2008 CHEVROLET EQUINOX service

Current and Past Model Order Forms
Technical Service Bulletins and Manuals are available
for current and past model GM vehicles. To request
an order form, specify year and model name of
the vehicle.
ORDER TOLL FREE: 1-800-551-4123
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Eastern Time
For Credit Card Orders Only
(VISA-MasterCard-Discover), visit Helm, Inc. on the
World Wide Web at: www.helminc.com
Or you can write to:
Helm, Incorporated
P.O. Box 07130
Detroit, MI 48207
Prices are subject to change without notice and without
incurring obligation. Allow ample time for delivery.
Note to Canadian Customers: All listed prices are
quoted in U.S. funds. Canadian residents are to make
checks payable in U.S. funds.
Vehicle Data Recording and
Privacy
Your GM vehicle has a number of sophisticated
computers that record information about the vehicle’s
performance and how it is driven. For example, your
vehicle uses computer modules to monitor and control
engine and transmission performance, to monitor the
conditions for airbag deployment and deploy airbags in a
crash and, if so equipped, to provide antilock braking to
help the driver control the vehicle. These modules may
store data to help your dealer/retailer technician service
your vehicle. Some modules may also store data about
how you operate the vehicle, such as rate of fuel
consumption or average speed. These modules may also
retain the owner’s personal preferences, such as radio
pre-sets, seat positions, and temperature settings.
7-16

OnStar®
If your vehicle has OnStar and you subscribe to the
OnStar services, please refer to the OnStar Terms and
Conditions for information on data collection and use.
See alsoOnStar
®System on page 2-39in this manual for
more information.
Navigation System
If your vehicle has a navigation system, use of the
system may result in the storage of destinations,
addresses, telephone numbers, and other trip
information. Refer to the navigation system operating
manual for information on stored data and for deletion
instructions.
Radio Frequency
Identication (RFID)
RFID technology is used in some vehicles for functions
such as tire pressure monitoring and ignition system
security, as well as in connection with conveniences
such as key fobs for remote door locking/unlocking and
starting, and in-vehicle transmitters for garage door
openers. RFID technology in GM vehicles does not use
or record personal information or link with any other
GM system containing personal information.
7-18

A
Accessories and Modications............................ 5-3
Adding Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle.......................................................1-70
Additives, Fuel................................................. 5-7
Add-On Electrical Equipment...........................5-100
Air Cleaner/Filter, Engine.................................5-19
Air Conditioning..............................................3-19
Airbag
Passenger Status Indicator...........................3-28
Readiness Light..........................................3-27
Airbag System................................................1-56
What Will You See After an Airbag Inates?....1-64
When Should an Airbag Inate?....................1-61
Where Are the Airbags?...............................1-59
Airbag Systems
Adding Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle...................................................1-70
How Does an Airbag Restrain?......................1-63
Passenger Sensing System...........................1-65
Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle..........1-70
What Makes an Airbag Inate?......................1-63
All-Wheel Drive...............................................5-42
All-Wheel Drive Disabled Light..........................3-40
All-Wheel-Drive (AWD) System........................... 4-8
All-Wheel-Drive Service Light............................3-39Antilock Brake System (ABS)............................. 4-5
Antilock Brake, System Warning Light................3-32
Appearance Care
Aluminum or Chrome-Plated Wheels..............5-96
Care of Safety Belts....................................5-93
Chemical Paint Spotting...............................5-97
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses....................5-94
Fabric/Carpet..............................................5-90
Finish Care.................................................5-95
Finish Damage............................................5-97
Instrument Panel, Vinyl, and Other Plastic
Surfaces.................................................5-93
Interior Cleaning..........................................5-89
Leather......................................................5-92
Sheet Metal Damage...................................5-97
Tires..........................................................5-97
Underbody Maintenance...............................5-97
Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials................5-98
Washing Your Vehicle...................................5-94
Weatherstrips..............................................5-93
Windshield and Wiper Blades........................5-95
Appointments, Scheduling Service....................... 7-9
Ashtray.........................................................3-18
Audio System.................................................3-64
Audio Steering Wheel Controls....................3-108
Navigation/Radio System, see Navigation
Manual...................................................3-98
1

