Black plate (3,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-3
.Check the transmitter's battery.
See“Battery Replacement” later
in this section.
.If the transmitter is still not
working correctly, see your
dealer or a qualified technician
for service.
Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System Operation
The Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter functions work up to
60 m (195 ft) away from the vehicle.
There are other conditions which
can affect the performance of the
transmitter. See Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE) System on page 2‑2.
With Remote Start and Power
Liftgate and Liftglass (Without Remote Start Similar)
The following functions may be
available if this vehicle has the
RKE system:
Q(Lock): Press to lock all the
doors.
If enabled through the Driver
Information Center (DIC), the turn
signal lamps flash once to indicate
locking has occurred. If enabled
through the DIC, the horn chirps when
Qis pressed again within
three seconds. See Vehicle
Personalization on page 5‑38 for
additional information.
Pressing
Qarms the content
theft‐deterrent system. See
Anti-theft Alarm System on
page 2‑13.
K(Unlock): Press once to unlock
only the driver door. If
Kis pressed
again within three seconds, all
remaining doors unlock. The interior
lamps may come on and stay on for
20 seconds or until the ignition is
turned on.
If enabled through the DIC, the turn
signal lamps flash twice to indicate
unlocking has occurred. See Vehicle
Personalization on page 5‑38.
If enabled through the DIC, the
exterior lamps turn on briefly if
it is dark enough outside. See
“Approach Lighting” underVehicle
Personalization on page 5‑38.
Black plate (4,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012
2-4 Keys, Doors, and Windows
PressingKon the RKE transmitter
disarms the content theft‐deterrent
system. See Anti-theft Alarm
System on page 2‑13.
/(Remote Vehicle Start): For
vehicles with this feature, press
/
to start the engine from outside the
vehicle using the RKE transmitter.
See Remote Vehicle Start on
page 2‑5 for additional information.
8(Power Liftgate): Press and
hold to open and close the liftgate.
The taillamps flash and a chime
sounds to indicate when the liftgate
is opening and closing.
m(Liftglass): Press and hold to
open the liftglass.
L(Vehicle Locator/Panic
Alarm): Press and release to
locate the vehicle. The turn signal
lamps flash and the horn sounds
three times. Press and hold
Lfor three
seconds to activate the panic
alarm. The turn signal lamps flash
and the horn sounds repeatedly for
30 seconds. The alarm turns off
when the ignition is moved to
ON/RUN or
Lis pressed again.
The ignition must be in LOCK/OFF
for the panic alarm to work.
The vehicle comes with
two transmitters. Each transmitter
will have a number on top of it,
“1” or“2”. These numbers
correspond to the driver of the
vehicle. For example, the memory
seat position for driver 1 will be
recalled when using the transmitter
labeled “1”, if enabled through the
DIC. See Memory Seats on
page 3‑5 for more information.
Programming Transmitters to
the Vehicle
Only RKE transmitters programmed
to this vehicle will work. If a
transmitter is lost or stolen, a
replacement can be purchased and
programmed through your dealer.
When the replacement transmitter
is programmed to this vehicle, all
remaining transmitters must also be
reprogrammed. Any lost or stolen
transmitters will no longer work
once the new transmitter is
programmed. Each vehicle can
have up to eight transmitters
programmed to it. See your dealer
to have transmitters programmed to
the vehicle.
Battery Replacement
Replace the battery if the
REPLACE BATTERY IN REMOTE
KEY message displays in the DIC.
See“REPLACE BATTERY IN
REMOTE KEY” underKey and
Lock Messages on page 5‑33 for
additional information.
Black plate (6,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012
2-6 Keys, Doors, and Windows
/(Remote Start):This button will
be on the RKE transmitter if you
have remote start.
To start the vehicle using the remote
start feature:
1. Aim the transmitter at the vehicle.
2. Press and release
Q.
3. Immediately press and hold
/
until the turn signal lamps flash.
If you cannot see the vehicle's
lamps, press and hold
/for
two to four seconds.
When the vehicle starts, the
parking lamps will turn on and
remain on while the vehicle is
running. The doors will be
locked and the climate control
system may come on.
The engine will continue to run
for 10 minutes. Repeat the steps
for a 10-minute time extension.
Remote start can be extended
only once. After entering the vehicle during a
remote start, insert and turn the key
to ON/RUN to drive the vehicle.
