CADILLAC ESCALADE ESV 2009 Owners Manual

Repair Facility GM also recommends that you choose a collision repair
facility that meets your needs before you ever need
collision repairs. Your GM dealer/retailer may have a
collision repair center with GM-trained technicians and
state of the art equipment, or be able to recommend a
collision repair center that has GM-trained technicians
and comparable equipment.
Insuring Your Vehicle Protect your investment in your GM vehicle with
comprehensive and collision insurance coverage.
There are signicant differences in the quality of
coverage afforded by various insurance policy terms.
Many insurance policies provide reduced protection to
your GM vehicle by limiting compensation for damage
repairs by using aftermarket collision parts. Some
insurance companies will not specify aftermarket collision
parts. When purchasing insurance, we recommend that
you assure your vehicle will be repaired with GM original
equipment collision parts. If such insurance coverage
is not available from your current insurance carrier,
consider switching to another insurance carrier.
If your vehicle is leased, the leasing company may
require you to have insurance that assures repairs with
Genuine GM Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM)
parts or Genuine Manufacturer replacement parts.
Read your lease carefully, as you may be charged at
the end of your lease for poor quality repairs. If a Crash Occurs If there has been an injury, call emergency services for
help. Do not leave the scene of a crash until all matters
have been taken care of. Move the vehicle only if its
position puts you in danger, or you are instructed to move
it by a police officer.
Give only the necessary information to police and other
parties involved in the crash.
For emergency towing see Roadside Service on
page 8-7 .
Gather the following information:
Driver’s name, address, phone number
Driver’s license number
Owner’s name, address, phone number
Vehicle license plate
Vehicle make, model and model year
Vehicle Identication Number (VIN)
Insurance company and policy number
General description of the damage to the other
vehicle
Choose a reputable repair facility that uses quality
replacement parts. See “Collision Parts” earlier in this
section.
If the airbag has inated, see What Will You See After
an Airbag Inflates? on page 1-86 .
8-13

Managing the Vehicle Damage Repair
Process In the event that your vehicle requires damage repairs,
GM recommends that you take an active role in its repair.
If you have a pre-determined repair facility of choice, take
your vehicle there, or have it towed there. Specify to the
facility that any required replacement collision parts be
original equipment parts, either new Genuine GM parts or
recycled original GM parts. Remember, recycled parts
will not be covered by your GM vehicle warranty.
Insurance pays the bill for the repair, but you must
live with the repair. Depending on your policy limits,
your insurance company may initially value the repair
using aftermarket parts. Discuss this with your repair
professional, and insist on Genuine GM parts. Remember
if your vehicle is leased you may be obligated to have the
vehicle repaired with Genuine GM parts, even if your
insurance coverage does not pay the full cost.
If another party’s insurance company is paying for the
repairs, you are not obligated to accept a repair valuation
based on that insurance company’s collision policy
repair limits, as you have no contractual limits with that
company. In such cases, you can have control of the
repair and parts choices as long as cost stays within
reasonable limits. Reporting Safety Defects Reporting Safety Defects to the
United States Government If you believe that your vehicle has a defect which
could cause a crash or could cause injury or
death, you should immediately inform the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
in addition to notifying General Motors.
If NHTSA receives similar complaints, it may open
an investigation, and if it nds that a safety defect
exists in a group of vehicles, it may order a recall
and remedy campaign. However, NHTSA cannot
become involved in individual problems between
you, your dealer/retailer, or General Motors.
To contact NHTSA, you may call the Vehicle
Safety Hotline toll-free at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY:
1-800-424-9153); go to safercar.gov; or write to:
Administrator, NHTSA
1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington D.C., 20590
You can also obtain other information about motor
vehicle safety from safercar.gov.
8-14

