2010 CHEVROLET EQUINOX Owners Manual

Climate Controls 7-5
H/G(Air Delivery Mode
Control): Press mode up or mode
down to cycle through the different
air delivery modes. The current
mode is shown on the display.
Select from the following:
F (Vent): Air is directed to the
instrument panel outlets.
* (Bi-Level): Air is directed to the
instrument panel outlets and the
floor outlets.
7 (Floor): Air is directed to the
floor outlets.
W(Defog): Clears the windows of
fog or moisture. Air is directed to the
windshield and floor outlets.
0(Defrost): Clears the
windshield of fog or frost more
quickly. Air is directed to the
windshield and side window outlets.
Selecting defrost disables the
automatic mode.
For best results, clear all snow and
ice from the windshield before
defrosting. Do not drive the vehicle until all the
windows are clear.
Air Conditioning
#(Air Conditioning):
Press to
turn the air conditioning on or off.
If the fan is turned off or the outside
temperature falls below freezing, the
air conditioning will not work. When
in AUTO, the air conditioning will
come on automatically as needed.
h(Recirculation): Press to turn
on the recirculation. Press to
alternate between recirculation and
outside air, if the vehicle does not
have a separate outside air button.
The indicator light turns on when
recirculation is selected. Air is
recirculated inside the vehicle.
It helps quickly cool the air inside
the vehicle or prevent outside air
and odors from entering.
%(Outside Air, If Equipped):
Press to turn on the outside air. An
indicator light comes on. Outside air
is circulated throughout the vehicle.
Rear Window Defogger
<(Rear Defogger): Press to turn
the rear window defogger on or off.
The rear window defogger turns off
after about 10 minutes. It can also
be turned off by turning the ignition
to ACC/ACCESSORY or LOCK/
OFF. If turned on again, it runs
for about five minutes before
turning off.
Do not drive the vehicle until all the
windows are clear.
Notice: Do not use a razor blade
or sharp object to clear the inside
rear window. Do not adhere
anything to the defogger grid
lines in the rear glass. These
actions may damage the rear
defogger. Repairs would not be
covered by your warranty.
L/M(Driver and Passenger
Heated Seats): For vehicles with
heated seats, see Heated Front
Seats on page 2‑7.

7-6 Climate Controls
Sensors
The solar sensor, located on top of
the instrument panel near the
windshield, monitors the solar heat.
The climate control system uses the
information to adjust the
temperature, fan speed,
recirculation, and air delivery mode.
Do not cover the solar sensor or the
system will not work properly.
Air Vents
Use the air outlets, located in the
center and on the side of the
instrument panel, to direct the
airflow. Use the thumbwheels
located near the center air outlets,
to open or close off the airflow.
Operation Tips
.Clear away any ice, snow,
or leaves from air inlets at the
base of the windshield that could
block the flow of air into the
vehicle.
.Keep the path under the front
seats clear of objects to help
circulate the air inside of the
vehicle more effectively.
.Use of non‐GM approved hood
deflectors can adversely affect
the performance of the system.
Check with your dealer before
adding equipment to the outside
of the vehicle.
Maintenance
Passenger Compartment
Air Filter
The filter removes dust, pollen, and
other airborne irritants from outside
air that is pulled into the vehicle.
The filter should be replaced as part
of routine scheduled maintenance.
SeeScheduled Maintenance
on
page 10‑2for replacement
intervals. To find out what type of
filter to use, see Maintenance
Replacement Parts on page 10‑9.

Climate Controls 7-7
The passenger compartment air
filter can be accessed by removing
the entire glove box.
1. Open the glove box completelyand locate the stop tab on top of
the glove box door.
2. Push the stop tab upwards untilthe stop tab is under the
instrument panel assembly and
the glove box is released.
3. Unsnap the tabs beneath the glove box that connects it to the
bottom of the instrument panel
assembly. 4. Remove the glove box.
5. Locate the service door for the
passenger compartment air filter.
6. Push the two tabs upwards and release the latches holding the
service door. Lift the
service door.
7. Remove the old air filter. 8. Install the new air filter.
9. Close the service door and
latches.
10. Re‐install the glove box.
See your dealer if additional
assistance is needed.

