2021 CADILLAC ESCALADE Rear air

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
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
244 DRIVING AND OPERATING
{Warning
Things you put inside the
vehicle can strike and injure
people in a sudden stop or turn,
or in a crash.
.Put things in the cargo area
of the vehicle. Try to spread
the weight evenly.
.Never stack heavier things,
like suitcases, inside the
vehicle so that some of them
are above the tops of the
seats.
.Do not leave an unsecured
child restraint in the vehicle.
.When you carry something
inside the vehicle, secure it
whenever you can.
.Do not leave a seat folded
down unless you need to. There is also important loading
information for off-road driving in
this manual. See
“Loading the
Vehicle for Off-Road Driving”
under Off-Road Driving 0234.
Add-On Equipment
There may be a limit on how
many people can be inside the
vehicle when carrying removable
items. Be sure to weigh the vehicle
before buying and installing the
new equipment.
Caution
Overloading the vehicle may cause
damage. Repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty. Do
not overload the vehicle.
Remember not to exceed the
Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR)
of the front or rear axle.
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In
Caution
The vehicle does not need an
elaborate break-in. But it will
perform better in the long run if
you follow these guidelines:
.Keep the vehicle speed at
88 km/h (55 mph) or less for the
first 805 km (500 mi).
.Do not drive at any one constant
speed, fast or slow, for the first
805 km (500 mi). Do not make
full-throttle starts. Avoid
downshifting to brake or slow the
vehicle.
.Avoid making hard stops for the
first 322 km (200 mi) or so.
During this time the new brake
linings are not yet broken in.
Hard stops with new linings can
mean premature wear and earlier
replacement. Follow this
breaking-in guideline every time
you get new brake linings. (Continued)

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13690472) - 2021 - CRC - 8/10/21
268 DRIVING AND OPERATING
for better control at lower speeds and
over rough terrain. This mode
modifies accelerator pedal mapping,
transmission shift pattern, ride height,
suspension, steering, AWD, Electronic
Limited-Slip Differential (eSLD), ESC
performance and TCS performance.
When the vehicle comes to a stop on
an upward grade, Automatic Vehicle
Hold is engaged until the driver
presses the accelerator pedal. Stop/
Start and cruise control are disabled
in Terrain Mode.
Active Braking during lift throttle will
be engaged. This feature automatically
applies light braking to simulate
heavy engine braking of
four-wheel-dive low. It also applies
light braking in D (Drive) until the
vehicle is at idle speeds. In M1 and
M2 light braking will typically bring
the vehicle to a stop. Active Braking
during lift throttle will also reduce
trailer braking.
Terrain Mode will automatically exit
to Tour Mode if the brake
temperatures become too hot,electronic parking brake becomes
inoperable or the vehicle cannot
perform braking or vehicle hold.
For more information on off-road
driving, see
Off-Road Driving 0234 and
Hill and Mountain Roads 0238.
Magnetic Ride Control
This vehicle may have a semi-active
damping system called Magnetic Ride
Control. With this feature, improved
vehicle ride and handling is provided
under a variety of passenger and
loading conditions.
Locking Rear Axle
Vehicles with a locking rear axle can
give more traction on snow, mud, ice,
sand, or gravel. It works like a
standard axle most of the time, but
when traction is low, this feature will
allow the rear wheel with the most
traction to move the vehicle.
Four Corner Air Suspension
System
The Four Corner Air Suspension
feature provides full time load leveling
capability along with the benefit of
adjusting ride height for increased
convenience and capability.
{Warning
To help avoid personal injury or
death, make sure the area
underneath the vehicle and inside
the wheel wells is clear when
lowering the vehicle.
{Warning
To help avoid personal injury or
death, always select the lowest ride
height for the current driving
conditions. Higher ride heights raise
the vehicle's center of gravity,
increasing the chance of a rollover
during extreme maneuvers.

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13690472) - 2021 - CRC - 8/10/21
DRIVING AND OPERATING 299
Warning (Continued)
.Work if the area surrounding the
detection sensor is damaged or
not properly repaired.
Complete attention is always
required while driving, and you
should be ready to take action and
apply the brakes and/or steer the
vehicle to avoid crashes.
Audible or Safety Alert Seat
Some driver assistance features alert
the driver of obstacles by beeping. To
change the volume of the warning
chime, see “Comfort and Convenience ”
under Vehicle Personalization 0138.
If equipped with the Safety Alert Seat,
the driver seat cushion may provide a
vibrating pulse alert instead of
beeping. To change this, see
“Collision/Detection Systems” under
Vehicle Personalization 0138.
Cleaning
Depending on vehicle options, keep
these areas of the vehicle clean to
ensure the best driver assistance
feature performance. Driver Information Center (DIC) messages
may display when the systems are
unavailable or blocked.
.Front and rear bumpers and the
area below the bumpers
.Front grille and headlamps
.Front camera lens in the front grille
or near the front emblem
.Front side and rear side panels
.Outside of the windshield in front of
the rearview mirror
.Side camera lens on the bottom of
the outside mirrors
.Rear side corner bumpers
.Rear Vision Camera above the
license plate
Radio Frequency
This vehicle may be equipped with
driver assistance systems that operate
using radio frequency. See Radio
Frequency Statement 0467.
Assistance Systems for
Parking or Backing
If equipped, the Rear Vision Camera
(RVC), Rear Park Assist (RPA), Front
and Rear Park Assist (FRPA),
Surround Vision, Reverse Automatic
Braking (RAB) and Backing Warning
System, Rear Cross Traffic Alert

