2003 CADILLAC ESCALADE roof

Seats and Restraint Systems........................... 1-1
Front Seats
............................................... 1-3
Rear Seats
............................................... 1-8
Safety Belts
.............................................1-28
Child Restraints
.......................................1-51
Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)
.........1-76
Restraint System Check
............................1-90
Features and Controls..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-3
Doors and Locks
....................................... 2-8
Windows
.................................................2-16
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................2-18
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
...........2-20
Mirrors
....................................................2-33
OnStar
žSystem
......................................2-38
HomeLinkžTransmitter
.............................2-40
Storage Areas
.........................................2-44
Sunroof
..................................................2-49
Vehicle Personalization
.............................2-50
Instrument Panel............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-4
Climate Controls
......................................3-24
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
.........3-34
Driver Information Center (DIC)
..................3-51
Audio System(s)
.......................................3-70Driving Your Vehicle....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle
..... 4-2
Towing
...................................................4-50
Service and Appearance Care.......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-4
Checking Things Under the Hood
...............5-10
All-Wheel Drive
........................................5-50
Rear Axle
...............................................5-51
Front Axle
...............................................5-52
Headlamp Aiming
.....................................5-53
Bulb Replacement
....................................5-57
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.........5-65
Tires
......................................................5-66
Appearance Care
.....................................5-94
Vehicle Identi®cation
...............................5-102
Electrical System
....................................5-102
Capacities and Speci®cations
...................5-112
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts
......5-114
Maintenance Schedule..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance Information.................... 7-1
Customer Assistance Information
.................. 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
...........................7-10
Index................................................................ 1
2003 Cadillac Escalade Owner ManualM

Storage Areas................................................2-44
Glove Box...................................................2-44
Cupholder(s)................................................2-44
Center Console Storage Area.........................2-45
Luggage Carrier...........................................2-45
Rear Storage Area........................................2-46
Rear Seat Armrest........................................2-47Convenience Net..........................................2-47
Cargo Cover................................................2-47
Sunroof.........................................................2-49
Vehicle Personalization...................................2-50
Memory Seat...............................................2-50
Section 2 Features and Controls
2-2

Center Console Storage Area
Your vehicle has a console compartment between the
bucket seats.
To open it, press the button on the side of the console
and swing the console lid open.
The console may be equipped with an accessory power
outlet inside. See
Accessory Power Outlets on
page 3-23.
The rear of the console also has a cupholder that
swings down for the rear seat passengers to use.
Luggage Carrier
You can load things on top of your vehicle if it has this
feature.
The luggage carrier has slats and siderails attached to
the roof and may have crossrails which can be
moved back and forth to help secure cargo. Tie the load
to the siderails or siderail supports.
Notice:Loading cargo that weighs more than 200
lbs. (91 kg) on the luggage carrier may damage your
vehicle. When you carry large things, never let
them hang over the rear or the sides of your vehicle.
Load your cargo so that it rests on the slats and
does not scratch or damage the vehicle. Put
the cargo against the side rails and fasten it
securely to the luggage carrier. Put the main weight
as far forward as you can.
Don't exceed the maximum vehicle capacity when
loading your vehicle. For more information on vehicle
capacity and loading, see
Loading Your Vehicle on
page 4-51.
To prevent damage or loss of cargo as you're leaving,
check now and then to make sure the luggage and
cargo are still securely fastened.
2-45

Be sure the cargo is properly loaded.
·If small heavy objects are placed on the roof, place
the load in the area over the rear wheels (behind
the rear passenger doors on ESV models). If
you need to, cut a piece of 3/8 inch plywood to ®t
inside the crossrails and siderails to spread the load.
If plywood is used, tie it to the siderail supports.
·Tie the load to the crossrails or the siderail supports.
Use the crossrails only to keep the load from
sliding. To move the crossrails, loosen the release
knob at each end. Slide the crossrail to the
desired position balancing the force side to side.
Tighten the release knobs and slide the crossrail
back and forth slightly to be sure it is securely
in place.
·If you need to carry long items, move the crossrails
as far apart as they will go. Tie the load to the
crossrails and the siderails or siderail supports.
Do not tie the load so tightly that the crossrails or
siderails are damaged.
·For the purpose of wind noise reduction, locate the
front crossrail approximately 18 to 24 inches
(46 to 58 cm) rearward of the front supports.
·After moving a crossrail, be sure it is securely
locked into the siderail.
Your vehicle has a Center High-Mounted Stoplamp
(CHMSL) located above the rear glass. If items
are loaded on the roof of the vehicle, care should be
taken not to block or damage the CHMSL unit.
Rear Storage Area
Your vehicle has a storage compartment located in the
rear cargo area of the vehicle in the driver's side
trim panel.
To open the compartment on standard models, press in
on the release latch and swing the compartment door
open.
To open the compartment on extended models, pull the
latch to access the compartment.
2-46

