2019 CADILLAC ESCALADE ESV light

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12460268) - 2019 - crc - 9/14/18
DRIVING AND OPERATING 203
{Warning
Turning off the vehicle while
moving may cause loss of power
assist in the brake and steering
systems and disable the airbags.
While driving, only shut the vehicle
off in an emergency.
If the vehicle cannot be pulled over,
and must be shut off while driving,
press and hold ENGINE START/STOP
for longer than two seconds, or press
twice in five seconds.
ACC/ACCESSORY (Amber Indicator
Light) : This mode allows some
electrical accessories to be used when
the engine is off.
With the ignition off, pressing the
button one time without the brake
pedal applied will place the ignition
system in ACC/ACCESSORY.
The ignition will switch from ACC/
ACCESSORY to off after five minutes
to prevent battery rundown. ON/RUN/START (Green Indicator
Light) :
This mode is for driving and
starting. With the ignition off, and the
brake pedal applied, pressing the
button once will turn the ignition on.
Once engine cranking begins, release
the button. Engine cranking will
continue until the engine starts. See
Starting the Engine 0203. The ignition
will then remain on.
Service Mode
This power mode is available for
service and diagnostics, and to verify
the proper operation of the
malfunction indicator lamp as may be
required for emission inspection
purposes. With the vehicle off, and the
brake pedal not applied, pressing and
holding the button for more than
five seconds will place the vehicle in
Service Mode. The instruments and
audio systems will operate as they do
when the ignition is on, but the
vehicle will not be able to be driven.
The engine will not start in Service
Mode. Press the button again to turn
the ignition off.
Starting the Engine
Move the shift lever to P (Park) or
N (Neutral). The engine will not start
in any other position. To restart the
engine when the vehicle is already
moving, use N (Neutral) only.
Caution
Do not try to shift to P (Park) if the
vehicle is moving. If you do, you
could damage the transmission.
Shift to P (Park) only when the
vehicle is stopped.
Caution
If you add electrical parts or
accessories, you could change the
way the engine operates. Any
resulting damage would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty. See
Add-On Electrical Equipment 0275.

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12460268) - 2019 - crc - 9/14/18
DRIVING AND OPERATING 213
Gear before shifting from D (Drive) to
L (Manual Mode)10th 9th 8th 7th 6th 5th 4th 3rd 2nd 1st
Range after shifting from D (Drive) to L (Manual
Mode) - Tow/Haul not engaged L7 L7 L7 L6 L5 L4 L3 L3 L2 L1
Range after shifting from D (Drive) to L (Manual
Mode) - Tow/Haul engaged L7 L7 L6 L5 L4 L3 L3 L3 L2 L1
Grade Braking is not available when
Range Selection Mode is active. See
Tow/Haul Mode 0213.
While using Range Selection Mode,
cruise control and the Tow/Haul Mode
can be used.
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.
Tow/Haul Mode
The Tow/Haul Mode adjusts the
transmission shift pattern to reduce
shift cycling. This provides increased
performance, vehicle control, and enhanced transmission and engine
cooling when driving down steep hills
or mountain grades, towing,
or hauling heavy loads.
Turn the Tow/Haul Mode on and off
by pressing the button. When the
Tow/Haul Mode is enabled, a light on
the instrument cluster will come on.
See
Tow/Haul Mode Light 0143 and
Hill and Mountain Roads 0194.
Also see “Tow/Haul Mode ”under
Driver Mode Control 0223.

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12460268) - 2019 - crc - 9/14/18
DRIVING AND OPERATING 215
Automatic Transfer Case
If equipped, use the transfer case knob
next to the steering wheel to shift into
and out of four-wheel drive.
All of the lights will flash on then off
momentarily when the ignition is
turned on. The light that remains on
will indicate the state of the
transfer case.
If the indicator mark on the knob
below does not match up with the
light, then most likely the knob below
was moved when the ignition was off.The indicator mark on the knob below
must line up with the indicator light
before a shift can be commanded. To
command a shift, rotate the transfer
case knob below to the new desired
position. The light will flash meaning
that the shift is in progress. When the
shift is completed the new position
will be illuminated. If the transfer case
cannot complete a shift command, it
will go back to its last chosen setting.
The settings are:
N (Neutral) :
Use only when the
vehicle needs to be towed.
See Recreational Vehicle Towing 0346
or Towing the Vehicle 0345.
2
m(Two-Wheel Drive High) : Use for
driving on most streets and highways.
The front axle is not engaged. This
setting provides the best fuel
economy.
AUTO (Automatic Four-Wheel
Drive) : Use when road surface
traction conditions are variable. When
driving in AUTO, the front axle is
engaged, and the vehicle's power is
sent to the front and rear wheels automatically based on driving
conditions. This setting provides
slightly lower fuel economy than 2
m.
Do not use AUTO mode to park on a
steep grade with poor traction such as
ice, snow, mud, or gravel. In AUTO
mode only the rear wheels will hold
the vehicle from sliding when parked.
If parking on a steep grade, use 4
mto
keep all four wheels engaged.
4
m(Four-Wheel Drive High) : Use
this position when extra traction is
needed, such as when driving on
snowy or icy roads, when off-roading,
or when plowing snow.
4
n(Four-Wheel Drive Low) : This
setting engages the front axle and
delivers extra torque. Choose 4
nwhen
driving off-road in deep sand, deep
mud, or deep snow, and while
climbing or descending steep hills.
Shifting into 4
nwill turn Traction
Control and StabiliTrak/ESC off. See
Traction Control/Electronic Stability
Control 0221.

