2021 CADILLAC ESCALADE brake

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13690472) - 2021 - CRC - 8/10/21
142 INSTRUMENTS AND CONTROLS
.Remote Mirror Folding
.Rain Sense Wipers
.Auto Wipe in Reverse Gear
.Extended Hill Start Assist
Chime Volume
This sets the chime volume level.
Touch the controls on the
infotainment display to adjust the
volume.
Power Liftgate
This allows the driver to decide what
happens when pressing the Power
Liftgate switch. .
Touch Open Fully, Open to Custom
Height, or Off.
Hands Free Liftgate/Trunk Control
This allows the liftgate to be operated
hands free. See Liftgate020.
Touch Off, Open and Close,
or Open Only.
Reverse Tilt Mirror
When on, the driver, passenger,
or both driver and passenger outside
mirrors will tilt downward when the
vehicle is shifted into R (Reverse) to improve visibility of the ground near
the rear wheels. They may move from
their tilted position when the vehicle
is shifted out of R (Reverse) or turned
off. See
Reverse Tilt Mirrors 033.
Touch Off, On - Driver and Passenger,
On - Driver, or On - Passenger.
Remote Mirror Folding
This allows the outside mirrors to be
folded in when the remote key
Q
button is pressed and held. Pressing
Kunfolds the mirrors. See Folding
Mirrors 032.
Touch Off or On.
Rain Sense Wipers
This setting automatically turns on
the windshield wipers when moisture
is detected and the wiper switch is in
intermittent mode.
Touch Disabled or Enabled.
Auto Wipe in Reverse Gear
This setting automatically turns on
the rear window wiper when the
vehicle is shifted to R (Reverse) and
moisture is detected.
Touch Off or On. Extended Hill Start Assist
This setting prevents the vehicle from
rolling backward on a steep hill if the
brake pedal is not depressed.
Touch Extended Hold or
Standard Hold.
Lighting
Touch and the following may display:
.Ambient Lighting
.Vehicle Locator Lights
.Exit Lighting
.Left or Right Hand Traffic
.Advanced Forward Lighting
.Daytime Tail Lights
.Automatic High Beam Assist
.Surround View Lighting
Ambient Lighting
This setting provides the ability to
customize the color and intensity of
the interior accent lighting.
Touch Off or On.

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13690472) - 2021 - CRC - 8/10/21
208 INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM
registered key, the Driver Information
Center (DIC) displays a message that
Teen Driver is active.
To access:1. Touch Settings on the Home Page, then touch Vehicle, and then Teen
Driver.
2. Create a Personal Identification Number (PIN) by choosing a
four-digit PIN. Re-enter the PIN to
confirm. To change the PIN, touch
Change PIN.
The PIN is required to:
.Register or unregister keys.
.Change Teen Driver settings.
.Change or clear the Teen
Driver PIN.
.Access or delete Report Card data.
Register keys to activate Teen
Driver and assign restrictions to
the key:
Any vehicle key can be registered, up
to a maximum of eight keys. Label the
key to tell it apart from the
other keys. For a pushbutton start system:
1. Start the engine.
2. For automatic transmissions, the vehicle must be in P (Park). For
manual transmissions, the vehicle
must be stopped with the parking
brake set.
3. From the Settings menu, touch Vehicle and then Teen Driver.
4. Enter the PIN.
5. Place the Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter key you wish to
register in the transmitter pocket.
The key does not need to be the
one that started the vehicle. See
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System
Operation 07for transmitter
pocket location.
6. From the Teen Driver menu, touch Setup Keys.
.If the transmitter key has not
previously been registered, the
option to add the key displays.
Touch Add and a confirmation
message displays. Teen Driver
restrictions will be applied
whenever this key is used to
operate the vehicle.
.If the transmitter key has
already been registered, the
option to remove the key
displays. If Remove is touched,
the transmitter key is no longer
registered. A confirmation
message displays, and Teen
Driver restrictions will not be
applied if this transmitter key is
used to operate the vehicle.
In vehicles with a pushbutton start
system, if a Teen Driver and a
non-Teen Driver key are both present
at start up, the vehicle will recognize
the non-Teen Driver key to start the
vehicle. The Teen Driver settings will
not be active.
For a keyed ignition system: 1. Start the engine.
2. For automatic transmissions, the vehicle must be in P (Park). For
manual transmissions, the vehicle
must be stopped with the parking
brake set.
3. From the Settings menu, touch Vehicle and then Teen Driver.
4. Enter the PIN.

