2013 CADILLAC ESCALADE EXT brake

Black plate (32,1)Cadillac Escalade EXT Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 4/5/12
5-32 Instruments and Controls
SeeStabiliTrak®System on
page 9‑36 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 9‑13. To turn the StabiliTrak
system on or off, see StabiliTrak
®
System on page 9‑36. 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.
See
Brake System Warning
Light on page 5‑17.
.The message could display if the
stability system takes longer
than usual to complete its
diagnostic checks due to driving
conditions.
.The message displays if an
engine or vehicle related
problem has been detected and
the vehicle needs service. See
your dealer. The message turns off as soon as
the conditions that caused the
message to be displayed are no
longer present.
Airbag System Messages
SERVICE AIR BAG
This message displays if there is a
problem with the airbag system.
Have your dealer inspect the
system for problems. See
Airbag
Readiness Light on page 5‑13 and
Airbag System on page 3‑17 for
more information.
Security Messages
SERVICE THEFT DETERRENT
SYSTEM
This message displays when there
is a problem with the theft-deterrent
system. The vehicle may or may not
restart so you may want to take the
vehicle to your dealer before turning
off the engine. See Immobilizer
Operation on page 2‑17 for more
information.

Black plate (41,1)Cadillac Escalade EXT Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 4/5/12
Instruments and Controls 5-41
original exit position, unless a
memory recall took place prior to
removing the key again.
NO CHANGE:No change will be
made to this feature. The current
setting will remain.
To select a setting, press the set/
reset button while the desired
setting is displayed on the DIC.
EASY EXIT SETUP
If your vehicle has this feature, it
allows you to select which areas will
recall with the automatic easy exit
seat feature. It also allows you to
turn off the automatic easy exit
feature. See Memory Seats on
page 3‑5 and“EASY EXIT RECALL”
earlier for more information. Press the customization button until
EASY EXIT SETUP appears on the
DIC display. Press the set/reset
button once to access the settings
for this feature. Then press the
menu up/down button to scroll
through the following settings:
OFF:
No automatic seat exit will
recall.
SEAT ONLY: The driver seat will
recall.
TILT ONLY: The steering wheel tilt
feature will recall.
SEAT & TILT (default): The driver
seat and the steering wheel tilt will
recall.
NO CHANGE: No change will be
made to this feature. The current
setting will remain.
To select a setting, press the set/
reset button while the desired
setting is displayed on the DIC. MEMORY SEAT RECALL
This feature allows you to select
your preference for the remote
memory seat recall feature. See
Memory Seats on page 3‑5
for more
information.
Press the customization button until
MEMORY SEAT RECALL appears
on the DIC display. Press the set/
reset button once to access the
settings for this feature. Then press
the customization button to scroll
through the following settings:
OFF (default): No remote memory
seat recall will occur.
ON: The driver seat, and on some
vehicles, the outside mirrors will
automatically move to the stored
driving position when the unlock
button on the Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) transmitter is pressed. On
some vehicles with the adjustable
throttle and brake pedal feature, the
pedals will also automatically move.

Black plate (8,1)Cadillac Escalade EXT Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 4/5/12
7-8 Infotainment System
3. Press + or–screen buttons to
increase or to decrease the
volume of the voice prompts.
The system responds with the
adjusted voice level.
See “Voice Prompt ”under
Configure Menu on page 7‑62 for
more information.
Cleaning the Display Screen
Use a soft clean cotton cloth
dampened with clean water.
Radio
AM-FM Radio
Notice: Before adding any sound
equipment to the vehicle, such as
an audio system, CD player, CB
radio, mobile telephone,
or two-way radio, make sure that
it can be added by checking with
your dealer. Also, check federal
rules covering mobile radio and
telephone units. If sound
equipment can be added, it is
very important to do it properly.
Added sound equipment can
interfere with the operation of the
vehicle's engine, radio, or other
systems, and even damage them.
The vehicle's systems can
interfere with the operation of
sound equipment that has been
added.
Notice: The chime signals related
to safety belts, parking brake, and
other functions of the vehicle
operate through the navigation
system. If that equipment is replaced or additional equipment
is added to the vehicle, the
chimes may not work. Make sure
that replacement or additional
equipment is compatible with the
vehicle before installing it. See
“Accessories and Modifications”
in the vehicle's owner manual.
Playing the Radio
O/n(Power/Volume):
1. Press to turn the audio system on and off.
2. Turn to increase or to decrease the volume.
3. Press and hold for more than two seconds to turn off the
navigation system, the Rear
Seat Entertainment (RSE) video
screen, and Rear Seat Audio
(RSA). If the vehicle has not
been turned off, press this knob
to turn RSE and RSA back on
and to continue playback of the
last active source.

