warning light CADILLAC ESCALADE ESV 2012 Owner's Guide

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 (44,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
9-44 Driving and Operating
Object Detection
Systems Ultrasonic Parking Assist If available, the Ultrasonic Rear
Parking Assist (URPA) system uses
sensors on the rear bumper to
assist with parking and avoiding
objects while in R (Reverse).
{ WARNINGThe URPA system does not
detect pedestrians, bicyclists,
animals, or objects below the
bumper or that are too close or
too far from the vehicle. To
prevent injury, death, or vehicle
damage, even with URPA, always
check the area around the vehicle
and check all mirrors before
backing. How the System Works URPA comes on automatically when
the shift lever is moved into
R (Reverse). A single tone sounds
to indicate the system is working.
URPA operates only at speeds less
than 8 km/h (5 mph).
An obstacle is indicated by audible
beeps. The interval between the
beeps becomes shorter as the
vehicle gets closer to the obstacle.
A continuous tone is heard when
the distance is less than
30 cm (12 in).
To be detected, objects must be at
least 25 cm (10 in) off the ground
and below liftgate level. Objects
must also be within 2.5 m (8 ft) from
the rear bumper. This distance may
be less during warmer or humid
weather. Turning the System On and Off
Press this button, located next to
the radio, to disable URPA.
The indicator light will come on and
PARK ASSIST OFF displays on the
Driver Information Center (DIC). See
Object Detection System Messages
on page 5 ‑ 33 .
When the System Does Not
Seem to Work Properly The following messages may be
displayed on the DIC:
SERVICE PARKING ASSIST: If
this message occurs, take the
vehicle to your dealer for repair.

Black plate (46,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
9-46 Driving and Operating How the System Works
The SBZA symbol lights up in the
side mirrors when the system
detects a vehicle in the side blind
zone, indicating it may be unsafe to
change lanes. Before making a lane
change, check the SBZA display,
check all mirrors, glance over your
shoulder, and use the turn signals.
Left Side Mirror
Display Right Side Mirror
Display
When the vehicle is started, both
outside mirror SBZA displays will
briefly come on to indicate the
system is operating. When the
vehicle is moving forward, the left or
right side mirror display will light up
if a vehicle is detected in that blind zone. If the turn signal is activated
and a vehicle is also detected on
the same side, the display will flash
to give you extra warning not to
change lanes.
At speeds greater then 32 km/h
(20 mph), SBZA displays may come
on when approaching or passing
other vehicles. SBZA displays may
come on when a passed vehicle
remains in or drops back into the
detection zone. SBZA can be
disabled through the Driver
Information Center (DIC). See Driver
Information Center (DIC) on
page 5 ‑ 23 . If SBZA is disabled by
the driver, the SBZA mirror displays
will not light up.
When the System Does Not Seem
To Work Properly
Missed alerts can occur under
normal circumstances and will
increase in wet conditions. The
system does not need to be
serviced. SBZA is designed to ignore stationary objects; however,
the system may occasionally light
up due to guard rails, signs, trees,
shrubs, and other stationary objects.
This is normal system operation, the
vehicle does not need service.
If the SBZA displays do not light up
when the system is on and vehicles
are in the blind zone, the system
may need service. Take the vehicle
to your dealer.
SBZA does not operate when the
SBZA sensors in the left or right
corners of the rear bumper are
covered with mud, dirt, snow, ice,
slush, or in heavy rainstorms. For
cleaning instructions, see “ Washing
the Vehicle ” under Exterior Care on
page 10 ‑ 96 . If the DIC still displays
the SIDE BLIND ZONE SYSTEM
UNAVAILABLE message after
cleaning the bumper, see your
dealer.

