Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11349344) - 2018 - crc - 11/7/17
192 DRIVING AND OPERATING
.Drive at speeds that keep the
vehicle in its own lane. Do not
swing wide or cross the
center line.
. Be alert on top of hills; something
could be in your lane (e.g., stalled
car, accident).
. Pay attention to special road signs
(e.g., falling rocks area, winding
roads, long grades, passing or
no-passing zones) and take
appropriate action.
Winter Driving
Driving on Snow or Ice
Snow or ice between the tires and the
road creates less traction or grip, so
drive carefully. Wet ice can occur at
about 0 °C (32 °F) when freezing rain
begins to fall. Avoid driving on wet ice
or in freezing rain until roads can be
treated.
For Slippery Road Driving:
.Accelerate gently. Accelerating too
quickly causes the wheels to spin
and makes the surface under the
tires slick. .
Turn on Traction Control. See
Traction Control/Electronic Stability
Control 0218.
. Antilock Brake System (ABS)
improves vehicle stability during
hard stops, but the brakes should
be applied sooner than when on
dry pavement. See Antilock Brake
System (ABS) 0215.
. Allow greater following distance
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.
Blizzard Conditions
Stay with the vehicle unless there is
help nearby. If possible, use Roadside
Assistance. See Roadside Service 0366.
To get help and keep everyone in the
vehicle safe:
. Turn on the hazard warning
flashers. .
Tie a red cloth to an outside
mirror.
{Warning
Snow can trap engine exhaust
under the vehicle. This may cause
exhaust gases to get inside. Engine
exhaust contains carbon monoxide
(CO), which cannot be seen or
smelled. It can cause
unconsciousness and even death.
If the vehicle is stuck in snow:
. Clear snow from the base of
the vehicle, especially any
blocking the exhaust pipe.
. Open a window about 5 cm
(2 in) on the vehicle side that
is away from the wind, to
bring in fresh air.
. Fully open the air outlets on
or under the instrument
panel.
. Adjust the climate control
system to circulate the air
inside the vehicle and set the
(Continued)
Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11349344) - 2018 - crc - 11/7/17
DRIVING AND OPERATING 193
Warning (Continued)
fan speed to the highest
setting. See“Climate Control
Systems.”
For more information about CO, see
Engine Exhaust 0205.
To save fuel, run the engine for short
periods to warm the vehicle and then
shut the engine off and partially close
the window. Moving about to keep
warm also helps.
If it takes time for help to arrive,
when running the engine, push the
accelerator pedal slightly so the
engine runs faster than the idle speed.
This keeps the battery charged to
restart the vehicle and to signal for
help with the headlamps. Do this as
little as possible, to save fuel.
If the Vehicle Is Stuck
Slowly and cautiously spin the wheels
to free the vehicle when stuck in sand,
mud, ice, or snow. If stuck too severely for the traction
system to free the vehicle, turn the
traction system off and use the
rocking method. See
Traction Control/
Electronic Stability Control 0218.
{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 56 km/h
(35 mph).
Rocking the Vehicle to Get it Out
Turn the steering wheel left and right
to clear the area around the front
wheels. Turn off any traction system.
Shift back and forth between
R (Reverse) and a low 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. If the
vehicle does need to be towed out, see
Towing the Vehicle
0332.
Vehicle Load Limits
It is very important to know how
much weight the vehicle can carry.
This weight is called the vehicle
capacity weight and includes the
weight of all occupants, cargo, and
all nonfactory-installed options.
Two labels on the vehicle may
show how much weight it was
designed to carry, the Tire and
Loading Information label and the
Certification/Tire label.
Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11349344) - 2018 - crc - 11/7/17
DRIVING AND OPERATING 253
Warning (Continued)
.Also adjust the climate
control system to a setting
that brings in only outside air.
See “Climate Control Systems ”
in the Index.
For more information about carbon
monoxide, see Engine Exhaust
0 205.
Towing a trailer requires a certain
amount of experience. The
combination you are driving is longer
and not as responsive as the vehicle
itself. Get acquainted with the
handling and braking of the rig before
setting out for the open road.
The structure, tires, and brakes of the
trailer must be rated to carry the load.
Inadequate trailer equipment can
cause the combination to operate in
an unexpected or unsafe manner.
Before starting, check all trailer hitch
parts and attachments, safety chains,
electrical connectors, lamps, tires, and
mirrors. Get familiar with the handling and braking of the rig. If the
trailer has electric brakes, start the
combination moving and then apply
the trailer brake controller by hand to
be sure the brakes work.
During the trip, check occasionally to
be sure that the load is secure and the
lamps and any trailer brakes
still work.
Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the
vehicle ahead as you would when
driving the vehicle without a trailer.
This can help to avoid heavy braking
and sudden turns.
Passing
More passing distance is needed when
towing a trailer. The combination will
not accelerate as quickly and is longer
so it is necessary to go much farther
beyond the passed vehicle before
returning to the lane.
