
Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-10293077) -
2017 - crc - 8/24/16
DRIVING AND OPERATING 195
weight of the driver, passengers,
and cargo should never exceed the
vehicle's capacity weight.
Certification/Tire Label
Label Example
A vehicle specific Certification/
Tire label is attached to the
B-pillar. The label may show the
size of the vehicle's original tires
and the inflation pressures needed
to obtain the gross weight
capacity of the vehicle. This is
called Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating (GVWR). The GVWR
includes the weight of the vehicle,
all occupants, fuel, and cargo.The Certification/Tire label may
also show the maximum weights
for the front and rear axles, called
Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR).
To find out the actual loads on
the front and rear axles, weigh the
vehicle at a weigh station. Your
dealer can help with this. Be sure
to spread the load equally on both
sides of the center line.
The warranty does not cover parts
or components that fail because of
overloading.
The label will help determine how
much cargo and installed
equipment the vehicle can carry.
Using heavier suspension
components to get added
durability might not change the
weight ratings. Ask your dealer to
help load the vehicle properly.
{Warning
Things you put inside the
vehicle can strike and injure
people in a sudden stop or turn,
or in a crash.
.Put things in the cargo
area of the vehicle. Try to
spread the weight evenly.
.Never stack heavier things,
like suitcases, inside the
vehicle so that some of
them are above the tops of
the seats.
.Do not leave an unsecured
child restraint in the
vehicle.
.When you carry something
inside the vehicle, secure it
whenever you can.
.Do not leave a seat folded
down unless you need to.

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-10293077) -
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DRIVING AND OPERATING 249
Hitch TypeMaximum Tongue Weight
Weight Carrying 124 kg
Do not exceed the maximum
allowable tongue weight for the
vehicle. Choose the shortest hitch
extension that will position the hitch
ball closest to the vehicle. This will
help reduce the effect of trailer tongue
weight on the rear axle.
Trailer rating may be limited by the
vehicle's ability to carry tongue
weight. Tongue or kingpin weight
cannot cause the vehicle to exceed the
GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating)
or the RGAWR (Rear Gross Axle
Weight Rating). See “Total Weight on
the Vehicle's Tires ”following.
After loading the trailer, weigh the
trailer and then the tongue,
separately, to see if the weights are
proper. If they are not, adjustments
might be made by moving some items
around in the trailer.
If a cargo carrier is used in the trailer
hitch receiver, choose a carrier that
positions the load as close to the vehicle as possible. Make sure the
total weight, including the carrier, is
no more than half of the maximum
allowable tongue weight for the
vehicle or 227 kg (500 lb), whichever
is less.
Total Weight on the Vehicle's
Tires
Be sure the vehicle's tires are inflated
to the inflation pressures found on
the Certification label on the driver
side rear door or see
Vehicle Load
Limits 0192. Make sure not to exceed
the GVWR limit for the vehicle, or the
RGAWR, with the tow vehicle and
trailer fully loaded for the trip
including the weight of the trailer
tongue.
Weight of the Trailering
Combination
It is important that the combination
of the tow vehicle and trailer does not
exceed any of its weight ratings —GCWR, GVWR, RGAWR, Trailer
Weight Rating, or Tongue Weight. The
only way to be sure it is not exceeding
any of these ratings is to weigh the
tow vehicle and trailer combination,
fully loaded for the trip, getting
individual weights for each of these
items.
Towing Equipment
Hitches
The correct hitch equipment helps
maintain combination control. Most
small-to-medium trailers can be towed
with a weight-carrying hitch which
simply features a coupler latched to
the hitch ball. Larger trailers may
require a weight-distributing hitch
that uses spring bars to distribute the
trailer tongue weight among the two
vehicle and trailer axles. See
“Weight
of the Trailer Tongue ”in Trailer
Towing 0247 for rating limits with
various hitch types.
Consider using sway controls with any
trailer. Ask a trailering professional
about sway controls or refer to the
trailer manufacturer's
recommendations and instructions.