Black plate (48,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
9-48 Driving and Operating
Rear Vision
Camera (RVC) If available, the Rear Vision Camera
(RVC) system displays part of the
scene behind the vehicle.
{ WARNINGThe RVC system does not display
pedestrians, bicyclists, animals,
or any other object located
outside the camera's field of view,
below the bumper, or under the
vehicle. Do not back the vehicle
using only the RVC screen, such
as during longer, higher speed
backing maneuvers, or where
there could be cross-traffic.
Perceived distances may be
different from actual distances.
(Continued) WARNING (Continued) Failure to use proper care before
backing may result in injury,
death, or vehicle damage. Always
check behind and around the
vehicle before backing.
Turning the RVC System On
or Off The RVC system is designed to
help the driver when backing up by
displaying a view of the area behind
the vehicle. When the vehicle is
shifted into R (Reverse), the video
image appears on the navigation
screen. After a delay, the navigation
screen displays the last screen after
the vehicle is shifted out of
R (Reverse). To turn the RVC system on or off:
1. Shift into P (Park).
2. Press the CONFIG hard key to
enter the configure menu
options, then press the CONFIG
hard key to select Display or
touch the Display screen button.
3. Select the Rear Camera Options
screen button. The Rear Camera
Options screen displays.
4. Select the Video screen button.
When the Video screen button is
highlighted the RVC
system is on.

Black plate (56,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
9-56 Driving and Operating Be careful not to spill fuel. Do not
top off or overfill the tank and wait a
few seconds after you have finished
pumping before removing the
nozzle. Clean fuel from painted
surfaces as soon as possible. See
Exterior Care on page 10 ‑ 96 .
When replacing the fuel cap, insert
the tether in its hole before
tightening the cap. Turn the fuel cap
clockwise until it clicks. It will require
more effort to turn the fuel cap on
the last turn as you tighten it. Make
sure the cap is fully installed. The
diagnostic system can determine if
the fuel cap has been left off or
improperly installed. This would
allow fuel to evaporate into the
atmosphere. See Malfunction
Indicator Lamp on page 5 ‑ 16 .
If the vehicle has a Driver
Information Center (DIC), the
TIGHTEN GAS CAP message
displays if the fuel cap is not
properly installed. { WARNINGIf a fire starts while you are
refueling, do not remove the
nozzle. Shut off the flow of fuel by
shutting off the pump or by
notifying the station attendant.
Leave the area immediately.
Notice: If you need a new fuel
cap, be sure to get the right type.
Your dealer can get one for you.
If you get the wrong type, it may
not fit properly. This may cause
the malfunction indicator lamp to
light and may damage the fuel
tank and emissions system. See
Malfunction Indicator Lamp on
page 5 ‑ 16 . Filling a Portable Fuel
Container
{ WARNINGNever fill a portable fuel container
while it is in the vehicle. Static
electricity discharge from the
container can ignite the fuel
vapor. You can be badly burned
and the vehicle damaged if this
occurs. To help avoid injury to you
and others: .
Dispense fuel only into
approved containers. .
Do not fill a container while it
is inside a vehicle, in a
vehicle's trunk, pickup bed,
or on any surface other than
the ground.
(Continued)

Black plate (69,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
Driving and Operating 9-69Operating the vehicle in Tow/Haul
when lightly loaded or with no trailer
at all will not cause damage.
However, there is no benefit to the
selection of Tow/Haul when the
vehicle is unloaded. Such a
selection when unloaded may result
in unpleasant engine and
transmission driving characteristics
and reduced fuel economy. Tow/
Haul is recommended only when
pulling a heavy trailer or a large or
heavy load. Trailer Sway
Control (TSC) Non-hybrid vehicles with StabiliTrak
have a Trailer Sway Control (TSC)
feature. If the vehicle is towing a
trailer and the system detects that
the trailer is swaying, the vehicle
brakes are applied without the driver
pressing the brake pedal. The TCS/
StabiliTrak warning light will flash on
the instrument panel cluster to notify
the driver to reduce speed. If the
trailer continues to sway, StabiliTrak
will reduce engine torque to help
slow the vehicle. See StabiliTrak ®
System on page 9 ‑ 37 for more
information.
Adding non ‐ dealer accessories can
affect the vehicle performance. See
Accessories and Modifications on
page 10 ‑ 3 for more information.Conversions and
Add-Ons Add-On Electrical
Equipment Notice: Do not add anything
electrical to the vehicle unless
you check with your dealer first.
Some electrical equipment can
damage the vehicle and the
damage would not be covered by
the vehicle's warranty. Some
add-on electrical equipment can
keep other components from
working as they should.
Add-on equipment can drain the
vehicle's 12 ‐ volt battery, even if the
vehicle is not operating.
The vehicle has an airbag system.
Before attempting to add anything
electrical to the vehicle, see
Servicing the Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle on page 3 ‑ 38 and Adding
Equipment to the Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle on page 3 ‑ 38 .

