Black plate (1,1)Cadillac Escalade Hybrid - 2012
2012 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid MIn Brief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . 1-1
Hybrid Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Performance and
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Seats and Restraints . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Storage Compartments . . . . . . . . 4-1
Instruments and Controls . . . . 5-1
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Information Displays . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5 Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . 8-1
Driving and Operating . . . . . . . . 9-1
Driving Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-1
Starting and Operating . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-7
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . 9-7
Drive Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-11
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-15
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-16 Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-1
Vehicle Checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Electrical System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-13
Wheels and Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-16
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Appearance Care . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Service and Maintenance . . . 11-1
Recommended Fluids,
Lubricants, and Parts . . . . . . . 11-2
Technical Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Vehicle Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i-1
Black plate (1,1)Cadillac Escalade Hybrid - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-1
Driving and
Operating Driving Information Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-1
Starting and Operating Starting the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Engine Coolant Heater . . . . . . . . 9-4
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Engine Exhaust Running the Vehicle While
Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-7 Automatic Transmission Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . 9-7
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-10
Drive Systems Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-11
Brakes Regenerative Braking . . . . . . . . 9-15
Towing Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-16
Towing Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . 9-17
Driving Information Steering Electric Power Steering Your vehicle has electric power
steering. It does not have power
steering fluid. Regular maintenance
is not required.
If power steering assist is lost due
to a system malfunction, the vehicle
can be steered, but may require
increased effort. If the steering
wheel is turned in either direction
several times until it stops, or it
is held until it is stopped for an
extended time, power steering
assist should return shortly after a
few normal steering movements.
See the owner manual for more
information.
See your dealer if there is a
problem.
Black plate (1,1)Cadillac Escalade Hybrid - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-1
Vehicle Care Vehicle Checks Doing Your Own
Service Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Engine Compartment
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Automatic Transmission
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-5
Drive Motor/Generator Control
Module (DMCM) Coolant
Surge Tank
Pressure Cap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-8
Drive Motor/Generator Control
Module (DMCM) Cooling
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-8
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-11
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . 10-12 Electrical System High Voltage Devices and
Wiring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-13
Fuses and Circuit
Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-13
Engine Compartment Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-14
Wheels and Tires Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-16
Tire Pressure Monitor
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-17
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-20
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . 10-20
Tire Sealant and
Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22
Storing the Tire Sealant and
Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29 Jump Starting Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Towing Recreational Vehicle
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Appearance Care Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Black plate (5,1)Cadillac Escalade Hybrid - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-5A. See “ Engine Air Cleaner/Filter ”
in the owner manual.
B. Drive Motor/Generator Control
Module (DMCM). See Drive
Motor/Generator Control
Module (DMCM) Cooling
System on page 10 ‑ 8 .
C. Engine Oil Dipstick (Out of
View). See “ Engine Oil ” in the
owner manual.
D. Automatic Transmission Fluid
Dipstick. See Automatic
Transmission Fluid on
page 10 ‑ 5 .
E. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See
“ Brakes ” in the owner manual.
F. See “ Engine Compartment Fuse
Block ” under Electrical System
in the owner manual.
G. Windshield Washer Fluid
Reservoir. See “ Washer Fluid ”
in the owner manual.
H. Hybrid Auxiliary Fuse Block
(Out of View). See Engine
Compartment Fuse Block on
page 10 ‑ 14 . I. DMCM Coolant Surge Tank
Pressure Cap. See Drive Motor/
Generator Control Module
(DMCM) Coolant Surge Tank
Pressure Cap on page 10 ‑ 8 .
J. Engine Coolant Surge Tank
Pressure Cap. See “ Engine
Coolant ” in the owner manual.
K. Engine Oil Fill Cap (Out of
View). See “ Engine Oil ” in the
owner manual.
Automatic Transmission
Fluid When to Check and Change
Automatic Transmission Fluid It is usually not necessary to
check the transmission fluid level.
The only reason for fluid loss is a
transmission leak or overheating
the transmission. If a small leak is
suspected, then use the following checking procedures to check the
fluid level. However, if there is a
large leak, then it may be necessary
to have the vehicle towed to a
dealer and have it repaired before
driving the vehicle further.
Notice: Use of the incorrect
automatic transmission fluid
may damage the vehicle, and the
damages may not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Always use
the automatic transmission fluid
listed in Recommended Fluids
and Lubricants on page 11 ‑ 2 .
Change the fluid and filter at the
scheduled maintenance intervals.
See “ Scheduled Maintenance ” in
the owner manual. Be sure to use
the transmission fluid listed in
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants on page 11 ‑ 2 .
