2004 CADILLAC ESCALADE EXT tires

Seats and Restraint Systems........................... 1-1
Front Seats
............................................... 1-2
Rear Seats
............................................... 1-6
Safety Belts
.............................................. 1-8
Child Restraints
.......................................1-28
Air Bag Systems
......................................1-48
Restraint System Check
............................1-61
Features and Controls..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-3
Doors and Locks
....................................... 2-8
Windows
.................................................2-25
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................2-27
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
...........2-29
Mirrors
....................................................2-43
OnStar
žSystem
......................................2-48
HomeLinkžTransmitter
.............................2-50
Storage Areas
.........................................2-54
Sunroof
..................................................2-72
Vehicle Personalization
.............................2-73
Instrument Panel............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-4
Climate Controls
......................................3-24
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
.........3-33
Driver Information Center (DIC)
..................3-49
Audio System(s)
.......................................3-67Driving Your Vehicle....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle
..... 4-2
Towing
...................................................4-46
Service and Appearance Care.......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-4
Checking Things Under the Hood
................. 5-8
All-Wheel Drive
........................................5-48
Rear Axle
...............................................5-49
Front Axle
...............................................5-50
Headlamp Aiming
.....................................5-51
Bulb Replacement
....................................5-55
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.........5-62
Tires
......................................................5-63
Appearance Care
...................................5-102
Vehicle Identi®cation
...............................5-110
Electrical System
....................................5-111
Capacities and Speci®cations
...................5-120
Maintenance Schedule..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance and Information.............. 7-1
Customer Assistance and Information
........... 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
...........................7-10
Index................................................................ 1
2004 Cadillac Escalade EXT Owner ManualM

Notice:Shifting out of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N)
with the engine running at high speed may damage
the transmission. The repairs would not be
covered by your warranty. Be sure the engine is not
running at high speed when shifting your vehicle.
DRIVE (D):This position is for normal driving. If
you need more power for passing, and you're:
·Going less than about 35 mph (55 km/h), push your
accelerator pedal about halfway down.
·Going about 35 mph (55 km/h) or more, push the
accelerator all the way down.
You'll shift down to the next gear and have more power.
DRIVE (D) can be used when towing a trailer, carrying
a heavy load, driving on steep hills or for off-road driving.
You may want to shift the transmission to THIRD (3)
or, if necessary, a lower gear selection if the
transmission shifts too often.
THIRD (3):This position is also used for normal driving,
however, it offers more power and lower fuel economy
than DRIVE (D).SECOND (2):This position gives you more power but
lower fuel economy. You can use SECOND (2) on
hills. It can help control your speed as you go down
steep mountain roads, but then you would also want to
use your brakes off and on.
If you manually select SECOND (2) the transmission will
drive in second gear. You may use this feature for
reducing the speed of the rear wheels when you are
trying to start your vehicle from a stop on slippery road
surfaces.
FIRST (1):This position gives you even more power,
but lower fuel economy than SECOND (2). You can use
it on very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud. If the
shift lever is put in FIRST (1) while the vehicle is moving
forward, the transmission won't shift into ®rst gear
until the vehicle is going slowly enough.
Notice:Spinning the tires or holding the vehicle in
one place on a hill using only the accelerator
pedal may damage the transmission. If you are
stuck, do not spin the tires. When stopping on a hill,
use the brakes to hold the vehicle in place.
On cold days, approximately 32ÉF (0ÉC) or colder, your
transmission is designed to shift differently until the
engine reaches normal operating temperature. This is
intended to improve heater performance.
2-35

Anti-Lock Brake System Warning
Light
With the anti-lock brake
system, this light will come
on when you start your
engine and may stay on for
several seconds.
That's normal. If the light doesn't come on then, have it
®xed so it will be ready to warn you if there is a
problem.
If the light stays on, or comes on when you're driving,
your vehicle needs service. You will also hear a
chime sound when the light is on steady. If the regular
brake system warning light isn't on, you still have
brakes, but you don't have anti-lock brakes. If the
regular brake system warning light is also on you don't
have anti-lock brakes and there's a problem with
your regular brakes. In addition to both lights, you will
also hear a chime sound on the ®rst occurrence of
a problem and each time the vehicle is shut off and then
restarted. See
Brake System Warning Light on
page 3-39.
Low Tire Pressure Warning Light
This light and a chime will
come on along with the
CHECK TIRE PRESSURE
message in the DIC
when one or more of your
tires is signi®cantly
under-in¯ated.
This light will also come on brie¯y when you turn the
ignition to RUN.
See ªCHECK TIRE PRESSUREº under
DIC Warnings
and Messages on page 3-60for more information.
Stop and check your tires as soon as possible,
and in¯ate them to the proper pressure as indicated on
the vehicle's certi®cation/tire label. See
Tires on
page 5-63for more information on your vehicle's tires.
3-41

Malfunction Indicator Lamp
Check Engine Light
Your vehicle is equipped
with a computer which
monitors operation of the
fuel, ignition and emission
control systems.
This system is called OBD II (On-Board
Diagnostics-Second Generation) and is intended to
assure that emissions are at acceptable levels for the
life of the vehicle, helping to produce a cleaner
environment. The Check Engine light comes on to
indicate that there is a problem and service is required.
Malfunctions often will be indicated by the system
before any problem is apparent. This may prevent more
serious damage to your vehicle. This system is also
designed to assist your service technician in correctly
diagnosing any malfunction.
Notice:If you keep driving your vehicle with this
light on, after a while, your emission controls
may not work as well, your fuel economy may notbe as good and your engine may not run as
smoothly. This could lead to costly repairs that may
not be covered by your warranty.
Notice:Modi®cations made to the engine,
transmission, exhaust, intake or fuel system of your
vehicle or the replacement of the original tires
with other than those of the same Tire Performance
Criteria (TPC) can affect your vehicle's emission
controls and may cause this light to come on.
Modi®cations to these systems could lead to costly
repairs not covered by your warranty. This may
also result in a failure to pass a required Emission
Inspection/Maintenance test.
This light should come on, as a check to show you it is
working, when the ignition is on and the engine is
not running. If the light does not come on, have it
repaired. This light will also come on during a
malfunction in one of two ways:
·Light FlashingÐ A mis®re condition has been
detected. A mis®re increases vehicle emissions
and may damage the emission control system on
your vehicle. Diagnosis and service may be
required.
·Light On SteadyÐ An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
Diagnosis and service may be required.
3-44

