2021 CADILLAC ESCALADE Owner's Manual

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13690472) - 2021 - CRC - 8/10/21
224 CLIMATE CONTROLS
Rear Climate Control System
The rear climate control system is on the rear of the center console. The settings
can be adjusted with the rear climate controls and the rear climate display.
Rear Climate Controls
1. Heated Rear Seats
2. Air Delivery Mode Control
3. Fan Control 4. Temperature Control
5. AUTO (Automatic Operation)
O
(On/Off)
Rear Climate Display
1. Temperature Setting
2. Air Delivery Mode Control
3. Fan Control
4. SYNC (Synchronized Temperatures)
5. Rear Control Lockout
6. Rear AUTO (Automatic Operation)
7. REAR
O(On/Off)
8. Temperature Control
Rear : Touch to open the rear climate
control screen. The rear climate
control settings can now be adjusted
from the front passenger area.
O: PressOor REAROto turn the
rear climate control system on or off.
If the rear climate control system is
turned off using REAR
Oon the rear

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13690472) - 2021 - CRC - 8/10/21
CLIMATE CONTROLS 225
climate display, theObutton and the
temperature or air delivery mode
buttons on the rear climate controls
must be pressed within five seconds
to turn it back on.
SYNC : Touch SYNC on the rear
climate display to match the rear
climate control temperature to the
front climate control driver
temperature. The SYNC button will be
lit. Press the temperature, MODE,
or AUTO button to unlink the set
driver and rear temperatures. The
SYNC button turns off.
Rear Control Lockout : Touch Rear
Control Lockout on the rear climate
display to lock or unlock control of
the rear climate control system from
the front climate control display.
When locked the rear climate control
system cannot be adjusted from the
rear climate controls on the rear of
the center console.
Automatic Operation
Rear AUTO : Touch to turn on or off.
The air delivery and fan speed are
controlled automatically. The AUTO
indicator appears on the display on the rear of the center console. If the
Mode or fan control buttons are
manually adjusted, this cancels the
automatic operation.
Manual Operation
A«/ªAª:
Touch or press the
fan controls on the rear climate
display or on the rear of the center
console to increase or decrease the
airf low. Pressing
A «when the
system is off will turn the system on.
The air delivery mode remains in its
previous setting.
«/ª: Touch or press and hold the
rear temperature controls on the rear
climate display or on the rear of the
center console to adjust the rear
passenger temperature. Press
«for
warmer air and press
ªfor cooler air.
Y/\/Y: Touch the desired mode
on the rear climate display or the
MODE button on the rear of the
center console to change the direction
of the airflow in the rear seating area.
MorL: PressMorLto heat the left
or right outboard seat cushion. See
Heated Rear Seats 050.
Air Vents
Adjustable air vents are in the center
and on the side of the instrument
panel.
1. Slider Knob
Move the slider knobs (1) to change
the direction of the airf low and to
shut off the air flow. The horizontal
vanes can rotate up and down.
A metallic click sound will be heard
every time they pass through the
horizontal position.

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13690472) - 2021 - CRC - 8/10/21
226 CLIMATE CONTROLS
Operation Tips
.Clear away any ice, snow, or leaves
from the air inlets at the base of the
windshield that could block the
flow of air into the vehicle.
.Clear snow off the hood to improve
visibility and help decrease moisture
drawn into the vehicle.
.When you enter a vehicle in cold
weather, press the fan up button to
the maximum fan level before
driving. This helps clear the intake
ducts of snow and moisture, and
reduces the chance of fogging the
inside of the window.
.Keep the air path under the front
seats clear of objects to help
circulate the air inside of the vehicle
more effectively.
.Use of non-GM approved hood
deflectors can adversely affect the
performance of the system. Check
with your dealer before adding
equipment to the outside of the
vehicle.Rear System Air Vents
This vehicle has four round or
rectangular air vents in the headliner
above the second and third row seats.
Press on the center vane rear edge to
open the round outlet. Use the center
vane to rotate the outlet and change
the direction of the airf low. Press on
the center vane leading edge to shut
off the air flow.
Move the slider knob and rotate the
outlet barrel left to right to change the
direction of the air flow and to shut
off the air flow.
Maintenance
Passenger Compartment
Air Filter
The filter reduces the dust, pollen, and
other airborne irritants from outside
air that is pulled into the vehicle.
The filter should be replaced as part
of routine scheduled maintenance. To
find out what type of filter to use, see
Maintenance Replacement Parts
0452.

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13690472) - 2021 - CRC - 8/10/21
CLIMATE CONTROLS 227
1. Open the glove box doorcompletely.
2. Press the sides of the glove box bininward to clear the stoppers and
rotate downward to lower the bin.
3. Unhook the string dampener tofully remove the glove box bin.
4. Pull the lever (1) on the left side ofthe filter door and slide left (2),
then remove the door. Remove the
old filter.
5. Install the new air filter.
6. Reinstall the filter door.
7. Reverse the steps to reinstall the glove box.
See your dealer if additional
assistance is needed.
Service
All vehicles have a label underhood
that identifies the refrigerant used in
the vehicle. The refrigerant system
should only be serviced by trained and

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13690472) - 2021 - CRC - 8/10/21
228 CLIMATE CONTROLS
certified technicians. The air
conditioning evaporator should never
be repaired or replaced by one from a
salvage vehicle. It should only be
replaced by a new evaporator to
ensure proper and safe operation.
During service, all refrigerants should
be reclaimed with proper equipment.
Venting refrigerants directly to the
atmosphere is harmful to the
environment and may also create
unsafe conditions based on inhalation,
combustion, frostbite, or other
health-based concerns.
The air conditioning system requires
periodic maintenance. See
Maintenance Schedule0442.

