automatic transmission CADILLAC ESCALADE ESV 2010 User Guide

Black plate (35,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2010
current vehicle speed cannot be maintained, the
transmission does not upshift and instead holds the
current gear. In some cases, this may appear to be a
delayed shift, however the transmission is operating
normally.
The vehicle's transmission uses adaptive shift controls
that compares key shift parameters to pre-programmed
ideal shifts stored in the transmissions computer. The
transmission constantly makes adjustments to improve
vehicle performance according to how the vehicle is
being used, such as with a heavy load or when
temperature changes. During this adaptive shift controls
process, shifting may feel different as the transmission
determines the best settings.
When temperatures are very cold, the Hydra-Matic ®
6L80 automatic transmission's gear shifting may be
delayed providing more stable shifts until the engine
warms up. Shifts may be more noticeable with a cold
transmission. This difference in shifting is normal. Driver Shift Control (DSC)
The vehicle has Driver Shift Control (DSC). DSC
controls the vehicle's transmission and vehicle speed
while driving down hill or towing a trailer by allowing you
to select a desired range of gears.
To use this feature, do the following:
1. Move the shift lever to the M (Manual Mode).
2. Press the plus/minus button, to upshift or downshift
selecting the desired range of gears for current
driving conditions.
3-35

Black plate (36,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2010
The DIC display will show the message MANUAL
SHIFT on the first line and the current gear will be
displayed on the second line. See Driver Information
Center (DIC)
on page 4 ‑ 41 and DIC Operation and
Displays on page 4 ‑ 42 for more information. The
number displayed in the DIC is the highest gear that
can be used. However, the vehicle can automatically
shift to lower gears as it adjusts to driving conditions.
This means that all gears below that number are
available. When 5 (Fifth ) is selected, 1 (First) through
5 (Fifth) gears are automatically shifted by the vehicle,
but 6 (Sixth) cannot be used until the plus/minus button
located on the steering column lever is used to change
to the gear.
Grade Braking is not available when the Driver Shift
Control is active. See Tow/Haul Mode
on page 3 ‑ 36 for
more information.
While using the DSC, cruise control and the tow/haul
mode can be used. Tow/Haul Mode
The vehicle has a tow/haul mode. The tow/haul mode
adjusts the transmission shift pattern to reduce shift
cycling, providing increased performance, vehicle
control, and transmission cooling when towing or
hauling heavy loads.
Press the button located on the end of the shift lever to
turn the tow/haul on or off. When the tow/haul is on, a
light on the instrument panel cluster will come on.
See Tow/Haul Mode Light
on page 4 ‑ 40 for more
information.
3-36

Black plate (37,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2010
Also see “ Tow Haul Mode ” under Towing a Trailer on
page 6 ‑ 42
for more information.
The tow/haul mode works with the Autoride ®
feature,
if the vehicle has this, to enhance the ride when
trailering or with a loaded vehicle. See Autoride ®
on
page 6 ‑ 42
.
Grade Braking The Grade Braking shift modes can be activated by
pressing the button on the end of the shift control lever.
While in Range Selection Mode, Grade Braking is
deactivated allowing the driver to select a desired range
of gears.
Grade Braking is only active while the Tow/Haul Mode
is selected and you are not in the Range Selection
Mode. See “ Tow/Haul Mode listed previously and
Automatic Transmission Operation
on page 3 ‑ 32 for
more information on the Range Selection Mode. Grade
Braking assists in maintaining desired vehicle speeds
when driving on downhill grades by automatically
implementing a shift schedule that utilizes the engine
and transmission to slow the vehicle. This reduces wear
on the braking system and increases control of the
vehicle. Grade Braking monitors vehicle speed,
acceleration, engine torque and brake pedal usage.
Using this information, it detects when the vehicle is on
a downhill grade and the driver desires to slow the
vehicle by pressing the brake. Also see Towing a Trailer on page 6 ‑ 42 for more
information.
Cruise Grade Braking Cruise Grade Braking assists when driving on a
downhill grade. It maintains vehicle speed by
automatically implementing a shift schedule that uses
the engine and the transmission to slow the vehicle.
Cruise Grade Braking operates while Cruise Control is
engaged in Tow/Haul mode to assist in maintaining
vehicle speed under loaded vehicle conditions.
It utilizes vehicle acceleration and deviation from
desired speed to determine the correct gear for the
operating condition. If vehicle speed is above the
desired speed the transmission will downshift to slow
the vehicle. If vehicle speed is near or below desired
speed the trans will upshift, allowing vehicle speed to
increase.
While in the Range Select Mode (RSM) mode, cruise
grade braking is not available.
See Automatic Transmission Operation on page 3 ‑ 32 .
3-37

