engine oil CADILLAC ESCALADE ESV 2010 User Guide

Black plate (52,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2010
ICE POSSIBLE DRIVE WITH CARE This message displays when ice conditions are
possible.
LEFT REAR DOOR OPEN This message displays and a chime sounds if the driver
side rear door is not fully closed and the vehicle is
shifted out of P (Park). Stop and turn off the vehicle,
check the door for obstructions, and close the door
again. Check to see if the message still appears on
the DIC.
OIL PRESSURE LOW STOP ENGINE Notice: If you drive your vehicle while the engine oil
pressure is low, severe engine damage may occur.
If a low oil pressure warning appears on the Driver
Information Center (DIC), stop the vehicle as soon
as possible. Do not drive the vehicle until the cause
of the low oil pressure is corrected. See Engine Oil
on page 7 ‑ 17 for more information.
This message displays if low oil pressure levels occur.
Stop the vehicle as soon as safely possible and do not
operate it until the cause of the low oil pressure has
been corrected. Check the oil as soon as possible and
have your vehicle serviced by your dealer. See Engine
Oil on page 7 ‑ 17 . PARKING ASSIST BLOCKED SEE
OWNERS MANUAL If your vehicle has the Ultrasonic Rear Parking Assist
(URPA) system, this message displays if there is
something interfering with the park assist system. See
Ultrasonic Rear Parking Assist (URPA)
on page 3 ‑ 46
for more information.
PARKING ASSIST OFF After the vehicle has been started, this message
displays to remind the driver that the Ultrasonic Rear
Parking Assist (URPA) system has been turned off.
Press the set/reset button to acknowledge this message
and clear it from the DIC display. To turn the URPA
system back on, see Ultrasonic Rear Parking Assist
(URPA) on page 3 ‑ 46 .
PASSENGER DOOR OPEN This message displays and a chime sounds if the front
passenger door is not fully closed and the vehicle is
shifted out of P (Park). Stop and turn off the vehicle,
check the door for obstructions, and close the door
again. Check to see if the message still appears on
the DIC.
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Black plate (26,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2010
Other Rainy Weather Tips Besides slowing down, other wet weather driving tips
include: .
Allow extra following distance. .
Pass with caution. .
Keep windshield wiping equipment in good shape. .
Keep the windshield washer fluid reservoir filled. .
Have good tires with proper tread depth. See Tires
on page 7 ‑ 58 ..
Turn off cruise control.
Before Leaving on a Long Trip To prepare your vehicle for a long trip, consider having
it serviced by your dealer before departing.
Things to check on your own include: .
Windshield Washer Fluid: Reservoir full? Windows
clean — inside and outside?.
Wiper Blades: In good shape?.
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: All levels checked?.
Lamps: Do they all work and are lenses clean? .
Tires: Are treads good? Are tires inflated to
recommended pressure? .
Weather and Maps: Safe to travel? Have
up-to-date maps?
Highway Hypnosis Always be alert and pay attention to your surroundings
while driving. If you become tired or sleepy, find a safe
place to park your vehicle and rest.
Other driving tips include: .
Keep the vehicle well ventilated. .
Keep interior temperature cool. .
Keep your eyes moving — scan the road ahead
and to the sides. .
Check the rearview mirror and vehicle instruments
often.
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Black plate (52,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2010
Driving On Grades Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before starting
down a long or steep downgrade. If the transmission is
not shifted down, the brakes might get hot and no
longer work well.
Vehicles can tow in D (Drive). Shift the transmission to
a lower gear if the transmission shifts too often under
heavy loads and/or hilly conditions.
The tow/haul mode may be used if the transmission
shifts too often. See Tow/Haul Mode on page 3 ‑ 36 .
When towing at high altitude on steep uphill grades,
consider the following: Engine coolant will boil at a
lower temperature than at normal altitudes. If the engine
is turned off immediately after towing at high altitude on
steep uphill grades, the vehicle may show signs similar
to engine overheating. To avoid this, let the engine run
while parked, preferably on level ground, with the
automatic transmission in P (Park) for a few minutes
before turning the engine off. If the overheat warning
comes on, see Engine Overheating on page 7 ‑ 34 .Parking on Hills
{ WARNING: Parking the vehicle on a hill with the trailer
attached can be dangerous. If something goes
wrong, the rig could start to move. People can be
injured, and both the vehicle and the trailer can be
damaged. When possible, always park the rig on
a flat surface.
