2011 CHEVROLET EQUINOX heater

Black plate (9,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-9
Heated Front Seats
{WARNING
If you cannot feel temperature
change or pain to the skin, the
seat heater may cause burns
even at low temperatures. To
reduce the risk of burns, people
with such a condition should use
care when using the seat heater,
especially for long periods of
time. Do not place anything on
the seat that insulates against
heat, such as a blanket, cushion,
cover or similar item. This may
cause the seat heater to
overheat. An overheated seat
heater may cause a burn or may
damage the seat.
On vehicles with heated front seats,
the buttons are near the climate
controls. To operate, the ignition
must be in ON/RUN.
Press
LorMto heat the driver or
passenger seat cushion and
seatback.
Press the button once for the
highest setting. With each press of
the button, the heated seat will
change to the next lower setting,
and then the off setting. Three lights
indicate the highest setting, and
one light indicates the lowest. The passenger seat may take
longer to heat up.
Remote Start Heated Seats
When it is cold outside, the heated
seats can be programmed to turn on
automatically during a remote
vehicle start. The heated seats will
be canceled when the ignition is
turned on. Press the heated seat
button to use the heated seats after
the vehicle is started.
The heated seat button lights will
not turn on during a remote start.
The temperature of an unoccupied
seat may be reduced.
To program the heated seat feature
to enabled, see
“Remote Start Auto
Heat Seats” underVehicle
Personalization on page 5‑32 for
more information.

Black plate (37,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-37
The passenger sensing system is
designed to turn off the right front
passenger frontal airbag if:
.The right front passenger seat is
unoccupied.
.The system determines that an
infant is present in a child
restraint.
.A right front passenger takes
his/her weight off of the seat for
a period of time.
.Or, if there is a critical problem
with the airbag system or the
passenger sensing system.
When the passenger sensing
system has turned off the right front
passenger frontal airbag, the off
indicator will light and stay lit to
remind you that the airbag is off.
See Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator on page 5‑12. The passenger sensing system is
designed to turn on (may inflate) the
right front passenger frontal airbag
anytime the system senses that a
person of adult size is sitting
properly in the right front
passenger seat.
When the passenger sensing
system has allowed the airbag to be
enabled, the on indicator will light
and stay lit to remind you that the
airbag is active.
For some children, including
children in child restraints, and for
very small adults, the passenger
sensing system may or may not turn
off the right front passenger frontal
airbag, depending upon the
person’
s seating posture and
body build. Everyone in the vehicle
who has outgrown child restraints
should wear a safety belt
properly —whether or not there is
an airbag for that person.
{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. See Airbag Readiness
Light on page 5‑12 for more
information, including important
safety information.
If the On Indicator is Lit for a
Child Restraint
If a child restraint has been installed
and the on indicator is lit:
1. Turn the vehicle off.
2. Remove the child restraint from the vehicle.
3. Remove any additional items from the seat such as blankets,
cushions, seat covers, seat
heaters, or seat massagers.