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel
with one hand. To move the trailer to
the left, move that hand to the left. Tomove the trailer to the right, move
your hand to the right. Always back
up slowly and, if possible, have
someone guide you.
Making Turns
Caution
Making very sharp turns while
trailering could cause the trailer to
come in contact with the vehicle.
The vehicle could be damaged.
Avoid making very sharp turns
while trailering.
When turning with a trailer, make
wider turns than normal. Do this so
the trailer will not strike soft
shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees,
or other objects. Avoid jerky or sudden
maneuvers. Signal well in advance.
If the trailer turn signal bulbs burn
out, the arrows on the instrument
cluster will still flash for turns. It is
important to check occasionally to be
sure the trailer bulbs are still working.
Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11349344) - 2018 - crc - 11/7/17
316 VEHICLE CARE
Warning (Continued)
injury. Only use GM specific wheel
and tire systems developed for the
vehicle, and have them properly
installed by a GM certified
technician.
See Buying New Tires 0314 and
Accessories and Modifications 0265.
Uniform Tire Quality
Grading
The following information relates
to the system developed by the
United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA), which grades tires by
treadwear, traction, and
temperature performance. This
applies only to vehicles sold in the
United States. The grades are
molded on the sidewalls of most
passenger car tires. The Uniform
Tire Quality Grading (UTQG)
system does not apply to deep tread, winter tires, compact spare
tires, tires with nominal rim
diameters of 10 to 12 inches
(25 to 30 cm), or to some
limited-production tires.
While the tires available on
General Motors passenger cars
and light trucks may vary with
respect to these grades, they must
also conform to federal safety
requirements and additional
General Motors Tire Performance
Criteria (TPC) standards.
Quality grades can be found where
applicable on the tire sidewall
between tread shoulder and
maximum section width. For
example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA
Temperature A
All Passenger Car Tires Must
Conform to Federal Safety
Requirements In Addition To
These Grades.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a
comparative rating based on the
wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a
specified government test course.
For example, a tire graded
150 would wear one and one-half
(1½) times as well on the
government course as a tire
graded 100. The relative
performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of
their use, however, and may
depart significantly from the norm
due to variations in driving habits,
service practices and differences
in road characteristics and
climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from highest
to lowest, are AA, A, B, and C.
Those grades represent the tire's
ability to stop on wet pavement as
measured under controlled
conditions on specified
Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11349344) - 2018 - crc - 11/7/17
INDEX 389
Climate Control SystemsDual Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Cluster, Instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Collision Damage Repair . . . . . . . . . . . 369
Compartments Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Connections OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379
Control Traction and ElectronicStability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Convenience Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Convex Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Coolant Engine Temperature Gauge . . . . . . 134
Engine Temperature WarningLight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Cooling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .173, 178
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Cornering Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Courtesy Transportation Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 368
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222 Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144 Cruise Control, Adaptive . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Cupholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Customer Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 365
Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364
Text Telephone (TTY) Users . . . . . 365
Customer Information Service Publications Ordering
Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 371
Customer Satisfaction Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362
D
Damage Repair, Collision . . . . . . . . . . . 369
Danger, Warning, and Caution . . . . . . . . 3
Data CollectionInfotainment System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375
Data Recorders, Event . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 374
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . 166
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Diagnostics OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Door Ajar Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Door (cont'd)
Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Power Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Drive Belt Routing, Engine . . . . . . . . . 361
Driver Assistance Systems . . . . . . . . . 233
Driver Information
Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Driver Mode Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Driving Assistance Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Characteristics andTowing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Defensive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Drunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
For Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . 191
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Off-Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Winter Mode Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Dual Automatic Climate Control System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11349344) - 2018 - crc - 11/7/17
394 INDEX
PersonalizationVehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Power Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Protection, Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Retained Accessory (RAP) . . . . . . . . 203
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Power Assist Steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Pregnancy, Using Seat Belts . . . . . . . . . 82
Premium Care Maintenance
Cadillac . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347
Privacy Vehicle Data Recording . . . . . . . . . . 374
Program Courtesy Transportation . . . . . . . . . 368
Proposition 65 Warning,
California . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .264, 280, 329, Back Cover
R
Radio Frequency Statement . . . . . . . . 372
Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282 Rear Axle (cont'd)
Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Rear Camera Mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Rear Climate Control System . . . . . . 178
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Heated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Rear Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . 233
Rear Window Washer/Wiper . . . . . . . 123
Rearview Mirrors Automatic Dimming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355
Records Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357
Recreational Vehicle Towing . . . . . . . 333
Reimbursement Program, GM Mobility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 365
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Replacement Glass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Replacement Parts Airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356
Replacing Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 Replacing LATCH System Parts
after a Crash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Replacing Seat Belt System Parts after a Crash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Reporting Safety Defects Canadian Government . . . . . . . . . . . . 373
General Motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373
U.S. Government . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372
Restraints Where to Put . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Reverse Tilt Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Ride Control Systems Magnetic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Roads
Driving, Wet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Roadside Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366
Roof Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Roof Rack System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Rotation, Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312
Routing, Engine Drive Belt . . . . . . . . . 361
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206