engine CADILLAC ESCALADE ESV 2012 Owners Manual

Black plate (2,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
2012 Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual MDriving and Operating . . . . . . . . 9-1
Driving Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Starting and Operating . . . . . . . 9-21
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-29
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 9-30
Drive Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-34
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Ride Control Systems . . . . . . . . 9-37
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-41
Object Detection Systems . . . . 9-44
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-51
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-57
Conversions and Add-Ons . . . 9-69
Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Vehicle Checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33 Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
Electrical System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Wheels and Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-46
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-88
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-93
Appearance Care . . . . . . . . . . . 10-96
Service and Maintenance . . . 11-1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 11-1
Cadillac Premium Care
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-3
Maintenance Schedule . . . . . . . 11-3
Special Application
Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-9
Additional Maintenance
and Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-9
Recommended Fluids,
Lubricants, and Parts . . . . . . 11-13
Maintenance Records . . . . . . . 11-16 Technical Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Vehicle Identification . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Vehicle Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Customer Information . . . . . . . 13-1
Customer Information . . . . . . . . 13-1
Reporting Safety Defects . . . . 13-18
Vehicle Data Recording and
Privacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-19
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-1
OnStar Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-1
OnStar Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-2
OnStar Additional
Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-5
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i-1

Black plate (5,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
Introduction vVehicle Symbol Chart
Here are some additional symbols
that may be found on the vehicle
and what they mean. For more
information on the symbol, refer to
the Index.
0 : Adjustable Pedals
9 : Airbag Readiness Light
# : Air Conditioning
! : Antilock Brake System (ABS)
% : Audio Steering Wheel Controls
or OnStar®
$ : Brake System Warning Light
" : Charging System I : Cruise Control
B : Engine Coolant Temperature
O : Exterior Lamps
# : Fog Lamps
. : Fuel Gauge
+ : Fuses
3 : Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer
( : Heated Steering Wheel
j : LATCH System Child
Restraints
* : Malfunction Indicator Lamp
: : Oil Pressure g : Outside Power Foldaway
Mirrors
O : Power
/ : Remote Vehicle Start
> : Safety Belt Reminders
7 : Tire Pressure Monitor
_ : Tow/Haul Mode
d : Traction Control/StabiliTrak®
M : Windshield Washer Fluid

Black plate (1,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
In Brief 1-1
In Brief Instrument Panel Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . 1-4
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Liftgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8
Memory Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Second Row Seats . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Third Row Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Heated and Ventilated
Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Head Restraint
Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Passenger Sensing
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12
Mirror Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12
Steering Wheel
Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14 Throttle and Brake Pedal
Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . 1-16
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
Vehicle Features Radio(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Portable Audio Devices . . . . . . 1-18
Bluetooth ®
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Mobile Apps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . 1-19
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
Navigation System . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
Driver Information
Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
Side Blind Zone
Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-21
Rear Vision
Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-22
Ultrasonic Parking Assist . . . . 1-22
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-22
Universal Remote System . . . 1-22
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-23 Performance and Maintenance StabiliTrak ®
System . . . . . . . . . 1-24
Tire Pressure Monitor . . . . . . . . 1-24
Tire Sealant and
Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-24
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . 1-25
Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) . . . . . 1-25
Driving for Better Fuel
Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-25
Roadside Service . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-26
OnStar ®
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-26

Black plate (4,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
1-4 In Brief
Initial Drive
Information This section provides a brief
overview about some of the
important features that may or may
not be on your specific vehicle.
For more detailed information, refer
to each of the features which can be
found later in this owner manual.
Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System The RKE transmitter is used to
remotely lock and unlock the doors
from up to 60 m (195 ft) away from
the vehicle. Press
K to unlock the driver door.
Press
K again within three seconds
to unlock all remaining doors.
Press
Q to lock all doors.
Lock and unlock feedback can be
personalized. See Vehicle
Personalization on page 5 ‑ 38 .
Press and hold
8 to open or
close the liftgate.
Press and hold
m to open the
liftglass. Press
L and release to locate the
vehicle.
Press
L and hold for
three seconds to sound the panic
alarm.
Press
L again to cancel the panic
alarm.
See Keys on page 2 ‑ 2 and Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) System
Operation on page 2 ‑ 3 .
Remote Vehicle Start With this feature the engine can be
started from outside of the vehicle.
Starting the Vehicle 1. Aim the RKE transmitter at the
vehicle.
2. Press and release
Q .
3. Immediately after completing
Step 2, press and hold
/ until
the turn signal lamps flash.

