transmission fluid CADILLAC ESCALADE ESV 2012 User Guide

Black plate (12,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
10-12 Vehicle Care
1. Locate the transmission dipstick
at the rear of the engine
compartment, on the passenger
side of the vehicle.
See Engine Compartment
Overview on page 10 ‑ 6 for more
information.
2. Flip the handle up and then pull
out the dipstick and wipe it with
a clean rag or paper towel.
3. Install the dipstick by pushing it
back in all the way, wait
three seconds, and then pull it
back out again.
4. Check both sides of the dipstick
and read the lower level. Repeat
the check procedure to verify the
reading. 5. If the fluid level is below the
COLD check band, add only
enough fluid as necessary to
bring the level into the COLD
band. It does not take much
fluid, generally less than 0.5 L
(1 pint). Do not overfill.
6. Perform a hot check at the first
opportunity after the
transmission reaches a normal
operating temperature between
71°C to 93°C (160°F to 200°F).
7. If the fluid level is in the
acceptable range, push the
dipstick back in all the way, then
flip the handle down to lock the
dipstick in place. Hot Check Procedure
Use this procedure to check the
transmission fluid level when the
transmission fluid temperature is
between 71°C and 93°C (160°F
and 200°F).
The hot check is the most accurate
method to check the fluid level. The
hot check should be performed at
the first opportunity in order to verify
the cold check. The fluid level rises
as fluid temperature increases,
so it is important to ensure the
transmission temperature is within
range.
1. Locate the transmission dipstick
at the rear of the engine
compartment, on the passenger
side of the vehicle.

Black plate (13,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
Vehicle Care 10-13See Engine Compartment
Overview on page 10 ‑ 6 for more
information.
2. Flip the handle up and then pull
out the dipstick and wipe it with
a clean rag or paper towel.
3. Install the dipstick by pushing it
back in all the way, wait
three seconds, and then pull it
back out again.
4. Check both sides of the dipstick
and read the lower level. Repeat
the check procedure to verify the
reading.
5. Safe operating level is within the
HOT cross hatch band on the
dipstick. If the fluid level is not
within the HOT band, and the
transmission temperature is
between 71°C and 93°C (160°F and 200°F), add or drain fluid as
necessary to bring the level into
the HOT band. If the fluid level is
low, add only enough fluid to
bring the level into the HOT
band. It does not take much
fluid, generally less than 0.5 L
(1 pint). Do not overfill.
6. If the fluid level is in the
acceptable range, push the
dipstick back in all the way, then
flip the handle down to lock the
dipstick in place.
Consistency of Readings Always check the fluid level at least
twice using the procedures
described. Consistency (repeatable
readings) is important to maintaining
proper fluid level. If fluid is added, it
may take 15 minutes or longer to
obtain an accurate reading because
of residual fluid draining down the
dipstick tube. If inconsistent
readings persist, check the
transmission breather to be sure it is clean and not clogged. If readings
are still inconsistent, contact your
dealer.
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter See Engine Compartment Overview
on page 10 ‑ 6 for the location of the
engine air cleaner/filter.
Inspect the air cleaner/filter at the
scheduled maintenance intervals
and replace it at the first oil change
after each 80 000 km (50,000 mile)
interval. See Maintenance Schedule
on page 11 ‑ 3 for more information.
If driving on dusty/dirty conditions,
inspect the filter at each engine oil
change.
How to Inspect the Engine Air
Cleaner/Filter
To inspect the air cleaner/filter,
remove the engine air cleaner/filter
from the vehicle by following
Steps 1 through 6. When the engine
air cleaner/filter is removed, lightly
shake it to release loose dust and
dirt. If the engine air cleaner/filter

Black plate (30,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
10-30 Vehicle Care What to Use Refer to Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants on page 11 ‑ 13 to
determine what kind of lubricant
to use.
Starter Switch Check
{ WARNINGWhen you are doing this
inspection, the vehicle could
move suddenly. If the vehicle
moves, you or others could be
injured.
1. Before starting this check, be
sure there is enough room
around the vehicle.
2. Firmly apply both the parking
brake and the regular brake.
See Parking Brake on
page 9 ‑ 36 . Do not use the accelerator
pedal, and be ready to turn off
the engine immediately if it
starts.
3. Try to start the engine in each
gear. The vehicle should start
only in P (Park) or N (Neutral).
If the vehicle starts in any other
position, contact your dealer for
service.
Automatic Transmission
Shift Lock Control
Function Check
{ WARNING
When you are doing this
inspection, the vehicle could
move suddenly. If the vehicle
moves, you or others could be
injured. 1. Before starting this check, be
sure there is enough room
around the vehicle. It should be
parked on a level surface.
2. Firmly apply the parking brake.
See Parking Brake on
page 9 ‑ 36 .
Be ready to apply the regular
brake immediately if the vehicle
begins to move.
3. With the engine off, turn the
ignition on, but do not start the
engine. Without applying the
regular brake, try to move the
shift lever out of P (Park) with
normal effort. If the shift lever
moves out of P (Park), contact
your dealer for service.

