ignition CADILLAC ESCALADE 2018 Owner's Guide

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11349344) - 2018 - crc - 11/7/17
INSTRUMENTS AND CONTROLS 137
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
(Check Engine Light)
This light is part of the vehicle’s
emission control on-board diagnostic
system. If this light is on while the
engine is running, a malfunction has
been detected and the vehicle may
require service. The light should come
on to show that it is working when
the ignition is in Service Mode. See
Ignition Positions0199.
Malfunctions are often indicated by
the system before any problem is
noticeable. Being aware of the light
and seeking service promptly when it
comes on may prevent damage.
Caution
If the vehicle is driven continually
with this light on, the emission
control system may not work as
well, the fuel economy may be
lower, and the vehicle may not run
smoothly. This could lead to costly
repairs that might not be covered
by the vehicle warranty.
Caution
Modifications to the engine,
transmission, exhaust, intake,
or fuel system, or the use of
replacement tires that do not meet
the original tire specifications, can
cause this light to come on. This
could lead to costly repairs not
covered by the vehicle warranty.
This could also affect the vehicle’s
ability to pass an Emissions
Inspection/Maintenance test. See
Accessories and Modifications 0265. If the light is f lashing :
A
malfunction has been detected that
could damage the emission control
system and increase vehicle
emissions. Diagnosis and service may
be required.
To help prevent damage, reduce
vehicle speed and avoid hard
accelerations and uphill grades.
If towing a trailer, reduce the amount
of cargo being hauled as soon as
possible.
If the light continues to flash, find a
safe place to park. Turn the vehicle off
and wait at least 10 seconds before
restarting the engine. If the light is
still flashing, follow the previous
guidelines and see your dealer for
service as soon as possible.
If the light is on steady : A
malfunction has been detected.
Diagnosis and service may be
required.
Check the following:
. If fuel has been added to the
vehicle using the capless fuel
funnel adapter, make sure that it
has been removed. See “Filling the

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11349344) - 2018 - crc - 11/7/17
138 INSTRUMENTS AND CONTROLS
Tank with a Portable Gas Can”
under Filling the Tank 0249. The
diagnostic system can detect if the
adapter has been left installed in
the vehicle, allowing fuel to
evaporate into the atmosphere.
A few driving trips with the
adapter removed may turn off the
light.
. Poor fuel quality can cause
inefficient engine operation and
poor driveability, which may go
away once the engine is warmed
up. If this occurs, change the fuel
brand. It may require at least one
full tank of the proper fuel to turn
the light off. See Fuel0248.
If the light remains on, see your
dealer.
Emissions Inspection and
Maintenance Programs
If the vehicle requires an Emissions
Inspection/Maintenance test, the test
equipment will likely connect to the
vehicle's Data Link Connector (DLC).
The DLC is under the instrument
panel to the left of the steering wheel.
Connecting devices that are not used
to perform an Emissions Inspection/
Maintenance test or to service the
vehicle may affect vehicle operation.
See Add-On Electrical Equipment 0262.
See your dealer if assistance is needed.
The vehicle may not pass
inspection if:
. The light is on when the engine is
running.
. The light does not come on when
the ignition is in Service Mode.
. Critical emission control systems
have not been completely
diagnosed. If this happens, the
vehicle would not be ready for
inspection and might require
several days of routine driving
before the system is ready for
inspection. This can happen if the 12-volt battery has recently been
replaced or run down, or if the
vehicle has been recently serviced.
See your dealer if the vehicle will not
pass or cannot be made ready for
the test.Brake System Warning
Light
The vehicle brake system consists of
two hydraulic circuits. If one circuit is
not working, the remaining circuit can
still work to stop the vehicle. For
normal braking performance, both
circuits need to be working.
If the warning light comes on, there is
a brake problem. Have the brake
system inspected right away.
MetricEnglish

