engine coolant CADILLAC ESCALADE ESV 2008 User Guide

Service ........................................................... .5-3
Accessories and Modications ......................... .5-3
California Proposition 65 Warning .................... .5-3
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements .... .5-4
Doing Your Own Service Work ........................ .5-4
Adding Equipment to the Outside of Your
Vehicle ..................................................... .5-4
Fuel ............................................................... .5-5
Gasoline Octane ........................................... .5-5
Gasoline Specications ................................... .5-5
California Fuel .............................................. .5-5
Additives ...................................................... .5-6
Fuels in Foreign Countries .............................. .5-6
Filling the Tank ............................................. .5-7
Filling a Portable Fuel Container .................... .5-10
Checking Things Under the Hood ................... .5-10
Hood Release ............................................. .5-11
Engine Compartment Overview ...................... .5-12
Engine Oil .................................................. .5-14
Engine Oil Life System ................................. .5-16
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter ............................... .5-17
Automatic Transmission Fluid ........................ .5-20
Engine Coolant ............................................ .5-24
Coolant Surge Tank Pressure Cap ................. .5-26
Engine Overheating ...................................... .5-26 Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode ....................................... .5-28
Cooling System ........................................... .5-29
Engine Fan Noise ........................................ .5-33
Power Steering Fluid .................................... .5-34
Windshield Washer Fluid ............................... .5-35
Brakes ....................................................... .5-36
Battery ....................................................... .5-39
Jump Starting .............................................. .5-40
All-Wheel Drive ............................................. .5-45
Rear Axle ...................................................... .5-46
Front
Axle ..................................................... .5-47
Headlamp Aiming .......................................... .5-48
Bulb Replacement ......................................... .5-51
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting ........... .5-51
Back-Up Lamps ........................................... .5-51
License Plate Lamp ..................................... .5-53
Replacement Bulbs ...................................... .5-53
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement ............. .5-54
Tires ............................................................. .5-56
Tire Sidewall Labeling .................................. .5-57
Tire Terminology and Denitions .................... .5-59
Ination - Tire Pressure ................................ .5-62
High-Speed Operation .................................. .5-63
Tire Pressure Monitor System ........................ .5-64Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-1

Filling a Portable Fuel Container
{ CAUTION: Never ll a portable fuel container while it is
in your vehicle. Static electricity discharge
from the container can ignite the fuel vapor.
You can be badly burned and your vehicle
damaged if this occurs. To help avoid injury to
you and others:
Dispense fuel only into approved
containers.
Do not ll a container while it is inside a
vehicle, in a vehicle’s trunk, pickup bed, or
on any surface other than the ground.
Bring the ll nozzle in contact with the
inside of the ll opening before operating
the nozzle. Contact should be maintained
until the lling is complete.
Do not smoke while pumping fuel.
Do not use a cellular phone while
pumping fuel. Checking Things Under
the Hood
{ CAUTION: An electric fan under the hood can start up
and injure you even when the engine is not
running. Keep hands, clothing, and tools away
from any underhood electric fan.
{ CAUTION: Things that burn can get on hot engine parts
and start a re. These include liquids like fuel,
oil, coolant, brake uid, windshield washer and
other uids, and plastic or rubber. You or
others could be burned. Be careful not to drop
or spill things that will burn onto a hot engine.
5-10

A. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter. See Engine Air
Cleaner/Filter on page 5-17 .
B. Air Filter Restriction Indicator (If Equipped).
See Engine Air Cleaner/Filter on page 5-17 .
C. Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap. See Cooling
System on page 5-29 and Coolant Surge Tank
Pressure Cap on page 5-26 .
D. Remote Positive (+) Terminal. See Jump Starting
on page 5-40 .
E. Battery. See Battery on page 5-39 .
F. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See “When to Add Engine Oil”
under Engine Oil on page 5-14 .
G. Automatic Transmission Dipstick (Out of View).
See “Checking the Fluid Level” under Automatic
Transmission Fluid on page 5-20 . H. Remote Negative ( − ) Terminal (GND) (Out of View).
See Jump Starting on page 5-40 .
I. Engine Oil Dipstick (Out of View). See “Checking
Engine Oil” under Engine Oil on page 5-14 .
J. Engine Cooling Fan (Out of View). See Cooling
System on page 5-29 .
K. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir (Out of View).
See Power Steering Fluid on page 5-34 .
L. Brake Master Cylinder Reservoir. See “Brake Fluid”
under Brakes on page 5-36 .
M. Underhood Fuse Block. See Underhood Fuse Block
on page 5-111 .
N. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See “Adding
Washer Fluid” under Windshield Washer Fluid
on page 5-35 .
5-13

