instrument panel CADILLAC ESCALADE 2021 User Guide

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13690472) - 2021 - CRC - 8/10/21
LIGHTING 149
Lighting
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . . 149
Exterior Lamps Off Reminder . . . 151
Headlamp High/Low-BeamChanger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Automatic Headlamp System . . . 152
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . . . . 153
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Cornering Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Interior Lighting
Instrument Panel Illumination Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Interior Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Lighting Features
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Battery Load Management . . . . . . 155
Battery Power Protection . . . . . . . . 156
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls
The exterior lamp control is on the
turn signal lever.
Turn the control to the following
positions:
O:Turns the exterior lamps off and
deactivates the AUTO mode. Turn to
Oagain to reactivate the AUTO mode.
In Canada, the headlamps will
automatically reactivate when the
vehicle is shifted out of P (Park).
AUTO : Automatically turns the
exterior lamps on and off, depending
on outside lighting.
;: Turns on the parking lamps
including all lamps, except the
headlamps.
2: Turns on the headlamps together
with the parking lamps and
instrument panel lights.
IntelliBeam System
If equipped, this system turns the
vehicle's high-beam headlamps on and
off according to surrounding traffic
conditions.
The system turns the high-beam
headlamps on when it is dark enough
and there is no other traffic present.
This light
bcomes on in the
instrument cluster when the
IntelliBeam system is enabled.

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13690472) - 2021 - CRC - 8/10/21
LIGHTING 151
Exterior Lamps Off
Reminder
If a door is open, a reminder chime
sounds when the headlamps or
parking lamps are manually turned on
and the ignition is off. To turn off the
chime, turn the exterior lamp control
to off or AUTO and then back on,
or close and re-open the door. In the
AUTO mode, the headlamps turn off
once the ignition is off or remain on
until the headlamp delay ends (if
enabled in the DIC). See“Exit
Lighting” underVehicle Personalization
0 138.
Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer
Push the turn signal lever away from
you and release to turn the high
beams on.
To return to low beams, push the
lever again or pull it toward you and
release.
When the high-beam headlamps are
on, this indicator light on the
instrument cluster will also be on.
Flash-to-Pass
This feature lets you use the
high-beam headlamps to signal a
driver in front of you that you want to
pass. It works even if the headlamps
are in the automatic position.
To use it, pull the turn signal lever
toward you, then release it.
The high beam headlamps will stay on
as long as you hold the lever toward
you. The high-beam indicator on the
instrument cluster will come on.
Release the lever to return to normal
operation.
Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL)
DRL can make it easier for others to
see the front of the vehicle during the
day. Fully functional DRL are required
on all vehicles first sold in Canada.
The DRL system comes on when the
following conditions are met:
.The ignition is on.
.The exterior lamp control is
in AUTO.
.The light sensor determines it is
daytime.
When the DRL system is on, only the
DRL are on. The taillamps, sidemarker
lamps, instrument panel lights, and
other lamps will not be on.
When it begins to get dark, the
automatic headlamp system switches
from DRL to the headlamps.
To turn off the DRL, turn the exterior
lamp control to
Oand then release.
For vehicles first sold in Canada, off
will only work when the vehicle is
parked.

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13690472) - 2021 - CRC - 8/10/21
152 LIGHTING
Automatic Headlamp
System
When it is dark enough outside, the
automatic headlamp system turns on
the headlamps at the normal
brightness, along with the taillamps,
sidemarker, parking lamps, and the
instrument panel lights. The radio
lights will also be dim.
To turn off the automatic headlamp
system, turn the exterior lamp control
to
Pand then release it.
The vehicle has a light sensor on the
top of the instrument panel that
controls the automatic headlampsystem. Do not cover the sensor,
otherwise the headlamps may come
on when they are not needed.
The system may also turn on the
headlamps when driving through a
parking garage, heavy overcast
weather, or a tunnel. This is normal.
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.
See
Instrument Panel Illumination
Control 0154.
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.