Black plate (1,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
Vehicle Care 10-1
Vehicle Care General Information General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
California Proposition 65
Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
California Perchlorate
Materials Requirements . . . . 10-3
Accessories and
Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Vehicle Checks Doing Your Own
Service Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Engine Compartment
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-6
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-7
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . 10-9
Automatic Transmission
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-10
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . 10-13
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-15 Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-16
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . 10-19
Overheated Engine
Protection
Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22
Engine Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22
Power Steering Fluid . . . . . . . 10-22
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-23
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27
Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . 10-30
Automatic Transmission Shift
Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Ignition Transmission Lock
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-31
Park Brake and P (Park)
Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . 10-31
Wiper Blade
Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-32
Glass Replacement . . . . . . . . 10-33 Headlamp Aiming Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Bulb Replacement Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
High Intensity Discharge
(HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
Back-Up Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . 10-37
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Electrical System Electrical System
Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Fuses and Circuit
Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-39
Engine Compartment Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-39
Instrument Panel Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-43

Black plate (24,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
10-24 Vehicle Care Notice .
When using concentrated
washer fluid, follow the
manufacturer's instructions
for adding water. .
Do not mix water with
ready-to-use washer fluid.
Water can cause the solution
to freeze and damage the
washer fluid tank and other
parts of the washer system. .
Fill the washer fluid tank only
three-quarters full when it is
very cold. This allows for
fluid expansion if freezing
occurs, which could damage
the tank if it is
completely full. .
Do not use engine coolant
(antifreeze) in the windshield
washer. It can damage the
windshield washer system
and paint. 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.
{ WARNINGThe 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.

Black plate (25,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
Vehicle Care 10-25Replacing 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. Brake Fluid
The brake master cylinder reservoir
is filled with DOT 3 brake fluid. See
Engine Compartment Overview on
page 10 ‑ 6 for the location of the
reservoir.
There are only two reasons why the
brake fluid level in the reservoir
might go down: .
The brake fluid level goes down
because of normal brake lining
wear. When new linings are
installed, the fluid level goes
back up. .
A fluid leak in the brake
hydraulic system can also cause
a low fluid level. Have the brake
hydraulic system fixed, since a
leak means that sooner or later
the brakes will not work well. Do not top off the brake fluid.
Adding fluid does not correct a leak.
If fluid is added when the linings are
worn, there will be too much fluid
when new brake linings are
installed. Add or remove brake fluid,
as necessary, only when work is
done on the brake hydraulic system.
{ WARNINGIf too much brake fluid is added, it
can spill on the engine and burn,
if the engine is hot enough. You
or others could be burned, and
the vehicle could be damaged.
Add brake fluid only when work is
done on the brake hydraulic
system. See “ Checking Brake
Fluid ” in this section.
When the brake fluid falls to a low
level, the brake warning light comes
on. See Brake System Warning
Light on page 5 ‑ 19 .

Black plate (36,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
10-36 Vehicle Care
High Intensity Discharge
(HID) Lighting
{ WARNINGThe low beam high intensity
discharge lighting system
operates at a very high voltage.
If you try to service any of the
system components, you could be
seriously injured. Have your
dealer or a qualified technician
service them.
The vehicle may have HID
headlamps. After an HID headlamp
bulb has been replaced, you may
notice that the beam is a slightly
different shade than it was originally.
This is normal. LED Lighting The vehicle may have LED
headlamps. For replacement of the
LED lighting assembly contact your
dealer.
Back-Up Lamps To replace this bulb:
1. Open the liftgate. See Liftgate
on page 2 ‑ 9 for more
information. 2. Remove the two screws from the
taillamp assembly.
3. Pull the taillamp assembly
rearward until the inner pins on
the taillamp assembly disengage
from the vehicle.
4. Press the release tab, if the bulb
socket has one, and turn the
socket counterclockwise to
remove it from the taillamp
assembly.