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-10293077) -
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252 DRIVING AND OPERATING
unloaded. Such a selection when
unloaded may result in unpleasant
engine and transmission driving
characteristics and reduced fuel
economy. Tow/Haul is recommended
only when pulling a heavy trailer or a
large or heavy load.
Trailer Sway Control (TSC)
Vehicles with StabiliTrak have a
Trailer Sway Control (TSC) feature.
Trailer sway is unintended side-to-side
motion of a trailer while being towed.
If the vehicle is towing a trailer and
the TSC detects that sway is
increasing, the vehicle brakes are
selectively applied at each wheel, to
help reduce excessive trailer sway.
If TSC is enabled, the Traction Control
System (TCS)/StabiliTrak warning
light will flash on the instrument
cluster. Vehicle speed must be
reduced. If trailer sway continues,
StabiliTrak can reduce engine torque
to help slow the vehicle. SeeTraction
Control/Electronic Stability
Control 0216.
{Warning
Even if the vehicle is equipped with
TSC, trailer sway could result in
loss of control and the vehicle could
crash. If excessive trailer sway is
detected, slow down to a safe speed.
Check the trailer and vehicle to help
correct possible causes. These could
include an improperly or overloaded
trailer, unrestrained cargo, improper
trailer hitch configuration, excessive
vehicle-trailer speed, or improperly
inflated or incorrect vehicle or
trailer tires. See Towing Equipment
0 249 for trailer ratings and hitch
setup recommendations.
Adding non-dealer accessories can
affect the vehicle performance. See
Accessories and Modifications 0255.
Conversions and
Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical
Equipment
{Warning
The Data Link Connector (DLC) is
used for vehicle service and
Emission Inspection/Maintenance
testing. See Malfunction Indicator
Lamp (Check Engine Light) 0130.
A device connected to the DLC —
such as an aftermarket fleet or
driver-behavior tracking device —
may interfere with vehicle systems.
This could affect vehicle operation
and cause a crash. Such devices
may also access information stored
in the vehicle’s systems.

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-10293077) -
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254 VEHICLE CARE
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Accessories andModifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . 262
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Engine Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273 Automatic Transmission Shift
Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . 274
Glass Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Windshield Replacement . . . . . . . . 275Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . . . . 278
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Instrument Panel Fuse Block (Left) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Instrument Panel Fuse Block (Right) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Rear Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289 All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Low-Profile Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
All-Terrain Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Tire Pressure for High-Speed
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . 293
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Full-Size Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311
Jump Starting
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312
Towing the Vehicle
Towing the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
Recreational Vehicle Towing . . . . 316

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-10293077) -
2017 - crc - 8/24/16
VEHICLE CARE 289
ItemUsage
18 Rear fog lamp (if equipped)
19 Rear fog lamp (if equipped)
20 Heated mirrorWheels and Tires
Tires
Every new GM vehicle has
high-quality tires made by a
leading tire manufacturer. See the
warranty manual for information
regarding the tire warranty and
where to get service. For
additional information refer to the
tire manufacturer.
{Warning
.Poorly maintained and
improperly used tires are
dangerous.
.Overloading the tires can
cause overheating as a
result of too much flexing.
There could be a blowout
and a serious crash. See
Vehicle Load Limits 0192.
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
.Underinflated tires pose
the same danger as
overloaded tires. The
resulting crash could cause
serious injury. Check all
tires frequently to
maintain the
recommended pressure.
Tire pressure should be
checked when the tires
are cold.
.Overinflated tires are more
likely to be cut, punctured,
or broken by a sudden
impact —such as when
hitting a pothole. Keep
tires at the recommended
pressure.
.Worn or old tires can
cause a crash. If the tread
is badly worn,
replace them.
(Continued)

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-10293077) -
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290 VEHICLE CARE
Warning (Continued)
.Replace any tires that have
been damaged by impacts
with potholes, curbs, etc.
.Improperly repaired tires
can cause a crash. Only
the dealer or an authorized
tire service center should
repair, replace, dismount,
and mount the tires.
.Do not spin the tires in
excess of 56 km/h
(35 mph) on slippery
surfaces such as snow,
mud, ice, etc. Excessive
spinning may cause the
tires to explode.
See Tire Pressure for High-Speed
Operation 0292 for inflation
pressure adjustment for
high-speed driving.
All-Season Tires
This vehicle may come with all-season
tires. These tires are designed to
provide good overall performance on
most road surfaces and weather
conditions. Original equipment tires
designed to GM's specific tire
performance criteria have a TPC
specification code molded onto the
sidewall. Original equipment
all-season tires can be identified by
the last two characters of this TPC
code, which will be “MS.”
Consider installing winter tires on the
vehicle if frequent driving on snow or
ice-covered roads is expected.
All-season tires provide adequate
performance for most winter driving
conditions, but they may not offer the
same level of traction or performance
as winter tires on snow or ice-covered
roads. See Winter Tires 0290.
Winter Tires
This vehicle was not originally
equipped with winter tires. Winter
tires are designed for increased
traction on snow and ice-covered
roads. Consider installing winter tires on the vehicle if frequent driving on
ice or snow covered roads is expected.
See your dealer for details regarding
winter tire availability and proper tire
selection. Also, see
Buying New
Tires 0298.
With winter tires, there may be
decreased dry road traction, increased
road noise, and shorter tread life.
After changing to winter tires, be alert
for changes in vehicle handling and
braking.
If using winter tires:
. Use tires of the same brand and
tread type on all four wheel
positions.
. Use only radial ply tires of the
same size, load range, and speed
rating as the original equipment
tires.
Winter tires with the same speed
rating as the original equipment tires
may not be available for H, V, W, Y,
and ZR speed rated tires. If winter
tires with a lower speed rating are
chosen, never exceed the tire's
maximum speed capability.