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12460268) - 2019 - crc - 9/14/18
216 DRIVING AND OPERATING
Shifting Into 4mor AUTO
Turn the knob to the 4
mor AUTO
position at any speed, except from 4
n.
The indicator light will flash while
shifting and will remain on when the
shift is completed.
Shifting Into 2
m
Turn the knob to 2mat any speed,
except when shifting from 4
n. The
indicator light will flash while shifting
and will remain on when the shift is
completed.
Shifting Into 4
n
When 4nis engaged, keep vehicle
speed below 72 km/h (45 mph).
To shift:
1. The ignition must be on and the vehicle must be stopped or
moving less than 5 km/h (3 mph)
with the transmission in
N (Neutral). It is best for the
vehicle to be moving
1.6 to 3.2 km/h (1 to 2 mph). 2. Turn the knob to 4
n. Wait for
the 4
nindicator light to stop
flashing before shifting the
transmission into gear.
Caution
Shifting the transmission into gear
before the requested mode indicator
light has stopped flashing could
damage the transfer case.
If the transmission is in gear and/or
moving more than 5 km/h (3 mph), the
4
nindicator light will flash for
30 seconds and the shift will not be
completed. After 30 seconds the
transfer case will shift to 4
m. Turn the
knob to 4
mto display the indicator.
With the vehicle moving less than
5 km/h (3 mph), and the transmission
in N (Neutral), attempt the shift again.
Shifting Out of 4
n
To shift: 1. The vehicle must be stopped or
moving less than 5 km/h (3 mph)
with the transmission in
N (Neutral) and the ignition on.
It is best for the vehicle to be
moving 1.6 to 3.2 km/h
(1 to 2 mph).
2. Turn the knob to 4
m, AUTO, or
2
m. Wait for the 4m, AUTO, or
2
mindicator light to stop
flashing before shifting the
transmission into gear.
Caution
Shifting the transmission into gear
before the requested mode indicator
light has stopped flashing could
damage the transfer case.
If the transmission is in gear and/or
moving more than 5 km/h (3 mph), the
4
m, AUTO, or 2mindicator light will
flash for 30 seconds but the shift will
not be completed. With the vehicle
moving less than 5 km/h (3 mph), and
the transmission in N (Neutral),
attempt the shift again.

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12460268) - 2019 - crc - 9/14/18
DRIVING AND OPERATING 217
Shifting Into N (Neutral)
To shift into N (Neutral):1. Park the vehicle on a level surface.
2. Set the parking brake and press and hold the brake pedal.
See Parking Brake 0218 or
Electric Parking Brake 0219.
3. Start the vehicle or turn the ignition on.
4. Shift the transmission to N (Neutral).
5. Shift the transfer case to 2
m.
6. Turn the transfer case knob clockwise to N (Neutral) until it
stops and hold it there until the
N (Neutral) light starts to flash.
This will take at least 10 seconds.
Then slowly release the knob to
the 4
nposition. The N (Neutral)
light will come on when the
transfer case shift to N (Neutral)
is complete. 7. With the engine running, verify
that the transfer case is in
N (Neutral) by shifting the
transmission to R (Reverse), then
shift the transmission to
D (Drive). There should be no
movement of the vehicle while
shifting the transmission.
8. Turn the engine off, and the ignition to ACC/ACCESSORY.
9. Place the transmission shift lever in P (Park). See Recreational
Vehicle Towing 0346.
10. Turn the ignition off.
Shifting Out of N (Neutral)
To shift out of N (Neutral): 1. Set the parking brake.
2. Press and hold ENGINE START/ STOP for five seconds with your
foot off the brake to place the
vehicle in Service Mode. 3. Shift the transmission to
N (Neutral).
4. Turn the transfer case knob to the desired setting.
After the transfer case has
shifted out of N (Neutral), the
N (Neutral) light will go out.
5. Release the parking brake.
6. Start the engine and shift the transmission to the desired gear.

