
Black plate (84,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
10-84 Vehicle Care
Notice:If 105 km/h (65 mph) is
exceeded while towing the
vehicle, it could be damaged.
Never exceed 105 km/h (65 mph)
while towing the vehicle.
Once the destination has been
reached:
1. Set the parking brake.
2. Shift the transmission to
P (Park).
3. Turn the ignition key to LOCK/OFF.
4. Install fuse 32, the Discrete Logic Ignition Switch fuse. See
Instrument Panel Fuse Block on
page 10‑43. 5. Start the engine and let it idle for
more than three minutes before
driving the vehicle.
Notice: Too much or too
little fluid can damage the
transmission. Be sure that the
transmission fluid is at the proper
level before towing with all four
wheels on the ground.
Notice: Do not tow a vehicle with
the front drive wheels on the
ground if one of the front tires is
a compact spare tire. Towing with
two different tire sizes on the
front of the vehicle can cause
severe damage to the
transmission.Dolly Towing
(All-Wheel‐Drive Vehicles)
All-wheel‐drive vehicles should not
be towed with two wheels on the
ground. To properly tow these
vehicles, they should be placed on
a platform trailer with all four wheels
off of the ground or dinghy towed
from the front.

Black plate (92,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
10-92 Vehicle Care
Many commercial leather
cleaners and coatings that are
sold to preserve and protect leather
may permanently change the
appearance and feel of the leather
and are not recommended. Do not
use silicone or wax-based products,
or those containing organic solvents
to clean the vehicles interior
because they can alter the
appearance by increasing the gloss
in a non-uniform manner.
Instrument Panel, Vinyl, and
Other Plastic Surfaces
To remove dust, a soft cloth
dampened with water can be used.
If a more thorough cleaning is
necessary, a clean soft cloth
dampened with a mild soap solution
can be used to gently remove dust
and dirt. Never use spot lifters or
removers on plastic surfaces.
Many commercial cleaners and
coatings that are sold to preserve
and protect soft plastic surfaces
may permanently change the
appearance and feel of the interiorand are not recommended. Do not
use silicone or wax-based products,
or those containing organic solvents
to clean the vehicle's interior
because they can alter the
appearance by increasing the gloss
in a non-uniform manner.
Some commercial products may
increase gloss on the instrument
panel. The increase in gloss may
cause annoying reflections in the
windshield and even make it difficult
to see through the windshield under
certain conditions.Care of Safety Belts
Keep belts clean and dry.
{WARNING
Do not bleach or dye safety belts.
It may severely weaken them. In
a crash, they might not be able to
provide adequate protection.
Clean safety belts only with mild
soap and lukewarm water.
Floor Mats
{WARNING
If a floor mat is the wrong size or
is not properly installed, it can
interfere with the accelerator
pedal and/or brake pedal.
Interference with the pedals can
cause unintended acceleration
and/or increased stopping
distance which can cause a crash
and injury. Make sure the floor
mat does not interfere with the
accelerator or brake pedal.

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
Technical Data 12-1
Technical Data
Vehicle Identification
Vehicle IdentificationNumber (VIN) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Service Parts Identification Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Vehicle Data
Capacities andSpecifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Engine Drive Belt Routing . . . 12-4
Vehicle Identification
Vehicle Identification
Number (VIN)
This legal identifier is in the front
corner of the instrument panel, on
the left side of the vehicle. It can be
seen through the windshield from
outside. The VIN also appears on
the Vehicle Certification and Service
Parts labels and certificates of title
and registration.
Engine Identification
The eighth character in the VIN is
the engine code. This code
identifies the vehicle's engine,
specifications, and replacement
parts. See “Engine Specifications”
under Capacities and Specifications
on page 12‑2 for the vehicle's
engine code.
Service Parts
Identification Label
This label, on the inside of the glove
box, has the following information:
.Vehicle Identification
Number (VIN)
.Model designation
.Paint information
.Production options and special
equipment
Do not remove this label from the
vehicle.

Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
13-2 Customer Information
STEP TWO:If after contacting a
member of dealership management,
it appears your concern cannot be
resolved by the dealership without
further help, in the U.S., call the
Chevrolet Customer Assistance
Center at 1-800-222-1020. In
Canada, call General Motors of
Canada Customer Communication
Centre at 1-800-263-3777 (English),
or 1-800-263-7854 (French).
We encourage you to call the
toll-free number in order to give your
inquiry prompt attention. Have the
following information available to
give the Customer Assistance
representative:
.Vehicle Identification Number
(VIN). This is available from the
vehicle registration or title, or
the plate at the top left of the
instrument panel and visible
through the windshield.
.Dealership name and location.
.Vehicle delivery date and
present mileage. When contacting Chevrolet,
remember that your concern will
likely be resolved at a dealer's
facility. That is why we suggest
following Step One first.
STEP THREE
—U.S. Owners:
Both General Motors and the dealer
are committed to making sure you
are completely satisfied with the
new vehicle. However, if you
continue to remain unsatisfied after
following the procedure outlined in
Steps One and Two, you can file
with the Better Business Bureau
(BBB) Auto Line
®Program to
enforce your rights.
The BBB Auto Line Program is an
out of court program administered
by the Council of Better Business
Bureaus to settle automotive
disputes regarding vehicle repairs or
the interpretation of the New Vehicle
Limited Warranty. Although you may
be required to resort to this informal
dispute resolution program prior to
filing a court action, use of the
program is free of charge and your case will generally be heard within
40 days. If you do not agree with the
decision given in your case, you
may reject it and proceed with any
other venue for relief available
to you.
You may contact the BBB Auto Line
Program using the toll-free
telephone number or write them at
the following address:
BBB Auto Line Program
Council of Better Business
Bureaus, Inc.
4200 Wilson Boulevard
Suite 800
Arlington, VA 22203-1838
Telephone: 1-800-955-5100
www.dr.bbb.org/goauto
This program is available in all
50 states and the District of
Columbia. Eligibility is limited by
vehicle age, mileage, and other
factors. General Motors reserves
the right to change eligibility
limitations and/or discontinue its
participation in this program.

Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
i-4 INDEX
DrivingCharacteristics and
Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-60
Defensive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Drunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-19
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . 9-19
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . . 9-22
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-7
Off-Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-8
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 9-22
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-20
Driving for Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-26
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . 9-18
DVD
Rear Seat EntertainmentSystem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-33
DVD/CD Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-21E
E85 Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-56
ECO Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-38
Economy Mode Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-38
Electrical Equipment, Add-On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-68
Electrical System Engine CompartmentFuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-40
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-39
Instrument Panel Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-43
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . 10-15
Check and Service EngineSoon Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Compartment Overview . . . . . . . 10-6
Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-18
Coolant Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11 Engine (cont.)
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-17
Cooling System Messages . . . 5-27
Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-10
Drive Belt Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-4
Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-34
Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22
Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-29
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Running While Parked . . . . . . . . 9-35
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-14
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Equipment, Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-67
Event Data Recorders . . . . . . . . 13-16
Extender, Safety Belt . . . . . . . . . . 3-25
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . 6-1

Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
INDEX i-5
F
FeaturesMemory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Filter Engine Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . 10-15
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Flashers, Hazard Warning . . . . . . 6-3
Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-68
Flat Tire, Changing . . . . . . . . . . . 10-70
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-92
Fluid Automatic Transmission . . . . 10-15
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-26
Power Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-23
Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24
Fog Lamps
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . 10-36, 6-3
Front Fog Lamps Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Front Seats
Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Heated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-53 Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-54
E85 (85% Ethanol) . . . . . . . . . . . 9-56
Economy Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20 Fuel (cont.)
Filling a Portable Fuel
Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-59
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-57
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . . 9-54
Gasoline Specifications . . . . . . . 9-54
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . 5-21
Recommended . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-53
Requirements, California . . . . . 9-54
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-29
Fuel Economy Mode . . . . . . . . . . . 9-38
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-39 Engine Compartment
Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-40
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-43
G
GasolineSpecifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-54
Gauges Engine CoolantTemperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10 Gauges (cont.)
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Warning Lights and
Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
General Information Service and Maintenance . . . . . 11-1
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-59
Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
GM Mobility Reimbursement Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-6
H
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . . . 6-3
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
HeadlampsAiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
Daytime RunningLamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Headlamps, Front Turn Signal, Sidemarker, and
Parking Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-35

Black plate (6,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
i-6 INDEX
Headlamps (cont.)High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . . 6-2
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Heated Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Heated Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Heater Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Heating and Air
Conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1, 8-3
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-19
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . 9-19
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . . 9-41
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-15
I
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Ignition Transmission Lock
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Infants and Young Children, Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-45 Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Instrument Panel
Storage Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .iii, 7-1
J
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-78
K
Key and Lock Messages . . . . . . . 5-29
Keyless Entry Remote (RKE) System . . . . . . . . 2-3
Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
L
Labeling, Tire Sidewall . . . . . . . . 10-47
Lamps Daytime Running (DRL) . . . . . . . 6-2
Dome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Exterior Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
License Plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Malfunction Indicator . . . . . . . . . 5-14
On Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-20 LATCH System
Replacing Parts After a
Crash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-57
Latch, Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children . . . . . . . . . . 3-52
Liftgate Carbon Monoxide . . . . . . . . . 2-8, 2-9
Lighting Entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Illumination Control . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Lights
Airbag Readiness . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Antilock Brake System(ABS) Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Brake System Warning . . . . . . . 5-16
Charging System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Engine Oil Pressure . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Front Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Fuel Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
High-Beam On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . . 6-2
Low Fuel Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . 5-11
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21

Black plate (10,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
i-10 INDEX
Safety Defects ReportingCanadian Government . . . . . . 13-15
General Motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-15
U.S. Government . . . . . . . . . . . 13-14
Safety Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Safety System Check . . . . . . . . . . 3-25
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-14
Scheduled Maintenance . . . . . . . 11-2
Scheduling Appointments . . . . . . 13-9
Seats Adjustment, Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Heated Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Lumbar Adjustment, Front . . . . . 3-6
Power Adjustment, Front . . . . . . 3-3
Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7
Securing Child Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-58, 3-60
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12 Service
Accessories and
Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Doing Your Own Work . . . . . . . . 10-4
Engine Soon Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Maintenance Records . . . . . . . . 11-9
Maintenance, General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-1
Parts Identification Label . . . . . 12-1
Publications Ordering Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-13
Scheduling Appointments . . . . . 13-9
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-31
Servicing the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle . . . . . 3-40
Shift Lock Control Function
Check, Automatic
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Sidemarker Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
Signals, Turn and Lane-Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3 Spare Tire
Compact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-77
Specifications and Capacities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
StabiliTrak
®OFF Light . . . . . . . . . 5-18
StabiliTrak®System . . . . . . . . . . . 9-43
Start Assist, Hills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-41
Start Vehicle, Remote . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5 Fluid, Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-23
Wheel Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Wheel Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
Stoplamps and Back-Up Lamps
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
Storage Mass Media (MEM) . . . . . . . . . . . 7-24
Storage Areas Cargo Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Center Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Convenience Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Roof Rack System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3