brake light CADILLAC ESCALADE EXT 2007 3.G User Guide

REPLACE BATTERY IN REMOTE KEY
If a remote keyless entry transmitter battery is low,
this message will display. The battery needs to
be replaced in the transmitter. See “Battery
Replacement” underRemote Keyless Entry
System Operation on page 93.
RIGHT REAR DOOR OPEN
If the passenger’s side rear door is not fully closed
and the vehicle is in a drive gear, this message
will display and a chime will sound. 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.
SERVICE AIR BAG
If there is a problem with the airbag system, this
message will display. Have your dealer inspect
the system for problems. SeeAirbag Readiness
Light on page 229andAirbag System on page 67
for more information.
SERVICE BATTERY CHARGING
SYSTEM
On some vehicles, if there is a problem with the
battery charging system, this message will display.
Under certain conditions, the charging system
light may also turn on in the instrument panel
cluster. SeeCharging System Light on page 232.
Driving with this problem could drain the battery.
Turn off all unnecessary accessories. Have
the electrical system checked as soon as possible.
See your dealer.
SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM
If there is a problem with the brake system, this
message will display along with the brake system
warning light. SeeBrake System Warning Light
on page 232. If this message appears, stop
as soon as possible and turn off the vehicle.
Restart the vehicle and check for the message on
the DIC display. If the message is still displayed
or appears again when you begin driving, the
brake system needs service as soon as possible.
See your dealer.
253

SERVICE TIRE MONITOR SYSTEM
If your vehicle has the Tire Pressure Monitor
(TPM) system, this message will display if a part
on the system is not working properly. If you
drive your vehicle while any of the four sensors
are missing or inoperable, the warning will
come on in about 20 minutes. A sensor would
be missing, for example, if you put different wheels
on your vehicle without transferring the sensors.
If the warning comes on and stays on, there
may be a problem with the TPM. See your dealer.
SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL
If your vehicle has StabiliTrak®, this message will
display when there is a problem with the traction
control system. When this message is displayed,
the system will not limit wheel spin. Adjust
your driving accordingly. See your dealer for
service. SeeStabiliTrak
®System on page 330for
more information.
STABILITRAK OFF
If your vehicle has StabiliTrak®, this message will
display when you turn off StabiliTrak®, or when
the stability control has been automatically
disabled. To limit wheel spin and realize the full
benets of the stability enhancement system, you
should normally leave StabiliTrak
®on. However,
you should turn StabiliTrak®off if your vehicle gets
stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow and you want
to rock your vehicle to attempt to free it, or if you
are driving in extreme off-road conditions and
require more wheel spin. SeeIf Your Vehicle is
Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow on page 370.
To turn the StabiliTrak
®system on or off, see
StabiliTrak®System on page 330.
There are several conditions that can cause this
message to appear.
One condition is overheating, which could
occur if StabiliTrak®activates continuously
for an extended period of time.
The message will also be displayed if the
brake system warning light is on. See
Brake System Warning Light on page 232.
255

Control of a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your vehicle
go where you want it to go. They are the
brakes, the steering, and the accelerator. All
three systems have to do their work at the places
where the tires meet the road.
Sometimes, as when you are driving on snow or
ice, it is easy to ask more of those control systems
than the tires and road can provide. That means
you can lose control of your vehicle. See
StabiliTrak
®System on page 330.
Adding non-GM accessories can affect your
vehicle’s performance. SeeAccessories and
Modications on page 397.
Braking
SeeBrake System Warning Light on page 232.
Braking action involves perception time and
reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake
pedal. That is perception time. Then you have to
bring up your foot and do it. That is reaction time.
Average reaction time is about three-fourths of a
second. But that is only an average. It might
be less with one driver and as long as two or
three seconds or more with another. Age, physical
condition, alertness, coordination, and eyesight
all play a part. So do alcohol, drugs, and
frustration. But even in three-fourths of a second,
a vehicle moving at 60 mph (100 km/h) travels
66 feet (20 m). That could be a lot of distance in an
emergency, so keeping enough space between
your vehicle and others is important.
And, of course, actual stopping distances vary
greatly with the surface of the road, whether it is
pavement or gravel; the condition of the road,
whether it is wet, dry, or icy; tire tread; the
condition of the brakes; the weight of the vehicle;
and the amount of brake force applied.
326

Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive
in spurts — heavy acceleration followed by
heavy braking — rather than keeping pace with
traffic. This is a mistake. The brakes may not have
time to cool between hard stops. The brakes
will wear out much faster if you do a lot of heavy
braking. If you keep pace with the traffic and
allow realistic following distances, you will
eliminate a lot of unnecessary braking. That means
better braking and longer brake life.
If your vehicle’s engine ever stops while you are
driving, brake normally but do not pump the
brakes. If you do, the pedal may get harder to
push down. If the engine stops, you will still have
some power brake assist. But you will use it
when you brake. Once the power assist is used
up, it may take longer to stop and the brake pedal
will be harder to push.
Adding non-GM accessories can affect your
vehicle’s performance. SeeAccessories and
Modications on page 397.Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
Your vehicle has the Anti-Lock Brake System
(ABS), an advanced electronic braking system that
will help prevent a braking skid.
When you start your engine and begin to drive
away, ABS will check itself. You may hear a
momentary motor or clicking noise while this test
is going on. This is normal.
If there is a problem
with ABS, this warning
light will stay on.
SeeAnti-Lock Brake
System Warning
Light on page 234.
Along with ABS, your vehicle has a Dynamic Rear
Proportioning (DRP) system. If there is a DRP
problem, both the brake and ABS warning lights
will come on accompanied by a 10-second
chime. The lights and chime will come on each
time the ignition is turned on until the problem is
repaired. See your dealer for service.
327

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” underTowing a Trailer on
page 380.
StabiliTrak®System
Your vehicle may be equipped with the
StabiliTrak®system which combines antilock
brake, traction and stability control systems and
helps the driver maintain directional control of the
vehicle in most driving conditions.
When you rst start your vehicle and begin to
drive away, the system performs several diagnostic
checks to ensure there are no problems. You
may hear or feel the system working. This
is normal and does not mean there is a problem
with your vehicle. The system should initialize
before the vehicle reaches 20 mph (32 km/h).
In some cases, it may take approximately
two miles of driving before the system initializes.If the system fails to turn on or activate, the
StabiliTrak
®light along with one of the following
messages will be displayed on the Driver
Information Center (DIC): TRACTION CONTROL
OFF, SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL,
STABILITRAK OFF, SERVICE STABILITRAK. If
these DIC messages appear, make sure the
StabiliTrak
®system has not been turned off using
the StabiliTrak®on/off button. Then turn the
steering wheel clockwise from the nine o’clock
position to the three o’clock position. If this clears
the message(s), your vehicle does not need
servicing. If this does not clear the message(s),
then turn the vehicle off, wait 15 seconds, and then
turn it back on again to reset the system. If any
of these messages still appear on the Driver
Information Center (DIC), your vehicle should be
taken in for service. For more information on
the DIC messages, seeDriver Information Center
(DIC) on page 243.
330

The StabiliTrak®light
will ash on the
instrument panel cluster
when the system is
both on and activated.
You may also feel or hear the system working;
this is normal.
The traction control
disable button is located
on the instrument
panel below the climate
controls.
The traction control part of StabiliTrak
®can be
turned off by pressing and releasing the
StabiliTrak
®button if both systems (traction control
and StabiliTrak®) were previously on. To disable
both traction control and StabiliTrak®, press
and hold the button for ve seconds.Traction control and StabiliTrak
®can be turned on
by pressing and releasing the StabiliTrak®
button if not automatically shut off for any other
reason.
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. Your 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 the traction control system has been turned
off, you may still hear system noises as a result
of the brake-traction control coming on.
It is recommended to leave the system on for
normal driving conditions, but it may be necessary
to turn the system off if your vehicle is stuck in
sand, mud, ice or snow, and you want to
“rock” your 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. SeeIf Your Vehicle is
Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow on page 370.
331

