2012 CADILLAC ESCALADE traction control

Black plate (5,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012
Introduction v
Vehicle Symbol Chart
Here are some additional symbols
that may be found on the vehicle
and what they mean. For more
information on the symbol, refer to
the Index.
0:Adjustable Pedals
9:Airbag Readiness Light
#:Air Conditioning
!:Antilock Brake System (ABS)
%:Audio Steering Wheel Controls
or OnStar®
$: Brake System Warning Light
":Charging System
I:Cruise Control
B: Engine Coolant Temperature
O:Exterior Lamps
#:Fog Lamps
.: Fuel Gauge
+:Fuses
3: Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer
(: Heated Steering Wheel
j:LATCH System Child
Restraints
*: Malfunction Indicator Lamp
::Oil Pressure
g:Outside Power Foldaway
Mirrors
}: Power
/:Remote Vehicle Start
>:Safety Belt Reminders
7:Tire Pressure Monitor
_: Tow/Haul Mode
d:Traction Control/StabiliTrak®
M:Windshield Washer Fluid

Black plate (21,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012
In Brief 1-21
Universal Remote System
Vehicles with the Universal Remote
System will have these buttons
located in the headliner.
This system provides a way to
replace up to three remote control
transmitters used to activate
devices such as garage door
openers, security systems, and
home automation devices.
Read the instructions completely
before attempting to program the
transmitter. Because of the steps
involved, it may be helpful to
have another person assist with
programming the transmitter.
SeeUniversal Remote System on
page 5‑46.
Performance and
Maintenance
StabiliTrak®System
The vehicle has a traction control
system that limits wheel spin and
the StabiliTrak system that assists
with directional control of the vehicle
in difficult driving conditions. Both
systems turn on automatically every
time the vehicle is started.
.To turn off traction control, press
and release
gon the instrument
panel. The appropriate DIC
message displays. See Ride
Control System Messages on
page 5‑34.
.To turn off both traction control
and StabiliTrak, press and hold
guntilgilluminates and the
appropriate DIC message
displays. See Ride Control
System Messages on page 5‑34.
.Press and releasegagain to
turn on both systems. For more information, see
StabiliTrak
®System on page 9‑37.
Tire Pressure Monitor
This vehicle may have a Tire
Pressure Monitor System (TPMS).
The TPMS warning light alerts you
to a significant loss in pressure of
one of the vehicle's tires. If the
warning light comes on, stop as
soon as possible and inflate the
tires to the recommended pressure
shown on the Tire and Loading
Information label. See
Vehicle Load
Limits on page 9‑15. The warning
light will remain on until the tire
pressure is corrected.

Black plate (1,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-1
Instruments and
Controls
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . 5-2
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . 5-2
Heated Steering Wheel . . . . . . . 5-4
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . 5-4
Rear Window Wiper/Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Cigarette Lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Ashtrays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12 Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Engine Coolant Temperature
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . 5-13
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . 5-14
Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Charging System Light . . . . . . 5-15
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Tow/Haul Mode Light . . . . . . . . 5-20
StabiliTrak
®OFF Light . . . . . . . 5-20
Traction Control System (TCS)/StabiliTrak
®Light . . . . 5-21
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . 5-22
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . 5-23
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Information Displays
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . 5-29
Battery Voltage and ChargingMessages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-29
Brake System Messages . . . . 5-29
Door Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . 5-30
Engine Cooling System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-31
Engine Oil Messages . . . . . . . . 5-32
Engine Power Messages . . . . 5-32
Fuel System Messages . . . . . . 5-33
Key and Lock Messages . . . . . 5-33
Lamp Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-33
Object Detection System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-33
Ride Control System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-34
Airbag System Messages . . . . 5-36
Anti-theft Alarm System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-36
Tire Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-36

