2004 CADILLAC ESCALADE EXT weight

Braking
Braking action involvesperception timeandreaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal.
That isperception time.Then you have to bring up your
foot and do it. That isreaction time.
Averagereaction timeis about 3/4 of a second. But that
is only an average. It might be less with one driver
and as long as two or three seconds or more with
another. Age, physical condition, alertness, coordination
and eyesight all play a part. So do alcohol, drugs and
frustration. But even in 3/4 of a second, a vehicle moving
at 60 mph (100 km/h) travels 66 feet (20 m). That
could be a lot of distance in an emergency, so keeping
enough space between your vehicle and others is
important.
And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly
with the surface of the road (whether it is pavement
or gravel); the condition of the road (wet, dry, icy); tire
tread; the condition of your brakes; the weight of
the vehicle and the amount of brake force applied.Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in
spurts Ð heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking Ð rather than keeping pace with traffic. This is
a mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool
between hard stops. Your brakes will wear out much
faster if you do a lot of heavy braking. If you keep pace
with the traffic and allow realistic following distances,
you will eliminate a lot of unnecessary braking.
That means better braking and longer brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you are driving, brake
normally but do not pump your brakes. If you do,
the pedal may get harder to push down. If your engine
stops, you will still have some power brake assist.
But you will use it when you brake. Once the power
assist is used up, it may take longer to stop and
the brake pedal will be harder to push.
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Driving Across an Incline
Sooner or later, an off-road trail will probably go across
the incline of a hill. If this happens, you have to
decide whether to try to drive across the incline. Here
are some things to consider:
·A hill that can be driven straight up or down may be
too steep to drive across. When you go straight up
or down a hill, the length of the wheel base (the
distance from the front wheels to the rear wheels)
reduces the likelihood the vehicle will tumble
end over end. But when you drive across an incline,
the much more narrow track width (the distance
between the left and right wheels) may not prevent
the vehicle from tilting and rolling over. Also,
driving across an incline puts more weight on the
downhill wheels. This could cause a downhill
slide or a rollover.
·Surface conditions can be a problem when you
drive across a hill. Loose gravel, muddy spots,
or even wet grass can cause your tires to slip
sideways, downhill. If the vehicle slips sideways, it
can hit something that will trip it (a rock, a rut,
etc.) and roll over.
·Hidden obstacles can make the steepness of the
incline even worse. If you drive across a rock
with the uphill wheels, or if the downhill wheels
drop into a rut or depression, your vehicle can
tilt even more.For reasons like these, you need to decide carefully
whether to try to drive across an incline. Just because
the trail goes across the incline does not mean you
have to drive it. The last vehicle to try it might
have rolled over.
{CAUTION:
Driving across an incline that is too steep will
make your vehicle roll over. You could be
seriously injured or killed. If you have any
doubt about the steepness of the incline, do
not drive across it. Find another route instead.
Q:What if I am driving across an incline that is not
too steep, but I hit some loose gravel and start
to slide downhill. What should I do?
A:If you feel your vehicle starting to slide sideways,
turn downhill. This should help straighten out the
vehicle and prevent the side slipping. However,
a much better way to prevent this is to get out and
ªwalk the courseº so you know what the surface
is like before you drive it.
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All-Wheel Drive Vehicles
All-wheel drive vehicles are not designed to be towed
with any of the wheels on the ground. If your vehicle
must be towed, see
Towing Your Vehicle on page 4-46.
Notice:Towing an all-wheel-drive vehicle with all
four wheels on the ground, or even with only two of
its wheels on the ground, will damage drivetrain
components. Do not tow an all-wheel-drive vehicle if
any of its wheels will be on the ground.
Loading Your Vehicle
It is very important to know how much weight your
vehicle can carry. This weight is called the vehicle
capacity weight and includes the weight of all occupants,
cargo and all nonfactory-installed options. Two labels
on your vehicle show how much weight it may properly
carry, the Tire and Loading Information label and the
Certi®cation/Tire label.
{CAUTION:
Do not load your vehicle any heavier than the
GVWR, or either the maximum front or rear
GAWR. If you do, parts on your vehicle can
break, and it can change the way your vehicle
handles. These could cause you to lose
control and crash. Also, overloading can
shorten the life of your vehicle.
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Tire and Loading Information Label
A. Vehicle Capacity WeightThe Tire and Loading Information label is attached to
the center pillar, near the driver's door latch. Vehicles
without a center pillar will have the Tire and Loading
Information label attached to the driver's door edge. This
label lists the number of people that can be in your
vehicle and the total weight it can carry. This weight is
called the vehicle capacity weight.
The Tire and Loading Information label also tells you
the size and recommended in¯ation pressure for
the original equipment tires on your vehicle. For more
information on tires and in¯ation see
Tires on page 5-63andIn¯ation - Tire Pressure on page 5-71.
If your vehicle does not have the Tire and Loading
Information label, the Certi®cation/Tire label shows
the tire size and recommended in¯ation pressures
needed to obtain the Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating (GVWR) and the Gross Axle Weight
Rating (GAWR) for the front and rear axles. See
ªCerti®cation/Tire Labelº later in this section.
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Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit
1. Locate the statement ªThe combined weight of
occupants and cargo should never exceed XXX
poundsº on your vehicle placard.
2. Determine the combined weight of the driver and
passengers that will be riding in your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver and
passengers from XXX kilograms or XXX pounds.
4. The resulting ®gure equals the available amount of
cargo and luggage load capacity. For example, if
the ªXXXº amount equals 1400 lbs. and there will be
®ve 150 lb. passengers in your vehicle, the
amount of available cargo and luggage load
capacity is 650 lbs. (1400-750
(5 x 150) = 650 lbs.).5. Determine the combined weight of luggage and
cargo being loaded on the vehicle. That weight
may not safely exceed the available cargo
and luggage load capacity calculated in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, the load from
your trailer will be transferred to your vehicle.
Consult this manual to determine how this reduces
the available cargo and luggage load capacity of
your vehicle.
See
Towing a Trailer on page 4-55for important
information on towing a trailer, towing safety rules and
trailering tips.
4-49