When the transfer case is in 4LO, the stability
system is automatically disabled, the StabiliTrak®
light will come on and the STABILITRAK OFF
message will appear on the DIC. Both traction
control and StabiliTrak
®are automatically disabled
in this condition.
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 you start your vehicle. It will
activate and the StabiliTrak
®light will ash if
it senses that any of the wheels are spinning or
beginning to lose traction while driving. If you turn
off traction control, 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 you allow the wheel(s) of one axle
to spin excessively while the StabiliTrak
®, ABS
and brake warning lights and the SERVICE
STABILITRAK message are displayed,
you could damage the transfer case. The
repairs would not be covered by your warranty.
Reduce engine power and do not spin the
wheel(s) excessively while these lights and this
message 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,
you may notice a reduction in acceleration, or may
hear a noise or vibration. This is normal.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the system
activates, the StabiliTrak
®light will ash and the
cruise control will automatically disengage.
When road conditions allow you to use cruise
again, you may re-engage the cruise control. See
Cruise Control on page 201.
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, you should see your dealer for
service.
332

Driving Downhill
When off-roading takes you downhill, you will want
to consider a number of things:
How steep is the downhill? Will I be able to
maintain vehicle control?
What is the surface like? Smooth? Rough?
Slippery? Hard-packed dirt? Gravel?
Are there hidden surface obstacles? Ruts?
Logs? Boulders?
What is at the bottom of the hill? Is there a
hidden creek bank or even a river bottom
with large rocks?
If you decide you can go down a hill safely, then
try to keep your vehicle headed straight down, and
use a low gear. This way, engine drag can help
the brakes and they will not have to do all
the work. Descend slowly, keeping your vehicle
under control at all times.
{CAUTION:
Heavy braking when going down a hill can
cause your brakes to overheat and fade.
This could cause loss of control and a
serious accident. Apply the brakes lightly
when descending a hill and use a low
gear to keep vehicle speed under control.
349

After Off-Road Driving
Remove any brush or debris that has collected on
the underbody, chassis, or under the hood.
These accumulations can be a re hazard.
After operation in mud or sand, have the brake
linings cleaned and checked. These substances
can cause glazing and uneven braking. Check the
body structure, steering, suspension, wheels,
tires, and exhaust system for damage. Also, check
the fuel lines and cooling system for any leakage.
Your vehicle will require more frequent service
due to off-road use. Refer to the Maintenance
Schedule for additional information.
Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving.
One reason is that some drivers are likely to
be impaired — by alcohol or drugs, with night
vision problems, or by fatigue.
Here are some tips on night driving.
Drive defensively.
Do not drink and drive.
Adjust the inside rearview mirror to reduce the
glare from headlamps behind you.
Since you cannot see as well, you may need
to slow down and keep more space between
you and other vehicles.
Slow down, especially on higher speed roads.
Your vehicle’s headlamps can light up only so
much road ahead.
In remote areas, watch for animals.
If you are tired, pull off the road in a safe
place and rest.
No one can see as well at night as in the daytime.
But as we get older these differences increase.
A 50-year-old driver may require at least twice as
much light to see the same thing at night as a
20-year-old.
What you do in the daytime can also affect your
night vision. For example, if you spend the
day in bright sunshine you are wise to wear
sunglasses. Your eyes will have less trouble
adjusting to night. But if you are driving, do not
wear sunglasses at night. They may cut down on
glare from headlamps, but they also make a
lot of things invisible.
355

The heavier the rain, the harder it is to see. Even
if your windshield wiper blades are in good
shape, a heavy rain can make it harder to see
road signs and traffic signals, pavement markings,
the edge of the road, and even people walking.
It is wise to keep your wiping equipment in
good shape and keep your windshield washer uid
reservoir lled with washer uid. Replace your
windshield wiper inserts when they show signs of
streaking or missing areas on the windshield,
or when strips of rubber start to separate from the
inserts.
{CAUTION:
Wet brakes can cause accidents. They
may not work as well in a quick stop and
may cause pulling to one side. You could
lose control of the vehicle.
After driving through a large puddle of
water or a car wash, apply your brake
pedal lightly until your brakes work
normally.
Driving too fast through large water puddles or
even going through some car washes can cause
problems, too. The water may affect your
brakes. Try to avoid puddles. But if you cannot, try
to slow down before you hit them.
357