
2010 Chevrolet Equinox Owner ManualM
Keys, Doors and Windows. . . 1-1
Keys and Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8
Vehicle Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12
Exterior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14
Interior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Seats and Restraints . . . . . . . . . 2-1
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-22
Child Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-37 Storage
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Storage Compartments . . . . . . . . 3-1
Additional Storage Features . . . 3-1
Roof Rack System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Instruments and Controls . . . . 4-1
Instrument Panel Overview . . . . 4-4
Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6
Warning Lights, Gauges, and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-11
Information Displays . . . . . . . . . . 4-24
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-27
Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . . 4-34
OnStar
®System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-39 Lighting
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
Lighting Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-11
Audio Players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-19
Rear Seat Infotainment . . . . . . . 6-33
Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-42
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . 7-1
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6

Introduction v
Notice:This means there is
something that could result in
property or vehicle damage. This
would not be covered by the
vehicle's warranty.
A circle with a slash through it is a
safety symbol which means “Do
Not,” “Do not do this” or“Do not let
this happen.”
Symbols
The vehicle has components and
labels that use symbols instead of
text. Symbols are shown along with
the text describing the operation or
information relating to a specific
component, control, message,
gauge, or indicator.
M: This symbol is shown when
you need to see your owner manual
for additional instructions or
information.
*: This symbol is shown when
you need to see a service manual
for additional instructions or
information.
Vehicle Symbol Chart
Here are some additional symbols
that may be found on the vehicle
and what they mean. For more
information on the symbol, refer to
the index.
9: Airbag Readiness Light
#:Air Conditioning
!:Antilock Brake System (ABS)
g:Audio Steering Wheel Controls
or OnStar®
$: Brake System Warning Light
":Charging System
I:Cruise Control
d:Electronic Stability
Control (ESC)
B: Engine Coolant Temperature
O:Exterior Lamps
.:Fuel Gauge
+:Fuses
3: Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer
j: LATCH System Child
Restraints
*: Malfunction Indicator Lamp
::Oil Pressure
}:Power
/:Remote Vehicle Start
>:Safety Belt Reminders
7:Tire Pressure Monitor
M:Windshield Washer Fluid

Seats and Restraints 2-1
Seats and
Restraints
Head Restraints
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Front Seats
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
Power Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . 2-3
Lumbar Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Heated Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Rear Seats
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Safety Belts
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
How to Wear Safety BeltsProperly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-21 Safety Belt Extender . . . . . . . . . 2-21
Safety System Check . . . . . . . . 2-21
Safety Belt Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-22
Replacing Safety Belt System
Parts After a Crash . . . . . . . . . 2-22
Airbag System
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-22
Where Are the Airbags? . . . . . 2-25
When Should an Airbag
Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-26
What Makes an Airbag Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-28
How Does an Airbag Restrain? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-28
What Will You See After an Airbag Inflates? . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-28
Passenger Sensing System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-30
Servicing the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-34
Adding Equipment to the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle . . . 2-35 Airbag System Check . . . . . . . . 2-36
Replacing Airbag System
Parts After a Crash . . . . . . . . . 2-36
Child Restraints
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-37
Infants and YoungChildren . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-39
Child Restraint Systems . . . . . 2-41
Where to Put the Restraint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-43
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-45
Replacing LATCH System Parts After a Crash . . . . . . . . . 2-51
Securing Child Restraints
(Rear Seat ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-51
Securing Child Restraints (Front Passenger Seat) . . . . 2-54

2-12 Seats and Restraints
Q: If my vehicle has airbags, whyshould I have to wear safety
belts?
A: Airbags are supplemental
systems only; so they work with
safety belts —not instead of
them. Whether or not an airbag
is provided, all occupants still
have to buckle up to get the
most protection. That is true not
only in frontal collisions, but
especially in side and other
collisions. Q: If I am a good driver, and I
never drive far from home,
why should I wear safety
belts?
A: You may be an excellent driver,
but if you are in a crash —even
one that is not your fault —you
and your passenger(s) can be
hurt. Being a good driver does
not protect you from things
beyond your control, such as
bad drivers.
Most accidents occur within
40 km (25 miles) of home. And
the greatest number of serious
injuries and deaths occur at
speeds of less than 65 km/h
(40 mph).
Safety belts are for everyone.How to Wear Safety Belts
Properly
This section is only for people of
adult size.
Be aware that there are special
things to know about safety belts
and children. And there are different
rules for smaller children and
infants. If a child will be riding in the
vehicle, see Older Children
on
page 2‑37or Infants and Young
Childrenon page 2‑39. Follow
those rules for everyone's
protection.
It is very important for all occupants
to buckle up. Statistics show that
unbelted people are hurt more often
in crashes than those who are
wearing safety belts.
Occupants who are not buckled up
can be thrown out of the vehicle in a
crash. And they can strike others in
the vehicle who are wearing safety
belts.

