
Black plate (13,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-13
as a system check. If you are using
remote start to start the vehicle from
a distance, if equipped, you may not
see the system check. Then, after
several more seconds, the status
indicator will light either ON or OFF,
or either the on or off symbol to let
you know the status of the right front
passenger frontal airbag.
If the word ON or the on symbol is
lit on the passenger airbag status
indicator, it means that the right
front passenger frontal airbag is
enabled (may inflate).
If the word OFF or the off symbol is
lit on the passenger airbag status
indicator, it means that the
passenger sensing system has
turned off the right front passenger
frontal airbag.
If, after several seconds, both status
indicator lights remain on, or if there
are no lights at all, there may be a
problem with the lights or the
passenger sensing system.
See your dealer for service.{WARNING
If the airbag readiness light ever
comes on and stays on, it means
that something may be wrong
with the airbag system. To help
avoid injury to yourself or others,
have the vehicle serviced right
away. SeeAirbag Readiness
Light on page 5‑12 for more
information, including important
safety information.
Charging System Light
The charging system light comes on
briefly when the ignition is turned
on, but the engine is not running, as
a check to show the light is working. The light turns off when the engine
is started. If it does not, have the
vehicle serviced by your dealer.
If the light stays on, or comes on
while driving, there may be a
problem with the electrical charging
system. Have it checked by your
dealer. Driving while this light is on
could drain the battery.
When this light comes on, the Driver
Information Center (DIC) also
displays a message.
See
Battery Voltage and Charging
Messages on page 5‑26.
If a short distance must be driven
with the light on, be sure to turn off
all accessories, such as the radio
and air conditioner.

Black plate (19,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-19
If the light is on and not flashing, the
TCS, and potentially the StabiliTrak
system have been disabled. A DIC
message may display. Check the
DIC messages to determine which
feature(s) is no longer functioning
and whether the vehicle requires
service.
If the indicator/warning light is on
and flashing, the TCS and/or the
StabiliTrak system is actively
working.
SeeStabiliTrak
®System on
page 9‑43 andTraction Control
System (TCS) on page 9‑41 for
more information.
Tire Pressure Light
For vehicles with a Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS), this light
comes on briefly when the engine is
started. It provides information
about tire pressures and the TPMS.
When the Light is On Steady
This indicates that one or more of
the tires are significantly
underinflated.
A tire pressure message can
accompany the light. See Tire
Messages on page 5‑31 for more
information. Stop as soon as
possible, and inflate the tires to the
pressure value shown on the Tire
and Loading Information Label. See
Tire Pressure on page 10‑53
for more information.
When the Light Flashes First and
Then is On Steady
This indicates that there may be a
problem with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System. The light flashes
for about a minute and stays on
steady for the remainder of the
ignition cycle. This sequence
repeats with every ignition cycle.
See Tire Pressure Monitor
Operation on page 10‑56 for more
information.

Black plate (20,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
5-20 Instruments and Controls
Engine Oil Pressure Light
{WARNING
Do not keep driving if the oil
pressure is low. The engine can
become so hot that it catches fire.
Someone could be burned. Check
the oil as soon as possible and
have the vehicle serviced.
Notice: Lack of proper engine oil
maintenance can damage the
engine. The repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Always follow the maintenance
schedule for changing engine oil.
The oil pressure light should come
on briefly as the engine is started.
If it does not come on have the
vehicle serviced by your dealer.
If the light comes on and stays on, it
means that oil is not flowing through
the engine properly. The vehicle
could be low on oil and might have
some other system problem. See
your dealer.
Fuel Economy Light
For vehicles with the fuel economy
mode light, it comes on when the
eco (economy) switch, located on
the center console near the shifter,
is pressed. For vehicles with a
Driver Information Center (DIC) an
ECO MODE ON message displays.
See Fuel System Messages on
page 5‑29 for more information.
Press the switch again to turn off
the light and exit the fuel
saver mode.

Black plate (22,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
5-22 Instruments and Controls
Lamps On Reminder
For vehicles with the lamps on
reminder light, it comes on when the
lights are in use.
Cruise Control Light
The cruise control light is white
whenever the cruise control is set,
and turns green when the cruise
control is active.
The light turns off when the cruise
control is turned off. SeeCruise
Control on page 9‑44 for more
information.
Information Displays
Driver Information
Center (DIC)
The vehicle may have a Driver
Information Center (DIC). It displays
information about the vehicle and
warning messages if there is a
system problem detected. DIC
messages display in the center of
the instrument panel cluster. See
Vehicle Messages on page 5‑26 for
more information.
The vehicle may also have features
that can be customized through the
controls on the radio. See Vehicle
Personalization on page 5‑32 for
more information.
DIC Operation and Displays
Use the DIC buttons located in the
center of the instrument panel to
access different displays. The DIC
displays trip, fuel, vehicle system
information, and warning messages.

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Instruments and Controls 5-23
It also shows the shift lever position,
the odometer, and the direction the
vehicle is driving.
DIC Buttons
MENU:Press this button to get to
the Trip/Fuel Menu and the Vehicle
Information Menu.
w x: Use these buttons to scroll
through the items in each menu.
A small marker will move along the
page as you scroll through the
items. This shows where each page
is in the menu. SET/CLR (Set/Clear):
Use this
button to set or clear the menu item
when it is displayed.
Trip/Fuel Menu Items
Press the MENU button until Trip/
Fuel Information Menu is displayed.
Then press
xto scroll through the
following menu items:
.Trip 1
.Trip 2
.Fuel Range
.Average Fuel Economy
.Instantaneous Fuel Economy
.Average Vehicle Speed
.Timer
.Digital Speedometer
.Turn-by-Turn
.Blank Display Trip 1 and Trip 2
This display shows the current
distance traveled, in either
kilometers (km) or miles (mi), since
the last reset for the trip odometer.
The trip odometer can be reset to
zero by pressing SET/CLR while the
trip odometer display is showing.
Fuel Range
This display shows the approximate
distance 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. Fuel range cannot be reset.
Average Fuel Economy
This display shows the approximate
average liters per 100 kilometers
(L/100 km) or miles per
gallon (mpg). This number is
calculated based on the number of
L/100 km (mpg) recorded since the
last time this menu item was reset.

