2010 CADILLAC ESCALADE EXT towing

Notice:Driving with the parking brake on can
overheat the brake system and cause premature
wear or damage to brake system parts. Make sure
that the parking brake is fully released and the
brake warning light is off before driving.
To release the parking brake, hold the regular brake
pedal down, then push down momentarily on the
parking brake pedal until you feel the pedal release.
Slowly pull your foot up off the park brake pedal. If the
parking brake is not released when you begin to drive,
the brake system warning light will flash and a chime
will sound warning you that the parking brake is still on.
If you are towing a trailer and are parking on a hill, see
Towing a Trailer on page 6‑42.Shifting Into Park
{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 you have
left the engine running, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You or others could be injured. To be
sure the vehicle will not move, even when you are
on fairly level ground, use the steps that follow.
If you are pulling a trailer, see Towing a Trailer
on
page 6‑42
.
1. Hold the brake pedal down, then set the parking brake.
2. Move the shift lever into the P (Park) position by pulling the shift lever toward you and moving it up
as far as it will go.
3. Turn the ignition key to LOCK/OFF.
4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can leave the vehicle with the ignition key in your hand,
the vehicle is in P (Park).
3-41

WARNING: (Continued)
even death. Never run the engine in an enclosed
area that has no fresh air ventilation. For more
information, seeEngine Exhaust on page 3‑44.
{WARNING:
It can be dangerous to get out of the vehicle if the
automatic transmission shift lever is not fully in
P (Park) with the parking brake firmly set. The
vehicle can roll. Do not leave the vehicle when the
engine is running unless you have to. If you have
left the engine running, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You or others could be injured. To be
sure the vehicle will not move, even when you are
on fairly level ground, always set the parking
brake and move the shift lever to P (Park).
Follow the proper steps to be sure the vehicle will not
move. See Shifting Into Park on page 3‑41.
If parking on a hill and pulling a trailer, see Towing a
Trailer on page 6‑42.
Mirrors
Manual Rearview Mirror
Hold the inside rearview mirror in the center to move it
for a clearer view behind your vehicle. Adjust the mirror
to avoid glare from the headlamps behind you. Push the
tab forward for daytime use and pull it for nighttime use.
Automatic Dimming Rearview Mirror
This vehicle may have an automatic dimming inside
rearview mirror with OnStar®. It may also have
Intellibeam®. For more information on Intellibeam™, see
“Intellibeam™ Intelligent High‐Beam Headlamp Control
System” underExterior Lamps
on page 4‑10. For more
information on OnStar®, see the OnStar®owner's guide.
Automatic Dimming Mirror Operation
Automatic dimming reduces the glare of lights from
behind the vehicle. The dimming feature comes on and
the indicator light illuminates each time the vehicle is
started.
O(On/Off): Press to turn the dimming feature on or off.
Cleaning the Mirror
Do not spray glass cleaner directly on the mirror. Use a
soft towel dampened with water.
3-45

Brake System Warning Light
With the ignition on, the brake system warning light
comes on when the parking brake is set. If the vehicle
is driven with the parking brake engaged, a chime
sounds when the vehicle speed is greater than
3 mph (5 km/h).
The vehicle's hydraulic brake system is divided into two
parts. If one part is not working, the other part can still
work and stop the vehicle. For good braking both parts
need to be working well.
If the warning light comes on and a chime sounds there
could be a brake problem. Have the brake system
inspected by your dealer/retailer.
This light can also come on due to low brake fluid.
SeeBrakes
on page 7‑38for more information.
United StatesCanada This light comes on briefly when the ignition is turned to
ON/RUN. If it does not, have it fixed so it will be ready
to warn if there is a problem.
If the light comes on while driving, pull off the road and
stop carefully. The pedal could be harder to push or
could go closer to the floor. It can take longer to stop.
If the light is still on, have the vehicle towed for service.
See
Towing Your Vehicle on page 6‑39.
{WARNING:
The brake system might not be working properly if
the brake system warning light is on. Driving with
the brake system warning light on can lead to a
crash. If the light is still on after the vehicle has
been pulled off the road and carefully stopped,
have the vehicle towed for service.
4-31

