
Black plate (26,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
1-26 In Brief
Engine Oil Life System
The engine oil life system calculates
engine oil life based on vehicle use
and displays the CHANGE ENGINE
OIL SOON message when it is time
to change the engine oil and filter.
The oil life system should be reset
to 100% only following an oil
change.
Resetting the Oil Life System
1. Turn the ignition to ON/RUN,with the engine off.
2. Press the DIC menu button to display the Vehicle
Information menu.
3. Press either the up or down arrows to view REMAINING
OIL LIFE.
4. Press the SET/CLEAR button until 100% is displayed.
5. Turn the key to LOCK/OFF. Or:
1. Turn the ignition to ON/RUN with
the engine off.
2. Fully press and release the accelerator pedal three times
within five seconds.
See Engine Oil Life System on
page 10‑14.
Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol)
Vehicles that have a FlexFuel badge
and a yellow fuel cap can use either
unleaded gasoline or ethanol fuel
containing up to 85% ethanol (E85).
See Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) on
page 9‑56. For all other vehicles,
use only the unleaded gasoline
described under Recommended
Fuel on page 9‑53.
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.
.Always follow posted speed
limits or drive more slowly when
conditions require.
.Keep vehicle tires properly
inflated.
.Combine several trips into a
single trip.

Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
2-4 Keys, Doors and Windows
PressingKmay also disarm
the theft-deterrent system.
See Anti-Theft Alarm System on
page 2‑12.
V(Remote Liftgate Release):
First press
K, then press and hold
Vto unlock the liftgate. For
vehicles with the power liftgate,
press and hold
Vuntil the liftgate
begins to move to open the liftgate.
7(Vehicle Locator/Panic
Alarm): Press and release one
time to locate the vehicle. The
exterior lamps flash and the horn
chirps. Press and hold
7for at least
two seconds to sound the panic
alarm. The horn sounds and the
turn signals flash until
7is pressed
again or the key is placed in the
ignition and turned to ON/RUN.
/(Remote Vehicle Start): For
vehicles with this feature, first press
Qthen press and hold/to start
the engine from outside the vehicle
using the RKE transmitter. See
Remote Vehicle Start on page 2‑5
for additional information.
Programming Transmitters to
the Vehicle
Only RKE transmitters programmed
to this vehicle will work. If a
transmitter is lost or stolen, a
replacement can be purchased and
programmed through your dealer.
When the replacement transmitter is
programmed to this vehicle, all
remaining transmitters must also be
reprogrammed. Any lost or stolen
transmitters will no longer work
once the new transmitter is
programmed.
Battery Replacement
Replace the battery if the REPLACE
BATTERY IN REMOTE KEY
message displays in the DIC. See
“Replace Battery in Remote Key”
under Key and Lock Messages on
page 5‑29.
The battery is not rechargeable.
To replace the battery:
1. Push the button on the transmitter to extend the key.
2. Remove the battery cover by prying with a finger.
3. Remove the battery by pushing on the battery and sliding it
toward the keyblade.
4. Insert the new battery, positive side facing up. Push the battery
down until it is held in place.
Replace with a CR2032 or
equivalent battery.
5. Snap the battery cover back on to the transmitter.

Black plate (11,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
Keys, Doors and Windows 2-11
There is a minimum distance that
the power liftgate must already be
open for the system to hold it open.
If movement is stopped below that
minimum, the liftgate closes.
Do not force the liftgate open or
closed during a power cycle.
The power liftgate may be
temporarily disabled under extreme
temperatures or low battery
conditions. If this occurs, the liftgate
can still be operated manually.
If you shift the transmission out of
P (Park) while the power function is
in progress, the liftgate power
function will continue to completion.
If you shift the transmission out of
P (Park) and accelerate before the
power liftgate latch is closed, the
liftgate may reverse to the open
position. Cargo could fall out of the
vehicle. Always make sure the
power liftgate is closed and latched
before you drive away.If you power open the liftgate and
the liftgate support struts have lost
pressure, the turn signals flash and
a chime sounds. The liftgate stays
open temporarily, then slowly
closes. See your dealer for service
before using the liftgate.
Obstacle Detection Features
If the liftgate encounters an obstacle
during a power open or close cycle,
a warning chime will sound and the
liftgate will automatically reverse
direction to the full closed or open
position. After removing the
obstruction, the power liftgate
operation can be used again.
If the liftgate encounters multiple
obstacles on the same power cycle,
the power function will deactivate.
The MANUALLY CLOSE POWER
LIFTGATE warning message in the
Driver Information Center (DIC) will
display. After removing the
obstructions, the liftgate will resume
normal power operation.Pinch sensors are located on the
side edges of the liftgate. If an
object is caught between the liftgate
and the body and presses against
this sensor, the liftgate will reverse
direction and open fully. The liftgate
will remain open until it is activated
again or closed manually.Power Liftgate 3/4 Mode
To program the liftgate opening
height:
1. Turn the liftgate switch to
either the MAX, or the
3/4 mode position and power
open the liftgate.
2. Stop the liftgate movement at the desired height by pressing
any liftgate switch. Manually
adjust the liftgate position if
required.
3. Press and hold the button on the liftgate adjacent to the latch until
the turn signals flash and a beep
sounds to indicate that the new
setting is recorded.