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11349344) - 2018 - crc - 11/7/17
INSTRUMENTS AND CONTROLS 143
the tires to the pressure value shown
on the Tire and Loading Information
label. SeeTire Pressure 0305.
When the Light Flashes First and
Then Is On Steady
If the light flashes for about a minute
and then stays on, there may be a
problem with the TPMS. If the
problem is not corrected, the light will
come on at every ignition cycle. See
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation 0308.
Engine Oil Pressure Light
Caution
Lack of proper engine oil
maintenance can damage the
engine. Driving with the engine oil
low can also damage the engine.
The repairs would not be covered
by the vehicle warranty. Check the
oil level as soon as possible. Add oil
if required, but if the oil level is
within the operating range and the
oil pressure is still low, have the
(Continued)
Caution (Continued)
vehicle serviced. Always follow the
maintenance schedule for changing
engine oil.
This light should come on briefly as
the engine is started. If it does not
come on, have the vehicle serviced by
your dealer.
If the light comes on and stays on, it
means that oil is not flowing through
the engine properly. The vehicle could
be low on oil and might have some
other system problem. See your dealer.
Low Fuel Warning Light
This light is near the fuel gauge and
comes on briefly when the ignition is
turned on as a check to show it is
working.
It also comes on when the fuel tank is
low on fuel. The light turns off when
fuel is added. If it does not, have the
vehicle serviced.
Security Light
The security light should come on
briefly as the engine is started. If it
does not come on, have the vehicle

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11349344) - 2018 - crc - 11/7/17
INSTRUMENTS AND CONTROLS 155
Alert Type
This feature will set crash alerts to
beeps or seat vibrations. This setting
affects all crash alerts including
Forward Collision Alert, Lane
Departure Warning, and Park Assist
alerts. SeeDriver Assistance Systems
0 233.
Select Beeps or Safety Alert Seat.
Forward Collision System
This feature will turn on or off
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) and
Forward Automatic Braking (FAB).
The Off setting disables all FCA and
FAB functions. With the Alert and
Brake setting, both FCA and FAB are
available. The Alert setting disables
FAB. See Forward Automatic Braking
(FAB) 0242.
Select Off, Alert and Brake, or Alert.
Rear Cross Traffic Alert
This allows the Rear Cross Traffic
Alert feature to be turned on or off.
See Assistance Systems for Parking or
Backing 0233.
Select Off or On. Adaptive Cruise Go Notifier
This feature will give a reminder that
Adaptive Cruise Control provides
when it has brought the vehicle to a
complete stop behind another
stopping vehicle, and then that vehicle
drives on.
Select Off or On.
Park Assist
If equipped, this allows the feature to
be turned on or off. See
Assistance
Systems for Parking or Backing 0233.
Select Off, On, or On with Towbar
Attached.
Lane Change Alert
This allows the feature to be turned
on or off. See Lane Change Alert (LCA)
0 244.
Select Off or On.
Comfort and Convenience
Select and the following may display:
. Auto Running Boards
. Auto Memory Recall
. Easy Exit Options .
Chime Volume
. Hands Free Liftgate Control
. Reverse Tilt Mirror
. Auto Mirror Folding
. Auto Wipe in Reverse Gear
Auto Running Boards
This allows the feature to be turned
on or off. See Power Assist Steps 045.
Select Off, On, or Extended.
Auto Memory Recall
This feature automatically recalls the
current driver’s previously stored 1 or
2 button positions when the ignition
is changed from off to on or ACC/
ACCESSORY. See Memory Seats063.
Select On or Off.
Easy Exit Options
This feature automatically recalls the
previously stored exit button position
when exiting the vehicle. See Memory
Seats 063.
Select Off or On.

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11349344) - 2018 - crc - 11/7/17
164 LIGHTING
Lighting
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . . 164
Exterior Lamps Off Reminder . . . 166
Headlamp High/Low-BeamChanger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Automatic Headlamp System . . . 167
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . . . . 168
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Cornering Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Interior Lighting
Instrument Panel Illumination Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Lighting Features
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Battery Load Management . . . . . . 171
Battery Power Protection . . . . . . . . 171
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls
The exterior lamp control is on the
instrument panel to the left of the
steering wheel.
Turn the control to the following
positions:
P:Turns off the automatic
headlamps and Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL). Turning the headlamp
control to
Pagain will turn the
automatic headlamps and DRL
back on. For vehicles first sold in Canada, the
off position only works when the
vehicle is shifted into the P (Park)
position.
AUTO :
Automatically turns the
exterior lamps on and off, depending
on outside lighting.
;: Turns on the parking lamps
including all lamps, except the
headlamps.
2: Turns on the headlamps together
with the parking lamps and
instrument panel lights.
When the headlamps are turned on
while the vehicle is on, the headlamps
will turn off automatically 10 minutes
after the ignition is turned off. When
the headlamps are turned on while
the vehicle is off, the headlamps will
stay on for 10 minutes before
automatically turning off to prevent
the battery from being drained. Turn
the headlamp control to off and then
back to the headlamp on position to
make the headlamps stay on for an
additional 10 minutes.