Engine Coolant The cooling system in your vehicle is lled with
DEX-COOL ®
engine coolant. This coolant is designed
to remain in your vehicle for ve years or 150,000 miles
(240 000 km), whichever occurs rst, if you add only
DEX-COOL ®
extended life coolant.
The following explains your cooling system and how to
add coolant when it is low. If you have a problem
with engine overheating, see Engine Overheating
on page 5-26 .
A 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water and
DEX-COOL ®
coolant will:
Give freezing protection down to − 34°F ( − 37°C).
Give boiling protection up to 265°F (129°C).
Protect against rust and corrosion.
Help keep the proper engine temperature.
Let the warning lights and gages work as they
should.
Notice: Using coolant other than DEX-COOL ®
may
cause premature engine, heater core, or radiator
corrosion. In addition, the engine coolant may
require changing sooner, at the rst maintenance
service after each 30,000 miles (50 000 km) or
24 months, whichever occurs rst. Any repairs
would not be covered by your warranty. Always use
DEX-COOL ®
(silicate-free) coolant in your vehicle. What to Use Use a mixture of one-half clean, drinkable water and
one-half DEX-COOL ®
coolant which will not damage
aluminum parts. If you use this coolant mixture, you do
not need to add anything else.
{ CAUTION: Adding only plain water to your cooling
system can be dangerous. Plain water, or
some other liquid such as alcohol, can boil
before the proper coolant mixture will. Your
vehicle’s coolant warning system is set for the
proper coolant mixture. With plain water or the
wrong mixture, your engine could get too hot
but you would not get the overheat warning.
Your engine could catch re and you or others
could be burned. Use a 50/50 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and DEX-COOL ®
coolant.
Notice: If you use an improper coolant mixture,
your engine could overheat and be badly damaged.
The repair cost would not be covered by your
warranty. Too much water in the mixture can freeze
and crack the engine, radiator, heater core, and
other parts.
5-24

If you have to add coolant more than four times a year,
have your dealer/retailer check your cooling system.
Notice: If you use extra inhibitors and/or additives
in your vehicle’s cooling system, you could
damage your vehicle. Use only the proper mixture
of the engine coolant listed in this manual for
the cooling system. See Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants on page 6-13 for more information.
Checking Coolant The coolant surge tank is
located in the engine
compartment on the
passenger’s side of the
vehicle. See Engine
Compartment Overview
on page 5-12 for more
information on location. { CAUTION: Turning the surge tank pressure cap when the
engine and radiator are hot can allow steam
and scalding liquids to blow out and burn you
badly. Never turn the surge tank pressure
cap — even a little — when the engine and
radiator are hot.
The vehicle must be on a level surface. When your
engine is cold, the coolant level should be at the FULL
COLD mark.
5-25

Adding Coolant If more coolant is needed, add the proper DEX-COOL ®
coolant mixture at the surge tank, but only when the
engine is cool.
{ CAUTION: You can be burned if you spill coolant on hot
engine parts. Coolant contains ethylene glycol,
and it will burn if the engine parts are hot
enough. Do not spill coolant on a hot engine.
When replacing the pressure cap, make sure it is
hand-tight and fully seated.
Coolant Surge Tank Pressure Cap Notice: If the pressure cap is not tightly installed,
coolant loss and possible engine damage may occur.
Be sure the cap is properly and tightly secured.
The coolant surge tank pressure cap must be fully
installed on the coolant surge tank. See Engine
Compartment Overview on page 5-12 for more
information on location. Engine Overheating You will nd a coolant temperature gage on your
vehicle’s instrument panel. See Engine Coolant
Temperature Gage on page 3-42 .
In addition, the messages ENGINE OVERHEATED
STOP ENGINE, ENGINE OVERHEATED IDLE
ENGINE, or ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED could
appear in the Driver Information Center (DIC) on
the instrument panel. See DIC Warnings and Messages
on page 3-53 .
If Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
{ CAUTION: Steam from an overheated engine can burn
you badly, even if you just open the hood.
Stay away from the engine if you see or hear
steam coming from it. Turn it off and get
everyone away from the vehicle until it cools
down. Wait until there is no sign of steam or
coolant before you open the hood.
CAUTION: (Continued)
5-26