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12460268) - 2019 - crc - 9/14/18
218 DRIVING AND OPERATING
Brakes
Antilock Brake
System (ABS)
This vehicle has an Antilock Brake
System (ABS), an advanced electronic
braking system that helps prevent a
braking skid.
When the vehicle begins to drive
away, ABS checks itself. A momentary
motor or clicking noise may be heard
while this test is going on, and it may
even be noticed that the brake pedal
moves a little. This is normal.
If there is a problem with ABS, this
warning light stays on. SeeAntilock
Brake System (ABS) Warning Light
0 143. If driving safely on a wet road and it
becomes necessary to slam on the
brakes and continue braking to avoid
a sudden obstacle, a computer senses
the wheels are slowing down. If one of
the wheels is about to stop rolling, the
computer will separately work the
brakes at each wheel.
ABS can change the brake pressure to
each wheel, as required, faster than
any driver could. This can help you
steer around the obstacle while
braking hard.
As the brakes are applied, the
computer keeps receiving updates on
wheel speed and controls braking
pressure accordingly.
Remember: ABS does not change the
time needed to get a foot up to the
brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too close
to the vehicle in front of you, there
will not be enough time to apply the
brakes if that vehicle suddenly slows
or stops. Always leave enough room
up ahead to stop, even with ABS.
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

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12460268) - 2019 - crc - 9/14/18
DRIVING AND OPERATING 219
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 0141.
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.
Electric Parking Brake
This vehicle may have an Electric
Parking Brake (EPB). The EPB can
always be activated, even if the
ignition is off. To prevent draining the
battery, avoid repeated cycles of the
EPB system when the engine is not
running.
The system has a
Yor PARK
Electric Parking Brake light, and a
8
Service Parking Brake light.
See Electric Parking Brake Light 0142
and Service Electric Parking Brake Light
0 142. Before leaving the vehicle, check for
the
Yor PARK light to ensure that
the parking brake is applied.
EPB Apply
To apply the EPB:
1. Be sure the vehicle is at a complete stop.
2. Lift up the EPB switch momentarily.
The
Yor PARK light will flash and
then stay on once the EPB is fully
applied. If the
Yor PARK light
flashes continuously, then the EPB is
only partially applied or there is a
problem with the EPB. A DIC message
will display. Release the EPB and try
to apply it again. If the light does not
come on, or keeps flashing, have the
vehicle serviced. Do not drive the
vehicle if the
Yor PARK light is
flashing. See your dealer. See Electric
Parking Brake Light 0142.

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12460268) - 2019 - crc - 9/14/18
220 DRIVING AND OPERATING
If the8light is on, press the EPB
switch and hold it. Continue to hold
the switch until the
Yor PARK light
remains on. If the
8light remains on,
see your dealer.
If the EPB is applied while the vehicle
is moving, the vehicle will decelerate
as long as the switch is pressed. If the
switch is pressed until the vehicle
comes to a stop, the EPB will remain
applied.
The vehicle may automatically apply
the EPB in some situations when the
vehicle is not moving. This is normal,
and is done to periodically check the
correct operation of the EPB system.
If the EPB fails to apply, block the rear
wheels to prevent vehicle movement.
EPB Release
To release the EPB:
1. Turn the ignition on or to ACC/ ACCESSORY.
2. Apply and hold the brake pedal.
3. Press the EPB switch momentarily. The EPB is released when the
Yor
PARK light is off.
If the
8light is on, release the EPB by
pressing and holding the EPB switch.
Continue to hold the switch until
the
Yor PARK light is off. If either
light stays on after release is
attempted, see your dealer.
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.
Automatic EPB Release
The EPB will automatically release if
the vehicle is running, placed into
gear, and an attempt is made to drive
away. Avoid rapid acceleration when
the EPB is applied, to preserve parking
brake lining life.
Brake Assist
The Brake Assist feature is designed to
assist the driver in stopping or
decreasing vehicle speed in emergency
driving conditions. This feature uses
the stability system hydraulic brake
control module to supplement the
power brake system under conditions
where the driver has quickly and
forcefully applied the brake pedal in
an attempt to quickly stop or slow
down the vehicle. The stability system
hydraulic brake control module
increases brake pressure at each
corner of the vehicle until the ABS
activates. Minor brake pedal pulsation
or pedal movement during this time is
normal and the driver should continue
to apply the brake pedal as the driving
situation dictates. The Brake Assist
feature will automatically disengage
when the brake pedal is released or
brake pedal pressure is quickly
decreased.