tires CADILLAC ESCALADE 2012 3.G Owner's Manual

Black plate (31,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-31
{WARNING
Shifting into a drive gear while the
engine is running at high speed is
dangerous. Unless your foot is
firmly on the brake pedal, the
vehicle could move very rapidly.
You could lose control and hit
people or objects. Do not shift
into a drive gear while the engine
is running at high speed.
Notice: Shifting out of P (Park)
or N (Neutral) with the engine
running at high speed may
damage the transmission. The
repairs would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Be sure the
engine is not running at high
speed when shifting the vehicle. D (Drive):
This position is for
normal driving. It provides the best
fuel economy. If you need more
power for passing, and you are:
.Going less than about 55 km/h
(35 mph), push the accelerator
pedal about halfway down.
.Going about 55 km/h (35 mph) or
more, push the accelerator all
the way down.
By doing this, the vehicle shifts
down to the next gear and has more
power.
D (Drive) can be used when towing
a trailer, carrying a heavy load,
driving on steep hills, or for off-road
driving. You may want to shift the
transmission to a lower gear
selection if the transmission shifts
too often.
Downshifting the transmission in
slippery road conditions could result
in skidding, see “Skidding”under
Loss of Control on page 9‑5. M (Manual Mode):
This position
lets drivers select the range of gears
appropriate for current driving
conditions. See “Driver Shift Control
(DSC)” underManual Mode on
page 9‑32.
Notice: Spinning the tires
or holding the vehicle in one
place on a hill using only the
accelerator pedal may damage
the transmission. The repair will
not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. If you are stuck, do not
spin the tires. When stopping on
a hill, use the brakes to hold the
vehicle in place.
The vehicle has a shift stabilization
feature that adjusts the transmission
shifting to the current driving
conditions in order to reduce rapid
upshifts and downshifts. This shift
stabilization feature is designed to
determine, before making an
upshift, if the engine will be able to
maintain vehicle speed by analyzing
things such as vehicle speed,
throttle position and vehicle load.

Black plate (58,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012
9-58 Driving and Operating
Important considerations that have
to do with weight:
.The weight of the trailer
.The weight of the trailer tongue
.The weight on the vehicle's tires
.And the weight of the trailering
combination
Driving with a Trailer
{WARNING
When towing a trailer, exhaust
gases may collect at the rear of
the vehicle and enter if the
liftgate, trunk/hatch, or rear-most
window is open.
Engine exhaust contains Carbon
Monoxide (CO) which cannot be
seen or smelled. It can cause
unconsciousness and even death.(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
To maximize safety when towing
a trailer:
.Have the exhaust system
inspected for leaks and make
necessary repairs before
starting a trip.
.Never drive with the liftgate,
trunk/hatch, or rear-most
window open.
.Fully open the air outlets on
or under the instrument
panel.
.Adjust the Climate Control
system to a setting that
brings in only outside air and
set the fan speed to the
highest setting. See Climate
Control System in the Index.
For more information about
Carbon Monoxide, see Engine
Exhaust on page 9‑28. Towing a trailer requires a certain
amount of experience. The
combination you are driving is
longer and not as responsive as the
vehicle itself. Get acquainted with
the handling and braking of the rig
before setting out for the open road.
Before starting, check all trailer
hitch parts and attachments,
safety chains, electrical connectors,
lamps, tires and mirrors. If the
trailer has electric brakes, start the
combination moving and then apply
the trailer brake controller by hand
to be sure the brakes work.
During the trip, check occasionally
to be sure that the load is secure
and the lamps and any trailer
brakes still work.
Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the
vehicle ahead as you would when
driving the vehicle without a trailer.
This can help to avoid heavy
braking and sudden turns.

Black plate (63,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-63
Trailer tongue weight (A) should be
10 percent to 15 percent and fifth
wheel or gooseneck kingpin weight
should be 15 to 25 percent of the
loaded trailer weight (B) up to the
maximums for vehicle series and
hitch type.Vehicle Series
Hitch Type Maximum Tongue
Weight
1500 Weight Carrying 272 kg (600 lbs)
1500 Weight Distributing 499 kg (1,100 lbs)
Do not exceed the maximum
allowable tongue weight for the
vehicle. Choose the shortest hitch
extension that will position the hitch
ball closest to the vehicle. This will
help reduce the effect of trailer
tongue weight on the rear axle.
Trailering may be limited by the
vehicle's ability to carry tongue
weight. Tongue or kingpin weight
cannot cause the vehicle to exceed
the GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating) or the RGAWR (Rear Gross
Axle Weight Rating). See “Total
Weight on the Vehicle's Tires” later
in this section for more information.
After loading the trailer, weigh
the trailer and then the tongue,
separately, to see if the weights are proper. If they are not, adjustments
might be made by moving some
items around in the trailer.
Total Weight on the Vehicle's
Tires
Be sure the vehicle's tires are
inflated to the inflation pressures
found on the Certification label on
the driver door or see
Vehicle Load
Limits on page 9‑15 for more
information. Make sure not to
exceed the GVWR limit for the
vehicle, or the RGAWR, with the tow
vehicle and trailer fully loaded for
the trip including the weight of the
trailer tongue. If using a weight
distributing hitch, make sure not to
exceed the RGAWR before applying
the weight distribution spring bars.