Black plate (42,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2010
Running the Vehicle While Parked It is better not to park with the engine running. But if you
ever have to, here are some things to know.
{ WARNING: Idling a vehicle in an enclosed area with poor
ventilation is dangerous. Engine exhaust may
enter the vehicle. Engine exhaust contains
Carbon Monoxide (CO) which cannot be seen or
smelled. It can cause unconsciousness and even
death. Never run the engine in an enclosed area
that has no fresh air ventilation. For more
information, see Engine Exhaust on page 3 ‑ 41 .
{ WARNING: It can be dangerous to get out of the vehicle if the
automatic transmission shift lever is not fully in
P (Park) with the parking brake firmly set. The
vehicle can roll. Do not leave the vehicle when the
engine is running unless you have to. If you have
left the engine running, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You or others could be injured. To be
sure the vehicle will not move, even when you are
on fairly level ground, always set the parking
brake and move the shift lever to P (Park).
Follow the proper steps to be sure the vehicle will not
move. See Shifting Into Park on page 3 ‑ 39 .
If parking on a hill and pulling a trailer, see Towing a
Trailer on page 6 ‑ 42 .
3-42

Black plate (8,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2010
The rear window wiper/washer will not operate if the
liftgate or liftglass is open or ajar. If the liftgate or
liftglass is opened while the rear wiper is on, the wiper
will return to the parked position and stop.
Cruise Control
{ WARNING: Cruise control can be dangerous where you
cannot drive safely at a steady speed. So, do not
use the cruise control on winding roads or in
heavy traffic.
Cruise control can be dangerous on slippery
roads. On such roads, fast changes in tire traction
can cause excessive wheel slip, and you could
lose control. Do not use cruise control on slippery
roads.
With cruise control, a speed of about 40 km/h (25 mph)
or more can be maintained without keeping your foot on
the accelerator. Cruise control does not work at speeds
below about 40 km/h (25 mph).
When the brakes are applied, cruise control is
turned off. For vehicles with an Allison ®
or Hydra ‐ Matic 6 ‐ speed
automatic transmission, see “ Grade Braking and Cruise
Grade Braking (Allison Transmission) under Tow/Haul
Mode
on page 3 ‑ 36 for an explanation of how cruise
control interacts with the Range Selection Mode, tow/
haul and grade braking systems.
If the vehicle has StabiliTrak ®
, and the system begins to
limit wheel spin, cruise control will automatically
disengage. See StabiliTrak ®
System on page 6 ‑ 6 .
When road conditions allow the cruise control to be
safely used again, it can be turned back on.
Cruise Control shown with
Heated Steering Wheel
Button (If Equipped)
4-8

