2000 CADILLAC ESCALADE tow

2-34
Parking Brake
To set the parking brake, hold the regular brake pedal
down with your right foot. Push down the parking brake
pedal with your left foot.
If the ignition is on, the brake system warning light will
come on.
To release the parking
brake, hold the regular
brake pedal down. Pull the
lever, located just above the
parking brake pedal,
marked BRAKE
RELEASE, to release the
parking brake.If the ignition is on when the parking brake is released,
the brake system warning light will go off.
NOTICE:
Driving with the parking brake on can cause
your rear brakes to overheat. You may have to
replace them, and you could also damage other
parts of your vehicle.
If you are towing a trailer and are parking on any hill,
see ªTowing a Trailerº in the Index. That section shows
what to do first to keep the trailer from moving.

2-35
Shifting Into PARK (P)
CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll. If
you have left the engine running, the vehicle can
move suddenly. You or others could be injured.
To be sure your vehicle won't move, even when
you're on fairly level ground, use the steps that
follow. With four
-wheel drive, your vehicle will
be free to roll
-- even if your shift lever is in
PARK (P)
-- if your transfer case is in
NEUTRAL. So be sure the transfer case is in a
drive gear
-- not in NEUTRAL. See ªFour-Wheel
Drive (Automatic Transfer Case)º in the Index. If
you're pulling a trailer, see ªTowing a Trailerº in
the Index.
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake.
2. Move the shift lever into PARK (P) position
like this:

Pull the shift lever toward you.

2-37
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be sure your vehicle is in PARK (P) and the
parking brake is firmly set before you leave it. After you
move the shift lever into PARK (P), hold the regular
brake pedal down. Then, see if you can move the shift
lever away from PARK (P) without first pulling it
toward you. If you can, it means that the shift lever
wasn't fully locked into PARK (P).
Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you don't shift your
transmission into PARK (P) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put too much force on the parking pawl in
the transmission. You may find it difficult to pull the
shift lever out of PARK (P). This is called ªtorque lock.º
To prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and then
shift into PARK (P) properly before you leave the
driver's seat. To find out how, see ªShifting Into
PARK (P)º in the Index.
When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out of
PARK (P) before you release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may need to have another
vehicle push yours a little uphill to take some of the
pressure from the parking pawl in the transmission, so
you can pull the shift lever out of PARK (P).
Shifting Out of PARK (P)
Your vehicle has an Automatic Transmission Shift Lock
Control system. You have to fully apply your regular
brakes before you can shift from PARK (P) when the
ignition is in RUN. See ªAutomatic Transmissionº in
the Index.
If you cannot shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure on
the shift lever and push the shift lever all the way up
into PARK (P) as you maintain brake application. Then,
move the shift lever into the gear you want.
If you ever hold the brake pedal down but still can't
shift out of PARK (P), try this:
1. Turn the key to OFF.
2. Apply and hold the brake until the end of Step 4.
3. Shift the transmission to NEUTRAL (N).
4. Start the vehicle and then shift to the drive gear
you want.
5. Have the system fixed as soon as you can.

2-39
Running Your Engine While
You're Parked
It's better not to park with the engine running. But if
ever you have to, here are some things to know.
CAUTION:
Idling the engine with the climate control system
off could allow dangerous exhaust into your
vehicle (see the earlier Caution under
ªEngine Exhaustº).
Also, idling in a closed-in place can let deadly
carbon monoxide (CO) into your vehicle even if
the fan switch is at the highest setting. One place
this can happen is a garage. Exhaust
-- with
CO
-- can come in easily. NEVER park in a
garage with the engine running.
Another closed-in place can be a blizzard. (See
ªBlizzardº in the Index.)
CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
Don't leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to. If you've left the
engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You or others could be injured. To be sure your
vehicle won't move, even when you're on fairly
level ground, always set your parking brake and
move the shift lever to PARK (P).
Four-wheel drive vehicles with the transfer case
in NEUTRAL will allow the vehicle to roll, even if
your shift lever is in PARK (P). So, be sure the
transfer case is in a drive gear
-- not in
NEUTRAL. Always set your parking brake.
Follow the proper steps to be sure your vehicle won't
move. See ªShifting Into PARK (P)º in the Index.
If you're pulling a trailer, see ªTowing a Trailerº in
the Index.

