
Black plate (5,1)Cadillac Escalade Hybrid - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-54. Before starting the engine, be
sure to unplug and store the
cord as it was before to keep
it away from moving engine
parts. If you do not, it could be
damaged.
The length of time the heater should
remain plugged in depends on
several factors. Ask a dealer in the
area where you will be parking the
vehicle for the best advice on this. Shifting Into Park
{ WARNINGIt can be dangerous to get out of
the vehicle if the shift lever is not
fully in P (Park) with the parking
brake firmly set. The vehicle can
roll. If you have left the engine
running, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You or others could be
injured. To be sure the vehicle will
not move, even when you are on
fairly level ground, use the steps
that follow. With four-wheel
drive, if the transfer case is in
N (Neutral), the vehicle will be
free to roll, even if the shift lever
is in P (Park). So, be sure the
transfer case is in a drive
gear — not in N (Neutral).
(Continued) WARNING (Continued) If you are pulling a trailer, see
“ Driving Characteristics and
Towing Tips ” in the owner
manual.
1. Hold the brake pedal down, then
set the parking brake.
See “ Parking Brake ” in the
owner manual.
2. Move the shift lever into the
P (Park) position by pulling the
shift lever toward you and
moving it up as far as it will go.
3. Be sure the transfer case
(if equipped) is in a drive
gear — not in N (Neutral).
4. Turn the ignition key to
LOCK/OFF.
5. Remove the key and take it with
you. If you can leave the vehicle
with the ignition key in your
hand, the vehicle is in P (Park).

Black plate (6,1)Cadillac Escalade Hybrid - 2012
9-6 Driving and Operating Leaving the Vehicle with the
Engine Running
{ WARNINGIt can be dangerous to leave the
vehicle with the engine running.
The vehicle could move suddenly
if the shift lever is not fully in
P (Park) with the parking brake
firmly set.
If you have four-wheel drive and
the transfer case is in N (Neutral),
the vehicle will be free to roll,
even if the shift lever is in
P (Park). So be sure the transfer
case is in a drive gear — not in
N (Neutral).
(Continued) WARNING (Continued) And, if you leave the vehicle
with the engine running, it could
overheat and even catch fire. You
or others could be injured. Do not
leave the vehicle with the engine
running unless you have to.
If you have to leave the vehicle with
the engine running, be sure your
vehicle is in P (Park) and the
parking brake is firmly set before
you leave it. After you move the shift
lever into P (Park), hold the regular
brake pedal down. Then, see if you
can move the shift lever away from
P (Park) without first pulling it toward
you. If you can, it means that the
shift lever was not fully locked into
P (Park). Torque Lock If parking on a hill and the
transmission not shifted into
P (Park) properly, the weight
of the vehicle may put too much
force on the parking pawl in the
transmission. You may find it
difficult to pull the shift lever out
of P (Park). This is called torque
lock. To prevent torque lock, set the
parking brake and then shift into
P (Park) properly before you leave
the driver seat. To find out how, see
Shifting Into Park on page 9 ‑ 5 .
When you are ready to drive, move
the shift lever out of P (Park) before
you release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may
need to have another vehicle push
yours a little uphill to take some of
the pressure from the parking pawl
in the transmission, then you will be
able to pull the shift lever out of
P (Park).

Black plate (8,1)Cadillac Escalade Hybrid - 2012
9-8 Driving and Operating When parked on a hill, especially
when the vehicle has a heavy
load, you may notice an increase in
the effort to shift out of P (Park). See
Shifting Into Park on page 9 ‑ 5 .
{ WARNINGIt is dangerous to get out of the
vehicle if the shift lever is not fully
in P (Park) with the parking brake
firmly set. The vehicle can roll.
Do not leave the vehicle when
the engine is running unless you
have to. If you have left the
engine running, the vehicle can
move suddenly. You or others
could be injured. To be sure the
vehicle will not move, even when
you are on fairly level ground,
always set the parking brake
and move the shift lever to
P (Park). See Shifting Into Park
on page 9 ‑ 5 . If you are
pulling a trailer, see “ Driving
Characteristics and Towing Tips ”
in the owner manual. { WARNINGIf you have Four-Wheel Drive, the
vehicle will be free to roll — even
if the shift lever is in P (Park) — if
the transfer case is in Neutral. So,
be sure the transfer case is in a
drive gear, Two-Wheel Drive High
or Four-Wheel Drive High or
Four-Wheel Drive Low — not in
Neutral. See Shifting Into Park
on page 9 ‑ 5 .
R (Reverse): Use this gear to
back up.
Notice: Shifting to R (Reverse)
while the vehicle is moving
forward could damage the
transmission. The repairs would
not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Shift to R (Reverse) only
after the vehicle is stopped. To rock the vehicle back and forth to
get out of snow, ice, or sand without
damaging the transmission, see “ If
the Vehicle is Stuck ” in the owner
manual.
N (Neutral): In this position, the
engine and transmission are not
connected with the wheels. To
restart the engine when the
vehicle is already moving, use
N (Neutral) only.
{ WARNINGShifting into a drive gear while the
engine is running at high speed is
dangerous. Unless your foot is
firmly on the brake pedal, the
vehicle could move very rapidly.
You could lose control and hit
people or objects. Do not shift
into a drive gear while the engine
is running at high speed.

