light CADILLAC ESCALADE EXT 2003 2.G Owners Manual

Seats and Restraint Systems........................... 1-1
Front Seats
............................................... 1-2
Rear Seats
............................................... 1-6
Safety Belts
.............................................. 1-8
Child Restraints
.......................................1-28
Air Bag Systems
......................................1-50
Restraint System Check
............................1-65
Features and Controls..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-3
Doors and Locks
....................................... 2-8
Windows
.................................................2-24
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................2-26
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
...........2-28
Mirrors
....................................................2-41
OnStar
žSystem
......................................2-46
HomeLinkžTransmitter
.............................2-48
Storage Areas
.........................................2-52
Sunroof
..................................................2-71
Vehicle Personalization
.............................2-72
Instrument Panel............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-4
Climate Controls
......................................3-24
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
.........3-31
Driver Information Center (DIC)
..................3-47
Audio System(s)
.......................................3-66Driving Your Vehicle....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle
..... 4-2
Towing
...................................................4-48
Service and Appearance Care.......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-4
Checking Things Under the Hood
...............5-10
All-Wheel Drive
........................................5-50
Rear Axle
...............................................5-51
Front Axle
...............................................5-52
Headlamp Aiming
.....................................5-53
Bulb Replacement
....................................5-57
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.........5-65
Tires
......................................................5-66
Appearance Care
.....................................5-93
Vehicle Identi®cation
...............................5-100
Electrical System
....................................5-101
Capacities and Speci®cations
...................5-110
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts
......5-111
Maintenance Schedule..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance Information.................... 7-1
Customer Assistance Information
.................. 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
............................ 7-9
Index.................................................................1
2003 Cadillac Escalade EXT Owner ManualM

Vehicle Damage Warnings
Also, in this book you will ®nd these notices:
Notice:These mean there is something that could
damage your vehicle.
A notice will tell you about something that can damage
your vehicle. Many times, this damage would not be
covered by your warranty, and it could be costly.
But the notice will tell you what to do to help avoid
the damage.
When you read other manuals, you might see
CAUTION and NOTICE warnings in different colors
or in different words.
You'll also see warning labels on your vehicle.
They use the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE.
Vehicle Symbols
Your vehicle has components and labels that use
symbols instead of text. Symbols, used on your vehicle,
are shown along with the text describing the operation
or information relating to a speci®c component, control,
message, gage or indicator.
If you need help ®guring out a speci®c name of a
component, gage or indicator, reference the following
topics:
·Seats and Restraint Systems in Section 1
·Features and Controls in Section 2
·Instrument Panel Overview in Section 3
·Climate Controls in Section 3
·Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators in Section 3
·Audio System(s) in Section 3
·Engine Compartment Overview in Section 5
iv

Power Lumbar
You can increase or
decrease lumbar support
in an area of the lower
seatback.
To increase support, press and hold the front of the
control. To decrease support, press and hold the rear
of the control. Let go of the control when the lower
seatback reaches the desired level of support.
You can also reshape the side wing area of the lower
seatback for more lateral support.
To increase support, press and hold the top of the
control. To decrease support, press and hold the bottom
of the control. Let go of the control when the lower
seatback reaches the desired level of support.
Your vehicle may have a memory function which allows
seat settings to be saved and recalled. See
Memory
Seat on page 2-72for more information.
Heated Seats
The buttons used to
control this feature are
located on the front doors.
The engine must be
running for the heated
seat feature to work.
To heat the entire seat, press the horizontal button with
the heated seat symbol. Press the button to cycle
through the temperature settings of high, medium and
low and to turn the heated seat off. Indicator lights
will glow to designate the level of heat selected,
three for high, two for medium, and one for low.
The low setting warms the seatback and cushion
until the seat temperature is near body temperature.
The medium and high settings heat the seatback
and seat cushion to a slightly higher temperature.
You will be able to feel heat in about two minutes.
1-3

To heat only the seatback, press the vertical button
with the heated seatback symbol. An indicator light on
the seatback button will glow to designate that only
the seatback is being heated. Additional presses of the
seatback button will cycle through the heat levels for
the seatback only. Press the horizontal button again to
heat the whole seat.
The heated front seats will shut off automatically when
the ignition is turned off.Reclining Seatbacks
Your vehicle's front seatbacks have a recline feature
which is described earlier. SeePower Seats on
page 1-2.
But don't have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is
moving.
1-4

3. Grasp the seatback and pull it toward the front of
the vehicle. Push it down until it is ¯at. You may
have to move the front seats forward slightly
to do this.
4. Repeat the procedure for the other side.
To return the seats to the normal position, pull the
seatback up and fold the seat cushion down.
{CAUTION:
If the seatback isn't locked, it could move
forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could
cause injury to the person sitting there. Always
press rearward on the seatback to be sure it is
locked.
{CAUTION:
A safety belt that is improperly routed, not
properly attached, or twisted won't provide
the protection needed in a crash. The person
wearing the belt could be seriously injured.
After raising the rear seatback, always check
to be sure that the safety belts are properly
routed and attached, and are not twisted.
1-7

