2008 CADILLAC ESCALADE Owners Manual

Automatic Release Fold and Tumble
Feature
The transmission must be in PARK (P) for this feature
to work.
Folding and Tumbling the Seat(s)
{CAUTION:
Automatically folding and tumbling the seat
when someone is sitting in the seat, could
cause injury to the person sitting there. Always
make sure there is no one sitting in the seat
before pressing the automatic seat release
button.
To fold and tumble the seat, do the following:
1. Make sure that there is nothing under, in front of, or
on the seat.
Notice:Folding a rear seat with the safety belts
still fastened may cause damage to the seat or the
safety belts. Always unbuckle the safety belts
and return them to their normal stowed position
before folding a rear seat.2. From the front seats,
press one of the
automatic seat release
buttons located on
the overhead console.
When accessing the third row seats, if your vehicle
has them, from the outside of the vehicle, press
the button on the panel behind either rear door.
One press of the button automatically folds
the seatback at and tumbles the seat forward.
There will be a slight delay between the folding of
the seatback and the tumbling of the seat. Overhead Console
Buttons shown
1-21

Returning the Seat(s) to the Sitting Position
To return the seat to the sitting position, do the
following:
1. Pull the seat down until it latches to the oor.
The seatback cannot be raised if the seat is
not latched to the oor.
{CAUTION:
If the seatback is not locked, it could move
forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could
cause injury to the person sitting there. Always
push and pull on the seatback to be sure it is
locked.
2. Lift the seatback and push it rearward. Push and
pull on the seatback to make sure it is locked.
Folding and Tumbling the Second Row
Seat(s) from the Third Row Seats or Outside
{CAUTION:
Using the third row seating position while the
second row is folded, or folded and tumbled,
could cause injury in a sudden stop or crash.
Be sure to return the seat to the passenger
seating position. Push and pull on the seat to
make sure it is locked into place.
To fold and tumble the seat from the third row seats,
if your vehicle has them, do the following:
1. Make sure that there is nothing under, in front of, or
on the seat.
Notice:Folding a rear seat with the safety belts
still fastened may cause damage to the seat or the
safety belts. Always unbuckle the safety belts
and return them to their normal stowed position
before folding a rear seat.
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2. Press the automatic
seat release button
located on the
panel behind the rear
doors.
One press of the button automatically folds the
seatback at and tumbles the seat forward.
There will be a slight delay between the folding of
the seatback and the tumbling of the seat.
Third Row Seat
If the vehicle has a third row seat, the seatback(s) can
be folded and the entire seat can be tumbled, or
removed from the vehicle.
Folding the Seatback(s)
To fold the seatback, do the following:
1. Open the liftgate to access the controls for the seat.
2. Remove all items on the seat cushion.
Notice:Folding a rear seat with the safety belts
still fastened may cause damage to the seat or the
safety belts. Always unbuckle the safety belts
and return them to their normal stowed position
before folding a rear seat.
3. Lift the release lever,
located on the bottom
rear of the seatback
on the outboard side of
the seat, and the
seatback will fold forward. Driver’s Side Rear Panel
Button shown
1-23

