
Black plate (13,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC 2nd Edition - 10/
9/12
Instruments and Controls 5-13
Engine Coolant
Temperature Gauge
This gauge shows the engine
coolant temperature.
If the indicator on the gauge moves
towards the shaded area on the
thermostat, it means that the engine
coolant has overheated. If the
vehicle has been operating under
normal driving conditions, pull off
the road, stop the vehicle and turn
off the engine as soon as possible.See
Engine Overheating on
page 10‑18.
Safety Belt Reminders
Driver Safety Belt Reminder
Light
There is a driver safety belt
reminder light on the instrument
cluster.
When the vehicle is started, this
light flashes and a chime may come
on to remind the driver to fasten
their safety belt. Then the light stays
on solid until the belt is buckled.
This cycle may continue several
times if the driver remains or
becomes unbuckled while the
vehicle is moving. If the driver safety belt is buckled,
neither the chime nor the light
comes on.
Passenger Safety Belt
Reminder Light
There is a passenger safety belt
reminder light near the passenger
airbag status indicator. See
Passenger Sensing System on
page 3‑34.
When the vehicle is started, this
light flashes and a chime may come
on to remind passengers to fasten
their safety belt. Then the light stays
on solid until the belt is buckled.
This cycle continues several times if
the passenger remains or becomes
unbuckled while the vehicle is
moving.

Black plate (16,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC 2nd Edition - 10/
9/12
5-16 Instruments and Controls
Charging System Light
This light comes on briefly when the
ignition key is turned to START, but
the engine is not running, as a
check to show it is working.
If it does not, have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer.
The light should go out once the
engine starts. If it stays on,
or comes on while driving, there
could be a problem with the
charging system. A charging system
message in the Driver Information
Center (DIC) can also appear. See
Battery Voltage and Charging
Messages on page 5‑29for more
information. This light could indicate
that there are problems with a
generator drive belt, or that there is
an electrical problem. Have it checked right away. If the vehicle
must be driven a short distance with
the light on, turn off accessories,
such as the radio and air
conditioner.
If the vehicle is a hybrid, see the
hybrid supplement for more
information.Malfunction
Indicator Lamp
A computer system called OBD II
(On-Board Diagnostics-Second
Generation) monitors the operation
of the vehicle to ensure emissions
are at acceptable levels, helping to
maintain a clean environment. The
malfunction indicator lamp comes
on when the vehicle is placed in
ON/RUN, as a check to show it is
working. If it does not, have the
vehicle serviced by your dealer. See
Ignition Positions on page 9‑22.
If the malfunction indicator lamp
comes on while the engine is
running, this indicates that the OBD
II system has detected a problem
and diagnosis and service might be
required.
Malfunctions often are indicated by
the system before any problem is
apparent. Being aware of the light
can prevent more serious damage
to the vehicle. This system also
assists the service technician in
correctly diagnosing any
malfunction.
Notice:
If the vehicle is
continually driven with this light
on, the emission controls might
not work as well, the vehicle fuel
economy might not be as good,
and the engine might not run as

Black plate (17,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC 2nd Edition - 10/
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Instruments and Controls 5-17
smoothly. This could lead to
costly repairs that might not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Notice:Modifications made to the
engine, transmission, exhaust,
intake, or fuel system of the
vehicle or the replacement of the
original tires with other than
those of the same Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC) can
affect the vehicle's emission
controls and can cause this light
to come on. Modifications to
these systems could lead to
costly repairs not covered by the
vehicle warranty. This could also
result in a failure to pass a
required Emission Inspection/
Maintenance test. See
Accessories and Modifications on
page 10‑3.
This light comes on during a
malfunction in one of two ways:
Light Flashing: A misfire condition
has been detected. A misfire
increases vehicle emissions and could damage the emission control
system on the vehicle. Diagnosis
and service might be required.
To prevent more serious damage to
the vehicle:
.Reduce vehicle speed.
.Avoid hard accelerations.
.Avoid steep uphill grades.
.If towing a trailer, reduce the
amount of cargo being hauled as
soon as it is possible.
If the light continues to flash, find a
safe place to stop and park the
vehicle. Turn the vehicle off, wait at
least 10 seconds, and restart the
engine. If the light is still flashing,
follow the previous steps and see
your dealer for service as soon as
possible.
Light On Steady: An emission
control system malfunction has
been detected on the vehicle.
Diagnosis and service might be
required. The following may correct an
emission control system
malfunction:
.Check that the fuel cap is fully
installed. See
Filling 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 the
light off.
.Check that good quality fuel is
used. Poor fuel quality causes
the engine not to run as
efficiently as designed and may
cause stalling after start-up,
stalling when the vehicle is
changed into gear, misfiring,
hesitation on acceleration,
or stumbling on acceleration.
These conditions might go away
once the engine is warmed up.

