2002 CADILLAC ESCALADE heater

2-
2-1
Section 2 Features and Controls
Here you can learn about the many standard and optional features on your vehicle, and information on starting,
shifting and braking. Also explained are the instrument panel and the warning systems that tell you if everything is
working properly
-- and what to do if you have a problem.
2
-2 Windows
2
-4 Keys
2
-6 Door Locks
2
-8 Keyless Entry System
2
-12 Liftgate/Liftglass
2
-13 Theft
2
-14 Content Theft-Deterrent
2
-15 Passlock

2-16 New Vehicle ªBreak-Inº
2
-16 Ignition Positions
2
-17 Starting Your Engine
2
-19 Engine Coolant Heater (If Equipped)
2
-20 Automatic Transmission Operation
2
-24 Parking Brake
2
-25 Shifting Into PARK (P)
2
-27 Shifting Out of PARK (P)
2
-28 Parking Over Things That Burn
2
-28 Engine Exhaust2
-29 Running Your Engine While You're Parked
2
-30 Locking Rear Axle
2
-31 Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever
2
-37 Exterior Lamps
2
-41 Interior Lamps
2
-43 Mirrors
2
-49 Storage Compartments
2
-57 Analog Clock
2
-58 OnStar
System (If Equipped)
2
-61 Sunroof (If Equipped)
2
-62 HomeLink
Transmitter
2
-66 The Instrument Panel - Your
Information System
2
-68 Instrument Panel Cluster
2
-69 Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
2
-83 Message Center
2
-91 Secondary Information Center (SIC)
2
-97 Ultrasonic Rear Parking Assist (URPA)

2-19
Engine Coolant Heater (If Equipped)
In very cold weather,
0
F (
-18
C) or colder,
the engine coolant heater
can help. You'll get easier
starting and better fuel
economy during engine
warm
-up. Usually, the
coolant heater should be
plugged in a minimum of
four hours prior to starting
your vehicle.
To Use the Engine Coolant Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord.
The cord is located on the driver's side of the vehicle
in the engine compartment, near the power steering
fluid reservoir.3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 110
-volt AC outlet.
CAUTION:
Plugging the cord into an ungrounded outlet
could cause an electrical shock. Also, the wrong
kind of extension cord could overheat and cause
a fire. You could be seriously injured. Plug the
cord into a properly grounded three
-prong
11 0
-volt AC outlet. If the cord won't reach,
use a heavy
-duty three-prong extension cord
rated for at least 15 amps.
4. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug
and store the cord as it was before to keep it away
from moving engine parts. If you don't, it could
be damaged.
How long should you keep the coolant heater plugged
in? The answer depends on the outside temperature, the
kind of oil you have, and some other things. Instead of
trying to list everything here, we ask that you contact
your dealer in the area where you'll be parking your
vehicle. The dealer can give you the best advice for
that particular area.

2-23
NOTICE:
If your wheels can't turn, don't try to drive.
This might happen if you were stuck in very deep
sand or mud or were up against a solid object.
You could damage your transmission.
Also, if you stop when going uphill, don't hold
your vehicle there with only the accelerator
pedal. This could overheat and damage the
transmission. Use your brakes or shift into
PARK (P) to hold your vehicle in position
on a hill.
On cold days, approximately 32
F (0
C) or colder,
your transmission is designed to shift differently until
the engine reaches normal operating temperature.
This is intended to improve heater performance.
Tow/Haul Mode Button
Your vehicle is equipped with a tow/haul mode. The
button is located on the end of the column shift lever.
You can use this feature to assist when towing or
hauling a heavy load. See ªTow/Haul Modeº in
the Index for more information.
The tow/haul mode also interacts with the Autoride
feature to enhance the ride when trailering or with a
loaded vehicle. See ªAutorideº in the Index.

3-5
Pressing the recirculation button will cancel outside air
operation. To return to normal system operation and to
prevent stale passenger compartment air, be sure to
return to the outside air position.
Recirculation will not be available in floor, blend or
defrost modes. This helps reduce window fogging.
If the recirculation button is pressed in theses modes,
the LED indicator for recirculation will flash three times
indicating that forced outside air is activated and
recirculation is not available.
If the air conditioning system is activated and system
demand is high in situations such as city traffic, idling,
or very hot weather, the system will automatically
switch from outside air to recirculation. The LED
indicator will not change. After the demand on the
system is not so great, the system will return to
outside air.
(A/C): Press this button to turn the air
conditioning on and off. The system will cool and
dehumidify the air inside the vehicle when the A/C light
is on. When in AUTO, the A/C is automatically engaged
when necessary.
Air conditioning will be automatically disabled when
the outside temperature drops below a level which air
conditioning is ineffective.
Rear Air Conditioning and Rear Heater
(With Sunroof)
Your vehicle has the rear air conditioning and rear heater
system combination. Controls are provided to regulate
temperature, location and speed of the airflow.
Front Control
To adjust the airflow speed, turn the fan control knob
located on the left side to the desired setting.
To regulate the airflow direction, adjust the right knob on
the control panel. Turn the knob clockwise for floor vent
airflow or counterclockwise for headliner vent airflow.
Generally, the upper vents are used for air conditioning
and the floor vents for heating. The knob can be set to
any blend setting.
To adjust the air temperature, turn the temperature knob
on the center of the control panel.
For warmer air, turn the knob clockwise toward red. For
cooler air, turn the knob counterclockwise toward blue.

