
Black plate (49,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2010
SBZA Detection Zones The SBZA sensor covers a zone of approximately one
lane over from both sides of the vehicle, 3.5 m (11 ft).
This zone starts at each side mirror and goes back
approximately 16 ft. (5.0 m). The height of the zone is
approximately between 0.5 m (1.5 ft) and 2.0 m (6 ft) off
the ground.
Use caution while changing lanes when towing a trailer,
as the SBZA detection zones do not change when a
trailer is towed.
How the System Works
Left Side Mirror Display Right Side Mirror Display
When the vehicle is started, both outside mirror
displays will briefly come on to indicate that the system
is operating. When the vehicle is moving forward, the
left or right side mirror SBZA display will light up if a
vehicle is detected in that blind zone. If the turn signal is activated and a vehicle is also
detected on the same side, the SBZA display will flash
to give you extra warning not to change lanes.
SBZA displays do not come on while the vehicle is
approaching or passing other vehicles. At speeds
greater then 32 km/h (20 mph), SBZA displays may
come on when a vehicle you have passed remains in or
drops back into the detection zone.
SBZA can be disabled through the Driver Information
Center (DIC). See Driver Information Center (DIC)
on
page 4 ‑ 41 for more information. If the SBZA is disabled
by the driver, the SBZA mirror displays will not light up
during normal driving.
When the System Does Not Seem To Work
Properly Occasional missed alerts can occur under normal
circumstances and will increase in wet conditions.
The system does not need to be serviced due to an
occasional missed alert. The number of missed alerts
will increase with increased rainfall or road spray.
If the SBZA displays do not light up when the system is
on and vehicles are in the blind zone, the system may
need service. Take the vehicle to your dealer.
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Black plate (37,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2010
If you put things inside your vehicle — like
suitcases, tools, packages, or anything
else — they will go as fast as the vehicle goes.
If you have to stop or turn quickly, or if there is a
crash, they will keep going.
{ WARNING: Things you put inside your vehicle can strike
and injure people in a sudden stop or turn,
or in a crash. .
Put things in the cargo area of your
vehicle. Try to spread the weight evenly. .
Never stack heavier things, like
suitcases, inside the vehicle so that some
of them are above the tops of the seats. .
Do not leave an unsecured child restraint
in your vehicle. .
When you carry something inside the
vehicle, secure it whenever you can. .
Do not leave a seat folded down unless
you need to. There is also important loading information for
off-road driving in this manual. See “ Loading Your
Vehicle for Off-Road Driving ” under Off-Road
Driving on page 6 ‑ 13 .
Add-On Equipment When you carry removable items, you may need
to put a limit on how many people you can carry
inside your vehicle. Be sure to weigh your vehicle
before you buy and install the new equipment. Notice :
Overloading the vehicle may cause
damage. Repairs would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty. Do not overload the vehicle.
Remember not to exceed the Gross Axle Weight
Rating (GAWR) of the front or rear axle.
Automatic Level Control The automatic level control rear suspension
comes as a part of the Road Sensing Suspension.
See Road Sensing Suspension
on page 6 ‑ 9 .
This type of level control is fully automatic and will
provide a better leveled riding position as well as
better handling under a variety of passenger and
loading conditions. An air compressor connected
to the rear shocks will raise or lower the rear of
the vehicle to maintain proper vehicle height.
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Black plate (38,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2010
The system is activated when the ignition key is
turned to RUN and will automatically adjust
vehicle height thereafter. The system may exhaust
(lower vehicle height) for up to 10 minutes after
the ignition key has been turned to LOCK. You
may hear the air compressor operating when the
height is being adjusted.
If a weight-distributing hitch is being used, it is
recommended to allow the shocks to inflate,
thereby leveling the vehicle prior to adjusting the
height. See “ Weight distributing Hitches and
Weight Carrying Hitches ” under Towing a Trailer
on page 6 ‑ 42 .
