Seats and Restraint Systems ........................... 1-1
Front Seats
............................................... 1-2
Rear Seats
.............................................. 1-10
Safety Belts
............................................. 1-29
Child Restraints
....................................... 1-50
Airbag System
......................................... 1-76
Restraint System Check
............................ 1-92
Features and Controls ..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-3
Doors and Locks
...................................... 2-10
Windows
................................................. 2-18
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................ 2-20
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
........... 2-24
Mirrors
.................................................... 2-41
Object Detection Systems
.......................... 2-48
OnStar ®
System
...................................... 2-50
Universal Home Remote System
................ 2-53
Storage Areas
......................................... 2-60
Sunroof
.................................................. 2-64
Instrument Panel ............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-4
Climate Controls
...................................... 3-26
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators
........ 3-33
Driver Information Center (DIC)
.................. 3-48
Audio System(s)
....................................... 3-70 Driving Your Vehicle ....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle
..... 4-2
Towing
................................................... 4-41
Service and Appearance Care .......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-5
Checking Things Under the Hood
............... 5-10
All-Wheel Drive
........................................ 5-45
Rear Axle
............................................... 5-46
Front Axle
............................................... 5-47
Headlamp Aiming
..................................... 5-48
Bulb Replacement
.................................... 5-51
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
......... 5-54
Tires
...................................................... 5-56
Appearance Care
..................................... 5-98
Vehicle Identi cation
............................... 5-107
Electrical System
.................................... 5-108
Capacities and Speci cations
................... 5-115
Maintenance Schedule ..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance Information .................... 7-1
Customer Assistance and Information
........... 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
........................... 7-13
Vehicle Data Recording and Privacy
........... 7-15
Index ................................................................ 12008 Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual
M
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly This section is only for people of adult size.
Be aware that there are special things to know about
safety belts and children. And there are different
rules for smaller children and babies. If a child will be
riding in your vehicle, see Older Children on page 1-50
or Infants and Young Children on page 1-53 . Follow
those rules for everyone’s protection.
It is very important for all occupants to buckle up.
Statistics show that unbelted people are hurt more often
in crashes than those who are wearing safety belts.
Occupants who are not buckled up can be thrown out of
the vehicle in a crash. And they can strike others in
the vehicle who are wearing safety belts.
First, before you or your passenger(s) wear a safety
belt, there is important information you should know.
Sit up straight and always keep your feet on the oor in
front of you. The lap part of the belt should be worn
low and snug on the hips, just touching the thighs. In a
crash, this applies force to the strong pelvic bones
and you would be less likely to slide under the lap belt.
If you slid under it, the belt would apply force on
your abdomen. This could cause serious or even fatal
injuries. The shoulder belt should go over the shoulder
and across the chest. These parts of the body are
best able to take belt restraining forces.
The shoulder belt locks if there is a sudden stop or crash.
1-34
Lap-Shoulder Belt All seating positions in your vehicle have a lap-shoulder
except for the center front passenger position, if your
vehicle has one, which has a lap belt. See Lap Belt on
page 1-48 for more information.
Here is how to wear a lap-shoulder belt properly.
1. Adjust the seat, if the seat is adjustable, so you can
sit up straight. To see how, see “Seats” in the
Index.
2. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Do not let it get twisted.
The lap-shoulder belt may lock if you pull the belt
across you very quickly. If this happens, let the belt
go back slightly to unlock it. Then pull the belt
across you more slowly.
If you ever pull the shoulder portion of a passenger
belt out all the way, you may engage the child
restraint locking feature. If this happens, just let the
belt go back all the way and start again.
Engaging the child restraint locking feature may
affect the passenger sensing system. See
Passenger Sensing System on page 1-85 . 3. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks. If
you nd that the latch plate will not go fully into the
buckle, see if you are using the correct buckle.
Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure.
If the belt is not long enough, see Safety Belt
Extender on page 1-49 .
Make sure the release button on the buckle is
positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the
safety belt quickly if necessary.
1-42
Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster Your vehicle has a shoulder belt height adjuster for the
driver and right front passenger position.
Adjust the height so that the shoulder portion of the belt
is centered on your shoulder. The belt should be
away from your face and neck, but not falling off your
shoulder. Improper shoulder belt height adjustment
could reduce the effectiveness of the safety belt
in a crash.
To move it down, squeeze
the buttons (A) on the
sides of the height adjuster
and move the height
adjuster to the desired
position.
You can move the adjuster up just by pushing up on the
shoulder belt guide.
After you move the adjuster to where you want it, try to
move it down without squeezing the buttons to make
sure it has locked into position. Safety Belt Pretensioners Your vehicle has safety belt pretensioners for front
outboard occupants. Although you cannot see them,
they are part of the safety belt assembly. They can help
tighten the safety belts during the early stages of a
moderate to severe frontal, near frontal, or rear crash if
the threshold conditions for pretensioner activation
are met. And, if your vehicle has side impact airbags,
safety belt pretensioners can help tighten the safety
belts in a side crash or a rollover event.
