Page 3 of 90

Black plate (1,1)Cadillac Escalade Hybrid - 2012
In Brief 1-1
In Brief Initial Drive Information Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Hybrid Features High Voltage Safety
Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Fuel Economy Gauge . . . . . . . . . 1-3
Automatic Engine Start/Stop
Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3
Regenerative Braking . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Performance and Maintenance Tire Sealant and
Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5 Initial Drive
Information Transmission Range Selection Mode
The Range Selection Mode switch
is located on the shift lever.
To enable the Range Selection
feature:
1. Move the column shift lever
to the M (Manual) position.
The current range will appear
next to the M. This is the
highest attainable range with
all lower gears accessible. As an example, when
3 (Third) gear is selected,
1 (First) through 3 (Third) gears
are available.
2. Press the plus/minus buttons,
located on the steering column
shift lever, to select the desired
range of gears for current driving
conditions. See Automatic
Transmission Operation in the
owner manual.
Cruise control can be used while the
vehicle is in Range Selection Mode.
See Manual Mode on page 9 ‑ 10 .
Four-Wheel Drive If the vehicle has four-wheel drive,
you can send the engine's driving
power to all four wheels for extra
traction. Read the following before
using four-wheel drive.
Page 19 of 90

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.
Page 25 of 90

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.
Page 35 of 90

Black plate (11,1)Cadillac Escalade Hybrid - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-11
Drive Systems Four-Wheel Drive If the vehicle has four-wheel drive,
you can send the engine's driving
power to all four wheels for extra
traction. Read the following before
using four-wheel drive.
Notice: Driving on clean, dry
pavement in Four-Wheel Drive
High or Four-Wheel Drive Low for
an extended period of time may
cause premature wear on the
vehicle's powertrain. Do not
drive on clean, dry pavement
in Four-Wheel Drive High or
Four-Wheel Drive Low for
extended periods of time. While driving on clean dry pavement
and during tight turns, you may
experience a vibration in the
steering system.
The vehicle has StabiliTrak. Shifting
into Four-Wheel Drive Low will turn
Traction Control and StabiliTrak off.
See “ StabiliTrak System ” in the
owner manual.
Front Axle The front axle engages and
disengages automatically when you
shift the transfer case. Some delay
for the axle to engage or disengage
is normal. Automatic Transfer Case
The transfer case knob is located
to the left of the instrument panel
cluster.
Use this dial to shift into and out of
four-wheel drive.
You can choose among five driving
settings:
Indicator lights in the switches show
you which setting you are in. The
indicator lights will come on briefly
when you turn on the ignition and
the last chosen setting will stay on.