service CADILLAC ESCALADE 2003 2.G Repair Manual

Front Axle
When to Check and Change Lubricant
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine how
often to check the lubricant and when to change it. See
Part A: Scheduled Maintenance Services on page 6-4.
How to Check Lubricant
To get an accurate reading, the vehicle should be on a
level surface.
If the level is below the bottom of the ®ller plug hole,
you may need to add some lubricant.
When the differential is cold, add enough lubricant to
raise the level to 1/2 inch (12 mm) below the ®ller plug
hole.
When the differential is at operating temperature
(warm), add enough lubricant to raise the level to the
bottom of the ®ller plug hole.
What to Use
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine what
kind of lubricant to use. SeePart D: Recommended
Fluids and Lubricants on page 6-18Part D:
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants.
5-52

Headlamp Aiming
Your vehicle has a visual optical headlamp aiming
system equipped with horizontal aim indicators. The aim
has been preset at the factory and should need no
further adjustment. This is true even though your
horizontal aim indicators may not fall exactly on the
ª0º (zero) marks on their scales.
If your vehicle is damaged in an accident, the headlamp
aim may be affected. Aim adjustment to the low beam
may be necessary if it is difficult to see lane markers (for
horizontal aim), or if oncoming drivers ¯ash their high
beams at you (for vertical aim).
If you believe your headlamps need to be re-aimed, we
recommend that you take your vehicle to your dealer
for service. However, it is possible for you to re-aim your
headlamps as described in the following procedure.
Notice:To make sure your headlamps are aimed
properly, read all the instructions before beginning.
Failure to follow these instructions could cause
damage to headlamp parts.
The vehicle should be properly prepared as follows:
·The vehicle should be placed so the headlamps are
25 ft. (7.6 m) from a light colored wall or other ¯at
surface.
·The vehicle must have all four tires on a perfectly
level surface which is level all the way to the wall
or other ¯at surface.
·The vehicle should be placed so it is perpendicular
to the wall or other ¯at surface.
·The vehicle should not have any snow, ice or mud
attached to it.
·The vehicle should be fully assembled and all other
work stopped while headlamp aiming is being done.
·The vehicle should be normally loaded with a
full tank of fuel and one person or 160 lbs. (75 kg)
on the driver's seat.
·Tires should be properly in¯ated.
·Start the vehicle and rock it to level the suspension.
Headlamp aiming is done with the vehicle low beam
lamps. The high beam lamps will be correctly aimed if
the low beam lamps are aimed properly.
5-53

Bulb Replacement
SeeReplacement Bulbs on page 5-64for the proper
type of bulbs to use.
For any bulb changing procedure not listed in this
section, contact your dealer.
High Intensity Discharge (HID)
Lighting
{CAUTION:
The low beam high intensity discharge lighting
system operates at a very high voltage. If you
try to service any of the system components,
you could be seriously injured. Have your
dealer or a quali®ed technician service them.
After your vehicle's HID headlamp bulb has been
replaced, you may notice that the beam is a slightly
different shade than it was originally. This is normal.
Halogen Bulbs
{CAUTION:
Halogen bulbs have pressurized gas inside
and can burst if you drop or scratch the bulb.
You or others could be injured. Be sure to read
and follow the instructions on the bulb
package.
5-57

Tires
Your new vehicle comes with high-quality tires made by
a leading tire manufacturer. If you ever have questions
about your tire warranty and where to obtain service,
see your Cadillac Warranty booklet for details.
{CAUTION:
Poorly maintained and improperly used tires
are dangerous.
·Overloading your tires can cause
overheating as a result of too much
friction. You could have an air-out and a
serious accident. See ªLoading Your
Vehicleº in the Index.
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
·
Underin¯ated tires pose the same danger
as overloaded tires. The resulting accident
could cause serious injury. Check all tires
frequently to maintain the recommended
pressure. Tire pressure should be checked
when your tires are cold.
·Overin¯ated tires are more likely to be
cut, punctured or broken by a sudden
impact Ð such as when you hit a pothole.
Keep tires at the recommended pressure.
·Worn, old tires can cause accidents. If
your tread is badly worn, or if your tires
have been damaged, replace them.
5-66

Tire Inspection and Rotation
Tires should be rotated every 7,500 miles (12,500 km).
Any time you notice unusual wear, rotate your tires
as soon as possible and check wheel alignment. Also
check for damaged tires or wheels. See
When It Is Time
for New Tires on page 5-69andWheel Replacement
on page 5-73for more information.
Make sure the spare tire is stored securely. Push, pull,
and then try to rotate or turn the tire. If it moves,
use the wheel wrench and jack handle extensions to
tighten the cable. See
Changing a Flat Tire on
page 5-76.
The purpose of regular rotation is to achieve more
uniform wear for all tires on the vehicle. The ®rst rotation
is the most important. See ªPart A: Scheduled
Maintenance Services,º in Section 6, for scheduled
rotation intervals.When rotating your tires, always use the correct rotation
pattern shown here.
Don't include the spare tire in your tire rotation.
After the tires have been rotated, adjust the front and
rear in¯ation pressures as shown on the
Certi®cation/Tire label. Make certain that all wheel nuts
are properly tightened. See ªWheel Nut Torqueº
under
Capacities and Speci®cations on page 5-112.
5-68

