ECU CADILLAC ESCALADE 2021 User Guide

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13690472) - 2021 - CRC - 8/10/21
SEATS AND RESTRAINTS 67
Warning (Continued)
Occupants should not lean on or
sleep against the front center
armrest or console in vehicles with
a front center airbag.
Occupants should not lean on or
sleep against the door or side
windows in seating positions with
seat-mounted side impact airbags
and/or roof-rail airbags.
{Warning
Children who are up against,
or very close to, any airbag when it
inflates can be seriously injured or
killed. Always secure children
properly in the vehicle. To read
how, seeOlder Children 077 or
Infants and Young Children 078.
There is an airbag readiness light on
the center stack below the
infotainment screen, which shows the
airbag symbol.
The system checks the airbag
electrical system for malfunctions.
The light tells you if there is an
electrical problem. See Airbag
Readiness Light 0120.
Where Are the Airbags?
The driver frontal airbag is in the
center of the steering wheel.
The front outboard passenger frontal
airbag is in the passenger side
instrument panel.

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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68 SEATS AND RESTRAINTS
The front center airbag is in the
inboard side of the driver seatback.
Driver Side Shown, Passenger SideSimilar
The driver and front outboard
passenger seat-mounted side impact
airbags are in the side of the
seatbacks closest to the door.
Driver Side Shown, Passenger Side Similar
The roof-rail airbags for the driver,
front outboard passenger, and second
and third row outboard passengers are
in the ceiling above the side windows.
{Warning
If something is between an
occupant and an airbag, the airbag
might not inflate properly or it
might force the object into that
person causing severe injury or
even death. The path of an inflating
airbag must be kept clear. Do not (Continued)
Warning (Continued)
put anything between an occupant
and an airbag, and do not attach or
put anything on the steering wheel
hub or on or near any other airbag
covering.
Do not use seat or console
accessories that block the inflation
path of a seat-mounted side impact
airbag or the front center airbag.
Never secure anything to the roof of
a vehicle with roof-rail airbags by
routing a rope or tie-down through
any door or window opening. If you
do, the path of an inflating roof-rail
airbag will be blocked.
When Should an Airbag
Inflate?
This vehicle is equipped with airbags.
SeeAirbag System 065. Airbags are
designed to inflate if the impact
exceeds the specific airbag system's
deployment threshold. Deployment
thresholds are used to predict how
severe a crash is likely to be in time

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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72 SEATS AND RESTRAINTS
According to accident statistics,
children are safer when properly
secured in a rear seat in the correct
child restraint for their weight
and size.
Whenever possible, children aged
12 and under should be secured in a
rear seating position.
Never put a rear-facing child seat in
the front. This is because the risk to
the rear-facing child is so great, if the
airbag inflates.
{Warning
A child in a rear-facing child
restraint can be seriously injured or
killed if the passenger frontal airbag
inflates. This is because the back of
the rear-facing child restraint would
be very close to the inflating airbag.
A child in a forward-facing child
restraint can be seriously injured or
killed if the passenger frontal airbag
inflates and the passenger seat is in
a forward position.(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
Even if the passenger sensing
system has turned off the passenger
frontal airbag, no system is fail-safe.
No one can guarantee that an
airbag will not deploy under some
unusual circumstance, even though
the airbag is turned off.
Never put a rear-facing child
restraint in the front seat, even if
the airbag is off. If securing a
forward-facing child restraint in the
front outboard passenger seat,
always move the seat as far back as
it will go. It is better to secure child
restraints in the rear seat. Consider
using another vehicle to transport
the child when a rear seat is not
available.
If the vehicle does not have a rear seat
that will accommodate a rear-facing
child restraint, a rear-facing child
restraint should not be installed in the
vehicle, even if the airbag is off. The passenger sensing system is
designed to turn off the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag if:.The front outboard passenger seat
is unoccupied.
.The system determines an infant is
present in a child restraint.
.A front outboard passenger takes
his/her weight off of the seat for a
period of time.
When the passenger sensing system
has turned off the front outboard
passenger frontal airbag, the OFF
indicator will light and stay lit as a
reminder that the airbag is off. See
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator
0 121.
The passenger sensing system is
designed to turn on the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag
anytime the system senses that a
person of adult size is sitting properly
in the front outboard passenger seat.
When the passenger sensing system
has allowed the airbag to be enabled,
the ON indicator will light and stay lit
as a reminder that the airbag is active.