Black plate (13,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
Service and Maintenance 11-13
Recommended Fluids, Lubricants, and Parts Recommended Fluids and Lubricants Fluids and lubricants identified below by name, part number, or specification can be obtained from your dealer.
Usage Fluid/Lubricant
Engine Oil Use only engine oil licensed to the dexos1 specfication, or equivalent, of
the proper SAE viscosity grade. ACDelco dexos1 Synthetic Blend is
recommended. See Engine Oil on page 10 ‑ 7 .
Engine Coolant 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water and use only DEX-COOL Coolant.
See Engine Coolant on page 10 ‑ 16 .
Hydraulic Brake System DOT 3 Hydraulic Brake Fluid (GM Part No. 12377967, in
Canada 89021320).
Windshield Washer Automotive windshield washer fluid that meets regional freeze protection
requirements.
Power Steering System GM Power Steering Fluid (GM Part No. 89021184, in Canada 89021186).
Automatic Transmission DEXRON ®
-VI Automatic Transmission Fluid.
Key Lock Cylinders Multi-Purpose Lubricant, Superlube (GM Part No. 12346241, in
Canada 10953474).
Chassis Lubrication Chassis Lubricant (GM Part No. 12377985, in Canada 88901242) or
lubricant meeting requirements of NLGI #2, Category LB or GC-LB.

Black plate (14,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
11-14 Service and Maintenance Usage Fluid/Lubricant
Front and Rear Axle SAE 75W-90 Synthetic Axle Lubricant (GM Part No. 89021677, in
Canada 89021678).
Transfer Case DEXRON ®
-VI Automatic Transmission Fluid.
Hood Hinges Multi-Purpose Lubricant, Superlube (GM Part No. 12346241, in
Canada 10953474).
Body Door Hinge Pins, Tailgate
Hinge and Linkage, and Fuel Door
Hinge Multi-Purpose Lubricant, Superlube (GM Part No. 12346241, in
Canada 10953474).
Outer Tailgate Handle Pivot Points Multi-Purpose Lubricant, Superlube (GM Part No. 12346241, in
Canada 10953474).
Weatherstrip Conditioning Weatherstrip Lubricant (GM Part No. 3634770, in Canada 10953518) or
Dielectric Silicone Grease (GM Part No. 12345579, in Canada 992887).
Weatherstrip Squeaks Synthetic Grease with Teflon, Superlube (GM Part No. 12371287, in
Canada 10953437).

Black plate (2,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
12-2 Technical Data
Vehicle Data Capacities and Specifications The following approximate capacities are given in metric and English conversions. See Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants on page 11 ‑ 13 for more information.
Application Capacities
Metric English
Air Conditioning Refrigerant For the air conditioning system refrigerant charge
amount, see the refrigerant label located under the
hood. See your dealer for more information.
Cooling System 16.7 L 17.6 qt
Engine Oil with Filter 5.7 L † 6.0 qt †
Fuel Tank
Regular 98.4 L 26.0 gal
Extended 119.2 L 31.5 gal
Transmission Fluid (Pan Removal and Replacement) 5.7 L 6.0 qt
Transfer Case Fluid 1.4 L 1.5 qt
Wheel Nut Torque 190 Y 140 lb ft
All capacities are approximate. When adding, be sure to fill to the approximate level, as recommended in this
manual. Recheck fluid after filling.
† Oil filter should be changed at every oil change.