Black plate (5,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
In Brief 1-5When the vehicle starts, the parking
lamps will turn on and remain on
as long as the engine is running.
The doors will be locked and the
climate control system may
come on.
The engine will continue to run for
10 minutes. Repeat the steps for a
10-minute time extension. Remote
start can be extended only once.
Canceling a Remote Start To cancel a remote start: .
Aim the RKE transmitter at the
vehicle and press and hold
/until the parking lamps turn off. .
Turn on the hazard warning
flashers. .
Turn the ignition on and then
back off.
See Remote Vehicle Start on
page 2 ‑ 5 . Door Locks There are several ways to lock and
unlock the vehicle.
From outside, use the Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter or
the key in the driver door.
From inside, use the power door
locks or the manual door locks.
To lock or unlock the door with the
manual locks, push down or pull up
on the manual lock knob.
Power Door Locks Press
Q or
K on the RKE
transmitter. See Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE) System Operation on
page 2 ‑ 3 . Premium Trim Shown,
Up ‐ Level Similar
Q : Press to lock the doors.
K : Press to unlock the doors.
See Door Locks on page 2 ‑ 7 .

Black plate (25,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
In Brief 1-25
Engine Oil Life System The engine oil life system calculates
engine oil life based on vehicle use
and displays a DIC message when
it is necessary to change the engine
oil and filter. The oil life system
should be reset to 100% only
following an oil change.
Resetting the Oil Life System
1. Display OIL LIFE REMAINING
on the DIC.
2. Press and hold the SET/RESET
button on the DIC for more than
five seconds. The oil life will
change to 100%.
See Engine Oil Life System on
page 10 ‑ 9 . 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).
See Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) on
page 9 ‑ 54 . For all other vehicles,
use only the unleaded gasoline
described under Recommended
Fuel on page 9 ‑ 52 .
Driving for Better Fuel
Economy Driving habits can affect fuel
mileage. Here are some driving tips
to get the best fuel economy
possible. .
Avoid fast starts and accelerate
smoothly. .
Brake gradually and avoid
abrupt stops. .
Avoid idling the engine for long
periods of time. .
When road and weather
conditions are appropriate,
use cruise control. .
Always follow posted speed
limits or drive more slowly when
conditions require. .
Keep vehicle tires properly
inflated. .
Combine several trips into a
single trip. .
Replace the vehicle's tires with
the same TPC Spec number
molded into the tire's sidewall
near the size. .
Follow recommended scheduled
maintenance.

Black plate (4,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
2-4 Keys, Doors, and Windows If enabled through the DIC, the turn
signal lamps flash twice to indicate
unlocking has occurred. See Vehicle
Personalization on page 5 ‑ 38 .
If enabled through the DIC, the
exterior lamps turn on briefly if it is
dark enough outside. See
“ Approach Lighting ” under Vehicle
Personalization on page 5 ‑ 38 .
Pressing
K on the RKE transmitter
disarms the content theft ‐ deterrent
system. See Anti-theft Alarm
System on page 2 ‑ 13 .
/ (Remote Vehicle Start): For
vehicles with this feature, press
/to start the engine from outside the
vehicle using the RKE transmitter.
See Remote Vehicle Start on
page 2 ‑ 5 for additional information.
8 (Power Liftgate): Press and
hold to open and close the liftgate.
The taillamps flash and a chime
sounds to indicate when the liftgate
is opening and closing.
m (Liftglass): Press and hold to
open the liftglass. L (Vehicle Locator/Panic
Alarm): Press and release to
locate the vehicle. The turn signal
lamps flash and the horn sounds
three times.
Press and hold
L for
three seconds to activate the panic
alarm. The turn signal lamps flash
and the horn sounds repeatedly for
30 seconds. The alarm turns off
when the ignition is moved to
ON/RUN or
L is pressed again.
The ignition must be in LOCK/OFF
for the panic alarm to work.
The vehicle comes with
two transmitters. Each transmitter
will have a number on top of it,
“ 1 ” or “ 2 ” . These numbers
correspond to the driver of the
vehicle. For example, the memory
seat position for driver 1 will be
recalled when using the transmitter
labeled “ 1 ” , if enabled through the
DIC. See Memory Seats on
page 3 ‑ 5 for more information. Programming Transmitters to
the Vehicle Only RKE transmitters programmed
to this vehicle will work. If a
transmitter is lost or stolen, a
replacement can be purchased and
programmed through your dealer.
When the replacement transmitter is
programmed to this vehicle, all
remaining transmitters must also be
reprogrammed. Any lost or stolen
transmitters will no longer work
once the new transmitter is
programmed. Each vehicle can
have up to eight transmitters
programmed to it. See your dealer
to have transmitters programmed to
the vehicle.
Battery Replacement
Replace the battery if the REPLACE
BATTERY IN REMOTE KEY
message displays in the DIC. See
“ REPLACE BATTERY IN REMOTE
KEY ” under Key and Lock
Messages on page 5 ‑ 32 for
additional information.