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13690472) - 2021 - CRC - 8/10/21
210 INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM
.Enhanced Low Fuel Warning (if
equipped)–When the vehicle is low
on fuel, the low fuel light on the
instrument cluster flashes and the
DIC low fuel warning cannot be
dismissed.
.Do not tow a trailer.
Report Card
The vehicle owner must secure the
driver’s consent to record certain
vehicle data when the vehicle is driven
with a registered Teen Driver key.
There is one Report Card per vehicle.
Data is only recorded when a
registered Teen Driver key is used to
operate the vehicle.
The Report Card data is collected from
the time Teen Driver is activated or
the last time the Report Card was
reset. The following items may be
recorded:
.Distance Driven –the total distance
driven.
.Maximum Speed –the maximum
vehicle speed detected.
.Overspeed Warnings –the number
of times the speed warning setting
was exceeded.
.Wide Open Throttle –the number
of times the accelerator pedal was
pressed nearly all the way down.
.Forward Collision Alerts –the
number of times the driver was
notified when approaching a vehicle
ahead too quickly and at potential
risk for a crash.
.Forward Automatic Braking, also
called Automatic Emergency
Braking (if equipped) –the number
of times the vehicle detected that a
forward collision was imminent and
applied the brakes.
.Reverse Automatic Braking (if
equipped) –the number of times
the vehicle detected that a rearward
collision was imminent and applied
the brakes.
.Traction Control –the number of
times the Traction Control System
activated to reduce wheel spin or
loss of traction.
.Stability Control –the number of
events which required the use of
electronic stability control.
.Antilock Braking System Active –
The number of Antilock Brake
System activations.
.Tailgating Alerts –the number of
times the driver was alerted for
following a vehicle ahead too
closely.
Report Card Data
Cumulative Data is saved for all trips
until the Report Card is reset or until
the maximum count is exceeded.
If the maximum count is exceeded for
a Report Card line item, that item will
no longer be updated in the Report
Card until it is reset. Each item will
report a maximum of 1,000 counts.
The distance driven will report a
maximum of 64 374 km (40,000 mi).
To delete Report Card data, do one of
the following:
.From the Report Card display, touch
Reset.
.Touch Clear All Teen Keys and PIN
from the Teen Driver menu. This
will also unregister any Teen Driver
keys and delete the PIN.
Forgotten PIN
See your dealer to reset the PIN.

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-
13690472) - 2021 - CRC - 8/10/21
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

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13690472) - 2021 - CRC - 8/10/21
232 DRIVING AND OPERATING
(60 mph) travels 20 m (66 ft), which
could be a lot of distance in an
emergency.
Helpful braking tips to keep in mind
include:
.Keep enough distance between you
and the vehicle in front of you.
.Avoid needless heavy braking.
.Keep pace with traffic.
If the engine ever stops while the
vehicle is being driven, brake normally
but do not pump the brakes. Doing so
could make the pedal harder to push
down. If the engine stops, there will
be some power brake assist but it will
be used when the brake is applied.
Once the power assist is used up, it
can take longer to stop and the brake
pedal will be harder to push.
Steering
Caution
To avoid damage to the steering
system, do not drive over curbs,
parking barriers, or similar objects
at speeds greater than 3 km/h (Continued)
Caution (Continued)
(1 mph). Use care when driving over
other objects such as lane dividers
and speed bumps. Damage caused
by misuse of the vehicle is not
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Electric Power Steering
This vehicle has electric power
steering. It does not have power
steering fluid. Regular maintenance is
not required. If power steering assist is lost due to a
system malfunction, the vehicle can
be steered, but may require increased
effort.
If the steering assist is used for an
extended period of time while the
vehicle is not moving, power assist
may be reduced.
If the steering wheel is turned until it
reaches the end of its travel, and is
held in that position for an extended
period of time, power steering assist
may be reduced.
Normal use of the power steering
assist should return when the system
cools down.
See your dealer if there is a problem.
Curve Tips
.Take curves at a reasonable speed.
.Reduce speed before entering a
curve.
.Maintain a reasonable steady speed
through the curve.
.Wait until the vehicle is out of the
curve before accelerating gently into
the straightaway.

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13690472) - 2021 - CRC - 8/10/21
DRIVING AND OPERATING 233
Steering in Emergencies
.There are some situations when
steering around a problem may be
more effective than braking.
.Holding both sides of the steering
wheel allows you to turn
180 degrees without removing
a hand.
.Antilock Brake System (ABS) allows
steering while braking.
Off-Road Recovery
The vehicle's right wheels can drop off
the edge of a road onto the shoulder
while driving. Follow these tips:1. Ease off the accelerator and then,
if there is nothing in the way, steer
the vehicle so that it straddles the
edge of the pavement.
2. Turn the steering wheel about one-eighth of a turn, until the right
front tire contacts the
pavement edge.
3. Turn the steering wheel to go straight down the roadway.
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.