If parking the rig on a hill:
1. Press the brake pedal, but do not shift into P (Park)
yet. Turn the wheels into the curb if facing downhill
or into traffic if facing uphill.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer
wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the
regular brakes until the chocks absorb the load.
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Black plate (53,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2010
4. Reapply the brake pedal. Then apply the parking
brake and shift into P (Park).
5. Release the brake pedal.
{ WARNING: It can be dangerous to get out of the vehicle if the
shift lever is not fully in P (Park) with the parking
brake firmly set. The vehicle can roll.
If the engine has been left running, the vehicle
can move suddenly. You or others could be
injured. To be sure the vehicle will not move, even
when on fairly level ground, always put the shift
lever fully in P (Park) with the parking brake
firmly set. Leaving After Parking on a Hill 1. Apply and hold the brake pedal.
2. Start the engine
3. Shift into a gear
4. Release the parking brake
5. Let up on the brake pedal.
6. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
7. Stop and have someone pick up and store the
chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing The vehicle needs service more often when pulling a
trailer. See this manual's Maintenance Schedule or
Index for more information. Things that are especially
important in trailer operation are automatic transmission
fluid, engine oil, axle lubricant, belts, cooling system
and brake system. It is a good idea to inspect these
before and during the trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and bolts
are tight.
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Black plate (1,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2010
Section 7 Service and Appearance CareService . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-4
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-4
California Proposition 65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-5
California Perchlorate Materials
Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-5
Doing Your Own Service Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6
Adding Equipment to the Outside of the
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7
Gasoline Octane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8
Gasoline Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8
California Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8
Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-9
Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-9
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-10
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-11
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-13
Checking Things Under the Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-14
Hood Release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-15
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-16
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-17
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-20
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-22 Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-24
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-27
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-29
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-34
Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-37
Engine Fan Noise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-37
Power Steering Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-38
Windshield Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-39
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-40
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-43
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-44
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-49
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-50
Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-51
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-52
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-54
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . 7-54
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-55
Back-Up Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-55
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-56
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-56
7-1

Additives To provide cleaner air, all gasolines in the United States
are now required to contain additives that help prevent
engine and fuel system deposits from forming, allowing
the emission control system to work properly. In most
cases, nothing should have to be added to the fuel.
However, some gasolines contain only the minimum
amount of additive required to meet U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency regulations. To help keep fuel
injectors and intake valves clean, or if the vehicle
experiences problems due to dirty injectors or valves,
look for gasoline that is advertised as TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline.
For customers who do not use TOP TIER Detergent
Gasoline regularly, one bottle of GM Fuel System
Treatment PLUS, added to the fuel tank at every engine
oil change, can help clean deposits from fuel injectors
and intake valves. GM Fuel System Treatment PLUS is
the only gasoline additive recommended by General
Motors.
Also, your dealer has additives that will help correct and
prevent most deposit ‐ related problems.
Gasolines containing oxygenates, such as ethers and
ethanol, and reformulated gasolines might be available
in your area. We recommend that you use these
gasolines, if they comply with the specifications
described earlier. However, E85 (85% ethanol) and other fuels containing more than 10% ethanol must not
be used in vehicles that were not designed for those
fuels.
Notice: This vehicle was not designed for fuel that
contains methanol. Do not use fuel containing
methanol. It can corrode metal parts in the fuel
system and also damage plastic and rubber parts.
That damage would not be covered under the
vehicle warranty.
Some gasolines that are not reformulated for low
emissions can contain an octane-enhancing additive
called methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl
(MMT); ask the attendant where you buy gasoline
whether the fuel contains MMT. We recommend against
the use of such gasolines. Fuels containing MMT can
reduce the life of spark plugs and the performance of
the emission control system could be affected. The
malfunction indicator lamp might turn on. If this occurs,
return to your dealer for service.
Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) Vehicles that have a FlexFuel badge and a yellow fuel
cap can use either unleaded gasoline or ethanol fuel
containing up to 85% ethanol (E85). For all other
vehicles, use only the unleaded gasolline described
under Gasoline Octane on page 7 ‑ 8 .
7-9

To check the fuel availability, ask an auto club,
or contact a major oil company that does business in
the country where you will be driving.
Filling the Tank
{ WARNING: Fuel vapor burns violently and a fuel fire can
cause bad injuries. To help avoid injuries to you
and others, read and follow all the instructions on
the fuel pump island. Turn off the engine when
refueling. Do not smoke near fuel or when
refueling the vehicle. Do not use cellular phones.
Keep sparks, flames, and smoking materials away
from fuel. Do not leave the fuel pump unattended
when refueling the vehicle. This is against the law
in some places. Do not re-enter the vehicle while
pumping fuel. Keep children away from the fuel
pump; never let children pump fuel. The tethered fuel cap is located behind a hinged fuel
door on the driver side of the vehicle. If the vehicle has
E85 fuel capability, the fuel cap will be yellow and
state that E85 or gasoline can be used. See Fuel E85
(85% Ethanol) on page 7 ‑ 9 .
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Black plate (14,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2010
Checking Things Under
the Hood
{ WARNING: An electric fan under the hood can start up and
injure you even when the engine is not running.
Keep hands, clothing, and tools away from any
underhood electric fan.
{ WARNING: Things that burn can get on hot engine parts and
start a fire. These include liquids like fuel, oil,
coolant, brake fluid, windshield washer and other
fluids, and plastic or rubber. You or others could
be burned. Be careful not to drop or spill things
that will burn onto a hot engine.
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Black plate (17,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2010
A. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter on page 7 ‑ 22 .
B. Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap. See
Cooling System on page 7 ‑ 27 .
C. Remote Positive (+) Terminal. See Jump Starting
on page 7 ‑ 44 .
D. Battery on page 7 ‑ 43 .
E. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See “ When to Add Engine Oil ”
under Engine Oil on page 7 ‑ 17 .
F. Automatic Transmission Dipstick (Out of View).
See “ Checking the Fluid Level ” under Automatic
Transmission Fluid on page 7 ‑ 24 .
G. Remote Negative ( − ) Terminal (GND) (Out of
View). See Jump Starting on page 7 ‑ 44 .
H. Engine Oil Dipstick (Out of View). See “ Checking
Engine Oil ” under Engine Oil on page 7 ‑ 17 .
I. Engine Cooling Fan (Out of View). See Cooling
System on page 7 ‑ 27 .
J. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir (Out of View). See
Power Steering Fluid on page 7 ‑ 38 .
K. Brake Master Cylinder Reservoir. See “ Brake
Fluid ” under Brakes on page 7 ‑ 40 . L. Underhood Fuse Block on page 7 ‑ 113 .
M. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See “ Adding
Washer Fluid ” under Windshield Washer Fluid
on
page 7 ‑ 39 .
Engine Oil Checking Engine Oil It is a good idea to check the engine oil level at each
fuel fill. In order to get an accurate reading, the oil must
be warm and the vehicle must be on level ground.
The engine oil dipstick handle is a yellow loop. See
Engine Compartment Overview on page 7 ‑ 16 for the
location of the engine oil dipstick.
1. Turn off the engine and give the oil several minutes
to drain back into the oil pan. If this is not done, the
oil dipstick might not show the actual level.
2. Pull out the dipstick and clean it with a paper towel
or cloth, then push it back in all the way. Remove it
again, keeping the tip down, and check the level.
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Black plate (18,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2010
When to Add Engine Oil
If the oil is below the cross-hatched area at the tip
of the dipstick, add at least one quart/liter of the
recommended oil. This section explains what kind of
oil to use. For engine oil crankcase capacity, see
Capacities and Specifications on page 7 ‑ 117 .
Notice: Do not add too much oil. If the engine has
so much oil that the oil level gets above the
cross-hatched area that shows the proper operating
range, the engine could be damaged. See Engine Compartment
Overview on page 7 ‑ 16
for the location of the
engine oil fill cap.
Add enough oil to put the level somewhere in the proper
operating range. Push the dipstick all the way back in
when through.
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