Customer Assistance Information (cont.)
Reporting Safety Defects to General Motors....7-15
Reporting Safety Defects to the Canadian
Government............................................7-15
Reporting Safety Defects to the United
States Government...................................7-14
Roadside Assistance Program......................... 7-7
Service Publications Ordering Information........7-15
D
Daytime Running Lamps..................................3-14
Defensive Driving............................................. 4-2
Delayed Locking.............................................2-11
DIC Compass.................................................3-46
Disc, MP3.............................................3-87, 3-92
Doing Your Own Service Work........................... 5-4
Dome Lamp...................................................3-16
Door
Ajar Light...................................................3-40
Delayed Locking..........................................2-11
Locks........................................................2-10
Power Door Locks.......................................2-11
Programmable Automatic Door Locks.............2-11
Rear Door Security Locks.............................2-12
Driver
Seat Height Adjuster...................................... 1-3Driver Information Center (DIC).........................3-42
DIC Operation and Displays..........................3-43
DIC Vehicle Personalization..........................3-58
DIC Warnings and Messages........................3-49
Driving
At Night.....................................................4-14
Before a Long Trip......................................4-16
Defensive..................................................... 4-2
Drunken....................................................... 4-2
Highway Hypnosis.......................................4-16
Hill and Mountain Roads..............................4-16
In Rain and on Wet Roads...........................4-14
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get it Out.................4-22
Winter........................................................4-17
DVD
Rear Seat Entertainment System...................3-99
E
EDR .............................................................7-16
Electrical System
Add-On Equipment.....................................5-100
Engine Compartment Fuse Block.................5-103
Fuses and Circuit Breakers.........................5-100
Instrument Panel Fuse Block.......................5-101
Windshield Wiper Fuses.............................5-100
4

Engine
Air Cleaner/Filter.........................................5-19
Change Engine Oil Light...............................3-38
Check and Service Engine Soon Light............3-34
Coolant......................................................5-22
Coolant Heater............................................2-23
Coolant Temperature Gage...........................3-33
Coolant Temperature Warning Light................3-33
Drive Belt Routing.......................................6-15
Engine Compartment Overview......................5-12
Exhaust.....................................................2-35
Oil .............................................................5-15
Oil Life System...........................................5-18
Overheated Protection Operating Mode...........5-26
Overheating................................................5-24
Reduced Power Light...................................3-39
Running While Parked..................................2-36
Starting......................................................2-22
Entry Lighting.................................................3-16
Event Data Recorders.....................................7-17
Extender, Safety Belt.......................................1-30
F
Filter
Engine Air Cleaner......................................5-19
Finish Damage...............................................5-97Flashers, Hazard Warning.................................. 3-6
Flash-to-Pass................................................... 3-8
Flat Tire........................................................5-75
Flat Tire, Changing.........................................5-76
Flat Tire, Storing.............................................5-86
Fluid.............................................................5-21
Power Steering...........................................5-31
Windshield Washer......................................5-32
Fog Lamp
Fog ...........................................................3-15
Fog Lamp Light..............................................3-38
Folding Rear Seat...........................................1-10
Folding Seatback, Passenger............................. 1-8
Fuel............................................................... 5-5
Additives...................................................... 5-7
California Fuel.............................................. 5-6
Filling a Portable Fuel Container....................5-10
Filling the Tank............................................. 5-8
Fuels in Foreign Countries.............................. 5-7
Gage.........................................................3-41
Gasoline Octane........................................... 5-5
Gasoline Specications.................................. 5-6
Low Warning Light.......................................3-42
Fuses
Engine Compartment Fuse Block.................5-103
Fuses and Circuit Breakers.........................5-100
Instrument Panel Fuse Block.......................5-101
Windshield Wiper.......................................5-100
5

Instrument Panel (I/P)
Brightness..................................................3-15
Cluster.......................................................3-25
J
Jump Starting.................................................5-36
K
Keyless Entry System....................................... 2-4
Keys............................................................... 2-3
L
Labeling, Tire Sidewall.....................................5-53
Lamps
Cargo........................................................3-16
Dome........................................................3-16
Map ..........................................................3-16
Lap-Shoulder Belt...........................................1-25
LATCH System
Child Restraints...........................................1-42
License Plate Lamps.......................................5-49
Liftgate
Carbon Monoxide........................................2-13Light
Airbag Readiness........................................3-27
All-Wheel Drive Disabled..............................3-40
Antilock Brake System Warning.....................3-32
Brake System Warning.................................3-31
Change Engine Oil......................................3-38
Charging System.........................................3-30
Cruise Control.............................................3-38
Door Ajar...................................................3-40
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning.............3-33
Fog Lamp..................................................3-38
Gate Ajar...................................................3-40
Highbeam On.............................................3-39
Low Fuel Warning.......................................3-42
Malfunction Indicator....................................3-34
Oil Pressure...............................................3-37
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator..................3-28
Reduced Engine Power................................3-39
Safety Belt Reminders..................................3-27
Security.....................................................3-38
Service All-Wheel-Drive................................3-39
Service Vehicle Soon...................................3-41
TCS Warning Light......................................3-32
Tire Pressure..............................................3-34
Traction Control System (TCS) Warning..........3-32
Lighting
Entry.........................................................3-16
7