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-
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SEATS AND RESTRAINTS 79
child restraints. Neither the vehicle’s
seat belt system nor its airbag system
is designed for them.
Children who are not restrained
properly can strike other people,
or can be thrown out of the vehicle.
{Warning
Never hold an infant or a child
while riding in a vehicle. Due to
crash forces, an infant or a child
will become so heavy it is not
possible to hold it during a crash.
For example, in a crash at only
40 km/h (25 mph), a 5.5 kg (12 lb)
infant will suddenly become a
110 kg (240 lb) force on a person's
arms. An infant or child should be
secured in an appropriate child
restraint.
{Warning
Children who are up against,
or very close to, any airbag when it
inflates can be seriously injured or
killed. Never put a rear-facing child
restraint in the front passenger
seat. Secure a rear-facing child
restraint in a rear seat.
It is also better to secure a
forward-facing child restraint in a
rear seat. If a forward-facing child
restraint must be secured in the(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
front passenger seat, always move
the front passenger seat as far back
as it will go.
If a child restraint is installed in the
second row center seat, move the
second row seat to the rearward
position, whenever possible, to
minimize contact with the front
center airbag.
Child restraints are devices used to
restrain, seat, or position children in
the vehicle and are sometimes called
child seats or car seats.

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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80 SEATS AND RESTRAINTS
There are three basic types of child
restraints:
.Forward-facing child restraints
.Rear-facing child restraints
.Belt-positioning booster seats
The proper child restraint for your
child depends on their size, weight,
and age, and also on whether the
child restraint is compatible with the
vehicle in which it will be used.
For each type of child restraint, there
are many different models available.
When purchasing a child restraint, be
sure it is designed to be used in a
motor vehicle. If it is, the child
restraint will have a label saying that
it meets federal motor vehicle safety
standards.
The instruction manual that is
provided with the child restraint
states the weight and height
limitations for that particular child
restraint. In addition, there are many
kinds of child restraints available for
children with special needs.
{Warning
To reduce the risk of neck and head
injury in a crash, infants and
toddlers should be secured in a
rear-facing child restraint until age
two, or until they reach the
maximum height and weight limits
of their child restraint.
{Warning
A young child's hip bones are still
so small that the vehicle seat belt
may not remain low on the hip
bones, as it should. Instead, it may
settle up around the child's
abdomen. In a crash, the belt would
apply force on a body area that is
unprotected by any bony structure.
This alone could cause serious or
fatal injuries. To reduce the risk of
serious or fatal injuries during a
crash, young children should always
be secured in an appropriate child
restraint.
Child Restraint Systems
Rear-Facing Infant Restraint
A rear-facing child restraint provides
restraint with the seating surface
against the back of the infant.
The harness system holds the infant
in place and, in a crash, acts to keep
the infant positioned in the restraint.

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SEATS AND RESTRAINTS 81
Forward-Facing Child Restraint
A forward-facing child restraint
provides restraint for the child's body
with the harness.Booster Seats
A belt-positioning booster seat is used
for children who have outgrown their
forward-facing child restraint.
Boosters are designed to improve the
fit of the vehicle's seat belt system
until the child is large enough for the
vehicle seat belts to fit properly
without a booster seat. See the seat
belt fit test in Older Children077.
Securing an Add-On Child
Restraint in the Vehicle
{Warning
A child can be seriously injured or
killed in a crash if the child
restraint is not properly secured in
the vehicle. Secure the child
restraint properly in the vehicle
using the vehicle seat belt or
LATCH system, following the
instructions that came with that
child restraint and the instructions
in this manual.
To help reduce the chance of injury,
the child restraint must be secured in
the vehicle. Child restraints must be
secured in vehicle seats by lap belts or
the lap belt portion of a lap-shoulder
belt, or by the LATCH system. See
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children
(LATCH System) 084 for more
information. Children can be
endangered in a crash if the child
restraint is not properly secured in the
vehicle.

