tow CADILLAC ESCALADE HYBRID 2012 User Guide

Black plate (9,1)Cadillac Escalade Hybrid - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-9Notice: 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.
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.
D (Drive) or M (Manual Mode) 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 “ Loss of Control ” in
the owner manual.
When temperatures are very cold,
the transmission's gear shifting may
be delayed, providing more stable
shifts until the engine warms up.
Shifts may be more noticeable with
a cold transmission. This difference
in shifting is normal.
M (Manual Mode): This position
lets drivers select the range of
gears appropriate for current driving
conditions. If the vehicle has this
feature, see Manual Mode on
page 9 ‑ 10 . 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 to reduce rapid upshifts
and downshifts. If the shift
stabilization feature determines that
a current vehicle speed cannot be
maintained, the transmission does
not upshift. In some cases, this
may appear to be a delayed shift,
however the transmission is
operating normally.

Black plate (10,1)Cadillac Escalade Hybrid - 2012
9-10 Driving and Operating
Manual Mode Range Selection Mode
The Range Selection Mode controls
the vehicle's transmission.
To use this feature:
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.
A number displays next to the M,
indicating the current gear that
has been selected. The number
displayed in the gear indicator is
the highest gear that can be used. The vehicle can automatically shift
to lower gears as it adjusts to
driving conditions. When 3 (Third) is
selected, 1 (First) through 3 (Third)
gears are automatically shifted by
the vehicle, but 4 (Fourth) cannot be
used until it is selected.
The Range Selection Mode controls
the vehicle and engine speed while
driving down a hill or towing a trailer,
by allowing you to select a desired
range of gears.
When you move the shift lever
into M, the transmission will default
to M4. In this gear range, effective
engine braking occurs at speeds
above 72 km/h (45 mph).
Pushing the minus ( − ) button on the
shift lever reduces the gear range. In the M3 gear range, effective
engine braking occurs at speeds
above 56 km/h (35 mph).
In the M2 gear range, effective
engine braking occurs at speeds
above 40 km/h (25 mph).
In the M1 gear range, effective
engine braking occurs at speeds
above 16 km/h (10 mph).
When operating in M (Manual
Mode), Auto Stop is disabled.
For better vehicle efficiency,
operate the vehicle in D (Drive)
not M (Manual Mode).
Cruise control can be used while
using the Range Selection Mode.

Black plate (12,1)Cadillac Escalade Hybrid - 2012
9-12 Driving and Operating If the lights do not come on, you
should take the vehicle to your
dealer for service. An indicator light
will flash while shifting. It will stay on
when the shift is completed. If for
some reason the transfer case
cannot make a requested shift, it will
return to the last chosen setting.
2
m (Two-Wheel Drive High): This
setting is used for driving in most
street and highway situations.
The front axle is not engaged in
two-wheel drive. This setting also
provides the best fuel economy.
AUTO (Automatic Four-Wheel
Drive): This setting is ideal for
use when road surface traction
conditions are variable. When
driving your vehicle in AUTO, the
front axle is engaged, but the
vehicle's power is primarily sent to
the rear wheels. When the vehicle's
software determines a need for
more traction, the system will
transfer more power to the front wheels. Driving in this mode results
in slightly lower fuel economy than
Two-Wheel Drive High.
4
m (Four-Wheel Drive High): Use
the four-wheel high position when
you need extra traction, such as
on snowy or icy roads or in most
off-road situations. This setting also
engages the front axle to help drive
the vehicle. This is the best setting
to use when plowing snow.
4
n (Four-Wheel Drive Low): This
setting also engages the front axle
and delivers extra torque. You may
never need this setting. It sends
maximum power to all four wheels.
You might choose Four-Wheel Drive
Low if you are driving off-road in
deep sand, deep mud, deep snow,
and while climbing or descending
steep hills.
The vehicle has StabiliTrak. Shifting
into Four-Wheel-Drive Low will turn
Traction Control and StabiliTrak off.
See “ StabiliTrak System ” in the
owner manual. { WARNINGShifting the transfer case to
N (Neutral) can cause the vehicle
to roll even if the transmission is
in P (Park). You or someone else
could be seriously injured. Be
sure to set the parking brake
before placing the transfer case in
N (Neutral). See “ Parking Brake ”
in the owner manual for more
information.
N (Neutral): Shift the vehicle's
transfer case to N (Neutral) only
when towing the vehicle. See
“ Recreational Vehicle Towing ” or
“ Towing Your Vehicle ” in the owner
manual.
If the SERVICE 4 WHEEL DRIVE
message stays on, you should
take the vehicle to your dealer
for service. See Transmission
Messages on page 5 ‑ 7 .