2-43 Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer
To change the headlamps from low beam to high or high
to low, pull the turn signal lever all the way toward you.
Then release it.
When the high beams are
on, this light located on the
instrument panel also will
be on.
Windshield Wipers
You operate the windshield wipers by turning the
control with the wiper symbol on it located on the
multifunction lever.
For a single wiping cycle, turn the control to MIST.
Hold it there until the wipers start, then let go. The
wipers will stop after one cycle. If you want more
cycles, hold the control on MIST longer.You can set the wiper speed for a long or short delay
between wipes. This can be very useful in light rain or
snow. Turn the control to choose the delay time. The
closer to LOW, the shorter the delay.
For steady wiping at low speed, turn the control to the
LOW position. For high
-speed wiping, turn the control
further, to HIGH. To stop the wipers, turn the control
to OFF.
Damaged wiper blades may prevent you from seeing
well enough to drive safely. To avoid damage, be sure to
clear ice and snow from the wiper blades before using
them. If they are frozen to the windshield, carefully
loosen or thaw them. If your blades do become
damaged, get new blades or blade inserts. See
ªWindshield Wipers, Blade Replacementº in the Index.
Heavy snow or ice can overload your wipers. The
windshield wiper motor is protected from overload by a
circuit breaker and a fuse. If the motor overheats due to
heavy snow or ice, the wiper will stop until the motor
cools. Although the circuit is protected from electrical
overload, overload due to heavy snow or ice may cause
wiper linkage damage. Always clear ice and heavy
snow from the windshield before using your
windshield wipers.

2-54
Temperature Display
The temperature can be displayed by pressing the TEMP
button. Pressing the TEMP button once briefly will
toggle the temperature reading on and off. To alternate
the temperature reading between Fahrenheit and Celsius,
press and hold the TEMP button for about eight seconds
until the display shows only F
or C
. Press and release
the TEMP button to toggle between the Fahrenheit and
Celsius readings. After five seconds of inactivity, the
display will return to normal in the temperature scale
you have selected.
The normal display will show a temperature reading in
degrees Fahrenheit or Celsius. If an abnormal reading is
displayed, please consult your dealer.
Electrochromic Mirror Operation
The TEMP side of the button, located at the bottom of
the mirror, also turns the electrochromic inside and
outside mirrors on and off. An indicator light, located to
the right of the TEMP button, will come on when the
electrochromic mirrors are turned on. To turn the
mirrors on, press and hold the TEMP button for about
15 seconds. The mirrors will darken and remain dark
until the button is released. To turn the mirrors off, press
and hold the TEMP button for about 15 seconds.Compass Operation
Press the COMP button once briefly to turn the compass
on or off.
When the ignition and the compass feature are on, the
compass will show two character boxes for
approximately two seconds. After two seconds, the
mirror will display the compass heading.
Cleaning the Mirror
When cleaning the mirror, use a paper towel or similar
material dampened with glass cleaner. Do not spray
glass cleaner directly on the mirror as that may cause the
liquid cleaner to enter the mirror housing.
Compass Calibration
The compass may need calibration if:

After five seconds, the display does not show a
compass (ªNº for North, for example), there may be
a strong magnetic force interfering with the compass.
Such interference may be caused by a magnetic
antenna, magnetic note pad holder or a similar
magnetic item.

The compass does not display the correct heading
and the compass zone variance is set correctly.

2-57
CAUTION:
A convex mirror can make things (like other
vehicles) look farther away than they really are.
If you cut too sharply into the right lane, you
could hit a vehicle on your right. Check your
inside mirror or glance over your shoulder before
changing lanes.
Storage Compartments
Your vehicle has a variety of storage compartments
designed to store small items.
Glove Box
To open your glove box, move the release button toward
the passenger's side and pull the door open.
Center Overhead Console
Your vehicle has an overhead console. It has a storage
compartment inside it. Your vehicle also has a
HomeLink transmitter. See ªHomeLink

Transmitterº
in the Index.Rear Compartment
The rear compartment can be used to store a small item,
like a book.
To open the rear compartment, press the release button
located at the rear of the compartment door.
Instrument Panel Cupholder
Your vehicle has a cupholder located in the middle of
the instrument panel.
To use the cupholder, pull
the handle and slide the
cupholder tray open.
To close the cupholder, slide it back into the
instrument panel.

2-60
To use the shade:
1. Pull the shade handle toward the rear of the vehicle.
2. Latch the shade posts into the retaining sockets on
the cargo area trim panels.
To return the shade to the shade holder:
1. Pull up on the shade handle to release the shade posts
from the retaining sockets.
2. Let the shade move forward and latch the shade
posts into the front
-most retaining sockets.
To remove the shade from the vehicle:
1. Let the shade go all the way into the holder.
2. Push the shade holder toward the passenger's side of
the vehicle.
3. Lift the shade up on the driver's side.
4. Swing the shade rearward and take it out of
the vehicle.
To put the shade in the vehicle:
1. Make sure the shade slot in the holder faces rearward
with the round surface facing down.
2. Hold the shade at an angle.
3. Place the shade holder tab into the slot in the
passenger's side trim panel.