Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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338 DRIVING AND OPERATING
trailer brake controller to check the
trailer brakes work. During the trip,
occasionally check that the cargo and
trailer are secure and that the lamps
and any trailer brakes are working.
Towing with a Stability Control
System
When towing, the stability control
system might be heard. The system
reacts to vehicle movement caused by
the trailer, which mainly occurs
during cornering. This is normal when
towing heavier trailers.
Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the
vehicle ahead as you would when
driving without a trailer. This can help
to avoid heavy braking and sudden
turns.
Passing
More passing distance is needed when
towing a trailer. The combination of
the vehicle and trailer will not
accelerate as quickly and is much
longer than the vehicle alone. It is
necessary to go much farther beyondthe passed vehicle before returning to
the lane. Pass on level roadways.
Avoid passing on hills if possible.
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel
with one hand. To move the trailer to
the left, move that hand to the left. To
move the trailer to the right, move
that hand to the right. Always back up
slowly and, if possible, have someone
guide you.
Making Turns
Caution
Turn more slowly and make wider
arcs when towing a trailer to
prevent damage to your vehicle.
Making very sharp turns could
cause the trailer to contact the
vehicle.
Make wider turns than normal when
towing, so trailer will not go over soft
shoulders, over curbs, or strike road
signs, trees, or other objects. Always
signal turns well in advance. Do not
steer or brake suddenly.
Driving on Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear
before starting down a long or steep
downhill grade. If the transmission is
not shifted down, the brakes may
overheat and result in reduced braking
efficiency.
The vehicle 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.
When towing at higher altitudes,
engine coolant will boil at a lower
temperature than at lower altitudes.
If the engine is turned off immediately
after towing at high altitude on steep
uphill grades, the vehicle could show
signs similar to engine overheating. To
avoid this, let the engine run,
preferably on level ground, with the
transmission in P (Park) for a few
minutes before turning the engine off.
If the overheat warning comes on, see
Engine Overheating 0381.
Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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340 DRIVING AND OPERATING
To back the trailer into the water:1. If equipped, place the vehicle in four-wheel-drive high.
2. Slowly back down the boat ramp until the boat is floating, but no
further than necessary.
3. Press and hold the brake pedal, but do not shift into P (Park) yet.
4. Have someone place chocks under the front wheels of the vehicle.
5. Gradually release the brake pedal to allow the chocks to absorb the
load of the trailer.
6. Reapply the brake pedal. Then apply the parking brake and shift
into P (Park).
7. Release the brake pedal.
Pulling the Trailer from the Water 1. Press and hold the brake pedal.
2. Start the engine and shift into a gear.
3. Release the parking brake.
4. Let up on the brake pedal.
5. Drive slowly until the tires are clear of the chocks. 6. Stop and have someone pick up
and store the chocks.
7. Slowly pull the trailer from the water.
8. Once the vehicle and trailer have been driven from the sloped part of
the boat ramp, the vehicle can be
shifted from four-wheel-drive high.
Shift into the drive mode that is
appropriate for the road conditions.
Caution
If the vehicle tires begin to spin and
the vehicle begins to slide toward
the water, remove your foot from
the accelerator pedal and apply the
brake pedal. Seek help to have the
vehicle towed up the ramp.
Maintenance when Trailer
Towing
The vehicle needs service more often
when used to tow trailers. See
Maintenance Schedule 0455. It is
especially important to check the
engine oil, axle lubricant, belts,
cooling system, and brake system
before and during each trip. Check periodically that all nuts and
bolts on the trailer hitch are tight.
Engine Cooling when Trailer
Towing
The cooling system may temporarily
overheat during severe operating
conditions. See
Engine Overheating
0 381.
Trailer Towing
Caution
Towing a trailer improperly can
damage the vehicle and result in
costly repairs not covered by the
vehicle warranty. To tow a trailer
correctly, follow the directions in
this section and see your dealer for
important information about
towing a trailer with the vehicle.
Trailering is different than just driving
the vehicle by itself. Trailering means
changes in handling, acceleration,
braking, durability, and fuel economy.
Successful, safe trailering takes correct
equipment, and it has to be used
properly.
