traction control CADILLAC ESCALADE ESV 2004 2.G User Guide

When you drive on sand, you will sense a change in
wheel traction. But it will depend upon how loosely
packed the sand is. On loosely packed sand (as on
beaches or sand dunes) your tires will tend to sink into
the sand. This has an effect on steering, accelerating and
braking. Drive at a reduced speed and avoid sharp turns
or abrupt maneuvers.
Hard packed snow and ice offer the worst tire traction.
On these surfaces, it is very easy to lose control.
On wet ice, for example, the traction is so poor that you
will have difficulty accelerating. And, if you do get
moving, poor steering and difficult braking can cause
you to slide out of control.
{CAUTION:
Driving on frozen lakes, ponds or rivers can be
dangerous. Underwater springs, currents
under the ice, or sudden thaws can weaken the
ice. Your vehicle could fall through the ice and
you and your passengers could drown. Drive
your vehicle on safe surfaces only.
Driving in Water
Heavy rain can mean ash ooding, and ood waters
demand extreme caution.
Find out how deep the water is before you drive through
it. If it is deep enough to cover your wheel hubs,
axles or exhaust pipe, do not try it — you probably will
not get through. Also, water that deep can damage
your axle and other vehicle parts.
If the water is not too deep, drive slowly through it.
At faster speeds, water splashes on your ignition system
and your vehicle can stall. Stalling can also occur if
you get your tailpipe under water. And, as long as your
tailpipe is under water, you will never be able to
start your engine. When you go through water,
remember that when your brakes get wet, it may take
you longer to stop.
4-30

Buying New Tires
To nd out what kind and size of tires you need, look at
the Certication/Tire label or the Tire and Loading
Information label. SeeLoading Your Vehicle on
page 4-50, for more information about these labels and
where they can be found on your vehicle.
The tires installed on your vehicle when it was new had a
Tire Performance Criteria Specications (TPC Spec)
number on each tire’s sidewall. When you get new tires,
GM recommends that you get tires with that same TPC
Spec number. That way your vehicle will continue to have
tires that are designed to give proper endurance,
handling, speed rating, load range, traction, ride, tire
pressure monitoring system performance and other
things during normal service on your vehicle. If your tires
have an all-season tread design, the TPC number will be
followed by an “MS” (for mud and snow).
Whenever you replace your tires with those not having
a TPC Spec number, make sure they are the same
size, load range, speed rating and construction
type (bias, bias-belted or radial) as your original tires.
If you replace your vehicle’s tires with those not having a
TPC Spec number, the tire pressure monitoring
system may give an inaccurate low pressure warning.
Non-TPC Spec tires may give a low pressure warning
that is higher or lower than the proper warning level you
would get with TPC Spec numbered tires.{CAUTION:
Mixing tires could cause you to lose control
while driving. If you mix tires of different sizes
or types (radial and bias-belted tires), the
vehicle may not handle properly, and you could
have a crash. Using tires of different sizes may
also cause damage to your vehicle. Be sure to
use the same size and type tires on all wheels.
Your vehicle may be equipped with a different
size spare than the road tires (those originally
installed on your vehicle). When new, your
vehicle included a spare tire and wheel
assembly with a similar overall diameter as your
vehicle’s road tires and wheels, so it is all right
to drive on it. Because this spare was developed
for use on your vehicle, it will not affect vehicle
handling.
5-80

{CAUTION:
If you use bias-ply tires on your vehicle, the
wheel rim anges could develop cracks after
many miles of driving. A tire and/or wheel
could fail suddenly, causing a crash. Use only
radial-ply tires with the wheels on your vehicle.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Quality grades can be found where applicable on the
tire sidewall between tread shoulder and maximum
section width. For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A
The following information relates to the system
developed by the United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, which grades tires by
treadwear, traction and temperature performance. (This
applies only to vehicles sold in the United States.)
The grades are molded on the sidewalls of most
passenger car tires.The Uniform Tire Quality Grading system does not
apply to deep tread, winter-type snow tires, space-saver
or temporary use spare tires, tires with nominal rim
diameters of 10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm), or to some
limited-production tires.
While the tires available on General Motors passenger
cars and light trucks may vary with respect to these
grades, they must also conform to federal safety
requirements and additional General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC) standards.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on
the wear rate of the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specied government test course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and
a half (1.5) times as well on the government course as
a tire graded 100. The relative performance of tires
depends upon the actual conditions of their use,
however, and may depart signicantly from the norm
due to variations in driving habits, service practices and
differences in road characteristics and climate.
5-81

Traction – AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A,
B, and C. Those grades represent the tire’s ability
to stop on wet pavement as measured under controlled
conditions on specied government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance. Warning: The traction grade
assigned to this tire is based on straight-ahead braking
traction tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak traction characteristics.
Temperature – A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C,
representing the tire’s resistance to the generation
of heat and its ability to dissipate heat when tested
under controlled conditions on a specied indoor
laboratory test wheel. Sustained high temperature can
cause the material of the tire to degenerate and
reduce tire life, and excessive temperature can lead to
sudden tire failure. The grade C corresponds to a
level of performance which all passenger car tires must
meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
No. 109. Grades B and A represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory test wheel than the
minimum required by law.Warning: The temperature grade for this tire is
established for a tire that is properly inated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed, underination, or
excessive loading, either separately or in combination,
can cause heat buildup and possible tire failure.
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance
The wheels on your vehicle were aligned and balanced
carefully at the factory to give you the longest tire life
and best overall performance.
Scheduled wheel alignment and wheel balancing are
not needed. However, if you notice unusual tire wear or
your vehicle pulling one way or the other, the alignment
may need to be reset. If you notice your vehicle
vibrating when driving on a smooth road, your wheels
may need to be rebalanced.
5-82

