2018 CADILLAC ESCALADE automatic transmission

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11349344) - 2018 - crc - 11/7/17
INSTRUMENTS AND CONTROLS 147
speed limit is exceeded, a pop-up
warning is displayed and a chime may
sound.
Cruise Set Speed :Shows the speed
the cruise control or Adaptive Cruise
Control is set to.
Follow Distance Indicator : When
Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) is not
engaged, the current follow time to
the vehicle ahead is displayed as a
time value on this page. When ACC
has been engaged, the display
switches to the gap setting page. This
page shows the current gap setting
along with the vehicle ahead indicator.
Battery Voltage : Shows the current
battery voltage.
Oil Life : Shows an estimate of the
oil's remaining useful life.
If REMAINING OIL LIFE 99% is
displayed, that means 99% of the
current oil life remains.
When the remaining oil life is low, the
CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON message
will appear on the display. The oil
should be changed as soon as
possible. See Engine Oil0268. In
addition to the engine oil life system monitoring the oil life, additional
maintenance is recommended. See
Maintenance Schedule
0347.
The Oil Life display must be reset
after each oil change. It will not reset
itself. Do not 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, press and hold SEL for
several seconds while the Oil Life
display is active. See Engine Oil Life
System 0270.
Oil Pressure : Shows the engine oil
pressure in kPa (kilopascals)
or psi (pounds per square inch).
Engine Hours : Shows the total
number of hours the engine has run.
Transmission Fluid Temperature :
Shows the temperature of the
automatic transmission fluid in either
degrees Celsius (°C) or degrees
Fahrenheit (°F).
Tire Pressure : Shows the
approximate pressures of all four tires.
Tire pressure is displayed in either
kilopascal (kPa) or in pounds per square inch (psi). If the pressure is
low, the value for that tire is shown in
amber.
See
Tire Pressure Monitor System 0307
and Tire Pressure Monitor Operation
0 308.
Blank Page : Allows for no
information to be displayed in the
cluster info display areas.
Head-Up Display (HUD)
{Warning
If the HUD image is too bright or
too high in your field of view, it
may take you more time to see
things you need to see when it is
dark outside. Be sure to keep the
HUD image dim and placed low in
your field of view.
If equipped with HUD, some
information concerning the operation
of the vehicle is projected onto the
windshield. The image is projected
through the HUD lens on top of the

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11349344) - 2018 - crc - 11/7/17
166 LIGHTING
.The vehicle is being driven on
winding or hilly roads.
The automatic high-beam headlamps
may need to be disabled if any of the
above conditions exist.
Exterior Lamps Off
Reminder
If a door is open, a reminder chime
sounds when the headlamps or
parking lamps are manually turned on
and the ignition is off. To turn off the
chime, turn the exterior lamp control
to off or AUTO and then back on,
or close and re-open the door. In the
AUTO mode, the headlamps turn off
once the ignition is off or remain on
until the headlamp delay ends (if
enabled in the DIC). See “Exit
Lighting” underVehicle Personalization
0 152.
Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer
Push the turn signal lever toward the
instrument panel to change the
headlamps from low to high beam. Pull the turn signal lever toward you
and release it to return to low-beam
headlamps.
When the high-beam headlamps are
on, this indicator light on the
instrument cluster will also be on.
Flash-to-Pass
This feature lets you use the
high-beam headlamps to signal a
driver in front of you that you want to
pass. It works even if the headlamps
are in the automatic position.
To use it, pull the turn signal lever
toward you, then release it.
If the headlamps are in the automatic
position or on low beam, the
high-beam headlamps will turn on.
They will stay on as long as you hold
the lever toward you. The high-beam
indicator on the instrument cluster
will come on. Release the lever to
return to normal operation.
Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL)
DRL can make it easier for others to
see the front of the vehicle during the
day. Fully functional DRL are required
on all vehicles first sold in Canada.
The DRL system comes on when the
following conditions are met:
.
The ignition is on.
. The exterior lamp control is
in AUTO.
. The transmission is not in
P (Park).
. The light sensor determines it is
daytime.
When the DRL system is on, only the
DRL are on. The taillamps, sidemarker
lamps, instrument panel lights, and
other lamps will not be on.
When it begins to get dark, the
automatic headlamp system switches
from DRL to the headlamps.

