2008 CHEVROLET EQUINOX Owners Manual

Service Vehicle Soon Light
For vehicles with this
light, it will come on if
a condition exists that
may require the vehicle
to be taken in for service.
If the light comes on, see your dealer/retailer for
service as soon as possible.
Fuel Gage
When the ignition is on,
the fuel gage tells you
about how much fuel you
have left in your tank.When the indicator nears empty, the low fuel light
will come on. You still have a little fuel left, but you
should get more soon. SeeLow Fuel Warning Light
on page 3-42for more information.
Here are four things that some owners ask about.
None of these show a problem with your fuel gage:
At the service station, the fuel pump shuts off
before the gage reads full.
It takes a little more or less fuel to ll up than the
gage indicated. For example, the gage may have
indicated the tank was half full, but it actually took
a little more or less than half the tank’s capacity
to ll the tank.
The gage moves a little when you turn a corner
or speed up.
The gage takes a few seconds to stabilize after
the ignition is turned on, and will go back to
empty when you turn the ignition off.
For your fuel tank capacity, seeCapacities and
Specifications on page 5-107.
3-41

Low Fuel Warning Light
This light is located in
the fuel gage. For more
information seeFuel
Gage on page 3-41.
This light comes on when the fuel tank is low on fuel.
When you add fuel the light should go off. If it does not,
have your vehicle serviced.
A “Fuel Level LOW” message also appears in the
Driver Information Center (DIC). SeeFuel Gage
on page 3-41for more information.
Driver Information Center (DIC)
Your vehicle has a Driver Information Center (DIC).
All messages will appear in the DIC display located in the
center of the instrument panel cluster. The DIC buttons
are located on the center of the instrument panel.The DIC comes on when the ignition is on. After a short
delay, the DIC will display the information that was
last displayed before the engine was turned off.
The DIC displays trip, fuel, and vehicle system
information, and warning messages if a system problem
is detected. The top of the DIC display shows the shift
lever position indicator. SeeAutomatic Transmission
Operation (3.4L V6 with 5-Speed) on page 2-24or
Automatic Transmission Operation (3.6L V6 with
6-Speed) on page 2-27for more information.
If your vehicle has these feature, the DIC also displays
the compass direction and the outside air temperature
when viewing the trip and fuel information. If there is a
problem with the system that controls the temperature
display, the numbers will be replaced with dashes. If this
occurs, have the vehicle serviced by your dealer/retailer.
If an abnormal temperature reading is displayed for an
extended period of time, consult your dealer/retailer.
Under certain circumstances, especially when the
engine is idling, a delay updating the temperature
display is normal.
The DIC also allows some features to be personalized.
SeeDIC Vehicle Personalization on page 3-58for
more information.
3-42

DIC Operation and Displays
The DIC has different displays which can be accessed
by pressing the DIC buttons located on the center
of the instrument panel.
DIC Buttons
The buttons are the trip/fuel, vehicle information,
and set/reset buttons. The button functions are
detailed in the following pages.
3(Trip/Fuel):Press this button to scroll through
the trip and fuel displays. See “Trip/Fuel Menu Items”
following for more information on these displays.
T(Vehicle Information):Press this button to
scroll through the vehicle information displays and
to personalize the feature settings on your vehicle.
See “Vehicle Information Menu Items” following and
DIC Vehicle Personalization on page 3-58for more
information on these displays.
V(Set/Reset):Press this button to set or reset certain
functions and to turn off or acknowledge messages
on the DIC.
Trip/Fuel Menu Items
3
(Trip/Fuel):Press this button to scroll through
the following displays:
ODOMETER
Press the trip/fuel button until ODOMETER displays.
This display shows the distance the vehicle has
been driven in either miles (mi) or kilometers (km). This
display will also show the outside air temperature in
either degrees Fahrenheit (°F) or degrees Celsius (°C).
To change the DIC display to English or metric units,
see “UNITS” later in this section.
TRIP
Press the trip/fuel button until TRIP displays. This
display shows the current distance traveled in either
miles (mi) or kilometers (km) since the last reset for the
trip odometer. This display will also show the outside
air temperature in either degrees Fahrenheit (°F)
or degrees Celsius (°C).
The trip odometer can be reset to zero by pressing the
set/reset button while the trip odometer is displayed.
3-43