To cancel a remote start, do any of
the following:
.Aim the RKE transmitter at the
vehicle and press and hold
/
until the parking lamps turn off.
.Turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
.Turn the ignition on and then
back off.
The vehicle can be remote started
two separate times between driving
sequences. The engine will run for
10 minutes after each remote start.
Or, you can extend the engine run
time by another 10 minutes within
the first 10 minute remote start time
frame, and before the engine stops.
For example, if
Qand then/are
pressed again after the vehicle
has been running for five minutes,
10 minutes are added, allowing the
engine to run for 15 minutes. The additional 10 minutes are
considered a second remote vehicle
start.
After the vehicle's engine has been
started two times using
/, or a
single remote start with one time
extension, the vehicle must be
started with the key.
After the key is removed from the
ignition, the vehicle can be remote
started again.
The vehicle cannot be remote
started if the key is in the ignition,
the hood is not closed, or if there
is an emission control system
malfunction and the malfunction
indicator lamp is on.
Also, the engine will turn off during a
remote vehicle start if the coolant
temperature gets too high or if the
oil pressure gets low.
Black plate (7,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-7
Door Locks
{WARNING
Unlocked doors can be
dangerous.
.Passengers, especially
children, can easily open the
doors and fall out of a moving
vehicle. When a door is
locked, the handle will not
open it. The chance of being
thrown out of the vehicle in
a crash is increased if the
doors are not locked. So, all
passengers should wear
safety belts properly and the
doors should be locked
whenever the vehicle is
driven.
.Young children who get into
unlocked vehicles may be
unable to get out. A child can
be overcome by extreme heat
and can suffer permanent(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
injuries or even death from
heat stroke. Always lock the
vehicle whenever leaving it.
.Outsiders can easily enter
through an unlocked door
when you slow down or stop
the vehicle. Locking the doors
can help prevent this from
happening.
There are several ways to lock and
unlock the vehicle.
From outside, use the Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter or
the key in the driver door.
From inside, use the power door
locks or manual door locks. To lock
or unlock the door with the manual
locks, push down or pull up on the
manual lock knob.
Power Door Locks
With power door locks, the switches
on the front doors can be used to
lock and unlock the vehicle.
If available, the switches are on the
front doors.
K(Unlock): Press to unlock the
doors.
Q(Lock): Press to lock the doors.
Delayed Locking
When locking the doors with the
power lock switch and a door or the
liftgate is open, the doors will lock
five seconds after the last door is
closed. You will hear three chimes
to signal that the delayed locking
feature is in use.
Pressing the power lock switch
twice will override the delayed
locking feature and immediately lock
all the doors.
This feature will not operate if the
key is in the ignition.
Black plate (8,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012
2-8 Keys, Doors, and Windows
You can program this feature using
the Driver Information Center (DIC).
See“Delay Door Lock” under
Vehicle Personalization on
page 5‑38.
Automatic Door Locks
The vehicle may have an automatic
lock/unlock feature. This feature can
be programmed using the Driver
Information Center (DIC). See
Vehicle Personalization on
page 5‑38 for more information on
DIC programming.
Lockout Protection
If the driver side power door lock
switch is pressed when the driver
door is open and the key is in the
ignition, all of the doors will lock and
then the driver door will unlock.
If the passenger side power door
lock switch is pressed when the
front passenger door is open and
the key is in the ignition, all of the
doors will lock and then the front
passenger door will unlock.
Safety Locks
The vehicle has rear door security
locks to prevent passengers from
opening the rear doors from the
inside.
Open the rear doors to access the
security locks on the inside edge of
each door.
To set the locks, insert a key into
the slot and turn it to the horizontal
position. The door can only be
opened from the outside with the
door unlocked. To return the door to
normal operation, turn the slot to the
vertical position.
Black plate (11,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-11
Obstacle Detection Features
If the liftgate encounters an obstacle
during a power open or close cycle,
a warning chime will sound and the
liftgate will automatically reverse
direction to the full closed or open
position. After removing the
obstruction, the power liftgate
operation can be used again.
If the liftgate encounters multiple
obstacles on the same power cycle,
the power function will deactivate,
and you must manually open or
close the liftgate. The REAR
ACCESS OPEN warning message
in the Driver Information Center
(DIC) will indicate that the liftgate
is open. After removing the
obstructions, manually open the
liftgate to the full open position or
close the liftgate to the fully closed
and latched position. The liftgate
will now resume normal power
operation.