CHECK TIRE PRESSURE
If a low tire pressure is detected in any of the vehicle's
tires, this message will appear on the DIC. Press
the select button to clear it from the DIC display. It will
appear at each ignition cycle until the tires are
in¯ated to the correct in¯ation pressure.
See
Tires on page 5-63for more information on tires
and the correct in¯ation pressures.
SERVICE TIRE MONITOR
This message will be displayed if any of the tire monitor
sensors have malfunctioned, or if the tire monitor
sensors have not been programmed, or if the
recommended tire pressures are not programmed.
Press the select button to clear it from the DIC display.
Audio System(s)
Notice:Before you add any sound equipment to
your vehicle ± like a tape player, CB radio, mobile
telephone or two-way radio ± be sure you can
add what you want. If you can, it's very important to
do it properly. Added sound equipment may
interfere with the operation of your vehicle's engine,
radio or other systems, and even damage them.
Your vehicle's systems may interfere with the
operation of sound equipment that has been added
improperly.
So, before adding sound equipment, check with
your dealer and be sure to check federal rules
covering mobile radio and telephone units.
Your audio system has been designed to operate easily
and to give years of listening pleasure. You will get
the most enjoyment out of it if you acquaint yourself with
it ®rst. Figure out which radio you have in your vehicle,
®nd out what your audio system can do and how to
operate all of 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 turned off. See
ªRetained Accessory Power (RAP)º under
Ignition
Positions on page 2-30.
3-67

{CAUTION:
Drinking and then driving is very dangerous.
Your re¯exes, perceptions, attentiveness
and judgment can be affected by even a
small amount of alcohol. You can have a
serious Ð or even fatal Ð collision if you drive
after drinking. Please do not drink and drive or
ride with a driver who has been drinking. Ride
home in a cab; or if you are with a group,
designate a driver who will not drink.
Control of a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your vehicle go
where you want it to go. They are the brakes, the steering
and the accelerator. All three systems have to do their
work at the places where the tires meet the road.
Sometimes, as when you're driving on snow or ice, it's
easy to ask more of those control systems than the
tires and road can provide. That means you can lose
control of your vehicle. Also see
StabilitrakžSystem on
page 4-9.
4-5

Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops or the system is not functioning, you can steer but
it will take much more effort.
Steering Tips
Driving on Curves
It is important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the ªdriver lost controlº accidents mentioned on
the news happen on curves. Here is why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each of us is subject to
the same laws of physics when driving on curves.
The traction of the tires against the road surface makes
it possible for the vehicle to change its path when
you turn the front wheels. If there is no traction, inertia
will keep the vehicle going in the same direction. If
you have ever tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you
will understand this.
The traction you can get in a curve depends on the
condition of your tires and the road surface, the angle at
which the curve is banked, and your speed. While
you are in a curve, speed is the one factor you
can control.Suppose you are steering through a sharp curve.
Then you suddenly accelerate. Both control
systems Ð steering and acceleration Ð have to do their
work where the tires meet the road. Adding the
sudden acceleration can demand too much of those
places. You can lose control. See
StabilitrakžSystem on
page 4-9.
What should you do if this ever happens? Ease up on
the accelerator pedal, steer the vehicle the way you
want it to go, and slow down.
You may see the STABILITY SYSTEM ACTIVE
message on the message center. See ªStability System
Active Messageº under
DIC Warnings and Messages
on page 3-60.
Speed limit signs near curves warn that you should
adjust your speed. Of course, the posted speeds
are based on good weather and road conditions. Under
less favorable conditions you will want to go slower.
If you need to reduce your speed as you approach
a curve, do it before you enter the curve, while your front
wheels are straight ahead.
Try to adjust your speed so you can ªdriveº through the
curve. Maintain a reasonable, steady speed. Wait to
accelerate until you are out of the curve, and then
accelerate gently into the straightaway.
4-12

Loss of Control
Let us review what driving experts say about what
happens when the three control systems (brakes,
steering and acceleration) do not have enough friction
where the tires meet the road to do what the driver
has asked.
In any emergency, do not give up. Keep trying to steer
and constantly seek an escape route or area of less
danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking reasonable
care suited to existing conditions, and by not
ªoverdrivingº those conditions. But skids are always
possible.
The three types of skids correspond to your vehicle's
three control systems. In the braking skid, your wheels
are not rolling. In the steering or cornering skid, too
much speed or steering in a curve causes tires to slip
and lose cornering force. And in the acceleration
skid, too much throttle causes the driving wheels
to spin.A cornering skid is best handled by easing your foot off
the accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want
the vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly enough,
your vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready
for a second skid if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel or other material is on the road. For safety,
you will want to slow down and adjust your driving to
these conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration
or braking (including engine braking by shifting to a
lower gear). Any sudden changes could cause the tires
to slide. You may not realize the surface is slippery
until your vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize warning
clues Ð such as enough water, ice or packed snow
on the road to make a ªmirrored surfaceº Ð and slow
down when you have any doubt.
Remember: Any anti-lock brake system (ABS) helps
avoid only the braking skid.
4-16