Cadillac 2003 Escalade User manual

Seats and Restraint Systems ........................... 1-1
Front Seats ............................................... 1-3
Rear Seats ............................................... 1-8
Safety Belts ............................................. 1-28
Child Restraints ....................................... 1-51
Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) ......... 1-76
Restraint System Check ............................ 1-90
Features and Controls ..................................... 2-1
Keys ........................................................ 2-3
Doors and Locks ....................................... 2-8
Windows ................................................. 2-16
Theft-Deterrent Systems ............................ 2-18
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle ........... 2-20
Mirrors .................................................... 2-33
OnStar
®
System ...................................... 2-38
HomeLink
®
Transmitter ............................. 2-40
Storage Areas ......................................... 2-44
Sunroof .................................................. 2-49
Vehicle Personalization ............................. 2-50
Instrument Panel ............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview .......................... 3-4
Climate Controls ...................................... 3-24
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators ......... 3-34
Driver Information Center (DIC) .................. 3-51
Audio System(s) ....................................... 3-70
Driving Your Vehicle ....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle ..... 4-2
Towing ................................................... 4-50
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 ..................................... 5-94
Vehicle Identification ............................... 5-102
Electrical System .................................... 5-102
Capacities and Specifications ................... 5-112
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts ...... 5-114
Maintenance Schedule ..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule ................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance Information .................... 7-1
Customer Assistance Information .................. 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects ........................... 7-10
Index ................................................................ 1
2003 Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual M

GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem, CADILLAC,
the CADILLAC Crest & Wreath and the name
ESCALADE/ESCALADE ESV are registered trademarks
of General Motors Corporation.
This manual includes the latest information at the time it
was printed. We reserve the right to make changes
after that time without further notice. For vehicles first
sold in Canada, substitute the name “General Motors of
Canada Limited” for Cadillac Motor Car Division
whenever it appears in this manual.
Please keep this manual in your vehicle, so it will be
there if you ever need it when you’re on the road. If you
sell the vehicle, please leave this manual in it so the
new owner can use it.
Litho in U.S.A.
Part No. S2234 A First Edition ©Copyright General Motors Corporation 06/24/02 All Rights Reserved
Canadian Owners
You can obtain a French copy of this manual from your
dealer or from:
Helm, Incorporated
P.O. Box 07130
Detroit, MI 48207
How to Use This Manual
Many people read their owner’s manual from beginning
to end when they first receive their new vehicle. If
you do this, it will help you learn about the features and
controls for your vehicle. In this manual, you’ll find
that pictures and words work together to explain things.
Index
A good place to look for what you need is the Index in
back of the manual. It’s an alphabetical list of what’s
in the manual, and the page number where you’ll find it.
ii

Safety Warnings and Symbols
You will find a number of safety cautions in this book.
We use a box and the word CAUTION to tell you about
things that could hurt you if you were to ignore the
warning.
{CAUTION:
These mean there is something that could hurt
you or other people.
In the caution area, we tell you what the hazard is.
Then we tell you what to do to help avoid or reduce the
hazard. Please read these cautions. If you don’t, you
or others could be hurt.
You will also find a circle
with a slash through it in
this book. This safety
symbol means “Don’t,”
“Don’t do this” or “Don’t let
this happen.”
iii

Vehicle Damage Warnings
Also, in this book you will find 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 specific component, control,
message, gage or indicator.
If you need help figuring out a specific 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