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13690472) - 2021 - CRC - 8/10/21
154 LIGHTING
Interior Lighting
Instrument Panel
Illumination Control
This feature adjusts the brightness of
all illuminated controls.
D:Move the thumbwheel up or
down to set the lowest level of
automatic brightness control.
The thumbwheel is functional at
night, or when the headlamps or
parking lamps are ON.
The brightness of the displays
automatically adjusts based on
outdoor lighting. The instrument
panel illumination control will set the
lowest level to which the displays will
be automatically adjusted.
Interior Lamps
Interior Ambient Lighting
If equipped, this feature allows the
color of the interior lighting in the
vehicle to be chosen.
To access, press
{on the
infotainment controls, then touch
AMBIENT LIGHTING to display the
settings screen.
Touch to select from the following:
OFF : Turns the feature off.
ON : Turns the feature on. Ambient
lighting provides the ability to
customize the color and intensity of
the interior accent lighting. Chose the
color on the display screen to make
change to interior lighting color.
DEMO MODE : When the shift lever
is in P (Park), touch to turn the
feature on in colors chosen by the
vehicle. When the shift lever is not in
P (Park) , the interior color will default
to the last active color selected.
LINK TO DRIVE MODE : The light
color is matched to the color being
used for the drive mode.
Dome Lamps
There are dome lamps in the overhead
console and the headliner.
To change the dome lamp settings,
press the following:
Press and hold any of the overhead
console lens to turn all dome lamps
on. Press and hold any of the
overhead consoles lens again to turn
all dome lamps off.
Press OFF
jto turn off the dome
lamps when any door is opened,
Kon
the remote key is pressed, or when the
ignition is switched off. An indicator
light on the button will turn on when

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13690472) - 2021 - CRC - 8/10/21
222 CLIMATE CONTROLS
the direction of the airf low. The
selected air delivery mode button is
lit. Pressing any of the air delivery
buttons cancels automatic air delivery
control and the direction of the
airf low can be controlled manually.
Press AUTO to return to automatic
operation.
To change the current mode, select
one of the following:
z:Air is directed to the windshield,
outboard a/c outlets, and side window
outlets.
Y: Air is directed to the instrument
panel outlets.
[: Air is directed to the floor
outlets.
d: Clears the windshield of fog or
frost more quickly. Air is directed to
the windshield. Press
dto turn on or
off. Changing the air delivery mode
also turns the defrost off.
A/C : Touch AC on the climate control
display to turn the automatic air
conditioning on or off. If the fan is turned off or the outside temperature
falls below freezing, the air
conditioner will not run.
Press AUTO to return to automatic
operation and the air conditioner runs
as needed.
Automatic Air Recirculation :
When
the AUTO indicator light is on, the air
is automatically recirculated as
needed to help quickly cool the inside
of the vehicle.
@: Press to alternate between
recirculating air inside the vehicle or
pulling in outside air. The indicator
light on the button is lit when
recirculation mode is active. This
helps to quickly cool the air inside the
vehicle and reduce the entry of
outside air and odors.
Pressing this button cancels automatic
recirculation. Press AUTO to return to
automatic operation; recirculation
runs automatically as needed.
Manual recirculation mode is not
available when in Defrost or some air
distribution modes with air to the
windshield. Auto Defog :
The climate control
system uses a sensor to automatically
detect high humidity inside the
vehicle. When high humidity is
detected, the climate control system
may adjust to outside air supply, turn
on the air conditioner, and direct
more air to the windshield. If the
climate control system does not
detect possible window fogging, it
returns to normal operation. To turn
Auto Defog off or on, see “Climate and
Air Quality” underVehicle
Personalization 0138.
Rear Window Defogger
K:Press to turn the rear window
defogger on or off. An indicator light
on the button comes on to show that
the rear window defogger is on.
The rear window defogger only works
when the ignition is on. The defogger
turns off if the ignition is turned off
or to ACC/ACCESSORY.
The rear window defogger can be set
to automatic operation. When Auto
Rear Defog is selected, the rear
window defogger turns on
automatically when the vehicle is first

