
Black plate (10,1)Cadillac Escalade EXT Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 4/5/12
11-10 Service and Maintenance
.To avoid break‐down or failure to
start the vehicle, maintain a
battery with full cranking power.
.Trained dealer technicians have
the diagnostic equipment to test
the battery and ensure that the
connections and cables are
corrosion‐free.
Belts
.Belts may need replacing if they
squeak or show signs of
cracking or splitting.
.Trained dealer technicians can
inspect the belts and
recommend replacement when
necessary.
Brakes
Brakes stop the vehicle and are
crucial to safe driving.
.Signs of brake wear may include
chirping, grinding, or squealing
noises, or difficulty stopping.
.Trained dealer technicians have
access to tools and equipment
to inspect the brakes and
recommend quality parts
engineered for the vehicle.
Fluids
Proper fluid levels and approved
fluids protect the vehicle’s systems
and components. See
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants on page 11‑12 for GM
approved fluids.
.Engine oil and windshield
washer fluid levels should be
checked at every fuel fill.
.Instrument cluster lights may
come on to indicate that fluids
may be low and need to be
filled.
Hoses
Hoses transport fluids and should
be regularly inspected to ensure
that there are no cracks or leaks.
With a multi‐point inspection, your
dealer can inspect the hoses and
advise if replacement is needed. Lamps
Properly working headlamps,
taillamps, and brake lamps are
important to see and be seen on
the road.
.Signs that the headlamps need
attention include dimming, failure
to light, cracking, or damage.
The brake lamps need to be
checked periodically to ensure
that they light when braking.
.With a multi‐point inspection,
your dealer can check the lamps
and note any concerns.
Shocks and Struts
Shocks and struts help aid in control
for a smoother ride.
.Signs of wear may include
steering wheel vibration, bounce/
sway while braking, longer
stopping distance, or uneven
tire wear.
.As part of the multi‐point
inspection, trained dealer
technicians can visually inspect

Black plate (12,1)Cadillac Escalade EXT Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 4/5/12
11-12 Service and Maintenance
Recommended Fluids, Lubricants, and Parts
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants
Fluids and lubricants identified below by name, part number, or specification can be obtained from your dealer.Usage Fluid/Lubricant
Engine Oil Use only engine oil licensed to the dexos1 specfication, or equivalent, of
the proper SAE viscosity grade. ACDelco dexos1 Synthetic Blend is
recommended. See
Engine Oil on page 10‑6.
Engine Coolant 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water and use only DEX-COOL Coolant.
See
Engine Coolant on page 10‑14.
Hydraulic Brake System DOT 3 Hydraulic Brake Fluid (GM Part No. 12377967, in
Canada 89021320).
Windshield Washer Automotive windshield washer fluid that meets regional freeze protection
requirements.
Power Steering System GM Power Steering Fluid (GM Part No. 89021184, in Canada 89021186).
Automatic Transmission DEXRON®-VI Automatic Transmission Fluid.
Key Lock Cylinders Multi-Purpose Lubricant, Superlube (GM Part No. 12346241, in
Canada 10953474).
Chassis Lubrication Chassis Lubricant (GM Part No. 12377985, in Canada 88901242) or
lubricant meeting requirements of NLGI #2, Category LB or GC-LB.

Black plate (16,1)Cadillac Escalade EXT Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 4/5/12
13-16 Customer Information
original GM parts. Remember,
recycled parts will not be covered by
the GM vehicle warranty.
Insurance pays the bill for the repair,
but you must live with the repair.
Depending on your policy limits,
your insurance company may
initially value the repair using
aftermarket parts. Discuss this with
the repair professional, and insist on
Genuine GM parts. Remember,
if the vehicle is leased, you may be
obligated to have the vehicle
repaired with Genuine GM parts,
even if your insurance coverage
does not pay the full cost.
If another party's insurance
company is paying for the repairs,
you are not obligated to accept a
repair valuation based on that
insurance company's collision policy
repair limits, as you have no
contractual limits with that company.
In such cases, you can have control
of the repair and parts choices as
long as the cost stays within
reasonable limits.Service Publications
Ordering Information
Service Manuals
Service Manuals have the diagnosis
and repair information on the
engines, transmission, axle,
suspension, brakes, electrical,
steering, body, etc.
Service Bulletins
Service Bulletins give additional
technical service information
needed to knowledgeably service
General Motors cars and trucks.
Each bulletin contains instructions
to assist in the diagnosis and
service of the vehicle.
Owner Information
Owner publications are written
specifically for owners and intended
to provide basic operational
information about the vehicle. The
Owner Manual includes the
Maintenance Schedule for all
models.In-Portfolio: Includes a Portfolio,
Owner Manual, and Warranty
Booklet.
RETAIL SELL PRICE:
$35.00 (U.S.) plus handling and
shipping fees.
Without Portfolio: Owner
Manual only.
RETAIL SELL PRICE:
$25.00 (U.S.) plus handling and
shipping fees.
Current and Past Models
Technical Service Bulletins and
Manuals are available for current
and past model GM vehicles.
ORDER TOLL FREE:
1-800-551-4123 Monday
–Friday
8:00 AM –6:00 PM Eastern Time
For Credit Card Orders Only
(VISA-MasterCard-Discover), visit
Helm, Inc. at: www.helminc.com.