Towing Towing Your Vehicle To avoid damage, the disabled vehicle should be towed
with all four wheels off the ground. Consult your dealer
or a professional towing service if the disabled vehicle
must be towed. See Roadside Service on page 9 ‑ 8 .
To tow the vehicle behind another vehicle for
recreational purposes (such as behind a motorhome),
see “ Recreational Vehicle Towing ” following. Recreational Vehicle Towing If the vehicle has a two – mode hybrid engine, see the
Two – mode Hybrid manual for more information.
Recreational vehicle towing means towing the vehicle
behind another vehicle – such as behind a motorhome.
The two most common types of recreational vehicle
towing are known as “ dinghy towing ” (towing the vehicle
with all four wheels on the ground) and “ dolly towing ”
(towing the vehicle with two wheels on the ground and
two wheels up on a device known as a “ dolly ” ).
Here are some important things to consider before
recreational vehicle towing: .
What is the towing capacity of the towing vehicle?
Be sure to read the tow vehicle manufacturer's
recommendations. .
What is the distance that will be travelled? Some
vehicles have restrictions on how far and how long
they can tow. .
Is the proper towing equipment going to be used?
See your dealer or trailering professional for
additional advice and equipment
recommendations. .
Is the vehicle ready to be towed? Just as preparing
the vehicle for a long trip, make sure the vehicle is
prepared to be towed. See Before Leaving on a
Long Trip on page 6 ‑ 26 .
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Black plate (41,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2010
Two-wheel-drive vehicles should not be towed with
the rear wheels on the ground. Two-wheel-drive
transmissions have no provisions for internal lubrication
while being towed.
Dolly Towing (Rear Wheels Off the Ground)
Use the following procedure to dinghy tow a
two-wheel-drive vehicle from the rear:
1. Attach the dolly to the tow vehicle following the
dolly manufacturer's instructions.
2. Drive the rear wheels onto the dolly.
3. Firmly set the parking brake. See Parking Brake
on page 3 ‑ 38 . 4. Put the transmission in P (Park).
5. Secure the vehicle to the dolly following the
manufacturer's instructions.
6. Use an adequate clamping device designed for
towing to ensure that the front wheels are locked
into the straight position.
7. Turn the ignition to LOCK/OFF.
Level Control Automatic Level Control The automatic level control rear suspension is available
on light ‐ duty vehicles and comes as a part of the
Autoride ®
suspension, if equipped.
This type of level control is fully automatic and will
provide a better leveled riding position as well as better
handling under a variety of passenger and loading
conditions. An air compressor connected to the rear
shocks will raise or lower the rear of the vehicle to
maintain proper vehicle height. The system is activated
when the ignition key is turned to ON/RUN and will
automatically adjust vehicle height thereafter. The
system may exhaust (lower vehicle height) for up to
ten minutes after the ignition key has been turned off.
You may hear the air compressor operating when the
height is being adjusted.
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Black plate (42,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2010
Brake Wear This vehicle has disc brakes. Disc brake pads have
built-in wear indicators that make a high-pitched
warning sound when the brake pads are worn and new
pads are needed. The sound can come and go or be
heard all the time the vehicle is moving, except when
applying the brake pedal firmly.
{ WARNING: The brake wear warning sound means that soon
the brakes will not work well. That could lead to a
crash. When the brake wear warning sound is
heard, have the vehicle serviced.
Notice: Continuing to drive with worn-out brake
pads could result in costly brake repair.
Some driving conditions or climates can cause a brake
squeal when the brakes are first applied or lightly
applied. This does not mean something is wrong with
the brakes. Properly torqued wheel nuts are necessary to help
prevent brake pulsation. When tires are rotated, inspect
brake pads for wear and evenly tighten wheel nuts in
the proper sequence to torque specifications in
Capacities and Specifications on page 7 ‑ 117 .
Brake linings should always be replaced as complete
axle sets.
Brake Pedal Travel See your dealer if the brake pedal does not return to
normal height, or if there is a rapid increase in pedal
travel. This could be a sign that brake service might be
required.