Black plate (12,1)Cadillac Escalade Hybrid - 2012
9-12 Driving and Operating If the lights do not come on, you
should take the vehicle to your
dealer for service. An indicator light
will flash while shifting. It will stay on
when the shift is completed. If for
some reason the transfer case
cannot make a requested shift, it will
return to the last chosen setting.
2
m (Two-Wheel Drive High): This
setting is used for driving in most
street and highway situations.
The front axle is not engaged in
two-wheel drive. This setting also
provides the best fuel economy.
AUTO (Automatic Four-Wheel
Drive): This setting is ideal for
use when road surface traction
conditions are variable. When
driving your vehicle in AUTO, the
front axle is engaged, but the
vehicle's power is primarily sent to
the rear wheels. When the vehicle's
software determines a need for
more traction, the system will
transfer more power to the front wheels. Driving in this mode results
in slightly lower fuel economy than
Two-Wheel Drive High.
4
m (Four-Wheel Drive High): Use
the four-wheel high position when
you need extra traction, such as
on snowy or icy roads or in most
off-road situations. This setting also
engages the front axle to help drive
the vehicle. This is the best setting
to use when plowing snow.
4
n (Four-Wheel Drive Low): This
setting also engages the front axle
and delivers extra torque. You may
never need this setting. It sends
maximum power to all four wheels.
You might choose Four-Wheel Drive
Low if you are driving off-road in
deep sand, deep mud, deep snow,
and while climbing or descending
steep hills.
The vehicle has StabiliTrak. Shifting
into Four-Wheel-Drive Low will turn
Traction Control and StabiliTrak off.
See “ StabiliTrak System ” in the
owner manual. { WARNINGShifting the transfer case to
N (Neutral) can cause the vehicle
to roll even if the transmission is
in P (Park). You or someone else
could be seriously injured. Be
sure to set the parking brake
before placing the transfer case in
N (Neutral). See “ Parking Brake ”
in the owner manual for more
information.
N (Neutral): Shift the vehicle's
transfer case to N (Neutral) only
when towing the vehicle. See
“ Recreational Vehicle Towing ” or
“ Towing Your Vehicle ” in the owner
manual.
If the SERVICE 4 WHEEL DRIVE
message stays on, you should
take the vehicle to your dealer
for service. See Transmission
Messages on page 5 ‑ 7 .

Black plate (14,1)Cadillac Escalade Hybrid - 2012
9-14 Driving and Operating The preferred method for shifting
out of Four-Wheel Drive Low is to
have your vehicle moving 1.6 to
3.2 km/h (1 to 2 mph). Turn the knob
to the Four-Wheel Drive High,
AUTO, or Two-Wheel Drive High
position. You must wait for the
Four-Wheel Drive High, AUTO,
or Two-Wheel Drive High indicator
light to stop flashing and remain on
before shifting the transmission
into gear.
Notice: Shifting the transmission
into gear before the requested
mode indicator light has stopped
flashing could damage the
transfer case. To help avoid
damaging the vehicle, always wait
for the mode indicator lights to
stop flashing before shifting the
transmission into gear.
The vehicle may have significant
engagement noise and bump when
shifting between Four-Wheel Drive
Low and Four-Wheel Drive High
ranges or from N (Neutral) while the
engine is running. If the knob is turned to the
Four-Wheel Drive High, AUTO,
or Two-Wheel Drive High switch
position when the vehicle is in gear
and/or moving more than 5 km/h
(3 mph), the Four-Wheel Drive
High, AUTO or Two-Wheel Drive
High indicator light will flash for
30 seconds but will not complete the
shift.
Shifting into Neutral
To shift the transfer case into
N (Neutral):
1. Make sure the vehicle is parked
so that it will not roll.
2. Set the parking brake and apply
the regular brake pedal. See
“ Parking Brake ” in the owner
manual.
3. Start the vehicle or turn the
ignition to ON/RUN.
4. Put the transmission in
N (Neutral).
5. Shift the transfer case to
Two-Wheel Drive High. 6. Turn the transfer case dial
clockwise to N (Neutral) until
it stops and hold it there until
the N (Neutral) light starts
blinking. This will take at least
10 seconds. Then slowly release
the dial to the Four ‐ Wheel Drive
Low position. The N (Neutral)
light will come on when the
transfer case shift to N (Neutral)
is complete.
7. If the engine is running, verify
that the transfer case is in
N (Neutral) by shifting the
transmission to R (Reverse)
for one second, then shift the
transmission to D (Drive) for
one second.
8. Turn the ignition to ACC/
ACCESSORY, which will turn
the engine off.
9. Place the transmission shift
lever in P (Park).
10. Release the parking brake prior
to moving the vehicle.
11. Turn the ignition to LOCK/OFF.