Black plate (27,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC 2nd Edition - 10/
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Instruments and Controls 5-27
recommended in the Maintenance
Schedule in this manual. See
Maintenance Schedule on
page 11‑3for more information.
Remember, you must reset the OIL
LIFE display yourself after each oil
change. It will not reset itself. Also,
be careful not to reset the OIL LIFE
display accidentally at any time
other than when the oil has just
been changed. It cannot be reset
accurately until the next oil change.
To reset the engine oil life system,
see Engine Oil Life System on
page 10‑9.
Side Blind Zone Alert
If your vehicle has the Side Blind
Zone Alert (SBZA) system, this
display allows the system to be
turned on or off. Once in this
display, press the set/reset button to
select between ON or OFF. If you
choose ON, the system will be
turned on. If you choose OFF, the
system will be turned off. When the
SBZA system is turned off, the DIC
will display the SIDE BLIND ZONE ALERT SYSTEM OFF message as
a reminder that the system has
been turned off. See
Object
Detection System Messages on
page 5‑32 andSide Blind Zone Alert
(SBZA) on page 9‑45 for more
information.
Units
Press the vehicle information button
until UNITS displays. This display
allows you to select between metric
or English units of measurement.
Once in this display, press the set/
reset button to select between
ENGLISH or METRIC units. All of
the vehicle information will then be
displayed in the unit of
measurement selected. Tire Pressure
On vehicles with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS), the
pressure for each tire can be viewed
in the DIC. The tire pressure will be
shown in either pounds
kilopascals (kPa) or per square
inch (psi). Press the vehicle
information button until the DIC
displays FRONT TIRES kPa (PSI)
LEFT ## RIGHT ##. Press the
vehicle information button again
until the DIC displays REAR
TIRES kPa (PSI) LEFT ##
RIGHT ##.
If a low tire pressure condition is
detected by the system while
driving, a message advising you to
add air to a specific tire will appear
in the display. See
Tire Pressure on
page 10‑47 andTire Messages on
page 5‑35 for more information.
If the tire pressure display shows
dashes instead of a value, there
may be a problem with your vehicle.
If this consistently occurs, see your
dealer for service.

Black plate (30,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC 2nd Edition - 10/
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5-30 Instruments and Controls
LEFT REAR DOOR OPEN
This message displays and a chime
sounds if the driver side rear door is
not fully closed and the vehicle is
shifted out of P (Park). Stop and turn
off the vehicle, check the door for
obstructions, and close the door
again. Check to see if the message
still appears on the DIC.
PASSENGER DOOR OPEN
This message displays and a chime
sounds if the front passenger door
is not fully closed and the vehicle is
shifted out of P (Park). Stop and turn
off the vehicle, check the door for
obstructions, and close the door
again. Check to see if the message
still appears on the DIC.
REAR ACCESS OPEN
This message displays and a chime
sounds if the liftgate or liftglass is
open while the ignition is in ON/
RUN. Turn off the vehicle and check
the liftgate and liftglass. Restart the
vehicle and check for the message
on the DIC display.
RIGHT REAR DOOR OPEN
This message displays and a chime
sounds if the passenger side rear
door is not fully closed and the
vehicle is shifted out of P (Park).
Stop and turn off the vehicle, check
the door for obstructions, and close
the door again. Check to see if the
message still appears on the DIC.
Engine Cooling System
Messages
Notice:If you drive the vehicle
while the engine is overheating,
severe engine damage may
occur. If an overheat warning
appears on the instrument cluster
and/or DIC, stop the vehicle as
soon as possible. See Engine
Overheating on page 10‑18.
ENGINE HOT A/C (Air
Conditioning) TURNED OFF
This message displays when the
engine coolant becomes hotter than
the normal operating temperature.
See Engine 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
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 10‑20 for
information on driving to a safe
place in an emergency.

