2012 CADILLAC ESCALADE HYBRID check engine

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 (4,1)Cadillac Escalade Hybrid - 2012
5-4 Instruments and Controls
Charging System Light
This 12 ‐ volt battery light comes on
briefly when the ignition is turned to
ON/RUN, but the engine is not
running, as a check to show it is
working.
It should go out once the engine
has been started. If it stays on,
or comes on while driving, there
could be a problem with the 12 ‐ volt
charging system. Have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer. A 12 ‐ volt
charging system Driver Information
Center (DIC) message may also
appear. See Driver Information
Center (DIC) on page 5 ‑ 5 for more
information. This light could indicate
that there are electrical problems.
Have it checked right away. If a short distance must be driven with
the light on, be certain to turn off all
the accessories.
Engine Oil Pressure Light
{ WARNINGDo not keep driving if the oil
pressure is low. The engine can
become so hot that it catches fire.
Someone could be burned. Check
the oil as soon as possible and
have the vehicle serviced.
Notice: Lack of proper engine oil
maintenance can damage the
engine. The repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Always follow the maintenance
schedule for changing engine oil. This light comes on briefly as a
check it works, when the ignition is
in ON/RUN. If it does not, have the
vehicle serviced.
If the light comes on and stays on, it
means that oil is not flowing through
the engine properly. The vehicle
could be low on oil and might have
some other system problem.
During an Auto Stop there is zero
oil pressure, but this light will not
come on.

Black plate (6,1)Cadillac Escalade Hybrid - 2012
5-6 Instruments and Controls
Battery Voltage and
Charging Messages SERVICE BATTERY
CHARGING SYSTEM If the 12-volt battery system faults or
fails this message will appear on the
DIC. The battery/charging system
light will appear in the instrument
panel cluster. See “ Battery Warning
Light ” in the owner manual. Driving
with this message on could drain
the battery. Have the electrical
system checked as soon as
possible. Brake System Messages SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM This message may be displayed if
there is a problem with the brake
system. You will still be able to
brake, but it will be noticeably more
difficult. Pull off the road to a safe
location and have your vehicle
towed to the nearest dealer for
service. See “ Brakes, ” “ Brake
System Warning Light, ” and “ ABS
Brake System Warning Light ” in the
owner manual.
This message may also come on
when you are towing a trailer. See
“ Trailer Brakes ” under Trailer Towing
on page 9 ‑ 16 for more information. Door Ajar Messages HOOD OPEN If the hood is not fully closed or
there is a problem with the hood
switch, this message will be
displayed. Close the hood to clear
the message. If the HOOD OPEN
message continues to be displayed
after verifying the hood is closed,
you should have the hood switch
serviced. Failure to service the hood
switch properly can result in an Auto
Start condition.
Auto Stops will be disabled when
this message is displayed. If the
vehicle is in Auto Stop mode when
this message appears, the engine
will instantly start.

Black plate (7,1)Cadillac Escalade Hybrid - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-7
Engine Oil Messages OIL PRESSURE LOW STOP
ENGINE If engine oil pressure is low, this
message will be displayed on the
DIC. 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
your oil level as soon as possible
and have your vehicle serviced. See
“ Engine Oil ” in the owner manual. Service Vehicle Messages SERVICE HYBRID SYSTEM If this message is displayed on the
DIC, the vehicle may continue to
operate, but you need to have it
serviced as soon as possible.
SERVICE POWER STEERING This message displays if a problem
has been detected with the electric
power steering. Have your vehicle
serviced by your dealer immediately. Transmission Messages SERVICE 4 WHEEL DRIVE This message may display if a
problem occurs with the
four-wheel-drive system. If this
message appears, stop as soon as
possible and turn off the vehicle.
Make sure the key is in the
LOCK/OFF position for at least
one minute and then 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
four-wheel-drive system needs
service. See your dealer.

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 (7,1)Cadillac Escalade Hybrid - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-7See Engine Compartment
Overview on page 10 ‑ 4 for more
information.
2. Pull out the dipstick and wipe it
with a clean rag or paper towel.
3. Install the dipstick by pushing
it back in all the way, wait
three seconds, and then pull it
back out again.
4. Check both sides of the dipstick
and read the lower level. Repeat
the check procedure to verify the
reading.
5. If the fluid level is below the
COLD check band, add only
enough fluid as necessary to
bring the level into the COLD
band. It does not take much
fluid, generally less than 0.5 Liter
(1 Pint). Do not overfill. 6. Perform a hot check at
the first opportunity after
the transmission reaches a
normal operating temperature
between 60°C and 75°C
(140°F and 167°F).
7. If the fluid level is in the
acceptable range, push the
dipstick back in all the way.
Hot Check Procedure
Use this procedure to check the
transmission fluid level when the
transmission fluid temperature
is between 60°C and 75°C
(140°F and 167°F).
The hot check is the most accurate
method to check the fluid level. The
hot check should be performed at
the first opportunity in order to verify
the cold check. The fluid level rises
as fluid temperature increases,
so it is important to ensure the
transmission temperature is within
range. 1. Locate the transmission dipstick
at the rear of the engine
compartment, on the passenger
side of the vehicle.
See Engine Compartment
Overview on page 10 ‑ 4 for more
information.
2. Pull out the dipstick and wipe it
with a clean rag or paper towel.
3. Install the dipstick by pushing
it back in all the way, wait
three seconds, and then pull it
back out again.
4. Check both sides of the dipstick
and read the lower level. Repeat
the check procedure to verify the
reading.