2005 CADILLAC ESCALADE EXT sensor

When Should an Airbag Inate?
The driver’s and right front passenger’s frontal airbags
are designed to inate in moderate to severe frontal
or near-frontal crashes. But they are designed to inate
only if the impact exceeds a predetermined deployment
threshold. Deployment thresholds take into account
a variety of desired deployment and non-deployment
events and are used to predict how severe a crash
is likely to be in time for the airbags to inate and help
restrain the occupants. Whether your frontal airbags
will or should deploy is not based on how fast your
vehicle is traveling. It depends largely on what you hit,
the direction of the impact and how quickly your
vehicle slows down.
In addition, your vehicle has “dual stage” frontal
airbags, which adjust the restraint according to crash
severity. Your vehicle is equipped with electronic frontal
sensors which help the sensing system distinguish
between a moderate and a more severe frontal
impact. For moderate frontal impacts, these airbags
inate at a level less than full deployment. For
more severe frontal impacts, full deployment occurs.
If the front of your vehicle goes straight into a wall
that does not move or deform, the threshold level
for the reduced deployment is about 10 to 16 mph
(16 to 25 km/h), and the threshold level for a full
deployment is about 20 to 30 mph (32 to 48 km/h).(The threshold level can vary, however, with specic
vehicle design, so that it can be somewhat above
or below this range.)
Airbags may inate at different crash speeds. For
example:
If the vehicle hits a stationary object, the airbag
could inate at a different crash speed than if
the object were moving.
If the object deforms, the airbag could inate
at a different crash speed than if the object does
not deform.
If the vehicle hits a narrow object (like a pole) the
airbag could inate at a different crash speed
than if the vehicle hits a wide object (like a wall).
If the vehicle goes into an object at an angle the
airbag could inate at a different crash speed
than if the vehicle goes straight into the object.
The frontal airbags (driver and right front passenger)
are not intended to inate during vehicle rollovers, rear
impacts, or in many side impacts because ination
would not likely help the occupants.
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Side impact airbags are designed to inate in moderate to
severe side crashes. A side impact airbag will inate if the
crash severity is above the system’s designed “threshold
level.” The threshold level can vary with specic vehicle
design. Side impact airbags are not designed to inate in
frontal or near-frontal impacts, rollovers or rear impacts,
because ination would not likely help the occupant.
A side impact airbag will only deploy on the side of the
vehicle that is struck.
Vehicle’s with dual stage airbags are also equipped with
special sensors which enable the sensing system to
monitor the position of both the driver and passenger
front seats. The seat position sensor provides information
which is used to determine if the airbags should deploy
at a reduced level or at full deployment.
In any particular crash, no one can say whether an
airbag should have inated simply because of the
damage to a vehicle or because of what the repair costs
were. For frontal airbags, ination is determined by the
angle of the impact and how quickly the vehicle slows
down in frontal and near-frontal impacts. For side impact
airbags, ination is determined by the location and
severity of the impact.
The airbag system is designed to work properly under a
wide range of conditions, including off-road usage.
Observe safe driving speeds, especially on rough terrain.
As always, wear your safety belt. SeeOperating Your
All-Wheel-Drive Vehicle Off Paved Roads on page 4-16
for tips on off-road driving.What Makes an Airbag Inate?
In an impact of sufficient severity, the airbag sensing
system detects that the vehicle is in a crash. For both
frontal and side impact airbags, the sensing system
triggers a release of gas from the inator, which inates
the airbag. The inator, the airbag and related hardware
are all part of the airbag modules. Frontal airbag modules
are located inside the steering wheel and instrument
panel. For side impact airbags, the airbag modules are
located in the seatback closest to the driver’s and/or right
front passenger’s door.