AVG (Average) SPD (Speed)
Press the trip/fuel button until AVG (Average) SPD
(Speed) displays. This display shows the average speed
of the vehicle in miles per hour (mph) or kilometers
per hour (km/h). This average is calculated based on
the various vehicle speeds recorded since the last reset
of this value. To reset the value, press and hold the
set/reset button. The display will return to zero.
AVG (Average) ECON (Economy)
Press the trip/fuel button until AVG (Average)
ECON (Economy) displays. This display shows the
approximate average miles per gallon (mpg) or liters per
100 kilometers (L/100 km). This number is calculated
based on the number of mpg (L/100 km) recorded
since the last time this menu item was reset. To reset
this display, press and hold the set/reset button.
The display will return to zero.
RANGE
Press the trip/fuel button until RANGE displays. This
display shows the approximate number of remaining
miles (mi) or kilometers (km) the vehicle can be
driven without refueling.
The fuel range estimate is based on an average of
the vehicle’s fuel economy over recent driving history
and the amount of fuel remaining in the fuel tank.
This estimate will change if driving conditions change.
For example, if driving in traffic and making frequentstops, this display may read one number, but if the
vehicle is driven on a freeway, the number may change
even though the same amount of fuel is in the fuel
tank. This is because different driving conditions produce
different fuel economies. Generally, freeway driving
produces better fuel economy than city driving.
If your vehicle is low on fuel, the FUEL LEVEL LOW
message will be displayed. See “FUEL LEVEL
LOW” underDIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-49
for more information.
Blank Display
This display shows no information.
Vehicle Information Menu Items
T
(Vehicle Information):Press this button to scroll
through the following displays:
OIL LIFE
Press the vehicle information button until OIL LIFE
REMAINING displays. This display shows an estimate
of the oil’s remaining useful life. If you see 99% OIL LIFE
REMAINING on the display, that means 99% of the
current oil life remains. The engine oil life system
will alert you to change the oil on a schedule consistent
with your driving conditions.
3-44

When the remaining oil life is low, the CHANGE
ENGINE OIL SOON message will appear on the
display along with the Change Engine Oil Light on the
instrument panel cluster. See “CHANGE ENGINE
OIL SOON” underDIC Warnings and Messages on
page 3-49andChange Engine Oil Light on page 3-38.
You should change the oil as soon as possible. See
Engine Oil on page 5-15. In addition to the engine oil life
system monitoring the oil life, additional maintenance
is recommended in the Maintenance Schedule in
this manual. SeeScheduled Maintenance on page 6-4
for more information.
Remember, you must reset the OIL LIFE yourself
after each oil change. It will not reset itself. Also, be
careful not to reset the OIL LIFE accidentally at any
time other than when the oil has just been changed.
It cannot be reset accurately until the next oil change.
To reset the engine oil life system, seeEngine Oil
Life System on page 5-18.
UNITS
Press the vehicle information button until UNITS
displays. This display allows you to select between
English or Metric units of measurement. Once in this
display, press the set/reset button to select between
ENGLISH or METRIC units.
FRONT TIRES or REAR TIRES
The pressure for each tire can be viewed in the DIC.
The tire pressure will be shown in either pounds
per square inch (psi) or kilopascals (kPa). Press the
vehicle information button until the DIC displays
FRONT TIRES PSI (kPa) LF ## RF ##. Press the
vehicle information button again until the DIC displays
REAR TIRES PSI (kPa) LR ## RR ##.
If a low or high tire pressure condition is detected by
the system while driving, a message advising you
to check the pressure in a specic tire will appear in
the display. SeeInflation - Tire Pressure on page 5-59
andDIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-49for
more information.
If the tire pressure display shows dashes instead of a
value, there may be a problem with your vehicle. If this
consistently occurs, see your dealer/retailer for service.
BATTERY
Press the vehicle information button until BATTERY
displays. This display shows the current battery voltage.
If the voltage is normal, the display will show NORMAL.
If the voltage is low or high, the display will show
LOW or HIGH. Your vehicle’s charging system regulates
voltage based on the state of the battery. The battery
voltage may uctuate when viewing this information
on the DIC. This is normal. SeeCharging System
Light on page 3-30for more information.
3-45

