airbag CADILLAC ESCALADE ESV 2011 Owners Manual

Black plate (1,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
2011 Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual MIn Brief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . 1-4
Vehicle Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Performance and
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-21
Keys, Doors and Windows . . . 2-1
Keys and Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Vehicle Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Exterior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Interior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19
Roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-22
Seats and Restraints . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-18
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-35
Child Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-51 Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Storage Compartments . . . . . . . . 4-1
Roof Rack System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Instruments and Controls . . . . 5-1
Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Information Displays . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-31
Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . . 5-40
Universal Remote System . . . . 5-50
Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-10
Lighting Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-11
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2
Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-10
Audio Players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-19
Rear Seat Infotainment . . . . . . . 7-33
Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-60
Voice Recognition . . . . . . . . . . . 7-100
Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-103 Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . 8-1
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-8
Driving and Operating . . . . . . . . 9-1
Driving Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Starting and Operating . . . . . . . 9-30
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-38
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 9-40
Drive Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-45
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-45
Ride Control Systems . . . . . . . . 9-47
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-51
Object Detection Systems . . . . 9-54
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-63
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-70
Conversions and Add-Ons . . . 9-82
Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Vehicle Checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . 10-34
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-36

Black plate (5,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
Introduction vVehicle Symbol Chart
Here are some additional symbols
that may be found on the vehicle
and what they mean. For more
information on the symbol, refer to
the Index.
0 : Adjustable Pedals
9 : Airbag Readiness Light
# : Air Conditioning
! : Antilock Brake System (ABS)
% : Audio Steering Wheel Controls
or OnStar ®
$ : Brake System Warning Light " : Charging System
I : Cruise Control
B : Engine Coolant Temperature
O : Exterior Lamps
# : Fog Lamps
. : Fuel Gauge
+ : Fuses
3 : Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer
( : Heated Steering Wheel
j : LATCH System Child
Restraints * : Malfunction Indicator Lamp
: : Oil Pressure
g : Outside Power Foldaway
Mirrors
} : Power
/ : Remote Vehicle Start
> : Safety Belt Reminders
7 : Tire Pressure Monitor
_ : Tow/Haul Mode
F : Traction Control
M : Windshield Washer Fluid

Black plate (1,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
In Brief 1-1
In Brief Instrument Panel Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . 1-4
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Liftgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7
Memory Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8
Second Row Seats . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Third Row Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Heated and Ventilated
Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9 Head Restraint
Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Sensing System for
Passenger Airbag . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Mirror Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Steering Wheel
Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12
Throttle and Brake Pedal
Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-13
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . 1-14
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
Vehicle Features Radio(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Portable Audio Devices . . . . . . 1-16
Bluetooth ®
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . 1-17 Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Navigation System . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Driver Information
Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19
Side Blind Zone
Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
Rear Vision
Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
Ultrasonic Parking Assist . . . . 1-20
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-21
Universal Remote System . . . 1-21
Performance and Maintenance StabiliTrak ®
System . . . . . . . . . 1-21
Tire Pressure Monitor . . . . . . . . 1-22
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . 1-22
Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) . . . . . 1-23
Driving for Better Fuel
Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-23
Roadside Service . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-23
OnStar ®
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-24

Black plate (10,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
1-10 In Brief
Head Restraint
Adjustment Do not drive until the head restraints
for all occupants are installed and
adjusted properly.
To achieve a comfortable seating
position, change the seatback
recline angle as little as necessary
while keeping the seat and the head
restraint height in the proper
position.
For more information see Head
Restraints on page 3 ‑ 2 and Power
Seat Adjustment on page 3 ‑ 3 .Safety Belts
Refer to the following sections for
important information on how to use
safety belts properly. .
Safety Belts on page 3 ‑ 18 ..
How to Wear Safety Belts
Properly on page 3 ‑ 22 . .
Lap-Shoulder Belt on page 3 ‑ 27 ..
Lower Anchors and Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) on
page 3 ‑ 59 . Sensing System for
Passenger Airbag The passenger sensing system,
if equipped, will turn off the right
front passenger frontal airbag
under certain conditions. The driver
airbags, seat ‐ mounted side impact
airbags and roof ‐ rail airbags are not
affected by this.
If the vehicle has one of the
indicators pictured in the following
illustrations, then the vehicle has a
passenger sensing system for the
right front passenger position.
The passenger airbag status
indicator, if equipped, will be
visible on the overhead console
when the vehicle is started.

