2021 CADILLAC ESCALADE belt

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13690472) - 2021 - CRC - 8/10/21
SEATS AND RESTRAINTS 65
it replaced immediately. If a belt is
twisted, it may be possible to untwist
by reversing the latch plate on the
webbing. If the twist cannot be
corrected, ask your dealer to fix it.
Make sure the seat belt reminder light
is working. SeeSeat Belt Reminders
0 119.
Keep seat belts clean and dry. See Seat
Belt Care 065.
Seat Belt Care
Keep belts clean and dry.
Seat belts should be properly cared for
and maintained.
Seat belt hardware should be kept dry
and free of dust or debris. As
necessary, exterior hard surfaces and
seat belt webbing may be lightly
cleaned with mild soap and water.
Ensure there is not excessive dust or
debris in the mechanism. If dust or
debris exists in the system please see
the dealer. Parts may need to be
replaced to ensure proper
functionality of the system.
{Warning
Do not bleach or dye seat belt
webbing. It may severely weaken
the webbing. In a crash, they might
not be able to provide adequate
protection. Clean and rinse seat belt
webbing only with mild soap and
lukewarm water. Allow the webbing
to dry.
Replacing Seat Belt
System Parts after a Crash
{Warning
A crash can damage the seat belt
system in the vehicle. A damaged
seat belt system may not properly
protect the person using it,
resulting in serious injury or even
death in a crash. To help make sure
the seat belt systems are working
properly after a crash, have them
inspected and any necessary
replacements made as soon as
possible. After a minor crash, replacement of
seat belts may not be necessary. But
the seat belt assemblies that were
used during any crash may have been
stressed or damaged. See your dealer
to have the seat belt assemblies
inspected or replaced.
New parts and repairs may be
necessary even if the seat belt system
was not being used at the time of the
crash.
Have the seat belt pretensioners
checked if the vehicle has been in a
crash, or if the airbag readiness light
stays on after you start the vehicle or
while you are driving. See
Airbag
Readiness Light 0120.
Airbag System
The vehicle has the following airbags:
.A frontal airbag for the driver
.A frontal airbag for the front
outboard passenger
.A front center airbag for the driver
and front outboard passenger
.A seat-mounted side impact airbag
for the driver

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13690472) - 2021 - CRC - 8/10/21
66 SEATS AND RESTRAINTS
.A seat-mounted side impact airbag
for the front outboard passenger
.A roof-rail airbag for the driver and
for the second and third row
passengers seated directly behind
the driver
.A roof-rail airbag for the front
outboard passenger and the second
and third row passengers seated
directly behind the front outboard
passenger
All vehicle airbags have the word
AIRBAG on the trim or on a label near
the deployment opening.
For frontal airbags, the word AIRBAG
is on the center of the steering wheel
for the driver and on the instrument
panel for the front outboard
passenger.
For the front center airbag, the word
AIRBAG is on the inboard side of the
driver seatback.
For seat-mounted side impact airbags,
the word AIRBAG is on the side of the
seatback or side of the seat closest to
the door.
For roof-rail airbags, the word AIRBAG
is on the ceiling or trim. Airbags are designed to supplement
the protection provided by seat belts.
Even though today's airbags are also
designed to help reduce the risk of
injury from the force of an inflating
bag, all airbags must inflate very
quickly to do their job.
Here are the most important things to
know about the airbag system:
{Warning
You can be severely injured or
killed in a crash if you are not
wearing your seat belt, even with
airbags. Airbags are designed to
work with seat belts, not replace
them. Also, airbags are not designed
to inflate in every crash. In some
crashes seat belts are the only
restraint. See
When Should an
Airbag Inflate? 068.
Wearing your seat belt during a
crash helps reduce your chance of
hitting things inside the vehicle or
being ejected from it. Airbags are
“supplemental restraints” to the
seat belts. Everyone in the vehicle (Continued)
Warning (Continued)
should wear a seat belt properly,
whether or not there is an airbag
for that person.
{Warning
Because airbags inflate with great
force and faster than the blink of an
eye, anyone who is up against,
or very close to any airbag when it
inflates can be seriously injured or
killed. Do not sit unnecessarily
close to any airbag, as you would be
if sitting on the edge of the seat or
leaning forward. Seat belts help
keep you in position before and
during a crash. Always wear a seat
belt, even with airbags. The driver
should sit as far back as possible
while still maintaining control of
the vehicle. The seat belts and the
front outboard passenger airbags
are most effective when you are
sitting well back and upright in the
seat with both feet on the floor.
(Continued)

