2008 CADILLAC ESCALADE ESV window

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 Identication
............................... 5-107
Electrical System
.................................... 5-108
Capacities and Specications
................... 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

A booster seat (C-D) is a child restraint designed to
improve the t of the vehicle’s safety belt system.
A booster seat can also help a child to see out the
window. Securing an Add-On Child Restraint in
the Vehicle
{ CAUTION: A child can be seriously injured or killed in a
crash if the child restraint is not properly
secured in the vehicle. Make sure the child
restraint is properly installed in the vehicle
using the vehicle’s safety belt or LATCH
system, following the instructions that came
with that restraint, and also the instructions in
this manual.
To help reduce the chance of injury, the child restraint
must be secured in the vehicle. Child restraint systems
must be secured in vehicle seats by lap belts or the
lap belt portion of a lap-shoulder belt, or by the LATCH
system. See Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children
(LATCH) on page 1-61 for more information. A child can
be endangered in a crash if the child restraint is not
properly secured in the vehicle.
1-58

{ CAUTION: Frontal airbags are designed to deploy in
moderate to severe frontal and near frontal
crashes. They are not designed to inate in
rollover, rear crashes, or in many side crashes.
Rollover capable roof-rail airbags are designed
to inate in moderate to severe crashes where
something hits the side of your vehicle, during
a vehicle rollover, or in a severe frontal impact.
They are not designed to inate in rear
crashes.
Everyone in your vehicle should wear a safety
belt properly — whether or not there is an
airbag for that person. { CAUTION: Airbags inate with great force, faster than the
blink of an eye. Anyone who is up against, or
very close to, any airbag when it inates can
be seriously injured or killed. Do not sit
unnecessarily close to the airbag, as you
would be if you were sitting on the edge of
your seat or leaning forward. Safety belts help
keep you in position before and during a
crash. Always wear your safety belt, even with
airbags. The driver should sit as far back as
possible while still maintaining control of the
vehicle.
Occupants should not lean on or sleep against
the door or side windows in seating positions
with roof-rail airbags.
1-77

The right front passenger’s frontal airbag is in the
instrument panel on the passenger’s side.
The roof-rail airbags for the driver, right front passenger,
and second row outboard passengers are in the
ceiling above the side windows. Driver Side shown, Passenger Side similar
1-79

If your vehicle has roof-rail airbags and a third row
passenger seat, the airbags are located in the ceiling
above the rear windows for the outboard passenger
positions in the third row. { CAUTION: If something is between an occupant and an
airbag, the airbag might not inate properly or
it might force the object into that person
causing severe injury or even death. The path
of an inating airbag must be kept clear. Do
not put anything between an occupant and an
airbag, and do not attach or put anything on
the steering wheel hub or on or near any other
airbag covering.
If your vehicle has roof-rail airbags, never
secure anything to the roof of your vehicle by
routing the rope or tie down through any door
or window opening. If you do, the path of an
inating roof-rail airbag will be blocked.Driver Side shown, Passenger Side similar
1-80

What Makes an Airbag Inate? In a deployment event, the sensing system sends an
electrical signal triggering a release of gas from
the inator. Gas from the inator lls the airbag causing
the bag to break out of the cover and deploy. The
inator, the airbag, and related hardware are all part of
the airbag module.
Frontal airbag modules are located inside the steering
wheel and instrument panel. For vehicles with
roof-rail airbags, there are airbag modules in the ceiling
of the vehicle, near the side windows that have
occupant seating positions.
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. Airbags supplement the protection provided by safety
belts. Frontal airbags distribute the force of the
impact more evenly over the occupant’s upper body,
stopping the occupant more gradually. Roof-rail airbags
distribute the force of the impact more evenly over
the occupant’s upper body.
Rollover capable roof-rail airbags are designed to help
contain the head and chest of occupants in the
outboard seating positions in the rst, second, and third
rows, if equipped with a third row seat. The rollover
capable roof-rail airbags are designed to help reduce the
risk of full or partial ejection in rollover events, although
no system can prevent all such ejections.
But airbags would not help in many types of collisions,
primarily because the occupant’s motion is not
toward those airbags. See When Should an Airbag
Inflate? on page 1-81 for more information.
Airbags should never be regarded as anything more
than a supplement to safety belts.
1-83

What Will You See After an Airbag
Inates? After the frontal airbags inate, they quickly deate, so
quickly that some people may not even realize an
airbag inated. Roof-rail airbags may still be at least
partially inated for some time after they deploy. Some
components of the airbag module may be hot for
several minutes. For location of the airbag modules, see
What Makes an Airbag Inflate? on page 1-83 .
The parts of the airbag that come into contact with you
may be warm, but not too hot to touch. There may
be some smoke and dust coming from the vents in the
deated airbags. Airbag ination does not prevent
the driver from seeing out of the windshield or being
able to steer the vehicle, nor does it prevent people from
leaving the vehicle. { CAUTION: When an airbag inates, there may be dust in
the air. This dust could cause breathing
problems for people with a history of asthma
or other breathing trouble. To avoid this,
everyone in the vehicle should get out as soon
as it is safe to do so. If you have breathing
problems but cannot get out of the vehicle
after an airbag inates, then get fresh air by
opening a window or a door. If you experience
breathing problems following an airbag
deployment, you should seek medical
attention.
Your vehicle has a feature that may automatically
unlock the doors, turn the interior lamps on, and turn
the hazard warning ashers on when the airbags inate.
You can lock the doors, turn the interior lamps off,
and turn the hazard warning ashers off by using the
controls for those features.
1-84

Keys .............................................................. .2-3
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System ............... .2-4
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System
Operation .................................................. .2-4
Remote Vehicle Start ..................................... .2-7
Doors and Locks ........................................... .2-10
Door Locks ................................................. .2-10
Power Door Locks ....................................... .2-10
Delayed Locking .......................................... .2-11
Programmable Automatic Door Locks ............. .2-11
Rear Door Security Locks ............................. .2-11
Lockout Protection ....................................... .2-12
Liftgate/Liftglass ........................................... .2-13
Power Liftgate ............................................. .2-14
Power Running Boards ................................. .2-17
Windows ....................................................... .2-18
Power Windows ........................................... .2-19
Sun Visors .................................................. .2-20
Theft-Deterrent Systems ................................. .2-20
Content Theft-Deterrent ................................ .2-21
PASS-Key ®
III+ ........................................... .2-22
PASS-Key ®
III+ Operation ............................. .2-23 Starting and Operating Your Vehicle ............... .2-24
New Vehicle Break-In ................................... .2-24
Ignition Positions ......................................... .2-25
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) .................. .2-26
Starting the Engine ...................................... .2-26
Adjustable Throttle and Brake Pedal ............... .2-28
Engine Coolant Heater ................................. .2-28
Automatic Transmission Operation .................. .2-30
Tow/Haul Mode ........................................... .2-34
Parking Brake ............................................. .2-35
Shifting Into PARK (P) .................................. .2-36
Shifting Out of PARK (P) .............................. .2-37
Parking Over Things That Burn ...................... .2-38
Engine Exhaust ........................................... .2-39
Running the Engine While Parked .................. .2-40
Mirrors .......................................................... .2-41
Automatic Dimming Rearview Mirror with
Intellibeam ®
, OnStar ®
, Compass, and
Temperature Display ................................. .2-41
Automatic Dimming Rearview Mirror with
OnStar ®
, Compass and Temperature
Display ................................................... .2-43
Outside Power Foldaway Mirrors .................... .2-45Section 2 Features and Controls
2-1