2006 CHEVROLET EQUINOX headlamp

Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving.
One reason is that some drivers are likely to be
impaired — by alcohol or drugs, with night vision
problems, or by fatigue.
Here are some tips on night driving.
Drive defensively.
Do not drink and drive.
Adjust the inside rearview mirror to reduce the
glare from headlamps behind you.
Since you cannot see as well, you may need to
slow down and keep more space between you
and other vehicles.
Slow down, especially on higher speed roads.
Your vehicle’s headlamps can light up only so
much road ahead.
In remote areas, watch for animals.
If you are tired, pull off the road in a safe place
and rest.
No one can see as well at night as in the daytime.
But as we get older these differences increase.
A 50-year-old driver may require at least twice as much
light to see the same thing at night as a 20-year-old.What you do in the daytime can also affect your night
vision. For example, if you spend the day in bright
sunshine you are wise to wear sunglasses. Your eyes
will have less trouble adjusting to night. But if you
are driving, do not wear sunglasses at night. They may
cut down on glare from headlamps, but they also
make a lot of things invisible.
You can be temporarily blinded by approaching
headlamps. It can take a second or two, or even
several seconds, for your eyes to re-adjust to the dark.
When you are faced with severe glare, as from a
driver who does not lower the high beams, or a vehicle
with misaimed headlamps, slow down a little. Avoid
staring directly into the approaching headlamps.
Keep the windshield and all the glass on your vehicle
clean — inside and out. Glare at night is made much
worse by dirt on the glass. Even the inside of the glass
can build up a lm caused by dust. Dirty glass makes
lights dazzle and ash more than clean glass would,
making the pupils of your eyes contract repeatedly.
Remember that the headlamps light up far less of a
roadway when you are in a turn or curve. Keep your eyes
moving; that way, it is easier to pick out dimly lighted
objects. Just as the headlamps should be checked
regularly for proper aim, so should your eyes be
examined regularly. Some drivers suffer from night
blindness — the inability to see in dim light — and are
not even aware of it.
4-17

Some Other Rainy Weather Tips
Turn on your low-beam headlamps — not just your
parking lamps — to help make you more visible to
others.
Besides slowing down, allow some extra following
distance. And be especially careful when you pass
another vehicle. Allow yourself more clear room
ahead, and be prepared to have your view restricted
by road spray.
Have good tires with proper tread depth. SeeTires
on page 5-47.
City Driving
One of the biggest problems with city streets is the
amount of traffic on them. You will want to watch out for
what the other drivers are doing and pay attention to
traffic signals.
4-20

Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When you run the engine, make it go a little
faster than just idle. That is, push the accelerator
slightly. This uses less fuel for the heat that you get
and it keeps the battery charged. You will need a
well-charged battery to restart the vehicle, and possibly
for signaling later on with your headlamps. Let the
heater run for a while.
Then, shut the engine off and close the window almost all
the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine again and
repeat this only when you feel really uncomfortable from
the cold. But do it as little as possible. Preserve the fuel
as long as you can. To help keep warm, you can get out
of the vehicle and do some fairly vigorous exercises
every half hour or so until help comes.If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand,
Mud, Ice, or Snow
In order to free your vehicle when it is stuck, you
will need to spin the wheels, but you do not want to
spin your wheels too fast. The method known as rocking
can help you get out when you are stuck, but you
must use caution.
{CAUTION:
If you let your tires spin at high speed, they
can explode, and you or others could be
injured. And, the transaxle or other parts of the
vehicle can overheat. That could cause an
engine compartment re or other damage.
When you are stuck, spin the wheels as little
as possible. Do not spin the wheels above
35 mph (55 km/h) as shown on the
speedometer.
4-30