Reporting Safety Defects to the
Canadian Government If you live in Canada, and you believe that your
vehicle has a safety defect, notify Transport Canada
immediately, in addition to notifying General Motors of
Canada Limited. Call them at 1-800-333-0510 or write to:
Transport Canada
Road Safety Branch
2780 Sheffield Road
Ottawa, Ontario K1B 3V9
Reporting Safety Defects to
General Motors In addition to notifying NHTSA (or Transport Canada) in
a situation like this, please notify General Motors.
Call 1-800-458-8006, or write:
Cadillac Customer Assistance Center
Cadillac Motor Car Division
P.O. Box 33169
Detroit, MI 48232-5169
In Canada, call 1-888-446-2000, or write:
Canadian Cadillac Customer Communication Centre,
CA1-163-005
General Motors of Canada Limited
1908 Colonel Sam Drive
Oshawa, Ontario L1H 8P7 Service Publications Ordering
Information Service Manuals Service Manuals have the diagnosis and repair
information on engines, transmission, axle suspension,
brakes, electrical, steering, body, etc.
Service Bulletins Service Bulletins give additional technical service
information needed to knowledgeably service General
Motors cars and trucks. Each bulletin contains
instructions to assist in the diagnosis and service of
your vehicle.
Owner Information Owner publications are written specically for owners
and intended to provide basic operational information
about the vehicle. The owner manual includes the
Maintenance Schedule for all models.
In-Portfolio: Includes a Portfolio, Owner Manual, and
Warranty Booklet.
RETAIL SELL PRICE: $35.00 (U.S.) plus processing fee
Without Portfolio: Owner Manual only.
RETAIL SELL PRICE: $25.00 (U.S.) plus processing fee
8-15

Current and Past Model Order Forms Technical Service Bulletins and Manuals are available
for current and past model GM vehicles. To request
an order form, specify year and model name of
the vehicle.
ORDER TOLL FREE: 1-800-551-4123
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Eastern Time For Credit Card Orders Only
(VISA-MasterCard-Discover), visit Helm, Inc.
on the World Wide Web at: helminc.com
Or you can write to:
Helm, Incorporated
P.O. Box 07130
Detroit, MI 48207
Prices are subject to change without notice and without
incurring obligation. Allow ample time for delivery.
Note to Canadian Customers: All listed prices are
quoted in U.S. funds. Canadian residents are to make
checks payable in U.S. funds. Vehicle Data Recording and
Privacy Your GM vehicle has a number of sophisticated
computers that record information about the vehicle’s
performance and how it is driven. For example, your
vehicle uses computer modules to monitor and control
engine and transmission performance, to monitor the
conditions for airbag deployment and deploy airbags in a
crash and, if so equipped, to provide antilock braking to
help the driver control the vehicle. These modules may
store data to help your dealer/retailer technician service
your vehicle. Some modules may also store data about
how you operate the vehicle, such as rate of fuel
consumption or average speed. These modules may also
retain the owner’s personal preferences, such as radio
pre-sets, seat positions, and temperature settings.
8-16

Event Data Recorders This vehicle has an Event Data Recorder (EDR).
The main purpose of an EDR is to record, in certain
crash or near crash-like situations, such as an airbag
deployment or hitting a road obstacle, data that will assist
in understanding how a vehicle’s systems performed.
The EDR is designed to record data related to vehicle
dynamics and safety systems for a short period of time,
typically 30 seconds or less. The EDR in this vehicle is
designed to record such data as:
How various systems in your vehicle were operating
Whether or not the driver and passenger safety belts
were buckled/fastened
How far, if at all, the driver was pressing the
accelerator and/or brake pedal
How fast the vehicle was traveling
This data can help provide a better understanding of the
circumstances in which crashes and injuries occur. Important: EDR data is recorded by your vehicle only
if a non-trivial crash situation occurs; no data is recorded
by the EDR under normal driving conditions and no
personal data (e.g., name, gender, age, and crash
location) is recorded. However, other parties, such as law
enforcement, could combine the EDR data with the type
of personally identifying data routinely acquired during a
crash investigation.
To read data recorded by an EDR, special equipment is
required, and access to the vehicle or the EDR is needed.
In addition to the vehicle manufacturer, other parties,
such as law enforcement, that have the special
equipment, can read the information if they have
access to the vehicle or the EDR.
GM will not access this data or share it with others
except: with the consent of the vehicle owner or, if the
vehicle is leased, with the consent of the lessee; in
response to an official request of police or similar
government office; as part of GM’s defense of litigation
through the discovery process; or, as required by law.
Data that GM collects or receives may also be used for
GM research needs or may be made available to others
for research purposes, where a need is shown and the
data is not tied to a specic vehicle or vehicle owner.
8-17