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-1
Instruments and
Controls
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . 5-2
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . 5-3
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . 5-4
Rear Window Wiper/Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Clock (With Date Display) . . . . . 5-6
Clock (Without Date Display) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10 Engine Coolant Temperature
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . 5-11
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . 5-12
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Charging System Light . . . . . . 5-13
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Traction Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
StabiliTrak
®OFF Light . . . . . . . 5-18
Traction Control System (TCS)/StabiliTrak
®Light . . . . 5-18
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . 5-20
Fuel Economy Light . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . 5-21
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . 5-21
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Information Displays
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Battery Voltage and ChargingMessages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Brake System Messages . . . . 5-26
Compass Messages . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Cruise Control Messages . . . . 5-27
Door Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Engine Cooling System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Engine Oil Messages . . . . . . . . 5-28
Engine Power Messages . . . . 5-29
Fuel System Messages . . . . . . 5-29
Key and Lock Messages . . . . . 5-29
Object Detection System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-29
Ride Control System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
Airbag System Messages . . . . 5-30
Safety Belt Messages . . . . . . . 5-31

Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-5
Rear Window Wiper/
Washer
The rear wiper controls are on the
end of the windshield wiper lever.
Press the upper or lower portion of
the button to control the rear wiper
and rear wiper delay.
The system turns off when the
button is returned to the middle
position.
Z(Rear Wiper):For continuous
rear window wipes.
5(Rear Wiper Delay): Sets a
delay between wipes.
=(Rear Washer): Push the
windshield wiper lever forward to
spray washer fluid on the rear
window. The lever returns to its
starting position when released.
The windshield washer reservoir is
used for the windshield and the rear
window. Check the fluid level in the
reservoir if either washer is not
working. See Washer Fluid on
page 10‑24.
{WARNING
In freezing weather, do not use
your washer until the windshield
is warmed. Otherwise the washer
fluid can form ice on the
windshield, blocking your vision.
Compass
The vehicle may have a compass
display on the Driver Information
Center (DIC). The compass receives
its heading and other information
from the Global Positioning
System (GPS) antenna, StabiliTrak,
and vehicle speed information.
Avoid covering the GPS antenna for
long periods of time with objects
that may interfere with the antenna's
ability to receive a satellite signal.
See Multi-Band Antenna on
page 7‑18 for the location of the
vehicle's antenna. The compass
system is designed to operate for a
certain number of miles or degrees
of turn before needing a signal from
the GPS satellites. When the
compass display shows CAL, drive
the vehicle for a short distance in an
open area where it can receive a
GPS signal. The compass system
will automatically determine when a
GPS signal is restored and provide
a heading again.