Loading Your Vehicle
Item Description Total
AVehicle Capacity Weight for
Example 1=1,000 lbs.
(453 kg)
BSubtract Occupant Weight
150 lbs. (68 kg)´2=300 lbs.
(136 kg)
CAvailable Occupant and Cargo
Weight=700 lbs.
(317 kg)
Loading Your Vehicle
Item Description Total
AVehicle Capacity Weight for
Example 2=1,000 lbs.
(453 kg)
BSubtract Occupant Weight
150 lbs. (68 kg)´5=750 lbs.
(340 kg)
C Available Cargo Weight=250 lbs.
(113 kg) Example 1
Example 2
4-50

Loading Your Vehicle
Item Description Total
AVehicle Capacity Weight for
Example 3=1,000 lbs.
(453 kg)
BSubtract Occupant Weight
200 lbs. (91 kg)´5=1,000 lbs.
(453 kg)
C Available Cargo Weight=0 lbs.
(0 kg)
Refer to your vehicle's tire and loading information label
for speci®c information about your vehicle's capacity
weight and seating positions. The combined weight of
the driver, passengers and cargo should never
exceed your vehicle's capacity weight.
Certi®cation/Tire Label
The Certi®cation/Tire label is found on the rear edge
of the driver's door.
The label shows the size of your original tires and
the in¯ation pressures needed to obtain the gross
weight capacity of your vehicle. This is called the
GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating). The GVWR
includes the weight of the vehicle, all occupants,
fuel and cargo. Example 3
4-51

The Certi®cation/Tire label also tells you the maximum
weights for the front and rear axles, called Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR). To ®nd out the actual loads
on your front and rear axles, you need to go to a
weigh station and weigh your vehicle. Your dealer can
help you with this. Be sure to spread out your load
equally on both sides of the centerline.
Never exceed the GVWR for your vehicle, or the GAWR
for either the front or rear axle.
And, if you do have a heavy load, you should spread
it out.
{CAUTION:
In the case of a sudden stop or collision,
things carried in the bed of your truck could
shift forward and come into the passenger
area, injuring you and others. If you put things
in the bed of your truck, you should make sure
they are properly secured.
{CAUTION:
Do not load your vehicle any heavier than the
GVWR, or either the maximum front or rear
GAWR. If you do, parts on your vehicle can
break, and it can change the way your vehicle
handles. These could cause you to lose
control and crash. Also, overloading can
shorten the life of your vehicle.
Your warranty does not cover parts or components that
fail because of overloading.
The label will help you decide how much cargo and
installed equipment your truck can carry.
Using heavier suspension components to get added
durability might not change your weight ratings. Ask your
dealer to help you load your vehicle the right way.
If you put things inside your vehicle ± like suitcases,
tools, packages, or anything else ± they go as fast
as the vehicle goes. If you have to stop or turn quickly,
or if there is a crash, they'll keep going.
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