Black plate (1,1)Cadillac Escalade EXT Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 4/5/12
Driving and Operating 9-1
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . 9-10
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . 9-11
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 9-11
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-12
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 9-13
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . 9-14
Truck-Camper LoadingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-20
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . 9-20
Adjustable Throttle and BrakePedal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21 Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Parking over Things
That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Active Fuel Management
®. . . 9-27
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . 9-29
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-31
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-34
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . 9-35
Ride Control Systems
StabiliTrak®System . . . . . . . . . 9-36
Locking Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . 9-38
Continuous Damping Control (CDC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-38
Automatic Level Control . . . . . 9-39
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-39
Object Detection Systems
Ultrasonic Parking Assist . . . . 9-42
Rear Vision
Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-43
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-47
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . 9-47
Gasoline Specifications . . . . . . 9-47
California FuelRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-48
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 9-48
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-48
Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) . . . . . 9-49
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-50
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-51

Black plate (3,1)Cadillac Escalade EXT Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 4/5/12
Driving and Operating 9-3
{WARNING
Taking your eyes off the road too
long or too often could cause a
crash resulting in injury or death.
Focus your attention on driving.
Refer to the Infotainment section for
more information on using that
system, including pairing and using
a cell phone.
Refer to the Navigation section for
information on that system,
including pairing and using a cell
phone.
Defensive Driving
Defensive driving means “always
expect the unexpected.” The first
step in driving defensively is to wear
the safety belt. See Safety Belts on
page 3‑9.
.Assume that other road users
(pedestrians, bicyclists, and
other drivers) are going to be careless and make mistakes.
Anticipate what they might do
and be ready.
.Allow enough following distance
between you and the driver in
front of you.
.Focus on the task of driving.
Drunk Driving
Death and injury associated with
drinking and driving is a global
tragedy.
{WARNING
Drinking and then driving is very
dangerous. Your reflexes,
perceptions, attentiveness, and
judgment can be affected by even
a small amount of alcohol. You
can have a serious
—or even
fatal —collision if you drive after
drinking.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
Do not drink and drive or ride with
a driver who has been drinking.
Ride home in a cab; or if you are
with a group, designate a driver
who will not drink.
Control of a Vehicle
Braking, steering, and accelerating
are important factors in helping to
control a vehicle while driving.
Braking
Braking action involves perception
time and reaction time. Deciding to
push the brake pedal is perception
time. Actually doing it is
reaction time.
Average driver reaction time is
about three-quarters of a second. In
that time, a vehicle moving at
100 km/h (60 mph) travels 20 m
(66 ft), which could be a lot of
distance in an emergency.

Black plate (4,1)Cadillac Escalade EXT Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 4/5/12
9-4 Driving and Operating
Helpful braking tips to keep in mind
include:
.Keep enough distance between
you and the vehicle in front
of you.
.Avoid needless heavy braking.
.Keep pace with traffic.
If the engine ever stops while the
vehicle is being driven, brake
normally but do not pump the
brakes. Doing so could make the
pedal harder to push down. If the
engine stops, there will be some
power brake assist but it will be
used when the brake is applied.
Once the power assist is used up, it
can take longer to stop and the
brake pedal will be harder to push.
Steering
Hydraulic Power Steering
Your vehicle has hydraulic power
steering. It may require
maintenance. See Power Steering
Fluid on page 10‑20. If power steering assist is lost
because the engine stops or
because of a system malfunction,
the vehicle can be steered but may
required increased effort. See your
dealer if there is a problem.
If the vehicle is a hybrid, see the
hybrid supplement for more
information.
Curve Tips
.Take curves at a reasonable
speed.
.Reduce speed before entering a
curve.
.Maintain a reasonable steady
speed through the curve
.Wait until the vehicle is out of
the curve before accelerating
gently into the straightaway.
Steering in Emergencies
.There are some situations when
steering around a problem may
be more effective than braking.
.Holding both sides of the
steering wheel allows you to turn
180 degrees without removing
a hand.
.Antilock Brake System (ABS)
allows steering while braking.
Off-Road Recovery