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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CLIMATE CONTROLS 223
started in cold weather and turns off
when the vehicle is warmed. To turn
Auto Rear Defog on or off, see
“Climate and Air Quality”under
Vehicle Personalization 0138.
The heated outside rearview mirrors
turn on when the rear window
defogger button is on and help to
clear fog or frost from the surface of
the mirrors.
Caution
Do not try to clear frost or other
material from the inside of the
front windshield and rear window
with a razor blade or anything else
that is sharp. This may damage the
rear window defogger grid and
affect the radio's ability to pick up
stations clearly. The repairs would
not be covered by the vehicle
warranty.
Driver and Passenger Heated and
Cooled Seats : Press
Ior+to heat
the driver or passenger seatback only.
Press
Jorzto heat the driver or
passenger seat cushion and seatback. Press
Cor{to cool the driver or
passenger seat.
There are also auto heated and cooled
seats, for more information see Heated
and Ventilated Front Seats 048.
Remote Start Climate Control
Operation : The climate control
system may run when the vehicle is
started remotely. The system uses the
driver’s previous settings to heat or
cool the inside of the vehicle. The rear
defog may come on during remote
start based on cold ambient
conditions. The rear defog indicator
light does not come on during a
remote start. If equipped with heated
or cooled seats, they may come on
during a remote start. See Remote
Vehicle Start 014 and
Heated and Ventilated Front Seats 048.Sensor
The solar sensor, on top of the
instrument panel near the windshield,
monitors the solar heat.
The climate control system uses the
sensor information to adjust the
temperature, fan speed, recirculation,
and air delivery mode for best
comfort.
If the sensor is covered, the automatic
climate control system may not work
properly.

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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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.

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DRIVING AND OPERATING 239
.Pay attention to special road signs
(e.g., falling rocks area, winding
roads, long grades, passing or
no-passing zones) and take
appropriate action.
Winter Driving
Driving on Snow or Ice
Snow or ice between the tires and the
road creates less traction or grip, so
drive carefully. Wet ice can occur at
about 0 °C (32 °F) when freezing rain
begins to fall. Avoid driving on wet ice
or in freezing rain until roads can be
treated.
For Slippery Road Driving:
.Accelerate gently. Accelerating too
quickly causes the wheels to spin
and makes the surface under the
tires slick.
.Turn on Traction Control. See
Traction Control/Electronic Stability
Control0264.
.Antilock Brake System (ABS)
improves vehicle stability during
hard stops, but the brakes should be applied sooner than when on dry
pavement. See
Antilock Brake System
(ABS) 0261.
.Allow greater following distance and
watch for slippery spots. Icy patches
can occur on otherwise clear roads
in shaded areas. The surface of a
curve or an overpass can remain icy
when the surrounding roads are
clear. Avoid sudden steering
maneuvers and braking while
on ice.
.Turn off cruise control.
Blizzard Conditions
Stay with the vehicle unless there is
help nearby. If possible, use Roadside
Assistance. See Roadside Service 0462.
To get help and keep everyone in the
vehicle safe:
.Turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
.Tie a red cloth to an outside mirror.
{Warning
Snow can trap engine exhaust
under the vehicle. This may cause
exhaust gases to get inside. Engine
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
exhaust contains carbon monoxide
(CO), which cannot be seen or
smelled. It can cause
unconsciousness and even death.
If the vehicle is stuck in snow:
.Clear snow from the base of the
vehicle, especially any blocking
the exhaust pipe.
.Open a window about 5 cm (2 in)
on the vehicle side that is away
from the wind, to bring in
fresh air.
.Fully open the air outlets on or
under the instrument panel.
.Adjust the climate control
system to circulate the air inside
the vehicle and set the fan speed
to the highest setting. See
“Climate Control Systems.”
For more information about CO, see
Engine Exhaust 0250.