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13690472) - 2021 - CRC - 8/10/21
306 DRIVING AND OPERATING
.The accessory trailer camera(s) are
not installed according to the
installation instructions.
A feature may be unavailable or not
activating as expected if:
.The trailer is not compatible. See
“HD Surround Vision with Trailer
Camera Provisions” above.
.The customization is disabled.
Check the customization settings
where applicable.
.The accessory trailer cameras are
swapped at the hitch connector.
Ensure that the accessory camera(s)
are connected to the correct camera
input.
.A trailer profile is not configured
and selected.
.The entered trailer profile
dimensions are inaccurate.
Measurements are expected to be
made to the nearest 1 inch
(25 mm). Enter accurate
measurements and reattempt
calibration.
Certain viewing features may
experience degraded performance if:
.Ride height is adjusted beyond the
standard ride height. See Four
Corner Air Suspension System 0268
for more info on selecting ride
height or disabling automatic ride
height adjustment.
.The entered trailer profile
dimensions are inaccurate.
Measurements are expected to be
made to the nearest 1 inch
(25 mm). Enter accurate
measurements and reattempt
calibration.
Special note regarding trailers with
outboard wheels:
Performance for Rear Trailer Guidance
Lines and Trailer Length Indicator
Overlays are optimized when the
entered value for trailer width reflects
the total width of the trailer including
outboard wheels. If the trailer box
width is entered:
.The Rear Trailer Guidance Lines will
appear narrower than the actual
path of the trailer.
.The Trailer Length Indicator
Overlays will appear closer and
possibly overlap with the trailer.
Park Assist
The vehicle may be equipped with
Rear Park Assist (RPA) or Front and
Rear Park Assist (FRPA). Under
certain conditions, the Park Assist
system can assist the driver during
backing and parking maneuvers when
the vehicle is driven at no more than
9 km/h (6 mph). An illuminated
indicator in the Park Assist button
indicates the system is ready.
Sensors located in the bumpers
measure the distance between the
vehicle and objects using sonar
technology. These sensors are
designed to detect certain objects up
to 1.8 m (6 ft) behind and 1.3 m (4 ft)
in front of your vehicle that are taller
than 25 cm (10 in).
Different environmental conditions
may affect whether and how far the
Park Assist system can detect objects.
Keep the sensors clean of mud, dirt,
snow, ice, and slush; and clean
sensors after a car wash in freezing
temperatures. Sensors that are not
clean may not detect objects or may
cause the system to alert when not
required.

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13690472) - 2021 - CRC - 8/10/21
308 DRIVING AND OPERATING
When the System Does Not Seem to
Work Properly
The following messages may be shown
on the display:
SERVICE PARK ASSIST
If this message displays, check the
following conditions:
.The sensors may not be clean. Keep
the vehicle's front and rear bumpers
free of mud, dirt, snow, ice, and
slush. For cleaning instructions, see
Exterior Care0432.
.The Park Assist sensors may be
covered by frost or ice. Frost or ice
can form around and behind the
sensors and may not always be
seen; this can occur after washing
the vehicle in cold weather. The
message may not clear until the
frost or ice has melted.
If this message displays and the above
conditions do not exist, take the
vehicle to your dealer for repair. PARK ASSIST OFF
If the Park Assist System does not
activate due to a temporary condition,
this message is shown on the display.
This can occur under the following
conditions:
.The driver has disabled the system.
.An object is currently blocking the
rear sensors (for example, bike rack,
tailgate, trailer hitch, etc.) Once the
object is removed, Park Assist will
return to normal operation.
.The bumper is damaged. Take the
vehicle to your dealer for repairs.
.Other conditions, such as vibrations
from a jackhammer or the
compression of air brakes on a very
large truck, are affecting system
performance.
Backing Warning and Reverse
Automatic Braking (RAB)
Vehicles with Adaptive Cruise Control
(ACC) have the Backing Warning
System and Reverse Automatic
Braking (RAB) system. When in
R (Reverse), Backing Warning alerts of
rear objects at vehicle speeds greaterthan 8 km/h (5 mph), and RAB may
automatically brake hard at speeds
between 1–32 km/h (0.5–20 mph).
RAB may activate unintendedly if
there is an object attached to vehicle.
To disable RAB, press the
Xbutton.
The Backing Warning System will
beep once from the rear when an
object is first detected, or pulse twice
on both sides of the Safety Alert Seat.
When the system detects a potential
crash, beeps will be heard from the
rear, or five pulses will be felt on both
sides of the Safety Alert Seat. There
may also be a brief, sharp application
of the brakes.