Black plate (20,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012
5-20 Instruments and Controls
If the regular brake system warning
light is not on, the vehicle still has
brakes, but not antilock brakes.
If the regular brake system warning
light is also on, the vehicle does not
have antilock brakes and there is a
problem with the regular brakes.
SeeBrake System Warning Light on
page 5‑18.
For vehicles with a Driver
Information Center (DIC), see
Brake System Messages on
page 5‑29 for all brake‐related
DIC messages.
If the vehicle is a hybrid, see the
hybrid supplement for more
information.Tow/Haul Mode Light
For vehicles with the Tow/Haul
Mode feature, this light comes on
when the Tow/Haul Mode has been
activated.
For more information, see Tow/Haul
Mode on page 9‑33.
StabiliTrak®OFF Light
This light comes on briefly while
starting the engine.
If it does not, have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer. If the
system is working normally, the
indicator light then goes off.
Press and release the Traction
Control System (TCS)/StabiliTrak
button to turn off TCS, and a
message displays in the DIC.
Press and briefly hold the TCS/
StabiliTrak button to turn off the
StabiliTrak system; the StabiliTrak
Off light comes on and a message
appears in the Driver Information
Center (DIC).

Black plate (21,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-21
If the StabiliTrak/TCS system is
off, the system does not assist in
controlling the vehicle. Turn on the
StabiliTrak/TCS system and the
indicator light turns off.
SeeStabiliTrak
®System on
page 9‑37, and Ride Control System
Messages on page 5‑34 for more
information.
Traction Control System
(TCS)/StabiliTrak®Light
The TCS/StabiliTrak light comes on
briefly when the engine is started.
If the light does not come on or
stays on, have the vehicle serviced
by the dealer. If the system is
working normally, the indicator light
turns off. If the light comes on and stays
on while driving, and a message
displays in the Driver Information
Center (DIC), have the vehicle
serviced by the dealer. See
Ride
Control System Messages on
page 5‑34 for more information.
If the light flashes while driving, this
means that StabiliTrak or TCS is
assisting in controlling the vehicle.
See StabiliTrak
®System on
page 9‑37 for more information.
Tire Pressure Light
For vehicles with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS), this light
comes on briefly when the engine
is started. It provides information
about tire pressures and the TPMS. When the Light Is On Steady
This indicates that one or more
of the tires are significantly
underinflated.
A Driver Information Center (DIC)
tire pressure message may also
display. See
Vehicle Messages on
page 5‑29 for more information.
Stop as soon as possible, and
inflate the tires to the pressure value
shown on the Tire and Loading
Information label. See Tire Pressure
on page 10‑52 for more information.
When the Light Flashes First and
Then Is On Steady
If the light flashes for about a minute
and then stays on, there may be a
problem with the TPMS. If the
problem is not corrected, the light
will come on at every ignition
cycle. See Tire Pressure Monitor
Operation on page 10‑55 for more
information.

Black plate (35,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-35
The vehicle is safe to drive,
however, you do not have the
benefit of StabiliTrak, so reduce
your speed and drive accordingly.
SERVICE SUSPENSION
SYSTEM
This message displays when the
Road Sensing Suspension (RSS)
system is not operating properly.
Have your vehicle serviced by your
dealer.
SERVICE TRACTION
CONTROL
If your vehicle has StabiliTrak, this
message displays when there is a
problem with the Traction Control
System (TCS). When this message
displays, the system will not limit
wheel spin. Adjust your driving
accordingly. See your dealer for
service. SeeStabiliTrak
®System on
page 9‑37 for more information.
STABILITRAK INITIALIZING
If the vehicle has StabiliTrak, this
message may come on if the
StabiliTrak system has not fully
initialized because of road
conditions or the incorrect tire size.
When the StabiliTrak system is fully
initialized, the message will turn
off. SeeStabiliTrak
®System on
page 9‑37 for more information.
If this message continues to be
displayed for multiple ignition cycles
and on different road surfaces, see
your dealer for service.
TRACTION XX
STABILITRAK XX
This message displays when the
traction control and/or StabiliTrak
systems have been turned on or off.
Adjust your driving accordingly.
To limit wheel spin and realize
the full benefits of the stability
enhancement system, you should
normally leave StabiliTrak on.
However, you should turn
StabiliTrak off if the vehicle gets
stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow and you want to rock the vehicle
to attempt to free it, or if you
are driving in extreme off-road
conditions and require more wheel
spin. See
If the Vehicle Is Stuck on
page 9‑14. To turn the StabiliTrak
system on or off, see StabiliTrak
®
System on page 9‑37.
STABILITRAK OFF may also
display when the stability control
has been automatically disabled.
There are several conditions that
can cause this message to appear.
.One condition is overheating,
which could occur if StabiliTrak
activates continuously for an
extended period of time.
.The message also displays if the
brake system warning light is on.
SeeBrake System Warning
Light on page 5‑18.
.The message could display if the
stability system takes longer
than usual to complete its
diagnostic checks due to driving
conditions.

