CADILLAC ESCALADE ESV 2012 Owners Manual

Black plate (31,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
Driving and Operating 9-31P (Park): This position locks the
rear wheels. It is the best position to
use when you start the engine
because the vehicle cannot move
easily.
When parked on a hill, especially
when the vehicle has a heavy load,
you may notice an increase in the
effort to shift out of P (Park). See
“ Torque Lock ” under Shifting Into
Park on page 9 ‑ 26 for more
information.
{ WARNINGIt is 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.
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
(Continued) WARNING (Continued) 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).
See Shifting Into Park on
page 9 ‑ 26 . If you are pulling a
trailer, see Driving Characteristics
and Towing Tips on page 9 ‑ 57 .
R (Reverse): Use this gear to
back up.
Notice: Shifting to R (Reverse)
while the vehicle is moving
forward could damage the
transmission. The repairs would
not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Shift to R (Reverse) only
after the vehicle is stopped.
To rock the vehicle back and forth to
get out of snow, ice, or sand without
damaging the transmission, see If
the Vehicle Is Stuck on page 9 ‑ 15 . N (Neutral): In this position, the
engine does not connect with the
wheels. To restart when you are
already moving, use N (Neutral)
only. Also, use N (Neutral) when the
vehicle is being towed.
{ WARNINGShifting 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.

Black plate (32,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
9-32 Driving and Operating 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) ” under Manual Mode on
page 9 ‑ 33 .
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. If the shift stabilization feature
determines that a 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

Black plate (33,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
Driving and Operating 9-33may be more noticeable with a cold
transmission. This difference in
shifting is normal.
Manual Mode 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. The DIC display will show the
message MANUAL SHIFT on the
first line and the current gear will be
displayed on the second line. 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 9 ‑ 33
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 driving
down steep hills and mountain
grades, 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 5 ‑ 20 and Hill and Mountain
Roads on page 9 ‑ 12 for more
information.

Black plate (34,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
9-34 Driving and Operating Also see “ Tow/Haul Mode ” under
Towing Equipment on page 9 ‑ 65 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 Continuous Damping Control
(CDC) on page 9 ‑ 40 .
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 Manual Mode on
page 9 ‑ 33 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 Equipment on
page 9 ‑ 65 for more information.Drive Systems All-Wheel Drive If the vehicle has this feature,
engine power is sent to all four
wheels when extra traction is
needed. This is like four-wheel
drive, but there is no separate lever
or switch to engage or disengage
the front axle. It is fully automatic,
and adjusts itself as needed for road
conditions.
If the vehicle is a hybrid, see
“ Four-Wheel Drive ” in the hybrid
supplement.

Black plate (35,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
Driving and Operating 9-35
Brakes Antilock Brake
System (ABS) This vehicle has the Antilock Brake
System (ABS), an advanced
electronic braking system that helps
prevent a braking skid.
When the engine is started and the
vehicle begins to drive away, ABS
checks itself. A momentary motor or
clicking noise might be heard while
this test is going on, and it might
even be noticed that the brake
pedal moves a little. This is normal.
If there is a problem with ABS, this
warning light stays on. See Antilock
Brake System (ABS) Warning Light
on page 5 ‑ 20 . If driving safely on a wet road and it
becomes necessary to slam on the
brakes and continue braking to
avoid a sudden obstacle, a
computer senses that the wheels
are slowing down. If one of the
wheels is about to stop rolling, the
computer will separately work the
brakes at each wheel.
ABS can change the brake pressure
to each wheel, as required, faster
than any driver could. This can help
the driver steer around the obstacle
while braking hard.
As the brakes are applied, the
computer keeps receiving updates
on wheel speed and controls
braking pressure accordingly.
Remember: ABS does not change
the time needed to get a foot up to
the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too
close to the vehicle in front of you,
there will not be enough time to
apply the brakes if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops. Always
leave enough room up ahead to
stop, even with ABS.
Using ABS Do not pump the brakes. Just hold
the brake pedal down firmly and let
ABS work. You might hear the ABS
pump or motor operating and feel
the brake pedal pulsate, but this is
normal.
Braking in Emergencies ABS allows the driver to steer and
brake at the same time. In many
emergencies, steering can help
more than even the very best
braking.

