seats CADILLAC ESCALADE 2020 Service Manual

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13566588) - 2020 - CRC - 4/24/19
SEATS AND RESTRAINTS 75
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.
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 Rear Seat) 094 or
Securing Child Restraints (With the
Seat Belt in the Front Seat) 096.
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
0 41.
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

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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76 SEATS AND RESTRAINTS
the child restraint in a rear seat. Never
put a rear-facing child restraint in the
front seat, even if the ON indicator is
not lit.
If the Off Indicator Is Lit for an
Adult-Sized Occupant
If a person of adult size is sitting in
the front outboard passenger seat, but
the OFF indicator is lit, it could be
because that person is not sitting
properly in the seat or that the child
restraint locking feature is engaged.
Use the following steps to allow the
system to detect that person and
enable the front outboard passenger
frontal airbag:1. Turn the vehicle off.
2. Remove any additional material
from the seat, such as blankets,
cushions, seat covers, seat
heaters, or seat massagers.
3. Place the seatback in the fully upright position.
4. Have the person sit upright in the seat, centered on the seat
cushion, with legs comfortably
extended.
5. If the shoulder portion of the belt is pulled out all the way, the
child restraint locking feature
will be engaged. This may
unintentionally cause the
passenger sensing system to turn
the airbag off for some
adult-sized occupants. If this
happens, unbuckle the belt, let
the belt go back all the way, and
then buckle the belt again
without pulling the belt out all
the way.
6. Restart the vehicle and have the person remain in this position
for two to three minutes after the
ON indicator is lit.
{Warning
If the front outboard passenger
airbag is turned off for an
adult-sized occupant, the airbag will
not be able to inflate and help
protect that person in a crash,
resulting in an increased risk of
serious injury or even death. An
adult-sized occupant should not
ride in the front outboard passenger
seat, if the passenger airbag OFF
indicator is lit.
Additional Factors Affecting
System Operation
Seat belts help keep the passenger in
position on the seat during vehicle
maneuvers and braking, which helps
the passenger sensing system
maintain the passenger airbag status.
See “Seat Belts” and“Child Restraints”
in the Index for additional
information about the importance of
proper restraint use.

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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SEATS AND RESTRAINTS 77
A thick layer of additional material,
such as a blanket or cushion,
or aftermarket equipment such as seat
covers, seat heaters, and seat
massagers can affect how well the
passenger sensing system operates.
We recommend that you not use seat
covers or other aftermarket equipment
except when approved by GM for your
specific vehicle. SeeAdding Equipment
to the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 077 for
more information about modifications
that can affect how the system
operates.
The ON indicator may be lit if an
object, such as a briefcase, handbag,
grocery bag, laptop, or other electronic
device, is put on an unoccupied seat.
If this is not desired, remove the
object from the seat.
{Warning
Stowing articles under the
passenger seat or between the
passenger seat cushion and
seatback may interfere with the
proper operation of the passenger
sensing system.
Servicing the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Airbags affect how the vehicle should
be serviced. There are parts of the
airbag system in several places around
the vehicle. Your dealer and the
service manual have information
about servicing the vehicle and the
airbag system. To purchase a service
manual, see Publication Ordering
Information 0365.
{Warning
For up to 10 seconds after the
vehicle is turned off and the battery
is disconnected, an airbag can still
inflate during improper service. You
can be injured if you are close to an
airbag when it inflates. Avoid
yellow connectors. They are
probably part of the airbag system.
Be sure to follow proper service
procedures, and make sure the
person performing work for you is
qualified to do so.
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Adding accessories that change the
vehicle's frame, bumper system,
height, front end, or side sheet metal
may keep the airbag system from
working properly.
The operation of the airbag system
can also be affected by changing,
including improperly repairing or
replacing, any parts of the following:
.
Airbag system, including airbag
modules, front or side impact
sensors, sensing and diagnostic
module, airbag wiring, or front
center console
. Front seats, including stitching,
seams or zippers
. Seat belts
. Steering wheel, instrument panel,
overhead console, ceiling trim,
or pillar garnish trim
. Inner door seals, including
speakers

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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78 SEATS AND RESTRAINTS
Your dealer and the service manual
have information about the location of
the airbag modules and sensors,
sensing and diagnostic module, and
airbag wiring along with the proper
replacement procedures.
In addition, the vehicle has a
passenger sensing system for the front
outboard passenger position, which
includes sensors that are part of the
passenger's seat. The passenger
sensing system may not operate
properly if the original seat trim is
replaced with non-GM covers,
upholstery, or trim, or with GM
covers, upholstery, or trim designed
for a different vehicle. Any object,
such as an aftermarket seat heater or
a comfort enhancing pad or device,
installed under or on top of the seat
fabric, could also interfere with the
operation of the passenger sensing
system. This could either prevent
proper deployment of the passenger
airbag(s) or prevent the passenger
sensing system from properly turning
off the passenger airbag(s). See
Passenger Sensing System073. If the vehicle has rollover roof-rail
airbags, see
Different Size Tires and
Wheels 0307 for additional important
information.
If the vehicle must be modified
because you have a disability and you
have questions about whether the
modifications will affect the vehicle's
airbag system, or if you have
questions about whether the airbag
system will be affected if the vehicle is
modified for any other reason, call
Customer Assistance. See Customer
Assistance Offices 0358.
Airbag System Check
The airbag system does not need
regularly scheduled maintenance or
replacement. Make sure the airbag
readiness light is working. See Airbag
Readiness Light 0120.
Caution
If an airbag covering is damaged,
opened, or broken, the airbag may
not work properly. Do not open or
break the airbag coverings. If there
are any opened or broken airbag
coverings, have the airbag covering
and/or airbag module replaced. For
the location of the airbags, see
Where Are the Airbags? 069. See
your dealer for service.
Replacing Airbag System
Parts after a Crash
{Warning
A crash can damage the airbag
systems in the vehicle. A damaged
airbag system may not properly
protect you and your passenger(s)
in a crash, resulting in serious
injury or even death. To help make
sure the airbag systems are working
properly after a crash, have them
(Continued)

