Page 105 of 494
Black plate (51,1)Cadillac Escalade EXT Owner Manual - 2012
Seats and Restraints 3-51
You will be using the lap-shoulder
belt to secure the child restraint in
this position. Follow the instructions
that came with the child restraint.
1. Move the seat as far back as itwill go before securing the
forward-facing child restraint.
2. Put the child restraint on the seat.
3. Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap and shoulder portions of
the vehicle's safety belt through
or around the restraint. The child
restraint instructions will show
you how.
4. Push the latch plate into thebuckle until it clicks.
Position the release button on
the buckle so that the safety belt
could be quickly unbuckled if
necessary.5. Pull the shoulder belt all the wayout of the retractor to set the
lock. When the retractor lock is
set, the belt can be tightened but
not pulled out of the retractor.
Page 106 of 494

Black plate (52,1)Cadillac Escalade EXT Owner Manual - 2012
3-52 Seats and Restraints
6. To tighten the belt, push downon the child restraint, pull the
shoulder portion of the belt to
tighten the lap portion of the belt,
and feed the shoulder belt back
into the retractor. When installing
a forward-facing child restraint, it
may be helpful to use your knee
to push down on the child
restraint as you tighten the belt. Try to pull the belt out of the
retractor to make sure the
retractor is locked. If the
retractor is not locked, repeat
Steps 5 and 6.
7. Before placing a child in the child restraint, make sure it is
securely held in place. To check,
grasp the child restraint at the
safety belt path and attempt to
move it side‐to‐side and
back‐and‐forth. When the child
restraint is properly installed,
there should be no more than
2.5 cm (1 in) of movement. If the vehicle is equipped with the
passenger sensing system, and
when the passenger sensing system
has turned off the right front
passenger frontal airbag, the off
indicator in the passenger airbag
status indicator should light and stay
lit when you start the vehicle. See
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator
on page 5‑14.
If a child restraint has been installed
and the on indicator is lit, see
“If the
On Indicator is Lit for a Child
Restraint” underPassenger Sensing
System on page 3‑26 for more
information.
To remove the child restraint,
unbuckle the vehicle safety belt and
let it return to the stowed position.
Page 107 of 494

Black plate (1,1)Cadillac Escalade EXT Owner Manual - 2012
Storage 4-1
Storage
Storage Compartments
Instrument Panel Storage . . . . . 4-1
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Cupholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Armrest Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Center Console Storage . . . . . . 4-1
Top-Box Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Luggage/Load Locations
Cargo Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Additional Storage Features
Cargo Cover Panels . . . . . . . . . . 4-5
Cargo Tie-Downs . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-12
Roof Rack System
Roof Rack System . . . . . . . . . . . 4-12
Storage
Compartments
Instrument Panel Storage
For vehicles with a storage area
above the CD changer, open by
pressing the bottom edge of the
cover.
Glove Box
Lift up on the glove box lever to
open it.
Cupholders
Cupholders are located in the center
console for the front passengers
and on the back of the center
console for the rear passengers.
Press down and release the access
door to use the front cupholders.
Push the door back down to close it.
Pull down on the door located on
the back of the console to use the
rear cupholders.Push down and then back to
remove the front cupholder to
remove it for cleaning.
Armrest Storage
For vehicle with an armrest/storage
compartment located by the second
row seat, pull the loop at the top of
the armrest out to lower the armrest.
Push the button on the front of the
armrest and pull the top up to open
the compartment.
Center Console Storage
A console compartment is located
between the bucket seats.
The console has both an upper and
lower storage bin accessed by lifting
up on the latches located at the
front of the console lid.
The console may have an
accessory power outlet inside. See
Power Outlets on page 5‑7.
The rear of the console also has a
cupholder that swings down for the
rear seat passengers to use.
Page 108 of 494