Black plate (36,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
9-36 Driving and Operating
Parking Brake
Set the parking brake by holding the
regular brake pedal down, then
pushing down the parking brake
pedal.
If the ignition is on, the brake
system warning light will come on.
See Brake System Warning Light on
page 5 ‑ 19 .
Notice: Driving with the parking
brake on can overheat the brake
system and cause premature
wear or damage to brake system
parts. Make sure that the parking brake is fully released and the
brake warning light is off before
driving.
To release the parking brake, hold
the regular brake pedal down, then
push down momentarily on the
parking brake pedal until you feel
the pedal release. Slowly pull your
foot up off the parking brake pedal.
If the parking brake is not released
when you begin to drive, the brake
system warning light will flash and a
chime will sound warning you that
the parking brake is still on.
If you are towing a trailer and are
parking on a hill, see Driving
Characteristics and Towing Tips on
page 9 ‑ 57 .
Brake Assist This vehicle has a brake assist
feature designed to assist the driver
in stopping or decreasing vehicle
speed in emergency driving
conditions. This feature uses the
stability system hydraulic brake
control module to supplement the power brake system under
conditions where the driver has
quickly and forcefully applied the
brake pedal in an attempt to quickly
stop or slow down the vehicle. The
stability system hydraulic brake
control module increases brake
pressure at each corner of the
vehicle until the ABS activates.
Minor brake pedal pulsation or
pedal movement during this time is
normal and the driver should
continue to apply the brake pedal as
the driving situation dictates. The
brake assist feature will
automatically disengage when the
brake pedal is released or brake
pedal pressure is quickly
decreased.
Hill Start Assist (HSA) Non ‐ hybrid vehicles with StabiliTrak
have a Hill Start Assist (HSA)
feature, which may be useful when
the vehicle is stopped on a grade.
This feature is designed to prevent
the vehicle from rolling, either
forward or rearward, during vehicle

Black plate (37,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
Driving and Operating 9-37drive off. After the driver completely
stops and holds the vehicle in a
complete standstill on a grade, HSA
will be automatically activated.
During the transition period between
when the driver releases the brake
pedal and starts to accelerate to
drive off on a grade, HSA holds the
braking pressure for a maximum of
two seconds to ensure that there is
no rolling. The brakes will
automatically release when the
accelerator pedal is applied within
the two ‐ second window. It will not
activate if the vehicle is in a drive
gear and facing downhill or if the
vehicle is facing uphill and in
R (Reverse). There may be
situations on minor hills (less than
5% grade) with a loaded vehicle or
while pulling a trailer where HSA will
not activate. Ride Control Systems StabiliTrak ®
System The vehicle has a vehicle stability
enhancement system called
StabiliTrak. It is an advanced
computer-controlled system that
assists the driver with directional
control of the vehicle in difficult
driving conditions.
StabiliTrak activates when the
computer senses a discrepancy
between the intended path and the
direction the vehicle is actually
traveling. StabiliTrak selectively
applies braking pressure at any one
of the vehicle's brakes to assist the
driver with keeping the vehicle on
the intended path.
StabiliTrak is on automatically
whenever the vehicle is started. To
assist with directional control of the
vehicle, the system should always
be left on. Trailer Sway Control
(TSC) is also on automatically when the vehicle is started. See Trailer
Sway Control (TSC) on page 9 ‑ 69
for more information.
When the vehicle is started and
begins to move, the system
performs several diagnostic checks
to insure there are no problems.
The system may be heard or felt
while it is working. This is normal
and does not mean there is a
problem with the vehicle. The
system should initialize before the
vehicle reaches 32 km/h (20 mph).
In some cases, it may take
approximately 3.2 km (2 mi) of
driving before the system initializes.
If cruise control is being used when
StabiliTrak activates, the cruise
control automatically disengages.
The cruise control can be
re-engaged when road conditions
allow. See Cruise Control on
page 9 ‑ 41 .
If the system fails to turn on or
activate, the StabiliTrak light along
with a message will be displayed on
the Driver Information Center (DIC).