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13566588) - 2020 - CRC - 4/24/19
SEATS AND RESTRAINTS 79
Warning (Continued)
inspected and any necessary
replacements made as soon as
possible.
If an airbag inflates, you will need to
replace airbag system parts. See your
dealer for service.
If the airbag readiness light stays on
after the vehicle is started or comes
on when you are driving, the airbag
system may not work properly. Have
the vehicle serviced right away. See
Airbag Readiness Light 0120.
Child Restraints
Older Children
Older children who have outgrown
booster seats should wear the vehicle’s
seat belts.
The manufacturer instructions that
come with the booster seat state the
weight and height limitations for that
booster. Use a booster seat with a
lap-shoulder belt until the child
passes the fit test below: .
Sit all the way back on the seat.
Do the knees bend at the seat
edge? If yes, continue. If no, return
to the booster seat.
. Buckle the lap-shoulder belt. Does
the shoulder belt rest on the
shoulder? If yes, continue. If no,
try using the rear seat belt
comfort guide, if available. See
“Rear Seat Belt Comfort Guides”
under Lap-Shoulder Belt 060. If a
comfort guide is not available, or if
the shoulder belt still does not rest
on the shoulder, then return to the
booster seat.
. Does the lap belt fit low and snug
on the hips, touching the thighs?
If yes, continue. If no, return to
the booster seat.
. Can proper seat belt fit be
maintained for the length of the
trip? If yes, continue. If no, return
to the booster seat.
Q: What is the proper way to wear seat belts?
A: An older child should wear a
lap-shoulder belt and get the
additional restraint a shoulder belt

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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80 SEATS AND RESTRAINTS
can provide. The shoulder belt
should not cross the face or neck.
The lap belt should fit snugly
below the hips, just touching the
top of the thighs. This applies belt
force to the child's pelvic bones in
a crash. It should never be worn
over the abdomen, which could
cause severe or even fatal internal
injuries in a crash.
Also see “Rear Seat Belt Comfort
Guides” underLap-Shoulder Belt 060.
According to accident statistics,
children are safer when properly
restrained in a rear seating position.
In a crash, children who are not
buckled up can strike other people
who are buckled up, or can be thrown
out of the vehicle. Older children need
to use seat belts properly.
{Warning
Never allow more than one child to
wear the same seat belt. The seat
belt cannot properly spread the
impact forces. In a crash, they can (Continued)
Warning (Continued)
be crushed together and seriously
injured. A seat belt must be used by
only one person at a time.
{Warning
Never allow a child to wear the seat
belt with the shoulder belt behind
their back. A child can be seriously
injured by not wearing the
lap-shoulder belt properly. In a(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
crash, the child would not be
restrained by the shoulder belt. The
child could move too far forward
increasing the chance of head and
neck injury. The child might also
slide under the lap belt. The belt
force would then be applied right
on the abdomen. That could cause
serious or fatal injuries. The
shoulder belt should go over the
shoulder and across the chest.

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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SEATS AND RESTRAINTS 81
Infants and Young Children
Everyone in a vehicle needs
protection! This includes infants and
all other children. Neither the distance
traveled nor the age and size of the
traveler changes the need, for
everyone, to use safety restraints. In
fact, the law in every state in the
United States and in every Canadian
province says children up to some age
must be restrained while in a vehicle.
{Warning
Children can be seriously injured or
strangled if a shoulder belt is
wrapped around their neck. The
shoulder belt can tighten but
cannot be loosened if it is locked.
The shoulder belt locks when it is
pulled all the way out of the
retractor. It unlocks when the
shoulder belt is allowed to go all
the way back into the retractor, but
it cannot do this if it is wrapped
around a child’s neck. If the
shoulder belt is locked and(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
tightened around a child’s neck, the
only way to loosen the belt is to
cut it.
Never leave children unattended in
a vehicle and never allow children
to play with the seat belts.
Every time infants and young children
ride in vehicles, they should have the
protection provided by appropriate
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. (Continued)
Warning (Continued)
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.

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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82 SEATS AND RESTRAINTS
{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 outboard 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 you must
secure a forward-facing child
restraint in the front outboard seat,
always move the front passenger
seat as far back as it will go.
Child restraints are devices used to
restrain, seat, or position children in
the vehicle and are sometimes called
child seats or car seats.
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.

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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SEATS AND RESTRAINTS 83
{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.
Forward-Facing Child Restraint
A forward-facing child restraint
provides restraint for the child's body
with the harness.

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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84 SEATS AND RESTRAINTS
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 Children079.
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) 086 for more
information. Children can be
endangered in a crash if the child
restraint is not properly secured in the
vehicle. 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