Black plate (15,1)Cadillac Escalade Hybrid - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-15Shifting Out of Neutral
To shift the transfer case out of
N (Neutral):
1. Set the parking brake and apply
the regular brake pedal.
2. Turn the ignition to ON/RUN with
the engine off, and shift the
transmission to N (Neutral).
3. Turn the transfer case dial to the
desired transfer case shift
position (Two-Wheel Drive High,
Four-Wheel Drive High, AUTO).
After the transfer case has
shifted out of N (Neutral), the
N (Neutral) light will go out.
4. Release the parking brake prior
to moving the vehicle. Notice: Shifting the transmission
into gear before the Four-Wheel
Drive Low indicator light has
stopped flashing could damage
the transfer case. To help avoid
damaging the vehicle, always wait
for the Four-Wheel Drive Low
indicator light to stop flashing
before shifting the transmission
into gear.
5. Start the engine and shift the
transmission to the desired
position.
Excessively shifting the transfer
case into or out of the different
modes may cause the transfer case
to enter the shift protection mode.
This will protect the transfer case
from possible damage and will only
allow the transfer case to respond
to one shift per 10 seconds. The
transfer case may stay in this mode
for up to three minutes. Brakes Regenerative Braking Regenerative braking is a hybrid
technology that enables the electric
drive motor to operate as a
generator when coasting or braking.
Energy from the moving vehicle
recharges the hybrid battery.
The hydraulic disc brakes work with
the regenerative braking to insure
effective braking, such as when a
high braking demand is requested.
The braking system is computer
controlled and blends the
regenerative braking with the
conventional hydraulic disc brakes
to meet any requirements for
deceleration. The controller
interprets the braking request
and uses regenerative braking,
conventional hydraulic braking or a
combination of both as necessary.

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 (19,1)Cadillac Escalade Hybrid - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-19TPMS Sensor Matching
Process Each TPMS sensor has a unique
identification code. The identification
code needs to be matched to a new
tire/wheel position after rotating the
vehicle ’ s tires or replacing one or
more of the TPMS sensors. Also,
the TPMS sensor matching process
should be performed after replacing
a spare tire with a road tire
containing the TPMS sensor. The
malfunction light and the DIC
message should go off at the next
ignition cycle. The sensors are
matched to the tire/wheel positions,
using a TPMS relearn tool, in the
following order: driver side front tire,
passenger side front tire, passenger
side rear tire, and driver side rear.
See your dealer for service or to
purchase a relearn tool.
There are two minutes to match
the first tire/wheel position, and
five minutes overall to match all
four tire/wheel positions. If it takes
longer, the matching process stops
and must be restarted. The TPMS sensor matching
process is:
1. Set the parking brake.
2. Turn the ignition to ON/RUN with
the engine off.
3. Press
Q and
K on the
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter at the same time for
approximately five seconds. The
horn sounds twice to signal the
receiver is in relearn mode and
TIRE LEARNING ACTIVE
message displays on the DIC
screen.
4. Start with the driver side
front tire.
5. Place the relearn tool against
the tire sidewall, near the valve
stem. Then press the button to
activate the TPMS sensor.
A horn chirp confirms that the
sensor identification code has
been matched to this tire and
wheel position. 6. Proceed to the passenger
side front tire, and repeat the
procedure in Step 5.
7. Proceed to the passenger side
rear tire, and repeat the
procedure in Step 5.
8. Proceed to the driver side rear
tire, and repeat the procedure
in Step 5. The horn sounds
two times to indicate the sensor
identification code has been
matched to the driver side rear
tire, and the TPMS sensor
matching process is no longer
active. The TIRE LEARNING
ACTIVE message on the DIC
display screen goes off.
9. Turn the ignition to LOCK/OFF.
10. Set all four tires to the
recommended air pressure
level as indicated on the Tire
and Loading Information label.