tow CADILLAC ESCALADE EXT 2012 3.G User Guide

Black plate (21,1)Cadillac Escalade EXT Owner Manual - 2012
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-21
Park Tilt Mirrors
If the vehicle has the memory
package, the passenger and/or
driver mirror tilts to a preselected
position when the vehicle is in
R (Reverse). This feature lets the
driver view the curb when parallel
parking. The mirror(s) return to the
original position when the vehicle is
shifted out of R (Reverse), or the
ignition is turned off or to
OFF/LOCK.
Turn this feature on or off through
the Driver Information Center (DIC).
SeeDriver Information Center (DIC)
on page 5‑23 for more information.
Interior Mirrors
Automatic Dimming
Rearview Mirror
Automatic dimming reduces the
glare of lights from behind the
vehicle. The dimming feature comes
on and the indicator light illuminates
each time the vehicle is started.
O(On/Off):Press to turn the
dimming feature on or off.
The vehicle may have IntelliBeam
®.
For more information on IntelliBeam,
see “IntelliBeam Intelligent High‐
Beam Headlamp Control System”
under Exterior Lamp Controls on
page 6‑1.
Vehicles with OnStar
®have three
additional control buttons located at
the bottom of the mirror. See your
dealer for more information about
OnStar and how to subscribe to it.
See OnStar Overview on page 14‑1.
Cleaning the Mirror
Do not spray glass cleaner directly
on the mirror. Use a soft towel
dampened with water.

Black plate (8,1)Cadillac Escalade EXT Owner Manual - 2012
3-8 Seats and Restraints
One of these symbols appears on
the climate control display when this
feature is on.
Press the desired button once for
the highest setting. With each press
of the button, the seat will change to
the next lower setting, and then to
the off setting.
Indicator bars next to the symbol on
the climate control display show the
selected setting: three for high, two
for medium, and one for low.
The heated and cooled seats are
canceled when the ignition is turned
off. To use this feature after
restarting the vehicle, press the
desired button again.Rear Seats
The rear seatbacks can be folded to
provide more cargo space and
access to the midgate. See
Midgate
®on page 2‑9for more
information on operation of the
midgate.
To fold the seatback:
1. Push the rear seat headrests all the way down.
2. Pull the loop in the crease wherethe seatback and seat cushion
meet to release the seat
cushion. Tilt the seat cushion
forward toward the front of the
vehicle.

Black plate (9,1)Cadillac Escalade EXT Owner Manual - 2012
Seats and Restraints 3-9
Notice:Folding a rear seat with
the safety belts still fastened may
cause damage to the seat or the
safety belts. Always unbuckle the
safety belts and return them to
their normal stowed position
before folding a rear seat.
3. Fold the seatback forward until it
is flat. If necessary, move the
front seats forward slightly to
allow the seatback to fold
completely. 4. Repeat the procedure for the
other seatback, if desired.
To return the seats to the normal
position, lift the seatback up and
fold the seat cushion down.
{WARNING
A safety belt that is improperly
routed, not properly attached,
or twisted will not 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.
{WARNING
If the seatback is not locked, it
could move forward in a sudden
stop or crash. That could cause
injury to the person sitting there.
Always be sure to press the rear
of the seat cushion down. This
action locks the seatback in
place.
Push and pull on the seatback to
make sure it is locked. Raise the
headrest.

Black plate (13,1)Cadillac Escalade EXT Owner Manual - 2012
Seats and Restraints 3-13
3. Push the latch plate into thebuckle until it clicks. If you find
that the latch plate will not go
fully into the buckle, see if you
are using the correct buckle.
Pull up on the latch plate to
make sure it is secure. If the belt
is not long enough, see Safety
Belt Extender on page 3‑17.
Position the release button on
the buckle so that the safety belt
could be quickly unbuckled if
necessary. 4. If equipped with a shoulder belt
height adjuster, move it to the
height that is right for you. See
“Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster”
in this section for instructions on
use and important safety
information.
5. To make the lap part tight, pull
up on the shoulder belt.
It may be necessary to pull
stitching on the safety belt
through the latch plate to fully
tighten the lap belt on smaller
occupants.
To unlatch the belt, push the button
on the buckle. The belt should
return to its stowed position.
Before a door is closed, be sure the
safety belt is out of the way. If a
door is slammed against a safety
belt, damage can occur to both the
belt and the vehicle.