OnStar ®
If your vehicle has OnStar and you subscribe to the
OnStar services, please refer to the OnStar Terms and
Conditions for information on data collection and use.
See also OnStar ®
System on page 2-52 in this manual
for more information.
Navigation System If your vehicle has a navigation system, use of the
system may result in the storage of destinations,
addresses, telephone numbers, and other trip
information. Refer to the navigation system operating
manual for information on stored data and for deletion
instructions. Radio Frequency
Identication (RFID) RFID technology is used in some vehicles for functions
such as tire pressure monitoring and ignition system
security, as well as in connection with conveniences
such as key fobs for remote door locking/unlocking and
starting, and in-vehicle transmitters for garage door
openers. RFID technology in GM vehicles does not use
or record personal information or link with any other
GM system containing personal information.
8-18

AAccessories and Modications ............................ 6-3
Accessory Power ............................................ 2-26
Accessory Power Outlets ................................. 3-25
Additional Required Services, Scheduled
Maintenance ................................................. 7-6
Additives, Fuel ................................................. 6-6
Add-On Electrical Equipment ........................... 6-105
Adjustable Throttle and Brake Pedal .................. 2-27
Air Cleaner/Filter, Engine ................................. 6-19
Airbag
Adding Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle ................................................... 1-94
Airbag System
How Does an Airbag Restrain? ...................... 1-85
Passenger Sensing System ........................... 1-87
Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle .......... 1-93
What Makes an Airbag Inate? ...................... 1-85
What Will You See After an Airbag Inates? .... 1-86
When Should an Airbag Inate? .................... 1-84
Where Are the Airbags? ............................... 1-81
Airbags
Passenger Status Indicator ........................... 3-37
Readiness Light .......................................... 3-36
System Check ............................................. 1-79 All-Wheel Drive ............................................... 6-45
All-Wheel-Drive (AWD) System ........................... 5-9
Analog Clock .................................................. 3-26
Antenna
Rear Side Window ..................................... 3-117
Antenna, XM™ Satellite Radio Antenna
System ..................................................... 3-117
Antilock Brake System (ABS) ............................. 5-5
Warning Light ............................................. 3-40
Appearance Care
Aluminum or Chrome-Plated Wheels ............. 6-102
Care of Safety Belts ................................... 6-100
Chemical Paint Spotting .............................. 6-104
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses .................. 6-101
Fabric/Carpet .............................................. 6-98
Finish Care ............................................... 6-101
Finish Damage .......................................... 6-103
Instrument
Panel, Vinyl, and Other Plastic
Surfaces ................................................. 6-99
Interior Cleaning .......................................... 6-96
Leather ...................................................... 6-98
Sheet Metal Damage .................................. 6-103
Speaker Covers ......................................... 6-100
Tires ........................................................ 6-103
Underbody Maintenance ............................. 6-104
Washing Your Vehicle ................................. 6-100
1

Appearance Care (cont.)
Weatherstrips ............................................ 6-100
Windshield, Backglass, and Wiper Blades ...... 6-102
Wood Panels ............................................ 6-100
Ashtray ......................................................... 3-26
Assist Handles ............................................... 2-63
Audio System ................................................. 3-75
Audio Steering Wheel Controls .................... 3-115
Radio ........................................................ 4-62
XM™ Satellite Radio Antenna System ........... 3-117
Audio Systems
Radio Reception ........................................ 3-116
Rear Seat (RSA) ....................................... 3-113
Theft-Deterrent Feature ............................... 3-115
Automatic Headlamp System ............................ 3-21
Automatic Transmission
Fluid .......................................................... 6-20
Operation ................................................... 2-29
Autoride ®
....................................................... 5-44
Axle, Rear ..................................................... 6-46B Back-Up Lamps - Ambulance Body
Bulb Replacement ....................................... 6-51
Battery .......................................................... 6-39
Electric Power Management .......................... 3-24
Run-Down Protection ................................... 3-25
Belt Routing, Engine ....................................... 7-16
Bench Seat, Split (60/40) ................................. 1-11
Bluetooth ®
..................................................... 3-75
Brake
Emergencies ................................................ 5-6
Pedal and Adjustable Throttle ........................ 2-27
Brakes .......................................................... 6-36
Antilock ....................................................... 5-5
Parking ...................................................... 2-34
System Warning Light .................................. 3-39
Braking ........................................................... 5-4
Braking in Emergencies ..................................... 5-6
Break-In, New Vehicle ..................................... 2-24
Bucket Seats, Rear ......................................... 1-17
2

