light CADILLAC ESCALADE 2008 3.G Owners Manual

Seats and Restraint Systems........................... 1-1
Front Seats
............................................... 1-2
Rear Seats
..............................................1-10
Safety Belts
.............................................1-28
Child Restraints
.......................................1-49
Airbag System
.........................................1-74
Restraint System Check
............................1-90
Features and Controls..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-3
Doors and Locks
......................................2-10
Windows
.................................................2-18
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................2-20
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
...........2-24
Mirrors
....................................................2-40
Object Detection Systems
..........................2-48
OnStar
®System
......................................2-51
Universal Home Remote System
................2-54
Storage Areas
.........................................2-61
Sunroof
..................................................2-65
Instrument Panel............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-4
Climate Controls
......................................3-26
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators
........3-33
Driver Information Center (DIC)
..................3-48
Audio System(s)
.......................................3-68Driving Your Vehicle....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle
..... 4-2
Towing
...................................................4-41
Service and Appearance Care.......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-5
Checking Things Under the Hood
...............5-10
All-Wheel Drive
........................................5-44
Rear Axle
...............................................5-44
Front Axle
...............................................5-46
Headlamp Aiming
.....................................5-46
Bulb Replacement
....................................5-49
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.........5-52
Tires
......................................................5-54
Appearance Care
.....................................5-96
Vehicle Identication
...............................5-105
Electrical System
....................................5-106
Capacities and Specications
...................5-113
Maintenance Schedule..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance Information.................... 7-1
Customer Assistance and Information
........... 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
...........................7-14
Vehicle Data Recording and Privacy
...........7-16
Index................................................................ 1
2008 Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner ManualM

Automatic Release Fold and Tumble
Feature
The transmission must be in PARK (P) for this feature
to work.
Folding and Tumbling the Seat(s)
{CAUTION:
Automatically folding and tumbling the seat
when someone is sitting in the seat, could
cause injury to the person sitting there. Always
make sure there is no one sitting in the seat
before pressing the automatic seat release
button.
To fold and tumble the seat, do the following:
1. Make sure that there is nothing under, in front of, or
on the seat.
Notice:Folding a rear seat with the safety belts
still fastened may cause damage to the seat or the
safety belts. Always unbuckle the safety belts
and return them to their normal stowed position
before folding a rear seat.2. From the front seats,
press one of the
automatic seat release
buttons located on
the overhead console.
When accessing the third row seats, if your vehicle
has them, from the outside of the vehicle, press
the button on the panel behind either rear door.
One press of the button automatically folds
the seatback at and tumbles the seat forward.
There will be a slight delay between the folding of
the seatback and the tumbling of the seat. Overhead Console
Buttons shown, Panel
Button similar
1-14

Folding and Tumbling the Second Row
Seat(s) from the Third Row Seats or
Outside
{CAUTION:
Using the third row seating position while the
second row is folded, or folded and tumbled,
could cause injury in a sudden stop or crash.
Be sure to return the seat to the passenger
seating position. Push and pull on the seat to
make sure it is locked into place.
To fold and tumble the seat from the third row seats,
if your vehicle has them, do the following:
1. Make sure that there is nothing under, in front of, or
on the seat.
Notice:Folding a rear seat with the safety belts
still fastened may cause damage to the seat or the
safety belts. Always unbuckle the safety belts
and return them to their normal stowed position
before folding a rear seat.2. Press the automatic
seat release button
located on the panel
behind the rear doors.
One press of the button automatically folds the
seatback at and tumbles the seat forward.
There will be a slight delay between the folding of
the seatback and the tumbling of the seat.
Bucket Seats (Second Row)
If your vehicle has bucket seats, the seatbacks can be
reclined, the seats can be folded for additional cargo
space, or folded and tumbled for easy entry and exit to
the third row seats, if your vehicle has them. These seats
will have either the manual fold and tumble feature or the
automatic seat release fold and tumble feature.Driver’s Side Rear Panel
Button shown
1-16