Black plate (1,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-1
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . 10-3
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-5
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-6
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-7
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . 10-10
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-11
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . 10-14
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-15
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-16
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . 10-19 Overheated Engine
Protection
Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . 10-21
Engine Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22
Power Steering Fluid . . . . . . . 10-22
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-23
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-26
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27
Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . 10-30
Automatic Transmission Shift Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Ignition Transmission Lock Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . 10-31
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-31
Glass Replacement . . . . . . . . 10-32
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
Back-Up Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . 10-37
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-39
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-43
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-46
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . 10-47
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . 10-48
Tire Terminology and
Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-49
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-52

Black plate (2,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012
10-2 Vehicle Care
Tire Pressure for High-SpeedOperation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-53
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-54
Tire Pressure Monitor
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-55
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-58
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-58
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-59
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-60
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-62
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-62
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-64
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . 10-64
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-65
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . 10-65 Tire Sealant and
Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . 10-67
Storing the Tire Sealant and Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . 10-74
Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-74
Secondary Latch System . . . 10-85
Full-Size Spare Tire . . . . . . . . 10-87
Jump Starting
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-88
Towing
Towing the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . 10-93
Recreational Vehicle
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-93
Appearance Care
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-96
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-99
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-103
General Information
For service and parts needs,
visit your dealer. You will receive
genuine GM parts and GM-trained
and supported service people.
Genuine GM parts have one of
these marks:

Black plate (24,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012
10-24 Vehicle Care
Brakes
This vehicle has disc brakes. Disc
brake pads have built-in wear
indicators that make a high-pitched
warning sound when the brake pads
are worn and new pads are needed.
The sound can come and go or be
heard all the time the vehicle is
moving, except when applying the
brake pedal firmly.
{WARNING
The brake wear warning sound
means that soon the brakes will
not work well. That could lead to
a crash. When the brake wear
warning sound is heard, have the
vehicle serviced.
Notice: Continuing to drive with
worn-out brake pads could result
in costly brake repair. Some driving conditions or climates
can cause a brake squeal when the
brakes are first applied or lightly
applied. This does not mean
something is wrong with the brakes.
Properly torqued wheel nuts are
necessary to help prevent brake
pulsation. When tires are rotated,
inspect brake pads for wear and
evenly tighten wheel nuts in the
proper sequence to torque
specifications in
Capacities and
Specifications on page 12‑2.
Brake linings should always be
replaced as complete axle sets.
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal
does not return to normal height,
or if there is a rapid increase in
pedal travel. This could be a sign
that brake service might be
required.
Brake Adjustment
Every time the brakes are applied,
with or without the vehicle moving,
the brakes adjust for wear.
Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a vehicle is
complex. Its many parts have to be
of top quality and work well together
if the vehicle is to have really good
braking. The vehicle was designed
and tested with top-quality brake
parts. When parts of the braking
system are replaced, be sure to get
new, approved replacement parts.
If this is not done, the brakes might
not work properly. For example,
installing disc brake pads that are
wrong for the vehicle, can change
the balance between the front and
rear brakes —for the worse. The
braking performance expected can
change in many other ways if the
wrong replacement brake parts are
installed.

Black plate (33,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-33
Headlamp Aiming
The vehicle has a visual optical
headlamp aiming system. The aim
of the headlamps have been preset
at the factory and should need no
further adjustment.
However, if the vehicle is damaged
in a crash, the aim of the headlamps
may be affected and adjustment
may be necessary.
If oncoming vehicles flash their high
beams at you, this may mean the
vertical aim of the headlamps needs
to be adjusted.
It is recommended that the vehicle
is taken to your dealer for service if
the headlamps need to be adjusted.
It is possible however, to re-aim the
headlamps as described.The vehicle should:.Be placed so the headlamps are
7.6 m (25 ft.) from a light colored
wall or other flat surface.
.Have all four tires on a level
surface which is level all the way
to the wall or other flat surface.
.Be placed so it is perpendicular
to the wall or other flat surface.
.Not have any snow, ice, or mud
on it.
.Be fully assembled and all other
work stopped while headlamp
aiming is being performed.
.Be normally loaded with a full
tank of fuel and one person or
75 kg (160 lbs) sitting on the
driver seat.
.Have the tires properly inflated.
.Have the spare tire is in its
proper location in the vehicle.Headlamp aiming is done with the
vehicle's low-beam headlamps.
The high-beam headlamps will be
correctly aimed if the low-beam
headlamps are aimed properly.
To adjust the vertical aim:
1. Open the hood. See
Hood on
page 10‑5 for more information.2. Locate the center of the
projector lens of the low‐beam
headlamp.