Black plate (1,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
INDEX i-1
AAccessories and
Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Accessory Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Active Fuel Management ®
. . . . . 9-28
Add-On Electrical
Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-69
Additional Information,
OnStar ®
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-5
Adjustable Throttle and
Brake Pedal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-22
Adjustments
Lumbar, Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Air Cleaner/Filter, Engine . . . . . 10-13
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-7
Airbag System
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-40
How Does an Airbag
Restrain? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-31
Passenger Sensing
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-33
What Makes an Airbag
Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-31 Airbag System (cont'd)
What Will You See after an
Airbag Inflates? . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-32
When Should an Airbag
Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-29
Where Are the Airbags? . . . . . . 3-27
Airbags
Adding Equipment to the
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-38
Passenger Status Indicator . . . 5-14
Readiness Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Servicing Airbag-Equipped
Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-38
System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-25
Alarm System
Anti-theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . 10-27, 9-34
AM-FM Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-9
Antenna
Rear Side Window . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-17
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-18
Anti-theft
Alarm System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Alarm System Messages . . . . . 5-36 Antilock Brake
System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Appearance Care
Exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-96
Interior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-99
Armrest Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Ashtrays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Audio Players
CD/DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-18
MP3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-27
Audio System
Radio Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-17
Rear Seat (RSA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-60
Theft-Deterrent Feature . . . . . . . . 7-3
Automatic
Dimming Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Level Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-40
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . 10-10

Black plate (2,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
i-2 INDEX Automatic Transmission
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Shift Lock Control
Function Check . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Auxiliary
Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-30
Axle, Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Axle, Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
BBattery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-88
Load Management . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-10
Power Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-10
Voltage and Charging
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-29
Blade Replacement, Wiper . . . 10-32
Bluetooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-103 Brake
Pedal and Adjustable
Throttle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-22
System Warning Light . . . . . . . . 5-19
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24
Antilock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-36
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-36
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-29
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Break-In, New Vehicle . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Back-up Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
High Intensity Discharge
(HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
License Plate Lamps . . . . . . . 10-37
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-60 C Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
California
Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . 9-52
Perchlorate Materials
Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Camera, Rear Vision . . . . . . . . . . 9-48
Canadian Vehicle Owners . . . . . . . . iii
Capacities and
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Carbon Monoxide
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-29
Liftgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-13
Cautions, Danger, and
Warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
CD/DVD Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-18
Center Console Storage . . . . . . . . 4-3
Chains, Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-65
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . 5-16
Check
Engine Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Ignition
Transmission Lock . . . . . . . . 10-31

Black plate (5,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
INDEX i-5
FFan
Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22
Features
Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Filter,
Engine Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . 10-13
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Flashers, Hazard Warning . . . . . . 6-7
Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-65
Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-74
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10-102
Fluid
Automatic Transmission . . . . 10-10
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Power Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22
Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-23
Fog Lamps
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Front Fog Lamp
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Front Seats
Heated and Ventilated . . . . . . . . . 3-7 Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-51
Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-53
E85 (85% Ethanol) . . . . . . . . . . . 9-54
Economy Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-25
Filling a Portable Fuel
Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-56
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-55
Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-52
Gasoline Specifications . . . . . . . 9-52
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Management, Active . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Recommended . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-52
Requirements, California . . . . . 9-52
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-32
Full-Size Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . 10-87
Fuses
Engine Compartment
Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-39
Fuses and Circuit
Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-39
Instrument Panel Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-43 G Garage Door Opener . . . . . . . . . . 5-46
Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-46
Gasoline
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-52
Gauges
Engine Coolant
Temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Warning Lights and
Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
General Information
Service and Maintenance . . . . . 11-1
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-57
Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Glass Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Global Positioning
System (GPS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-96
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
GM Mobility Reimbursement
Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-7

Black plate (8,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
i-8 INDEX Messages (cont'd)
Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-32
Object Detection System . . . . . 5-33
Ride Control System . . . . . . . . . . 5-34
Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-36
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-37
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Vehicle Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-37
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-37
Mirrors
Automatic Dimming . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Automatic Dimming
Rearview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Convex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Heated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Park Tilt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Monitor System, Tire
Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-53
MP3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-27 N Navigation
Destination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-70
OnStar ®
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-2
Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-65
Using the System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-62
Vehicle Data Recording
and Privacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-20
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
O Object Detection System
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-33
Object Detection, Side Blind
Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . 9-45
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Trip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Off-Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Oil
Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-7
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . 10-9
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-31
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Older Children, Restraints . . . . . 3-41 Online Owner Center . . . . . . . . . . 13-6
OnStar ®
Additional Information . . . . . . . . 14-5
Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-4
Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-5
Emergency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-2
Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-2
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-1
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-2
System, In Brief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-26
Ordering
Service Publications . . . . . . . . 13-17
Outlets
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Overheated Engine
Protection
Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22
Overheating, Engine . . . . . . . . . . 10-19
Overview, Infotainment
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-4
Overview, OnStar ®
. . . . . . . . . . . . 14-1