Black plate (6,1)Cadillac Escalade Hybrid - 2012
10-6 Vehicle Care How to Check Automatic
Transmission Fluid Notice: Too much or too
little fluid can damage the
transmission. Too much can
mean that some of the fluid could
come out and fall on hot engine
parts or exhaust system parts,
starting a fire. Too little fluid
could cause the transmission to
overheat. Be sure to get an
accurate reading if checking the
transmission fluid.
Before checking the fluid level,
prepare the vehicle as follows:
1. Start the engine and park the
vehicle on a level surface. Keep
the engine running.
2. Apply the parking brake and
place the shift lever in P (Park).
3. With your foot on the brake
pedal, move the shift lever
through each gear range,
pausing for about three seconds
in each range. Then, move the
shift lever back to P (Park). 4. Allow the engine to idle
(500 – 800 RPM) for at least
one minute. Slowly release the
brake pedal.
5. Keep the engine running and
press the Trip/Fuel button or
trip odometer reset stem until
TRANS TEMP (Transmission
Temperature) displays on the
Driver Information Center (DIC).
6. Using the TRANS TEMP
reading, determine and perform
the appropriate check
procedure. If the TRANS TEMP
reading is not within the required
temperature ranges, allow the
vehicle to cool, or operate the
vehicle until the appropriate
transmission fluid temperature is
reached. Cold Check Procedure
Use this procedure only as a
reference to determine if the
transmission has enough fluid
to be operated safely until a hot
check procedure can be made.
The hot check procedure is the
most accurate method to check the
fluid level. Perform the hot check
procedure at the first opportunity.
Use this cold check procedure
to check fluid level when the
transmission temperature is
between 24°C and 34°C
(75°F and 93°F).
1. Locate the transmission dipstick
at the rear of the engine
compartment, on the passenger
side of the vehicle.
Black plate (2,1)Cadillac Escalade Hybrid - 2012
12-2 Technical Data
Vehicle Data Capacities and Specifications Application Capacities
Metric English
Automatic Transmission* (Pan Removal and Filter
Replacement) 10.9 L 11.5 qt
Cooling System
Drive Motor Generator Control Module Cooling System 2.7 L 2.9 qt
6.0L V8 Engine Cooling System 17.3 L 18.3 qt
Fuel Tank 92.7 L 24.5 gal
Transfer Case Fluid 1.5 L 1.6 qt
*Transmission fluid capacity is approximate. See Automatic Transmission Fluid on page 10 ‑ 5 for information on
checking fluid level.
All capacities are approximate. Recheck fluid level after filling.
Engine Specifications
Engine VIN Code Transmission Spark Plug Gap
6.0L V8 J Automatic 1.02 mm (0.040 in)
Black plate (1,1)Cadillac Escalade Hybrid - 2012
INDEX i-1
AAppearance Care
Exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . . 9-7
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-5
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-10
BBattery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-11
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Voltage and Charging
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Brakes
Regenerative Braking . . . . . . . . . 9-15
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6 C Canadian Vehicle Owners . . . . . . . . . ii
Capacities and
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . . 5-4
Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-13
Cleaning
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . . 8-1
Air Conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Cluster, Instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Compressor Kit, Tire
Sealant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22
Coolant Surge Tank
Pressure Cap, (DMCM) . . . . . . 10-8
Cooling System, (DMCM) . . . . . . 10-8 D Door
Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Drive Belt Routing, Engine . . . . . 12-3
Drive Motor/Generator
Control Module (DMCM)
Coolant Surge Tank
Pressure Cap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-8
Drive Motor/Generator
Control Module (DMCM)
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-8
Driver Information
Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Black plate (2,1)Cadillac Escalade Hybrid - 2012
i-2 INDEX
EElectrical System
Engine Compartment
Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-14
Fuses and Circuit
Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-13
Engine
Compartment Overview . . . . . . . 10-4
Coolant Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Drive Belt Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-3
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
Running While Parked . . . . . . . . . 9-7
Engine Oil
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Equipment, Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-17 F Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-20
Fluid
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 10-5
Four-Wheel Drive
Transfer Case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-11
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . 9-11, 10-12
Fuel Economy Gauge . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
Fuses
Engine Compartment
Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-14
Fuses and Circuit
Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-13
G Gauges
Fuel Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3 H Heater
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Heating and Air Conditioning . . . 8-1
High Voltage Devices and
Wiring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-13
I Infotainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii
J Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
L Lights
Charging System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
Engine Oil Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4