2016 CADILLAC ESCALADE brakes

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-9369153) -
2016 - crc - 6/19/15
Instruments and Controls 133
Electric Parking Brake
Light
The parking brake status light
comes on when the parking brake is
applied. If the light continues
flashing after the parking brake is
released, or while driving, there is a
problem with the electric parking
brake system or another system.
A message may also display in the
Driver Information Center (DIC).
SeeBrake System Messages
0 145.
If the light does not come on,
or remains flashing, see your dealer.
Service Electric Parking
Brake Light
If this light comes on and stays on,
there is a problem with a system on
the vehicle that is causing the
parking brake system to work at a
reduced level. The vehicle can still
be driven, but should be taken to a
dealer as soon as possible. See
Electric Parking Brake 0218. If a
message displays in the Driver
Information Center (DIC), see Brake
System Messages 0145.
Antilock Brake System
(ABS) Warning Light
This light comes on briefly when the
engine is started.
If the light does not come on, have it
fixed so it will be ready to warn if
there is a problem.
If the light comes on while driving,
stop as soon as it is safely possible
and turn off the vehicle. Then start
the engine again to reset the
system. If the ABS light stays on,
or comes on again while driving, the
vehicle needs service. A chime may
also sound when the light comes on
steady.
If the ABS light is the only light on,
the vehicle has regular brakes, but
the antilock brakes are not
functioning.

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-9369153) -
2016 - crc - 6/19/15
134 Instruments and Controls
If both the ABS and the brake
system warning light are on, the
vehicle's antilock brakes are not
functioning and there is a problem
with the regular brakes. See your
dealer for service.
SeeBrake System Warning Light
0 132 andBrake System Messages
0 145.
Tow/Haul Mode Light
For vehicles with the Tow/Haul
Mode feature, this light comes on
when the Tow/Haul Mode has been
activated.
See Tow/Haul Mode 0212.
Lane Keep Assist (LKA)
Light
This light is green if LKA is available
to assist.
LKA may assist by gently turning
the steering wheel if the vehicle
approaches a detected lane marking
without using the turn signal in that
direction. The LKA light will turn
amber.
This light is amber and flashes as a
Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
alert, to indicate that the lane
marking has been crossed.
See Lane Keep Assist (LKA) 0244.
Vehicle Ahead Indicator
If equipped, this indicator will
display green when a vehicle is
detected ahead and amber when
you are following a vehicle ahead
much too closely.
See Forward Collision Alert (FCA)
System 0238.
Traction Off Light
This light comes on briefly while
starting the engine. If it does not,
have the vehicle serviced by your

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-9369153) -
2016 - crc - 6/19/15
Instruments and Controls 145
Vehicle Messages
Messages displayed on the DIC
indicate the status of the vehicle or
some action that may be needed to
correct a condition. Multiple
messages may display one after the
other.
The messages that do not require
immediate action can be
acknowledged and cleared by
pressing SEL. The messages that
require immediate action cannot be
cleared until that action is
performed. All messages should be
taken seriously and clearing the
messages does not correct the
problem.
The following are some of the
vehicle messages that may be
displayed depending on the vehicle
content.
Battery Voltage and
Charging Messages
BATTERY SAVER ACTIVE
This message displays when the
vehicle has detected that the battery
voltage is dropping beyond a
reasonable point. The battery saver
system starts reducing features of
the vehicle that may be noticed. At
the point that features are disabled,
this message displays. Turn off
unnecessary accessories to allow
the battery to recharge.
LOW BATTERY
This message is displayed when the
battery voltage is low. SeeBattery
0 275.
SERVICE BATTERY
CHARGING SYSTEM
This message is displayed when
there is a fault in the battery
charging system. Take the vehicle to
your dealer for service.
TRANSPORT MODE ON
This message is displayed when the
vehicle is in transport mode. Some
features can be disabled while in
this mode, including Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE), remote start,
and the vehicle alarm system. Take
the vehicle to your dealer for service
to turn transport mode off.
Brake System Messages
BRAKE FLUID LOW
This message is displayed when the
brake fluid level is low. See Brake
Fluid 0274.
BRAKES OVERHEATED
This message is displayed when the
brakes are becoming overheated.
This may be seen when driving on
hills. Shift to a lower gear.

