2012 CADILLAC ESCALADE engine

Black plate (34,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012
9-34 Driving and Operating
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive
If the vehicle has this feature,
engine power is sent to all four
wheels when extra traction is
needed. This is like four-wheel
drive, but there is no separate lever
or switch to engage or disengage
the front axle. It is fully automatic,
and adjusts itself as needed for road
conditions.
If the vehicle is a hybrid, see
“Four-Wheel Drive”in the hybrid
supplement.
Brakes
Antilock Brake
System (ABS)
This vehicle has the Antilock Brake
System (ABS), an advanced
electronic braking system that helps
prevent a braking skid.
When the engine is started and the
vehicle begins to drive away, ABS
checks itself. A momentary motor or
clicking noise might be heard while
this test is going on, and it might
even be noticed that the brake
pedal moves a little. This is normal.
If there is a problem with ABS, this
warning light stays on. See Antilock
Brake System (ABS) Warning Light
on page 5‑19. If driving safely on a wet road and it
becomes necessary to slam on the
brakes and continue braking to
avoid a sudden obstacle, a
computer senses that the wheels
are slowing down. If one of the
wheels is about to stop rolling, the
computer will separately work the
brakes at each wheel.
ABS can change the brake pressure
to each wheel, as required, faster
than any driver could. This can help
the driver steer around the obstacle
while braking hard.
As the brakes are applied, the
computer keeps receiving updates
on wheel speed and controls
braking pressure accordingly.
Remember: ABS does not change
the time needed to get a foot up to
the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too
close to the vehicle in front of you,
there will not be enough time to
apply the brakes if that vehicle

Black plate (38,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012
9-38 Driving and Operating
The TCS/StabiliTrak button is
located on the instrument panel.
The traction control part of
StabiliTrak can be turned off by
pressing and releasing the TCS/
StabiliTrak button if both systems
(traction control and StabiliTrak)
were previously on.
To disable both TCS and
StabiliTrak, press and hold the
TCS/StabiliTrak button until the
StabiliTrak OFF light illuminates andthe appropriate DIC message
displays. This will also disable the
TSC feature.
Traction control and StabiliTrak
can be turned on by pressing and
releasing the TCS/StabiliTrak button
if they are not automatically shut off
for any other reason. This will also
enable the TSC feature.
When the TCS or StabiliTrak system
is turned off, the StabiliTrak light
and the appropriate TCS off or
StabiliTrak off message will be
displayed on the DIC to warn the
driver. The vehicle will still have
brake-traction control when traction
control is off, but will not be able to
use the engine speed management
system. See
“Traction Control
Operation” next for more
information.
When TCS has been turned off,
system noises may still be heard as
a result of the brake-traction control
coming on. It is recommended to leave the
system on for normal driving
conditions, but it may be necessary
to turn the system off if the vehicle
is stuck in sand, mud, ice or snow,
and you want to
“rock”the vehicle to
attempt to free it. It may also be
necessary to turn off the system
when driving in extreme off-road
conditions where high wheel spin is
required. See If the Vehicle Is Stuck
on page 9‑14.
Traction Control Operation
TCS is part of the StabiliTrak
system. Traction control limits
wheel spin by reducing engine
power to the wheels (engine speed
management) and by applying
brakes to each individual wheel
(brake-traction control) as
necessary.
TCS is enabled automatically when
the vehicle is started. It will activate
and the StabiliTrak light will flash if it
senses that any of the wheels are
spinning or beginning to lose
traction while driving. If traction

Black plate (39,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-39
control is turned off, only the
brake-traction control portion of
traction control will work. The
engine speed management will be
disabled. In this mode, engine
power is not reduced automatically
and the driven wheels can spin
more freely. This can cause the
brake-traction control to activate
constantly.
Notice:If the wheel(s) of one axle
is allowed to spin excessively
while the StabiliTrak
®, ABS, brake
warning lights, and any relevant
DIC messages are displayed, the
transfer case could be damaged.
The repairs would not be covered
by the vehicle warranty. Reduce
engine power and do not spin
the wheel(s) excessively while
these lights and messages are
displayed.
TCS may activate on dry or rough
roads or under conditions such as
heavy acceleration while turning or
abrupt upshifts/downshifts of the
transmission. When this happens, a reduction in acceleration may be
noticed, or a noise or vibration may
be heard. This is normal.
If cruise control is being used when
the system activates, the StabiliTrak
light will flash and cruise control will
automatically disengage. Cruise
control may be reengaged when
road conditions allow. See
Cruise
Control on page 9‑41.
StabiliTrak may also turn off
automatically if it determines that a
problem exists with the system.
If the problem does not clear itself
after restarting the vehicle, see your
dealer for service.
Non-hybrid vehicles with StabiliTrak
have a Trailer Sway Control (TSC)
feature. See Trailer Sway Control
(TSC) on page 9‑68.
Non-hybrid vehicles with StabiliTrak
have a Hill Start Assist (HSA)
feature. See Hill Start Assist (HSA)
on page 9‑36. Adding non‐dealer accessories can
affect the vehicle's performance.
See
Accessories and Modifications
on page 10‑3.
Locking Rear Axle
Vehicles with a locking rear axle can
give more traction on snow, mud,
ice, sand, or gravel. It works like a
standard axle most of the time, but
when traction is low, this feature will
allow the rear wheel with the most
traction to move the vehicle.
Road Sensing
Suspension
The Road Sensing
Suspension (RSS) feature provides
superior vehicle ride and handling
under a variety of passenger and
loading conditions.
The system is fully automatic and
uses a computer controller to
continuously monitor vehicle speed,
wheel to body position, lift/dive and
steering position of the vehicle.