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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70 SEATS AND RESTRAINTS
How Does an Airbag
Restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or near
frontal collisions, even belted
occupants can contact the steering
wheel or the instrument panel. In
moderate to severe side collisions,
even belted occupants can contact the
inside of the vehicle.
Airbags supplement the protection
provided by seat belts by distributing
the force of the impact more evenly
over the occupant's body.
Rollover capable roof-rail airbags are
designed to help contain the head and
chest of occupants in the outboard
seating positions in the first, second,
and third rows. The rollover capable
roof-rail airbags are designed to help
reduce the risk of full or partial
ejection in rollover events, although
no system can prevent all such
ejections.
But airbags would not help in many
types of collisions, primarily because
the occupant's motion is not toward
those airbags. SeeWhen Should an
Airbag Inflate? 068. Airbags should never be regarded as
anything more than a supplement to
seat belts.What Will You See after an
Airbag Inflates?
After frontal and seat-mounted side
impact airbags inflate, they quickly
deflate, so quickly that some people
may not even realize the airbags
inflated. The front center airbag and
roof-rail airbags may still be at least
partially inflated for some time after
they inflate. Some components of the
airbag module may be hot for several
minutes. For location of the airbags,
see
Where Are the Airbags? 067.
The parts of the airbag that come into
contact with you may be warm, but
not too hot to touch. There may be
some smoke and dust coming from
the vents in the deflated airbags.
Airbag inflation does not prevent the
driver from seeing out of the
windshield or being able to steer the
vehicle, nor does it prevent people
from leaving the vehicle.
{Warning
When an airbag inflates, there may
be dust in the air. This dust could
cause breathing problems for
people with a history of asthma or
other breathing trouble. To avoid
this, everyone in the vehicle should
get out as soon as it is safe to do
so. If you have breathing problems
but cannot get out of the vehicle
after an airbag inflates, then get
fresh air by opening a window or a
door. If you experience breathing
problems following an airbag
deployment, you should seek
medical attention.
The vehicle has a feature that may
automatically unlock the doors, turn
on the interior lamps and hazard
warning flashers, and shut off the fuel
system after the airbags inflate. The
feature may also activate, without
airbag inflation, after an event that
exceeds a predetermined threshold.
After turning the ignition off and then
on again, the fuel system will return
to normal operation; the doors can be

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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SEATS AND RESTRAINTS 71
locked, the interior lamps can be
turned off, and the hazard warning
flashers can be turned off using the
controls for those features. If any of
these systems are damaged in the
crash they may not operate as normal.
{Warning
A crash severe enough to inflate the
airbags may have also damaged
important functions in the vehicle,
such as the fuel system, brake and
steering systems, etc. Even if the
vehicle appears to be drivable after
a moderate crash, there may be
concealed damage that could make
it difficult to safely operate the
vehicle.
Use caution if you should attempt
to restart the engine after a crash
has occurred.
In many crashes severe enough to
inflate the airbag, windshields are
broken by vehicle deformation.
Additional windshield breakage may
also occur from the front outboard
passenger airbag.
.Airbags are designed to inflate only
once. After an airbag inflates, you
will need some new parts for the
airbag system. If you do not get
them, the airbag system will not be
there to help protect you in another
crash. A new system will include
airbag modules and possibly other
parts. The service manual for the
vehicle covers the need to replace
other parts.
.The vehicle has a crash sensing and
diagnostic module which records
information after a crash. See
Vehicle Data Recording and Privacy
0 469 and
Event Data Recorders 0469.
.Let only qualified technicians work
on the airbag systems. Improper
service can mean that an airbag
system will not work properly. See
your dealer for service.
Passenger Sensing System
The vehicle has a passenger sensing
system for the front outboard
passenger position. The passenger
airbag status indicator will light on
the overhead console when the vehicle
is started.
United States and Canada
The words ON and OFF, and the
symbols for on and off, will be visible
during the system check. When the
system check is complete, either the
word ON or OFF, and the symbol for
on or off, will be visible. See Passenger
Airbag Status Indicator 0121.
The passenger sensing system turns
off the front outboard passenger
frontal airbag under certain
conditions. No other airbag is affected
by the passenger sensing system.
The passenger sensing system works
with sensors that are part of the front
outboard passenger seat and seat belt.
The sensors are designed to detect the
presence of a properly seated
occupant and determine if the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag
should be allowed to inflate or not.

