automatic transmission CADILLAC ESCALADE ESV 2012 Owner's Guide

Black plate (89,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
Vehicle Care 10-892. Get the vehicles close enough
so the jumper cables can reach,
but be sure the vehicles are not
touching each other. If they are,
it could cause a ground
connection you do not want. You
would not be able to start your
vehicle, and the bad grounding
could damage the electrical
systems.
To avoid the possibility of the
vehicles rolling, set the parking
brake firmly on both vehicles
involved in the jump start
procedure. Put the automatic
transmission in P (Park) or a
manual transmission in
N (Neutral) before setting the
parking brake. If you have a
four-wheel-drive vehicle, be sure
that the transfer case is in a
drive gear, not in N (Neutral). Notice: If any accessories are left
on or plugged in during the jump
starting procedure, they could be
damaged. The repairs would not
be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Whenever possible,
turn off or unplug all accessories
on either vehicle when jump
starting the vehicle.
3. Turn off the ignition on both
vehicles. Unplug unnecessary
accessories plugged into the
accessory power outlets. Turn
off the radio and all the lamps
that are not needed. This avoids
sparks and helps save both
batteries. And it could save the
radio! 4. Open the hood on the other
vehicle and locate the
positive (+) and negative ( − )
terminal locations on that
vehicle.
Your vehicle has a remote
positive (+) jump starting
terminal and a remote
negative ( − ) jump starting
terminal. You should always use
these remote terminals instead
of the terminals on the battery.
If the vehicle has a remote
positive (+) terminal, it is located
under a red plastic cover at the
positive battery post. To uncover
the remote positive (+) terminal,
open the red plastic cover.

Black plate (5,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
Service and Maintenance 11-5.
Visually inspect steering,
suspension, and chassis
components for damaged, loose,
or missing parts or signs of
wear. See Exterior Care on
page 10 ‑ 96 ..
Check restraint system
components. See Safety System
Check on page 3 ‑ 24 ..
Visually inspect fuel system for
damage or leaks. .
Visually inspect exhaust system
and nearby heat shields for
loose or damaged parts. .
Lubricate body components. See
Exterior Care on page 10 ‑ 96 . .
Check starter switch. See Starter
Switch Check on page 10 ‑ 30 ..
Check automatic transmission
shift lock control function. See
Automatic Transmission Shift
Lock Control Function Check on
page 10 ‑ 30 . .
Check ignition transmission lock.
See Ignition Transmission Lock
Check on page 10 ‑ 31 . .
Check parking brake and
automatic transmission park
mechanism. See Park Brake and
P (Park) Mechanism Check on
page 10 ‑ 31 . .
Check accelerator pedal for
damage, high effort, or binding.
Replace if needed. .
Visually inspect gas strut for
signs of wear, cracks, or other
damage. Check the hold open
ability of the strut. See your
dealer if service is required. .
Check tire sealant expiration
date, if equipped. See Tire
Sealant and Compressor Kit on
page 10 ‑ 67 . .
Inspect sunroof track and seal,
if equipped. See Sunroof on
page 2 ‑ 21 . .
Check hybrid low pressure
coolant level, if equipped.

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 (3,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
Technical Data 12-3Engine SpecificationsEngine VIN Code Transmission Spark Plug Gap
6.2L V8 F Automatic 1.02 mm (0.040 in)
Engine Drive Belt Routing
If the vehicle is a hybrid, see the
hybrid supplement for more
information.

Black plate (5,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
OnStar 14-5
Diagnostics OnStar Vehicle Diagnostics will
perform a vehicle check every
month. It will check the engine,
transmission, antilock brakes, and
major vehicle systems. It also
checks the tire pressures, if the
vehicle is equipped with the Tire
Pressure Monitoring System. If a
diagnostics check is needed
between e-mails, push
Q , and an
Advisor can run a check.
OnStar Additional
Information Transferring Service Push
Q to request account transfer
eligibility information. The Advisor
can assist in canceling or removing
account information. If OnStar
receives information that vehicle
ownership has changed, OnStar
may send a voice message to the
vehicle, requesting updated account
information.
Reactivation for Subsequent
Owners Push
Q and follow the prompts to
speak to an Advisor as soon as
possible after acquiring the vehicle.
The Advisor will update vehicle
records and will explain the OnStar
service offers and options available. How OnStar Service Works Automatic Crash Response,
Emergency Services, Crisis Assist,
Stolen Vehicle Assistance, Vehicle
Diagnostics, Remote Door Unlock,
Roadside Assistance, Turn-by-Turn
Navigation, and Hands-Free Calling
are available on most vehicles. Not
all OnStar services are available
everywhere or on all vehicles. For
more information, a full description
of OnStar services, system
limitations, and OnStar terms and
conditions, see www.onstar.com
(U.S.) or www.onstar.ca (Canada);
contact OnStar at 1-888-4-ONSTAR
(1 ‐ 888 ‐ 466 ‐ 7827) or TTY
1 ‐ 877 ‐ 248 ‐ 2080; or push
Q to
speak with an Advisor. OnStar
services require a vehicle electrical
system, wireless service, and GPS
satellite technologies to be available
and operating for features to
function properly. These systems
may not operate if the battery is
discharged or disconnected.

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 (6,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
i-6 INDEX
HHazard Warning Flashers . . . . . . . 6-7
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Headlamps
Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
High Intensity Discharge
(HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . . 6-5
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Heated
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8
Steering Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
Heated and Ventilated Front
Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7
Heated Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Heater
Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22 High-Speed Operation . . . . . . . . 10-53
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-12
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . 9-12
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . . 9-36
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
How to Wear Safety Belts
Properly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-16
I Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-22
Ignition Transmission Lock
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-31
Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Infants and Young Children,
Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-43
Infotainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
J Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-88 K Key and Lock Messages . . . . . . . 5-32
Keyless Entry
Remote (RKE) System . . . . . . . . 2-3
Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
L Labeling, Tire Sidewall . . . . . . . . 10-47
Lamps
Daytime Running (DRL) . . . . . . . 6-5
Dome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
Exterior Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lamps Off
Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
License Plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Malfunction Indicator . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-32
On Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
Lap Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-23
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-17