2011 CHEVROLET EQUINOX steering

Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
5-4 Instruments and Controls
Windshield Wiper/Washer
The windshield wiper/washer lever
is located on the right side of the
steering column.
Move the lever to one of the
following positions:
8(Mist):Single wipe, move
the lever to
8and then release.
The wipers stop after one wipe.
((Off): Turns the wipers off.
&(Adjustable Interval Wipes):
Adjusts the time between wipes.
Turn the
&band up for more
frequent wipes or down for less
frequent wipes.
1 (Low Speed): Slow wipes.
2 (High Speed): Fast wipes.
Clear snow and ice from the wiper
blades before using them. If frozen
to the windshield, carefully loosen or
thaw them. Damaged wiper blades
should be replaced. See Wiper
Blade Replacement on page 10‑31.
Heavy snow or ice can overload the
wiper motor. A circuit breaker will
stop the motor until it cools down. Windshield Washer
Pull the lever toward you to spray
washer fluid on the windshield. The
spray continues until the lever is
released. The wipers will run a few
times. See
Washer Fluid on
page 10‑24 for information on filling
the windshield washer fluid
reservoir.
{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.

Black plate (31,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-31
Safety Belt Messages
BUCKLE SEATBELT
This message displays as a
reminder when the safety belt is not
buckled.
Anti-Theft Alarm System
Messages
THEFT ATTEMPTED
This message displays if the vehicle
detects a tamper condition.
Service Vehicle Messages
SERVICE AC SYSTEM
This message is displayed if there is
a problem with the air conditioning
system. Take the vehicle to your
dealer for service.
SERVICE POWER STEERING
This message is displayed if there is
a problem with the power steering
system. Take the vehicle to your
dealer for service.
SERVICE VEHICLE SOON
This message is displayed if there is
a problem with the vehicle. Take the
vehicle to your dealer for service.
Tire Messages
SERVICE TIRE MONITOR
SYSTEM
This message displays if there is a
problem with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS). SeeTire
Pressure Monitor Operation on
page 10‑56 for more information.
TIRE LEARNING ACTIVE
This message displays when the
system is learning new tires. See
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation on
page 10‑56for more information.
TIRE LOW ADD AIR TO TIRE
On vehicles with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS), this
message displays when the
pressure in one or more of the
vehicle tires is low. This message also displays LEFT
FRONT, RIGHT FRONT, LEFT
REAR, or RIGHT REAR to indicate
the location of the low tire.
The low tire pressure warning light
will also come on. See
Tire
Pressure Light on page 5‑19.
If a tire pressure message appears
on the DIC, stop as soon as you
can. Inflate the tires by adding air
until the tire pressure is equal to the
values shown on the Tire and
Loading Information label. See Tires
on page 10‑46, Vehicle Load Limits
on page 9‑22, and Tire Pressure on
page 10‑53.
You can receive more than one tire
pressure message at a time. The
DIC also shows the tire pressure
values. See Driver Information
Center (DIC) on page 5‑22.

Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
6-4 Lighting
Interior Lighting
Instrument Panel
Illumination Control
This control is located on the
instrument panel, to the left of the
steering column.
D(Instrument Panel
Brightness): Turn clockwise or
counterclockwise to brighten or
dim the lights.
Dome Lamps
There are front and rear dome
lamps.
The dome lamp controls are located
in the overhead console. To change
the settings, press the following:
*(Dome Lamp Override): Turns
the lamps off, even when a door
is open.
1(Door): The lamps come on
automatically when a door is
opened.
+(On): Turns the dome lamps on.
The dome lamps can also be turned
on and off by pressing the buttons
next to the lamps.
Reading Lamps
The reading lamps are located on
the overhead console. These lamps
come on automatically when any
door is opened.
For manual operation, press the
button next to each lamp to turn it
on or off.
Lighting Features
Entry Lighting
The dome lamp, cargo lamp, and
foot lamp inside the vehicle come
on when any door is opened, if the
dome lamp is in the door position.
In addition, these lamps come on
when the Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) unlock button is pressed.
They stay on for 20 seconds or until
a door is opened. After the door is
opened and then closed, the light
remains on for 20 seconds, or until
the ignition is turned to ON/RUN.

