2018 CADILLAC ESCALADE Transmission auto mode

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11349344) - 2018 - crc - 11/7/17
IN BRIEF 7
1.Air Vents 0179.
2. Head-Up Display (HUD) 0147 (If
Equipped).
3. Turn Signal Lever. See Turn and
Lane-Change Signals 0168.
Windshield Wiper/Washer 0121.
Rear Window Wiper/Washer
0 123.
4. Hazard Warning Flashers 0168.
5. Instrument Cluster 0130.
6. Shift Lever. See Automatic
Transmission 0206.
Tow/Haul Mode Selector Button.
See Tow/Haul Mode 0210.
Range Selection Mode Buttons (If
Equipped). See Manual Mode
0 209.
7. Magnetic Ride Control Button. See Magnetic Ride Control 0221.
Pedal Adjust Switch (If
Equipped). See Adjustable Throttle
and Brake Pedal 0198.
Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control 0218. 8. Light Sensor. See
Automatic
Headlamp System 0167.
9. Infotainment 0172.
10. Glove Box Button. See Glove Box
0 116.
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) 0246 (If
Equipped).
Parking Assist Button. See
Assistance Systems for Parking or
Backing 0233.
11. Dual Automatic Climate Control
System 0173.
Instrument Panel Storage 0116.
12. CD Player. See the infotainment manual.
13. ENGINE START/STOP Button. SeeIgnition Positions 0199.
14. Steering Wheel Controls 0121.
Driver Information Center (DIC)
Controls. See Driver Information
Center (DIC) 0145.
15. Horn 0121.
16. Steering Wheel Adjustment 0121.
17. Hood Release. See Hood0266. 18.
Cruise Control 0222 (If
Equipped).
Adaptive Cruise Control 0225 (If
Equipped).
Forward Collision Alert (FCA)
System 0240 (If Equipped).
Heated Steering Wheel 0121 (If
Equipped).
Phone Button. See the
infotainment manual.
19. Automatic Transfer Case Knob (If Equipped). See Four-Wheel Drive
0 211.
20. Data Link Connector (DLC) (Out of View). See Malfunction
Indicator Lamp (Check Engine
Light) 0137.
21. Electric Parking Brake 0216 (If
Equipped).
22. Exterior Lamp Controls 0164.
23. Instrument Panel Illumination
Control 0169.

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11349344) - 2018 - crc - 11/7/17
IN BRIEF 19
Center Stack Climate Controls
1. Driver and Passenger Temperature Controls
2. Fan Control
3. OFF (Fan)
4. Driver and Passenger Heated and Cooled Seats
5. Recirculation
6. Rear Window Defogger
7. Defrost
8. AUTO (Automatic Operation)Climate Control Display
1. Outside Temperature Display
2. Driver and Passenger Temperature Controls
3. Fan Control
4. SYNC (Synchronized Temperature)
5. A/C Mode (Air Conditioning)
6. Climate Control Selection (Application Tray Button)
7. Rear (Rear Climate Control Touch Screen)
8. Air Delivery Mode Control See
Dual Automatic Climate Control
System 0173 and Rear Climate Control
System 0178 (If Equipped).
Transmission
Range Selection Mode
The Range Selection Mode switch,
if equipped, is on the shift lever.
1. To enable the Range Selection feature, move the shift lever to
the L (Manual Mode) position.
The current range will appear
next to the L. This is the highest
attainable range with all lower
gears accessible. As an example,
when 5 (Fifth) gear is selected,
1 (First) through 5 (Fifth) gears
are available.

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
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.

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11349344) - 2018 - crc - 11/7/17
DRIVING AND OPERATING 211
Tow/Haul Mode Grade Braking
Tow/Haul Mode Grade Braking is only
enabled while the Tow/Haul Mode is
selected and the vehicle is not in the
Range Selection Mode. See“Tow/Haul
Mode ”listed previously and Manual
Mode 0209. Tow/Haul Mode Grade
Braking assists in maintaining desired
vehicle speeds when driving on
downhill grades by using the engine
and transmission to slow the vehicle.
To disable or enable Tow/Haul 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 is
displayed.
See Towing Equipment 0258.
For other forms of grade braking, see
Automatic Transmission 0206 and
Cruise Control 0222.
Drive Systems
Four-Wheel Drive
If equipped, four-wheel drive engages
the front axle for extra traction.
Caution
Do not drive on clean, dry
pavement in 4
mand 4n(if
equipped) for an extended period of
time. These conditions may cause
premature wear on the vehicle’s
powertrain.
Driving on clean, dry pavement in 4
m
or 4nmay:
. Cause a vibration to be felt in the
steering system.
. Cause tires to wear faster.
. Make the transfer case harder to
shift, and cause it to run noisier.
{Warning
If equipped with four-wheel drive,
the vehicle will be free to roll if the
transfer case is in N (Neutral), even
when the shift lever is in P (Park).
Be sure the transfer case is in a
drive gear —2
m, 4m, or 4n—not
in N (Neutral). See Shifting Into Park
0 203.
Caution
Extended high-speed operation in
4
nmay damage or shorten the life
of the drivetrain.
Engagement noise and bump when
shifting between 4
nand 4mor from
N (Neutral), with the engine running,
is normal.
Shifting into 4
nwill turn Traction
Control and StabiliTrak off. See
Traction Control/Electronic Stability
Control 0218.