2010 CADILLAC ESCALADE EXT ABS

It is recommended to leave the system on for normal
driving conditions, but it may be necessary to turn the
system off if the vehicle is stuck in sand, mud, ice or
snow, and you want to“rock”the vehicle to attempt to
free it. It may also be necessary to turn off the system
when driving in extreme off-road conditions where high
wheel spin is required. See If Your Vehicle is Stuck in
Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow on page 6‑30.
Traction Control Operation
The traction control system is part of the
StabiliTrak system. Traction control limits wheel
spin by reducing engine power to the wheels (engine
speed management) and by applying brakes to each
individual wheel (brake-traction control) as necessary.
The traction control system is enabled automatically
when the vehicle is started. It will activate and the
StabiliTrak light will flash if it senses that any of the
wheels are spinning or beginning to lose traction
while driving. If traction control is turned off, only the
brake-traction control portion of traction control will
work. The engine speed management will be disabled.
In this mode, engine power is not reduced automatically
and the driven wheels can spin more freely. This can
cause the brake-traction control to activate constantly. Notice:
If the wheel(s) of one axle is allowed to spin
excessively while the StabiliTrak, ABS and brake
warning lights and any relevant DIC messages are
displayed, the transfer case could be damaged.
The repairs would not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Reduce engine power and do not spin the
wheel(s) excessively while these lights and
messages are displayed.
The traction control system may activate on dry or
rough roads or under conditions such as heavy
acceleration while turning or abrupt upshifts/downshifts
of the transmission. When this happens, a reduction in
acceleration may be noticed, or a noise or vibration may
be heard. This is normal.
If cruise control is being used when the system
activates, the StabiliTrak light will flash and cruise
control will automatically disengage. Cruise control may
be reengaged when road conditions allow. See Cruise
Control on page 4‑7.
StabiliTrak may also turn off automatically if it
determines that a problem exists with the system.
If the problem does not clear itself after restarting the
vehicle, see your dealer/retailer for service.
6-8

Magnetic Ride Control™
The vehicle may have the MagneRide control system.
MagneRide constantly checks speed, wheel position,
lift/dive and steering of the vehicle. The damping force
for each shock absorber and adjustment level is chosen
for the best ride and handling.
MagneRide also works with the tow/haul switch that,
when engaged, will provide more firmness from the
shock absorbers. This added control gives better ride
and handling when carrying heavy loads or towing a
trailer. SeeTow/Haul Mode
on page 3‑39for more
information.
Road Sensing Suspension
The Road Sensing Suspension (RSS) feature provides
superior vehicle ride and handling under a variety of
passenger and loading conditions.
The system is fully automatic and uses a computer
controller to continuously monitor vehicle speed, wheel
to body position, lift/dive and steering position of the
vehicle. The controller then sends signals to each shock
absorber to independently adjust the damping level to
provide the optimum vehicle ride. RSS also interacts with the tow/haul mode that, when
engaged, will provide additional control of the shock
absorbers. This additional control results in better ride
and handling characteristics when the vehicle is loaded
or towing a trailer. See
“Tow/Haul Mode”underTowing a
Trailer on page 6‑42.
Locking Rear Axle
Vehicles with a locking rear axle can give more traction
on snow, mud, ice, sand or gravel. It works like a
standard axle most of the time, but when traction is low,
this feature will allow the rear wheel with the most
traction to move the vehicle.
All-Wheel Drive (AWD) System
With this feature, engine power is sent to all four wheels
at all times. This is like four-wheel drive, but there is no
separate lever or switch to engage or disengage the
front axle. It is fully automatic, and adjusts itself as
needed for road conditions.
6-9

Winter Driving
Driving on Snow or Ice
Drive carefully when there is snow or ice between
the tires and the road, creating less traction or grip.
Wet ice can occur at about 0°C (32°F) when freezing
rain begins to fall, resulting in even less traction. Avoid
driving on wet ice or in freezing rain until roads can be
treated with salt or sand.
Drive with caution, whatever the condition. Accelerate
gently so traction is not lost. Accelerating too quickly
causes the wheels to spin and makes the surface under
the tires slick, so there is even less traction.
Try not to break the fragile traction. If you accelerate too
fast, the drive wheels will spin and polish the surface
under the tires even more.
TheStabiliTrak
®Systemon page 6‑6improves the
ability to accelerate on slippery roads, but slow down
and adjust your driving to the road conditions. When
driving through deep snow, turn off the traction control
part of the StabiliTrak
®System to help maintain vehicle
motion at lower speeds. The
Antilock Brake System (ABS)
on page 6‑5improves vehicle stability during hard stops on a
slippery roads, but apply the brakes sooner than when
on dry pavement.
Allow greater following distance on any slippery road
and watch for slippery spots. Icy patches can occur
on otherwise clear roads in shaded areas. The surface
of a curve or an overpass can remain icy when the
surrounding roads are clear. Avoid sudden steering
maneuvers and braking while on ice.
Turn off cruise control, if equipped, on slippery surfaces.
Blizzard Conditions
Being stuck in snow can be in a serious situation. Stay
with the vehicle unless there is help nearby. If possible,
use the Roadside Service
on page 9‑8. To get help
and keep everyone in the vehicle safe:
.Turn on the Hazard Warning Flasherson
page 4‑3.
.Tie a red cloth to an outside mirror.
6-28