Seats and Restraints 2-17
Lap-Shoulder Belt
All seating positions in the vehicle
have a lap-shoulder belt.
The following instructions explain
how to wear a lap-shoulder belt
properly.
1. Adjust the seat, if the seat isadjustable, so you can sit up
straight. To see how, see “Seats”
in the Index.
2. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you. Do not let it
get twisted.
The lap-shoulder belt may lock if
you pull the belt across you very
quickly. If this happens, let the
belt go back slightly to unlock it.
Then pull the belt across you
more slowly.
If the shoulder portion of a
passenger belt is pulled out all
the way, the child restraint
locking feature may be engaged.
If this happens, let the belt go
back all the way and start again.
3. Push the latch plate into the
buckle until it clicks.
Pull up on the latch plate to
make sure it is secure. If the belt
is not long enough, see Safety
Belt Extender
on page 2‑21.
Position the release button on
the buckle so that the safety belt
could be quickly unbuckled if
necessary.
4. If equipped with a shoulder belt height adjuster, move it to the
height that is right for you. See
“Shoulder Belt Height Adjustment”
later in this section
for instructions on use and
important safety information.
5. To make the lap part tight, pull
up on the shoulder belt.
It may be necessary to pull
stitching on the safety belt
through the latch plate to fully
tighten the lap belt on smaller
occupants.

Seats and Restraints 2-19
Safety Belt Pretensioners
This vehicle has safety belt
pretensioners for front outboard
occupants. Although the safety belt
pretensioners cannot be seen, they
are part of the safety belt assembly.
They can help tighten the safety
belts during the early stages of a
moderate to severe frontal and near
frontal crash if the threshold
conditions for pretensioner
activation are met.
Pretensioners work only once. If the
pretensioners activate in a crash,
they need to be replaced, and other
new parts for the vehicle's safety
belt system may be required. See
Replacing Safety Belt System Parts
After a Crash on page 2‑22.
Rear Safety Belt Comfort
Guides
This vehicle may have rear shoulder
belt comfort guides. If not, they are
available through your dealer. The
guides may provide added safety
belt comfort for older children whohave outgrown booster seats and
for some adults. When installed and
properly adjusted, the comfort guide
positions the belt away from the
neck and head.
There is one guide for each outside
passenger position in the rear seat.
Here is how to install a comfort
guide to the safety belt:1. Remove the guide from its
storage pocket on the side
of the seatback.
2. Place the guide over the belt,and insert the two edges of the
belt into the slots of the guide.

Seats and Restraints 2-21
Safety Belt Use During
Pregnancy
Safety belts work for everyone,
including pregnant women. Like all
occupants, they are more likely to
be seriously injured if they do not
wear safety belts.
A pregnant woman should wear a
lap-shoulder belt, and the lap
portion should be worn as low as
possible, below the rounding,
throughout the pregnancy.The best way to protect the fetus is
to protect the mother. When a safety
belt is worn properly, it is more likely
that the fetus will not be hurt in a
crash. For pregnant women, as for
anyone, the key to making safety
belts effective is wearing them
properly.
Safety Belt Extender
If the vehicle's safety belt will fasten
around you, you should use it.
But if a safety belt is not long
enough, your dealer will order you
an extender. When you go in to
order it, take the heaviest coat you
will wear, so the extender will be
long enough for you. To help avoid
personal injury, do not let someone
else use it, and use it only for the
seat it is made to fit. The extender
has been designed for adults. Never
use it for securing child seats. To
wear it, attach it to the regular safety
belt. For more information, see the
instruction sheet that comes with
the extender.
Safety System Check
Now and then, check that the safety
belt reminder light, safety belts,
buckles, latch plates, retractors and
anchorages are working properly.
Look for any other loose or
damaged safety belt system parts
that might keep a safety belt system
from doing its job. See your dealer
to have it repaired. Torn or frayed
safety belts may not protect you in
a crash. They can rip apart under
impact forces. If a belt is torn or
frayed, get a new one right away.
Make sure the safety belt reminder
light is working. See
Safety Belt
Reminders
on page 4‑14for more
information.
Keep safety belts clean and dry.
See Safety Belt Care
on
page 2‑22.

2-24 Seats and Restraints
{WARNING
Airbags inflate with great force,
faster than the blink of an eye.
Anyone who is up against, or very
close to, any airbag when it
inflates can be seriously injured
or killed. Do not sit unnecessarily
close to the airbag, as you would
be if you were sitting on the edge
of your seat or leaning forward.
Safety belts help keep you in
position before and during a
crash. Always wear your safety
belt, even with airbags. The driver
should sit as far back as possible
while still maintaining control of
the vehicle.
Occupants should not lean on or
sleep against the door or side
windows in seating positions with
seat-mounted side impact airbags
and/or roof-rail airbags.
{WARNING
Children who are up against,
or very close to, any airbag
when it inflates can be seriously
injured or killed. Airbags plus
lap-shoulder belts offer protection
for adults and older children, but
not for young children and infants.
Neither the vehicle's safety belt
system nor its airbag system is
designed for them. Young
children and infants need the
protection that a child restraint
system can provide. Always
secure children properly in your
vehicle. To read how, seeOlder
Children
on page 2‑37or Infants
and Young Children
on
page 2‑39
.
There is an airbag readiness light
on the instrument panel cluster,
which shows the airbag symbol.
The system checks the airbag
electrical system for malfunctions.
The light tells you if there is an
electrical problem. See Airbag
Readiness Light
on page 4‑15for
more information.