Black plate (7,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
Infotainment System 7-7
P.5/>(Phone/Mute)
.Opens the phone
main menu.
.Mutes the audio system.
Q. DEL
.MEM: Deletes the current
track from MEM.
R.
}BACK
.Menu: Moves one
level back.
.Character Input: Deletes
the last character.
Operation
Controls
The infotainment system is
operated by using the pushbuttons,
multifunction knobs, display menus,
and steering wheel controls,
if equipped.
Turning the System On or Off
VOL/O(Volume/Power): Press to
turn the system on and off.
Automatic Switch‐Off
If the infotainment system has
been turned on after the ignition is
turned off, the system will turn off
automatically after 10 minutes.
Volume Control
VOL/O(Volume/Power): Turn to
adjust the volume.
5/>(Mute): For vehicles with
OnStar, press and hold
5/>to
mute the infotainment system. Press
and hold
5/>again, or turn the
VOL/
Oknob to cancel mute.
For vehicles without OnStar, press
5/>to mute the infotainment
system. Press
5/>again, or turn
the VOL/
Oknob to cancel mute.

Black plate (34,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
7-34 Infotainment System
Before Driving
The RSE is for rear seat
passengers only. The driver cannot
safely view the video screen while
driving.
In severe or extreme weather
conditions, the RSE system may not
work until the temperature is within
the operating range. The operating
range is above−20°C (−4°F) and
below 60°C (140°F). If the
temperature is outside of this range,
heat or cool the vehicle until it is
within the operating range.
Global Off
Depending on the infotainment
system, the RSE system may have
a Global Off feature. The Global Off
feature disables all RSE system
features. Press and hold the radio
power button for more than three seconds for Global Off to
disable the RSE features. On some
infotainment systems, the Global Off
feature can be turned off by
performing one of the following:
.Press and hold the radio power
button for more than
three seconds.
.Insert or eject any disc.
.Insert a DVD video disc.
.Press the Remote Control power
button.
.Press the MEM/DVD/AUX button
or the
kbutton when a DVD
video disc is in the player.
.Press the SRC button on the
steering wheel when a DVD
video disc is in the player.
.Cycle the ignition.
Headphones
A. Battery cover
B. Channel 1 or 2 switch
C. Power button
D. Volume control
E. Power indicator light
RSE includes two 2-channel
wireless headphones. Channel 1 is
dedicated to the DVD player, and
Channel 2 is dedicated to any
external auxiliary device connected
to the A/V jacks.

Black plate (46,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
7-46 Infotainment System
Phone
Bluetooth (Overview)
Vehicles with a Bluetooth system
can use a Bluetooth‐capable cell
phone with a Hands‐Free Profile to
make and receive phone calls.
The infotainment system and voice
recognition are used to control the
system. The system can be used
while the ignition is in ON/RUN or
ACC/ACCESSORY. The range of
the Bluetooth system can be up to
9.1 m (30 ft). Not all phones support
all functions and not all phones work
with the Bluetooth system. See
www.gm.com/bluetooth for more
information about compatible
phones.
Bluetooth Controls
Use the buttons located on the
infotainment system and the
steering wheel to operate the
Bluetooth system.
Steering Wheel Controls
b/g(Push To Talk):Press to
answer incoming calls, to confirm
system information, and to start
voice recognition.
$/i(Mute/End Call): Press to
end a call, reject a call, or to cancel
an operation.
Infotainment System Controls
For information about how to
navigate the menu system using the
infotainment controls, see Operation
on page 7‑7.
5/>(Phone): Press to enter the
Phone main menu.
Voice Recognition
The voice recognition system uses
commands to control the system
and dial phone numbers.
Noise: The system may not
recognize voice commands if there
is too much background noise.
When to Speak: A tone sounds to
indicate that the system is ready for
a voice command. Wait for the tone
and then speak.
How to Speak: Speak clearly in a
calm and natural voice.
Audio System
When using the Bluetooth system,
sound comes through the vehicle's
front audio system speakers and
overrides the audio system.
Use the VOL/
Oknob during a
call to change the volume level.
The adjusted volume level remains
in memory for later calls. The
system maintains a minimum
volume level.

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-1
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-7
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-8
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . 9-18
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . 9-19
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 9-19
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-20
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . 9-22
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . 9-22
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . 9-28
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Retained AccessoryPower (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-31
Engine Coolant Heater . . . . . . . 9-32
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Shifting Out of Park . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Parking Over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-34
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-34
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . 9-35
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-37
Fuel Economy Mode . . . . . . . . . 9-38
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-38
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-39
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-40
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-40
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . 9-41
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control System (TCS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-41
StabiliTrak
®System . . . . . . . . . 9-43
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-44
Object Detection Systems
Ultrasonic Parking Assist . . . . 9-46
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-48

Black plate (3,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-3
WARNING (Continued)
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.
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 9‑43.
Adding non‐dealer accessories can
affect vehicle performance. See
Accessories and Modifications on
page 10‑3.