Black plate (5,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-5Notice: When replacing the
battery, do not touch any of the
circuitry on the transmitter. Static
from your body could damage the
transmitter.
To replace the battery:
1. Separate the transmitter with a
flat, thin object inserted into the
notch, located above the
metal base.
2. Remove the old battery. Do not
use a metal object. 3. Insert the new battery, positive
side facing up. Replace with a
CR2032 or equivalent battery.
4. Snap the transmitter back
together.
Remote Vehicle Start This feature allows you to start the
engine from outside of the vehicle.
It may also start up the vehicle's
heating or air conditioning systems
and rear window defogger. Normal
operation of the system will return
after the key is turned to the
ON/RUN position.
During a remote start, the climate
control system will default to a
heating or cooling mode depending
on the outside temperatures.
During a remote start, if the vehicle
has an automatic climate control
system and heated seats, the
heated seats will turn on during
colder outside temperatures and will
shut off when the key is turned to
ON/RUN. If the vehicle does not
have an automatic climate control system, during remote start, you will
need to manually turn the heated
seats on and off. See Heated and
Ventilated Front Seats on page 3 ‑ 7
for additional information.
Laws in some communities may
restrict the use of remote starters.
For example, some laws may
require a person using the remote
start to have the vehicle in view
when doing so. Check local
regulations for any requirements on
remote starting of vehicles.
Do not use the remote start feature
if the vehicle is low on fuel. The
vehicle may run out of fuel.
If the vehicle has the remote start
feature, the RKE transmitter
functions will have an increased
range of operation. However, the
range may be less while the vehicle
is running.
There are other conditions which
can affect the performance of the
transmitter, see Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE) System on page 2 ‑ 3 for
additional information.

Black plate (6,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
2-6 Keys, Doors, and Windows
/ (Remote Start): This button will
be on the RKE transmitter if you
have remote start.
To start the vehicle using the remote
start feature:
1. Aim the transmitter at the
vehicle.
2. Press and release
Q .
3. Immediately press and hold
/until the turn signal lamps flash.
If you cannot see the vehicle's
lamps, press and hold
/ for
two to four seconds.
When the vehicle starts, the
parking lamps will turn on and
remain on while the vehicle is
running. The doors will be
locked and the climate control
system may come on.
The engine will continue to run
for 10 minutes. Repeat the steps
for a 10-minute time extension.
Remote start can be extended
only once. After entering the vehicle during a
remote start, insert and turn the key
to ON/RUN to drive the vehicle.
To cancel a remote start, do any of
the following: .
Aim the RKE transmitter at the
vehicle and press and hold
/until the parking lamps turn off. .
Turn on the hazard warning
flashers. .
Turn the ignition on and then
back off.
The vehicle can be remote started
two separate times between driving
sequences. The engine will run for
10 minutes after each remote start.
Or, you can extend the engine run
time by another 10 minutes within
the first 10 minute remote start time
frame, and before the engine stops.
For example, if
Q and then
/ are
pressed again after the vehicle has
been running for five minutes,
10 minutes are added, allowing the
engine to run for 15 minutes. The additional 10 minutes are
considered a second remote vehicle
start.
After the vehicle's engine has been
started two times using
/ , or a
single remote start with one time
extension, the vehicle must be
started with the key.
After the key is removed from the
ignition, the vehicle can be remote
started again.
The vehicle cannot be remote
started if the key is in the ignition,
the hood is not closed, or if there is
an emission control system
malfunction and the malfunction
indicator lamp is on.
Also, the engine will turn off during a
remote vehicle start if the coolant
temperature gets too high or if the
oil pressure gets low.

Black plate (9,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd CRC - 11/29/11
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-9
Doors Liftgate
{ WARNINGExhaust gases can enter the
vehicle if it is driven with the
liftgate or trunk/hatch open,
or with any objects that pass
through the seal between the
body and the trunk/hatch or
liftgate. Engine exhaust contains
carbon monoxide (CO) which
cannot be seen or smelled. It can
cause unconsciousness and even
death.
If the vehicle must be driven with
the liftgate or trunk/hatch open: .
Close all of the windows. .
Fully open the air outlets on
or under the instrument
panel.
(Continued) WARNING (Continued) .
Adjust the climate control
system to a setting that
brings in only outside air and
set the fan speed to the
highest setting. See “ Climate
Control Systems ” in the
Index. .
If the vehicle is equipped with
a power liftgate, disable the
power liftgate function.
For more information about
carbon monoxide, see Engine
Exhaust on page 9 ‑ 29 .
Notice: If you open the liftgate
without checking for overhead
obstructions such as a garage
door, you could damage the
liftgate or the liftgate glass.
Always check to make sure the
area above and behind the liftgate
is clear before opening it. The liftglass or liftgate cannot be
opened if the rear wiper is in motion.
Attempting to open the liftglass or
liftgate while the rear wiper is in
motion will cause the release of the
liftglass or liftgate to delay until the
wipers are parked off the liftglass.
Manual Liftgate Operation
To unlock the liftgate, press
" on
the power door lock switch or press
" on the Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) transmittertwice, see Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) System
Operation on page 2 ‑ 3 .