CAUTION: (Continued) If you keep driving when the vehicles engine
is overheated, the liquids in it can catch re.
You or others could be badly burned. Stop
your engine if it overheats, and get out of the
vehicle until the engine is cool.
See Overheated Engine Protection Operating
Mode on page 5-28 for information on driving
to a safe place in an emergency.
Notice: If your engine catches re because you
keep driving with no coolant, your vehicle can
be badly damaged. The costly repairs would not be
covered by your warranty. See Overheated Engine
Protection Operating Mode on page 5-28 for
information on driving to a safe place in an
emergency. If No Steam Is Coming From Your
Engine The ENGINE OVERHEATED STOP ENGINE or the
ENGINE OVERHEATED IDLE ENGINE message, along
with a low coolant condition, can indicate a serious
problem.
If you get an engine overheat warning, but see or hear
no steam, the problem may not be too serious.
Sometimes the engine can get a little too hot when you:
Climb a long hill on a hot day.
Stop after high-speed driving.
Idle for long periods in traffic.
Tow a trailer. See Towing a Trailer on page 4-44 .
If you get the ENGINE OVERHEATED STOP ENGINE or
the ENGINE OVERHEATED IDLE ENGINE message
with no sign of steam, try this for a minute or so:
1. If you have an air conditioner and it is on, turn it off.
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan
speed and open the windows as necessary.
3. In heavy traffic, let the engine idle in NEUTRAL (N)
while stopped. If it is safe to do so, pull off the road,
shift to PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) and let the
engine idle.
5-27

If you no longer have the overheat warning, you can
drive. Just to be safe, drive slower for about 10 minutes.
If the warning does not come back on, you can drive
normally.
If the warning continues, pull over, stop, and park your
vehicle right away.
If there is still no sign of steam and your vehicle has 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 ve minutes while you
are parked.
If there is still no sign of steam and your vehicle has
an electric cooling fan, idle the engine for at least
ve minutes while you are parked.
If you still have the warning, turn off the engine and get
everyone out of the vehicle until it cools down. Also,
see “Overheated Engine Protection Operating Mode”
later in this section.
You may decide not to lift the hood but to get service
help right away. Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode If an overheated engine condition exists and the
ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED message is displayed,
an overheat protection mode which alternates ring
groups of cylinders helps prevent engine damage.
In this mode, you will notice a loss in power and engine
performance. This operating mode allows your vehicle
to be driven to a safe place in an emergency. Driving
extended miles (km) and/or towing a trailer in the
overheat protection mode should be avoided.
Notice: After driving in the overheated engine
protection operating mode, to avoid engine damage,
allow the engine to cool before attempting any
repair. The engine oil will be severely degraded.
Repair the cause of coolant loss, change the oil
and reset the oil life system. See Engine Oil
on page 5-14 .
5-28

Cooling System When you decide it is safe to lift the hood, here is what
you will see:
A. Coolant Surge Tank
B. Coolant Surge Tank Pressure Cap
C. Engine Cooling Fan { CAUTION: An electric engine cooling fan under the hood
can start up even when the engine is not
running and can injure you. Keep hands,
clothing, and tools away from any underhood
electric fan.
If the coolant inside the coolant surge tank is boiling,
do not do anything else until it cools down. The vehicle
should be parked on a level surface. Check the coolant
level after the system cools down. Some amount of
coolant may be lost due to overheating.
5-29

The coolant level should be at or above the FULL
COLD mark. If it is not, you may have a leak at the
pressure cap or in the radiator hoses, heater hoses,
radiator, water pump, or somewhere else in the cooling
system. { CAUTION: Heater and radiator hoses, and other engine
parts, can be very hot. Do not touch them.
If you do, you can be burned.
Do not run the engine if there is a leak. If you
run the engine, it could lose all coolant.
That could cause an engine re, and you could
be burned. Get any leak xed before you drive
the vehicle.
Notice: Engine damage from running your engine
without coolant is not covered by your warranty.
See Overheated Engine Protection Operating Mode
on page 5-28 for information on driving to a safe
place in an emergency.
Notice: Using coolant other than DEX-COOL ®
may
cause premature engine, heater core, or radiator
corrosion. In addition, the engine coolant could
require changing sooner, at 30,000 miles (50 000 km)
or 24 months, whichever occurs rst. Any repairs
would not be covered by the warranty. Always use
DEX-COOL ®
(silicate-free) coolant in the vehicle.
5-30