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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SEATS AND RESTRAINTS 73
For some children, including children
in child restraints, and for very small
adults, the passenger sensing system
may or may not turn off the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag,
depending upon the person's seating
posture and body build. Everyone in
the vehicle who has outgrown child
restraints should wear a seat belt
properly—whether or not there is an
airbag for that person.
{Warning
If the airbag readiness light ever
comes on and stays on, it means
that something may be wrong with
the airbag system. To help avoid
injury to yourself or others, have
the vehicle serviced right away. See
Airbag Readiness Light 0120 for
more information, including
important safety information.
If the On Indicator Is Lit for a
Child Restraint
The passenger sensing system is
designed to turn off the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag if
the system determines that an infant is present in a child restraint. If a
child restraint has been installed and
the ON indicator is lit:
1. Turn the vehicle off.
2. Remove the child restraint from the vehicle.
3. Remove any additional items from the seat such as blankets, cushions,
seat covers, seat heaters, or seat
massagers.
4. Reinstall the child restraint following the directions provided
by the child restraint manufacturer
and refer to Securing Child
Restraints (With the Seat Belt in the
Front Passenger Seat) 094 or
Securing Child Restraints (With the
Seat Belt in the Rear Seat) 091.
Make sure the seat belt retractor is
locked by pulling the shoulder belt
all the way out of the retractor
when installing the child restraint,
even if the child restraint is
equipped with a seat belt lock off.
When the retractor lock is set, the
belt can be tightened but not
pulled out of the retractor. 5. If, after reinstalling the child
restraint and restarting the vehicle,
the ON indicator is still lit, turn the
vehicle off. Then slightly recline the
vehicle seatback and adjust the
seat cushion, if adjustable, to make
sure that the vehicle seatback is
not pushing the child restraint into
the seat cushion.
Also make sure the child restraint
is not trapped under the vehicle
head restraint. If this happens,
adjust the head restraint. See Head
Restraints 041.
6. Restart the vehicle.
The passenger sensing system may or
may not turn off the airbag for a child
in a child restraint depending upon
the child’s size. It is better to secure
child restraints in a rear seat. Consider
using another vehicle to transport the
child when a rear seat is not available.
Never put a rear-facing child restraint
in the front seat, even if the ON
indicator is not lit.

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13690472) - 2021 - CRC - 8/10/21
74 SEATS AND RESTRAINTS
If the Off Indicator Is Lit for an
Adult-Sized Occupant
If a person of adult size is sitting in
the front outboard passenger seat, but
the OFF indicator is lit, it could be
because that person is not sitting
properly in the seat or that the child
restraint locking feature is engaged.
Use the following steps to allow the
system to detect that person and
enable the front outboard passenger
frontal airbag:1. Turn the vehicle off. 2. Remove any additional material
from the seat, such as blankets,
cushions, seat covers, seat heaters,
or seat massagers.
3. Place the seatback in the fully upright position.
4. Have the person sit upright in the seat, centered on the seat cushion,
with legs comfortably extended.
5. If the shoulder portion of the belt is pulled out all the way, the child
restraint locking feature will be
engaged. This may unintentionally
cause the passenger sensing system
to turn the airbag off for some
adult-sized occupants. If this
happens, unbuckle the belt, let the
belt go back all the way, and then
buckle the belt again without
pulling the belt out all the way.
6. Restart the vehicle and have the person remain in this position for
two to three minutes after the ON
indicator is lit.
{Warning
If the front outboard passenger
airbag is turned off for an
adult-sized occupant, the airbag will
not be able to inflate and help
protect that person in a crash,
resulting in an increased risk of
serious injury or even death. An
adult-sized occupant should not
ride in the front outboard passenger
seat, if the passenger airbag OFF
indicator is lit.
Additional Factors Affecting
System Operation
Seat belts help keep the passenger in
position on the seat during vehicle
maneuvers and braking, which helps
the passenger sensing system
maintain the passenger airbag status.
See “Seat Belts” and“Child Restraints”
in the Index for additional
information about the importance of
proper restraint use.
A thick layer of additional material,
such as a blanket or cushion,
or aftermarket equipment such as seat
covers, seat heaters, and seat