Service............................................................5-3
Accessories and Modications..........................5-3
California Proposition 65 Warning.....................5-3
Doing Your Own Service Work.........................5-4
Adding Equipment to the Outside
of Your Vehicle...........................................5-5
Fuel................................................................5-5
Gasoline Octane............................................5-5
Gasoline Specications....................................5-5
California Fuel...............................................5-6
Additives.......................................................5-6
Fuels in Foreign Countries...............................5-7
Filling the Tank..............................................5-8
Filling a Portable Fuel Container.....................5-10
Checking Things Under the Hood....................5-10
Hood Release..............................................5-11
Engine Compartment Overview.......................5-12
Engine Oil...................................................5-13
Engine Oil Life System..................................5-16
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter................................5-18
Automatic Transaxle Fluid..............................5-21
Engine Coolant.............................................5-21
Engine Overheating.......................................5-24Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode........................................5-26
Cooling System............................................5-26
Windshield Washer Fluid................................5-31
Brakes........................................................5-32
Battery........................................................5-34
Jump Starting...............................................5-35
All-Wheel Drive..............................................5-39
Bulb Replacement..........................................5-41
Halogen Bulbs..............................................5-41
Headlamps, Front Turn Signal, Sidemarker,
and Parking Lamps....................................5-42
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps and
Back-up Lamps.........................................5-44
Replacement Bulbs.......................................5-45
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement..............5-45
Tires..............................................................5-47
Tire Sidewall Labeling...................................5-48
Tire Terminology and Denitions.....................5-50
Ination - Tire Pressure.................................5-53
Tire Inspection and Rotation...........................5-54
When It Is Time for New Tires.......................5-55
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-1

Headlamps, Front Turn Signal,
Sidemarker, and Parking Lamps
To replace one of these bulbs, do the following:
1. Open the hood. SeeHood Release on page 5-11
for more information.
2. Remove the fastener plugs from the top of the
radiator cover/front grill.3. Gently pull the radiator
cover/front grill toward
you and pull the
front grill trim bar away
from the headlamp
lens. The front grill bar
is attached to the
headlamp lens with a
hidden clip.
4. Remove the three headlamp assembly attachment
screws.
5-42

5. Pull the radiator cover/front grill toward you and pull
the headlamp assembly up and out from the vehicle.
A. Parking Lamp
B. Sidemarker LampC. Low/High-Beam Headlamp
D. Turn Signal Lamp6. Press the clip (A) on
the electrical connector
when replacing the
low-beam or high-beam
bulb, then pull it
straight off. Turn the
bulb retaining ring (B)
counterclockwise
to remove it and then
pull the bulb assembly
straight out.
For all other bulbs, turn the socket counterclockwise
and pull it out from the headlamp assembly. Pull
the bulb straight out from the socket.
7. Push the new bulb into the socket and reinstall the
socket into the headlamp assembly by turning it
clockwise.
For the low-beam or high-beam bulb, install the new
bulb being sure to align the notches in the bulb
with the notches in the headlamp assembly.
8. Place the retaining ring over the bulb/socket and
turn it clockwise to tighten it and secure the
bulb/socket.
9. Connect the electrical connector.
10. Reverse Steps 1 through 5 to reinstall the headlamp
assembly.
5-43

Wheel Replacement
Replace any wheel that is bent, cracked, or badly rusted
or corroded. If wheel nuts keep coming loose, the
wheel, wheel bolts, and wheel nuts should be replaced.
If the wheel leaks air, replace it (except some
aluminum wheels, which can sometimes be repaired).
See your dealer if any of these conditions exist.
Your dealer will know the kind of wheel you need.
Each new wheel should have the same load-carrying
capacity, diameter, width, offset and be mounted
the same way as the one it replaces.
If you need to replace any of your wheels, wheel bolts,
or wheel nuts, replace them only with new GM
original equipment parts. This way, you will be sure to
have the right wheel, wheel bolts, and wheel nuts
for your vehicle.{CAUTION:
Using the wrong replacement wheels, wheel
bolts, or wheel nuts on your vehicle can be
dangerous. It could affect the braking and
handling of your vehicle, make your tires lose
air and make you lose control. You could have
a collision in which you or others could be
injured. Always use the correct wheel, wheel
bolts, and wheel nuts for replacement.
Notice:The wrong wheel can also cause problems
with bearing life, brake cooling, speedometer or
odometer calibration, headlamp aim, bumper height,
vehicle ground clearance, and tire or tire chain
clearance to the body and chassis.
SeeChanging a Flat Tire on page 5-63for more
information.
5-60

Fuses Usage
BCM/CLSTRBody Control Module, Instrument
Panel Cluster
INT LTS/
ONSTAR
®Interior Lights/OnStar®
DR LCK Door Locks
Relays Usage
PARK LAMP Parking Lamps Relay
HVAC
BLOWERHeating, Ventilation and Air
Conditioning Blower Motor
DR LCK Door Locks Relay
PASS DR
UNLOCKPassenger Door Unlock Relay
DRV DR
UNLCKDriver Door Unlock Relay
HEAD LAMP Headlamps
Engine Compartment Fuse Block
The engine compartment fuse block is located on the
driver’s side of the engine compartment.
SeeEngine Compartment Overview on page 5-12
for more information on location.
5-86