Black plate (24,1)Cadillac Escalade EXT Owner Manual - 2012
3-24 Seats and Restraints
In any particular crash, no one can
say whether an airbag should have
inflated simply because of the
damage to a vehicle or because of
what the repair costs were. For
frontal airbags, inflation is
determined by what the vehicle hits,
the angle of the impact, and how
quickly the vehicle slows down.
For seat‐mounted side impact and
roof-rail airbags, deployment is
determined by the location and
severity of the side impact. In a
rollover event, roof-rail airbag
deployment is determined by the
direction of the roll.
What Makes an Airbag
Inflate?
In a deployment event, the sensing
system sends an electrical signal
triggering a release of gas from the
inflator. Gas from the inflator fills the
airbag causing the bag to break out
of the cover and deploy. The inflator,
the airbag, and related hardware are
all part of the airbag module.Frontal airbag modules are located
inside the steering wheel and
instrument panel. For vehicles with
seat‐mounted side impact airbags,
there are airbags modules in the
side of the front seatbacks closest
to the door. For vehicles with
roof-rail airbags, there are airbag
modules in the ceiling of the vehicle,
near the side windows that have
occupant seating positions.
How Does an Airbag
Restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or
near frontal collisions, even belted
occupants can contact the steering
wheel or the instrument panel. In
moderate to severe side collisions,
even belted occupants can contact
the inside of the vehicle.
Airbags supplement the protection
provided by safety belts. Frontal
airbags distribute the force of the
impact more evenly over the
occupant's upper body, stopping
the occupant more gradually.Seat‐mounted side impact and
roof-rail airbags distribute the force
of the impact more evenly over the
occupant's upper body.
Rollover capable roof-rail airbags
are designed to help contain the
head and chest of occupants in the
outboard seating positions in the
first and second rows. The rollover
capable roof-rail airbags are
designed to help reduce the risk of
full or partial ejection in rollover
events, although no system can
prevent all such ejections.
But airbags would not help in many
types of collisions, primarily
because the occupant's motion is
not toward those airbags. See
When
Should an Airbag Inflate? on
page 3‑22 for more information.
Airbags should never be regarded
as anything more than a supplement
to safety belts.

Black plate (30,1)Cadillac Escalade EXT Owner Manual - 2012
3-30 Seats and Restraints
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‐size occupants. If this
happens, let the belt go back all the
way and start again.
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 on
page 3‑30 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 of 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
Service Publications Ordering
Information on page 13‑17.
{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
Q: Is there anything I might add
to or change about the vehicle
that could keep the airbags
from working properly?
A: Yes. If you add things that
change the vehicle's frame,
bumper system, height, front end
or side sheet metal, they may

Black plate (44,1)Cadillac Escalade EXT Owner Manual - 2012
3-44 Seats and Restraints
{WARNING
Do not attach more than one child
restraint to a single anchor.
Attaching more than one child
restraint to a single anchor could
cause the anchor or attachment
to come loose or even break
during a crash. A child or others
could be injured. To reduce the
risk of serious or fatal injuries
during a crash, attach only one
child restraint per anchor.
{WARNING
Children can be seriously injured
or strangled if a shoulder belt is
wrapped around their neck and
the safety belt continues to
tighten. Buckle any unused safety
belts behind the child restraint so
children cannot reach them. Pull
the shoulder belt all the way out
of the retractor to set the lock,
if the vehicle has one, after the
child restraint has been installed.
Notice: Do not let the LATCH
attachments rub against the
vehicle’ s safety belts. This may
damage these parts. If necessary,
move buckled safety belts to
avoid rubbing the LATCH
attachments. Do not fold the empty rear seat
with a safety belt buckled. This
could damage the safety belt or
the seat. Unbuckle and return the
safety belt to its stowed position,
before folding the seat.
1. If the child restraint manufacturer
recommends that the top tether
be attached, attach the top
tether to the top tether anchor,
if equipped. Refer to the child
restraint instructions and the
following steps:
1.1. To access the top tether anchors, raise the seat
cushion by pulling up on the
strap loop at the rear of the
seat cushion and fold the
seat cushion forward. Then
fold the seatback forward
until it is flat. See Rear
Seats on page 3‑8 for
additional information.
1.2. Place the child restraint in the vehicle, near the
seating position that you
are using.