Black plate (2,1)Cadillac Escalade EXT Owner Manual - 2012
4-2 Storage
Top-Box Storage
There are top-box storage units on
both sides of the rear cargo area.
The passenger side contains the tire
changing tools. To lock or unlock,
use the key then press the key
cylinder to open.
Luggage/Load
Locations
Cargo Area
All-Weather Cargo Area
The vehicle's cargo area can be
used in many different
configurations—cargo panels on or
off, Midgate up or down, rear glass
in or out. It has features that resist
the elements and protect cargo. It is
designed to quickly direct water out
of the cargo box. The top drain
grates, side rail channels, catch
cups, Midgate drain, cargo area
floor drains, and rubber cargo mat
help do this.
Even when all of these things are
working properly and the cover
system is on, there may be some
instances (heavy rains, automated
car washes, etc.) when water can
collect in the following areas:
A. Top drain grates
B. Removable front drain grate (Midgate drain grate)
C. Side rail channels and catch cups
D. Front drains
Page 109 of 494
Black plate (3,1)Cadillac Escalade EXT Owner Manual - 2012
Storage 4-3
E. Water drainage area aroundboth sides of the box and the
tailgate side
F. Rear drains
G. Cargo floor
H. Cargo mat
Maintenance and Cleaning
To ensure that the water
management system performs
properly, be sure that the Midgate,
tailgate, and cover system are fully
closed and that all parts are clean
and not blocked with debris. Follow
the instructions given next in this
section for the proper procedures on
cleaning each item.
Top Drain Grates –Removal
and Cleaning
The top drain grates are located
near the rear window on both sides
of the vehicle. Clean the grates and
drains if there is a blockage. To remove each drain grate, do the
following:
1. Remove the cargo panels. See
Cargo Cover Panels on
page 4‑5 for more information.
2. Grasp the edges of the grate
and pull it out from the vehicle.
Flush the drain with clean water.
Page 110 of 494
Black plate (4,1)Cadillac Escalade EXT Owner Manual - 2012
4-4 Storage
To replace the drain grate:
1. Line up the clips on the vehiclewith the slots in the grate and
firmly push the grate down.
2. Do not force the grate. If it does not clip into place, realign the
clips with the holes and try
again.
Side Rail Channels
The side rail channels are located
on top of both sides of the cargo
area. Flush them out with clean
water if debris collects inside
of them.
Carefully load cargo into the cargo
area, so that the rails do not get
damaged.
Midgate Drain Grate Removal
and Cleaning
The removable Midgate drain grate
is located near the base of the
Midgate.
Page 111 of 494

Black plate (5,1)Cadillac Escalade EXT Owner Manual - 2012
Storage 4-5
After hauling dirt, wood chips,
pebbles etc. the Midgate drain
should be flushed with water. First
remove the drain grate:
1. Lower the Midgate. SeeMidgate
®on page 2‑9 for more
information.
2. Pull up on the rear side of the drain grate, tilt it toward the front
of the vehicle, and pull it out.
Reverse the procedure to reinstall
the drain grate.
Cargo Area Floor Drains
The cargo mat has cut outs for the
four cargo-area floor drains located
under the cargo mat near the sides
of the cargo area.
Periodically flush the drains through
the cut outs to clear debris and
allow water to drain from the cargo
area. If the cargo area is extremely
dirty, lift up the edges of the cargo
floor mat or take the whole mat out
and flush the drains with water.
Additional Storage
Features
Cargo Cover Panels
For vehicles with a three-piece
cargo cover system, the cargo
panels can be removed and stored
in the cargo area of the vehicle.
{WARNING
Improperly stored cargo cover
panels could be thrown about the
vehicle during a collision or
sudden maneuver. Someone
could be injured. If a panel is
removed, always store it in the
proper storage location. When
putting it back, always make sure
that it is securely reattached.
Page 112 of 494

Black plate (6,1)Cadillac Escalade EXT Owner Manual - 2012
4-6 Storage
Notice:Exceeding the weight
limit of 113 kg (250 lbs) can
damage the cargo covers, and the
repairs would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Do not put
anything on top of the cargo
covers over the weight limit.
To remove a cargo panel(s):
1. Lower the tailgate. See Tailgate
on page 2‑15 for more
information on the tailgate.
The panels are embossed on
the upper center portion with the
numbers 1, 2 and 3. There are
also numbered labels on the
bottom of the panels. The
numbers on the top and bottom
of the panels will be used as
reference when removing,
storing and reinstalling the
panels.2. Unlock the cargo panel 3 by pulling forward on the driver side
and passenger side cargo panel
latches, located on the bottom of
each cargo panel.
3. Remove cargo panel 2 in the same way and set it aside.
Remove as many cargo panels
as needed.
4. To remove cargo panel 1, unlock the two rear latches, lift the
cover slightly and pull rearward.