Black plate (5,1)Cadillac Escalade EXT Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 4/5/12
Driving and Operating 9-5
The vehicle's right wheels can drop
off the edge of a road onto the
shoulder while driving. Follow
these tips:
1. Ease off the accelerator andthen, if there is nothing in the
way, steer the vehicle so that it
straddles the edge of the
pavement.
2. Turn the steering wheel about one-eighth of a turn, until the
right front tire contacts the
pavement edge.
3. Turn the steering wheel to go straight down the roadway.
Loss of Control
Skidding
There are three types of skids that
correspond to the vehicle's three
control systems:
.Braking Skid —wheels are not
rolling.
.Steering or Cornering Skid —
too much speed or steering in a
curve causes tires to slip and
lose cornering force.
.Acceleration Skid —too much
throttle causes the driving
wheels to spin.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids
by taking reasonable care suited to
existing conditions, and by not
overdriving those conditions. But
skids are always possible.
If the vehicle starts to slide, follow
these suggestions:
.Ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly
steer the way you want the
vehicle to go. The vehicle may
straighten out. Be ready for a
second skid if it occurs.
.Slow down and adjust your
driving according to weather
conditions. Stopping distance
can be longer and vehicle
control can be affected when
traction is reduced by water,
snow, ice, gravel, or other material on the road. Learn to
recognize warning clues
—such
as enough water, ice, or packed
snow on the road to make a
mirrored surface —and slow
down when you have any doubt.
.Try to avoid sudden steering,
acceleration, or braking,
including reducing vehicle speed
by shifting to a lower gear. Any
sudden changes could cause
the tires to slide.
Remember: Antilock brakes help
avoid only the braking skid.
Off-Road Driving
All-wheel-drive vehicles can be
used for off-road driving. Vehicles
without all-wheel drive and vehicles
not equipped with All Terrain (AT) or
On-Off Road (OOR) tires must not
be driven off-road except on a level,
solid surface. To contact the tire
manufacturer for more information
about the original equipment tires,

Black plate (7,1)Cadillac Escalade EXT Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 4/5/12
Driving and Operating 9-7
For more information about loading
the vehicle, seeVehicle Load Limits
on page 9‑14.
Environmental Concerns
.Always use established trails,
roads, and areas that have been
set aside for public off-road
recreational driving and obey all
posted regulations.
.Do not damage shrubs, flowers,
trees, or grasses or disturb
wildlife.
.Do not park over things that
burn. See Parking over Things
That Burn on page 9‑27.
Driving on Hills
Driving safely on hills requires good
judgment and an understanding of
what the vehicle can and cannot do.
{WARNING
Many hills are simply too steep
for any vehicle. Driving up hills
can cause the vehicle to stall.
Driving down hills can cause loss
of control. Driving across hills can
cause a rollover. You could be
injured or killed. Do not drive on
steep hills.
Before driving on a hill, assess the
steepness, traction, and
obstructions. If the terrain ahead
cannot be seen, get out of the
vehicle and walk the hill before
driving further.
When driving on hills:
.Use a low gear and keep a firm
grip on the steering wheel.
.Maintain a slow speed.
.When possible, drive straight up
or down the hill.
.Slow down when approaching
the top of the hill.
.Use headlamps even during the
day to make the vehicle more
visible.
{WARNING
Driving to the top of a hill at high
speed can cause an accident.
There could be a drop-off,
embankment, cliff, or even
another vehicle. You could be
seriously injured or killed. As you
near the top of a hill, slow down
and stay alert.
.Never go downhill forward or
backward with the transmission
in N (Neutral). The brakes could
overheat and you could lose
control.
.When driving down a hill, keep
the vehicle headed straight
down. Use a low gear because
the engine will work with the
brakes to slow the vehicle and
help keep the vehicle under
control.