Automatic Release Fold and Tumble
Feature
The transmission must be in PARK (P) for this feature
to work.
Folding and Tumbling the Seat(s)
{CAUTION:
Automatically folding and tumbling the seat
when someone is sitting in the seat, could
cause injury to the person sitting there. Always
make sure there is no one sitting in the seat
before pressing the automatic seat release
button.
To fold and tumble the seat, do the following:
1. Make sure that there is nothing under, in front of, or
on the seat.
Notice:Folding a rear seat with the safety belts
still fastened may cause damage to the seat or the
safety belts. Always unbuckle the safety belts
and return them to their normal stowed position
before folding a rear seat.2. From the front seats,
press one of the
automatic seat release
buttons located on
the overhead console.
When accessing the third row seats, if your vehicle
has them, from the outside of the vehicle, press
the button on the panel behind either rear door.
One press of the button automatically folds
the seatback at and tumbles the seat forward.
There will be a slight delay between the folding of
the seatback and the tumbling of the seat. Overhead Console
Buttons shown
1-21

2. Press the automatic
seat release button
located on the
panel behind the rear
doors.
One press of the button automatically folds the
seatback at and tumbles the seat forward.
There will be a slight delay between the folding of
the seatback and the tumbling of the seat.
Third Row Seat
If the vehicle has a third row seat, the seatback(s) can
be folded and the entire seat can be tumbled, or
removed from the vehicle.
Folding the Seatback(s)
To fold the seatback, do the following:
1. Open the liftgate to access the controls for the seat.
2. Remove all items on the seat cushion.
Notice:Folding a rear seat with the safety belts
still fastened may cause damage to the seat or the
safety belts. Always unbuckle the safety belts
and return them to their normal stowed position
before folding a rear seat.
3. Lift the release lever,
located on the bottom
rear of the seatback
on the outboard side of
the seat, and the
seatback will fold forward. Driver’s Side Rear Panel
Button shown
1-23

Removing the Third Row Seat
To remove the seat, do the following:
1. Open the liftgate to access the controls for the seat.
2. Fold the seatback forward using the instructions
listed under “Folding the Seatbacks” previously.
The seat cannot be removed unless the seatback
is folded.
3. Unlatch the seat from
the oor by pulling the
carrying handle,
located at the rear of
the seat, rearward.
4. Roll the seat out of the vehicle. There is a track in
the oor to guide the seat wheels out of the vehicle.
Installing the Third Row Seat
To install the seat, do the following:
1. Open the liftgate to access the rear of the vehicle.
2. Slide the front outboard seat wheels into the track on
the oor and roll the seat forward. The front latches
should lock into place. If the latches do not lock, try
tilting the rear of the seat upward slightly.
3. Lower the rear of the seat and push down on the
seat to engage the rear oor latches.
{CAUTION:
A seat that is not locked into place properly
can move around in a collision or sudden stop.
People in the vehicle could be injured. Be sure
to lock the seat into place properly when
installing it.
1-26

Lap-Shoulder Belt
All seating positions in your vehicle have a lap-shoulder
except for the center front passenger position, if your
vehicle has one, which has a lap belt. SeeLap Belt on
page 1-47for more information.
Here is how to wear a lap-shoulder belt properly.
1. Adjust the seat, if the seat is adjustable, so you can
sit up straight. To see how, see “Seats” in the Index.
2. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Do not let it get twisted.
The lap-shoulder belt may lock if you pull the belt
across you very quickly. If this happens, let the belt
go back slightly to unlock it. Then pull the belt
across you more slowly.
If you ever pull the shoulder portion of a passenger
belt out all the way, you may engage the child
restraint locking feature. If this happens, just let the
belt go back all the way and start again.
Engaging the child restraint locking feature may
affect the passenger sensing system. SeePassenger
Sensing System on page 1-83.3. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
If you nd that the latch plate will not go fully into
the buckle, see if you are using the correct buckle.
Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is
secure. If the belt is not long enough, seeSafety
Belt Extender on page 1-48.
Make sure the release button on the buckle is
positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the
safety belt quickly if necessary.
1-41