Sunroof
Your vehicle may be equipped with a power sliding
sunroof. To open or close your sunroof, the ignition
needs to be on or RAP needs to be active. See
ªRetained Accessory Powerº under
Ignition Positions on
page 2-20.
Press and release the rear side of the button located in
the front overhead console to express-open the glass
panel and sunshade. To close the glass panel,
press and hold the front of the button. The glass will not
be fully seated unless the button is held until the
glass stops moving. With the sunroof closed, press the
forward side of the button to open the sunroof to the
vent position.The sunroof is also equipped with a sunshade which
you can pull forward to block sun rays.
If a hand, arm, or other object is blocking the sunroof
glass panel as it is closing, the glass panel will stop
at the obstruction. After the obstruction is removed, the
glass panel can be closed or opened.
Use care not to leave the sunroof open for long periods
of time as debris may collect in the tracks.
If the battery has been recharged, disconnected or is
not working, you may need to reprogram the sunroof. To
do this, start the vehicle and press the forward side of
the sunroof button until the glass panel moves to a fully
closed position. Release, and press again to move to
the vent position which occurs when the sunroof is fully
tilted rearward. This will reset the memory and enable
the sunroof to function properly.
2-49

Automatic Headlamp System
When it is dark enough outside and the headlamp
switch is in AUTO, your automatic headlamp system will
turn on your headlamps at the normal brightness
along with other lamps such as the taillamps,
sidemarker, parking lamps, roof marker lamps and the
instrument panel lights. The radio lights will also be dim.
To turn off the automatic headlamp system, turn the
exterior lamps switch to the off position and then
release.
Your vehicle has a light sensor located on the top of the
instrument panel. Be sure it is not covered, or the
system will be on whenever the ignition is on.
The system may also turn on your headlamps when
driving through a parking garage, heavy overcast
weather or a tunnel. This is normal.
There is a delay in the transition between the daytime
and nighttime operation of the Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL) and the automatic headlamp systems so
that driving under bridges or bright overhead street
lights does not affect the system. The DRL and
automatic headlamp system will only be affected when
the light sensor sees a change in lighting lasting
longer than the delay.If you start your vehicle in a dark garage, the automatic
headlamp system will come on immediately. Once
you leave the garage, it will take approximately
one minute for the automatic headlamp system to
change to DRL if it is light outside. During that delay,
your instrument panel cluster may not be as bright
as usual. Make sure your instrument panel brightness
control is in the full bright position. See ªInstrument
Panel Brightnessº under
Interior Lamps on page 3-18.
Lamps On Reminder
If a door is open, a reminder chime will sound when
your headlamps or parking lamps are manually turned
on and your key is out of the ignition. To turn off
the chime, turn the headlamp switch to off or AUTO and
then back on. In the automatic mode, the headlamps
turn off once the ignition is in LOCK and the headlamps
on at exit delay ends (if enabled in the DIC).
3-16

Cleaning the Video Screen
Pour some isopropyl or rubbing alcohol on a clean cloth
and gently wipe the video screen. Do not spray
directly onto the screen and do not press too hard or
too long on the video screen.
Diversity Antenna System
Your AM-FM antennas are located in the rear side
windows. Be sure that the inside surfaces of the rear
side windows are not scratched and that the lines on the
glass are not damaged. If the inside surfaces are
damaged, they could interfere with radio reception.
Notice:Do not try to clear frost or other material
from the inside of the front windshield or rear
window with a razor blade or anything else that is
sharp. This may damage the rear defogger grid and
affect your radio's ability to pick up stations
clearly. The repairs wouldn't be covered by your
warranty.
Notice:Do not apply aftermarket glass tinting with
metallic ®lm. The metallic ®lm in some tinting
materials will interfere with or distort the incoming
radio reception. Any damage caused to your
backglass antenna due to metallic tinting materials
will not be covered by your warranty.If you choose to add an aftermarket cellular telephone
to your vehicle, and the antenna needs to be attached to
the glass, be sure that you do not damage the grid
lines for the AM-FM antennas or place the cellular
telephone antenna over the grid lines.
XMŸ Satellite Radio Antenna
System (United States Only)
Your XMŸ Satellite Radio antenna is located on the
roof of your vehicle. Keep this antenna clear of
snow and ice build up for clear radio reception.
The performance of your XMŸ system may be affected
if your sunroof is open.
Loading items onto the roof of your vehicle can interfere
with the performance of your XMŸ system. Make
sure that the XMŸ satellite antenna is not obstructed.
3-105

Loading Your Vehicle for Off-Road
Driving
There are some important things to remember about
how to load your vehicle.
·The heaviest things should be on the load ¯oor and
forward of your rear axle. Put heavier items as far
forward as you can.
·Be sure the load is secured properly, so driving on
the off-road terrain doesn't toss things around.
{CAUTION:
·Cargo on the load ¯oor piled higher than
the seatbacks can be thrown forward
during a sudden stop. You or your
passengers could be injured. Keep cargo
below the top of the seatbacks.
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
·
Unsecured cargo on the load ¯oor can be
tossed about when driving over rough
terrain. You or your passengers can be
struck by ¯ying objects. Secure the cargo
properly.
·Heavy loads on the roof raise the vehicle's
center of gravity, making it more likely to
roll over. You can be seriously or fatally
injured if the vehicle rolls over. Put heavy
loads inside the cargo area, not on the
roof. Keep cargo in the cargo area as far
forward and low as possible.
You'll ®nd other important information in this manual.
See
Loading Your Vehicle on page 4-51,Luggage
Carrier on page 2-45andTires on page 5-66.
4-20