Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-10293077) -
2017 - crc - 8/24/16
DRIVING AND OPERATING 213
Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold the
brake pedal down firmly and let ABS
work. You may hear the ABS pump or
motor operating and feel the brake
pedal pulsate. This is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
ABS allows you to steer and brake at
the same time. In many emergencies,
steering can help more than even the
very best braking.
Parking Brake
Set the parking brake by holding the
regular brake pedal down, then
pushing down the parking brake
pedal.
If the ignition is on, the brake system
warning light will come on. SeeBrake
System Warning Light 0132.
Caution
Driving with the parking brake on
can overheat the brake system and
cause premature wear or damage to
brake system parts. Make sure that
the parking brake is fully released
and the brake warning light is off
before driving.
To release the parking brake, hold the
regular brake pedal down, then push
down momentarily on the parking
brake pedal until you feel the pedal
release. Slowly pull your foot up off
the parking brake pedal. If the parking
brake is not released when you begin
to drive, a DIC message will appear
and a chime will sound warning you
that the parking brake is still on. If you are towing a trailer and are
parking on a hill, see
Driving
Characteristics and Towing Tips 0245.
Electric Parking Brake
If equipped with an Electric Parking
Brake (EPB), the switch is to the left
of the steering wheel on the
instrument panel, below the exterior
lamp controls. The EPB can always be
activated, even if the ignition is off. To
prevent draining the battery, avoid
repeated cycles of the EPB when the
engine is not running.
Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-10293077) -
2017 - crc - 8/24/16
250 DRIVING AND OPERATING
Weight-Distributing Hitch
Adjustment
1. Front of Vehicle
2. Body to Ground Distance
When using a weight-distributing
hitch, the spring bars should be
adjusted so the distance (2) is the
same after coupling the trailer to the
tow vehicle and adjusting the hitch.
Safety Chains
Always attach chains between the
vehicle and the trailer. Cross the safety
chains under the tongue of the trailer
to help prevent the tongue from
contacting the road if it becomesseparated from the hitch. Instructions
about safety chains may be provided
by the hitch manufacturer or by the
trailer manufacturer. If the trailer
being towed weighs up to 2 271 kg
(5,000 lb) with a factory-installed step
bumper, safety chains may be
attached to the attaching points on
the bumper, otherwise, safety chains
should be attached to holes on the
trailer hitch platform. Always leave
just enough slack so the combination
can turn. Never allow safety chains to
drag on the ground.
Trailer Brakes
A loaded trailer that weighs more than
900 kg (2,000 lb) must be equipped
with its own brake system, with
brakes working on all axles. Trailer
braking equipment conforming to
Canadian Standards Association (CSA)
requirement CAN3-D313, or its
equivalent, is recommended.
State and local regulations may also
require the trailer to have its own
braking system if loaded above a
certain threshold.
Be sure to read and follow the
instructions for the trailer brakes so
they are installed, adjusted, and
maintained properly.
Since the vehicle is equipped with
StabiliTrak, the trailer brakes cannot
tap into the vehicle's hydraulic
system.
Trailer Wiring Harness
The seven-pin trailer connector is
mounted in the bumper. This
connector can be plugged into a
seven-pin universal heavy-duty trailer
connector available through your
dealer.
The seven-wire harness contains the
following trailer circuits:
.
Yellow: Left Stop/Turn Signal
. Green/Violet: Right Stop/Turn
Signal
. Brown: Taillamps
. White: Ground
. Light Green: Back-up Lamps
. Red/Green: Battery Feed
. Dark Blue: Trailer Brake
Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-10293077) -
2017 - crc - 8/24/16
DRIVING AND OPERATING 251
To help charge a remote (non-vehicle)
battery, press the Tow/Haul Mode
button at the end of the shift lever.
If the trailer is too light for Tow/Haul
Mode, turn on the headlamps to help
charge the battery.
Electric Brake Control Wiring
Provisions
These wiring provisions are included
with the vehicle as part of the trailer
wiring package. These provisions are
for an electric brake controller.
The harness should be installed by
your dealer or a qualified service
center.
Tow/Haul Mode
Pressing this button at the end of the
shift lever turns on and off the Tow/
Haul Mode.
This indicator light on the instrument
cluster comes on when the Tow/Haul
Mode is on.Tow/Haul is a feature that assists
when pulling a heavy trailer or a large
or heavy load. See
Tow/Haul
Mode 0208.
Tow/Haul is designed to be most
effective when the vehicle and trailer
combined weight is at least 75% of
the vehicle's Gross Combined Weight
Rating (GCWR). See “Weight of the
Trailer” underTrailer Towing 0247.
Tow/Haul is most useful under the
following driving conditions:
. When pulling a heavy trailer or a
large or heavy load through rolling
terrain.
. When pulling a heavy trailer or a
large or heavy load in stop-and-go
traffic.
. When pulling a heavy trailer or a
large or heavy load in busy
parking lots where improved low
speed control of the vehicle is
desired.