Black plate (39,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-39
use the following steps to allow the
system to detect that person and
enable the right front passenger
frontal airbag:
1. Turn the vehicle off.
2. Remove any additional materialfrom the seat, such as blankets,
cushions, seat covers, seat
heaters, or seat massagers.
3. Place the seatback in the fully upright position.
4. Have the person sit upright in the seat, centered on the seat
cushion, with legs comfortably
extended.
5. Restart the vehicle and have the person remain in this position for
two to three minutes after the on
indicator is lit.Additional Factors Affecting
System Operation
Safety belts help keep the
passenger in position on the seat
during vehicle maneuvers and
braking, which helps the passenger
sensing system maintain the
passenger airbag status. See
“Safety Belts” and“Child Restraints”
in the Index for additional
information about the importance of
proper restraint use.
A thick layer of additional material,
such as a blanket or cushion,
or aftermarket equipment such as
seat covers, seat heaters, and seat
massagers can affect how well the
passenger sensing system
operates. We recommend that you
not use seat covers or other
aftermarket equipment except when
approved by GM for your specific
vehicle. See Adding Equipment to
the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle on
page 3‑40 for more information
about modifications that can affect
how the system operates. A wet seat can affect the
performance of the passenger
sensing system. Here is how:.The passenger sensing system
may turn off the passenger
airbag when liquid is soaked into
the seat. If this happens, the off
indicator will be lit, and the
airbag readiness light on the
instrument panel will also be lit.
.Liquid pooled on the seat that
has not soaked in may make it
more likely that the passenger
sensing system will enable (turn
on) the passenger airbag while a
child restraint or child occupant
is on the seat. If the passenger
airbag is turned on, the on
indicator will be lit.
If the passenger seat gets wet, dry
the seat immediately. If the airbag
readiness light is lit, do not install a
child restraint or allow anyone to
occupy the seat. See Airbag
Readiness Light on page 5‑12 for
important safety information.

Black plate (41,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-41
sensors, side impact sensors,
rollover sensor module, or airbag
wiring can affect the operation of
the airbag system.
In addition, the vehicle has a
passenger sensing system for
the right front passenger
position, which includes sensors
that are part of the passenger
seat. The passenger sensing
system may not operate properly
if the original seat trim is
replaced with non-GM covers,
upholstery or trim, or with
GM covers, upholstery or trim
designed for a different vehicle.
Any object, such as an
aftermarket seat heater or a
comfort enhancing pad or
device, installed under or on
top of the seat fabric, could also
interfere with the operation of
the passenger sensing system.This could either prevent proper
deployment of the passenger
airbag(s) or prevent the
passenger sensing system
from properly turning off the
passenger airbag(s). See
Passenger Sensing System on
page 3‑35.
If you have questions, call
Customer Assistance. The
phone numbers and addresses
for Customer Assistance are in
Step Two of the Customer
Satisfaction Procedure in this
manual. See
Customer
Satisfaction Procedure on
page 13‑1.
If the vehicle has rollover
roof-rail airbags, see Different
Size Tires and Wheels on
page 10‑64 for additional
important information. Q: Because I have a disability,
I have to get my vehicle
modified. How can I find out
whether this will affect my
airbag system?
A: If you have questions, call
Customer Assistance. The
phone numbers and addresses
for Customer Assistance are in
Step Two of the Customer
Satisfaction Procedure in this
manual. See Customer
Satisfaction Procedure on
page 13‑1.
In addition, your dealer and the
service manual have information
about the location of the airbag
sensors, sensing and diagnostic
module and airbag wiring.

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 (32,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
9-32 Driving and Operating
Engine Coolant Heater
The engine coolant heater,
if available, can help in cold weather
conditions at or below−18°C (0°F)
for easier starting and better fuel
economy during engine warm-up.
Plug in the coolant heater at least
four hours before starting the
vehicle. An internal thermostat in
the plug-end of the cord will prevent
engine coolant heater operation at
temperatures above −18°C (0°F).
To Use The Engine Coolant
Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the
electrical cord.
The electrical cord is located on
the passenger side of the engine
compartment, in front of the air
cleaner.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 110-volt AC outlet.
{WARNING
Plugging the cord into an
ungrounded outlet could cause an
electrical shock. Also, the wrong
kind of extension cord could
overheat and cause a fire. You
could be seriously injured. Plug
the cord into a properly grounded
three-prong 110-volt AC outlet.
If the cord will not reach, use a
heavy-duty three-prong extension
cord rated for at least 15 amps.
4. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug and store the
cord as it was before to keep it
away from moving engine parts.
If you do not it could be
damaged.
The length of time the heater should
remain plugged in depends on
several factors. Ask a dealer in the
area where you will be parking the
vehicle for the best advice on this.
Shifting Into Park
{WARNING
It can be dangerous to get out of
the vehicle if the shift lever is not
fully in P (Park) with the parking
brake firmly set. The vehicle can
roll. If you have left the engine
running, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You or others could be
injured. To be sure the vehicle will
not move, even when you are on
fairly level ground, use the steps
that follow. If you are pulling a
trailer, see Driving Characteristics
and Towing Tips on page 9‑60.
Use this procedure to shift into
P (Park):
1. Hold the brake pedal down and set the parking brake.
See Parking Brake on page 9‑40
for more information.