Used Replacement Wheels
{CAUTION:
Putting a used wheel on your vehicle is
dangerous. You can’t know how it’s been used
or how far it’s been driven. It could fail
suddenly and cause a crash. If you have to
replace a wheel, use a new GM original
equipment wheel.
Tire Chains
{CAUTION:
Don’t use tire chains. There’s not enough
clearance. Tire chains used on a vehicle without
the proper amount of clearance can cause
damage to the brakes, suspension or other
vehicle parts. The area damaged by the tire
chains could cause you to lose control of your
vehicle and you or others may be injured in a
crash. Use another type of traction device only
if its manufacturer recommends it for use on
your vehicle and tire size combination and road
conditions. Follow that manufacturer’s
instructions. To help avoid damage to your
vehicle, drive slowly, readjust or remove the
device if it’s contacting your vehicle, and don’t
spin your wheels. If you do nd traction devices
that will t, install them on the rear tires.
5-84

L
Lamps
Exterior......................................................3-14
Interior.......................................................3-17
Lamps On Reminder.......................................3-16
Lap-Shoulder Belt...........................................1-36
LATCH System
Child Restraints...........................................1-68
Securing a Child Restraint Designed for the
LATCH System........................................1-70
Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine Running......2-28
LEFT REAR DOOR AJAR................................3-67
Liftgate/Liftglass..............................................2-13
Liftglass/Liftgate..............................................2-13
Light
Air Bag Readiness.......................................3-36
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning...................3-42
Brake System Warning.................................3-40
Charging System.........................................3-39
Cruise Control.............................................3-49
Low Fuel Warning.......................................3-50
Low Tire Pressure Warning Light...................3-42
Malfunction Indicator....................................3-45
Passenger Air Bag Status Indicator................3-38
Safety Belt Reminder...................................3-36
Security.....................................................3-48Light (cont.)
Tow/Haul Mode...........................................3-49
Traction Off................................................3-43
Listening to a DVD.........................................3-85
Loading Your Vehicle.......................................4-50
Loading Your Vehicle for Off-Road Driving..........4-19
Lockout Protection..........................................2-12
Locks
Delayed Locking........................................... 2-9
Door........................................................... 2-8
Lockout Protection.......................................2-12
Power Door.................................................. 2-9
Programmable Automatic Door Locks.............2-10
Rear Door Security Locks.............................2-12
Loss of Control...............................................4-17
LOW COOLANT LEVEL..................................3-63
Low Fuel Warning Light...................................3-50
Luggage Carrier..............................................2-44
Lumbar
Power Controls............................................. 1-4
M
Maintenance Schedule
Additional Required Services........................... 6-7
At Each Fuel Fill.........................................6-10
9

Tires (cont.)
Ination - Tire Pressure................................5-74
Inspection and Rotation................................5-78
Pressure Monitor System..............................5-75
Spare Tire................................................5-104
Uniform Tire Quality Grading.........................5-81
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance.................5-82
Wheel Replacement.....................................5-83
When It Is Time for New Tires......................5-79
To Use the Engine Coolant Heater....................2-21
Top Strap......................................................1-63
Top Strap Anchor Location...............................1-65
Torque Lock...................................................2-28
Total Weight on Your Vehicle’s Tires..................4-62
Tow/Haul Mode Light.......................................3-49
Tow/Haul Mode Selector Button........................2-25
Towing
Recreational Vehicle.....................................4-49
Towing a Trailer..........................................4-57
Your Vehicle...............................................4-49
Traction
Off Light.....................................................3-43
Road Sensing Suspension.............................. 4-9
Stabilitrak
®System......................................4-10
TRACTION ACTIVE........................................3-67
Traction Control Operation................................4-11
TRACTION SYS LIMITED................................3-68Trailer
Recommendations.......................................4-56
Trailer Brakes.................................................4-63
Trailer Wiring Harness.....................................4-67
TRANS HOT IDLE ENGINE.............................3-66
Transfer Case................................................5-49
Transmission
Fluid, Automatic...........................................5-21
Temperature Gage.......................................3-44
TRANSMISSION HOT.....................................3-65
Transmission Operation, Automatic....................2-22
Transmission, Transaxle, Transfer Case Unit
Repair Manual............................................7-13
Transportation Options...................................... 7-9
Traveling to Remote Areas...............................4-20
Trip Information Button....................................3-51
Turn and Lane Change Signals.......................... 3-8
TURN SIGNAL ON.........................................3-64
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever........................... 3-8
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer..................4-65U
Ultrasonic Rear Parking Assist (URPA)...............3-19
Underhood Fuse Block...................................5-119
Understanding Radio Reception.......................3-104
16