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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SEATS AND RESTRAINTS 75
massagers can affect how well the
passenger sensing system operates.
We recommend that you not use seat
covers or other aftermarket equipment
except when approved by GM for your
specific vehicle. SeeAdding Equipment
to the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 075 for
more information about modifications
that can affect how the system
operates.
The ON indicator may be lit if an
object, such as a briefcase, handbag,
grocery bag, laptop, or other electronic
device, is put on an unoccupied seat.
If this is not desired, remove the
object from the seat.
{Warning
Stowing articles under the
passenger seat or between the
passenger seat cushion and
seatback may interfere with the
proper operation of the passenger
sensing system.
Servicing the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Airbags affect how the vehicle should
be serviced. There are parts of the
airbag system in several places around
the vehicle. Your dealer and the
service manual have information
about servicing the vehicle and the
airbag system. To purchase a service
manual, see Publication Ordering
Information 0467.
{Warning
For up to 10 seconds after the
vehicle is turned off and the battery
is disconnected, an airbag can still
inflate during improper service. You
can be injured if you are close to an
airbag when it inflates. Avoid
yellow connectors. They are
probably part of the airbag system.
Be sure to follow proper service
procedures, and make sure the
person performing work for you is
qualified to do so.
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Adding accessories that change the
vehicle's frame, bumper system,
height, front end, or side sheet metal
may keep the airbag system from
working properly.
The operation of the airbag system
can also be affected by changing,
including improperly repairing or
replacing, any parts of the following:
.Airbag system, including airbag
modules, front or side impact
sensors, sensing and diagnostic
module, airbag wiring, or front
center console
.Front seats, including stitching,
seams or zippers
.Seat belts
.Steering wheel, instrument panel,
overhead console, ceiling trim,
or pillar garnish trim
.Inner door seals, including speakers
Your dealer and the service manual
have information about the location of
the airbag modules and sensors,

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Child Restraints
Older Children
Older children who have outgrown
booster seats should wear the vehicle’s
seat belts.
The manufacturer instructions that
come with the booster seat state the
weight and height limitations for that
booster. Use a booster seat with a
lap-shoulder belt until the child
passes the fit test below:
.Sit all the way back on the seat. Do
the knees bend at the seat edge? If
yes, continue. If no, return to the
booster seat.
.Buckle the lap-shoulder belt. Does
the shoulder belt rest on the
shoulder? If yes, continue. If no, try
using the rear seat belt comfort
guide, if available. See“Rear Seat
Belt Comfort Guides” under
Lap-Shoulder Belt 061. If a comfort
guide is not available, or if the
shoulder belt still does not rest on
the shoulder, then return to the
booster seat.
.Does the lap belt fit low and snug
on the hips, touching the thighs? If
yes, continue. If no, return to the
booster seat.
.Can proper seat belt fit be
maintained for the length of the
trip? If yes, continue. If no, return
to the booster seat.
Q: What is the proper way to wear seat belts?
A: An older child should wear a
lap-shoulder belt and get the
additional restraint a shoulder belt
can provide. The shoulder belt
should not cross the face or neck.
The lap belt should fit snugly
below the hips, just touching the
top of the thighs. This applies belt force to the child's pelvic bones in
a crash. It should never be worn
over the abdomen, which could
cause severe or even fatal internal
injuries in a crash.
Also see “Rear Seat Belt Comfort
Guides” underLap-Shoulder Belt 061.
According to accident statistics,
children are safer when properly
restrained in a rear seating position.
In a crash, children who are not
buckled up can strike other people
who are buckled up, or can be thrown
out of the vehicle. Older children need
to use seat belts properly.
{Warning
Never allow more than one child to
wear the same seat belt. The seat
belt cannot properly spread the
impact forces. In a crash, they can
be crushed together and seriously
injured. A seat belt must be used by
only one person at a time.