Brake Adjustment Every brake stop, the disc brakes adjust for wear.
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Black plate (53,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2010
4. At a wall, measure from the ground upward (A) to
the recorded distance from Step 3 and mark it.
5. Draw or tape a horizontal line (B) on the wall the
width of the vehicle at the height of the mark in
Step 4.
Notice: Do not cover a headlamp to improve beam
cut-off when aiming. Covering a headlamp may
cause excessive heat build-up which may cause
damage to the headlamp.
6. Turn on the low-beam headlamps and place a
piece of cardboard or equivalent in front of the
headlamp not being adjusted. This allows only the
beam of light from the headlamp being adjusted to
be seen on the flat surface. 7. Locate the vertical headlamp aiming screws, which
are under the hood near each headlamp assembly.
The adjustment screw can be turned with a E8
Torx ®
socket.
8. Turn the vertical aiming screw until the headlamp
beam is aimed to the horizontal tape line. Turn it
clockwise or counterclockwise to raise or lower the
angle of the beam.
7-53

Black plate (60,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2010
Tire Sidewall Labeling Useful information about a tire is molded into the
sidewall. The following illustration is an example
of a typical P ‐ Metric tire sidewall.
Passenger (P ‐ Metric) Tire
(A) Tire Size :
The tire size code is a combination
of letters and numbers used to define a particular
tire's width, height, aspect ratio, construction type,
and service description. See the “ Tire Size ”
illustration later in this section for more detail. (B) TPC Spec (Tire Performance Criteria
Specification) :
Original equipment tires designed
to GM's specific tire performance criteria have a
TPC specification code molded onto the sidewall.
GM's TPC specifications meet or exceed all
federal safety guidelines.
(C) DOT (Department of Transportation) :
The
Department of Transportation (DOT) code
indicates that the tire is in compliance with the
U.S. Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards.
(D) Tire Identification Number (TIN) :
The letters
and numbers following DOT code are the Tire
Identification Number (TIN). The TIN shows the
manufacturer and plant code, tire size, and date
the tire was manufactured. The TIN is molded
onto both sides of the tire, although only one side
may have the date of manufacture.
(E) Tire Ply Material :
The type of cord and
number of plies in the sidewall and under the
tread.
(F) Uniform Tire Quality Grading (UTQG) :
Tire
manufacturers are required to grade tires based
on three performance factors: treadwear, traction,
and temperature resistance. For more information,
see Uniform Tire Quality Grading
on page 7 ‑ 76 .
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Black plate (61,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2010
(G) Maximum Cold Inflation Load Limit :
Maximum load that can be carried and the
maximum pressure needed to support that load.
For information on recommended tire pressure
see Inflation - Tire Pressure
on page 7 ‑ 65 and
Loading the Vehicle
on page 6 ‑ 32 .
Tire Size The following examples show the different parts of
a tire size.
Passenger (P ‐ Metric) Tire
(A) Passenger (P ‐ Metric) Tire :
The United States
version of a metric tire sizing system. The letter P
as the first character in the tire size means a
passenger vehicle tire engineered to standards
set by the U.S. Tire and Rim Association. (B) Tire Width :
The three ‐ digit number indicates
the tire section width in millimeters from sidewall
to sidewall.
(C) Aspect Ratio :
A two ‐ digit number that
indicates the tire height ‐ to ‐ width measurements.
For example, if the tire size aspect ratio is 75, as
shown in item C of the light truck (LT ‐ Metric) tire
illustration, it would mean that the tire's sidewall is
75% as high as it is wide.
(D) Construction Code :
A letter code is used to
indicate the type of ply construction in the tire.
The letter R means radial ply construction; the
letter D means diagonal or bias ply construction;
and the letter B means belted ‐ bias ply
construction.
(E) Rim Diameter :
Diameter of the wheel in
inches.
(F) Service Description :
These characters
represent the load index and speed rating of the
tire. The load index represents the load carry
capacity a tire is certified to carry. The speed
rating is the maximum speed a tire is certified to
carry a load.
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