2009 CADILLAC ESCALADE ESV Owners Manual

Lap-Shoulder Belt All seating positions in the vehicle have a lap-shoulder
belt except for the center front passenger position, if
equipped, which has a lap belt. See Lap Belt on
page 1-50 for more information.
The lap-shoulder belts for the rst and second row
seating positions are equipped with free-falling latch
plates. If the vehicle has a third row, the lap-shoulder
belts have either free-falling or cinching latch plates.
Use the following pictures to determine the latch
plate style:
The following instructions explain 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 the shoulder portion of a passenger belt with a
free-falling latch plate is pulled out all the way, the
child restraint locking feature may be engaged.
If this happens, let the belt go back all the way and
start again.Free-Falling Latch Plate Cinching Latch Plate
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Engaging the child restraint locking feature in the
right front seating position may affect the passenger
sensing system. See Passenger Sensing System
on page 1-87 for more information.
If the belt stops before it reaches the buckle, for
lap-shoulder belts with cinching latch plates, tilt the
latch plate and keep pulling the safety belt until
it can be buckled. 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 1-51 .
Position the release button on the buckle so that the
safety belt could be quickly unbuckled if necessary.
4. If equipped with a shoulder belt height adjuster,
move it to the height that is right for you. See
“Shoulder Belt Height Adjustment” later in this
section for instructions on use and important safety
information.
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5. To make the lap part tight, pull up on the
shoulder belt.
It may be necessary to pull stitching on the safety
belt through the latch plate to fully tighten the
lap belt on smaller occupants. To unlatch the belt, push the button on the buckle.
The belt should return to its stowed position.
Before a door is closed, be sure the safety belt is out of
the way. If a door is slammed against a safety belt,
damage can occur to both the belt and the vehicle.
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Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster The vehicle has a shoulder belt height adjuster for the
driver and right front passenger positions.
Adjust the height so that the shoulder portion of the belt
is centered on the shoulder. The belt should be away
from the face and neck, but not falling off the shoulder.
Improper shoulder belt height adjustment could
reduce the effectiveness of the safety belt in a crash.
Squeeze the buttons (A)
on the sides of the height
adjuster and move the
height adjuster to the
desired position.
The adjuster can be moved up just by pushing up on
the shoulder belt guide.
After the adjuster is set to the desired position, try to
move it down without squeezing the buttons to
make sure it has locked into position. Safety Belt Pretensioners This vehicle has safety belt pretensioners for front
outboard occupants. Although the safety belt
pretensioners cannot be seen, 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 the 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 the pretensioners
activate in a crash, they will need to be replaced, and
probably other new parts for the vehicle’s safety
belt system. See Replacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash on page 1-96 .
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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.
There is one guide for each outside passenger position
in the second row seat and the third row, if the vehicle
has one. Here is how to install a comfort guide to the
safety belt:
1. For the second row, remove the guide from its
storage clip on the interior body. If your vehicle has a third row, remove the guide
from its storage pocket on the side of the seat.
Second Row Third Row
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2. Place the guide over the belt, and insert the
two edges of the belt into the slots of the guide. 3. Be sure that the belt is not twisted and it lies at.
The elastic cord must be under the belt and the
guide on top.
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{ CAUTION: A safety belt that is not properly worn may not
provide the protection needed in a crash. The
person wearing the belt could be seriously injured.
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.
4. Buckle, position, and release the safety belt as
described previously in this section. Make sure
that the shoulder belt crosses the shoulder.
To remove and store the comfort guide, squeeze the
belt edges together so that the safety belt can be
removed from the guide. Slide the guide into its storage
clip on the interior body or storage pocket on the
side of the seat.
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Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy Safety belts work for everyone, including pregnant
women. Like all occupants, they are more likely to be
seriously injured if they do not wear safety belts.
A pregnant woman should wear a lap-shoulder belt, and
the lap portion should be worn as low as possible,
below the rounding, throughout the pregnancy.
The best way to protect the fetus is to protect the mother.
When a safety belt is worn properly, it is more likely that
the fetus will not be hurt in a crash. For pregnant women,
as for anyone, the key to making safety belts effective is
wearing them properly. Lap Belt This part is only for the lap belt. To learn how to wear a
lap-shoulder belt, see Lap-Shoulder Belt on page 1-43 .
You vehicle may have a center seating position.
When you sit in the center front seating position, you
have a lap safety belt, which has no retractor.
To make the belt longer, tilt the latch plate and pull it
along the belt.
Buckle, position and release it the same way as the lap
part of a lap-shoulder belt.
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