Operating the vehicle in Tow/Haul
when lightly loaded or with no trailer
at all will not cause damage. However,
there is no benefit to the selection of
Tow/Haul when the vehicle is
Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-10293077) -
2017 - crc - 8/24/16
DRIVING AND OPERATING 253
Caution
Some electrical equipment can
damage the vehicle or cause
components to not work and would
not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Always check with your
dealer before adding electrical
equipment.
Add-on equipment can drain the
vehicle's 12-volt battery, even if the
vehicle is not operating.
The vehicle has an airbag system.
Before attempting to add anything
electrical to the vehicle, see Servicing
the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 088 and
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 088.
Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-10293077) -
2017 - crc - 8/24/16
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
258 VEHICLE CARE
1. Positive (+) Terminal. SeeJump
Starting 0312.
2. Battery 0271.
3. Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap. See Cooling System 0263.
4. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter 0262.
5. Remote Negative (-) Location. See Jump Starting 0312.
6. Engine Cooling Fans (Out of View). See Cooling System 0263.
7. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See “When to
Add Engine Oil” underEngine
Oil 0258.
8. Engine Oil Dipstick. See “Checking Engine Oil” under
Engine Oil 0258.
9. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See “Adding Washer
Fluid ”under Washer Fluid 0268.
10. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See Brake
Fluid 0269.
11. Engine Compartment Fuse
Block 0278.Engine Oil
To ensure proper engine performance
and long life, careful attention must
be paid to engine oil. Following these
simple, but important steps will help
protect your investment:
.
Use engine oil approved to the
proper specification and of the
proper viscosity grade. See
“Selecting the Right Engine Oil” in
this section.
. Check the engine oil level regularly
and maintain the proper oil level.
See “Checking Engine Oil” and
“When to Add Engine Oil” in this
section.
. Change the engine oil at the
appropriate time. See Engine Oil
Life System 0260.
. Always dispose of engine oil
properly. See “What to Do with
Used Oil” in this section.
Checking Engine Oil
If equipped, the ENGINE OIL LOW
ADD OIL message displays when the
engine oil level may be too low. See
Engine Oil Messages 0146. Check the oil level before filling to the
recommended level. If the oil is not
low and this message remains on, see
your dealer.
Check the engine oil level regularly,
every 650 km (400 mi), especially prior
to a long trip. The engine oil dipstick
handle is a loop. See
Engine
Compartment Overview 0257 for the
location.
{Warning
The engine oil dipstick handle may
be hot; it could burn you. Use a
towel or glove to touch the dipstick
handle.
If a low oil Driver Information Center
(DIC) message displays, check the oil
level.
Follow these guidelines:
. To get an accurate reading, park
the vehicle on level ground. Check
the engine oil level after the
engine has been off for at least
two hours. Checking the engine oil
level on steep grades or too soon
after engine shutoff can result in
Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-10293077) -
2017 - crc - 8/24/16
VEHICLE CARE 271
Caution
If brake fluid is spilled on the
vehicle's painted surfaces, the paint
finish can be damaged. Immediately
wash off any painted surface.
Battery
The original equipment battery is
maintenance free. Do not remove the
cap and do not add fluid.
Refer to the replacement number
shown on the original battery label
when a new battery is needed. See
Engine Compartment Overview0257
for battery location.
{Warning
Do not use a match or flame near a
vehicle's battery. If you need more
light, use a flashlight.
Do not smoke near a vehicle's
battery.
When working around a vehicle’s
battery, shield your eyes with
protective glasses.
Keep children away from vehicle
batteries.
{Warning
Batteries have acid that can burn
you and gas that can explode. You
can be hurt badly if you are not
careful.
Follow instructions carefully when
working around a battery.
Battery posts, terminals and related
accessories contain lead and lead
compounds which can cause cancer
and reproductive harm. Wash
hands after handling.
Vehicle Storage
Infrequent Usage: Remove the black,
negative (−) cable from the battery to
keep the battery from running down.
Extended Storage: Remove the black,
negative (−) cable from the battery or
use a battery trickle charger.
Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-10293077) -
2017 - crc - 8/24/16
VEHICLE CARE 281
ItemUsage
5 Suspension leveling compressor
6 4WD transfer case electronic control
7 –
8 –
9 –
10 Electric parking brake
11 –
12 –
13 Interior BEC LT2
14 Rear BEC 1
15 –
16 –
17 Driver motorized safety belt
18 –
19 –
20 –
21 ALC exhaust solenoid Item
Usage
23 Integrated chassis control module
24 Real time dampening
25 Fuel pump power module
26 –/Battery regulated
voltage control
27 –
28 Upfitter 2
29 Upfitter 2 relay
30 Wiper
31 TIM
32 –
33 –
34 Reverse lamps
35 ABS valve
36 Trailer brakes
37 Upfitter 3 relay
38 – Item
Usage
39 Right trailer stoplamp/Turn
signal lamp
40 Left trailer stoplamp/turn
signal lamp
41 Trailer parking lamps
42 Right parking lamps
43 Left parking lamps
44 Upfitter 3
45 Automatic level control/Run/Crank
46 –
47 Upfitter 4
48 Upfitter 4 relay
49 Reverse lamps
50 –
51 Parking lamp relay
52 –
53 –
54 –