If there is a problem with the battery charging system,
the DIC will display SERVICE BATTERY CHARGING
SYSTEM. See “SERVICE BATTERY CHARGING
SYSTEM” underDIC Warnings and Messages on
page 3-49. Also, seeElectric Power Management
on page 3-17for more information.
LEARN REMOTE KEY
This display allows you to match Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE) transmitters to your vehicle. To match
an RKE transmitter to your vehicle:
1. Make sure the vehicle is in PARK (P).
2. Press the vehicle information button until LEARN
REMOTE KEY PRESS
VTO BEGIN displays.
3. Press the set/reset button until REMOTE KEY
LEARNING ACTIVE is displayed.
4. Press and hold the lock and unlock buttons on
the rst transmitter at the same time for about
15 seconds.
A chime will sound indicating that the transmitter
is matched.
5. To match additional transmitters at this time,
repeat Step 3.
Each vehicle can have a maximum of
four transmitters matched to it.
6. To exit the programming mode, you must
cycle the key to LOCK/OFF.
CALIBRATE COMPAS (Compass)
Your vehicle may have this feature. The compass can
be manually calibrated. To calibrate the compass
through the DIC, seeDIC Compass on page 3-46.
CHANGE COMPASS ZONE
Your vehicle may have this feature. To change the
compass zone through the DIC, seeDIC Compass
on page 3-46.
Blank Display
This display shows no information.
FEATURE SETTNGS (Settings):
PRESS
VTO SELCT (Select)
This display allows you to personalize the feature
settings on your vehicle. SeeDIC Vehicle
Personalization on page 3-58for more information.
DIC Compass
Your vehicle may have a compass in the
Driver Information Center (DIC).
Compass Zone
The zone is set to zone eight upon leaving the factory.
Your dealer/retailer will set the correct zone for your
location.
3-46

Under certain circumstances, such as during a long
distance cross-country trip or moving to a new state
or province, it will be necessary to compensate for
compass variance by resetting the zone through
the DIC if the zone is not set correctly.
Compass variance is the difference between the
earth’s magnetic north and true geographic north.
If the compass is not set to the zone where you live,
the compass may give false readings. The compass
must be set to the variance zone in which the vehicle
is traveling.
To adjust for compass variance, use the following
procedure:
Compass Variance (Zone) Procedure
1. Do not set the compass zone when the vehicle
is moving. Only set it when the vehicle is in
PARK (P).
Press the vehicle information button until
PRESS
VTO CHANGE COMPASS ZONE
displays.2. Find the vehicle’s current location and variance
zone number on the map.
Zones 1 through 15 are available.
3. Press the set/reset button to scroll through and
select the appropriate variance zone.
4. Press the trip/fuel button until the vehicle heading,
for example, N for North, is displayed in the DIC.
5. If calibration is necessary, calibrate the compass.
See “Compass Calibration Procedure” following.
3-47

Compass Calibration
The compass can be manually calibrated. Only calibrate
the compass in a magnetically clean and safe location,
such as an open parking lot, where driving the vehicle
in circles is not a danger. It is suggested to calibrate
away from tall buildings, utility wires, manhole covers,
or other industrial structures, if possible.
If CAL should ever appear in the DIC display,
the compass should be calibrated.
If the DIC display does not show a heading, for example,
N for North, or the heading does not change after
making turns, there may be a strong magnetic eld
interfering with the compass. Such interference may
be caused by a magnetic CB or cell phone antenna
mount, a magnetic emergency light, magnetic note
pad holder, or any other magnetic item. Turn off
the vehicle, move the magnetic item, then turn on
the vehicle and calibrate the compass.To calibrate the compass, use the following procedure:Compass Calibration Procedure
1. Before calibrating the compass, make sure the
compass zone is set to the variance zone in
which the vehicle is located. See “Compass
Variance (Zone) Procedure” earlier in this section.
Do not operate any switches such as window,
sunroof, climate controls, seats, etc. during
the calibration procedure.
2. Press the vehicle information button until
PRESS
VTO CALIBRATE COMPAS (Compass)
displays.
3. Press the set/reset button to start the compass
calibration.
4. The DIC will display CALIBRATING: DRIVE IN
CIRCLES. Drive the vehicle in tight circles at
less than 5 mph (8 km/h) to complete the calibration.
The DIC will display CALIBRATION COMPLETE
for a few seconds when the calibration is
complete. The DIC display will then return to
the previous menu.
3-48