Black plate (35,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC 2nd Edition - 10/
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Instruments and Controls 5-35
.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 5‑14 and
Airbag System on page 3‑26 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 2‑14 for more
information.
Tire Messages
SERVICE TIRE MONITOR
SYSTEM
On vehicles with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS), this
message displays if a part on the
TPMS is not working properly. The
tire pressure light also flashes and
then remains on during the same
ignition cycle. See Tire Pressure
Light on page 5‑21. Several
conditions may cause this message
to appear. See Tire Pressure
Monitor Operation on page 10‑50 for
more information. If the warning
comes on and stays on, there may
be a problem with the TPMS. See
your dealer.
TIRE LEARNING ACTIVE
On vehicles with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS), this
message displays when the TPMS
is re-learning the tire positions on
your vehicle. The tire positions must
be re-learned after rotating the tires
or after replacing a tire or sensor.
See Tire Inspection on page 10‑53,
Tire Rotation on page 10‑53, Tire
Pressure Monitor System on
page 10‑49, and Tire Pressure on
page 10‑47 for more information.
TIRE LOW ADD AIR TO TIRE
On vehicles with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS), this
message displays when the
pressure in one or more of the
vehicle's tires needs to be checked.
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. See Tire Pressure Light
on page 5‑21. You can receive more

Black plate (3,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC 2nd Edition - 10/
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Lighting 6-3
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 willturn 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.
.The other vehicle's lamp(s)
cannot be detected due to dense
exhaust, smoke, fog, snow, road
spray, mist or other airborne
obstructions.
.Your vehicle's windshield is dirty,
cracked or obstructed by
something that blocks the view
of the IntelliBeam light sensor.
.Your vehicle's windshield is
covered with ice, dirt, haze or
other obstructions.
.Your vehicle is loaded such that
the front end of the vehicle
points upward, causing the
IntelliBeam sensor to aim high
and not detect headlamps and
taillamps.
.You are driving on winding or
hilly roads.

Black plate (24,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC 2nd Edition - 10/
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7-24 Infotainment System
w(Tuning Knob):
1. Turn counterclockwise one notch to go to the start of the current
chapter/track, turn it again to go
to the previous chapter/track.
2. Turn clockwise to go to the next chapter/track.
Care of Your CDs and DVDs
Sound quality can be reduced due
to disc quality, recording method,
quality of the music recorded, and
how the disc has been handled.
Handle discs carefully and store
them in their original cases or other
protective cases away from direct
sunlight and dust. If the bottom
surface of a disc is damaged, the
disc may not play properly or at all.
Do not touch the bottom surface of
a disc while handling it; this could
damage the surface. Pick up discs
by grasping the outer edges or the
edge of the hole and the outer edge.
If the bottom surface of a disc is
dirty, take a soft lint free cloth,
or dampen a clean soft cloth in a mild neutral detergent solution
mixed with water, and clean it. Wipe
the disc from the center to the
outer edge.
Notice:
If a label is added to a CD
or DVD, or more than one CD or
DVD is inserted into the slot at a
time, or an attempt is made to
play scratched or damaged CDs
or DVDs, the player could be
damaged. While using the CD or
DVD player, use only CDs or
DVDs in good condition without
any label, load one CD or DVD at
a time, and keep the player and
the loading slot free of foreign
materials, liquids, and debris.
Do not add any label to a CD or
DVD, it could get caught in the
player. If a CD or DVD is recorded
on a personal computer and a
description label is needed, try
labeling the top of the recorded CD
or DVD with a soft marker.
CD/DVD Messages
If Disc Read Error appears on the
display and/or the CD/DVD comes
out, it could be for one of the
following reasons:
.If a CD was inserted with an
invalid or unknown format.
.If a DVD is not from a correct
region.
.It is very hot. When the
temperature returns to normal,
the CD should play.
.You are driving on a very rough
road. When the road becomes
smoother, the CD/DVD
should play.
.The CD/DVD is dirty, scratched,
wet, or upside down.
.The air is very humid. If so, wait
about an hour and try again.
.There may have been a problem
while burning the CD/DVD.
.The label may be caught in the
CD/DVD player.