3-7 Air Conditioning
On hot days, open the windows long enough to let hot
air inside escape. This reduces the time it takes for your
vehicle to cool down. Then keep your windows closed
for the air conditioner to work its best.
The A/C button, below the mode knob, allows the air
coming into your vehicle to be cooled. This setting is
useful for normal cooling on hot days. When you use
A/C with the recirculation button pressed in, turn off
recirculation as soon as the vehicle reaches a
comfortable interior temperature.
Using A/C with the recirculation setting active allows
the air inside your vehicle to be recirculated. This
setting helps to maximize your air conditioner's
performance and your vehicle's fuel economy. This
setting also cools air the fastest and can be used to keep
unwanted odors and/or dust from entering the vehicle.
When using the air conditioner, turn off the recirculation
setting and use the outside air setting after the vehicle
reaches a comfortable interior temperature. When the
right knob on the control panel is between floor and
defrost, the recirculation feature will not function to
reduce window fogging.Passenger Compartment Air Filter
Your vehicle is equipped with a passenger compartment
air filter, which filters outside air entering the vehicle.
For information on replacing the filter see ªPassenger
Compartment Air Filterº in the Index.
Heating
The heater works best if you keep your windows closed
while using it. On cold days, use the floor setting with
the temperature knob in the red area.
On cold days, approximately 32
F (
-0
C) or lower,
you may experience differences in how the transmission
shifts until the engine is warm. This feature
automatically reduces the time it takes for the engine to
reach normal operating temperature and shortens the
time it takes the heater to reach full output.
If you use the engine coolant heater before starting your
engine in cold weather, 20
F (
-8
C) or lower, the
heating system will produce warmer air faster to heat the
passenger compartment.
The use of an engine coolant heater also reduces the
time it takes for the engine to reach normal operating
temperature. For more information, see ªEngine Coolant
Heaterº in the Index.

3-9 Ventilation System
For mild outside temperatures when little heating or
cooling is needed, use outside air to direct outside air
through your vehicle. Air will flow through the
instrument panel outlets.
Your vehicle's ventilation system supplies outside air to
the inside of your vehicle when it is moving. With the
side windows closed, air will flow into the front air
inlet grilles, through the vehicle, and out of the air
exhaust valves.
Outside air will also enter the vehicle when the heater or
the air conditioning fan is running, unless you have the
recirculation button pressed in. For more information on
the recirculation button, see ªAir Conditioningº earlier
in this section.
Your vehicle has air
outlets in the center and
on the sides of the
instrument panel.
You can move the outlets from side
-to-side or up and
down to direct the flow of air. The driver's and
passenger's side outlets have shut
-off thumbwheels.
Turn the thumbwheels to the left to shut off air flow or
to the right to allow air flow. When you close an outlet,
it will increase the flow of air coming out of any outlets
that are open. The center outlet does not completely shut
off airflow.
Your vehicle also has outlets located on the headliner for
the rear seat passengers.
To use these vents, press on the individual slats to
open the vent. Turn the entire vent in the direction you
want to direct airflow. Push the slats to close them and
block airflow.

3-10
Ventilation Tips

Keep the hood and front air inlet free of ice, snow or
any other obstruction (such as leaves). The heater
and defroster will work far better, reducing the
chance of fogging the inside of your windows.

When you enter a vehicle in cold weather, turn the
fan knob all the way to the right for a few moments
before driving. This helps clear the intake ducts of
snow and moisture, and reduces the chance of
fogging the inside of your windows.

Keep the air path under the front seats clear of
objects. This helps air to circulate throughout
your vehicle.

The use of non
-GM approved hood air deflectors
may adversely affect the performance of the heating
and air conditioning system.
Audio Systems
Your audio system has been designed to operate easily
and give years of listening pleasure. You will get the
most enjoyment out of it if you acquaint yourself with it
first. Find out what your audio system can do and how
to operate all its controls, to be sure you're getting the
most out of the advanced engineering that went into it.
Your vehicle has a feature called Retained Accessory
Power (RAP). With RAP, you can play your audio
system even after the ignition is off. See ªRetained
Accessory Power (RAP)º in the Index.

4-44

Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police that
you've been stopped by the snow.

Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket around you.
If you have no blankets or extra clothing, make body
insulators from newspapers, burlap bags, rags, floor
mats
-- anything you can wrap around yourself or
tuck under your clothing to keep warm.
You can run the engine to keep warm, but be careful.
CAUTION:
Snow can trap exhaust gases under your vehicle.
This can cause deadly CO (carbon monoxide) gas
to get inside. CO could overcome you and kill
you. You can't see it or smell it, so you might not
know it is in your vehicle. Clear away snow from
around the base of your vehicle, especially any
that is blocking your exhaust pipe. And check
around again from time to time to be sure snow
doesn't collect there.
Open a window just a little on the side of the
vehicle that's away from the wind. This will help
keep CO out.
Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When you run the engine, make it go a little faster
than just idle. That is, push the accelerator slightly. This
uses less fuel for the heat that you get and it keeps the
battery charged. You will need a well
-charged battery to
restart the vehicle, and possibly for signaling later on
with your headlamps. Let the heater run for a while.