Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
16417396) - 2023 - CRC - 5/9/22
138 Lighting
There is a delay in the transition between
the daytime and nighttime operation of the
automatic headlamp system so that driving
under bridges or bright overhead street
lights does not affect the system. The
automatic headlamp system is only affected
when the light sensor detects a change in
lighting lasting longer than the delay.
If the vehicle is started in a dark garage, the
automatic headlamp system will come on
immediately. Once the vehicle leaves the
garage, there is a slight delay for the
automatic headlamp system to change if it
is bright enough outside. During that delay,
the instrument cluster may not be as bright
as usual. Make sure the instrument panel
brightness control is in the full bright
position. SeeInstrument Panel Illumination
Control 0140.
To idle the vehicle with the automatic
headlamp system off, turn the control to
the off position.
The headlamps will also stay on after you
exit the vehicle.
The regular headlamp system can be turned
on when needed.Lights On with Wipers
If the windshield wipers are activated in
daylight with the engine on, and the
exterior lamp control is in AUTO, the
headlamps, parking lamps, and other
exterior lamps come on. The transition time
for the lamps coming on varies based on
wiper speed. When the wipers are not
operating, these lamps turn off. Move the
exterior lamp control to
Por;to
disable this feature.
Adaptive Forward Lighting (AFL)
If equipped with the AFL system, the
high-beam headlamps move horizontally
while turning the steering wheel to provide
greater road illumination around curves.
To activate AFL, set the exterior lamp
control to the Auto or
2position, and
Adaptive Headlight system is active. See
Exterior Lamp Controls 0134. To adjust the AFL setting, go to the
infotainment home screen and select
Settings > Vehicle > Lighting.
Moving the exterior lamp controls out of the
Auto or
2position will deactivate the
system. The high-beam headlamps can move
horizontally when the vehicle speed is
greater than 3 km/h (2 mph). Headlamps will
not move horizontally when the
transmission is in R (Reverse).
If equipped, the AFL system automatically
modifies the low-beam lighting patterns to
the situation to enable optimal light
performance for the driver. Light distribution
and intensity of low-beam light are
controlled based on exterior lighting
conditions, vehicle location, and driving
situations.
Town Light
If equipped, the town light activates
automatically at a speed of 30 km/h
(18 mph) up to 55 km/h (34 mph).
Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
16417396) - 2023 - CRC - 5/9/22
Lighting 139
The light is wide and symmetrical. The
special beam pattern is designed to prevent
glare for other road users.
Country Light
If equipped, the country light activates
automatically at a speed above 55 km/h
(34 mph).
The illumination of the current lane and the
side of the road is improved, reducing glare
to oncoming and preceding vehicles.
Freeway/Motorway Light
If equipped, when driving faster than
90 km/h (55 mph) on freeways, the
low-beam illumination is smaller and
extended.Adverse Weather Light
If equipped, the adverse weather light
activates automatically when driving in
adverse weather conditions (heavy rain,
snow, sleet, freezing rain, etc.).
The illumination is shifted more to the side
of the road to highlight road signs, and
reduces glare caused by reflecting of wet
roads.
Maneuvering Light
If equipped, the maneuvering light activates
automatically at speeds less than 7 km/h
(4 mph) when the vehicle is in R (Reverse).
The maneuvering light illumination improves
parking and maneuvering situations.
Headlamp Leveling Control
Automatic Headlamp Leveling
If equipped, to reduce the glare to other
drivers, the headlamp inclination level
adjusts automatically based on vehicle load.
Hazard Warning Flashers
|:
Press to make the front and rear turn
signal lamps flash on and off. Press again to
turn the flashers off.
When the hazard warning flashers are on,
the vehicle's turn signals will not work.
Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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140 Lighting
Turn and Lane-Change Signals
An arrow on the instrument cluster flashes
in the direction of the turn or lane change.
Move the turn signal lever all the way up or
down to signal a turn.