Black plate (15,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2010
Headlamps on Reminder If a door is open, a reminder chime sounds when the
headlamps or parking lamps are manually turned on
and the key is out of the ignition. To turn off the chime,
turn the headlamp switch 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 in LOCK/OFF
or remains on until the headlamp delay ends (if enabled
in the DIC). See “ Exit Lighting ” under DIC Vehicle
Customization on page 4 ‑ 58 .
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier for
others to see the front of your vehicle during the day.
Fully functional daytime running lamps 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 lamps control is in AUTO. .
The engine is running. .
The light sensor determines it is daytime.
When the DRL system is on, only the DRL lamps are
on. The taillamps, sidemarker, 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.
To turn off the DRL lamps, turn the exterior lamps
control to the OFF position and then release. For
vehicles first sold in Canada, the transmission must be
in the P (Park) position, before the DRL lamps can be
turned off.
Automatic Headlamp System When it is dark enough outside, the automatic
headlamp system turns on the headlamps at the normal
brightness, along with the taillamps, sidemarker, parking
lamps, and the instrument panel lights. The radio lights
will also be dim.
To turn off the automatic headlamp system, turn the
exterior lamps switch to the off position and then
release it. For vehicles first sold in Canada, the
transmission must be in the P (Park) position, before the
automatic headlamp system can be turned off.
The vehicle has a light sensor located on the top of the
instrument panel in the defroster grille that regulates
when the automatic headlamps turn on. Do not cover
the sensor or the headlamps will come on whenever the
ignition is on.
The system may also turn on the headlamps when
driving through a parking garage, heavy overcast
weather, or a tunnel. This is normal.
4-15

Black plate (44,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2010
Average Economy Press the trip/fuel button until AVERAGE ECONOMY
displays. This display shows the approximate average
miles per gallon (mpg) or liters per 100 kilometers
(L/100 km). This number is calculated based on the
number of mpg (L/100 km) recorded since the last time
this menu item was reset. To reset AVERAGE
ECONOMY, press and hold the set/reset button.
Fuel Used Press the trip/fuel button until FUEL USED displays.
This display shows the number of gallons (gal) or
liters (L) of fuel used since the last reset of this menu
item. To reset the fuel used information, press and hold
the set/reset button while FUEL USED is displayed.
Timer Press the trip/fuel button until TIMER displays. This
display can be used as a timer.
To start the timer, press the set/reset button while
TIMER is displayed. The display will show the amount
of time that has passed since the timer was last reset,
not including time the ignition is off. Time will continue
to be counted as long as the ignition is on, even
if another display is being shown on the DIC. The
timer will record up to 99 hours, 59 minutes and
59 seconds (99:59:59) after which the display will return
to zero. To stop the timer, press the set/reset button briefly while
TIMER is displayed.
To reset the timer to zero, press and hold the set/reset
button while TIMER is displayed.
Transmission Temperature Press the trip/fuel button until TRANS TEMP displays.
This display shows the temperature of the automatic
transmission fluid in either degrees Fahrenheit (°F) or
degrees Celsius (°C).
Instantaneous Economy If your vehicle has this display, press the trip/fuel button
until INST ECON displays. This display shows the
current fuel economy at a particular moment and will
change frequently as driving conditions change. This
display shows the instantaneous fuel economy in miles
per gallon (mpg) or liters per 100 kilometers (L/100 km).
Unlike average economy, this screen cannot be reset.
The display may also show if the vehicle is currently in
V4, V6 or V8 mode.
Average Vehicle Speed Press the trip/fuel button until AVERAGE SPEED
displays. This display shows the average speed in miles
per hour (MPH) or kilometers per hour (km/h).
4-44

Black plate (58,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2010
TRANSMISSION HOT IDLE ENGINE Notice: If you drive the vehicle while the
transmission fluid is overheating and the
transmission temperature warning is displayed on
the instrument panel cluster and/or DIC, you can
damage the transmission. This could lead to costly
repairs that would not be covered by the warranty.
Do not drive your vehicle with overheated
transmission fluid or while the transmission
temperature warning is displayed.
This message displays along with four chimes if the
transmission fluid in the vehicle gets hot. Driving with
the transmission fluid temperature high can cause
damage to the vehicle. Stop the vehicle and let it idle to
allow the transmission to cool. This message clears and
the chime stops when the fluid temperature reaches a
safe level.
TURN SIGNAL ON This message displays and a chime sounds if a turn
signal is left on for 3/4 of a mile (1.2 km). Move the turn
signal/multifunction lever to the off position. WASHER FLUID LOW ADD FLUID This message displays when the windshield washer
fluid is low. Fill the windshield washer fluid reservoir as
soon as possible. See Engine Compartment Overview
on page 7 ‑ 16 for the location of the windshield washer
fluid reservoir. Also, see Windshield Washer Fluid on
page 7 ‑ 39 for more information.
DIC Vehicle Customization Your vehicle may have customization capabilities that
allow you to program certain features to one preferred
setting. Customization features can only be
programmed to one setting on the vehicle and cannot
be programmed to a preferred setting for two different
drivers.
All of the customization options may not be available on
your vehicle. Only the options available will be
displayed on the DIC.
The default settings for the customization features were
set when your vehicle left the factory, but may have
been changed from their default state since then.
The customization preferences are automatically
recalled.
To change customization preferences, use the following
procedure.
4-58