Black plate (1,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-1
Seats and
Restraints Head Restraints Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Front Seats Power Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . 3-3
Lumbar Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
Heated and Ventilated Front
Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8
Rear Seats Heated Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Second Row Seats . . . . . . . . . . 3-10
Third Row Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-14
Safety Belts Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-18
How to Wear Safety Belts
Properly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-22
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . 3-27
Safety Belt Use During
Pregnancy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-32 Lap Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-33
Safety Belt Extender . . . . . . . . . 3-34
Safety System Check . . . . . . . . 3-34
Safety Belt Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-34
Replacing Safety Belt System
Parts After a Crash . . . . . . . . . 3-35
Airbag System Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-35
Where Are the Airbags? . . . . . 3-38
When Should an Airbag
Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-40
What Makes an Airbag
Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-41
How Does an Airbag
Restrain? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-42
What Will You See After an
Airbag Inflates? . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-42
Passenger Sensing
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-44
Servicing the Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-48
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle . . . 3-49
Airbag System Check . . . . . . . . 3-50
Replacing Airbag System
Parts After a Crash . . . . . . . . . 3-50 Child Restraints Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-51
Infants and Young
Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-53
Child Restraint Systems . . . . . 3-56
Where to Put the Restraint . . . 3-58
Lower Anchors and Tethers
for Children (LATCH
System) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-59
Replacing LATCH System
Parts After a Crash . . . . . . . . . 3-67
Securing Child Restraints
(Rear Seat Position) . . . . . . . . 3-68
Securing Child Restraints
(Center Front Seat
Position) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-71
Securing Child Restraints
(Right Front Seat
Position) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-71

Black plate (21,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-21
or the safety belts!
With safety belts, you slow down
as the vehicle does. You get more
time to stop. You stop over more
distance, and your strongest bones
take the forces. That is why safety
belts make such good sense. Questions and Answers About
Safety Belts Q: Will I be trapped in the vehicle
after a crash if I am wearing a
safety belt?
A: You could be — whether you are
wearing a safety belt or not. But
your chance of being conscious
during and after an accident, so
you can unbuckle and get out, is
much greater if you are belted.
And you can unbuckle a safety
belt, even if you are
upside down.
Q: If my vehicle has airbags, why
should I have to wear safety
belts?
A: Airbags are supplemental
systems only; so they work with
safety belts — not instead of
them. Whether or not an airbag
is provided, all occupants still
have to buckle up to get the
most protection. That is true not
only in frontal collisions, but
especially in side and other
collisions. Q: If I am a good driver, and I
never drive far from home,
why should I wear safety
belts?
A: You may be an excellent driver,
but if you are in a crash — even
one that is not your fault — you
and your passenger(s) can be
hurt. Being a good driver does
not protect you from things
beyond your control, such as
bad drivers.
Most accidents occur within
40 km (25 mi) of home. And the
greatest number of serious
injuries and deaths occur at
speeds of less than
65 km/h (40 mph).
Safety belts are for everyone.

Black plate (30,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
3-30 Seats and Restraints
Squeeze the buttons (A) on the
sides of the height adjuster and
move the height adjuster to the
desired position.
The adjuster can be moved up just
by pushing up on the shoulder belt
guide.
After the adjuster is set to the
desired position, try to move it down
without squeezing the buttons to
make sure it has locked into
position. Safety Belt Pretensioners This vehicle has safety belt
pretensioners for front outboard
occupants. Although the safety belt
pretensioners cannot be seen, they
are part of the safety belt assembly.
They can help tighten the safety
belts during the early stages of a
moderate to severe frontal, near
frontal, or rear crash if the threshold
conditions for pretensioner
activation are met. And, if the
vehicle has side impact airbags,
safety belt pretensioners can help
tighten the safety belts in a side
crash or a rollover event.
Pretensioners work only once. If the
pretensioners activate in a crash,
the pretensioners and probably
other parts of the vehicle's safety
belt system will need to be replaced.
See Replacing Safety Belt System
Parts After a Crash on page 3 ‑ 35 .Rear Safety Belt Comfort
Guides This vehicle may have rear shoulder
belt comfort guides. If not, they are
available through your dealer. The
guides may provide added safety
belt comfort for older children who
have outgrown booster seats and
for some adults. When installed and
properly adjusted, the comfort guide
positions the belt away from the
neck and head.
There is one guide, if equipped, for
each outside passenger position in
the second row seat and the third
row, if the vehicle has one.