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11349344) - 2018 - crc - 11/7/17
182 DRIVING AND OPERATING
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . 191
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Adjustable Throttle and BrakePedal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203 Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Parking over Things
That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Active Fuel Management . . . . . . . . 205
Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Running the Vehicle While
Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . . . 206
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Drive Systems
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Brakes
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . . 215
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/ElectronicStability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Driver Mode Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Magnetic Ride Control . . . . . . . . . . . 221 Locking Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Automatic Level Control . . . . . . . . . 222
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Adaptive Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . 225
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . . . . . 233
Assistance Systems for Parking
or Backing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Assistance Systems for Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Forward Automatic Braking (FAB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . 244
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . . . . 244
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . . . . . 246
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
California Fuel Requirements . . . . 249
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . . . . . 249
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11349344) - 2018 - crc - 11/7/17
188 DRIVING AND OPERATING
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 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 or electronic 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 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 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.

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11349344) - 2018 - crc - 11/7/17
DRIVING AND OPERATING 199
Ignition Positions
The vehicle is equipped with Keyless
Access and has pushbutton start.
The Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter must be in the vehicle for
the system to operate. If the
pushbutton start is not working, the
vehicle may be near a strong radio
antenna signal causing interference to
the Keyless Access system. SeeRemote
Keyless Entry (RKE) System Operation
0 29.
To shift out of P (Park), the vehicle
must be on or in ACC/ACCESSORY,
and the brake pedal must be applied. Stopping the Engine/LOCK/OFF (No
Indicator Lights) :
When the vehicle
is stopped, press ENGINE START/
STOP once to turn the engine off.
If the vehicle is in P (Park), the
ignition will turn off, and Retained
Accessory Power (RAP) will remain
active. See Retained Accessory Power
(RAP) 0203.
If the vehicle is not in P (Park), the
ignition will return to ACC/
ACCESSORY and display the message
SHIFT TO PARK in the Driver
Information Center (DIC). When the
vehicle is shifted into P (Park), the
ignition will turn off.
Do not turn the engine off when the
vehicle is moving. This will cause a
loss of power assist in the brake and
steering systems and disable the
airbags.
The vehicle may have an electric
steering column lock. The lock is
activated when the ignition is turned
off and either front door is opened.
A sound may be heard as the lock
actuates or releases. The steering
column lock may not release with the wheels turned off center. If this
happens, the vehicle may not start.
Move the steering wheel from left to
right while attempting to start the
vehicle. If this does not work, the
vehicle needs service.
If the vehicle must be shut off in an
emergency:
1. Brake using a firm and steady pressure. Do not pump the
brakes repeatedly. This may
deplete power assist, requiring
increased brake pedal force.
2. Shift the vehicle to N (Neutral). This can be done while the
vehicle is moving. After shifting
to N (Neutral), firmly apply the
brakes and steer the vehicle to a
safe location.
3. Come to a complete stop, shift to P (Park), and turn the ignition
off. On vehicles with an
automatic transmission, the shift
lever must be in P (Park) to turn
the ignition off.
4. Set the parking brake. See Parking Brake 0215 or
Electric Parking Brake 0216.

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11349344) - 2018 - crc - 11/7/17
206 DRIVING AND OPERATING
Warning (Continued)
.There are holes or openings
in the vehicle body from
damage or aftermarket
modifications that are not
completely sealed.
If unusual fumes are detected or if
it is suspected that exhaust is
coming into the vehicle: . Drive it only with the
windows completely down.
. Have the vehicle repaired
immediately.
Never park the vehicle with the
engine running in an enclosed area
such as a garage or a building that
has no fresh air ventilation.
Running the Vehicle While
Parked
It is better not to park with the engine
running.
If the vehicle is left with the engine
running, follow the proper steps to be
sure the vehicle will not move.
See Shifting Into Park 0203 and Engine
Exhaust 0205.
If parking on a hill and pulling a
trailer, see Driving Characteristics and
Towing Tips 0252.
Automatic Transmission
If equipped, there is an electronic shift
lever position indicator within the
instrument cluster. This display comes
on when the ignition is turned on.
There are several different positions
for the shift lever.
See “Range Selection Mode ”under
Manual Mode 0209.
P : This position locks the drive
wheels. Use P (Park) when starting the
engine because the vehicle cannot
move easily. When parked on a hill,
especially when the vehicle has a
heavy load, you might notice an
increase in the effort to shift out of
P (Park). See “Torque Lock” under
Shifting Into Park 0203.

