Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12460268) - 2019 - crc - 9/14/18
IN BRIEF 5
In Brief
Instrument Panel
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Initial Drive Information
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Liftgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Memory Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Second Row Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Third Row Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Heated and Cooled Front Seats . . . 12
Head Restraint Adjustment . . . . . . . 13
Seat Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Passenger Sensing System . . . . . . . . 13
Mirror Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . . . . . 15
Throttle and Brake Pedal Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . . . . 17
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Vehicle Features
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . . . . . 19
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Driver Information
Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Forward Automatic Braking (FAB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . . . . . . 21
Surround Vision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . 21
Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Park Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Automatic Parking Assist (APA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Reverse Automatic Braking (RAB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Universal Remote System . . . . . . . . . 23
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Performance and Maintenance
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Tire Pressure Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
E85 or FlexFuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Driving for Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Roadside Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12460268) - 2019 - crc - 9/14/18
IN BRIEF 7
1.Air Vents 0182.
2. Head-Up Display (HUD) 0150 (If
Equipped).
3. Turn Signal Lever. See Turn and
Lane-Change Signals 0171.
Windshield Wiper/Washer 0124.
Rear Window Wiper/Washer
0 126.
4. Hazard Warning Flashers 0171.
5. Instrument Cluster 0133.
6. Shift Lever. See Automatic
Transmission 0209.
Tow/Haul Mode Selector Button.
See Tow/Haul Mode 0213.
Range Selection Mode Buttons (If
Equipped). See Manual Mode
0 212.
7. Magnetic Ride Control Button. See Magnetic Ride Control 0224.
Pedal Adjust Switch (If
Equipped). See Adjustable Throttle
and Brake Pedal 0201.
Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control 0221. 8. Light Sensor. See
Automatic
Headlamp System 0170.
9. Infotainment 0175.
10. Glove Box Button. See Glove Box
0 119.
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) 0250 (If
Equipped).
Park Assist Button. See
Assistance Systems for Parking or
Backing 0237.
11. Dual Automatic Climate Control
System 0176.
Instrument Panel Storage 0119.
12. CD Player. See the infotainment manual.
13. ENGINE START/STOP Button. SeeIgnition Positions 0202.
14. Steering Wheel Controls 0124.
Driver Information Center (DIC)
Controls. See Driver Information
Center (DIC) 0148.
15. Horn 0124.
16. Steering Wheel Adjustment 0124.
17. Hood Release. See Hood0279. 18.
Cruise Control 0225 (If
Equipped).
Adaptive Cruise Control 0228 (If
Equipped).
Forward Collision Alert (FCA)
System 0243 (If Equipped).
Heated Steering Wheel 0124 (If
Equipped).
Phone Button. See the
infotainment manual.
19. Automatic Transfer Case Knob (If Equipped). See Four-Wheel Drive
0 214.
20. Data Link Connector (DLC) (Out of View). See Malfunction
Indicator Lamp (Check Engine
Light) 0140.
21. Electric Parking Brake 0219 (If
Equipped).
22. Exterior Lamp Controls 0167.
23. Instrument Panel Illumination
Control 0172.
Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12460268) - 2019 - crc - 9/14/18
18 IN BRIEF
Climate Control Display
1. Outside Temperature Display
2. Driver and Passenger Temperature Controls
3. Fan Control
4. SYNC (Synchronized Temperature)
5. A/C Mode (Air Conditioning)
6. Climate Control Selection (Application Tray Button)
7. Rear (Rear Climate Control Touch Screen)
8. Air Delivery Mode Control See
Dual Automatic Climate Control
System 0176 and Rear Climate Control
System 0181 (If Equipped).
Transmission
Range Selection Mode
The Range Selection Mode switch,
if equipped, is on the shift lever.
1. To enable the Range Selection feature, move the shift lever to
the L (Manual Mode) position.
The current range will appear
next to the L. This is the highest
attainable range with all lower
gears accessible. As an example,
when 5 (Fifth) gear is selected,
1 (First) through 5 (Fifth) gears
are available. 2. Press the plus/minus buttons on
the shift lever to select the
desired range of gears for current
driving conditions. See Manual
Mode 0212.