Black plate (35,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-35
Replacing Safety Belt
System Parts After a
Crash
{ WARNINGA crash can damage the safety
belt system in the vehicle.
A damaged safety belt system
may not properly protect the
person using it, resulting in
serious injury or even death in a
crash. To help make sure the
safety belt systems are working
properly after a crash, have them
inspected and any necessary
replacements made as soon as
possible. After a minor crash, replacement of
safety belts may not be necessary.
But the safety belt assemblies that
were used during any crash may
have been stressed or damaged.
See your dealer to have the safety
belt assemblies inspected or
replaced.
New parts and repairs may be
necessary even if the safety belt
system was not being used at the
time of the crash.
Have the safety belt pretensioners
checked if the vehicle has been in a
crash, or if the airbag readiness light
stays on after you start the vehicle
or while you are driving. See Airbag
Readiness Light on page 5 ‑ 16 .Airbag System The vehicle has the following
airbags: .
A frontal airbag for the driver. .
A frontal airbag for the right front
passenger. .
A seat ‐ mounted side impact
airbag for the driver. .
A seat ‐ mounted side impact
airbag for the right front
passenger. .
A roof-rail airbag for the driver
and passenger directly behind
the driver. .
A roof-rail airbag for the right
front passenger and the person
seated directly behind that
passenger.

Black plate (36,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
3-36 Seats and Restraints The vehicle may have the following
airbags: .
If the vehicle has a third row
seat, it will have a third row
roof-rail airbag.
All of the airbags in the 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 seat ‐ mounted side impact
airbags, the word AIRBAG will
appear on the side of the seatback
closest to the door. With roof-rail airbags, the word
AIRBAG will appear along the
headliner or trim.
Airbags are designed to supplement
the protection provided by safety
belts. Even though today's airbags
are also designed to help reduce
the risk of injury from the force of an
inflating bag, all airbags must inflate
very quickly to do their job.
Here are the most important things
to know about the airbag system:
{ WARNINGYou can be severely injured or
killed in a crash if you are not
wearing your safety belt — even
if you have airbags. Airbags are
designed to work with safety
belts, but do not replace them.
(Continued) WARNING (Continued) Also, airbags are not designed to
deploy in every crash. In some
crashes safety belts are your only
restraint. See When Should an
Airbag Inflate? on page 3 ‑ 40 .
Wearing your safety belt during a
crash helps reduce your chance
of hitting things inside the vehicle
or being ejected from it. Airbags
are “ supplemental restraints ” to
the safety belts. Everyone in your
vehicle should wear a safety belt
properly — whether or not there is
an airbag for that person.

Black plate (37,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-37
{ WARNINGAirbags inflate with great force,
faster than the blink of an eye.
Anyone who is up against, or
very close to, any airbag when it
inflates can be seriously injured
or killed. Do not sit unnecessarily
close to any airbag, as you would
be if you were sitting on the edge
of the seat or leaning forward.
Safety belts help keep you in
position before and during a
crash. Always wear a 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
seat-mounted side impact airbags
and/or roof-rail airbags. { WARNINGChildren who are up against,
or very close to, any airbag
when it inflates can be seriously
injured or killed. Airbags plus
lap-shoulder belts offer protection
for adults and older children, but
not for young children and infants.
Neither the vehicle 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 the
vehicle. To read how, see Older
Children on page 3 ‑ 51 or Infants
and Young Children on
page 3 ‑ 53 . 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. See Airbag
Readiness Light on page 5 ‑ 16 for
more information.