Black plate (38,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
9-38 Driving and Operating If a DIC message appears, make
sure the StabiliTrak system has not
been turned off using the Traction
Control System (TCS)/StabiliTrak
button. Then turn the vehicle off,
wait 15 seconds, and then turn it
back on again to reset the system.
If any of the messages still appear
on the DIC, the vehicle should be
taken in for service. For more
information on the DIC messages,
see Ride Control System Messages
on page 5 ‑ 34 .
The StabiliTrak light will flash on the
instrument panel cluster when the
system or the TSC feature is both
on and activated.
The system may be heard or felt
while it is working; this is normal. The TCS/StabiliTrak button is
located on the instrument panel.
The traction control part of
StabiliTrak can be turned off by
pressing and releasing the TCS/
StabiliTrak button if both systems
(traction control and StabiliTrak)
were previously on.
To disable both TCS and
StabiliTrak, press and hold the
TCS/StabiliTrak button until the
StabiliTrak OFF light illuminates and the appropriate DIC message
displays. This will also disable the
TSC feature.
Traction control and StabiliTrak can
be turned on by pressing and
releasing the TCS/StabiliTrak button
if they are not automatically shut off
for any other reason. This will also
enable the TSC feature.
When the TCS or StabiliTrak system
is turned off, the StabiliTrak light
and the appropriate TCS off or
StabiliTrak off message will be
displayed on the DIC to warn the
driver. The vehicle will still have
brake-traction control when traction
control is off, but will not be able to
use the engine speed management
system. See “ Traction Control
Operation ” next for more
information.
When TCS has been turned off,
system noises may still be heard as
a result of the brake-traction control
coming on.

Black plate (39,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
Driving and Operating 9-39It 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 the Vehicle Is Stuck
on page 9 ‑ 15 .
Traction Control Operation TCS 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.
TCS 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.
TCS 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 9 ‑ 41 .
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.
Non-hybrid vehicles with StabiliTrak
have a Trailer Sway Control (TSC)
feature. See Trailer Sway Control
(TSC) on page 9 ‑ 69 .
Non-hybrid vehicles with StabiliTrak
have a Hill Start Assist (HSA)
feature. See Hill Start Assist (HSA)
on page 9 ‑ 36 .

Black plate (40,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
9-40 Driving and Operating Adding non ‐ dealer accessories can
affect the vehicle's performance.
See Accessories and Modifications
on page 10 ‑ 3 .
Locking Rear Axle Vehicles with a locking rear axle can
give more traction on snow, mud,
ice, sand, or gravel. It works like a
standard axle most of the time, but
when traction is low, this feature will
allow the rear wheel with the most
traction to move the vehicle.
Road Sensing
Suspension The Road Sensing Suspension
(RSS) feature provides superior
vehicle ride and handling under a
variety of passenger and loading
conditions.
The system is fully automatic and
uses a computer controller to
continuously monitor vehicle speed,
wheel to body position, lift/dive and
steering position of the vehicle. The
controller then sends signals to each shock absorber to
independently adjust the damping
level to provide the optimum
vehicle ride.
RSS also interacts with the tow/haul
mode that, when engaged, will
provide additional control of the
shock absorbers. This additional
control results in better ride and
handling characteristics when the
vehicle is loaded or towing a trailer.
See “ Tow/Haul Mode ” under Towing
Equipment on page 9 ‑ 65 .
Continuous Damping
Control (CDC) This vehicle may have a continuous
damping control system called
Autoride ®
or MagneRide ™ . With
this feature, improved vehicle ride
and handling is provided under a
variety of passenger and loading
conditions.
Autoride and MagneRide are fully
automatic and use a computer
controller to continuously monitor
vehicle speed, wheel to body position, lift/dive and steering
position of the vehicle. The
controller then sends signals to
each shock absorber to
independently adjust the damping
level to provide the optimum
vehicle ride.
Autoride and MagneRide also
interact with the tow/haul mode that,
when activated, will provide
additional control of the shock
absorbers. This additional control
results in better ride and handling
characteristics when the vehicle is
loaded or towing a trailer. See “ Tow/
Haul Mode ” under Trailer Towing on
page 9 ‑ 61 for more information.
Automatic Level Control The automatic level control rear
suspension is available on light ‐ duty
vehicles and comes as a part of the
Continuous Damping Control (CDC)
suspension, if equipped.
This type of level control is fully
automatic and will provide a better
leveled riding position as well as