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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82 SEATS AND RESTRAINTS
When securing an add-on child
restraint, refer to the following:1. Instruction labels provided on the child restraint
2. Instruction manual provided with the child restraint
3. This vehicle owner's manual
The child restraint instructions are
important, so if they are not available,
obtain a replacement copy from the
manufacturer.
Keep in mind that an unsecured child
restraint can move around in a
collision or sudden stop and injure
people in the vehicle. Be sure to
properly secure any child restraint in
the vehicle —even when no child is
in it.
In some areas Certified Child
Passenger Safety Technicians (CPSTs)
are available to inspect and
demonstrate how to correctly use and
install child restraints. In the U.S.,
refer to the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration (NHTSA)
website to locate the nearest child
safety seat inspection station. For
CPST availability in Canada, check with Transport Canada or the
Provincial Ministry of Transportation
office.
Securing the Child Within the
Child Restraint
{Warning
A child can be seriously injured or
killed in a crash if the child is not
properly secured in the child
restraint. Secure the child properly
following the instructions that
came with that child restraint.
Where to Put the Restraint
According to accident statistics,
children and infants are safer when
properly restrained in an appropriate
child restraint secured in a rear
seating position.
Whenever possible, children aged
12 and under should be secured in a
rear seating position.
The vehicle is equipped with a front
center airbag in the inboard side of
the driver seat. Even with a front
center airbag, a child restraint can be
installed in any second row seating
position.
Never put a rear-facing child restraint
in the front. This is because the risk
to the rear-facing child is so great if
the airbag deploys.
{Warning
A child in a rear-facing child
restraint can be seriously injured or
killed if the front passenger airbag
inflates. This is because the back of
the rear-facing child restraint would
be very close to the inflating airbag.
A child in a forward-facing child
restraint can be seriously injured or
killed if the front passenger airbag
inflates and the passenger seat is in
a forward position.
Even if the passenger sensing
system has turned off the front
passenger frontal airbag, no system
is fail-safe. No one can guarantee
that an airbag will not deploy under
some unusual circumstance, even
though it is turned off.
(Continued)

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13690472) - 2021 - CRC - 8/10/21
SEATS AND RESTRAINTS 83
Warning (Continued)
Secure rear-facing child restraints
in a rear seat, even if the airbag is
off. If you secure a forward-facing
child restraint in the front seat,
always move the front passenger
seat as far back as it will go. It is
better to secure the child restraint
in a rear seat.
SeePassenger Sensing System 071
for additional information.
If a child restraint is installed in a
second row center seat, move the
second row seat to the rearward
position, whenever possible, to
minimize contact with the front
center airbag.
{Warning
A child in a child restraint in the
center front seat can be badly
injured or killed by the frontal
airbags if they inflate. Never secure (Continued)
Warning (Continued)
a child restraint in the center front
seat. It is always better to secure a
child restraint in a rear seat.
When securing a child restraint with
the seat belts in a rear seat position,
study the instructions that came with
the child restraint to make sure it is
compatible with this vehicle.
Child restraints and booster seats vary
considerably in size, and some may fit
in certain seating positions better
than others. Do not install a child
restraint in any rear seating position
where it cannot be installed securely.
Depending on where you place the
child restraint and the size of the
child restraint, you may not be able to
access adjacent seat belts or LATCH
anchors for additional passengers or
child restraints. Adjacent seating
positions should not be used if the
child restraint prevents access to or
interferes with the routing of the
seat belt. The seat in front of an installed child
restraint should be adjusted to ensure
proper installation according to the
child restraint manual.
When installing a child restraint in an
adjustable second row seating
position, the seat should be adjusted
fore or aft to ensure proper
installation according to the child
restraint manual.
Wherever a child restraint is installed,
be sure to follow the instructions that
came with the child restraint and
secure the child restraint properly.
Keep in mind that an unsecured child
restraint can move around in a
collision or sudden stop and injure
people in the vehicle. Be sure to
properly secure any child restraint in
the vehicle
—even when no child is
in it.

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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84 SEATS AND RESTRAINTS
Lower Anchors and
Tethers for Children
(LATCH System)
The LATCH system secures a child
restraint during driving or in a crash.
LATCH attachments on the child
restraint are used to attach the child
restraint to the anchors in the vehicle.
The LATCH system is designed to
make installation of a child restraint
easier.
In order to use the LATCH system in
your vehicle, you need a child
restraint that has LATCH
attachments. LATCH-compatible
rear-facing and forward-facing child
seats can be properly installed using
either the LATCH anchors or the
vehicle’s seat belts. Do not use both
the seat belts and the LATCH
anchorage system to secure a
rear-facing or forward-facing
child seat.Booster seats use the vehicle’s seat
belts to secure the child and the
booster seat. If the manufacturer
recommends that the booster seat be
secured with the LATCH system, this
can be done as long as the booster
seat can be positioned properly and
there is no interference with the
proper positioning of the lap-shoulder
belt on the child.
Make sure to follow the instructions
that came with the child restraint, and
also the instructions in this manual.
When installing a child restraint with
a top tether, you must also use either
the lower anchors or the seat belts to
properly secure the child restraint.
A child restraint must never be
attached using only the top tether.
For a forward-facing 5-pt harness
child restraint where the combined
weight of the child and restraint are
up to 29.5 kg (65 lb), use either the
lower LATCH anchorages with the top
tether anchorage, or the seat belt with
the top tether anchorage. Where the
combined weight of the child and
restraint are greater than 29.5 kg (65
lb), use the seat belt with the top
tether anchorage only.