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.
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 hitch.
Autoride®
With this feature, improved vehicle ride and handling is
provided under a variety of passenger and loading
conditions.
The system is fully automatic and uses a computer
controller to continuously monitor vehicle speed, wheel
to body position, lift/dive and steering position of the
vehicle. The controller then sends signals to each shock
absorber to independently adjust the damping level to
provide the optimum vehicle ride.
Autoride also interacts with the tow/haul mode that,
when activated, will provide additional control of the
shock absorbers. This additional control results in better
ride and handling characteristics when the vehicle is
loaded or towing a trailer. See “Tow/Haul Mode”under
Towing a Trailer
on page 6‑42for more information.
6-41

Parking on Hills
{WARNING:
Parking the vehicle on a hill with the trailer
attached can be dangerous. If something goes
wrong, the rig could start to move. People can be
injured, and both the vehicle and the trailer can be
damaged. When possible, always park the rig on
a flat surface.
If parking the rig on a hill: 1. Press the brake pedal, but do not shift into P (Park) yet. Turn the wheels into the curb if facing downhill
or into traffic if facing uphill.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the regular brakes until the chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the brake pedal. Then apply the parking brake and shift into P (Park).
5. Release the brake pedal.
{WARNING:
It can be dangerous to get out of the vehicle if the
shift lever is not fully in P (Park) with the parking
brake firmly set. The vehicle can roll.
If the engine has been left running, the vehicle
can move suddenly. You or others could be
injured. To be sure the vehicle will not move, even
when on fairly level ground, always put the shift
lever fully in P (Park) with the parking brake
firmly set.
Leaving After Parking on a Hill
1. Apply and hold the brake pedal.
2. Start the engine
3. Shift into a gear
4. Release the parking brake
5. Let up on the brake pedal.
6. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
7. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
6-52

Fabric/Carpet
Use a vacuum cleaner with a soft brush attachment
frequently to remove dust and loose dirt. A canister
vacuum with a beater bar in the nozzle may only be
used on floor carpet and carpeted floor mats. For any
soil, always try to remove it first with plain water or club
soda. Before cleaning, gently remove as much of the
soil as possible using one of the following techniques:
.For liquids: gently blot the remaining soil with a
paper towel. Allow the soil to absorb into the paper
towel until no more can be removed.
.For solid dry soils: remove as much as possible
and then vacuum.
To clean: 1. Saturate a lint-free, clean white cloth with water or club soda.
2. Wring the cloth to remove excess moisture.
3. Start on the outside edge of the soil and gently rub toward the center. Continue cleaning, using a clean
area of the cloth each time it becomes soiled.
4. Continue to gently rub the soiled area until the cleaning cloth remains clean.
5. If the soil is not completely removed, use a mild soap solution and repeat the cleaning process that
was used with plain water. If any of the soil remains, a commercial fabric cleaner or
spot lifter may be necessary. When a commercial
upholstery cleaner or spot lifter is to be used, test a
small hidden area for colorfastness first. If the locally
cleaned area gives any impression that a ring formation
may result, clean the entire surface.
After the cleaning process has been completed, a paper
towel can be used to blot excess moisture from the
fabric or carpet.
Leather
A soft cloth dampened with water can be used to
remove dust. If a more thorough cleaning is necessary,
a soft cloth dampened with a mild soap solution can
be used. Allow the leather to dry naturally. Do not use
heat to dry. Never use steam to clean leather. Never
use spot lifters or spot removers on leather. Many
commercial leather cleaners and coatings that are sold
to preserve and protect leather may permanently
change the appearance and feel of the leather and are
not recommended. Do not use silicone or wax-based
products, or those containing organic solvents to clean
the vehicle's interior because they can alter the
appearance by increasing the gloss in a non-uniform
manner. Never use shoe polish on leather.
7-98

A
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-4
Accessory Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-32
Accessory Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-18
Active Fuel Management™. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-35
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-104
Additives, Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-7
Adjustable Throttle and Brake Pedal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-34
Air Cleaner/Filter, Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-20
Airbag Adding Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-65
Airbag System How Does an Airbag Restrain? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-57
Passenger Sensing System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-60
Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . 2-64
What Makes an Airbag Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-57
What Will You See After an Airbag Inflates? . . . . . . 2-58
When Should an Airbag Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-56
Where Are the Airbags? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-53
Airbags Passenger Status Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-29
Readiness Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-28
System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-51 All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-47
All-Wheel-Drive (AWD) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-9
Analog Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-20
Antenna
Fixed Mast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-90
Antenna, XM™ Satellite Radio Antenna
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-90
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-5 Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-32
Appearance Care Aluminum or Chrome-Plated Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . .7-102
Care of Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-99
Chemical Paint Spotting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-103
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-100
Fabric/Carpet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-98
Finish Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-101
Finish Damage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-103
Instrument Panel, Vinyl, and Other Plastic
Surfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-99
Interior Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-96
Leather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-98
Sheet Metal Damage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-103
Speaker Covers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-99
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-103
Underbody Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-103
i - 1

Instrument PanelBrightness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-16
Storage Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-60
Instrument Panel Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-26
Integrated Trailer Brake Control System (ITBC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-42
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8-2
J
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-42
K
Keyless Entry
Remote (RKE) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Keyless Entry System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-4
Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-3
L
Labeling, Tire Sidewall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-58
Lamps Daytime Running (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-14
Dome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-17
Dome Lamp Override . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-17 Lamps (cont.)
Exterior Cargo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-16
License Plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-55
Malfunction Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-34
Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-17
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-24
LATCH System for Child Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-39
Level Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-41
Lighting Entry/Exit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-17
Lights Airbag Readiness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-28
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-32
Brake System Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-31
Charging System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-30
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-38
Exterior Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-10
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-38
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5
Highbeam On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-38
Lights On Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-38
Oil Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-37
i - 8