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11349344) - 2018 - crc - 11/7/17
166 LIGHTING
.The vehicle is being driven on
winding or hilly roads.
The automatic high-beam headlamps
may need to be disabled if any of the
above conditions exist.
Exterior Lamps Off
Reminder
If a door is open, a reminder chime
sounds when the headlamps or
parking lamps are manually turned on
and the ignition is off. To turn off the
chime, turn the exterior lamp control
to off or AUTO and then back on,
or close and re-open the door. In the
AUTO mode, the headlamps turn off
once the ignition is off or remain on
until the headlamp delay ends (if
enabled in the DIC). See “Exit
Lighting” underVehicle Personalization
0 152.
Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer
Push the turn signal lever toward the
instrument panel to change the
headlamps from low to high beam. Pull the turn signal lever toward you
and release it to return to low-beam
headlamps.
When the high-beam headlamps are
on, this indicator light on the
instrument cluster will also be on.
Flash-to-Pass
This feature lets you use the
high-beam headlamps to signal a
driver in front of you that you want to
pass. It works even if the headlamps
are in the automatic position.
To use it, pull the turn signal lever
toward you, then release it.
If the headlamps are in the automatic
position or on low beam, the
high-beam headlamps will turn on.
They will stay on as long as you hold
the lever toward you. The high-beam
indicator on the instrument cluster
will come on. Release the lever to
return to normal operation.
Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL)
DRL can make it easier for others to
see the front of the vehicle during the
day. Fully functional DRL are required
on all vehicles first sold in Canada.
The DRL system comes on when the
following conditions are met:
.
The ignition is on.
. The exterior lamp control is
in AUTO.
. The transmission is not in
P (Park).
. The light sensor determines it is
daytime.
When the DRL system is on, only the
DRL are on. The taillamps, sidemarker
lamps, instrument panel lights, and
other lamps will not be on.
When it begins to get dark, the
automatic headlamp system switches
from DRL to the headlamps.

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11349344) - 2018 - crc - 11/7/17
170 LIGHTING
Reading Lamps
There are reading lamps in the
overhead console and the headliner,
if equipped. To operate, the ignition
must be on or in ACC/ACCESSORY,
or using Retained Accessory
Power (RAP).
Pressmornnext to each reading
lamp to turn it on or off.
Lighting Features
Entry Lighting
Some exterior lamps and the interior
lamps turn on briefly at night, or in
areas with limited lighting, when
Kis
pressed on the Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) transmitter. When a door is
opened, the interior lamps come on if
the dome lamp control is in the DOOR
position. After about 30 seconds the
exterior lamps turn off. Entry lighting
can be disabled manually by changing
the ignition out of the OFF position,
or by pressing the RKE transmitter
Q
button.
This feature can be changed. See
“Vehicle Locator Lights” underVehicle
Personalization 0152.
Exit Lighting
Some exterior lamps and interior
lamps come on at night, or in areas
with limited lighting, when the driver
door is opened after the ignition is
turned off. The exterior lamps and