While using Range Selection Mode,
cruise control and the Tow/Haul Mode
can be used.
Grade Braking is not available when
Range Selection Mode is active. See
Tow/Haul Mode 0213.
Four-Wheel Drive
If equipped with four-wheel drive, the
engine's driving power can be sent to
all four wheels for extra traction.
Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12460268) - 2019 - crc - 9/14/18
IN BRIEF 19
Automatic Transfer Case
This transfer case knob is to the left
of the steering column.
The different drive options that may
be available are the following:
2
m(Two-Wheel Drive High) :This
setting is used for driving in most
street and highway situations.
AUTO (Automatic Four-Wheel
Drive) : This setting is ideal for use
when road surface traction conditions
are variable. Do not use AUTO mode to park on a
steep grade with poor traction such as
ice, snow, mud or gravel. In AUTO
mode only the rear wheels will hold
the vehicle from sliding when parked.
If parking on a steep grade, use 4
mto
keep all four wheels engaged.
4
m(Four-Wheel Drive High) : Use
this setting when extra traction is
needed, such as on snowy or icy roads
or in most off-road situations.
N (Neutral) : Shift to this setting only
when towing the vehicle. See Towing
the Vehicle 0345.
4
n(Four-Wheel Drive Low) : Choose
4
nwhen driving in deep sand, mud,
or snow, and while climbing or
descending steep hills.
See Four-Wheel Drive 0214.
Vehicle Features
Infotainment System
See the infotainment manual for
information on the radio, audio
players, phone, navigation system,
Rear Seat Entertainment (RSE), and
voice or speech recognition. It also
includes information on settings.
Steering Wheel Controls
The infotainment system can be
operated by using the steering wheel
controls. See “Steering Wheel
Controls ”in the infotainment manual.
Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12460268) - 2019 - crc - 9/14/18
DRIVING AND OPERATING 185
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . 194
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Adjustable Throttle and BrakePedal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206 Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Parking over Things
That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Active Fuel Management . . . . . . . . 208
Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Running the Vehicle While
Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . . . 209
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Drive Systems
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Brakes
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . . 218
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/ElectronicStability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Driver Mode Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Magnetic Ride Control . . . . . . . . . . . 224 Locking Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Automatic Level Control . . . . . . . . . 225
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Adaptive Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . 228
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . . . . . 236
Assistance Systems for Parking
or Backing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Assistance Systems for Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Forward Automatic Braking (FAB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . 247
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . . . . 248
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . . . . . 250
Fuel
Top Tier Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Prohibited Fuels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . . . . . 253
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12460268) - 2019 - crc - 9/14/18
DRIVING AND OPERATING 189
Loss of Control
Skidding
There are three types of skids that
correspond to the vehicle's three
control systems:
.Braking Skid —wheels are not
rolling.
. Steering or Cornering Skid —too
much speed or steering in a curve
causes tires to slip and lose
cornering force.
. Acceleration Skid —too much
throttle causes the driving wheels
to spin.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by
taking reasonable care suited to
existing conditions, and by not
overdriving those conditions. But
skids are always possible.
If the vehicle starts to slide, follow
these suggestions:
. Ease your foot off the accelerator
pedal and steer the way you want
the vehicle to go. The vehicle may
straighten out. Be ready for a
second skid if it occurs. .
Slow down and adjust your driving
according to weather conditions.
Stopping distance can be longer
and vehicle control can be affected
when traction is reduced by water,
snow, ice, gravel, or other material
on the road. Learn to recognize
warning clues —such as enough
water, ice, or packed snow on the
road to make a mirrored surface
— and slow down when you have
any doubt.
. Try to avoid sudden steering,
acceleration, or braking, including
reducing vehicle speed by shifting
to a lower gear. Any sudden
changes could cause the tires to
slide.
Remember: Antilock brakes help avoid
only the braking skid.