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13690472) - 2021 - CRC - 8/10/21
264 DRIVING AND OPERATING
from moving during the transition
from brake pedal release to accelerator
pedal apply. The brakes release when
the accelerator pedal is applied. The
brakes may also release under other
conditions. Do not rely on AVH to
hold the vehicle.
If the accelerator pedal is not applied
within a few minutes, the Electric
Parking Brake will apply. The parking
brake will also apply if the driver door
is opened or the driver seat belt is
unfastened while AVH is holding the
vehicle.
AVH can be turned on by pressing
AUTO HOLD. The indicator light on
the switch will come on. The AVH
light on the instrument panel will
come on while AVH is actively holding
the vehicle. SeeAutomatic Vehicle Hold
(AVH) Light 0125.Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control
System Operation
The vehicle has a Traction Control
System (TCS) and StabiliTrak/
Electronic Stability Control (ESC).
These systems help limit wheel spin
and assist the driver in maintaining
control, especially on slippery road
conditions.
TCS activates if it senses any of the
drive wheels are spinning or beginning
to lose traction. When this happens,
TCS applies the brakes to the spinning
wheels and reduces engine power to
limit wheel spin.
StabiliTrak/ESC activates when the
vehicle senses a difference between
the intended path and the direction
the vehicle is actually traveling.
StabiliTrak/ESC selectively applies
braking pressure to one or more of the
vehicle wheel brakes to assist the
driver in keeping the vehicle on the
intended path. Trailer Sway Control (TSC) is also on automatically when
the vehicle is started. See
Trailer Sway
Control (TSC) 0347.
If cruise control is being used and
traction control or StabiliTrak/ESC
begins to limit wheel spin, cruise
control will disengage. Cruise control
may be turned back on when road
conditions allow.
Both systems come on automatically
when the vehicle is started and begins
to move. The systems may be heard or
felt while they are operating or while
performing diagnostic checks. This is
normal and does not mean there is a
problem with the vehicle.
It is recommended to leave both
systems on for normal driving
conditions, but it may be necessary to
turn TCS off if the vehicle gets stuck
in sand, mud, ice, or snow. See If the
Vehicle Is Stuck 0240 and “Turning
the Systems Off and On ”later in this
section.
When the transfer case (if equipped)
is in Four-Wheel Drive Low, the TCS
and StabiliTrak/ESC are automatically

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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DRIVING AND OPERATING 267
To activate each mode, press the
MODE button on the instrument
panel to the left of the steering wheel.
To activate Terrain Mode, press
g
button located next to the MODE
button.
Tour :Use for normal city and
highway driving to provide a smooth
ride. This setting provides balance
between comfort and handling. This is
the standard/default mode. There is
no persistent indicator in the
instrument cluster for this mode.
8Sport Mode : Use where road
conditions or personal preference
demand a more controlled response. When you enter this mode you will
immediately feel a down shift. In this
mode, the vehicle also monitors
driving behaviors and automatically
enables Performance Shift Features
when spirited driving is detected.
These features maintain lower
transmission gears to increase
available engine braking and improve
acceleration response. The vehicle will
exit these features and return to
normal operation after a short period
when no spirited driving is detected.
The steering will change to provide
more precise control. If the vehicle
has Magnetic Ride Control, the
suspension will change to provide
better cornering performance.
6Snow/Ice Mode :
Snow/Ice
improves vehicle acceleration on snow
and ice covered roads. When active,
Snow/Ice Mode will adjust
acceleration to optimize traction on
slippery surfaces. This can
compromise the acceleration on dry
asphalt. This feature is not intended
for use when the vehicle is stuck in
sand, mud, ice, snow, or gravel. If the
vehicle becomes stuck see If the
Vehicle Is Stuck 0240.
7Off-Road Mode : Use this mode
for off-road recreational driving.
Off-Road Mode should be used to
improve driving at moderate speeds,
on grass, gravel, dirt, unpaved roads,
or snow-covered roads. The
accelerator pedal is tuned for off-road
use. This mode modifies pedal
mapping, All-Wheel Drive (AWD),
steering, ride height, Antilock Brake
System (ABS), StabiliTrak/Electronic
Stability Control (ESC), and Traction
Control System (TCS) performance.
For more information on off-road
driving, see Off-Road Driving 0234.
_Tow/Haul Mode : For more
information on Tow/Haul Mode, see
Tow/Haul Mode 0256.
gTerrain Mode : Use this mode
when traveling on very rough roads at
very low speeds, such as a two-track
or heavily rutted road. This can also
be used for pulling a boat out of the
water on a trailer. When in Terrain
Mode, the vehicle will shift
automatically but will hold a lower
gear longer to maximize engine
torque. This mode has a unique pedal
map and transmission shift pattern