Black plate (16,1)Cadillac Escalade Hybrid - 2012
9-16 Driving and Operating Because the controller applies the
hydraulic brakes through its high
pressure accumulator, you may
occasionally hear the motor driven
pump when it recharges the system.
This is normal.
In the event of a controller problem,
the brake pedal may be harder to
push and the stopping distance may
be longer.
Towing Trailer Towing For more information, see “ Towing a
Trailer ” in the owner manual.
Weight of the Trailer How heavy can a trailer safely be?
It depends on how the rig is used.
For example, speed, altitude, road
grades, outside temperature and
how much the vehicle is used to pull
a trailer are all important. It can
depend on any special equipment
on the vehicle, and the amount of
tongue weight the vehicle can carry. Maximum trailer weight is
calculated assuming only the driver
is in the tow vehicle and it has all
the required trailering equipment.
The weight of additional optional
equipment, passengers and cargo in
the tow vehicle must be subtracted
from the maximum trailer weight.
Use the following charts to
determine how much the vehicle
can weigh, based upon the vehicle
model and options.

Black plate (17,1)Cadillac Escalade Hybrid - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-17Vehicle Axle Ratio Maximum Trailer Weight GCWR*
2WD 6.0L V8 3.08 2 631 kg (5,800 lbs) 5 443 kg (12,000 lbs)
4WD 6.0L V8 3.08 2 540 kg (5,600 lbs) 5 443 kg (12,000 lbs)
*The Gross Combination Weight Rating (GCWR) is the total allowable weight of the completely loaded vehicle and
trailer including any passengers, cargo, equipment and conversions. The GCWR for the vehicle should not be
exceeded.
Towing Equipment Trailer Brakes If a trailer is being towed that has
trailer brakes and the trailer brakes
are manually applied while driving
slower than 40 km/h (25 mph), the
vehicle may go into Auto Stop mode
even if the brakes are not being pressed. Using the trailer brake
system manually can make the
hybrid vehicle perform as if the
brake pedal in the vehicle is being
pressed. The trailer brake operation
check will still work. If the trailer
brakes are manually applied for an
extended period of time, the
SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM message comes on in the Driver
Information Center. The message
goes off after the trailer brakes have
been released. No other action is
necessary. For more information,
see “ Towing Equipment ” in the
owner manual.

Black plate (1,1)Cadillac Escalade Hybrid - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-1
Vehicle Care Vehicle Checks Doing Your Own
Service Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Engine Compartment
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Automatic Transmission
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-5
Drive Motor/Generator Control
Module (DMCM) Coolant
Surge Tank
Pressure Cap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-8
Drive Motor/Generator Control
Module (DMCM) Cooling
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-8
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-11
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . 10-12 Electrical System High Voltage Devices and
Wiring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-13
Fuses and Circuit
Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-13
Engine Compartment Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-14
Wheels and Tires Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-16
Tire Pressure Monitor
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-17
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-20
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . 10-20
Tire Sealant and
Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22
Storing the Tire Sealant and
Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29 Jump Starting Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Towing Recreational Vehicle
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Appearance Care Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37

Black plate (5,1)Cadillac Escalade Hybrid - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-5A. See “ Engine Air Cleaner/Filter ”
in the owner manual.
B. Drive Motor/Generator Control
Module (DMCM). See Drive
Motor/Generator Control
Module (DMCM) Cooling
System on page 10 ‑ 8 .
C. Engine Oil Dipstick (Out of
View). See “ Engine Oil ” in the
owner manual.
D. Automatic Transmission Fluid
Dipstick. See Automatic
Transmission Fluid on
page 10 ‑ 5 .
E. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See
“ Brakes ” in the owner manual.
F. See “ Engine Compartment Fuse
Block ” under Electrical System
in the owner manual.
G. Windshield Washer Fluid
Reservoir. See “ Washer Fluid ”
in the owner manual.
H. Hybrid Auxiliary Fuse Block
(Out of View). See Engine
Compartment Fuse Block on
page 10 ‑ 14 . I. DMCM Coolant Surge Tank
Pressure Cap. See Drive Motor/
Generator Control Module
(DMCM) Coolant Surge Tank
Pressure Cap on page 10 ‑ 8 .
J. Engine Coolant Surge Tank
Pressure Cap. See “ Engine
Coolant ” in the owner manual.
K. Engine Oil Fill Cap (Out of
View). See “ Engine Oil ” in the
owner manual.
Automatic Transmission
Fluid When to Check and Change
Automatic Transmission Fluid It is usually not necessary to
check the transmission fluid level.
The only reason for fluid loss is a
transmission leak or overheating
the transmission. If a small leak is
suspected, then use the following checking procedures to check the
fluid level. However, if there is a
large leak, then it may be necessary
to have the vehicle towed to a
dealer and have it repaired before
driving the vehicle further.
Notice: Use of the incorrect
automatic transmission fluid
may damage the vehicle, and the
damages may not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Always use
the automatic transmission fluid
listed in Recommended Fluids
and Lubricants on page 11 ‑ 2 .
Change the fluid and filter at the
scheduled maintenance intervals.
See “ Scheduled Maintenance ” in
the owner manual. Be sure to use
the transmission fluid listed in
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants on page 11 ‑ 2 .