Black plate (18,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
10-18 Vehicle Care
The coolant level should be at the
COLD FILL line. If it is not, the
vehicle may have a leak at the
radiator hoses, heater hoses,
radiator, water pump, or somewhere
else in the cooling system.
{WARNING
Heater and radiator hoses, and
other engine parts, can be very
hot. Do not touch them. If you do,
you can be burned.
Do not run the engine if there is a
leak. If you run the engine, it
could lose all coolant. That could
cause an engine fire, and you
could be burned. Get any leak
fixed before you drive the vehicle.If there seems to be no leak, with
the engine on, check to see if the
electric engine cooling fan is
running. If the engine is
overheating, the fan should be
running. If it is not, the vehicle
needs service. Turn off the engine.
Notice:
Using coolant other than
DEX-COOL
®can cause premature
engine, heater core, or radiator
corrosion. In addition, the engine
coolant could require changing
sooner, at 50 000 km
(30,000 miles) or 24 months,
whichever occurs first. Any
repairs would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Always use
DEX-COOL (silicate-free) coolant
in the vehicle.
Engine Coolant
The cooling system in the vehicle is
filled with DEX-COOL®engine
coolant. This coolant is designed to
remain in the vehicle for 5 years or
240 000 km (150,000 mi), whichever
occurs first.
The following explains the cooling
system and how to check and add
coolant when it is low. If there is a
problem with engine overheating,
see Engine Overheating on
page 10‑22.
What to Use
{WARNING
Adding only plain water or some
other liquid to the cooling system
can be dangerous. Plain water
and other liquids, can boil before
the proper coolant mixture will.
The vehicle's coolant warning
system is set for the proper
coolant mixture.
(Continued)

Black plate (19,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-19
WARNING (Continued)
With plain water or the wrong
mixture, the engine could get too
hot but you would not get the
overheat warning. The engine
could catch fire and you or others
could be burned. Use a
50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable
water and DEX-COOL coolant.
Use a 50/50 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and DEX-COOL
coolant. If using this mixture,
nothing else needs to be added.
This mixture:
.Gives freezing protection down
to −37°C (−34°F), outside
temperature.
.Gives boiling protection up to
129°C (265°F), engine
temperature.
.Protects against rust and
corrosion.
.Will not damage aluminum parts.
.Helps keep the proper engine
temperature.
Notice: If an improper coolant
mixture is used, the engine could
overheat and be badly damaged.
The repair cost would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Too much water in the mixture
can freeze and crack the engine,
radiator, heater core, and other
parts.
Never dispose of engine coolant by
putting it in the trash, pouring it on
the ground, into sewers, into
streams or bodies of water.
Have the coolant changed by an
authorized service center, familiar
with legal requirements regarding
used coolant disposal. This will help
protect the environment and your
health.
Checking Coolant
The vehicle must be on a level
surface when checking the
coolant level.
Check to see if coolant is visible in
the coolant surge tank. If the coolant
inside the coolant surge tank is
boiling, do not do anything else until
it cools down. If coolant is visible
but the coolant level is not at or
above the COLD FILL line, add a
50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable
water and DEX-COOL coolant at the
coolant surge tank, but be sure the
cooling system is cool before this is
done. See Cooling System on
page 10‑17 for more information.
The coolant surge tank is located in
the engine compartment on the
driver side of the vehicle. See
Engine Compartment Overview on
page 10‑6 for more information
on location.