Black plate (6,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
5-6 Instruments and Controls
SeeCompass Messages on
page 5‑27 for more information on
the messages that may be
displayed for the compass.
Clock (With Date Display)
The infotainment system controls,
located on the instrument panel, are
used to access the time and date
settings through the menu system.
See Operation on page 7‑7 for
information about how to use the
menu system.
Setting the Time and Date
1. Turn the infotainment system ON.
2. Press the CONFIG button and select Time and Date Settings.
3. Select Set Time or Set Date.
4. Turn the MENU/SEL knob to adjust the highlighted value.
5. Press the MENU/SEL knob to select the next value. 6. To save the time or date and
return to the Time and Date
Settings menu, press the
}BACK button at any time or
press the MENU/SEL knob after
adjusting the minutes or year.
Setting the 12/24 Hour Format
1. Turn the infotainment system ON.
2. Press the CONFIG button and select Time and Date Settings.
3. Highlight 12/24 Hour Format.
4. Press the MENU/SEL knob to select the 12 hour or 24 hour
display format.
Setting the Month and Day
Format
1. Turn the infotainmentsystem ON.
2. Press the CONFIG button and select Time and Date Settings. 3. Highlight Month and Day
Format.
4. Press the MENU/SEL knob to select MM/DD (month/day) or
DD/MM (day/month).
Setting the Auto Time Adjust
1. Turn the infotainmentsystem ON.
2. Press the CONFIG button and select Time and Date Settings.
3. Highlight Auto Time Adjust.
4. Press the MENU/SEL knob to turn Auto Time Adjust on or off.
5. Press the MENU/SEL knob to select Time Zone, and then
select the time zone.
6. Press the MENU/SEL knob to turn Daylight Savings on or off.

Black plate (7,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-7
Clock (Without Date
Display)
The infotainment system controls,
located on the instrument panel, are
used to access the time and date
settings through the menu system.
SeeOperation on page 7‑7 for
information about how to use the
menu system.
Setting the Time
1. Turn the infotainment system ON.
2. Press the CONFIG button and select Time Settings, or press
the
Hbutton.
3. Select Set Time.
4. Turn the MENU/SEL knob to adjust the highlighted value.
5. Press the MENU/SEL knob to select the next value. 6. To save the time and return to
the Time Settings menu, press
the
}BACK button at any time
or press the SELECT button
after adjusting the minutes.
Setting the 12/24 Hour Format
1. Turn the infotainment system ON.
2. Press the CONFIG button and select Time Settings, or press
the
Hbutton.
3. Highlight 12/24 Hour Format.
4. Press the MENU/SEL knob to select the 12 hour or 24 hour
display format.
Power Outlets
The accessory power outlets can
be used to connect electrical
equipment, such as a cell phone or
MP3 player. There are four accessory power
outlets in the following locations:
below the CD slot, inside the center
console storage, on the rear of the
center console storage, and in the
rear cargo compartment.
To use the outlets, remove the cover
and close when not in use.
Notice:
Leaving electrical
equipment plugged in for an
extended period of time while the
vehicle is off will drain the
battery. Always unplug electrical
equipment when not in use and
do not plug in equipment that
exceeds the maximum 20 ampere
rating.
Certain accessory plugs may not be
compatible with the accessory
power outlets and could overload
vehicle and adapter fuses. If a
problem is experienced, see
your dealer.

Black plate (10,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
5-10 Instruments and Controls
Speedometer
The vehicle's speed can be selected
to display on the Driver Information
Center (DIC) and the speedometer
in either kilometers per hour (km/h)
or miles per hour (mph). Telltales on
the speedometer indicate whether
kilometers or miles were chosen.
The DIC will show the vehicle's
speed after the limit on the
speedometer has been reached.
Odometer
The odometer shows how far the
vehicle has been driven, in either
kilometers or miles.
This vehicle has a tamper‐resistant
odometer. The digital odometer will
read 999,999 if it is turned back.
If the vehicle needs a new odometer
installed, it must be set to the
mileage total of the old odometer.
Tachometer
The tachometer displays the engine
speed in revolutions per
minute (rpm).
Fuel Gauge
EnglishMetric
When the ignition is on, the fuel
gauge shows about how much fuel
the vehicle has left in the fuel tank.
An arrow on the fuel gauge
indicates the side of the vehicle the
fuel door is on.
The gauge will first indicate empty
before the vehicle is out of fuel and
the low fuel light comes on, but the
vehicle's fuel tank should be
filled soon. Here are some situations that can
occur with the fuel gauge. None of
these indicate a problem with the
fuel gauge.
.At the service station, the fuel
pump shuts off before the gauge
reads full.
.It takes a little more or less fuel
to fill up than the gauge
indicated. For example, the
gauge may have indicated the
tank was half full, but it actually
took a little more or less than
half the tank's capacity to fill
the tank.
.The gauge moves a little while
turning a corner or speeding up.
.The gauge takes a few seconds
to stabilize after the ignition is
turned on, and goes back to
empty when the ignition is
turned off.