Do not secure a child seat in a position without a top
tether anchor if a national or local law requires that
the top tether be anchored, or if the instructions
that come with the child restraint say that the top strap
must be anchored.
In Canada, the law requires that forward-facing child
restraints have a top tether, and that the tether be
attached.
You will be using the lap-shoulder belt to secure the
child restraint in this position. Follow the instructions that
came with the child restraint.
1. Move the seat as far back as it will go before
securing the forward-facing child restraint.
When the passenger sensing system has turned off
the right front passenger’s frontal airbag, the off
indicator on the passenger airbag status indicator
should light and stay lit when you start the vehicle.
SeePassenger Airbag Status Indicator on
page 3-37.
2. Put the child restraint on the seat.
3. Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap and shoulder
portions of the vehicle’s safety belt through or
around the restraint. The child restraint instructions
will show you how.4. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
Make sure the release button is positioned so you
would be able to unbuckle the safety belt quickly
if necessary.
1-72

If the airbag is off, the off indicator in the passenger
airbag status indicator will come on and stay on when
the vehicle is started.
If a child restraint has been installed and the on
indicator is lit, turn the vehicle off. Remove the child
restraint from the vehicle and reinstall the child restraint.
If, after reinstalling the child restraint and restarting
the vehicle, the on indicator is still lit, check to make
sure that the vehicle’s seatback is not pressing the child
restraint into the seat cushion. If this happens, slightly
recline the vehicle’s seatback and adjust the seat
cushion if possible. Also make sure the child restraint is
not trapped under the vehicle head restraint. If this
happens, adjust the head restraint.
Remove any additional material from the seat such as
blankets, cushions, seat covers, seat heaters or
seat massagers before reinstalling or securing the child
restraint.
If the on indicator is still lit, secure the child in the child
restraint in a rear seat position in the vehicle and
check with your dealer/retailer.
To remove the child restraint, unbuckle the vehicle’s
safety belt and let it go back all the way.Airbag System
Your vehicle has the following airbags:
A frontal airbag for the driver.
A frontal airbag for the right front passenger.
A roof-rail airbag for the driver and the passenger
seated directly behind the driver.
A roof-rail airbag for the right front passenger and
the passenger seated directly behind the right
front passenger.
Your vehicle may have the following airbags:
If your vehicle has a third row seat, it will have third
row roof-rail airbags.
All of the airbags in your vehicle will have the word
AIRBAG embossed in the trim or on an attached label
near the deployment opening.
For frontal airbags, the word AIRBAG will appear on the
middle part of the steering wheel for the driver and
on the instrument panel for the right front passenger.
With roof-rail airbags, the word AIRBAG will appear
along the headliner or trim.
1-74

{CAUTION:
Airbags inate with great force, faster than the
blink of an eye. Anyone who is up against, or
very close to, any airbag when it inates can
be seriously injured or killed. Do not sit
unnecessarily close to the airbag, as you
would be if you were sitting on the edge of
your seat or leaning forward. Safety belts help
keep you in position before and during a
crash. Always wear your safety belt, even with
airbags. The driver should sit as far back as
possible while still maintaining control of the
vehicle.
Occupants should not lean on or sleep against
the door or side windows in seating positions
with roof-rail airbags.
{CAUTION:
Airbags plus lap-shoulder belts offer the best
protection for adults, but not for young
children and infants. Neither the vehicle’s
safety belt system nor its airbag system is
designed for them. Young children and infants
need the protection that a child restraint
system can provide. Always secure children
properly in your vehicle. To read how, see
Older Children on page 1-49orInfants and
Young Children on page 1-52.
There is an airbag
readiness light on the
instrument panel cluster,
which shows the airbag
symbol.
The system checks the airbag electrical system for
malfunctions. The light tells you if there is an electrical
problem. SeeAirbag Readiness Light on page 3-36
for more information.
1-76