Off-Road Driving
Four-wheel-drive vehicles can be used
for off-road driving. Vehicles without
four-wheel drive and vehicles not
equipped with All Terrain (AT) or
On-Off Road (OOR) tires must not be
driven off-road except on a level, solid surface. For contact information about
the original equipment tires, see the
warranty manual.
One of the best ways for successful
off-road driving is to control the
speed.
{Warning
When driving off-road, bouncing
and quick changes in direction can
easily throw you out of position.
This could cause you to lose control
and crash. You and your passengers
should always wear seat belts.
Before Driving Off-Road
.
Have all necessary maintenance
and service work completed.
. Fuel the vehicle, fill fluid levels,
and check inflation pressure in all
tires, including the spare,
if equipped.
. Read all the information about
four-wheel-drive vehicles in this
manual.
Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12460268) - 2019 - crc - 9/14/18
206 DRIVING AND OPERATING
Retained Accessory
Power (RAP)
Some vehicle accessories may be used
after the ignition is turned off.
The power windows and sunroof,
if equipped, will continue to work for
up to 10 minutes or until any door is
opened.
The infotainment system will continue
to work for 10 minutes, until the
driver door is opened, or until the
ignition is turned on or placed in
ACC/ACCESSORY.
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(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
not move, even when you are on
fairly level ground, use the steps
that follow. If the vehicle has a
four-wheel-drive transfer case with
an N (Neutral) position, and the
transfer case is in N (Neutral), the
vehicle will be free to roll, even if
the shift lever is in P (Park). Be sure
the transfer case is in a drive gear.
If towing a trailer, seeDriving
Characteristics and Towing Tips
0 255.
1. Hold the brake pedal down, then set the parking brake.
See Parking Brake 0218 or
Electric Parking Brake 0219.
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. Be sure the transfer case is in a drive gear –not in N (Neutral).
4. Turn the ignition off.
Leaving the Vehicle with the
Engine Running
{Warning
It can be dangerous to leave the
vehicle with the engine running.
The vehicle could move suddenly if
the shift lever is not fully in
P (Park) with the parking brake
firmly set.
If you have four-wheel drive and
the transfer case is in N (Neutral),
the vehicle will be free to roll, even
if the shift lever is in P (Park). So be
sure the transfer case is in a drive
gear –not in N (Neutral).
And, if you leave the vehicle with
the engine running, it could
overheat and even catch fire. You or
others could be injured. Do not
leave the vehicle with the engine
running unless you have to.
If you have to leave the vehicle with
the engine running, be sure the
vehicle is in P (Park) and the parking
Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12460268) - 2019 - crc - 9/14/18
210 DRIVING AND OPERATING
{Warning
It is 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.
Do not leave the vehicle when the
engine is running. 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).
SeeShifting Into Park 0206 and
Driving Characteristics and Towing
Tips 0255.
{Warning
If you have four-wheel drive, the
vehicle will be free to roll —even if
the shift lever is in P (Park) —if the
transfer case is in N (Neutral). So,
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
be sure the transfer case is in a
drive gear, Two-Wheel Drive High
or Four-Wheel Drive High or
Four-Wheel Drive Low—not in
N (Neutral). See Shifting Into Park
0 206.
R : Use this gear to back up.
Caution
Shifting to R (Reverse) while the
vehicle is moving forward could
damage the transmission. The
repairs would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty. Shift to
R (Reverse) only after the vehicle is
stopped.
To rock the vehicle back and forth to
get out of snow, ice, or sand without
damaging the transmission, see If the
Vehicle Is Stuck 0196. N :
In this position, the engine does
not connect with the wheels. To
restart the engine when the vehicle is
already moving, use N (Neutral) only.
{Warning
Shifting into a drive gear while the
engine is running at high speed is
dangerous. Unless your foot is
firmly on the brake pedal, the
vehicle could move very rapidly.
You could lose control and hit
people or objects. Do not shift into
a drive gear while the engine is
running at high speed.
Caution
Shifting out of P (Park) or
N (Neutral) with the engine running
at high speed may damage the
transmission. The repairs would not
be covered by the vehicle warranty.
Be sure the engine is not running at
high speed when shifting the
vehicle.