
Black plate (24,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012
5-24 Instruments and Controls
Information Displays
Driver Information
Center (DIC)
Your vehicle has a Driver
Information Center (DIC).
The DIC displays information
about your vehicle. It also displays
warning messages if a system
problem is detected. The DIC
also allows some features to
be customized. SeeVehicle
Personalization on page 5‑38 for
more information.
All messages will appear in the DIC
display located in the center of the
instrument panel cluster.
The DIC comes on when the ignition
is on. After a short delay, the DIC
will display the information that was
last displayed before the engine
was turned off.
Operation and Displays
The DIC has different displays
which can be accessed by pressing
the DIC buttons located on the
instrument panel, next to the
steering wheel.
The DIC displays trip, fuel, and
vehicle system information, and
warning messages if a system
problem is detected. A digital
speedometer also appears at the
bottom of the DIC display. The
digital speedometer can be
enabled or disabled. See “DISPLAY
DIGITAL SPEED” underVehicle
Personalization on page 5‑38 for
more information. DIC Buttons
The buttons are the trip/fuel, vehicle
information, customization, and set/
reset buttons. The button functions
are detailed in the following pages.
3(Trip/Fuel):
Press to display
the odometer, trip odometer,
fuel range, average economy,
fuel used, timer, transmission
temperature, instantaneous
economy, and average vehicle

Black plate (29,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-29
Vehicle Messages
Messages displayed on the DIC
indicate the status of the vehicle or
some action may be needed to
correct a condition. Multiple
messages may appear one after
another.
The messages that do not require
immediate action can be
acknowledge and cleared by
pressing any DIC button.
The messages that require
immediate action cannot be cleared
until that action is performed.
All messages should be taken
seriously and clearing the message
does not correct the problem.
The following are the possible
messages and some information
about them.
Battery Voltage and
Charging Messages
BATTERY LOW START
VEHICLE
When the vehicle’s battery is
severely discharged, this message
will display and four chimes
will sound. Start the vehicle
immediately. If the vehicle is not
started and the battery continues to
discharge, the climate controls,
heated seats, and audio systems
will shut off and the vehicle may
require a jump start. These systems
will function again after the vehicle
is started.
SERVICE BATTERY
CHARGING SYSTEM
On some vehicles, this message
displays if there is a problem with
the battery charging system. Under
certain conditions, the charging
system light may also turn on
in the instrument panel cluster. See
Charging System Light on
page 5‑15. Driving with this problem
could drain the battery. Turn off all
unnecessary accessories. Have the
electrical system checked as soon
as possible. See your dealer.
Brake System Messages
SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM
This message displays along with
the brake system warning light if
there is a problem with the brake
system. See Brake System Warning
Light on page 5‑18. If this message
appears, stop as soon as possible
and turn off the vehicle. 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 brake
system needs service as soon as
possible. See your dealer.

Black plate (31,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-31
Engine Cooling System
Messages
ENGINE HOT A/C (Air
Conditioning) TURNED OFF
This message displays when the
engine coolant becomes hotter than
the normal operating temperature.
SeeEngine Coolant Temperature
Gauge on page 5‑13. To avoid
added strain on a hot engine,
the air conditioning compressor
automatically turns off. When the
coolant temperature returns to
normal, the air conditioning
compressor turns back on. You can
continue to drive your vehicle.
If this message continues to appear,
have the system repaired by your
dealer as soon as possible to avoid
damage to the engine.
ENGINE OVERHEATED IDLE
ENGINE
Notice: If you drive the vehicle
while the engine is overheating,
severe engine damage may
occur. If an overheat warning
appears on the instrument panel
cluster and/or DIC, stop the
vehicle as soon as possible.
See Engine Overheating on
page 10‑19 for more information.
This message displays when the
engine coolant temperature is too
hot. Stop and allow the vehicle to
idle until it cools down. See Engine
Coolant Temperature Gauge on
page 5‑13.
See Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode on page 10‑21 for
information on driving to a safe
place in an emergency.
ENGINE OVERHEATED STOP
ENGINE
Notice: If you drive the vehicle
while the engine is overheating,
severe engine damage may
occur. If an overheat warning
appears on the instrument panel
cluster and/or DIC, stop the
vehicle as soon as possible.
See Engine Overheating on
page 10‑19 for more information.
This message displays and a chime
sounds if the engine cooling system
reaches unsafe temperatures for
operation. Stop and turn off the
vehicle as soon as it is safe to do
so to avoid severe damage. This
message clears when the engine
has cooled to a safe operating
temperature.

