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-
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222 DRIVING AND OPERATING
Locking Rear Axle
Vehicles with a locking rear axle can
give more traction on snow, mud, ice,
sand, or gravel. It works like a
standard axle most of the time, but
when traction is low, this feature will
allow the rear wheel with the most
traction to move the vehicle.
Automatic Level Control
The automatic level control rear
suspension comes as a part of the
Magnetic Ride Control system.
This type of level control is fully
automatic and will provide a better
leveled riding position as well as
better handling under a variety of
passenger and loading conditions. An
air compressor connected to the rear
shocks will raise or lower the rear of
the vehicle to maintain proper vehicleheight. The system is activated when
the ignition is on and will
automatically adjust vehicle height
thereafter. The system may exhaust
(lower vehicle height) for up to
10 minutes after the ignition has been
turned off. You may hear the air
compressor operating when the height
is being adjusted.
If a weight-distributing hitch is being
used, it is recommended to allow the
shocks to inflate, leveling the vehicle
prior to adjusting the hitch.
Cruise Control
{Warning
Cruise control can be dangerous
where you cannot drive safely at a
steady speed. Do not use cruise
control on winding roads or in
heavy traffic.
Cruise control can be dangerous on
slippery roads. On such roads, fast
changes in tire traction can cause
excessive wheel slip, and you could
lose control. Do not use cruise
control on slippery roads.
If equipped with cruise control, a
speed of about 40 km/h (25 mph) or
more can be maintained without
keeping your foot on the accelerator.
Cruise control does not work at speeds
below about 40 km/h (25 mph).
If the Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control system begins to
limit wheel spin while using cruise
control, the cruise control
Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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DRIVING AND OPERATING 233
Driver Assistance
Systems
This vehicle may have features that
work together to help avoid crashes or
reduce crash damage while driving,
backing, and parking. Read this entire
section before using these systems.
{Warning
Do not rely on the Driver
Assistance Systems. These systems
do not replace the need for paying
attention and driving safely. You
may not hear or feel alerts or
warnings provided by these
systems. Failure to use proper care
when driving may result in injury,
death, or vehicle damage. See
Defensive Driving0184.
Under many conditions, these
systems will not: . Detect children, pedestrians,
bicyclists, or animals.
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
.Detect vehicles or objects
outside the area monitored by
the system.
. Work at all driving speeds.
. Warn you or provide you with
enough time to avoid a crash.
. Work under poor visibility or
bad weather conditions.
. Work if the detection sensor
is not cleaned or is covered
by ice, snow, mud, or dirt.
. Work if the detection sensor
is covered up, such as with a
sticker, magnet, or metal
plate.
. Work if the area surrounding
the detection sensor is
damaged or not properly
repaired.
Complete attention is always
required while driving, and you
should be ready to take action and
apply the brakes and/or steer the
vehicle to avoid crashes. Audible or Safety Alert Seat
Some driver assistance features alert
the driver of obstacles by beeping. To
change the volume of the warning
chime, see
“Comfort and Convenience ”
under Vehicle Personalization 0152.
If equipped with the Safety Alert Seat,
the driver seat cushion may provide a
vibrating pulse alert instead of
beeping. To change this, see
“Collision/Detection Systems” under
Vehicle Personalization 0152.
Assistance Systems for
Parking or Backing
If equipped, the Rear Vision Camera
(RVC), Rear Parking Assist (RPA),
Front Parking Assist (FPA), Surround
Vision, Front Vision Camera, Reverse
Automatic Braking (RAB) and Backing
Warning System, Rear Cross Traffic
Alert (RCTA), and Automatic Parking
Assist (APA) may help the driver park
or avoid objects. Always check around
the vehicle when parking or backing.
Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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DRIVING AND OPERATING 241
Warning (Continued)
the windshield is damaged. It may
also not detect a vehicle on winding
or hilly roads, or in conditions that
can limit visibility such as fog, rain,
or snow, or if the headlamps or
windshield are not cleaned or in
proper condition. Keep the
windshield, headlamps, and FCA
sensors clean and in good repair.
Collision Alert
When your vehicle approaches
another detected vehicle too rapidly,
the red FCA display will flash on the
windshield. Also, eight rapid
high-pitched beeps will sound from
the front, or both sides of the Safety
Alert Seat will pulse five times. When
this Collision Alert occurs, the brake system may prepare for driver braking
to occur more rapidly which can cause
a brief, mild deceleration. Continue to
apply the brake pedal as needed.
