Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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330 Driving and Operating
Custom Checklist Items
For each of the Trailer Profile checklists,
there is an option to create custom items to
view in the checklist. The custom item will
appear at the bottom of the checklist.
Guest Trailer and No Trailer Connected
If Guest Trailer Profile is active or if no
trailer is connected, the checklist will show
all of the checklists associated with Custom
Trailer Profiles in addition to default
checklists.
Trailers View
Touch the Trailers tab to view, activate,
create, edit, or delete Trailer Profiles.
If a trailer is connected, touch the Trailer
Profile name to activate a Trailer Profile.
There can be up to five Custom Trailer
Profiles on the vehicle.
The Custom Trailer Profiles and Guest Trailer
are in order of the most frequently used.
The Accessory/No Trailer profile is shown
below the Custom Trailer Profiles and Guest
Trailer Profile.All personalization features are based on the
settings for each driver in vehicle
personalization. The list of Trailer Profiles is
based on vehicle personalization settings.
Guest Trailer
If the Guest Trailer Profile is the active
Trailer Profile, trailer detection, connections
status, theft, and the Tow/Haul reminder
alerts can be sent. The system will not track
total mileage or fuel economy, but the
system will track trip mileage and fuel
economy if the Guest Trailer Profile is active.
The Trailer Tire Pressure Monitoring System
or maintenance reminders cannot be set up
for a Guest Trailer Profile. The Guest Trailer
Profile cannot be edited.
Touch
pto learn more about the Guest
Trailer option.
Accessory/No Trailer
If the Accessory/No Trailer Profile is active,
alerts will not be sent and the system will
not track mileage or fuel economy. The
Trailer Tire Pressure Monitoring System or
maintenance reminders cannot be set up for
the Accessory/No Trailer Profile. The
Accessory/No Trailer profile cannot be
edited. No Trailer Connected
When there is no trailer connected, Trailer
Profiles cannot be activated but most
options can be edited.
Trailer Brake Gain Memory
The system can memorize the brake gain
setting of a Trailer Profile or a Guest Trailer
Profile. When a Trailer Profile or Guest
Trailer Profile is selected, and a brake gain
setting is set for that Trailer Profile, a quick
notice will appear to indicate that the
system has recalled that profile’s brake gain
setting.
If a Trailer Profile is already active and the
brake gain setting had been set for that
Trailer Profile, the quick notice will trigger
whenever the vehicle is turned on.
If there was an error in setting the brake
gain for a Trailer Profile, there will be a
notification. This pop-up will not appear if
the Guest Trailer Profile is active or if there
is no trailer connected.
Trailer brake gain should be set for a specific
trailering condition and must be adjusted
anytime vehicle loading, trailer loading,
or road surface conditions change.
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Vehicle Care 335
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336
California Perchlorate MaterialsRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . 336
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your Own Service Work . . . . . . . . 336
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . 339
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . 345
Engine Air Filter Life System . . . . . . . . . . 345
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350
Engine Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352
Brake Pad Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 353
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 353
Battery - North America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355
Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356 Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356
Glass Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357
Windshield Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357
Gas Strut(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358
Headlamp Aiming
Front Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 359
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 359
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 359
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . 359
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . 360
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . 361
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . 365
Rear Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . 367
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 369
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 370
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 370
Low-Profile Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 370
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 370
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372
Tire Terminology and Definitions . . . . . . 372
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 374
Tire Pressure for High-Speed
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . 376
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . 377 Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . 382
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 382
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . 384
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . 384
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . 385
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386
Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 387
Full-Size Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 398
Jump Starting
Jump Starting - North America . . . . . . . . 398
Towing the Vehicle
Transporting a Disabled Vehicle . . . . . . . 401
Recreational Vehicle Towing . . . . . . . . . . . 402
Appearance Care
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 406
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 410
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413
Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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336 Vehicle Care
General Information
For service and parts needs, visit your
dealer. You will receive genuine GM parts
and GM-trained and supported service
people.
Genuine GM parts have one of these marks:
California Perchlorate Materials
Requirements
Certain types of automotive applications,
such as airbag initiators, seat belt
pretensioners, and lithium batteries
contained in electronic keys, may contain
perchlorate materials. Perchlorate Material–special handling may apply. See
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/
perchlorate.
Accessories and Modifications
Adding non-dealer accessories or making
modifications to the vehicle can affect
vehicle performance and safety, including
such things as airbags, braking, stability,
ride and handling, emissions systems,
aerodynamics, durability, Driver Assistance
Systems, and electronic systems like antilock
brakes, traction control, and stability control.
These accessories or modifications could
even cause malfunction or damage not
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Damage to suspension components caused
by modifying vehicle height outside of
factory settings will not be covered by the
vehicle warranty.
Damage to vehicle components resulting
from modifications or the installation or use
of non-GM certified parts, including control
module or software modifications, is not
covered under the terms of the vehicle
warranty and may affect remaining
warranty coverage for affected parts.
