalade EXT Owner Manual - 2012
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-9
Doors
Midgate®
{WARNING
It can be dangerous to drive with
the cargo area covered and the
tailgate and the Midgate
®open
because carbon monoxide (CO)
gas can come into your vehicle.
You can not see or smell CO.
It can cause unconsciousness
and even death. If you must drive
with the cargo covers on and the
tailgate and Midgate open or if
electrical wiring or other cable
connections must pass through
the seal between the body and
the Midgate:
.Make sure all windows
are shut.
.Turn the fan on your heating
or cooling system to its
highest speed on the setting
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
that brings in outside air. This
will force outside air into your
vehicle. SeeDual Automatic
Climate Control System on
page 8‑1.
.If you have air outlets on or
under the instrument panel,
open them all the way. See
Engine Exhaust on
page 9‑30.
Midgate Operation
This vehicle is equipped with a
Midgate and a removable rear glass
panel. The Midgate allows you to
extend the length of the vehicle's
cargo area.
The following are the main
components of the Midgate system:
A. Latch Levers
B. Grab Handles
C. Glass-Catch Release Button
D. Glass Lock Knobs
E. Glass Retaining Tabs
F. Midgate Release Handle
G. Glass Alignment Arrows

Black plate (1,1)Cadillac Escalade EXT Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-1
Instruments and
Controls
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . 5-2
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . 5-2
Heated Steering Wheel . . . . . . . 5-4
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . 5-4
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Cigarette Lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Ashtrays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, andIndicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11 Engine Coolant Temperature
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . 5-12
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . 5-13
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Charging System Light . . . . . . 5-15
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Tow/Haul Mode Light . . . . . . . . 5-19
StabiliTrak
®OFF Light . . . . . . . 5-20
Traction Control System (TCS)/StabiliTrak
®Light . . . . 5-20
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . 5-21
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . 5-22
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Information Displays
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Battery Voltage and ChargingMessages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Brake System Messages . . . . 5-28
Door Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . 5-29
Engine Cooling System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-29
Engine Oil Messages . . . . . . . . 5-30
Engine Power Messages . . . . 5-31
Fuel System Messages . . . . . . 5-31
Key and Lock Messages . . . . . 5-32
Lamp Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-32
Object Detection System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-32
Ride Control System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-32

Black plate (29,1)Cadillac Escalade EXT Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-29
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.
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.
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
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 5‑12. 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.
If this message continues to appear,
have the system repaired by your
dealer as soon as possible to avoid
damage to the engine.

Black plate (30,1)Cadillac Escalade EXT Owner Manual - 2012
5-30 Instruments and Controls
ENGINE OVERHEATED IDLE
ENGINE
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 10‑20 for more information.
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 5‑12.
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
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 10‑20 for more information.
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 10‑10 for
information on how to reset the
message. See Engine Oil on
page 10‑8 andMaintenance
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 5‑12.

Black plate (31,1)Cadillac Escalade EXT Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-31
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 10‑8 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 10‑8.
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 10‑20
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 5‑11 andFuel on
page 9‑50 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 5‑15. Reinstall the fuel cap
fully. SeeFilling the Tank on
page 9‑54. 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.

Black plate (10,1)Cadillac Escalade EXT Owner Manual - 2012
6-10 Lighting
Lighting Features
Entry/Exit Lighting
The vehicle has an illuminated
entry/exit feature.
The dome lamps come on if
the
EDOME OFF button is in the
extended position, when a door is
opened or the key is removed from
the ignition.
Battery Load
Management
The vehicle has Electric Power
Management (EPM) that estimates
the battery's temperature and state
of charge. It then adjusts the voltage
for best performance and extended
life of the battery.
When the battery's state of charge
is low, the voltage is raised slightly
to quickly bring the charge back up.
When the state of charge is high,
the voltage is lowered slightly to
prevent overcharging. If the vehicle has a voltmeter gauge or a voltage
display on the Driver Information
Center (DIC), you may see the
voltage move up or down. This is
normal. If there is a problem, an
alert will be displayed.
The battery can be discharged at
idle if the electrical loads are very
high. This is true for all vehicles.
This is because the generator
(alternator) may not be spinning fast
enough at idle to produce all the
power that is needed for very high
electrical loads.
A high electrical load occurs when
several of the following are on, such
as: headlamps, high beams, fog
lamps, rear window defogger,
climate control fan at high speed,
heated seats, engine cooling fans,
trailer loads, and loads plugged into
accessory power outlets.
EPM works to prevent excessive
discharge of the battery. It does this
by balancing the generator's output
and the vehicle's electrical needs.
It can increase engine idle speed to
generate more power, whenever
needed. It can temporarily reduce
the power demands of some
accessories.
Normally, these actions occur in
steps or levels, without being
noticeable. In rare cases at the
highest levels of corrective action,
this action may be noticeable to the
driver. If so, a Driver Information
Center (DIC) message might be
displayed, such as BATTERY LOW
START VEHICLE . If this message
displays, it is recommended that the
driver reduce the electrical loads as
much as possible and restart the
vehicle. See
Battery Voltage and
Charging Messages on page 5‑28.
Battery Power Protection
This feature shuts off the dome
lamps if they are left on for more
than 10 minutes when the ignition is
in LOCK/OFF. This helps to prevent
the battery from running down.