Lights............................................................3-13
Flash-to-Pass............................................... 3-8
High/Low Beam Changer................................ 3-8
On Reminder..............................................3-13
Loading Your Vehicle.......................................4-22
Lockout Protection..........................................2-12
Locks
Delayed Locking..........................................2-11
Door..........................................................2-10
Lockout Protection.......................................2-12
Power Door................................................2-11
Programmable Automatic Door Locks.............2-11
Rear Door Security Locks.............................2-12
Loss of Control...............................................4-13
Low Fuel Warning Light...................................3-42
Luggage Carrier..............................................2-43
Lumbar
Manual Controls............................................ 1-4
M
Maintenance Schedule
Additional Required Services........................... 6-6
At Each Fuel Fill........................................... 6-9
At Least Once a Month.................................. 6-9
At Least Once a Year..................................6-10Maintenance Schedule (cont.)
Introduction.................................................. 6-2
Maintenance Footnotes.................................. 6-7
Maintenance Record....................................6-16
Maintenance Replacement Parts....................6-14
Maintenance Requirements............................. 6-2
Owner Checks and Services........................... 6-8
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants.............6-12
Scheduled Maintenance................................. 6-4
Using.......................................................... 6-2
Your Vehicle and the Environment................... 6-2
Malfunction Indicator Light................................3-34
Manual Lumbar Controls.................................... 1-4
Manual Reclining Seatbacks............................... 1-5
Manual Seats................................................... 1-2
Manual, Using.................................................... iii
Map Lamps....................................................3-16
Message
DIC Warnings and Messages........................3-49
Mirrors
Automatic Dimming Rearview with OnStar
®.....2-37
Manual Rearview Mirror................................2-37
Manual Rearview Mirror with OnStar
®.............2-37
Outside Convex Mirrors................................2-38
Outside Power Mirrors..................................2-38
MP3 .....................................................3-87, 3-92
MyGMLink.com................................................ 7-4
8

N
Navigation System, Privacy..............................7-18
Navigation/Radio System, see Navigation
Manual......................................................3-98
New Vehicle Break-In......................................2-20
O
Odometer......................................................3-26
Odometer, Trip...............................................3-26
Off-Road Recovery..........................................4-12
Oil
Change Engine Oil Light...............................3-38
Engine.......................................................5-15
Pressure Light.............................................3-37
Oil, Engine Oil Life System..............................5-18
Older Children, Restraints................................1-31
Online Owner Center........................................ 7-4
OnStar, Privacy..............................................7-18
OnStar
®System, see OnStar®Manual...............2-39
Other Warning Devices...................................... 3-6
Outlet Adjustment............................................3-22
Outlets
Accessory Power.........................................3-18
Outside
Convex Mirrors............................................2-38
Power Mirrors.............................................2-38Overheated Engine Protection Operating Mode.....5-26
Owner Checks and Services.............................. 6-8
Owners, Canadian............................................... ii
P
Paint, Damage...............................................5-97
Park Brake....................................................2-31
Park (P)
Shifting Into................................................2-32
Shifting Out of............................................2-34
Parking
Over Things That Burn.................................2-34
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator.....................3-28
Passenger Compartment Air Filter.....................3-22
Passenger Sensing System..............................1-65
Passing.........................................................4-12
PASS-Key
®III+..............................................2-18
PASS-Key®III+ Operation................................2-18
Perchlorate Materials Requirements, California...... 5-4
Power
Door Locks.................................................2-11
Reduced Engine Light..................................3-39
Retained Accessory (RAP)............................2-21
Seat............................................................ 1-3
Steering Fluid.............................................5-31
Windows....................................................2-16
9