Black plate (8,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2010
It is recommended to leave the system on for normal
driving conditions, but it may be necessary to turn the
system off if the vehicle is stuck in sand, mud, ice or
snow, and you want to “ rock ” the vehicle to attempt to
free it. It may also be necessary to turn off the system
when driving in extreme off-road conditions where high
wheel spin is required. See If Your Vehicle is Stuck in
Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow on page 6 ‑ 30 .
Traction Control Operation The traction control system is part of the StabiliTrak
system. Traction control limits wheel spin by
reducing engine power to the wheels (engine speed
management) and by applying brakes to each individual
wheel (brake-traction control) as necessary.
The traction control system is enabled automatically
when the vehicle is started. It will activate and the
StabiliTrak light will flash if it senses that any of the
wheels are spinning or beginning to lose traction while
driving. If traction control is turned off, only the
brake-traction control portion of traction control will
work. The engine speed management will be disabled.
In this mode, engine power is not reduced automatically
and the driven wheels can spin more freely. This can
cause the brake-traction control to activate constantly. Notice: If the wheel(s) of one axle is allowed to spin
excessively while the StabiliTrak ®
, ABS, brake
warning lights, and any relevant DIC messages are
displayed, the transfer case could be damaged.
The repairs would not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Reduce engine power and do not spin the
wheel(s) excessively while these lights and
messages are displayed.
The traction control system may activate on dry or
rough roads or under conditions such as heavy
acceleration while turning or abrupt upshifts/downshifts
of the transmission. When this happens, a reduction in
acceleration may be noticed, or a noise or vibration may
be heard. This is normal.
If cruise control is being used when the system
activates, the StabiliTrak light will flash and cruise
control will automatically disengage. Cruise control may
be reengaged when road conditions allow. See Cruise
Control on page 4 ‑ 8 .
StabiliTrak may also turn off automatically if it
determines that a problem exists with the system. If the
problem does not clear itself after restarting the vehicle,
see your dealer for service.
6-8

Black plate (41,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2010
Two-wheel-drive vehicles should not be towed with
the rear wheels on the ground. Two-wheel-drive
transmissions have no provisions for internal lubrication
while being towed.
Dolly Towing (Rear Wheels Off the Ground)
Use the following procedure to dinghy tow a
two-wheel-drive vehicle from the rear:
1. Attach the dolly to the tow vehicle following the
dolly manufacturer's instructions.
2. Drive the rear wheels onto the dolly.
3. Firmly set the parking brake. See Parking Brake
on page 3 ‑ 38 . 4. Put the transmission in P (Park).
5. Secure the vehicle to the dolly following the
manufacturer's instructions.
6. Use an adequate clamping device designed for
towing to ensure that the front wheels are locked
into the straight position.
7. Turn the ignition to LOCK/OFF.
Level Control Automatic Level Control The automatic level control rear suspension is available
on light ‐ duty vehicles and comes as a part of the
Autoride ®
suspension, if equipped.
This type of level control is fully automatic and will
provide a better leveled riding position as well as better
handling under a variety of passenger and loading
conditions. An air compressor connected to the rear
shocks will raise or lower the rear of the vehicle to
maintain proper vehicle height. The system is activated
when the ignition key is turned to ON/RUN and will
automatically adjust vehicle height thereafter. The
system may exhaust (lower vehicle height) for up to
ten minutes after the ignition key has been turned off.
You may hear the air compressor operating when the
height is being adjusted.
6-41