Black plate (51,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-51
Fuel
Use of the recommended fuel is
an important part of the proper
maintenance of this vehicle. To help
keep the engine clean and maintain
optimum vehicle performance, we
recommend the use of gasoline
advertised as TOP TIER Detergent
Gasoline.
Look for the TOP TIER label on the
fuel pump to ensure gasoline meets
enhanced detergency standards
developed by auto companies. A list
of marketers providing TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline can be found at
www.toptiergas.com.
Vehicles that have a FlexFuel badge
and a yellow fuel cap can use either
unleaded gasoline or ethanol fuel
containing up to 85% ethanol (E85).
SeeFuel E85 (85% Ethanol) on
page 9‑53. For all other vehicles,
use only the unleaded gasoline
described under Recommended
Fuel on page 9‑51.
Recommended Fuel
Use premium unleaded gasoline
with a posted octane rating
of 91 or higher. You can also use
regular unleaded gasoline rated
at 87 octane or higher, but the
vehicle's acceleration could be
slightly reduced, and a slight audible
knocking noise, commonly referred
to as spark knock, might be heard.
If the octane is less than 87, you
might notice a heavy knocking
noise when you drive. If this occurs,
use a gasoline rated at 87 octane
or higher as soon as possible.
Otherwise, you could damage
the engine. If heavy knocking is
heard when using gasoline rated
at 91 octane or higher, the engine
needs service.

Black plate (52,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012
9-52 Driving and Operating
Gasoline Specifications
(U.S. and Canada Only)
At a minimum, gasoline should
meet ASTM specification
D 4814 in the United States or
CAN/CGSB‐3.5 or 3.511 in Canada.
Some gasolines contain an
octane-enhancing additive called
methylcyclopentadienyl manganese
tricarbonyl (MMT). We recommend
against the use of gasolines
containing MMT. SeeFuel Additives
on page 9‑52 for additional
information.
California Fuel
Requirements
If the vehicle is certified to meet
California Emissions Standards, it is
designed to operate on fuels that
meet California specifications. See
the underhood emission control
label. If this fuel is not available in states adopting California Emissions
Standards, the vehicle will operate
satisfactorily on fuels meeting
federal specifications, but emission
control system performance might
be affected. The malfunction
indicator lamp could turn on and the
vehicle might fail a smog‐check test.
See
Malfunction Indicator Lamp on
page 5‑16. If this occurs, return to
your authorized dealer for diagnosis.
If it is determined that the condition
is caused by the type of fuel used,
repairs might not be covered by the
vehicle warranty.
Fuels in Foreign
Countries
Never use leaded gasoline or any
other fuel not recommended in the
previous text on fuel. Costly repairs
caused by use of improper fuel
would not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. To check the fuel availability, ask an
auto club, or contact a major oil
company that does business in the
country where you will be driving.
Fuel Additives
To provide cleaner air, all gasolines
in the United States are now
required to contain additives that
help prevent engine and fuel system
deposits from forming, allowing the
emission control system to work
properly. In most cases, nothing
should have to be added to the fuel.
However, some gasolines contain
only the minimum amount of
additive required to meet U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency
regulations. To help keep fuel
injectors and intake valves clean
and avoid problems due to dirty
injectors or valves, look for gasoline
that is advertised as TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline. Look for the