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-10293077) -
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VEHICLE CARE 291
Low-Profile Tires
The vehicle has low profile tires
that are classified as touring tires
and are designed for on road use.
The low-profile, wide tread design
is not recommended for off-road
driving. SeeOff-Road Driving 0185,
for additional information.
Caution
Low-profile tires are more
susceptible to damage from road
hazards or curb impact than
standard profile tires. Tire and/or
wheel assembly damage can occur
when coming into contact with
road hazards like potholes, or sharp
edged objects, or when sliding into
a curb. The warranty does not cover
this type of damage. Keep tires set
to the correct inflation pressure and
when possible, avoid contact with
curbs, potholes, and other road
hazards.
All-Terrain Tires
This vehicle may have all-terrain tires.
These tires provide good performance
on most road surfaces, weather
conditions, and for off-road driving.
See Off-Road Driving 0185.
The tread pattern on these tires may
wear more quickly than other tires.
Consider rotating the tires more
frequently than at 12 000 km
(7,500 mi) intervals if irregular wear is
noted when the tires are inspected.
See Tire Inspection 0296.
Tire Pressure
Tires need the correct amount of
air pressure to operate effectively.
Caution
Neither tire underinflation nor
overinflation is good.
Underinflated tires, or tires that
do not have enough air, can
result in:
(Continued)
Caution (Continued)
.Tire overloading and
overheating which could
lead to a blowout.
.Premature or
irregular wear.
.Poor handling.
.Reduced fuel economy.
Overinflated tires, or tires that
have too much air, can result in:
.Unusual wear.
.Poor handling.
.Rough ride.
.Needless damage from
road hazards.
The Tire and Loading Information
label on the vehicle indicates the
original equipment tires and the
correct cold tire inflation
pressures. The recommended
pressure is the minimum air

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-10293077) -
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292 VEHICLE CARE
pressure needed to support the
vehicle's maximum load carrying
capacity.
For additional information
regarding how much weight the
vehicle can carry, and an example
of the Tire and Loading
Information label, seeVehicle Load
Limits 0192. How the vehicle is
loaded affects vehicle handling
and ride comfort. Never load the
vehicle with more weight than it
was designed to carry.
When to Check
Check the tires once a month
or more.
Do not forget the spare tire, if the
vehicle has one. See Full-Size Spare
Tire 0311 for additional
information.
How to Check
Use a good quality pocket-type
gauge to check tire pressure.
Proper tire inflation cannot be
determined by looking at the tire. Check the tire inflation pressure
when the tires are cold, meaning
the vehicle has not been driven for
at least three hours or no more
than 1.6 km (1 mi).
Remove the valve cap from the
tire valve stem. Press the tire
gauge firmly onto the valve to get
a pressure measurement. If the
cold tire inflation pressure
matches the recommended
pressure on the Tire and Loading
Information label, no further
adjustment is necessary. If the
inflation pressure is low, add air
until the recommended pressure is
reached. If the inflation pressure
is high, press on the metal stem in
the center of the tire valve to
release air.
Re-check the tire pressure with
the tire gauge.
Put the valve caps back on the
valve stems to keep out dirt and
moisture and prevent leaks. Use
only valve caps designed for the
vehicle by GM. TPMS sensorscould be damaged and would not
be covered by the vehicle
warranty.
Tire Pressure for
High-Speed Operation
{Warning
Driving at high speeds, 160 km/h
(100 mph) or higher, puts additional
strain on tires. Sustained
high-speed driving causes excessive
heat buildup and can cause sudden
tire failure. This could cause a
crash, and you or others could be
killed. Some high-speed rated tires
require inflation pressure
adjustment for high-speed
operation. When speed limits and
road conditions allow the vehicle to
be driven at high speeds, make sure
the tires are rated for high-speed
operation, are in excellent
condition, and are set to the correct
cold tire inflation pressure for the
vehicle load.