These are some examples of vehicle symbols you may find on your vehicle:
v

✍NOTES
vi

Front Seats ......................................................1-3
Power Seats ..................................................1-3
Power Lumbar ...............................................1-4
Heated Seats .................................................1-5
Reclining Seatbacks ........................................1-6
Head Restraints .............................................1-7
Rear Seats .......................................................1-8
Rear Seat Operation .......................................1-8
Heated Seats ...............................................1-10
60/40 Split Bench Seat ..................................1-10
50/50 Split Bench Seat ..................................1-13
Bench Seat ..................................................1-19
Bucket Seats ...............................................1-25
Safety Belts ...................................................1-28
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone ................1-28
Questions and Answers About Safety Belts ......1-32
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly .................1-33
Driver Position ..............................................1-34
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy ..................1-41
Right Front Passenger Position .......................1-42
Center Passenger Position .............................1-42
Rear Seat Passengers ..................................1-44
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for Children
and Small Adults .......................................1-47
Safety Belt Extender .....................................1-50
Child Restraints .............................................1-51
Older Children ..............................................1-51
Infants and Young Children ............................1-53
Child Restraint Systems .................................1-57
Where to Put the Restraint .............................1-60
Top Strap ....................................................1-61
Top Strap Anchor Location .............................1-63
Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) ...........................1-65
Securing a Child Restraint Designed for the
LATCH System .........................................1-67
Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear Outside
Seat Position ............................................1-67
Securing a Child Restraint in a Center Rear
Seat Position ............................................1-70
Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front
Seat Position ............................................1-72
Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
1-1

Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) ..............1-76
Where Are the Air Bags? ...............................1-78
When Should an Air Bag Inflate? ....................1-81
What Makes an Air Bag Inflate? .....................1-82
How Does an Air Bag Restrain? .....................1-82
What Will You See After an Air Bag Inflates? .......1-83
Passenger Sensing System ............................1-85
Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle .........1-89
Adding Equipment to Your Air Bag-Equipped
Vehicle ....................................................1-90
Restraint System Check ..................................1-90
Checking Your Restraint Systems ...................1-90
Replacing Restraint System Parts After a
Crash ......................................................1-91
Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
1-2

Front Seats
Power Seats
Horizontal Control: You can adjust your vehicle’s front
seats with the horizontal control located on the
outboard edge of each front seat.
Raise or lower the front of the seat by raising or
lowering the forward edge of the control. Raise or lower
the rear of the seat by raising or lowering the rear
edge of the control.
Move the seat forward or rearward by moving the whole
control toward the front or toward the rear of the
vehicle.
Moving the whole control up or down raises or lowers
the entire seat cushion.
Vertical Control: You can use the vertical control to
adjust the angle of the seatback. Move the reclining
seatback forward or rearward by moving the top of the
control toward the front or toward the rear of the
vehicle.
For information on the reclining seatbacks, see
Reclining
Seatbacks on page 1-6
.
Your vehicle may have a memory function which allows
seat settings to be saved and recalled. See
Memory
Seat on page 2-50
for more information.
1-3

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 2-50
for more information.
1-4

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.
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.
Your vehicle also has heated rear seats. See
Heated
Seats on page 1-10
.
1-5

Reclining Seatbacks
Your vehicle’s front seatbacks have a recline feature
which is described earlier. See
Power Seats on
page 1-3
.
But don’t have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is
moving.
{CAUTION:
Sitting in a reclined position when your vehicle
is in motion can be dangerous. Even if you
buckle up, your safety belts can’t do their job
when you’re reclined like this.
The shoulder belt can’t do its job. In a crash,
you could go into it, receiving neck or other
injuries.
The lap belt can’t do its job either. In a crash
the belt could go up over your abdomen. The
belt forces would be there, not at your pelvic
bones. This could cause serious internal
injuries.
For proper protection when the vehicle is in
motion, have the seatback upright. Then sit
well back in the seat and wear your safety belt
properly.
1-6

Head Restraints
Adjust your head restraint so that the top of the restraint
is closest to the top of your head. This position
reduces the chance of a neck injury in a crash.
Pull straight up on the head restraint to raise it and
push it down to lower it.
The front head restraints can also be tilted forward in
addition to being slid up or down. To tilt either of
the front head restraints do the following:
Pull the head restraint toward you until you hear a click.
Then let go. The head restraint will stay in this position
unless you pull it forward more until another click is
heard. There are four positions available: initial position,
first click, second click, and third click. After the third
position (three clicks) is reached, pulling the head
restraint farther will release it back to the normal upright
position.
The rear head restraints can be slid up or down just as
the front head restraints, but they do not tilt.
1-7