Black plate (31,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012
Infotainment System 7-31
Drivers are encouraged to set up
any auxiliary device while the
vehicle is in P (Park). SeeDefensive
Driving on page 9‑3 for more
information on driver distraction.
To use a portable audio player,
connect a 1/8 in (3.5 mm) cable to
the radio's front auxiliary input jack.
When a device is connected, press
AUDIO, then press AUDIO again
until AUX is selected or press the
AUX screen button to begin playing
audio from the device over the
vehicle speakers.
For optimal sound quality, increase
the portable audio device's volume
to the loudest level.
It is always best to power the
portable audio device through its
own battery while playing.
The vehicle may have a rear
entertainment system (RSE) with a
second and third row screen. The
RSE has audio adapters to allow
you to connect auxiliary devices.
The audio can be heard through the
speakers or through the wireless or wired headphones. See the Rear
Seat Infotainment user guide for
more information.
Drivers are encouraged to set up
any auxiliary device while the
vehicle is in P (Park). See
Defensive Driving on page 9‑3
for
more information on driver
distraction.
To switch the RSE system to use an
auxiliary device:
1. Connect the auxiliary device to the RSE system, for the second
or third row. 2. Press AUDIO then press AUDIO
again, repeatedly until AUX
(auxiliary) is selected or press
the AUX screen button. An
auxiliary device must be
connected for the AUX screen
button to appear as an option to
select.
3. For the second row display select the Rear AUX
screen button next to Rear
Display 1 and for the third row
display select the Rear AUX
screen button next to Rear
Display 2. Each screen works
independently of the other. The
second row screen can watch a
DVD while the third row screen
can use the auxiliary device.
The rear seat passengers can also
use the remote control to change
the functions of the RSE. See the
Rear Seat Infotainment user guide
for more information.

Black plate (58,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012
7-58 Infotainment System
Navigation
Using the Navigation
System
This section presents basic
information needed to operate the
navigation system.
Use the buttons located on the
navigation system along with the
available touch-sensitive screen
buttons on the navigation screen to
operate the system. SeeOverview
on page 7‑4 for more information.
Once the vehicle is moving, various
functions are disabled to reduce
driver distractions.
Navigation Control Buttons
The following control buttons are
located on the navigation system:
O/n(Power/Volume):
1. Press to turn the system on and off.
2. Turn to increase or decrease the volume to the audio system. 3. Press and hold for more than
two seconds to turn off the
navigation system, the Rear
Seat Entertainment (RSE), and
Rear Seat Audio (RSA). If the
vehicle has not been tuned off,
the RSE and the RSA can be
turned back on by pressing this
knob and continues play of the
last active source.
Z(Eject): Press to eject the
CD/DVD Disc. See CD/DVD Player
on page 7‑18.
w(Tuning Knob): Turn to go to
the next or previous frequency or
disc track or chapter. See CD/DVD
Player on page 7‑18 orMP3 on
page 7‑28 for more information.
AUDIO: Press to display the audio
screen. Press to switch between
AM, FM, or XM, if equipped, DISC,
or AUX (Auxiliary), or press on the
screen button. See CD/DVD Player
on page 7‑18, MP3 on page 7‑28,
and Auxiliary Devices on page 7‑30
for more information. FAV (Favorite):
Press to access
the preset stations. See “Storing
Radio Station Presets” under,
Overview on page 7‑4.
5(Phone): SeeOnStar Overview
on page 14‑1 (if equipped)
and Bluetooth on page 7‑100
(if equipped) for more information.
e(Sound): Press to access the
Sound menu to adjust the treble,
midrange, bass, fade, balance, and
Digital Signal Processing (DSP).
y/z(Scan Up/Down): Press to
scan the tracks/chapters up or down
on a disc.
y/©or¨/z(Seek/Scan)
(Previous/Next): Press the up
or down arrows to go to the next
or previous station. Press and
hold either arrow for more than
two seconds. The radio goes to a
station, plays for a few seconds,
then goes to the next station.