Safety Belts
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone
This part of the manual tells you how to use safety
belts properly. It also tells you some things you should
not do with safety belts.
{CAUTION:
Don't let anyone ride where he or she can't
wear a safety belt properly. If you are in a
crash and you're not wearing a safety belt,
your injuries can be much worse. You can hit
things inside the vehicle or be ejected from it.
You can be seriously injured or killed. In the
same crash, you might not be, if you are
buckled up. Always fasten your safety belt,
and check that your passengers' belts are
fastened properly too.
{CAUTION:
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo
area, inside or outside of a vehicle. In a
collision, people riding in these areas are more
likely to be seriously injured or killed. Do not
allow people to ride in any area of your vehicle
that is not equipped with seats and safety
belts. Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a
seat and using a safety belt properly.
Your vehicle has a light
that comes on as a
reminder to buckle up.
See
Safety Belt Reminder
Light on page 3-33.
1-8

8. If your vehicle has the passenger sensing system
and you're using a rear-facing child restraint in this
seat, check to be sure the right front passenger's
frontal air bag is off before you begin to drive. If the
air bag has been turned off the off indicator will
light and stay lit when the key is turned to RUN or
START.
If the on indicator is lit, the passenger's frontal air
bag has not been turned off. If this ever happens,
turn the vehicle off, unbuckle the safety belt
and perform the steps to install the rear-facing
restraint again. After restarting the vehicle, if the air
bag still doesn't turn off, install the infant restraint
in a rear seat position of the vehicle and have your
vehicle serviced as soon as possible.
To remove the child restraint, just unbuckle the vehicle's
safety belt and let it go back all the way. The safety
belt will move freely again and be ready to work for an
adult or larger child passenger.Air Bag Systems
This part explains the frontal and side impact air bag
systems.
Your vehicle has four air bags ± a frontal air bag for
the driver, another frontal air bag for the right front
passenger, a side impact air bag for the driver, and
another side impact air bag for the right front passenger.
Frontal air bags are designed to help reduce the risk
of injury from the force of an in¯ating frontal air bag.
But these air bags must in¯ate very quickly to do their
job and comply with federal regulations.
Here are the most important things to know about the
air bag systems:
{CAUTION:
You can be severely injured or killed in a crash
if you aren't wearing your safety belt ± even if
you have air bags. Wearing your safety belt
during a crash helps reduce your chance of
hitting things inside the vehicle or being
ejected from it. Air bags are designed to work
with safety belts but don't replace them.
CAUTION: (Continued)
1-50

{CAUTION:
Anyone who is up against, or very close to,
any air bag when it in¯ates can be seriously
injured or killed. Air bags 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 air bag
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 the part of this manual called ªOlder
Childrenº or ªInfants and Young Children.ºThere is a air bag
readiness light on the
instrument panel cluster,
which shows the air
bag symbol.
The system checks the air bag electrical system for
malfunctions. The light tells you if there is an electrical
problem. See
Air Bag Readiness Light on page 3-34for more information.
1-52

The passenger sensing system is designed to turn off
the right front passenger's frontal air bag if:
·the right front passenger seat is unoccupied
·the system determines that an infant is present in a
rear-facing infant seat
·the system determines that a small child is present
in a forward-facing child restraint
·the system determines that a small child is present
in a booster seat
·a right front passenger takes his/her weight off of
the seat for a period of time
·the right front passenger seat is occupied by a
smaller person, such as a child who has outgrown
child restraints
·or if there is a critical problem with the air bag
system or the passenger sensing system.
When the passenger sensing system has turned off the
passenger's frontal air bag, the off indicator will light
and stay lit to remind you that the air bag is off.
The passenger sensing system is designed to turn off
the passenger's frontal air bag when a rear facing infant
seat, a forward-facing child restraint or a booster seat
is detected. If the child restraint has been installedand the on indicator is lit, turn the vehicle off, remove
the child restraint from the vehicle and reinstall the
restraint following the child restraint manufacturer's
directions and refer to
Securing a Child Restraint in the
Right Front Seat Position on page 1-46of this manual.
If after reinstalling the child restraint and restarting
the vehicle, 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.
The passenger sensing system is designed to enable
(may in¯ate) the right front passenger's frontal air
bag anytime the system senses that a person of adult
size is sitting properly in the right front passenger's seat.
When the passenger sensing system has allowed the
air bag to be enabled, the on indicator will light and stay
lit to remind you that the air bag is active.
For some children who have outgrown child restraints
and for very small adults, the passenger sensing system
may or may not turn off the right front passenger's
frontal air bag, depending upon the person's seating
posture and body build. Everyone in your vehicle
who has outgrown child restraints should wear a safety
belt properly Ð whether or not there is an air bag
for that person.
1-62

If a person of adult-size is sitting in the right front
passenger's seat, but the off indicator is lit, it could be
because that person isn't sitting properly in the seat.
If this happens, turn the vehicle off and ask the person to
place the seatback in the full upright position, then sit
upright in the seat, centered on the seat cushion, with the
person's legs comfortably extended. Restart the vehicle
and have the person remain in this position for about two
minutes. This will allow the system to detect that person
and then enable the passenger's air bag.
{CAUTION:
If the air bag readiness light in the instrument
panel cluster ever comes on and stays on,
it means that something may be wrong with
the air bag system. If this ever happens, have
the vehicle serviced promptly, because an
adult-size person sitting in the right front
passenger's seat may not have the protection
of the frontal air bag. See ªAir Bag Readiness
Lightº in the Index for more on this, including
important safety information.
1-63