CADILLAC ESCALADE ESV 2008 Owners Manual

Electric Brake Control Wiring
Provisions These wiring provisions are included with your vehicle
as part of the heavy-duty trailer wiring package.
These provisions are for an electric brake controller.
The red/black stripe power feed will not be connected to
the battery until the ring terminal is unstowed and
connected to the underhood electrical center. The
instrument panel contains blunt cut wires near the data
link connector for the trailer brake controller. The
harness contains the following wires:
Dark Blue: Auxiliary
Red/Black: Battery
Light Blue/White: Brake Switch
White: Ground
It should be installed by your dealer/retailer or a
qualied service center. Trailer Recommendations You must subtract your hitch loads from the Cargo
Weight Rating (CWR). CWR is the maximum weight of
the load your vehicle can carry. It doesn’t include
the weight of the people inside. But you can gure about
150 lbs. (68 kg) for each seat. The total cargo load
must not be more than your vehicle’s CWR.
Weigh your vehicle with the trailer attached, so that you
won’t go over the GVWR or GAWR. If you are using
a weight-distributing hitch, weigh the vehicle without the
spring bars in place.
You’ll get the best performance if you spread out the
weight of your load the right way, and if you choose the
correct hitch and trailer brakes.
For more information, see Towing a Trailer on
page 4-44 .
4-57

✍ NOTES
4-58

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

Tire Pressure Monitor Operation .................... .5-65
Tire Inspection and Rotation .......................... .5-69
When It Is Time for New Tires ...................... .5-71
Buying New Tires ........................................ .5-72
Different Size Tires and Wheels ..................... .5-73
Uniform Tire Quality Grading ......................... .5-74
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance ................. .5-75
Wheel Replacement ..................................... .5-76
Tire Chains ................................................. .5-77
If a Tire Goes Flat ....................................... .5-78
Changing a Flat Tire .................................... .5-79
Removing the Spare Tire and Tools ............... .5-80
Removing the Flat Tire and Installing the
Spare Tire ............................................... .5-85
Secondary Latch System .............................. .5-90
Storing a Flat or Spare Tire and Tools ........... .5-94
Spare Tire .................................................. .5-98
Appearance Care ........................................... .5-98
Interior Cleaning .......................................... .5-98
Fabric/Carpet ............................................. .5-100
Leather ..................................................... .5-100
Instrument Panel, Vinyl, and Other Plastic
Surfaces ................................................ .5-101
Wood Panels ............................................. .5-101
Speaker Covers ......................................... .5-101
Care of Safety Belts ................................... .5-101 Weatherstrips ............................................ .5-101
Washing Your Vehicle ................................. .5-102
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses ................... .5-102
Finish Care ............................................... .5-102
Windshield, Backglass, and Wiper Blades ...... .5-103
Aluminum or Chrome-Plated Wheels
and Trim ............................................... .5-104
Tires ........................................................ .5-105
Sheet Metal Damage .................................. .5-105
Finish Damage .......................................... .5-105
Underbody
Maintenance .............................. .5-105
Chemical Paint Spotting .............................. .5-105
Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials ............... .5-106
Vehicle Identication .................................... .5-107
Vehicle Identication Number (VIN) ............... .5-107
Service Parts Identication Label .................. .5-107
Electrical System ......................................... .5-108
Add-On Electrical Equipment ........................ .5-108
Windshield Wiper Fuses .............................. .5-108
Power Windows and Other Power Options ..... .5-108
Fuses and Circuit Breakers ......................... .5-108
Instrument Panel Fuse Block ....................... .5-109
Center Instrument Panel Fuse Block ............. .5-110
Underhood Fuse Block ............................... .5-111
Capacities and Specications ....................... .5-115Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-2

Service For service and parts needs, visit your dealer/retailer.
You will receive genuine GM parts and GM-trained and
supported service people.
Genuine GM parts have one of these marks:
Accessories and Modications When non-dealer/non-retailer accessories are added to
your vehicle they can affect your vehicle’s performance
and safety, including such things as, airbags, braking,
stability, ride and handling, emissions systems,
aerodynamics, durability, and electronic systems like
antilock brakes, traction control and stability control.
Some of these accessories could even cause
malfunction or damage not covered by warranty.
GM Accessories are designed to complement and
function with other systems on your vehicle. Your GM
dealer/retailer can accessorize your vehicle using
genuine GM Accessories. When you go to your GM
dealer/retailer and ask for GM Accessories, you will know
that GM-trained and supported service technicians will
perform the work using genuine GM Accessories.
Also, see Adding Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle on page 1-90 .
California Proposition 65 Warning Most motor vehicles, including this one, contain and/or
emit chemicals known to the State of California to
cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive
harm. Engine exhaust, many parts and systems
(including some inside the vehicle), many uids, and
some component wear by-products contain and/or emit
these chemicals.
5-3

California Perchlorate Materials
Requirements Certain types of automotive applications, such as airbag
initiators, seat belt pretensioners, and lithium batteries
contained in remote keyless entry transmitters, may
contain perchlorate materials. Special handling may be
necessary. For additional information, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlorate.
Doing Your Own Service Work
{ CAUTION: You can be injured and your vehicle could be
damaged if you try to do service work on a
vehicle without knowing enough about it.
Be sure you have sufficient knowledge,
experience, the proper replacement parts,
and tools before you attempt any vehicle
maintenance task.
Be sure to use the proper nuts, bolts, and
other fasteners. English and metric
fasteners can be easily confused. If you
use the wrong fasteners, parts can later
break or fall off. You could be hurt. If you want to do some of your own service work, you
should use the proper service manual. It tells you much
more about how to service your vehicle than this
manual can. To order the proper service manual, see
Service Publications Ordering Information on page 7-14 .
Your vehicle has an airbag system. Before attempting
to do your own service work, see Servicing Your
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle on page 1-90 .
You should keep a record with all parts receipts and list
the mileage and the date of any service work you
perform. See Maintenance Record on page 6-17 .
Adding Equipment to the Outside
of Your Vehicle Things you might add to the outside of your vehicle can
affect the airow around it. This can cause wind
noise and can affect fuel economy and windshield
washer performance. Check with your dealer/retailer
before adding equipment to the outside of your vehicle.
5-4