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368 VEHICLE CARE
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 369
California Perchlorate MaterialsRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 369
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 369
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 370
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 371
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . 375
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376
Engine Air Filter Life System . . . . 377
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . 377
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381
Engine Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 382
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 383
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 383
Brake Pad Life System . . . . . . . . . . . 384
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385
Battery - North America . . . . . . . . . 386 Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386
Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 387
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 387
Park Brake and P (Park)
Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 387
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . 388
Glass Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389
Windshield Replacement . . . . . . . . 389
Gas Strut(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389Headlamp Aiming
Front Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . 390
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . . . . 390
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . 392
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . 397
Rear Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 402
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403 Low-Profile Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . 404
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 405
Tire Terminology and
Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 406
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 409
Tire Pressure for High-Speed Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 410
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . 411
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 412
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 416
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 417
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 418
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 419
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 420
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . 420
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 422
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 422
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 422
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 423
Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 424
Full-Size Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 435
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376 VEHICLE CARE
How to Reset the Engine Oil Life
System
Reset the system whenever the engine
oil is changed so that the system can
calculate the next engine oil change.
To reset the system:1. Using the vehicle information screen controls on the right side of
the instrument cluster, display OIL
LIFE on the screen. See Vehicle
Information 0136. When remaining
oil life is low, the CHANGE
ENGINE OIL SOON message will
appear on the display.
2. Touch RESET on the screen to clear the CHANGE ENGINE OIL
SOON message and reset the oil life
at 100%.
Be careful not to reset the oil life
display accidentally at any time
other than after the oil is changed.
It cannot be reset accurately until
the next oil change.
The oil life system can also be reset as
follows: 1. Display OIL LIFE on the vehicle information screen. See Vehicle
Information 0136. 2. Fully press and release the
accelerator pedal three times
within five seconds.
If the CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
message is not on, the system is
reset.
The system is reset when the
CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON message
is off.
If the CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
message comes back on when the
vehicle is started, the engine oil life
system has not been reset. Repeat the
procedure.
Automatic Transmission
Fluid
When to Check and Change
Automatic Transmission Fluid
If the vehicle has a diesel engine, see
the Duramax diesel supplement.
It is usually not necessary to check
the transmission fluid level. The only
reason for fluid loss is a transmission
leak or overheated transmission. This
vehicle is not equipped with a
transmission fluid level dipstick. There is a special procedure for
checking and changing the
transmission fluid in these vehicles.
Because this procedure is difficult,
this should be done at the dealer.
Contact the dealer for additional
information or the procedure can be
found in the service manual. See
Publication Ordering Information
0480.
Caution
Use of the incorrect automatic
transmission fluid may damage the
vehicle, and the damage may not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Always use the correct automatic
transmission fluid. See
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants
0464.
Change the fluid and filter at the
scheduled maintenance intervals
listed in Maintenance Schedule 0455.
Be sure to use the transmission fluid
listed in Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants 0464.
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VEHICLE CARE 379
{Warning
An underhood electric fan can start
up even when the engine is not
running and can cause injury. Keep
hands, clothing, and tools away
from any underhood electric fan.
{Warning
Do not touch heater, radiator, a/c
pipes or hoses, or other engine
parts. They can be very hot and can
burn you. Do not run the engine if
there is a leak; all coolant could
leak out. That could cause an
engine fire and can burn you. Fix
any leak before driving the vehicle.
Engine Coolant
The cooling system in the vehicle is
filled with DEX-COOL engine coolant.
This coolant is designed to remain in
the vehicle for 5 years or 240 000 km
(150,000 mi), whichever occurs first.The following explains the cooling
system and how to check and add
coolant when it is low. If there is a
problem with engine overheating, see
Engine Overheating
0381.
What to Use
{Warning
Plain water, or other liquids such as
alcohol, can boil before the proper
coolant mixture will. With plain
water or the wrong mixture, the
engine could get too hot but there
would not be an overheat warning.
The engine could catch fire and you
or others could be burned.
Use a 50/50 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and DEX-COOL
coolant. This mixture:
.Gives freezing protection down to
−37 °C (−34 °F), outside temperature.
.Gives boiling protection up to
129 °C (265 °F), engine temperature.
.Protects against rust and corrosion.
.Will not damage aluminum parts.
.Helps keep the proper engine
temperature.
Caution
Do not use anything other than a
mix of DEX-COOL coolant that
meets GM Standard GMW3420 and
clean, drinkable water. Anything
else can cause damage to the
engine cooling system and the
vehicle, which would not be covered
by the vehicle warranty.