Black plate (19,1)Cadillac Escalade EXT Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 4/5/12
Customer Information 13-19
Event Data Recorders
This vehicle is equipped with an
event data recorder (EDR). The
main purpose of an EDR is to
record, in certain crash or near
crash-like situations, such as an air
bag deployment or hitting a road
obstacle, data that will assist in
understanding how a vehicle’s
systems performed. The EDR is
designed to record data related to
vehicle dynamics and safety
systems for a short period of time,
typically 30 seconds or less. The
EDR in this vehicle is designed to
record such data as:
.How various systems in your
vehicle were operating;
.Whether or not the driver and
passenger safety belts were
buckled/fastened;
.How far (if at all) the driver was
depressing the accelerator and/
or brake pedal; and,
.How fast the vehicle was
traveling.These data can help provide a
better understanding of the
circumstances in which crashes and
injuries occur. NOTE: EDR data are
recorded by your vehicle only if a
non-trivial crash situation occurs; no
data are recorded by the EDR under
normal driving conditions and no
personal data (e.g., name, gender,
age, and crash location) are
recorded. However, other parties,
such as law enforcement, could
combine the EDR data with the type
of personally identifying data
routinely acquired during a crash
investigation.
To read data recorded by an EDR,
special equipment is required, and
access to the vehicle or the EDR is
needed. In addition to the vehicle
manufacturer, other parties, such as
law enforcement, that have the
special equipment, can read the
information if they have access to
the vehicle or the EDR.
GM will not access this data or
share it with others except: with the
consent of the vehicle owner or, if the vehicle is leased, with the
consent of the lessee; in response
to an official request by police or
similar government office; as part of
GM's defense of litigation through
the discovery process; or, as
required by law. Data that GM
collects or receives may also be
used for GM research needs or may
be made available to others for
research purposes, where a need is
shown and the data is not tied to a
specific vehicle or vehicle owner.
OnStar®
If the vehicle is equipped with
OnStar® and has an active
subscription, refer to the OnStar®
Terms and Conditions for
information on data collection and
use. See
OnStar Overview on
page 14‑1.
Navigation System
Use of the navigation system may
result in the storage of destinations,
addresses, telephone numbers, and

Black plate (4,1)Cadillac Escalade EXT Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 4/5/12
14-4 OnStar
2. Say“Call.”System responds:
“Please say the name or number
to call.”
3. Say the entire number without pausing, including a “1”and the
area code. System responds:
“OK calling.”
Calling 911 Emergency
1. Press=. The system responds
“OnStar Ready,” followed by
a tone.
2. Say “Call.”The system responds
"Please say the name or number
to call."
3. Say “911”without pausing. The
system responds "911."
4. Say “Call.”The system responds
"OK, dialing 911."
Retrieve My Number
1. Push=. System responds:
“OnStar ready.”
2. Say “My number.” System
responds: “Your OnStar
Hands-Free Calling number is.”
End a Call
Push=. System responds: “Call
ended.”
Store a Name Tag for Speed
Dialing
1. Push=. System responds:
“OnStar ready.”
2. Say “Store.” System responds:
“Please say the number you
would like to store.”
3. Say the entire number without pausing. System responds:
“Please say the name tag.”
4. Pick a name tag. System responds: “About to store
5. Say “Yes”or“No” to try again.
System responds: “OK, storing
Place a Call Using a Stored
Number
1. Push=. System responds:
“OnStar ready.” 2. Say
“Call
responds: “OK, calling
Verify Minutes and Expiration
Push=and say “Minutes” then
“Verify” to check how many minutes
remain and their expiration date.
OnStar Mobile App
Download the OnStar RemoteLink
mobile app to your iPhone or
Android smartphone to check
vehicle fuel level, oil life, or tire
pressure; to start the vehicle (if
equipped) or unlock it; or to connect
to an OnStar Advisor. For OnStar
RemoteLink information and
compatibility, see www.onstar.com.
Diagnostics
OnStar Vehicle Diagnostics will
perform a vehicle check every
month. It will check the engine,
transmission, antilock brakes, and
major vehicle systems. It also
checks the tire pressures, if the