Black plate (7,1)Cadillac Escalade Hybrid - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-7See Engine Compartment
Overview on page 10 ‑ 4 for more
information.
2. Pull out the dipstick and wipe it
with a clean rag or paper towel.
3. Install the dipstick by pushing
it back in all the way, wait
three seconds, and then pull it
back out again.
4. Check both sides of the dipstick
and read the lower level. Repeat
the check procedure to verify the
reading.
5. If the fluid level is below the
COLD check band, add only
enough fluid as necessary to
bring the level into the COLD
band. It does not take much
fluid, generally less than 0.5 Liter
(1 Pint). Do not overfill. 6. Perform a hot check at
the first opportunity after
the transmission reaches a
normal operating temperature
between 60°C and 75°C
(140°F and 167°F).
7. If the fluid level is in the
acceptable range, push the
dipstick back in all the way.
Hot Check Procedure
Use this procedure to check the
transmission fluid level when the
transmission fluid temperature
is between 60°C and 75°C
(140°F and 167°F).
The hot check is the most accurate
method to check the fluid level. The
hot check should be performed at
the first opportunity in order to verify
the cold check. The fluid level rises
as fluid temperature increases,
so it is important to ensure the
transmission temperature is within
range. 1. Locate the transmission dipstick
at the rear of the engine
compartment, on the passenger
side of the vehicle.
See Engine Compartment
Overview on page 10 ‑ 4 for more
information.
2. Pull out the dipstick and wipe it
with a clean rag or paper towel.
3. Install the dipstick by pushing
it back in all the way, wait
three seconds, and then pull it
back out again.
4. Check both sides of the dipstick
and read the lower level. Repeat
the check procedure to verify the
reading.

Black plate (21,1)Cadillac Escalade Hybrid - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-21It is unusual for a tire to blowout
while driving, especially if the tires
are maintained properly. If air goes
out of a tire, it is much more likely to
leak out slowly. But if there ever is a
blowout, here are a few tips about
what to expect and what to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire
creates a drag that pulls the vehicle
toward that side. Take your foot off
the accelerator pedal and grip the
steering wheel firmly. Steer to
maintain lane position, and then
gently brake to a stop, well off the
road, if possible.
A rear blowout, particularly on a
curve, acts much like a skid and
may require the same correction as
used in a skid. Stop pressing the
accelerator pedal and steer to
straighten the vehicle. It may be
very bumpy and noisy. Gently
brake to a stop, well off the road,
if possible. { WARNINGDriving on a flat tire will cause
permanent damage to the tire.
Re-inflating a tire after it has
been driven on while severely
underinflated or flat may cause
a blowout and a serious crash.
Never attempt to re-inflate a tire
that has been driven on while
severely underinflated or flat.
Have your dealer or an authorized
tire service center repair or
replace the flat tire as soon as
possible.
If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire
and wheel damage by driving slowly
to a level place and stopping, well
off the road, if possible. Then
do this:
1. Turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
2. Park the vehicle. Set the parking
brake firmly and put the shift
lever in P (Park). 3. Turn off the engine.
4. Inspect the flat tire.
If the tire has been separated from
the wheel or has damaged sidewalls
or large tears that allow rapid air
loss, call a tire repair facility. See
“ Roadside Assistance Program ” or
“ Roadside Service ” in the owner
manual.
If the flat tire is due to a slow leak
caused by a nail or other similar
road hazard, the tire inflator kit may
be used to repair the damaged tire
temporarily. The kit uses a liquid tire
sealant to seal small punctures in
the tread area of the tire.
After repairing a tire with the tire
inflator kit, take the vehicle to an
authorized dealer to have the tire
inspected and repaired as soon
as possible. The tire sealant is a
temporary repair only. See Tire
Sealant and Compressor Kit on
page 10 ‑ 22 .

Black plate (28,1)Cadillac Escalade Hybrid - 2012
10-28 Vehicle Care Removal and Installation of the
Sealant Canister To remove the sealant canister:
1. Unlock the air only hose (F) from
the tire sealant canister (B) by
pulling up on the lever.
2. Pull the air only hose (F) from
the tire sealant canister (B).
3. Unwrap the sealant/air hose (G)
from the air compressor (A). 4. Turn the tire sealant canister (B)
so the inflator filling hose is
aligned with the slot in the
compressor.
5. Lift the tire sealant canister (B)
from the compressor and
replace with a new sealant
canister. See your dealer for
more information. To install a new sealant canister:
1. Align the sealant/air hose (G)
with the slot in the air
compressor.
2. Push the tire sealant canister (B)
down and turn it clockwise.
3. Wrap the sealant/air hose (G)
around the air compressor
channel to stow it in its original
location.
4. Push the air only hose (F) onto
the sealant canister inlet and
push the lever down.