How Does an Airbag Restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or near frontal collisions,
even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel
or the instrument panel. In moderate to severe side
collisions, even belted occupants can contact the inside
of the vehicle. The airbag supplements the protection
provided by safety belts. Airbags distribute the force of
the impact more evenly over the occupant’s upper body,
stopping the occupant more gradually. But the frontal
airbags would not help you in many types of collisions,
including rollovers, rear impacts, and many side impacts,
primarily because an occupant’s motion is not toward the
airbag. Side impact airbags would not help you in many
types of collisions, including frontal or near frontal
collisions, rollovers, and rear impacts, primarily because
an occupant’s motion is not toward those airbags.
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The passenger sensing system will turn off the right
front passenger’s frontal airbag under certain conditions.
The driver’s airbag and the side airbags are not part
of the passenger sensing system.
The passenger sensing system works with sensors that
are part of the right front passenger’s seat and safety
belt. The sensors are designed to detect the presence
of a properly-seated occupant and determine if the
passenger’s frontal airbag should be enabled (may
inate) or not.
Accident statistics show that children are safer if they
are restrained in the rear rather than the front seat.
General Motors recommends that child restraints
be secured in a rear seat, including an infant riding in a
rear-facing infant seat, a child riding in a forward-facing
child seat and an older child riding in a booster seat.
Your vehicle has a rear seat that will accommodate
a rear-facing child restraint. A label on your sun visor
says, “Never put a rear-facing child seat in the
front.” This is because the risk to the rear-facing child
is so great, if the airbag deploys.
{CAUTION:
A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be
seriously injured or killed if the right front
passenger’s airbag inates. This is because
the back of the rear-facing child restraint
would be very close to the inating airbag.
Even though the passenger sensing system is
designed to turn off the passenger’s frontal
airbag if the system detects a rear-facing child
restraint, no system is fail-safe, and no one can
guarantee that an airbag will not deploy under
some unusual circumstance, even though it is
turned off. General Motors recommends that
rear-facing child restraints be secured in the
rear seat, even if the airbag is off.
The passenger sensing system is designed to turn off
the right front passenger’s frontal airbag if:
the right front passenger seat is unoccupied
the system determines that an infant is present in a
rear-facing infant seat
the system determines that a small child is present
in a forward-facing child restraint
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Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle
Airbags affect how your vehicle should be serviced.
There are airbag system parts in several places
around your vehicle. You do not want the system to
inate while someone is working on your vehicle.
Your dealer and the service manual have information
about servicing your vehicle and the airbag system.
To purchase a service manual, seeService Publications
Ordering Information on page 7-12.
{CAUTION:
For up to 10 seconds after the ignition key
is turned off and the battery is disconnected,
an airbag can still inate during improper
service. You can be injured if you are close
to an airbag when it inates. Avoid yellow
connectors. They are probably part of the
airbag system. Be sure to follow proper
service procedures, and make sure the person
performing work for you is qualied to do so.
The airbag system does not need regular maintenance.
Adding Equipment to Your
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Q:Is there anything I might add to the front or
sides of the vehicle that could keep the
airbags from working properly?
A:Yes. If you add things that change your vehicle’s
frame, bumper system, front end or side sheet
metal or height, they may keep the airbag system
from working properly. Also, the airbag system may
not work properly if you relocate any of the airbag
sensors. If you have any questions about this,
you should contact Customer Assistance before you
modify your vehicle. The phone numbers and
addresses for Customer Assistance are in Step Two
of the Customer Satisfaction Procedure in this
manual. SeeCustomer Satisfaction Procedure
on page 7-2.
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Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier for
others to see the front of your vehicle during the
day. DRL can be helpful in many different driving
conditions, but they can be especially helpful in the short
periods after dawn and before sunset. Fully functional
daytime running lamps are required on all vehicles
rst sold in Canada.
The DRL system will come on when the following
conditions are met:
The ignition is on,
the exterior lamps control is in AUTO,
the transmission is not in PARK (P), and
the light sensor determines it is daytime.
When the DRL are on, only your DRL lamps will be on.
The taillamps, sidemarker and other lamps won’t be
on. The instrument panel won’t be lit up either.
When it begins to get dark, the automatic headlamp
system will switch from DRL to the headlamps.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when you need it.