7-8 Climate Controls
2NOTES

Driving and Operating 8-1
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Driving for Better FuelEconomy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-2
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-3
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-3
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 8-4
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-4
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-5
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-6
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-7
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-8
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . 8-19
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . 8-20
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 8-20
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-21
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . 8-23
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . 8-24
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . 8-28
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-28
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-29
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . 8-30
Engine Coolant Heater . . . . . . . 8-31
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-32
Shifting Out of Park . . . . . . . . . . 8-33
Parking Over Things
That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-33
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-34
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-34
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . 8-35
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-37
Fuel Economy Mode . . . . . . . . . 8-37
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-38
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-38
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-40
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-40
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . 8-41
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control System (TCS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-41
StabiliTrak System . . . . . . . . . . . 8-43
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-44
Object Detection Systems
Ultrasonic Parking Assist . . . . 8-46
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-49
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-53
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . 8-54
Gasoline Specifications . . . . . . 8-54

8-2 Driving and Operating
California FuelRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-54
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 8-54
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-55
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-56
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-57
Towing
General TowingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-57
Driving Characteristics and Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-58
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-61
Towing Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . 8-63
Trailer Sway Control (TSC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-64
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical
Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-64
Driving Information
Driving for Better Fuel
Economy
Driving habits can affect fuel
mileage. Here are some driving tips
to get the best fuel economy
possible.
.Avoid fast starts and accelerate
smoothly.
.Brake gradually and avoid
abrupt stops.
.Avoid idling the engine for long
periods of time.
.When road and weather
conditions are appropriate, use
cruise control, if equipped.
.Always follow posted speed
limits or drive more slowly when
conditions require.
.Keep vehicle tires properly
inflated.
.Combine several trips into a
single trip.
.Replace the vehicle's tires with
the same TPC Spec number
molded into the tire's sidewall
near the size.
.Follow recommended scheduled
maintenance.

Driving and Operating 8-3
Defensive Driving
Defensive driving means“always
expect the unexpected.” The first
step in driving defensively is to wear
your safety belt, see Safety Belts
on
page 2‑9.
{WARNING
Assume that other road users
(pedestrians, bicyclists, and other
drivers) are going to be careless
and make mistakes. Anticipate
what they might do and be ready.
In addition:
.Allow enough following
distance between you and
the driver in front of you.
.Focus on the task of driving.
Driver distraction can cause
collisions resulting in injury or
possible death. These simple
defensive driving techniques
could save your life.
Drunk Driving
{WARNING
Drinking and then driving is very
dangerous. Your reflexes,
perceptions, attentiveness, and
judgment can be affected by even
a small amount of alcohol. You
can have a serious —or even
fatal —collision if you drive after
drinking. Do not drink and drive or
ride with a driver who has been
drinking. Ride home in a cab; or if
you are with a group, designate a
driver who will not drink.
Death and injury associated with
drinking and driving is a global
tragedy.
Alcohol affects four things that
anyone needs to drive a vehicle:
judgment, muscular coordination,
vision, and attentiveness. Police records show that almost
40 percent of all motor
vehicle-related deaths involve
alcohol. In most cases, these
deaths are the result of someone
who was drinking and driving.
In recent years, more than
17,000 annual motor vehicle-related
deaths have been associated with
the use of alcohol, with about
250,000 people injured.
For persons under 21, it is against
the law in every U.S. state to drink
alcohol. There are good medical,
psychological, and developmental
reasons for these laws.
The obvious way to eliminate the
leading highway safety problem is
for people never to drink alcohol
and then drive.

8-4 Driving and Operating
Medical research shows that
alcohol in a person's system can
make crash injuries worse,
especially injuries to the brain,
spinal cord, or heart. This means
that when anyone who has been
drinking—driver or passenger —is
in a crash, that person's chance of
being killed or permanently disabled
is higher than if the person had not
been drinking.
Control of a Vehicle
The following three systems
help to control the vehicle while
driving —brakes, steering, and
accelerator. At times, as when
driving on snow or ice, it is easy to
ask more of those control systems
than the tires and road can provide.
Meaning, you can lose control of the
vehicle. See StabiliTrak System
on
page 8‑43.
Adding non‐dealer/non‐retailer
accessories can affect vehicle
performance. See Accessories
and Modifications on page 9‑4.
Braking
See Brake System Warning Lighton page 4‑19.
Braking action involves perception
time and reaction time. Deciding to
push the brake pedal is perception
time. Actually doing it is
reaction time.
Average reaction time is about
three‐fourths of a second. But that is
only an average. It might be less
with one driver and as long as two
or three seconds or more with
another. Age, physical condition,
alertness, coordination, and
eyesight all play a part. So do
alcohol, drugs, and frustration. But
even in three‐fourths of a second, a
vehicle moving at 100 km/h
(60 mph) travels 20 m (66 ft). That
could be a lot of distance in an
emergency, so keeping enough
space between the vehicle and
others is important. And, of course, actual stopping
distances vary greatly with the
surface of the road, whether it is
pavement or gravel; the condition of
the road, whether it is wet, dry,
or icy; tire tread; the condition of the
brakes; the weight of the vehicle;
and the amount of brake force
applied.
Avoid needless heavy
braking. Some people drive in
spurts
—heavy acceleration
followed by heavy braking —rather
than keeping pace with traffic. This
is a mistake. The brakes might not
have time to cool between hard
stops. The brakes will wear out
much faster with a lot of heavy
braking. Keeping pace with the
traffic and allowing realistic
following distances eliminates a lot
of unnecessary braking. That means
better braking and longer brake life.