Raise or lower the lever for less than
one second until the arrow starts to flash to
signal a lane change. This causes the turn
signals to automatically flash three times.
It will flash six times if Tow/Haul Mode is
active. Holding the turn signal lever for
more than one second will cause the turn
signals to flash until the lever is released.
The lever returns to its starting position
whenever it is released.
If after signaling a turn or a lane change the
arrows flash rapidly or do not come on, a
signal bulb could be burned out.Replace any burned out bulbs. If a bulb is
not burned out, check the fuse. See
Fuses
and Circuit Breakers 0360.
Turn Signal On Chime
If the turn signal is left on for more than
1.2 km (0.75 mi), a chime sounds at each
flash of the turn signal. The message TURN
SIGNAL ON will also appear in the Driver
Information Center (DIC). To turn the chime
and message off, move the turn signal lever
to the off position.
Cornering Lamps
If equipped with cornering lamps, they
automatically come on when all of the
following occur:
.The low-beam headlamps are on.
.The turn signals are activated or the
steering wheel is at a turning angle.
.The vehicle speed is below 40 km/h
(25 mph).
Interior Lighting
Instrument Panel Illumination
Control
This feature adjusts the brightness of all
illuminated controls.
D: Move the thumbwheel up or down to
brighten or dim the lights.
The thumbwheel is functional at night,
or when the headlamps or parking lamps
are ON.
Interior Lamps
Interior Ambient Lighting
If equipped, this feature allows the color of
the interior lighting in the vehicle to be
chosen.
Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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142 Lighting
Press the lens on each reading lamp to turn
it on or off.
Lighting Features
Entry Lighting
The interior lamps turn on when pressingK
on the remote key or opening any doors,
and the dome lamp control is in the door
position.
Some exterior lamps also turn on when
pressing
Kon the remote key or opening
any doors. Low-Beam lamps will only turn
on briefly at night, or in areas with limited
lighting.
All lamps will gradually fade out after about
30 seconds. Entry lighting can be disabled manually by
closing all doors, pressing
Qon the remote
key, or starting the vehicle.
This feature can be changed. On the
infotainment home page, select the Settings
icon
TVehicleTVehicle Locator Lights.
Exit Lighting
Some exterior lamps and interior lamps turn
on when the driver door is opened after the
vehicle is turned off.
The exterior and interior lamps remain on
for a set amount of time, then automatically
turn off.
The interior lights turn on when the vehicle
is turned off.
The exterior lamps turn off immediately by
turning the exterior lamp control off.
This feature can be changed. On the
infotainment home screen, select the
Settings icon
TVehicleTExit Lighting.
Battery Load Management
The vehicle has Electric Power Management
(EPM), which estimates the battery's
temperature and state of charge. It then
adjusts the voltage for best performance
and extended life of the battery.
When the battery's state of charge is low,
the voltage is raised slightly to quickly bring
the charge back up. When the state of
charge is high, the voltage is lowered
slightly to prevent overcharging. The
voltmeter gauge or the voltage display on
the Driver Information Center (DIC),
if equipped, may show the voltage moving
up or down. This is normal. If there is a
problem, an alert will be displayed.
The battery can be discharged at idle if the
electrical loads are very high. This is true for
all vehicles. This is because the generator
(alternator) may not be spinning fast
enough at idle to produce all the power that
is needed for very high electrical loads.
A high electrical load occurs when several of
the following are on, such as: headlamps,
high beams, fog lamps, rear window
defogger, climate control fan at high speed,
Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Lighting 143
heated seats, engine cooling fans, trailer
loads, and loads plugged into accessory
power outlets.
EPM works to prevent excessive discharge of
the battery. It does this by balancing the
generator's output and the vehicle's
electrical needs. It can increase engine idle
speed to generate more power, whenever
needed. It can temporarily reduce the power
demands of some accessories.