Black plate (49,1)Cadillac Escalade EXT Owner Manual - 2012
Seats and Restraints 3-49
5. To tighten the belt, push downon the child restraint, pull the
shoulder portion of the belt to
tighten the lap portion of the belt,
and feed the shoulder belt back
into the retractor. When installing
a forward-facing child restraint, it
may be helpful to use your knee
to push down on the child
restraint as you tighten the belt.
Try to pull the belt out of the
retractor to make sure the
retractor is locked. If the
retractor is not locked, repeat
Steps 4 and 5. 6. If the child restraint has a top
tether, follow the child restraint
manufacturer's instructions
regarding the use of the top
tether. See Lower Anchors and
Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) on page 3‑41.
7. Before placing a child in the child restraint, make sure it is
securely held in place. To check,
grasp the child restraint at the
safety belt path and attempt to
move it side‐to‐side and back‐
and‐forth. When the child
restraint is properly installed,
there should be no more than
2.5 cm (1 in) of movement.
To remove the child restraint,
unbuckle the vehicle safety belt and
let it return to the stowed position.
If the top tether is attached to a top
tether anchor, disconnect it.
Securing Child Restraints
(Right Front Seat
Position)
This vehicle has airbags. A rear
seat is a safer place to secure a
forward-facing child restraint. See
Where to Put the Restraint on
page 3‑39.
In addition, the vehicle may have a
passenger sensing system which is
designed to turn off the right front
passenger frontal airbag under
certain conditions. See Passenger
Sensing System on page 3‑26 and
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator
on page 5‑14 for more information,
including important safety
information.
A label on the sun visor says,
“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 deploys.

Black plate (52,1)Cadillac Escalade EXT Owner Manual - 2012
3-52 Seats and Restraints
6. To tighten the belt, push downon the child restraint, pull the
shoulder portion of the belt to
tighten the lap portion of the belt,
and feed the shoulder belt back
into the retractor. When installing
a forward-facing child restraint, it
may be helpful to use your knee
to push down on the child
restraint as you tighten the belt. Try to pull the belt out of the
retractor to make sure the
retractor is locked. If the
retractor is not locked, repeat
Steps 5 and 6.
7. Before placing a child in the child restraint, make sure it is
securely held in place. To check,
grasp the child restraint at the
safety belt path and attempt to
move it side‐to‐side and
back‐and‐forth. When the child
restraint is properly installed,
there should be no more than
2.5 cm (1 in) of movement. If the vehicle is equipped with the
passenger sensing system, and
when the passenger sensing system
has turned off the right front
passenger frontal airbag, the off
indicator in the passenger airbag
status indicator should light and stay
lit when you start the vehicle. See
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator
on page 5‑14.
If a child restraint has been installed
and the on indicator is lit, see
“If the
On Indicator is Lit for a Child
Restraint” underPassenger Sensing
System on page 3‑26 for more
information.
To remove the child restraint,
unbuckle the vehicle safety belt and
let it return to the stowed position.

Black plate (5,1)Cadillac Escalade EXT Owner Manual - 2012
Storage 4-5
After hauling dirt, wood chips,
pebbles etc. the Midgate drain
should be flushed with water. First
remove the drain grate:
1. Lower the Midgate. SeeMidgate
®on page 2‑9 for more
information.
2. Pull up on the rear side of the drain grate, tilt it toward the front
of the vehicle, and pull it out.
Reverse the procedure to reinstall
the drain grate.
Cargo Area Floor Drains
The cargo mat has cut outs for the
four cargo-area floor drains located
under the cargo mat near the sides
of the cargo area.
Periodically flush the drains through
the cut outs to clear debris and
allow water to drain from the cargo
area. If the cargo area is extremely
dirty, lift up the edges of the cargo
floor mat or take the whole mat out
and flush the drains with water.
Additional Storage
Features
Cargo Cover Panels
For vehicles with a three-piece
cargo cover system, the cargo
panels can be removed and stored
in the cargo area of the vehicle.
{WARNING
Improperly stored cargo cover
panels could be thrown about the
vehicle during a collision or
sudden maneuver. Someone
could be injured. If a panel is
removed, always store it in the
proper storage location. When
putting it back, always make sure
that it is securely reattached.