This light comes on during a malfunction in one of
two ways:
Light Flashing :A misfire condition has been detected.
A misfire increases vehicle emissions and could
damage the emission control system on the vehicle.
Diagnosis and service might be required.
To prevent more serious damage to the vehicle:
.Reduce vehicle speed.
.Avoid hard accelerations.
.Avoid steep uphill grades.
.If towing a trailer, reduce the amount of cargo
being hauled as soon as it is possible.
If the light continues to flash, when it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle. Find a safe place to park the vehicle.
Turn the key off, wait at least 10 seconds, and restart
the engine. If the light is still flashing, follow the
previous steps and see your dealer/retailer for service
as soon as possible. Light On Steady :
An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on the vehicle.
Diagnosis and service might be required.
An emission system malfunction might be corrected by
doing the following:
.Make sure the fuel cap is fully installed. See Filling
the Tankon page 7‑10. The diagnostic system
can determine if the fuel cap has been left off or
improperly installed. A loose or missing fuel cap
allows fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere. A few
driving trips with the cap properly installed should
turn the light off.
.If the vehicle has been driven through a deep
puddle of water, the vehicle's electrical system
might be wet. The condition is usually corrected
when the electrical system dries out. A few driving
trips should turn the light off.
4-35

Section 6 Driving Your Vehicle
Your Driving, the Road, and the Vehicle. . . . . . . . . .6-2
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Braking in Emergencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
StabiliTrak
®System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Magnetic Ride Control™ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
Road Sensing Suspension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
Locking Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
All-Wheel Drive (AWD) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-10
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-11
Passing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-12
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-12
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-13
Driving at Night . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-24 Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-25
Before Leaving on a Long Trip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-26
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-26
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-27
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-28
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice,
or Snow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-30
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-30
Recovery Hooks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-31
Loading the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-32
Truck-Camper Loading Information . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-39
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-39
Towing Your Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-39
Recreational Vehicle Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-39
Level Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-41
Autoride
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-41
Towing a Trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-42
Trailer Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-54
6-1

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

If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand,
Mud, Ice, or Snow
Slowly and cautiously spin the wheels to free the
vehicle when stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow. See
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out on page 6‑30.
If the vehicle has a traction system, it can often help to
free a stuck vehicle. Refer to the vehicle's traction
system in the Index. If stuck too severely for the traction
system to free the vehicle, turn the traction system off
and use the rocking method.
{WARNING:
If the vehicle's tires spin at high speed, they
can explode, and you or others could be injured.
The vehicle can overheat, causing an engine
compartment fire or other damage. Spin the
wheels as little as possible and avoid going above
55 km/h (35 mph) as shown on the speedometer.
For information about using tire chains on the vehicle,
see Tire Chains on page 7‑77.
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out
Turn the steering wheel left and right to clear the area
around the front wheels. Turn off any traction or stability
system. Shift back and forth between R (Reverse) and a
forward gear, spinning the wheels as little as possible.
To prevent transmission wear, wait until the wheels stop
spinning before shifting gears. Release the accelerator
pedal while shifting, and press lightly on the accelerator
pedal when the transmission is in gear. Slowly spinning
the wheels in the forward and reverse directions causes
a rocking motion that could free the vehicle. If that does
not get the vehicle out after a few tries, it might need to
be towed out. Recovery hooks can be used, if the
vehicle has them. If the vehicle does need to be towed
out, see Towing Your Vehicle on page 6‑39.
6-30

The Tire and Loading Information label also
shows the size of the original equipment
tires (C) and the recommended cold tire inflation
pressures (D). For more information on tires and
inflation seeTires
on page 7‑57andInflation - Tire
Pressure
on page 7‑64.
There is also important loading information on the
vehicle Certification/Tire label. It tells you the
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) and the
Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for the front
and rear axles. See “Certification/Tire Label” later
in this section.
Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit
1.Locate the statement “The combined weight
of occupants and cargo should never exceed
XXX kg or XXX lbs” on your vehicle's placard.
2.Determine the combined weight of the
driver and passengers that will be riding in
your vehicle.
3.Subtract the combined weight of the driver
and passengers from XXX kg or XXX lbs.
4.The resulting figure equals the available
amount of cargo and luggage load capacity.
For example, if the“XXX”amount equals
1400 lbs and there will be five 150 lb
passengers in your vehicle, the amount of
available cargo and luggage load capacity
is 650 lbs (1400 −750 (5 x 150) = 650 lbs).
5.Determine the combined weight of luggage
and cargo being loaded on the vehicle.
That weight may not safely exceed the
available cargo and luggage load capacity
calculated in Step 4.
6.If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, the load
from your trailer will be transferred to your
vehicle. Consult this manual to determine
how this reduces the available cargo and
luggage load capacity of your vehicle.
SeeTowing a Trailer
on page 6‑42for
important information on towing a trailer,
towing safety rules and trailering tips.
6-33