Cadillac Escalade: Battery Load Management
The vehicle has Electric Power Management (EPM) that estimates the battery's temperature and state of charge. It then adjusts the voltage for best performance and extended life of the battery.
When the battery's state of charge is low, the voltage is raised slightly to quickly bring the charge back up. When the state of charge is high, the voltage is lowered slightly to prevent overcharging. If the vehicle has a voltmeter gauge or a voltage display on the Driver Information Center (DIC), you may see the voltage move up or down. This is normal. If there is a problem, an alert will be displayed.
The battery can be discharged at idle if the electrical loads are very high. This is true for all vehicles. This is because the generator (alternator) may not be spinning fast enough at idle to produce all the power that is needed for very high electrical loads.
A high electrical load occurs when several of the following are on, such as: headlamps, high beams, fog lamps, rear window defogger, climate control fan at high speed, heated seats, engine cooling fans, trailer loads, and loads plugged into accessory power outlets.
EPM works to prevent excessive discharge of the battery. It does this by balancing the generator's output and the vehicle's electrical needs. It can increase engine idle speed to generate more power, whenever needed. It can temporarily reduce the power demands of some accessories.
Normally, these actions occur in steps or levels, without being noticeable. In rare cases at the highest levels of corrective action, this action may be noticeable to the driver. If so, a Driver Information Center (DIC) message might be displayed, such as BATTERY LOW START VEHICLE. If this message displays, it is recommended that the driver reduce the electrical loads as much as possible and restart the vehicle. See Battery Voltage and Charging Messages .
Exit Lighting
The interior lamps come on when the key is removed from the ignition. They turn
off automatically in 20 seconds. The lights do not come on if the dome override
button is pressed in. ...
Battery Power Protection
This feature shuts off the dome lamps if they are left on for more than 10 minutes
when the ignition is in LOCK/OFF. This helps to prevent the battery from running
down. ...
See also:
Fuel tank capacity
Avoid the risk of running out of fuel and never intentionally drive the vehicle
when the fuel gauge indicates that the tank is empty. When refueling your vehicle
after the fuel gauge reads empty, ...
Brake System Warning Light
The vehicle brake system consists of two hydraulic circuits.
If one circuit is not working, the remaining circuit can still work to stop the
vehicle. For normal braking performance, both circuits n ...
Washer Fluid Messages
WASHER FLUID LOW ADD FLUID
This message displays when the windshield washer fluid is low. Fill the windshield
washer fluid reservoir as soon as possible. See Engine Compartment Overview ...