Black plate (53,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-53
TOP TIER label on the fuel pump to
ensure gasoline meets enhanced
detergency standards developed
by the auto companies. A list of
marketers providing TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline can be found at
www.toptiergas.com.
For customers who do not use TOP
TIER Detergent Gasoline regularly,
one bottle of GM Fuel System
Treatment PLUS, added to the fuel
tank at every engine oil change,
can help clean deposits from fuel
injectors and intake valves. GM Fuel
System Treatment PLUS is the only
gasoline additive recommended by
General Motors. It is available at
your dealer.
Gasolines containing oxygenates,
such as ethers and ethanol, and
reformulated gasolines might
be available in your area.
We recommend that you use these
gasolines, if they comply with the
specifications described earlier.However, E85 (85% ethanol) and
other fuels containing more than
15% ethanol must not be used in
vehicles that were not designed for
those fuels.
Notice:
This vehicle was not
designed for fuel that contains
methanol. Do not use fuel
containing methanol. It can
corrode metal parts in the fuel
system and also damage plastic
and rubber parts. That damage
would not be covered under the
vehicle warranty.
Some gasolines that are
not reformulated for low
emissions can contain an
octane-enhancing additive called
methylcyclopentadienyl manganese
tricarbonyl (MMT); ask the attendant
where you buy gasoline whether the
fuel contains MMT. We recommend
against the use of such gasolines. Fuels containing MMT can reduce
spark plug life and affect emission
control system performance. The
malfunction indicator lamp might
turn on. If this occurs, return to your
dealer for service.
Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol)
Vehicles that have a FlexFuel badge
and a yellow fuel cap can use either
unleaded gasoline or ethanol fuel
containing up to 85% ethanol (E85).
For all other vehicles, use only the
unleaded gasoline described under
Recommended Fuel on page 9‑51.
We encourage the use of E85 in
vehicles that are designed to use it.
The ethanol in E85 is a
“renewable”
fuel, meaning it is made from
renewable sources such as corn
and other crops.

Black plate (54,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012
9-54 Driving and Operating
Many service stations will not have
an 85% ethanol fuel (E85) pump
available. The U.S. Department of
Energy has an alternative fuels
website (www.afdc.energy.gov/afdc/
locator/stations/) that can help you
find E85 fuel. Those stations that
do have E85 should have a label
indicating ethanol content. Do not
use the fuel if the ethanol content is
greater than 85%.
At a minimum, E85 should meet
ASTM Specification D 5798 or
CGSB Specification 3.512. Filling
the tank with fuel mixtures that
do not meet ASTM or CGSB
specifications can affect driveability
and could cause the malfunction
indicator lamp to come on. As the
outside temperature approaches
freezing, ethanol fuel distributors
should supply winter grade ethanol,
the same as with unleaded
gasoline. Winter grade blends
typically do not exceed
70% ethanol (E70).The starting characteristics of
ethanol make it more difficult
to start below 0°C (32°F), which
may lead to longer start/crank times.
Engine start on ethanol fuels down
to
−30°C (−20°F) is possible,
provided a winter grade ethanol
blend is used.
It is best not to alternate repeatedly
between gasoline and E85. If you
do switch fuels, it is recommended
that you add as much fuel as
possible —do not add less than
11 L (3 gal) when refueling. You
should drive the vehicle immediately
after refueling for at least 11 km
(7 mi) to allow the vehicle to adapt
to the change in ethanol
concentration.
E85 has less energy per liter
(gallon) than gasoline, so you will
need to refill the fuel tank more
often when using E85 than when
you are using gasoline. See Filling
the Tank on page 9‑54. Notice:
Some additives are not
compatible with E85 fuel and can
harm the vehicle's fuel system.
Do not add anything to E85.
Damage caused by additives
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty.
Notice: This vehicle was not
designed for fuel that contains
methanol. Do not use fuel
containing methanol. It can
corrode metal parts in the fuel
system and also damage plastic
and rubber parts. That damage
would not be covered under the
vehicle warranty.
Filling the Tank
{WARNING
Fuel vapor burns violently and a
fuel fire can cause bad injuries.
To help avoid injuries to you and
others, read and follow all the
instructions on the fuel pump
(Continued)

Black plate (55,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-55
WARNING (Continued)
island. Turn off the engine when
refueling. Do not smoke near fuel
or when refueling the vehicle. Do
not use cellular phones. Keep
sparks, flames, and smoking
materials away from fuel. Do not
leave the fuel pump unattended
when refueling the vehicle. This is
against the law in some places.
Do not re-enter the vehicle while
pumping fuel. Keep children away
from the fuel pump; never let
children pump fuel.
The tethered fuel cap is located
behind a hinged fuel door on the
driver side of the vehicle. If the
vehicle has E85 fuel capability, the
fuel cap will be yellow and state that
E85 or gasoline can be used. See
Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) on
page 9‑53.
To open the fuel door, push the
rearward center edge in and release
and it will open.
To remove the fuel cap, turn it
slowly counterclockwise. The fuel
cap has a spring in it; if the cap is
released too soon, it will spring back
to the right.
While refueling, hang the tethered
fuel cap from the hook on the
fuel door.
{WARNING
Fuel can spray out on you if you
open the fuel cap too quickly.
If you spill fuel and then
something ignites it, you could be
badly burned. This spray can
happen if the tank is nearly full,
and is more likely in hot weather.
Open the fuel cap slowly and wait
for any hiss noise to stop. Then
unscrew the cap all the way.
Be careful not to spill fuel. Do not
top off or overfill the tank and wait a
few seconds after you have finished
pumping before removing the
nozzle. Clean fuel from painted
surfaces as soon as possible. See
Exterior Care on page 10‑96.
When replacing the fuel cap,
insert the tether in its hole before
tightening the cap. Turn the fuel
cap clockwise until it clicks. It will
require more effort to turn the fuel
cap on the last turn as you tighten it.
Make sure the cap is fully installed.