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11349344) - 2018 - crc - 11/7/17
LIGHTING 171
interior lamps remain on for a set
amount of time, then automatically
turn off.
The exterior lamps turn off
immediately by turning the exterior
lamp control off.
This feature can be changed. See
Vehicle Personalization0152.
Battery Load Management
The vehicle has Electric Power
Management (EPM), which estimates
the battery's temperature and state of
charge. It then adjusts the voltage for
best performance and extended life of
the battery.
When the battery's state of charge is
low, the voltage is raised slightly to
quickly bring the charge back up.
When the state of charge is high, the
voltage is lowered slightly to prevent
overcharging. The voltmeter gauge or
the voltage display on the Driver
Information Center (DIC), if equipped,
may show the voltage moving up or
down. This is normal. If there is a
problem, an alert will be displayed. The battery can be discharged at idle
if the electrical loads are very high.
This is true for all vehicles. This is
because the generator (alternator)
may not be spinning fast enough at
idle to produce all the power that is
needed for very high electrical loads.
A high electrical load occurs when
several of the following are on, such
as: headlamps, high beams, fog lamps,
rear window defogger, climate control
fan at high speed, heated seats, engine
cooling fans, trailer loads, and loads
plugged into accessory power outlets.
EPM works to prevent excessive
discharge of the battery. It does this
by balancing the generator's output
and the vehicle's electrical needs.
It can increase engine idle speed to
generate more power, whenever
needed. It can temporarily reduce the
power demands of some accessories.
Normally, these actions occur in steps
or levels, without being noticeable. In
rare cases at the highest levels of
corrective action, this action may be
noticeable to the driver. If so, a DIC
message might be displayed and it isrecommended that the driver reduce
the electrical loads as much as
possible.
Battery Power Protection
This feature shuts off the dome and
reading lamps if they are left on for
more than 10 minutes when the
ignition is off. This will keep the
battery from running down.
Exterior Lighting Battery
Saver
The exterior lamps turn off about
10 minutes after the ignition is turned
off, if the parking lamps or headlamps
have been manually left on. This
protects against draining the battery.
To restart the 10-minute timer, turn
the exterior lamp control to the
O
position and then back to the;or
2position.
To keep the lamps on for more than
10 minutes, the ignition must be on or
in ACC/ACCESSORY.

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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176 CLIMATE CONTROLS
0:Clears the windshield of fog or
frost more quickly. Air is directed to
the windshield. Press
0to turn on or
off. Changing the air delivery mode
also turns the defrost off.
A/C Mode : Touch AC Mode on the
climate control display to turn the
automatic air conditioning on or off.
If the fan is turned off or the outside
temperature falls below freezing, the
air conditioner will not run.
Press AUTO to return to automatic
operation and the air conditioner runs
as needed.
Automatic Air Recirculation : When
the AUTO indicator light is on, the air
is automatically recirculated as
needed to help quickly cool the inside
of the vehicle.
The climate control system may have
a sensor to detect air pollution. When
using automatic air recirculation, the
air quality control system may
operate. To adjust the sensitivity of
the air quality sensor, see “Climate
and Air Quality” underVehicle
Personalization 0152.
@:Press to alternate between
recirculating air inside the vehicle or
pulling in outside air. The indicator
light on the button is lit when
recirculation mode is active. This
helps to quickly cool the air inside the
vehicle and reduce the entry of
outside air and odors.
Pressing this button cancels automatic
recirculation. Press AUTO to return to
automatic operation; recirculation
runs automatically as needed.
Manual recirculation mode is not
available when in Defrost or Defog
modes.
Auto Defog : The climate control
system uses a sensor to automatically
detect high humidity inside the
vehicle. When high humidity is
detected, the climate control system
may adjust to outside air supply, turn
on the air conditioner, and direct
more air to the windshield. If the
climate control system does not
detect possible window fogging, it
returns to normal operation. To turn Auto Defog off or on, see
“Climate and
Air Quality” underVehicle
Personalization 0152.
Rear Window Defogger
K:Press to turn the rear window
defogger on or off. An indicator light
on the button comes on to show that
the rear window defogger is on.
The rear window defogger only works
when the ignition is on. The defogger
turns off if the ignition is turned off
or to ACC/ACCESSORY.
The rear window defogger can be set
to automatic operation. When Auto
Rear Defog is selected, the rear
window defogger turns on
automatically when the vehicle is first
started in cold weather and turns off
when the vehicle is warmed. To turn
Auto Rear Defog on or off, see
“Climate and Air Quality” under
Vehicle Personalization 0152.
If equipped, the heated outside
mirrors turn on when the rear window
defogger button is on and help to
clear fog or frost from the surface of
the mirrors.

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11349344) - 2018 - crc - 11/7/17
182 DRIVING AND OPERATING
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . 191
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Adjustable Throttle and BrakePedal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203 Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Parking over Things
That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Active Fuel Management . . . . . . . . 205
Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Running the Vehicle While
Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . . . 206
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Drive Systems
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Brakes
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . . 215
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/ElectronicStability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Driver Mode Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Magnetic Ride Control . . . . . . . . . . . 221 Locking Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Automatic Level Control . . . . . . . . . 222
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Adaptive Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . 225
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . . . . . 233
Assistance Systems for Parking
or Backing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Assistance Systems for Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Forward Automatic Braking (FAB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . 244
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . . . . 244
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . . . . . 246
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
California Fuel Requirements . . . . 249
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . . . . . 249
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251