Buying New Tires
To ®nd out what kind and size of tires you need, look at
the Certi®cation/Tire label.
The tires installed on your vehicle when it was new had
a Tire Performance Criteria Speci®cations (TPC
Spec) number on each tire's sidewall. When you get
new tires, get ones with that same TPC Spec number.
That way your vehicle will continue to have tires
that are designed to give proper endurance, handling,
speed rating, traction, ride and other things during
normal service on your vehicle. If your tires have an
all-season tread design, the TPC number will be
followed by an ªMSº (for mud and snow).
If you ever replace your tires with those not having a
TPC Spec number, make sure they are the same size,
load range, speed rating and construction type (bias,
bias-belted or radial) as your original tires.{CAUTION:
Mixing tires could cause you to lose control
while driving. If you mix tires of different sizes
or types (radial and bias-belted tires), the
vehicle may not handle properly, and you
could have a crash. Using tires of different
sizes may also cause damage to your vehicle.
Be sure to use the same size and type tires on
all wheels. If your vehicle has 17 inch road
tires (those originally installed on your vehicle)
it is all right to drive with the 16 inch spare tire
that came with your vehicle. When new, your
vehicle included a spare tire and wheel
assembly with the same overall diameter as
your vehicle's road tires and wheels. Because
this spare tire was developed for use on your
vehicle, it will not affect vehicle handling or
cause damage to your vehicle.
5-70

{CAUTION:
If you use bias-ply tires on your vehicle, the
wheel rim ¯anges could develop cracks after
many miles of driving. A tire and/or wheel
could fail suddenly, causing a crash. Use only
radial-ply tires with the wheels on your vehicle.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Quality grades can be found where applicable on the
tire sidewall between tread shoulder and maximum
section width. For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A
The following information relates to the system
developed by the United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, which grades tires by
treadwear, traction and temperature performance. (This
applies only to vehicles sold in the United States.)
The grades are molded on the sidewalls of most
passenger car tires. The Uniform Tire Quality Grading
system does not apply to deep tread, winter-typesnow tires, space-saver or temporary use spare tires,
tires with nominal rim diameters of 10 to 12 inches
(25 to 30 cm), or to some limited-production tires.
While the tires available on General Motors passenger
cars and light trucks may vary with respect to these
grades, they must also conform to federal safety
requirements and additional General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC) standards.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on
the wear rate of the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a speci®ed government test course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and
a half (1.5) times as well on the government course as
a tire graded 100. The relative performance of tires
depends upon the actual conditions of their use,
however, and may depart signi®cantly from the norm
due to variations in driving habits, service practices and
differences in road characteristics and climate.
5-71

Vehicle Identi®cation
Vehicle Identi®cation Number (VIN)
This is the legal identi®er for your vehicle. It appears on
a plate in the front corner of the instrument panel, on
the driver's side. You can see it if you look through the
windshield from outside your vehicle. The VIN also
appears on the Vehicle Certi®cation and Service Parts
labels and the certi®cates of title and registration.
Engine Identi®cation
The 8th character in your VIN is the engine code. This
code will help you identify your engine, speci®cations
and replacement parts.
Service Parts Identi®cation Label
You'll ®nd this label located in the glove box. It's very
helpful if you ever need to order parts. On this label is:
·your VIN,
·the model designation,
·paint information and
·a list of all production options and special
equipment.
Be sure that this label is not removed from the vehicle.
Electrical System
Notice:Don't add anything electrical to your
vehicle unless you check with your dealer ®rst.
Some electrical equipment can damage your vehicle
and the damage wouldn't be covered by your
warranty. Some add-on electrical equipment can
keep other components from working as they
should.
Your vehicle has an air bag system. Before attempting
to add anything to your vehicle, see
Supplemental
Restraint System (SRS) on page 1-76.
5-102

Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts
Replacement part numbers listed in this section are based on the latest information available at the time of printing,
and are subject to change. If a part listed in this manual is not the same as the part used in your vehicle when it was
built, or if you have any questions, please contact your GM dealer.
These speci®cations are for information only. If you have any questions, see the service manual.
Part Number
Oil FilterPF44*
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter A1518C*
PCV Valve*CV2001±C*
Spark Plugs 41±974* / PZTR5A15²
Fuel FilterGF626*
Wiper Blades (Front) 15153642**
Wiper Blade Type (Front) ITTA
Wiper Blade Length (Front) 22.0 inches (56.0 cm)
Wiper Blades (Rear) 22154396**
Wiper Blade Type (Rear) ITTA
Wiper Blade Length (Rear) 18.0 inches (45.0 cm)
*ACDelco
žPart No.
**GM Part No.
²NGK
5-114

Maintenance Schedule......................................6-2
Introduction...................................................6-2
Your Vehicle and the Environment....................6-2
Maintenance Requirements..............................6-2
How This Section is Organized.........................6-3
Part A: Scheduled Maintenance Services...........6-4
Using Your Maintenance Schedule....................6-4
Scheduled Maintenance...................................6-5
Part B: Owner Checks and Services................6-11
At Each Fuel Fill..........................................6-11
At Least Once a Month.................................6-11
At Least Twice a Year...................................6-12At Least Once a Year...................................6-13
Part C: Periodic MaintenanceInspections.........6-16
Steering and Suspension Inspection................6-16
Exhaust System Inspection............................6-16
Fuel System Inspection..................................6-16
Engine Cooling System Inspection...................6-17
Transfer Case and Front Axle (All-Wheel
Drive) Inspection.......................................6-17
Brake System Inspection................................6-17
Part D: Recommended Fluids and Lubricants......6-18
Part E: Maintenance Record...........................6-20
Section 6 Maintenance Schedule
6-1