GM Accessories are designed to complement
and function with other systems on the
vehicle. See your dealer to accessorize the
vehicle using genuine GM Accessories
installed by a dealer technician.
Also, see
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 072.
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your Own Service Work
{Warning
It can be dangerous to work on your
vehicle if you do not have the proper
knowledge, service manual, tools,
or parts. Always follow owner’s manual
procedures and consult the service
manual for your vehicle before doing any
service work.
If doing some of your own service work, use
the proper service manual. It tells you much
more about how to service the vehicle than
this manual can. To order the proper service
manual, see Publication Ordering
Information 0435.
Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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340 Vehicle Care
1. Remote Negative (–) Location. SeeJump
Starting - North America 0398.
2. Positive (+) Terminal (Under Cover). See Jump Starting - North America 0398.
3. Battery - North America 0354.
4. Engine Compartment Fuse Block 0361.
5. Engine Oil Dipstick. See “Checking Engine
Oil” under Engine Oil 0342.
6. Engine Cooling Fans (Out of View). See Cooling System 0347.
7. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See “When to Add
Engine Oil” underEngine Oil 0342.
8. Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap. See Cooling System 0347.
9. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter 0346.
10. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See Brake Fluid
0 353.
11. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See “Adding Washer Fluid” underWasher
Fluid 0351.
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342 Vehicle Care
11. Brake Fluid Reservoir. SeeBrake Fluid
0 353.
12. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See “Adding Washer Fluid” underWasher
Fluid 0351.
Engine Oil
For diesel engine vehicles, see “Engine Oil”
in the Duramax diesel supplement.
To ensure proper engine performance and
long life, careful attention must be paid to
engine oil. Following these simple, but
important steps will help protect your
investment:
.Use engine oil approved to the proper
specification and of the proper viscosity
grade. See “Selecting the Right Engine
Oil” in this section.
.Check the engine oil level regularly and
maintain the proper oil level. See
“Checking Engine Oil” and“When to Add
Engine Oil” in this section.
.Change the engine oil at the appropriate
time. SeeEngine Oil Life System 0344.
.Always dispose of engine oil properly. See
“What to Do with Used Oil” in this
section.
Checking Engine Oil
Check the engine oil level regularly, every
650 km (400 mi), especially prior to a long
trip. The engine oil dipstick handle is a loop.
See Engine Compartment Overview 0339 for
the location.
{Warning
The engine oil dipstick handle may be
hot; it could burn you. Use a towel or
glove to touch the dipstick handle.
If a low oil Driver Information Center (DIC)
message displays, check the oil level.
Follow these guidelines:
.To get an accurate reading, park the
vehicle on level ground. Check the engine
oil level after the engine has been off for
at least two hours. Checking the engine
oil level on steep grades or too soon after
engine shutoff can result in incorrect
readings. Accuracy improves when
checking a cold engine prior to starting.
Remove the dipstick and check the level.
.If unable to wait two hours, the engine
must be off for at least 15 minutes if the
engine is warm, or at least 30 minutes if
the engine is not warm. Pull out the dipstick, wipe it with a clean paper towel
or cloth, then push it back in all the way.
Remove it again, keeping the tip down,
and check the level.
When to Add Engine Oil
If the oil is below the cross-hatched area at
the tip of the dipstick and the engine has
been off for at least 15 minutes, add 1 L
(1 qt) of the recommended oil and then
recheck the level. See
“Selecting the Right
Engine Oil” later in this section for an
explanation of what kind of oil to use. For
engine oil crankcase capacity, see Capacities
and Specifications 0424.
Caution
Do not add too much oil. Oil levels above
or below the acceptable operating range
shown on the dipstick are harmful to the
engine. If the oil level is above the
operating range (i.e., the engine has so
(Continued)
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352 Vehicle Care
Open the cap with the washer symbol on it.
Add washer fluid until the tank is full. See
Engine Compartment Overview0339 for
reservoir location.
Caution
.Do not use washer fluid that contains
any type of water repellent coating.
This can cause the wiper blades to
chatter or skip.
.Do not use engine coolant (antifreeze)
in the windshield washer. It can
damage the windshield washer system
and paint.
.Do not mix water with ready-to-use
washer fluid. Water can cause the
solution to freeze and damage the
washer fluid tank and other parts of
the washer system.
.When using concentrated washer fluid,
follow the manufacturer instructions
for adding water.
(Continued)
Caution (Continued)
.Fill the washer fluid tank only
three-quarters full when it is very cold.
This allows for fluid expansion if
freezing occurs, which could damage
the tank if it is completely full.
Brakes
Disc brake linings have built-in wear
indicators that make a high-pitched warning
sound when the brake linings are worn and
new linings are needed. The sound can come
and go or can be heard all the time when
the vehicle is moving, except when applying
the brake pedal firmly.
{Warning
The brake wear warning sound means
that soon the brakes will not work well.
That could lead to a crash. When the
brake wear warning sound is heard, have
the vehicle serviced.