Normally, these actions occur in steps or
levels, without being noticeable. In rare
cases at the highest levels of corrective
action, this action may be noticeable to
the driver. If so, a DIC message might be
displayed and it is recommended that the
driver reduce the electrical loads as much as
possible.
Battery Power Protection
This feature helps prevent the battery from
being drained, if the interior courtesy lamps
or reading lamps are accidentally left on.
If any of these lamps are left on, they
automatically turn off after 10 minutes,
if the ignition is off. The lamps will not
come back on again until one of the
following occurs:
.The ignition is turned on.
.The doors are closed and then re-opened.
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver
The exterior lamps turn off about 10 minutes
after the vehicle is turned off, if the parking
lamps or headlamps have been manually
left on. This protects against draining the
battery. To restart the 10-minute timer, turn
the exterior lamp control to the
Oposition
and then back to the
;or2position.
To keep the lamps on for more than
10 minutes, the vehicle must be on or in
accessory mode.
Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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210 Driving and Operating
Warning (Continued)
.Keep cargo in the cargo area as far
forward and as low as possible. The
heaviest things should be on the floor,
forward of the rear axle.
.Heavy loads on the roof raise the
vehicle's center of gravity, making it
more likely to roll over. You can be
seriously or fatally injured if the
vehicle rolls over. Put heavy loads
inside the cargo area, not on the roof.
For more information about loading the
vehicle, see Vehicle Load Limits 0215 and
Tires 0369.
Environmental Concerns
.Always use established trails, roads, and
areas that have been set aside for public
off-road recreational driving and obey all
posted regulations.
.Do not damage shrubs, flowers, trees,
or grasses or disturb wildlife.
.Do not park over things that burn. See
Parking over Things That Burn 0224.
Driving on Hills
Driving safely on hills requires good
judgment and an understanding of what the
vehicle can and cannot do.
{Warning
Many hills are simply too steep for any
vehicle. Driving up hills can cause the
vehicle to stall. Driving down hills can
cause loss of control. Driving across hills
can cause a rollover. You could be injured
or killed. Do not drive on steep hills.
Before driving on a hill, assess the
steepness, traction, and obstructions. If the
terrain ahead cannot be seen, get out of the
vehicle and walk the hill before driving
further.
When driving on hills:
.Use a low gear and keep a firm grip on
the steering wheel.
.Maintain a slow speed.
.When possible, drive straight up or down
the hill.
.Slow down when approaching the top of
the hill.
{Warning
Driving to the top of a hill at high speed
can cause a crash. There could be a
drop-off, embankment, cliff, or even
another vehicle. You could be seriously
injured or killed. As you near the top of a
hill, slow down and stay alert.
.Use headlamps even during the day to
make the vehicle more visible.
.Never go downhill forward or backward
with either the transmission or transfer
case in N (Neutral). The brakes could
overheat and you could lose control.
{Warning
If the vehicle has the two-speed
automatic or electronic transfer case,
shifting the transfer case to N (Neutral)
can cause your vehicle to roll even if the
transmission is in P (Park). This is because
the N (Neutral) position on the transfer
case overrides the transmission. You or
someone else could be injured. If leaving
the vehicle, set the parking brake and (Continued)
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Driving and Operating 215
To save fuel, run the engine for short
periods to warm the vehicle and then shut
the engine off and partially close the
window. Moving about to keep warm also
helps.
If it takes time for help to arrive, when
running the engine, push the accelerator
pedal slightly so the engine runs faster than
the idle speed. This keeps the battery
charged to restart the vehicle and to signal
for help with the headlamps. Do this as
little as possible, to save fuel.
If the Vehicle Is Stuck
Slowly and cautiously spin the wheels to
free the vehicle when stuck in sand, mud,
ice, or snow.
The Traction Control System (TCS) can often
help to free a stuck vehicle. SeeTraction
Control/Electronic Stability Control 0238.