Rear Seats
Rear Seat Operation
Entering or Exiting the Third Row
Seats
Escalade: To enter or exit the third row seat you must
fold the second row seat down following the instructions
later in this section. See “Folding the Seatback”
under
60/40 Split Bench Seat on page 1-10 .
If you are exiting the third row seat with no assistance
do the following: 1. Reach over the second
row seat and pull up on
the strap loop. Then
pull the seat cushion up
and push it forward.
2. Next, push the seatback forward until it is flat with
the floor.
Be sure to return the seat to the passenger position
when finished. Pull forward and push rearward on the
seat to make sure it is locked in place.
Escalade ESV: The passenger’s side of the second
row 60/40 or rear bucket seat has an easy entry/exit
feature. This makes it easy to get in and out of the third
row seat.
1-8

To operate the easy entry seat, do the following:
1. Lift the release lever on the back of the seat,
upward.
2. Tilt the seatback toward the front of the vehicle and
the seat will release.
3. Pull (push if you are exiting the third row with no
assistance) the seat forward until it stops.
{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.
Be sure to return the seat to the passenger position
when finished. Pull forward and push rearward on the
seat to make sure it is locked in place.
1-9

Heated Seats
If your vehicle has this
feature, the buttons used
to control this feature
are located on the back of
the center console. The
engine must be running for
the heated seat feature
to work.
To heat the seat, press the button to cycle through the
temperature settings of high and low. Press the
button a third time to turn the feature off. An indicator
light will glow for each heat setting when the feature is
operating.
The heated rear seats will shut off automatically when
the ignition is turned off.
60/40 Split Bench Seat
If your vehicle has a 60/40 split bench, the seatbacks
can be folded to give you more cargo space.
Folding the Seatbacks (60/40 Split
Bench Seat)
The rear seat may have a 60/40 split seat which may be
folded down to create a load floor and give you more
cargo space. On the Escalade, the rear seatbacks
are equipped with rearward folding head restraints.
When the seatback is being folded down, the head
restraint will automatically fold rearward.
1-10

To fold the rear seat, do the following:
1. Make sure that nothing is under or in front of
the seat. 2. Pull up on the strap
loop located at the rear
of the seat cushion
and pull the seat
cushion up. Then fold it
forward.
3. Escalade: Pull the seatback forward and fold it
down until it is flat.
Escalade ESV: On the passenger side of
Escalade ESV models, the lever at the base of the
seat must be pulled up to release the seatback. Pull
the seatback forward and fold it down until it is flat.
If the seatback cannot fold flat because it interferes with
the cushion, try moving the front seat forward and/or
bringing the front seatback more upright.
1-11

Once the seatbacks are folded down, on Escalade ESV
models only, the rear seat footwell area will be
exposed and will have to be covered by the load floor
panel(s). To create a load floor, do the following:
1. Release the panels from the seatbacks by pushing
forward on the latches.
2. Then fold the panels back to cover the rear seat
footwell area.
Returning the Seats to an Upright
Position
{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.
1-12

To return the seat to the upright position, do the
following:
1. On Escalade ESV models, lift the load floor panels
and latch them into the seatback.
2. Lift the seatback up and push it rearward all the
way.
3. Lower the seat cushion until it latches into position.
4. Pull forward on the seatback and up on the seat
cushion to make sure the seat is securely in
place.
5. On Escalade models, return the head restraints to
the upright position.
6. Check to see that the safety belt buckles on the
driver’s side seat are accessible to the outboard
and center occupants and are not under the
seat cushions.
50/50 Split Bench Seat
If your vehicle has a 50/50 split bench, the seatback(s)
can be folded and the entire seat(s) tilted or removed
from the vehicle.
Folding the Seatbacks
To fold the seatbacks, do the following:
1. Pull up on the release
lever, labeled 1,
located on the rear of
the seatback, and
push the seatback
forward.
1-13

Unfolding the Seatbacks
{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.
To return the seatbacks to the passenger position, do
the following: 1. Pull up on the release
lever labeled 1 and
then pull up on
the seatback or the
assist strap located on
the outboard side of
the seat until the
seatback locks into the
upright position.
2. Push forward on the seatback to make sure it is
locked into position.
1-14