Pinch sensors are located on the
sides of the liftgate. If an object is
caught between the liftgate and thebody and presses against this
sensor, the liftgate will reverse
direction and open fully. The liftgate
will remain open until it is activated
again or closed manually. Do not
force the liftgate open or closed
during a power cycle.
Manual Operation of Power
Liftgate
To change the liftgate to manual
operation, press the switch on the
overhead console to the OFF
position.
With the power liftgate disabled and
all of the doors unlocked, the liftgate
can be manually opened and
closed.
To open the liftgate, press the touch
pad on the handle on the outside of
the liftgate, and lift the gate open.
To close the liftgate, use the pull
cup to lower the liftgate and close.
The liftgate latch will power close.
Always close the liftgate before
driving.
If the RKE button or the power close
button on the liftgate is pressed
while power operation is disabled,
the lamps will flash three times, but
the liftgate will not move.
It is not recommended that you
drive with the liftgate open,
however, if you must drive with the
liftgate open, the liftgate should be
set to manual operation by pressing
the OFF switch on the center
console.
The liftgate has an electric latch.
If the battery is disconnected or has
low voltage, the liftgate will not
open. The liftgate will resume
operation when the battery is
reconnected and charged.
If the battery is properly connected
with adequate voltage, the switch is
not disabled, and the liftgate still will
not function, your vehicle should be
taken to a dealer for service.
Black plate (12,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012
2-12 Keys, Doors, and Windows
Liftgate (Manual)
{WARNING
It can be dangerous to drive
with the liftglass or liftgate open
because carbon monoxide (CO)
gas can come into your vehicle.
You cannot see or smell CO.
It can cause unconsciousness
and even death.
If you must drive with the liftglass
or liftgate open, or if electrical
wiring or other cable connections
must pass through the seal
between the body and the
liftglass or liftgate:
.Make sure all other windows
are shut.
.Turn the fan on your heating
or cooling system to its
highest speed with the
recirculation mode off. That
will force outside air into your(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
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.
.If your vehicle is equipped
with a power liftgate, disable
the power liftgate function.
See Engine Exhaust on
page 9‑28.
To unlock the liftgate, use the power
door lock switch or press
Kon the
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter twice. See Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) System
Operation on page 2‑3.
On vehicles with a liftglass, press
the button on the underside of the
license plate applique (A) to open it.
The liftglass can also be opened by
pressing
mon the RKE.
To open the entire liftgate,
press
8on the RKE or in the
vehicle. See “Power Liftgate
Operation” in this section. You can
also press the touch pad on the
underside of the liftgate handle (B).
Black plate (13,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-13
The liftgate will open after a slight
delay. The vehicle must be in
P (Park) to open the liftgate. To
close the liftgate, use the pull cup or
pull strap as an aid.
The liftgate or liftglass cannot be
opened if the rear wipers are in
motion. Attempting to open the
liftgate or liftglass while the rear
wipers are in motion will cause the
release of the liftglass or liftgate to
delay until the wipers are parked off
the liftglass.
Both the liftglass and liftgate have
an electric latch. If the battery is
disconnected or has low voltage,
the liftglass and liftgate will not
open. The liftglass and liftgate will
resume operation when the battery
is reconnected and charged.
If the battery is properly connected
and has adequate voltage, and
the liftgate or liftglass still will not
function, your vehicle should be
taken to a dealership for service.Power Assist Steps
The vehicle may have power assist
steps.
The switch used to disable the
power assist steps is located on the
center console below the climate
control system.
The power assist steps
automatically extend from beneath
the vehicle on the side in which the
door has been opened. Once the
door is closed, the assist steps
automatically move back under
the vehicle after a brief delay. The
vehicle must not be moving for the
assist steps to extend or retract.
The assist steps cannot be disabled
in the extended position.
Vehicle Security
This vehicle has theft-deterrent
features; however, they do not make
it impossible to steal.
Anti-theft Alarm System
Your vehicle has a content
theft-deterrent alarm system.
This is the security light.
To arm the theft-deterrent system:
1. Open the door.
2. Lock the door with the RemoteKeyless Entry (RKE) transmitter
or the power door lock switch.