Black plate (33,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-33
Fuel System Messages
FUEL LEVEL LOW
This message displays and a chime
sounds if the fuel level is low. Refuel
as soon as possible. SeeFuel
Gauge on page 5‑12 andFuel on
page 9‑51 for more information.
TIGHTEN GAS CAP
This message may display along
with the check engine light on the
instrument panel cluster if the fuel
cap is not tightened properly. See
Malfunction Indicator Lamp on
page 5‑16. Reinstall the fuel cap
fully. SeeFilling the Tank on
page 9‑54. The diagnostic system
can determine if the fuel cap has
been left off or improperly installed.
A loose or missing fuel cap
allows fuel to evaporate into the
atmosphere. A few driving trips with
the cap properly installed should
turn this light and message off.
Key and Lock Messages
REPLACE BATTERY IN
REMOTE KEY
This message displays if a Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter
battery is low. The battery needs to
be replaced in the transmitter. See
“Battery Replacement” under
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System Operation on page 2‑3.
Lamp Messages
SERVICE LEFT HEADLAMP
ASSEMBLY
On some models, this message
will be displayed when the left
headlamp is out and needs to be
serviced. See “LED Lighting” inLED
Lighting on page 10‑35 for more
information.
SERVICE RIGHT HEADLAMP
ASSEMBLY
On some models, this message
will be displayed when the right
headlamp is out and needs to be
serviced. See “LED Lighting” inLED
Lighting on page 10‑35 for more
information.
TURN SIGNAL ON
This message displays and a chime
sounds if a turn signal is left on for
1.2 km (3/4 of a mi). Move the turn
signal/multifunction lever to the off
position.
Object Detection System
Messages
PARKING ASSIST BLOCKED
SEE OWNERS MANUAL
This message displays if there is
something interfering with the park
assist system. See Ultrasonic
Parking Assist on page 9‑43 for
more information.

Black plate (37,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-37
This message also displays LEFT
FRT (left front), RIGHT FRT
(right front), LEFT RR (left rear),
or RIGHT RR (right rear) to indicate
the location of the low tire. The low
tire pressure warning light will also
come on. SeeTire Pressure Light
on page 5‑21. You can receive more
than one tire pressure message at a
time. To read the other messages
that may have been sent at the
same time, press the set/reset
button or the trip odometer reset
stem. If a tire pressure message
appears on the DIC, stop as soon
as you can. Have the tire pressures
checked and set to those shown on
the Tire Loading Information label.
See Tires on page 10‑46, Vehicle
Load Limits on page 9‑15, and Tire
Pressure on page 10‑52. The DIC
also shows the tire pressure values.
See “DIC Operation and Displays
(With DIC Buttons)” earlier in this
section.Transmission Messages
MANUAL SHIFT
This message displays when the
automatic transmission is in manual
mode. See Manual Mode on
page 9‑32 for more information.
TRANSMISSION HOT IDLE
ENGINE
Notice:If you drive the vehicle
while the transmission fluid is
overheating and the transmission
temperature warning is displayed
on the instrument panel cluster
and/or DIC, you can damage the
transmission. This could lead to
costly repairs that would not be
covered by the warranty. Do not
drive the vehicle with overheated
transmission fluid or while the
transmission temperature
warning is displayed.
This message displays along with
four chimes if the transmission fluid
in the vehicle gets hot. Driving with
the transmission fluid temperature
high can cause damage to the vehicle. Stop the vehicle and let it
idle to allow the transmission to
cool. This message clears and
the chime stops when the fluid
temperature reaches a safe level.
Vehicle Reminder
Messages
ICE POSSIBLE DRIVE
WITH CARE
This message displays when ice
conditions are possible.
Washer Fluid Messages
WASHER FLUID LOW ADD
FLUID
This message displays when the
windshield washer fluid is low. Fill
the windshield washer fluid reservoir
as soon as possible. See
Engine
Compartment Overview on
page 10‑6 for the location of the
windshield washer fluid reservoir.
Also, see Washer Fluid on
page 10‑23 for more information.