Black plate (1,1)Cadillac Escalade EXT Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 4/5/12
INDEX i-1
A
Accessories andModifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Accessory Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Active Fuel Management
®. . . . . 9-27
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-62
Additional Information OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-5
Adjustable Throttle and Brake Pedal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Adjustments Lumbar, Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Air Cleaner/Filter, Engine . . . . . 10-12
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-6
Airbag System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-30
How Does an AirbagRestrain? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-23
Passenger Sensing
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-25
What Makes an Airbag Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-22 Airbag System (cont'd)
What Will You See after an
Airbag Inflates? . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-23
When Should an Airbag
Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-21
Where Are the Airbags? . . . . . . 3-19
Airbags Adding Equipment to theVehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-29
Passenger Status Indicator . . . 5-13
Readiness Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Servicing Airbag-Equipped Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-29
System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-17
Alarm Vehicle Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . 10-24, 9-33
AM-FM Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8
Antenna Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-17
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Appearance Care Exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-78
Interior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-81
Armrest Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1 Ashtrays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Audio Players
CD/DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-17
MP3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-25
Audio System Fixed Mast Antenna . . . . . . . . . . 7-16
Radio Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-16
Rear Seat (RSA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-38
Theft-Deterrent Feature . . . . . . . . 7-3
Automatic Dimming Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Level Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-39
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-29
Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . 10-9
Automatic Transmission Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-31
Shift Lock ControlFunction Check . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27
Auxiliary
Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-28
Axle, Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Axle, Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25

Black plate (2,1)Cadillac Escalade EXT Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 4/5/12
i-2 INDEX
B
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-73
Load Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
Power Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-10
Voltage and ChargingMessages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Blade Replacement, Wiper . . . 10-28
Bluetooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-79
Brake Pedal and Adjustable
Throttle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
System Warning Light . . . . . . . . 5-16
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-21 Antilock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-34
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Break-In, New Vehicle . . . . . . . . . 9-20
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29 Bulb Replacement (cont'd)
High Intensity Discharge
(HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
License Plate Lamps . . . . . . . 10-30
Taillamps, Turn Signal,
Sidemarker, Stoplamps,
and Backup Lamps . . . . . . . . 10-29
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-54
C
Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
California Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . 9-48
Perchlorate MaterialsRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Camera, Rear Vision . . . . . . . . . . 9-43
Canadian Vehicle Owners . . . . . . . . iii
Capacities and Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Carbon Monoxide Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Midgate
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Tailgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-12 Cargo
Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Cover Panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5
Tie-Downs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-10
Cautions, Danger, and Warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
CD/DVD Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-17
Center Console Storage . . . . . . . . 4-1
Chains, Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-59
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . 5-14
Check
Engine Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
IgnitionTransmission Lock . . . . . . . . 10-27
Child Restraints Infants and Young
Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-33
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children . . . . . . . . . 3-39
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-31
Securing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-45, 3-47
Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-36
Cigarette Lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-32

Black plate (4,1)Cadillac Escalade EXT Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 4/5/12
i-4 INDEX
Driving (cont'd)Off-Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 9-14
Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-10
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-12
Dual Automatic Climate Control System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
DVD
Rear Seat EntertainmentSystem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-29
DVD/CD Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-17
E
E85 Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-49
Electrical Equipment, Add-On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-62
Electrical System Engine CompartmentFuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-32
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-32
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-31 Emergency
OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-2
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . 10-12
Check and Service EngineSoon Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Compartment Overview . . . . . . . 10-5
Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-14
Coolant Temperature
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-13
Cooling System Messages . . . 5-27
Drive Belt Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-4
Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-19
Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-9
Oil Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Overheated Protection
Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . 10-19
Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-17
Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-29
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Running While Parked . . . . . . . . 9-28
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Entry/Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9 Equipment, Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-58
Event Data Recorders . . . . . . . . 13-19
Extender, Safety Belt . . . . . . . . . . 3-16
Exterior Cargo Lamps . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lamps Off Reminder . . . 6-4
F
Fan
Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-19
Features Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7
Filter,
Engine Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . 10-12
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Flashers, Hazard Warning . . . . . . 6-6
Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-59 Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-61
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-84
Fluid Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 10-9
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22
Power Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-20
Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-20
Fog Lamps Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7