Never dispose of engine coolant by
putting it in the trash, or by pouring it
on the ground, or into sewers,
streams, or bodies of water. Have the
coolant changed by an authorized
service center, familiar with legal
requirements regarding used coolant
disposal. This will help protect the
environment and your health.
Checking Coolant
The coolant surge tank is in the
engine compartment on the driver
side of the vehicle. See Engine
Compartment Overview 0372.
The vehicle must be on a level surface
when checking the coolant level.
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380 VEHICLE CARE
Check to see if coolant is visible in the
coolant surge tank. If the coolant
inside the coolant surge tank is
boiling, wait until it cools down. The
coolant level should be at or above the
indicated mark. If it is not, there may
be a leak in the cooling system.
If coolant is visible but the coolant
level is not at or above the indicated
mark, see the following sections on
how to add coolant to the coolant
surge tank following.
How to Add Coolant to the
Coolant Surge Tank
If the vehicle has a diesel engine, see
“Cooling System”in the Duramax
diesel supplement for the proper
coolant fill procedure.
{Warning
Spilling coolant on hot engine parts
can burn you. Coolant contains
ethylene glycol and it will burn if
the engine parts are hot enough.
{Warning
Plain water, or other liquids such as
alcohol, can boil before the proper
coolant mixture will. With plain
water or the wrong mixture, the
engine could get too hot but there
would not be an overheat warning.
The engine could catch fire and you
or others could be burned.
{Warning
Steam and scalding liquids from a
hot cooling system are under
pressure. Turning the pressure cap,
even a little, can cause them to
come out at high speed and you
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.
Caution
Failure to follow the specific
coolant fill procedure could cause
the engine to overheat and could
cause system damage. If coolant is
not visible in the surge tank,
contact your dealer.
If no coolant is visible in the surge
tank, add coolant.
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VEHICLE CARE 381
1. Remove the coolant surge tankpressure cap when the cooling
system, including the coolant surge
tank pressure cap and upper
radiator hose, is no longer hot.
Turn the pressure cap slowly
counterclockwise about one full
turn. If a hiss is heard, wait for that
to stop. A hiss means there is still
some pressure left.
2. Keep turning the pressure cap slowly, and remove it.
3. Fill the coolant surge tank with the proper mixture to the full
cold mark.
4. With the coolant surge tank pressure cap off, start the engine
and let it run until the engine
coolant temperature gauge
indicates approximately 90 °C
(195 °F). By this time, the coolant level
inside the coolant surge tank may
be lower. If the level is lower, add
more of the proper mixture to the
coolant surge tank until the level
reaches the indicated mark.
5. Replace the pressure cap tightly.
6. Verify coolant level after the engine is shut off and the coolant is cold.
If necessary, repeat coolant fill
procedure Steps 1–6.
Caution
If the pressure cap is not tightly
installed, coolant loss and engine
damage may occur. Be sure the cap
is properly and tightly secured.
Engine Overheating
If the vehicle has a diesel engine, see
the Duramax diesel supplement.
Caution
Do not run the engine if there is a
leak in the engine cooling system.
This can cause a loss of all coolant
(Continued)
Caution (Continued)
and can damage the system and
vehicle. Have any leaks fixed
right away.
The vehicle has several indicators to
warn of engine overheating.
There is a coolant temperature gauge
and an engine coolant temperature
warning light in the vehicle's
instrument cluster. See Engine Coolant
Temperature Gauge 0118 and
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning
Light 0129.
In addition, there are ENGINE
OVERHEATED STOP ENGINE,
ENGINE OVERHEATED IDLE ENGINE,
and ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED
messages in the Driver Information
Center (DIC).
If the decision is made not to lift the
hood when this warning appears, get
service help right away. See Roadside
Service 0475.
If the decision is made to lift the
hood, make sure the vehicle is parked
on a level surface.
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382 VEHICLE CARE
Check to see if the engine cooling
fan(s) are running. If the engine is
overheating, the fans should be
running. If they are not, do not
continue to run the engine. Have the
vehicle serviced.
If Steam is Coming from the
Engine Compartment
{Warning
Steam and scalding liquids from a
hot cooling system are under
pressure. Turning the pressure cap,
even a little, can cause them to
come out at high speed and you
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
0 340.
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 a diesel engine, see
the Duramax diesel supplement.