Cruise control may be disengaged
when the Collision Alert occurs.
Tailgating Alert
The vehicle ahead indicator will
display amber when you are following
a vehicle ahead much too closely.
Selecting the Alert Timing
The Collision Alert control is on the
steering wheel. Press
[to set the
FCA timing to Far, Medium, Near,
or on some vehicles, Off. The first
button press shows the current setting
on the Driver Information Center
(DIC). Additional button presses will
change this setting. The chosen
setting will remain until it is changed
and will affect the timing of both the
Collision Alert and the Tailgating
Alert features. The timing of both
alerts will vary based on vehicle speed.
The faster the vehicle speed, the
farther away the alert will occur.
Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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DRIVING AND OPERATING 247
Warning (Continued)
and camera sensors clean and in
good repair. Do not use LKA in bad
weather conditions.
{Warning
Using LKA while towing a trailer or
on slippery roads could cause loss
of control of the vehicle and a
crash. Turn the system off.
How the System Works
The LKA camera sensor is on the
windshield ahead of the rearview
mirror.
To turn LKA on and off, press
A
on the center stack.
LKA Indicator Light
When on, the LKA indicator is green if
LKA is available to assist and provide
LDW alerts. It may assist by gently
turning the steering wheel and display
amber if the vehicle approaches a
detected lane marking without using a
turn signal in that direction. It may
also provide an LDW alert by flashing
amber as the lane marking is crossed.
Additionally, there may be three
beeps, or the driver seat may pulse
three times, on the right or left,
depending on the lane departure
direction.
Take Steering
The LKA system does not
continuously steer the vehicle. If LKA
does not detect active driver steering,
an alert, chime, or DIC message may
be provided. Steer the vehicle to
dismiss.
When the System Does Not
Seem to Work Properly
The system performance may be
affected by:
. Close vehicles ahead.
. Sudden lighting changes, such as
when driving through tunnels.
. Banked roads.
. Roads with poor lane markings,
such as two-lane roads.
If the LKA system is not functioning
properly when lane markings are
clearly visible, cleaning the windshield
may help.
A camera blocked message may
display if the camera is blocked.
Cleaning the outside of the windshield
behind the rearview mirror may
correct the issue. Some driver
assistance systems may have reduced
performance or not work at all. An
LKA or LDW unavailable message may
display if the systems are temporarily
unavailable. This message could be
due to a blocked camera. The LKA
Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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DRIVING AND OPERATING 249
Caution (Continued)
.Fuel with any amount of
methanol, methylal, and
aniline. These fuels can
corrode metal fuel system
parts or damage plastic and
rubber parts.
. Fuel containing metals such
as methylcyclopentadienyl
manganese tricarbonyl
(MMT), which can damage
the emissions control system
and spark plugs.
. Fuel with a posted octane
rating of less than the
recommended fuel. Using this
fuel will lower fuel economy
and performance, and may
decrease the life of the
emissions catalyst.
California Fuel
Requirements
If the vehicle is certified to meet
California Emissions Standards, it is
designed to operate on fuels that meet California specifications. See the
underhood emission control label.
If this fuel is not available in states
adopting California Emissions
Standards, the vehicle will operate
satisfactorily on fuels meeting federal
specifications, but emission control
system performance may be affected.
The malfunction indicator lamp could
turn on and the vehicle may not pass
a smog-check test. See
Malfunction
Indicator Lamp (Check Engine Light)
0 137. If this occurs, return to your
authorized dealer for diagnosis. If it is
determined that the condition is
caused by the type of fuel used,
repairs may not be covered by the
vehicle warranty.
Fuels in Foreign Countries
The U.S., Canada, and Mexico post
fuel octane ratings in anti-knock index
(AKI). For fuel not to use in a foreign
country, see “Prohibited Fuels” inFuel
0 248.
Fuel Additives
To keep fuel systems clean, TOP TIER
detergent gasoline is recommended.
See Fuel 0248.
If TOP TIER detergent gasoline is not
available, one bottle of GM Fuel
System Treatment Cleaner added to
the fuel tank at every engine oil
change, can help. GM Fuel System
Treatment Cleaner is the only gasoline
additive recommended by General
Motors. It is available at your dealer.
Filling the Tank
{Warning
Fuel vapors and fuel fires burn
violently and can cause injury or
death. . To help avoid injuries to you
and others, read and follow
all the instructions on the
fuel pump island.