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-9369153) -
2016 - crc - 6/19/15
184 Driving and Operating
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 192
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 193
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 195
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 200
Adjustable Throttle and BrakePedal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . 205 Parking over Things
That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Active Fuel Management
®. . . . 206
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 207
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Drive Systems
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . 218
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . 219
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Magnetic Ride Control . . . . . . . . 222
Locking Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Automatic Level Control . . . . . . 222
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Adaptive Cruise Control . . . . . . 225
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . 232
Assistance Systems for Parking or Backing . . . . . . . . . . 233
Assistance Systems for Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Front Automatic Braking (FAB) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . 242
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . 244
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Trailer Towing
General TowingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-9369153) -
2016 - crc - 6/19/15
186 Driving and Operating
See the infotainment manual for
information on that system or the
navigation system, if equipped,
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
0 69.
. 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.
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.
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
Electric Power Steering
This vehicle has electric power
steering. It does not have power
steering fluid. Regular maintenance
is not required.
If power steering assist is lost due
to a system malfunction, the vehicle
can be steered, but may require
increased effort.
See your dealer if there is a
problem.
If the steering assist is used for an
extended period of time, power
assist may be reduced.
If the steering wheel is turned until it
reaches the end of its travel, and is
held in that position for an extended
period of time, power steering assist
may be reduced.
Normal use of the power steering
assist should return when the
system cools down.

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-9369153) -
2016 - crc - 6/19/15
188 Driving and Operating
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
Four-wheel-drive vehicles can be
used for off-road driving. Vehicles
without four-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. For
more contact information about the
original equipment tires, see the
Limited Warranty and Owner
Assistance Information manual.
One of the best ways for successful
off-road driving is to control the
speed.
{Warning
When driving off-road, bouncing
and quick changes in direction
can easily throw you out of
position. This could cause you to
lose control and crash. You and
your passengers should always
wear safety belts.
Before Driving Off-Road
.
Have all necessary maintenance
and service work completed. .
Fuel the vehicle, fill fluid levels,
and check inflation pressure in
all tires, including the spare,
if equipped.
. Read all the information about
four-wheel-drive vehicles in this
manual.
. Know the local laws that apply to
off-road driving.
To gain more ground clearance if
needed, it may be necessary to
remove the front fascia lower
air dam.
Caution
Operating the vehicle for
extended periods without the front
fascia lower air dam installed can
cause improper air flow to the
engine. Re-attach the front fascia
air dam after off-road driving.

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-9369153) -
2016 - crc - 6/19/15
190 Driving and Operating
{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 either the
transmission or transfer case in
N (Neutral). The brakes could
overheat and you could lose
control.
{Warning
If the vehicle has the two‐speed
automatic transfer case, shifting
the transfer case to N (Neutral)
can cause your vehicle to roll
even if the transmission is in
P (Park). This is because the
N (Neutral) position on the
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
transfer case overrides the
transmission. You or someone
else could be injured. If leaving
the vehicle, set the parking brake
and shift the transmission to
P (Park). Shift the transfer case to
any position but N (Neutral).
. 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.
{Warning
Heavy braking when going down
a hill can cause your brakes to
overheat and fade. This could
cause loss of control and you or
others could be injured or killed.
Apply the brakes lightly when
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
descending a hill and use a low
gear to keep vehicle speed under
control.
If the vehicle stalls on a hill: 1. Apply the brakes to stop the vehicle, and then apply the
parking brake.
2. Shift into P (Park) and then restart the engine.
.If driving uphill when the
vehicle stalls, shift to
R (Reverse), release the
parking brake, and back
straight down.
. Never try to turn the vehicle
around. If the hill is steep
enough to stall the vehicle,
it is steep enough to cause
it to roll over.
. If you cannot make it up the
hill, back straight down
the hill.

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-9369153) -
2016 - crc - 6/19/15
192 Driving and Operating
Traction is reduced on hard packed
snow and ice and it is easy to lose
control. Reduce vehicle speed when
driving on hard packed snow
and ice.
{Warning
Driving on frozen lakes, ponds,
or rivers can be dangerous. Ice
conditions vary greatly and the
vehicle could fall through the ice;
you and your passengers could
drown. Drive your vehicle on safe
surfaces only.
Driving in Water
{Warning
Driving through rushing water can
be dangerous. Deep water can
sweep your vehicle downstream
and you and your passengers
could drown. If it is only shallow
water, it can still wash away the
ground from under your tires.(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
Traction could be lost, and the
vehicle could roll over. Do not
drive through rushing water.
Caution
Do not drive through standing
water if it is deep enough to cover
the wheel hubs, axles, or exhaust
pipe. Deep water can damage the
axle and other vehicle parts.
If the standing water is not too deep,
drive slowly through it. At faster
speeds, water splashes and the
vehicle can stall. When going
through water, the brakes get wet
and it may take longer to stop. See
“Driving on Wet Roads” later in this
section.
After Off-Road Driving
Remove any brush or debris that
has collected on the underbody or
chassis, or under the hood. These
accumulations can be a fire hazard.
After operation in mud or sand,
have the brake linings cleaned and
checked. These substances can
cause glazing and uneven braking.
Check the body structure, steering,
suspension, wheels, tires, and
exhaust system for damage and
check the fuel lines and cooling
system for any leakage.
More frequent maintenance service
is required. See the Maintenance
Schedule 0333.
Driving on Wet Roads
Rain and wet roads can reduce
vehicle traction and affect your
ability to stop and accelerate.
Always drive slower in these types
of driving conditions and avoid
driving through large puddles and
deep-standing or flowing water.