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5-24 Instruments and Controls
The fuel economy can be reset
by pressing SET/CLR while the
Average Fuel Economy display is
showing. The display may not reset
to zero.
Instantaneous Fuel Economy
This display shows the current
fuel economy in either liters per
100 kilometers (L/100 km) or miles
per gallon (mpg). This number
reflects only the fuel economy that
the vehicle has right now and
changes frequently as driving
conditions change. Unlike average
economy, this display cannot be
reset.
Average Vehicle Speed
This display shows the average
speed of the vehicle in kilometers
per hour (km/h) or miles per
hour (mph). This average is
calculated based on the various
vehicle speeds recorded since the
last reset of this value. The average
speed can be reset by pressing
SET/CLR while the Average Vehicle
Speed display is showing.Timer
This display can be used as a timer.
To start the timer, press SET/CLR
while Timer is displayed. The
display will show the amount of time
that has passed since the timer was
last reset, not including time the
ignition is off. Time will continue to
be counted as long as the ignition is
on, even if another display is being
shown on the DIC. The timer will
record up to 99 hours, 59 minutes
and 59 seconds (99:59:59) after
which the display will return to zero.
To stop the timer, press SET/CLR
briefly while Timer is displayed. To
reset the timer to zero, press and
hold SET/CLR.
Digital Speedometer
The speedometer shows how fast
the vehicle is moving in either
kilometers per hour (km/h) or miles
per hour (mph). The speedometer
cannot be reset.
Turn-by-Turn
This display is used for the OnStar
or Navigation System Turn-by-Turn
guidance. See The OnStar Owner's
Guide or the Navigation manual,
if the vehicle has navigation, for
more information.
Blank Display
This display shows no information.
Vehicle Information Menu
Items
Press the MENU button until
Vehicle Information Menu is
displayed. Then press
xto scroll
through the following menu items:
.Unit
.Tire Pressure
.Remaining Oil Life
.Blank Display

Black plate (25,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-25
Unit
Press SET/CLR to enter the unit
menu. Then press
worxto
switch between METRIC or US
when the Unit display is active.
Press SET/CLR to confirm the
setting. This will change the
displays on the cluster and DIC to
either metric or English (US)
measurements.
Tire Pressure
The display will show a vehicle with
the approximate pressures of all
four tires. Tire pressure is displayed
in either kilopascal (kPa) or in
pounds per square inch (psi).
See Tire Pressure Monitor System
on page 10‑54 andTire Pressure
Monitor Operation on page 10‑56 for
more information. Remaining Oil Life
This display shows an estimate of
the oil's remaining useful life.
If REMAINING OIL LIFE 99% is
displayed, that means 99% of the
current oil life remains.
When the remaining oil life is low,
the CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
message will appear on the display.
See
Engine Oil Messages on
page 5‑28. The oil should be
changed as soon as possible.
See Engine Oil on page 10‑10. In
addition to the engine oil life system
monitoring the oil life, additional
maintenance is recommended in
the Maintenance Schedule in this
manual. See Scheduled
Maintenance on page 11‑2 for
more information.
Remember, the Oil Life display must
be reset after each oil change. It will
not reset itself. Also, be careful not
to reset the Oil Life display
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, press
SET/CLR while the Oil Life display
is active. The display will ask for
confirmation of a reset. Press
wor
xto select Yes or No. Then press
SET/CLR to confirm the selection.
See Engine Oil Life System on
page 10‑14.
Blank Display
This display shows no information.
Compass
The vehicle may have a compass in
the Driver Information Center (DIC).
See Compass on page 5‑5.

Black plate (26,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
5-26 Instruments and Controls
Vehicle Messages
Messages are displayed on the DIC
to notify the driver that the status of
the vehicle has changed and that
some action may be needed by the
driver to correct the condition.
Multiple messages may appear one
after another.
Some messages may not require
immediate action, but you can press
SET/CLR to acknowledge that you
received the messages and to clear
them from the display. Some
messages cannot be cleared from
the DIC display because they are
more urgent. These messages
require action before they can be
cleared. You should take any
messages that appear on the
display seriously and remember that
clearing the messages will only
make the messages disappear, not
correct the problem. You will find the
possible messages that can be
displayed and some information
about them grouped by subject in
the following information.
Battery Voltage and
Charging Messages
BATTERY SAVER ACTIVE
This message displays when the
vehicle has detected that the battery
voltage is dropping beyond a
reasonable point. The battery saver
system starts reducing certain
features of the vehicle that you may
be able to notice. At the point that
features are disabled, this message
is displayed. It means that the
vehicle is trying to save the charge
in the battery. Turn off unnecessary
accessories to allow the battery to
recharge.
LOW BATTERY
This message is displayed when the
battery voltage is low. SeeBattery
on page 10‑27 for more information.
SERVICE BATTERY
CHARGING SYSTEM
This message is displayed when
there is a fault in the battery
charging system. Take the vehicle to
your dealer for service.
Brake System Messages
BRAKE FLUID LOW
This message is displayed when the
brake fluid level is low; see Brake
Fluid on page 10‑26.
RELEASE PARKING BRAKE
This message is displayed as a
reminder that the parking brake is
on. Release it before you attempt to
drive.