Bulb Replacement ........................................... 6-53
Back-Up Lamps - Ambulance Body ................ 6-51
Fog Lamps ................................................. 3-22
Headlamp Aiming ........................................ 6-48
Headlamps ................................................. 6-51
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting ........... 6-51
License Plate Lamps .................................... 6-53
Buying New Tires ........................................... 6-71
CCalibration ..................................................... 3-53
California
Perchlorate Materials Requirements ................. 6-4
Warning ....................................................... 6-4
California Fuel .................................................. 6-6
Camera, Rear Vision ....................................... 2-48
Canadian Owners ............................................... iii
Capacities and Specications .......................... 6-113
Carbon Monoxide ................................... 2-12, 2-14
Engine Exhaust ........................................... 2-38
Winter Driving ............................................. 5-29
Care of
Safety Belts .............................................. 6-100
Center Console Storage ................................... 2-63
Center Seat ................................................... 1-10
Chains, Tire ................................................... 6-76
Charging System Light .................................... 3-38
Check Engine Lamp ........................................ 3-42 Checking Things Under the Hood ...................... 6-12
Chemical Paint Spotting ................................. 6-104
Child Restraints
Infants and Young Children ........................... 1-55
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children .......... 1-63
Older Children ............................................. 1-52
Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear
Seat Position ........................................... 1-71
Securing a Child Restraint in the Center
Front Seat Position ................................... 1-75
Securing a Child Restraint in the Right
Front Seat Position ................................... 1-76
Systems ..................................................... 1-59
Where to Put the Restraint ........................... 1-61
Cigarette Lighter ............................................. 3-26
Circuit Breakers ............................................ 6-106
Cleaning
Aluminum or Chrome-Plated Wheels ............. 6-102
Exterior Lamps/Lenses ................................ 6-101
Fabric/Carpet .............................................. 6-98
Finish Care ............................................... 6-101
Instrument Panel, Vinyl, and Other Plastic
Surfaces ................................................. 6-99
Interior ....................................................... 6-96
Leather ...................................................... 6-98
Speaker
Covers ......................................... 6-100
Tires ........................................................ 6-103
Underbody Maintenance ............................. 6-104
Washing Your Vehicle ................................. 6-100
3

Cleaning (cont.)
Weatherstrips ............................................ 6-100
Windshield, Backglass, and Wiper Blades ...... 6-102
Wood Panels ............................................ 6-100
Climate Control System
Outlet Adjustment ........................................ 3-31
Rear Air Conditioning and Heating System,
Electronic ................................................ 3-32
Climate Control Systems
Dual Automatic ............................................ 3-27
Clock ............................................................ 3-26
Collision Damage Repair .................................. 8-12
Compass ....................................................... 3-53
Content Theft-Deterrent .................................... 2-21
Control of a Vehicle .......................................... 5-3
Coolant
Engine ....................................................... 6-25
Engine Temperature Gage ............................ 3-41
Cooled Seats ................................................... 1-6
Cooling System .............................................. 6-24
Courtesy Transportation Program ...................... 8-10
Cruise Control ................................................ 3-13
Light .......................................................... 3-46
Cupholders .................................................... 2-62 Customer Assistance ......................................... 8-6
Offices ......................................................... 8-6
Text Telephone (TTY) Users ........................... 8-6
Customer Information
Service Publications Ordering Information ........ 8-15
Customer Satisfaction Procedure ........................ 8-2
D Damage Repair, Collision ................................. 8-12
Data Recorders
Event ......................................................... 8-17
Database Coverage Explanations ...................... 4-62
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) ......................... 3-21
Defensive Driving ............................................. 5-2
Delayed Locking ............................................. 2-10
DIC Compass ................................................. 3-53
Doing Your Own Service Work ........................... 6-4
Dome Lamp Override ...................................... 3-23
Dome Lamps ................................................. 3-23
Door
Delayed Locking .......................................... 2-10
Locks ........................................................ 2-10
Power Locks ............................................... 2-10
Programmable Automatic Door Locks ............. 2-11
Rear Door Security Locks ............................. 2-11
4