If TCS cannot free the vehicle, turn TCS off
and use the rocking method. See “Rocking
the Vehicle to Get it Out” following.
{Warning
If the vehicle's tires spin at high speed,
they can explode, and you or others
could be injured. The vehicle can
overheat, causing an engine compartment
fire or other damage. Spin the wheels as
little as possible and avoid going above
56 km/h (35 mph).
Rocking the Vehicle to Get it Out
Turn the steering wheel left and right to
clear the area around the front wheels. Turn
off any traction system. Shift back and forth
between R (Reverse) and a low forward gear,
spinning the wheels as little as possible. To
prevent transmission wear, wait until the
wheels stop spinning before shifting gears.
Release the accelerator pedal while shifting,
and press lightly on the accelerator pedal
when the transmission is in gear. Slowly
spinning the wheels in the forward and
reverse directions causes a rocking motion
that could free the vehicle. If that does not
get the vehicle out after a few tries, it
might need to be towed out. If the vehicle
does need to be towed out, see Transporting
a Disabled Vehicle 0401.
Vehicle Load Limits
It is very important to know how much
weight the vehicle can carry. This
weight is called the vehicle capacity
weight and includes the weight of all
occupants, cargo, and all
nonfactory-installed options. Two labels
on the vehicle may show how much
weight it was designed to carry, the
Tire and Loading Information label and
the Certification/Tire label.
{Warning
Do not load the vehicle any heavier
than the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
(GVWR), or either the maximum
front or rear Gross Axle Weight
Rating (GAWR). This can cause
systems to break and change the
way the vehicle handles. This could
cause loss of control and a crash.
Overloading can also reduce stopping
performance, damage the tires, and
shorten the life of the vehicle.
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258 Driving and Operating
.Press*.
.Press5.
Erasing Speed Memory
The cruise control set speed is erased from
memory if
5is pressed or if the ignition is
turned off.
Weather Conditions Affecting ACC
System operation may be limited under
snow, heavy rain, or road spray conditions.
Accessory Installations and Vehicle
Modifications
Do not install or place any object around
the front camera windshield area that would
obstruct the front camera view.
Do not install objects on top of the vehicle
that overhang and obstruct the front
camera, such as a canoe, kayak, or other
items that can be transported on a roof rack
system. See Roof Rack System 095.
Do not modify the hood, headlamps, or fog
lamps, as this may limit the camera’s ability
to detect an object. Cleaning the Sensing System
The camera sensor on the windshield behind
the rearview mirror and the radar sensors
on the front of the vehicle can become
blocked by snow, ice, dirt, mud, or debris.
These areas need to be cleaned for ACC to
operate properly.
If ACC will not operate, regular cruise control
may be available. See
“Switching Between
ACC and Regular Cruise Control” previously
in this section. Always consider driving
conditions before using either cruise control
system.
For cleaning instructions, see “Washing the
Vehicle” underExterior Care 0406.
Super Cruise
If equipped, Super Cruise can steer to
maintain lane position under certain
conditions on Super Cruise-enabled roads
that are separated from opposing traffic.
Super Cruise can also steer to perform a
lane change under certain conditions on
Super Cruise-enabled roads.
A lane change can be initiated by the driver
using the turn signal lever. The Super Cruise System may initiate a lane
change maneuver in following scenarios:
.to pass slower traffic
.when the current lane is ending ahead
.to return to the initial lane
See “Super Cruise Lane Change” later in this
section and Turn and Lane-Change Signals
0 140.
{Warning
Super Cruise can only assist to maintain
lane position, or steer to change lanes,
when driving on compatible roads. You
must supervise the driving task and
monitor the road conditions. You may
need to respond to traffic events by
steering, braking, or accelerating. See
Defensive Driving.
Super Cruise is:
.Not a self-driving system
.Not a crash avoidance or warning
system
.Not a substitute for proper supervision
of the driving task.