Black plate (3,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012
Lighting 6-3
Turning On and Enabling
IntelliBeam
Press and release the IntelliBeam
button on the inside rear view
mirror. The IntelliBeam indicator on
the mirror will turn on to let you
know the system has been turned
on. Once the system has been
turned on, it will remain on each
time the vehicle is started.
Additionally, the IntelliBeam system
must be enabled.
To enable the IntelliBeam system,
turn the exterior lamp control to
AUTO, with the turn signal/
multifunction lever in its neutral
position. The High-Beam On Light
will appear on the instrument panel
cluster when the high-beams are on.
Driving with IntelliBeam
IntelliBeam will only activate your
high-beams when driving over
32 km/h (20 mph).The high-beam headlamps will
remain on, under the automatic
control of IntelliBeam, until any of
the following situations occur:
.The system detects an
approaching vehicle's
headlamps.
.The system detects a preceding
vehicle's taillamps.
.The outside light is bright
enough that high-beam
headlamps are not required.
.The vehicle's speed drops below
24 km/h (15 mph).
.The headlamp stalk is moved
forward to the high-beam
position.
When either of these conditions
occur, the IntelliBeam feature
will be disabled and the
IntelliBeam light in the mirror
will turn off until the high-beam
stalk is returned to the neutral
position.
.If IntelliBeam was using
low-beams prior to this action,
the IntelliBeam feature will be
temporarily disabled until the
stalk is returned to the neutral
position.
.The exterior lamp control is
turned to any setting
except AUTO.
When this occurs, IntelliBeam
will be disabled until the control
is turned back to the AUTO
position.
.The IntelliBeam system is turned
off at the inside rearview mirror.
IntelliBeam may not turn off the
high-beams if the system cannot
detect other vehicle's lamps
because of any of the following:
.The others vehicle's lamp(s) are
missing, damaged, obstructed
from view or otherwise
undetected.
.The other vehicle's lamp(s) are
covered with dirt, snow and/or
road spray.

Black plate (5,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012
Lighting 6-5
Exterior Lamps Off
Reminder
If a door is open, a reminder chime
sounds when the headlamps or
parking lamps are manually turned
on and the key is out of the ignition.
To turn off the chime, turn the
headlamp switch to off or AUTO and
then back on, or close and re-open
the door. In the AUTO mode, the
headlamps turn off once the ignition
is in LOCK/OFF or remains on until
the headlamp delay ends (if enabled
in the DIC). See“Exit Lighting”
under Vehicle Personalization on
page 5‑38.
Headlamp High/
Low-Beam Changer
5 3
(Headlamp High/Low
Beam Changer): To change the
headlamps from low to high beam,
push the lever toward the instrument
panel. To return to low-beam
headlamps, pull the multifunction
lever toward you. Then release it.
When the high beams are on, this
indicator light on the instrument
panel cluster will also be on.
Flash-to-Pass
Use your high-beam headlamps to
signal to a driver in front that you
want to pass. It works even if the
headlamps are in the automatic
position.
To use it, pull the turn signal lever
toward you, then release it.
If the headlamps are in the
automatic position or on low beam,
the high-beam headlamps turn on.
They stay on as long as the lever is
held. The high-beam indicator on
the instrument panel cluster comes
on. Release the lever to return to
normal operation.
Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL)
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can
make it easier for others to see the
front of your vehicle during the day.
Fully functional daytime running
lamps are required on all vehicles
first sold in Canada.
The DRL system comes on when
the following conditions are met:
.The ignition is on.
.The exterior lamps control is
in AUTO.
.The transmission is not in Park.
.The light sensor determines it is
daytime.
When the DRL system is on,
only the DRL lamps are on. The
taillamps, sidemarker, instrument
panel lights, and other lamps will not
be on.
When it begins to get dark, the
automatic headlamp system
switches from DRL to the
headlamps.

Black plate (6,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012
6-6 Lighting
To turn off the DRL lamps, turn the
exterior lamps control to the OFF
position and then release. For
vehicles first sold in Canada, the
transmission must be in the P (Park)
position before the DRL lamps can
be turned off.
Automatic Headlamp
System
When it is dark enough outside, the
automatic headlamp system turns
on the headlamps at the normal
brightness, along with the taillamps,
sidemarker, parking lamps, and the
instrument panel lights. The radio
lights will also be dim.
To turn off the automatic headlamp
system, turn the exterior lamps
switch to the off position and then
release it.
The vehicle has a light sensor
located on the top of the instrument
panel which regulates when the
automatic headlamps turn on. Do
not cover the sensor, otherwise the
headlamps will come on whenever
the ignition is on.
The system may also turn on the
headlamps when driving through a
parking garage, heavy overcast
weather, or a tunnel. This is normal.
There is a delay in the transition
between the daytime and nighttime
operation of the automatic
headlamp system so that drivingunder bridges or bright overhead
street lights does not affect the
system. The automatic headlamp
system is only affected when the
light sensor detects a change in
lighting lasting longer than the
delay.
If the vehicle is started in a dark
garage, the automatic headlamp
system will come on immediately.
Once the vehicle leaves the garage,
it takes approximately one minute
for the automatic headlamp system
to change if it is bright enough
outside. During that delay, the
instrument panel cluster may not be
as bright as usual. Make sure the
instrument panel brightness control
is in the full bright position. See
Instrument Panel Illumination
Control on page 6‑8.
To idle the vehicle with the
automatic headlamp system off, turn
the control to the off position.