Fuel Use of the recommended fuel is an important part of the
proper maintenance of your vehicle. To help keep the
engine clean and maintain optimum vehicle
performance, we recommend the use of gasoline
advertised as TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline.
Gasoline Octane Use premium unleaded gasoline with a posted octane
rating of 91 or higher. You can also use regular
unleaded gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher, but
your vehicle’s acceleration could be slightly reduced,
and you might notice a slight audible knocking
noise, commonly referred to as spark knock. If the
octane is less than 87, you might notice a heavy
knocking noise when you drive. If this occurs, use a
gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher as soon as
possible. Otherwise, you could damage the engine.
If you are using gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher
and you hear heavy knocking, the engine needs service. Gasoline Specications At a minimum, gasoline should meet ASTM
specication D 4814 in the United States or
CAN/CGSB-3.5 or 3.511 in Canada. Some gasolines
contain an octane-enhancing additive called
methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl (MMT).
We recommend against the use of gasolines
containing MMT. See Additives on page 5-6 for
additional information.
California Fuel If your vehicle is certied to meet California Emissions
Standards, it is designed to operate on fuels that
meet California specications. See the underhood
emission control label. If this fuel is not available
in states adopting California emissions standards, your
vehicle will operate satisfactorily on fuels meeting
federal specications, but emission control system
performance might be affected. The malfunction
indicator lamp could turn on and your vehicle might fail
a smog-check test. See Malfunction Indicator Lamp
on page 3-43 . If this occurs, return to your authorized
dealer/retailer for diagnosis. If it is determined that
the condition is caused by the type of fuel used, repairs
might not be covered by your warranty.
5-5

Additives To provide cleaner air, all gasolines in the United States
are now required to contain additives that help prevent
engine and fuel system deposits from forming, allowing
the emission control system to work properly. In most
cases, you should not have to add anything to the fuel.
However, some gasolines contain only the minimum
amount of additive required to meet U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency regulations. To help keep fuel
injectors and intake valves clean, or if your vehicle
experiences problems due to dirty injectors or valves,
look for gasoline that is advertised as TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline. Also, your dealer/retailer has
additives that will help correct and prevent most
deposit-related problems.
Gasolines containing oxygenates, such as ethers and
ethanol, and reformulated gasolines might be available
in your area. We recommend that you use these
gasolines, if they comply with the specications
described earlier. However, E85 (85% ethanol) and
other fuels containing more than 10% ethanol must
not be used in vehicles that were not designed for
those fuels. Notice: Your vehicle was not designed for fuel that
contains methanol. Do not use fuel containing
methanol. It can corrode metal parts in the fuel
system and also damage plastic and rubber parts.
That damage would not be covered under your
warranty.
Some gasolines that are not reformulated for low
emissions can contain an octane-enhancing additive
called methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl
(MMT); ask the attendant where you buy gasoline
whether the fuel contains MMT. We recommend
against the use of such gasolines. Fuels containing
MMT can reduce the life of spark plugs and the
performance of the emission control system could be
affected. The malfunction indicator lamp might turn on.
If this occurs, return to your dealer/retailer for service.
Fuels in Foreign Countries If you plan on driving in another country outside the
United States or Canada, the proper fuel might be hard
to nd. Never use leaded gasoline or any other fuel
not recommended in the previous text on fuel. Costly
repairs caused by use of improper fuel would not
be covered by your warranty.
To check the fuel availability, ask an auto club, or
contact a major oil company that does business in the
country where you will be driving.
5-6

Filling the Tank
{ CAUTION: Fuel vapor burns violently and a fuel re can
cause bad injuries. To help avoid injuries to
you and others, read and follow all the
instructions on the pump island. Turn off your
engine when you are refueling. Do not smoke
if you are near fuel or refueling your vehicle.
Do not use cellular phones. Keep sparks,
ames, and smoking materials away from fuel.
Do not leave the fuel pump unattended when
refueling your vehicle. This is against the law
in some places. Do not re-enter the vehicle
while pumping fuel. Keep children away from
the fuel pump; never let children pump fuel. The tethered fuel cap is located behind a hinged fuel
door on the driver’s side of the vehicle.
5-7

To open the fuel door, push the rearward center edge
inboard and release. The door will pop open.
To remove the fuel cap, turn it slowly counterclockwise.
The fuel cap has a spring in it; if the cap is released
too soon, it will spring back to the right. While refueling, hang the tethered fuel cap from the
hook on the fuel door.
{ CAUTION: Fuel can spray out on you if you open the fuel
cap too quickly. If you spill fuel and then
something ignites it, you could be badly burned.
This spray can happen if your tank is nearly full,
and is more likely in hot weather. Open the fuel
cap slowly and wait for any hiss noise to stop.
Then unscrew the cap all the way.
Be careful not to spill fuel. Do not top off or overll
the tank and wait a few seconds after you have
nished pumping before removing the nozzle.
Clean fuel from painted surfaces as soon as possible.
See Washing Your Vehicle on page 5-102 .
5-8