Caution
Continuing to drive with worn-out brake
linings could result in costly brake
repairs.
Some driving conditions or climates can
cause a brake squeal when the brakes are
first applied, clearing up following several
applications. This does not mean something
is wrong with the brakes.
Properly torqued wheel nuts are necessary
to help prevent brake pulsation. When tires
are rotated, inspect brake linings for wear
and evenly tighten wheel nuts in the proper
sequence to torque specifications. See
Capacities and Specifications 0424.
Brake pads should be replaced as complete
axle sets.
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal does not
return to normal height, or if there is a
rapid increase in pedal travel. This could be
a sign that brake service may be required.
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Vehicle Care 353
Replacing Brake System Parts
Always replace brake system parts with
new, approved replacement parts. If this is
not done, the brakes may not work
properly. The braking performance can
change in many ways if the wrong brake
parts are installed or if parts are improperly
installed.
Brake Pad Life System
When to Change Brake Pads
This vehicle has a system that estimates the
remaining life of the front and rear brake
pads. Brake pad life is displayed in the
Driver Information Center (DIC), along with
a percentage for each axle. The system must
be reset every time the brake pads are
changed.
When the system has determined that the
brake pads need to be replaced, a message
will display, which may include mileage
remaining.
Brake pads should always be replaced as
complete axle sets.
How to Reset the Brake Pad Life System
The system will automatically detect when
significantly worn brake pads are replaced.
When the ignition is turned on after new
pads and wear sensors are installed, a
message will display. Follow the prompts to
reset the system.
The brake pad life system can also be
manually reset:1. Display Brake Pad Life on the DIC. See Driver Information Center (DIC) 0124.
2. Select the Brake Pad Life menu.
3. Select front or rear pads as appropriate.
4. Select YES on the confirmation message. Repeat for pads on the other axle if they
were also replaced.
How to Disable the Brake Pad Life
System
The brake pad life system can be turned off.
This may be necessary if aftermarket brake
pads without wear sensors are installed.
When the system is turned off, the front
and rear brake pad life percentages will not
display. However, the built-in wear
indicators that make a high-pitched warning sound when the brake pads are worn can
still determine when the pads should be
replaced. See
Brakes0352.
To turn off the brake pad life system: 1. Display Brake Pad Life on the DIC. See Driver Information Center (DIC) 0124.
2. Select the Brake Pad Life menu.
3. Select DISABLE.
To turn the brake pad life system back on,
follow the above steps but select ENABLE in
Step 2.
Brake Fluid
The brake master cylinder reservoir is filled
with GM approved DOT 4 brake fluid as
indicated on the reservoir cap. See Engine
Compartment Overview 0339 for the
location of the reservoir.
Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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354 Vehicle Care
Checking Brake Fluid
With the vehicle in P (Park) on a level
surface, the brake fluid level should be
between the minimum and maximum marks
on the brake fluid reservoir.
There are only two reasons why the brake
fluid level in the reservoir may go down:
.Normal brake lining wear. When new
linings are installed, the fluid level goes
back up.
.A fluid leak in the brake hydraulic system.
Have the brake hydraulic system fixed.
With a leak, the brakes will not
work well.
Always clean the brake fluid reservoir cap
and the area around the cap before
removing it.
Do not top off the brake fluid. Adding fluid
does not correct a leak. If fluid is added
when the linings are worn, there will be too
much fluid when new brake linings are
installed. Add or remove fluid, as necessary,
only when work is done on the brake
hydraulic system.
{Warning
If too much brake fluid is added, it can
spill on the engine and burn, if the
engine is hot enough. You or others could
be burned, and the vehicle could be
damaged. Add brake fluid only when
work is done on the brake hydraulic
system.
When the brake fluid falls to a low level,
the brake warning light comes on. See Brake
System Warning Light 0115.
Brake fluid absorbs water over time which
degrades the effectiveness of the brake fluid.
Replace brake fluid at the specified intervals
to prevent increased stopping distance. See
Maintenance Schedule 0415.
What to Add
Use only GM approved DOT 4 brake fluid
from a clean, sealed container. See
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants 0419.
{Warning
The wrong or contaminated brake fluid
could result in damage to the brake
system. This could result in the loss of
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
braking leading to a possible injury.
Always use the proper GM approved
brake fluid.
Caution
If brake fluid is spilled on the vehicle's
painted surfaces, the paint finish can be
damaged. Immediately wash off any
painted surface.
Battery - North America
The original equipment battery is
maintenance free. Do not remove the cap
and do not add fluid.
Refer to the replacement number shown on
the original battery label when a new
battery is needed. SeeEngine Compartment
Overview 0339 for battery location.
The vehicle has an Absorbent Glass Mat
(AGM) 12-volt battery. Installation of a
standard 12-volt battery will result in
reduced 12-volt battery life.
When using a 12-volt battery charger on the
12-volt AGM battery, some chargers have an
AGM battery setting on the charger.