Unfolding the Seatback(s)
To return the seatback to the upright position, do the
following:
1. Open the liftgate to access the controls for the seat.
2. Pull up on the seatback until it locks into the
upright position.
{CAUTION:
If the seatback is not locked, it could move
forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could
cause injury to the person sitting there. Always
push and pull on the seatback to be sure it is
locked.
3. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is
locked.
Tumbling the Third Row Seat
The seat can be tumbled forward for additional cargo
space.
To tumble the seat, do the following:
1. Open the liftgate to access the controls for the seat.
2. Make sure the head rests are completely lowered,
there is nothing under, in front of, or on the seat,
and all items are removed from the cupholder
and storage bin, if the seat is a two-passenger seat.
3. Fold the seatbacks forward using the instructions
previously listed under “Folding the Seatbacks”.
You will not be able to unlatch the seat from
the oor unless the seatback is folded down.
4. Unlatch the seat from
the oor by lifting the
lever located next
to the carrying handle
on the rear of the
seat near the bottom.
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5. Lift the rear of the seat up from the oor.
6. Tilt the seat fully forward to lock it into place.
7. Push and pull on the seat to make sure it is locked.
Put the seat in this position only when necessary for
additional cargo space.
Returning the Third Row Seat from a
Tumbled Position
To return the seat to the normal seating position, do the
following:
1. Open the liftgate to access the controls for the seat.
2. Make sure there is nothing that could become
trapped under the seat.
3. Release the seat from the tumbled position by lifting
the lever located next to the carrying handle at the
bottom rear of the seat.
4. Pull the seat down until it latches to the oor.
The seatback cannot be raised if the seat is
not latched to the oor.5. Pull up on the seatback until it locks into the
upright position.
{CAUTION:
If the seatback is not locked, it could move
forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could
cause injury to the person sitting there. Always
push and pull on the seatback to be sure it is
locked.
6. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is
locked.
1-25

Removing the Third Row Seat
To remove the seat, do the following:
1. Open the liftgate to access the controls for the seat.
2. Fold the seatback forward using the instructions
listed under “Folding the Seatbacks” previously.
The seat cannot be removed unless the seatback
is folded.
3. Unlatch the seat from
the oor by pulling the
carrying handle,
located at the rear of
the seat, rearward.
4. Roll the seat out of the vehicle. There is a track in
the oor to guide the seat wheels out of the vehicle.
Installing the Third Row Seat
To install the seat, do the following:
1. Open the liftgate to access the rear of the vehicle.
2. Slide the front outboard seat wheels into the track on
the oor and roll the seat forward. The front latches
should lock into place. If the latches do not lock, try
tilting the rear of the seat upward slightly.
3. Lower the rear of the seat and push down on the
seat to engage the rear oor latches.
{CAUTION:
A seat that is not locked into place properly
can move around in a collision or sudden stop.
People in the vehicle could be injured. Be sure
to lock the seat into place properly when
installing it.
1-26

4. Push and pull on the seat to make sure it is locked
into place. The seatback cannot be raised to the
upright position unless the seat is secured to
the oor.
5. Pull up on the seatback until it locks into the
upright position.
{CAUTION:
If the seatback is not locked, it could move
forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could
cause injury to the person sitting there. Always
push and pull on the seatback to be sure it is
locked.
6. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is
locked.
{CAUTION:
A safety belt that is improperly routed, not
properly attached, or twisted will not provide
the protection needed in a crash. The person
wearing the belt could be seriously injured.
After raising the rear seatback, always check
to be sure that the safety belts are properly
routed and attached, and are not twisted.
7. Make sure the safety belts are returned to the
original position over the seatbacks.
1-27

Safety Belts
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone
This part of the manual tells you how to use safety
belts properly. It also tells you some things you should
not do with safety belts.
{CAUTION:
Do not let anyone ride where he or she cannot
wear a safety belt properly. If you are in a
crash and you are not wearing a safety belt,
your injuries can be much worse. You can hit
things inside the vehicle harder or be ejected
from it and be seriously injured or killed. In the
same crash, you might not be, if you are
buckled up. Always fasten your safety belt,
and check that your passenger(s) are
restrained properly too.
{CAUTION:
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo
area, inside or outside of a vehicle. In a
collision, people riding in these areas are more
likely to be seriously injured or killed. Do not
allow people to ride in any area of your vehicle
that is not equipped with seats and safety
belts. Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a
seat and using a safety belt properly.
Your vehicle has indicators as a reminder to buckle your
safety belts. SeeSafety Belt Reminders on page 3-35.
In most states and in all Canadian provinces, the
law requires wearing safety belts. Here is why:
You never know if you will be in a crash. If you do have a
crash, you do not know if it will be a serious one.
A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so
serious that even buckled up, a person would not survive.
But most crashes are in between. In many of them, people
who buckle up can survive and sometimes walk away.
Without belts they could have been badly hurt or killed.
After more than 40 years of safety belts in vehicles,
the facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does
matter... a lot!
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