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13690472) - 2021 - CRC - 8/10/21
DRIVING AND OPERATING 229
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Driving for Better FuelEconomy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Impaired Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . 238
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Stop/Start System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248 Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Parking over Things
That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Dynamic Fuel Management . . . . . 250
Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . . . 251
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Drive Systems
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Brakes
Electric Brake Boost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . . 261
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Automatic VehicleHold (AVH) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/ElectronicStability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Driver Mode Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266 Magnetic Ride Control . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Locking Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Four Corner Air Suspension
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Adaptive Cruise Control(Advanced) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Super Cruise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . . . . . 298
Assistance Systems for Parking or Backing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Rear Pedestrian Alert . . . . . . . . . . . . 312
Assistance Systems for Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
Front Pedestrian Braking (FPB) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
Night Vision System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . 321
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . . . . 321
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . . . . . 324
Fuel
Top Tier Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13690472) - 2021 - CRC - 8/10/21
230 DRIVING AND OPERATING
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
Prohibited Fuels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . . . . . 327
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327
Filling a Portable FuelContainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
Trailer Towing
General Towing Information . . . . 329
Driving Characteristics andTowing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334
Towing Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338
Trailer Sway Control (TSC) . . . . . . 347
Trailering App . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . 360
Driving Information
Driving for Better Fuel
Economy
Driving habits can affect fuel mileage.
Here are some driving tips to get the
best fuel economy possible:
.Set the climate controls to the
desired temperature after the engine
is started, or turn them off when
not required.
.Avoid fast starts and accelerate
smoothly.
.Brake gradually and avoid abrupt
stops.
.Avoid idling the engine for long
periods of time.
.When road and weather conditions
are appropriate, use cruise control.
.Always follow posted speed limits or
drive more slowly when conditions
require.
.Keep vehicle tires properly inflated.
.Combine several trips into a
single trip.
.Replace the vehicle's tires with the
same TPC Spec number molded into
the tire's sidewall near the size.
.Follow recommended scheduled
maintenance.
Distracted Driving
Distraction comes in many forms and
can take your focus from the task of
driving. Exercise good judgment and
do not let other activities divert your
attention away from the road. Many
local governments have enacted laws
regarding driver distraction. Become
familiar with the local laws in
your area.
To avoid distracted driving, keep your
eyes on the road, keep your hands on
the steering wheel, and focus your
attention on driving.
.Do not use a phone in demanding
driving situations. Use a hands-free
method to place or receive
necessary phone calls.
.Watch the road. Do not read, take
notes, or look up information on
phones or other electronic devices.
.Designate a front seat passenger to
handle potential distractions.

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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DRIVING AND OPERATING 231
.Become familiar with vehicle
features before driving, such as
programming favorite radio stations
and adjusting climate control and
seat settings. Program all trip
information into any navigation
device prior to driving.
.Wait until the vehicle is parked to
retrieve items that have fallen to
the floor.
.Stop or park the vehicle to tend to
children.
.Keep pets in an appropriate carrier
or restraint.
.Avoid stressful conversations while
driving, whether with a passenger or
on a cell phone.
{Warning
Taking your eyes off the road too
long or too often could cause a
crash resulting in injury or death.
Focus your attention on driving.
Refer to the infotainment section for
more information on using that
system and the navigation system,
if equipped, including pairing and
using a cell phone.
Defensive Driving
Defensive driving means “always
expect the unexpected.” The first step
in driving defensively is to wear the
seat belt. See Seat Belts058.
.Assume that other road users
(pedestrians, bicyclists, and other
drivers) are going to be careless and
make mistakes. Anticipate what
they may do and be ready.
.Allow enough following distance
between you and the driver in front
of you.
.Focus on the task of driving.
Impaired Driving
Death and injury associated with
impaired driving is a global tragedy.
{Warning
Drinking alcohol or taking drugs
and then driving is very dangerous.
Your reflexes, perceptions,
attentiveness, and judgment can be
affected by even a small amount of
alcohol or drugs. You can have a
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
serious—or even fatal —collision
if you drive after drinking or taking
drugs.
Do not drive while under the
influence of alcohol or drugs,
or ride with a driver who has been
drinking or is impaired by drugs.
Find alternate transportation home;
or if you are with a group, designate
a driver who will remain sober.
Control of a Vehicle
Braking, steering, and accelerating are
important factors in helping to control
a vehicle while driving.
Braking
Braking action involves perception
time and reaction time. Deciding to
push the brake pedal is perception
time. Actually doing it is
reaction time.
Average driver reaction time is about
three-quarters of a second. In that
time, a vehicle moving at 100 km/h