. Turn off the engine when
refueling.
(Continued)
Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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252 DRIVING AND OPERATING
Trailer Towing
General Towing
Information
Only use towing equipment that has
been designed for the vehicle. Contact
your dealer or trailering dealer for
assistance with preparing the vehicle
for towing a trailer. Read the entire
section before towing a trailer.
For towing a disabled vehicle, see
Towing the Vehicle0332. For towing
the vehicle behind another vehicle
such as a motor home, see
Recreational Vehicle Towing 0333.
Driving Characteristics and
Towing Tips
Driving with a Trailer
When towing a trailer:
.
Become familiar with the state
and local laws that apply to trailer
towing. These requirements vary
from state to state. .
The trailer must be equipped with
brakes adequate for the intended
use. A loaded trailer weighing
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.
. Do not tow a trailer during the
first 800 km (500 mi) to prevent
damage to the engine, axle,
or other parts.
. Then during the first 800 km
(500 mi) of trailer towing, do not
drive over 80 km/h (50 mph) and
do not make starts at full throttle.
. Vehicles can tow in D (Drive). Shift
the transmission to a lower gear if
the transmission shifts too often
under heavy loads and/or hilly
conditions.
. Do not use Adaptive Cruise
Control when towing. .
Turn off Parking Assist and Rear
Cross Traffic Alert (RTCA) when
towing.
. The Forward Automatic Braking
System should be set to Off when
towing. See Forward Automatic
Braking (FAB) 022.
. Turn off Lane Keep Assist (LKA)
when towing. See Lane Keep Assist
(LKA) 0246.
{Warning
When towing a trailer, exhaust
gases may collect at the rear of the
vehicle and enter if the liftgate,
trunk/hatch, or rear-most window
is open.
When towing a trailer:
. Do not drive with the liftgate,
trunk/hatch, or rear-most
window open.
. Fully open the air outlets on
or under the instrument
panel.
(Continued)
Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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VEHICLE CARE 277
Warning (Continued)
could be burned. Never turn the cap
when the cooling system, including
the pressure cap, is hot. Wait for
the cooling system and pressure
cap to cool.
If No Steam is Coming from the
Engine Compartment
The ENGINE OVERHEATED STOP
ENGINE or the ENGINE
OVERHEATED IDLE ENGINE message,
along with a low coolant condition,
can indicate a serious problem.
If there is an engine overheat warning,
but no steam is seen or heard, the
problem may not be too serious.
Sometimes the engine can get a little
too hot when the vehicle:
.Climbs a long hill on a hot day
. Stops after high-speed driving
. Idles for long periods in traffic
. Tows a trailer; see Trailer Towing
0 255 If the ENGINE OVERHEATED STOP
ENGINE or the ENGINE
OVERHEATED IDLE ENGINE message
appears with no sign of steam, try this
for a minute or so:
1. Turn the air conditioning off.
2. Turn the heater on to the highest temperature and to the highest
fan speed. Open the windows as
necessary.
3. When it is safe to do so, pull off the road, shift to P (Park) or
N (Neutral), and let the
engine idle.
If the engine coolant temperature
gauge is no longer in the overheat
zone or an overheat warning no longer
displays, the vehicle can be driven.
Continue to drive the vehicle slowly
for about 10 minutes. Keep a safe
vehicle distance from the vehicle in
front. If the warning does not come
back on, continue to drive normally
and have the cooling system checked
for proper fill and function.
If the warning continues, pull over,
stop, and park the vehicle right away. If there is still no sign of steam and
the vehicle is equipped with an engine
driven cooling fan, push down the
accelerator until the engine speed is
about twice as fast as normal idle
speed for at least five minutes while
the vehicle is parked. If the warning is
still there, turn off the engine and get
everyone out of the vehicle until it
cools down.
If there is no sign of steam, idle the
engine for five minutes while parked.
If the warning is still displayed, turn
off the engine until it cools down.
Engine Fan
If the vehicle has electric cooling fans,
the fans may be heard spinning at low
speed during most everyday driving.
The fans may turn off if no cooling is
required. Under heavy vehicle loading,
trailer towing, high outside
temperatures, or operation of the air
conditioning system, the fans may
change to high speed and an increase
in fan noise may be heard. This is
normal and indicates that the cooling
system is functioning properly. The