Black plate (46,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012
10-46 Vehicle Care
Harness
Connector Usage
HEADLINER 2 Headliner
Harness
Connector 2
HEADLINER 1 Headliner
Harness
Connector 1
SEO/
UPFITTER Special
Equipment Option
Upfitter Harness
Connector
Circuit
Breaker Usage
CB1 Passenger Side
Power Window Circuit
Breaker
CB2 Passenger Seat
Circuit Breaker
CB3 Driver Seat Circuit
Breaker
CB4 Rear Sliding WindowWheels and Tires
Tires
Every new GM vehicle has
high-quality tires made by a
leading tire manufacturer. See
the warranty manual for
information regarding the tire
warranty and where to get
service. For additional
information refer to the tire
manufacturer.
{WARNING
.Poorly maintained and
improperly used tires are
dangerous.
.Overloading the tires can
cause overheating as a result
of too much flexing. There
could be a blowout and a
serious crash. See Vehicle
Load Limits on page 9‑15.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
.Underinflated tires pose the
same danger as overloaded
tires. The resulting crash
could cause serious injury.
Check all tires frequently to
maintain the recommended
pressure. Tire pressure
should be checked when the
tires are cold.
.Overinflated tires are more
likely to be cut, punctured,
or broken by a sudden
impact—such as when
hitting a pothole. Keep tires at
the recommended pressure.
.Worn or old tires can cause a
crash. If the tread is badly
worn, replace them.
.Replace any tires that have
been damaged by impacts
with potholes, curbs, etc.
(Continued)

Black plate (47,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-47
WARNING (Continued)
.Improperly repaired tires can
cause a crash. Only the
dealer or an authorized tire
service center should repair,
replace, dismount, and mount
the tires.
.Do not spin the tires in
excess of 55 km/h (35 mph)
on slippery surfaces such
as snow, mud, ice, etc.
Excessive spinning may
cause the tires to explode.
SeeTire Pressure for
High-Speed Operation on
page 10‑53 for inflation pressure
adjustment for high speed
driving.
22‐Inch Tires
If the vehicle has 22‐inch
P285/45R22 size tires, they are
classified as touring tires and
are designed for on‐road use. The low‐profile, wide tread
design is not recommended for
off‐road driving. See
Off-Road
Driving on page 9‑6, for
additional information.
Notice: Low‐profile tires are
more susceptible to damage
from road hazards or curb
impact than standard profile
tires. Tire and/or wheel
assembly damage can occur
when coming into contact
with road hazards like,
potholes, or sharp edged
objects, or when sliding into a
curb. The warranty does not
cover this type of damage.
Keep tires set to the correct
inflation pressure and, when
possible, avoid contact with
curbs, potholes, and other
road hazards.
Tire Sidewall Labeling
Useful information about a tire
is molded into the sidewall.
The example shows a typical
passenger vehicle tire sidewall.
Passenger (P‐Metric) Tire
(A) Tire Size:The tire size
code is a combination of letters
and numbers used to define a
particular tire's width, height,
aspect ratio, construction type,
and service description. See the
“Tire Size” illustration later in this
section for more detail.

Black plate (48,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012
10-48 Vehicle Care
(B) TPC Spec (Tire
Performance Criteria
Specification)
:Original
equipment tires designed to
GM's specific tire performance
criteria have a TPC specification
code molded onto the sidewall.
GM's TPC specifications meet
or exceed all federal safety
guidelines.
(C) DOT (Department of
Transportation)
:The
Department of Transportation
(DOT) code indicates that
the tire is in compliance with
the U.S. Department of
Transportation Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards.
(D) Tire Identification Number
(TIN)
:The letters and numbers
following the DOT code are
the Tire Identification Number
(TIN). The TIN shows the
manufacturer and plant code,
tire size, and date the tire was manufactured. The TIN is
molded onto both sides of the
tire, although only one side may
have the date of manufacture.
(E) Tire Ply Material
:The type
of cord and number of plies in
the sidewall and under the tread.
(F) Uniform Tire Quality
Grading (UTQG)
:Tire
manufacturers are required
to grade tires based on
three performance factors:
treadwear, traction, and
temperature resistance. For
more information, see Uniform
Tire Quality Grading on
page 10‑62.
(G) Maximum Cold Inflation
Load Limit
:Maximum load
that can be carried and the
maximum pressure needed
to support that load. For
information on recommended tire pressure see
Tire Pressure
on page 10‑52 andVehicle Load
Limits on page 9‑15.
Tire Designations
Tire Size
The example shows a typical
passenger vehicle tire size.
Passenger (P‐Metric) Tire
(A) Passenger (P‐Metric) Tire:
The United States version of a
metric tire sizing system. The
letter P as the first character in
the tire size means a passenger
vehicle tire engineered to
standards set by the U.S. Tire
and Rim Association.