Pretensioners work only once. If they activate in a
crash, you will need to get new ones, and probably other
new parts for your safety belt system. See Replacing
Restraint System Parts After a Crash on page 1-93 .
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides Rear shoulder belt comfort guides may provide added
safety belt comfort for older children who have outgrown
booster seats and for some adults. When installed on
a shoulder belt, the comfort guide positions the belt
away from the neck and head.
1-44
{ CAUTION: Children can be seriously injured or strangled
if a shoulder belt is wrapped around their neck
and the safety belt continues to tighten.
Secure any unused safety belts behind the
child restraint so children cannot reach them.
Pull the shoulder belt all the way out of the
retractor to set the lock, if your vehicle has
one, after the child restraint has been installed.
Be sure to follow the instructions of the child
restraint manufacturer.
Notice: Contact between the child restraint LATCH
attachment parts and the vehicle’s safety belt
assembly may cause damage to these parts. Make
sure when securing unused safety belts behind
the child restraint that there is no contact between
the child restraint LATCH attachment parts and
the vehicle’s safety belt assembly. Folding an empty rear seat with the safety belts
secured may cause damage to the safety belt or the
seat. When removing the child restraint, always
remember to return the safety belts to their normal,
stowed position before folding the rear seat.
1. Attach and tighten the lower attachments to the
lower anchors. If the child restraint does not have
lower attachments or the desired seating position
does not have lower anchors, secure the child
restraint with the top tether and the safety belts.
Refer to your child restraint manufacturer
instructions and the instructions in this manual.
1.1. Find the lower anchors for the desired
seating position.
1.2. Put the child restraint on the seat.
1.3. Attach and tighten the lower attachments on
the child restraint to the lower anchors.
1-67
If you ever pull the shoulder portion of the belt out all
the way, you will engage the child restraint locking
feature. This may unintentionally cause the passenger
sensing system to turn the airbag(s) off for some
adult size occupants. If this happens, just let the belt go
back all the way and start again.
{ CAUTION: If the airbag readiness light in the instrument
panel cluster ever comes on and stays on, it
means that something may be wrong with the
airbag system. If this ever happens, have the
vehicle serviced promptly, because an
adult-size person sitting in the right front
passenger’s seat may not have the protection
of the airbag(s). See Airbag Readiness Light
on page 3-36 for more on this, including
important safety information. A thick layer of additional material, such as a blanket or
cushion, or aftermarket equipment such as seat
covers, seat heaters, and seat massagers can affect
how well the passenger sensing system operates.
We recommend that you not use seat covers or other
aftermarket equipment other than any that GM has
approved for your speci c vehicle. See Adding
Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle on
page 1-90 for more information about modi cations that
can affect how the system operates.
{ CAUTION: Stowing of articles under the passenger’s seat
or between the passenger’s seat cushion and
seatback may interfere with the proper
operation of the passenger sensing system.
1-89
Keys
{ CAUTION: Leaving children in a vehicle with the ignition
key is dangerous for many reasons, children
or others could be badly injured or even killed.
They could operate the power windows or
other controls or even make the vehicle move.
The windows will function with the keys in the
ignition and they could be seriously injured or
killed if caught in the path of a closing
window. Do not leave the keys in a vehicle
with children.
The key can be used for the ignition and door locks.
See your dealer/retailer if a replacement key or
additional key is needed.
Notice: If you ever lock your keys in your vehicle,
you may have to damage the vehicle to get in.
Be sure you have spare keys.
If you are locked out of your vehicle, contact Roadside
Service. See Roadside Service on page 7-6 for more
information.
2-3
Doors and Locks Door Locks
{ CAUTION: Unlocked doors can be dangerous.
Passengers, especially children, can easily
open the doors and fall out of a moving
vehicle. When a door is locked, the handle
will not open it. You increase the chance
of being thrown out of the vehicle in a
crash if the doors are not locked. So, wear
safety belts properly and lock the doors
whenever you drive.
Young children who get into unlocked
vehicles may be unable to get out. A child
can be overcome by extreme heat and can
suffer permanent injuries or even death
from heat stroke. Always lock your vehicle
whenever you leave it.
Outsiders can easily enter through an
unlocked door when you slow down or
stop your vehicle. Locking your doors can
help prevent this from happening. There are several ways to lock and unlock your vehicle.
From the outside, use the Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter or the key in the driver’s door.
From the inside, use the power door locks or manual
door locks. To lock or unlock the door with the manual
locks, push down or pull up on the manual lock knob.
Power Door Locks The power door lock switches are located on the
front doors.
K (Unlock): Press to unlock the doors.
Q (Lock): Press to lock the doors.
2-10