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11349344) - 2018 - crc - 11/7/17
208 DRIVING AND OPERATING
Caution
A transmission hot message may
display if the automatic
transmission fluid is too hot.
Driving under this condition can
damage the vehicle. Stop and idle
the engine to cool the automatic
transmission fluid. This message
clears when the transmission fluid
has cooled sufficiently.
D : This position is for normal driving.
If more power is needed for passing,
press the accelerator pedal down.
Use D (Drive) and Tow/Haul Mode
when towing a trailer, carrying a
heavy load, driving on steep hills,
or driving off-road. Shift the
transmission to a lower gear selection
if the transmission shifts too often.
Downshifting the transmission in
slippery road conditions could result
in skidding. See “Skidding”underLoss
of Control 0186. The vehicle has a shift stabilization
feature that adjusts the transmission
shifting to the current driving
conditions in order to reduce rapid
upshifts and downshifts. This shift
stabilization feature is designed to
determine, before making an upshift,
if the engine is able to maintain
vehicle speed by analyzing things such
as vehicle speed, throttle position, and
vehicle load. If the shift stabilization
feature determines that a current
vehicle speed cannot be maintained,
the transmission does not upshift and
instead holds the current gear.
In some cases, this could appear to be
a delayed shift, however the
transmission is operating normally.
The transmission uses adaptive shift
controls. The adaptive shift control
process continually compares key shift
parameters to pre-programmed ideal
shifts stored in the transmission’s
computer. The transmission
constantly makes adjustments to
improve vehicle performance
according to how the vehicle is being
used, such as with a heavy load or
when the temperature changes.
During this adaptive shift control process, shifting might feel different
as the transmission determines the
best settings.
When temperatures are very cold, the
transmission's gear shifting could be
delayed providing more stable shifts
until the engine warms up. Shifts
could be more noticeable with a cold
transmission. This difference in
shifting is normal.
L :
This position allows selection of a
range of gears appropriate for current
driving conditions. If equipped, see
“Range Selection Mode ”under Manual
Mode 0209.
Caution
Spinning the tires or holding the
vehicle in one place on a hill using
only the accelerator pedal may
damage the transmission. The
repair will not be covered by the
vehicle warranty. If the vehicle is
stuck, do not spin the tires. When
stopping on a hill, use the brakes to
hold the vehicle in place.

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11349344) - 2018 - crc - 11/7/17
DRIVING AND OPERATING 209
Normal Mode Grade Braking
This mode is enabled when the
vehicle is started, but is not enabled
in Range Selection Mode. It assists in
maintaining desired vehicle speeds
when driving on downhill grades by
using the engine and transmission to
slow the vehicle. The first time the
system engages for each ignition
cycle, a DIC message will be displayed.
To disable or enable Normal Mode
Grade Braking within the current
ignition cycle, press and hold the
Tow/Haul button for five seconds.
When the button is released, the
requested mode change is made.
A DIC message displays.
For other forms of grade braking, see
Tow/Haul Mode0210 and Cruise
Control 0222.
Kickdown Mode
The accelerator pedal provides an
additional downshift after pressing
through the kickdown feature.
It requires extra pedal pressure near
the end of its travel to engage.
Manual Mode
Range Selection Mode
If equipped, Range Selection Mode
helps control the vehicle's
transmission and vehicle speed while
driving downhill or towing a trailer by
letting you select a desired range of
gears.
To use this feature:
1. Move the shift lever to L (Manual Mode).
2. Press the plus/minus buttons on the shift lever to select the
desired range of gears for current
driving conditions. Or, hold the
plus/minus buttons to select the
highest or lowest range available
for the current vehicle speed. When the shift lever is moved from
D (Drive) to L (Manual Mode), a
number displays next to the L,
indicating the current transmission
range.
This number is the highest gear that
the transmission will command while
operating in L (Manual Mode). All
gears below that number are available.
As driving conditions change, the
transmission can automatically shift
to lower gears. For example, when
5 (Fifth) is selected, 1 (First) through
5 (Fifth) gears are automatically
shifted by the transmission, but
6 (Sixth) cannot be used until the
plus/minus button on the shift lever is
used to change to the range.
When the shift lever is moved from
D (Drive) to L (Manual Mode), a
downshift may occur. The gear that
the transmission is operating in when
the shift lever is moved from D (Drive)
to L (Manual Mode) determines if a
downshift occurs. See the following
chart.