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. Turning off the automatic headlamp system
with the headlamp switch is not available for vehicles
rst sold in Canada. For vehicles rst sold in Canada,
you can turn off the automatic headlamp system
when parked at night by applying the parking brake
before starting your vehicle. The headlamps will remain
off once the vehicle is started for as long as you are
parked. If you release the parking brake, the lights will
turn on. If the parking brake is not released before
you begin to drive, the exterior lamps will turn on
above 2 mph (3.2 km/h).
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.
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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. SeeInstrument Panel
Brightness on page 3-17.Fog Lamps
If your vehicle has fog lamps you can use them for
better vision in foggy or misty conditions. Your parking
lamps and/or low-beam headlamps must be on for
your fog lamps to work.
The fog lamp button is
located on the left side of
your instrument panel.
Press the button to turn the fog lamps on while the
headlamps or parking lamps are on. Press the button
again to turn them off. An indicator light will glow
near the button when the fog lamps are on.
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Your vehicle may also have reading lamps in other
locations. To turn on or off, press the button located next
to the lamp. The lamps cannot be adjusted.
Battery Run-Down Protection
This feature shuts off the dome lamps if they are left on
for more than 10 minutes when the ignition is in lock.
This will keep your battery from running down.
Ultrasonic Rear Parking
Assist (URPA)
The Ultrasonic Rear Parking Assist (URPA) system is
designed to help you park, while the vehicle is in
REVERSE (R). It operates only at very low speeds, less
than 3 mph (5 km/h). URPA can help make parking
easier and to help you avoid colliding with objects such
as parked vehicles. The URPA system can detect
objects up to 5 feet (1.5 m) behind the vehicle, and tell
you how close these objects are from your rear
bumper.
Your vehicle’s URPA operates when the shift lever is
moved into REVERSE (R) and the vehicle speed is less
than 3 mph (5 km/h). Four ultrasonic sensors located at
the rear bumper are used to detect the distance to the
object.
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How the System Works
Unless disabled, the URPA will turn on automatically
when the shift lever is moved into REVERSE (R). When
the system turns on, the three lights on the display
will illuminate for one and a half seconds to let you know
that the system is working. If your vehicle is moving in
REVERSE (R) at a speed greater than 3 mph (5 km/h),
the red light will ash to remind you that the system
does not work at a speed greater than 3 mph (5 km/h).
If an object is detected at a REVERSE (R) speed of
less than 3 mph (5 km/h), one of the following will occur:
A chime will sound the rst time an object is detected
between 20 inches (0.5 m) and 5 feet (1.5 m) away.
Description English Metric
amber light 5 ft. 1.5 m
amber/amber lights 40 in. 1.0 m
amber/amber/red lights &
continuous chime20 in. 0.5 m
amber/amber/red lights
ashing & continuous
chime1 ft 0.3 m
URPA cannot detect objects that are above tailgate level.
In order for the rear sensors to recognize an object, it
must be within detection range behind the vehicle.Notice:If you use URPA while the tailgate is
lowered, it may not detect an object behind your
vehicle, and you might back into the object and
damage your vehicle. Always verify the tailgate is
closed when using URPA or turn off URPA when
driving with the tailgate lowered.
When the System Does Not Seem to
Work Properly
The light may ash red when the vehicle is in
REVERSE (R) if the ultrasonic sensors are not kept
clean. So be sure to keep your rear bumper free of mud,
dirt, snow, ice and slush. Other conditions that may
affect system performance include things like the
vibrations from a jackhammer or the compression of
air brakes on a very large truck. If after cleaning the
rear bumper and then driving forward at least
15 mph (25 km/h), the display continues to ash red,
see your dealer.
If a trailer was attached to your vehicle, or a bicycle or
an object was on the back of, or hanging out of your
cargo area during your last drive cycle, the light
may also ash red. The light will continue to ash
whenever in REVERSE (R) until your vehicle is driven
forward at least 15 mph (25 km/h) without any
obstructions behind the vehicle.
For cleaning instructions, seeWashing Your Vehicle on
page 5-99.
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