
Black plate (3,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
In Brief 1-3
A.Air Vents on page 8‑5.
B. Turn and Lane‐Change Lever. See Turn and Lane-Change
Signals on page 6‑3.
Exterior Lamp Controls on
page 6‑1.
Fog Lamps on page 6‑3
(If Equipped).
C. Instrument Cluster on page 5‑9.
D. Windshield Wiper/Washer on
page 5‑4.
Rear Window Wiper/Washer on
page 5‑5.
E. Power Door Locks on page 2‑7.
F. Instrument Panel Storage on
page 4‑1.
G. Safety Locks on page 2‑8.
H. AM-FM Radio on page 7‑11.
Navigation System
(If Equipped). See Navigation
System Manual. I. Data Link Connector (DLC).
See Malfunction Indicator Lamp
on page 5‑14.
J. Cruise Control on page 9‑44.
K. Instrument Panel Illumination
Control on page 6‑4.
L. Steering Wheel Adjustment on
page 5‑2.
M. Horn on page 5‑3.
N. Steering Wheel Controls on
page 5‑3.
O. Ignition Positions on page 9‑28.
P. Climate Control Systems on
page 8‑1 (If Equipped).
Automatic Climate Control
System on page 8‑3
(If Equipped).
Q. Shift Lever. See Shifting Into
Park on page 9‑32.
R. Fuel Economy Mode on
page 9‑38 (If Equipped). S.
StabiliTrak®System on
page 9‑43.
T. Cupholders on page 4‑1.
U. Power Outlets on page 5‑7.
V. CD Player on page 7‑19.
W. Driver Information Center Buttons (If Equipped). See
Driver Information Center (DIC)
on page 5‑22.
X. Hazard Warning Flashers on
page 6‑3.
Y. Glove Box on page 4‑1.

Black plate (3,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
Keys, Doors and Windows 2-3
Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System
SeeRadio Frequency Statement on
page 13‑17 for information
regarding Part 15 of the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC)
rules and Industry Canada
Standards RSS-210/220/310.
If there is a decrease in the
RKE operating range:
.Check the distance. The
transmitter may be too far from
the vehicle.
.Check the location. Other
vehicles or objects may be
blocking the signal.
.Check the transmitter's battery.
See “Battery Replacement” later
in this section.
.If the transmitter is still not
working correctly, see your
dealer or a qualified technician
for service.
Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System Operation
The Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter will work up to 60 m
(195 ft) away from the vehicle.
There are other conditions which
can affect the performance of the
transmitter. See Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE) System on page 2‑3.
RKE Without Remote Start Shown
The following may be available:
Q(Lock): Press to lock all doors.
The turn signal indicators may flash
and/or the horn may sound to indicate locking. See
“Remote
Lock Feedback” underVehicle
Personalization on page 5‑32. If a
passenger door is open when
Qis
pressed, all doors lock. If the driver
door is open when
Qis pressed, all
doors lock except the driver door.
These settings can be modified.
See “Unlocked Door Anti Lock Out”
under Vehicle Personalization on
page 5‑32.
Pressing
Qmay also arm the
theft-deterrent system. See
Anti-Theft Alarm System on
page 2‑12.
K(Unlock): Press to unlock the
driver door or all doors. See
“Remote Door Unlock” under
Vehicle Personalization on
page 5‑32. The turn signal
indicators flash to indicate unlocking
has occurred. For more information
see “Remote Unlock Light
Feedback” underVehicle
Personalization on page 5‑32.

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 (13,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
Keys, Doors and Windows 2-13
Disarming the System
To disarm the system, do one of the
following:
.PressKon the RKE transmitter.
.Turn the ignition to ON/RUN.
.Allow the alarm to time out after
about 30 seconds and reset
itself.
The alarm automatically disarms.
If the system is armed and any door
is unlocked without pressing
Kon
the RKE transmitter, the alarm
sounds.
How to Detect a Tamper
Condition
IfKis pressed and the horn
sounds, an attempted break-in has
occurred while the system was
armed.
If the alarm has been activated, the
THEFT ATTEMPTED message will
appear on the DIC. See Key and
Lock Messages on page 5‑29 for
additional information.
Immobilizer
See Radio Frequency Statement on
page 13‑17 for information
regarding Part 15 of the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC)
rules and Industry Canada
Standards RSS-210/220/310.
Immobilizer Operation
This vehicle has a passive
theft-deterrent system.
The system does not have to be
manually armed or disarmed.
The vehicle is automatically
immobilized when the key is
removed from the ignition.
The system is automatically
disarmed when the vehicle is
started with the correct key. The key
uses a transponder that matches an
immobilizer control unit in the
vehicle and automatically disarms
the system. Only an authorized key
starts the vehicle. The vehicle may
not start if the key is damaged.

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 (3,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-3
Steering Wheel Controls
For vehicles with audio steering
wheel controls, some audio controls
can be adjusted at the steering
wheel.
bg(Push to Talk): For vehicles
with a Bluetooth®or OnStar®, press
to interact with those systems. See
Bluetooth (Overview) on page 7‑46
or Bluetooth (Infotainment Controls)
on page 7‑47 orBluetooth (Voice
Recognition) on page 7‑51 or the
OnStar Owner's Guide for more
information.
$/i(Mute/End Call): Press to
reject an incoming call, or end a
current call. Press to silence the
vehicle speakers while using the
infotainment system. Press again to
turn the sound on.
_SRC^(Toggle Switch): Press to
select an audio source.
Toggle up or down to select the next
or previous favorite radio station or
CD/MP3 track.
+
x− (Volume): Press + or−to
increase or decrease the volume.
Horn
Press near the horn symbols or
press on the steering wheel pad to
sound the horn.

Black plate (37,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-37
Remote Lock Feedback
This allows selection of what type of
feedback is given when unlocking
the vehicle with the RKE transmitter.
Press the MENU/SELECT knob
when“Remote Lock Feedback” is
highlighted. Turn the knob to select
“Lights and Horn,” “Lights Only,”
“Horn Only,” or“Off. ”Press the knob
to confirm and go back to the
last menu.
Remote Door Unlock
This allows selection of which doors
will unlock when pressing the unlock
button on the RKE transmitter.
Press the MENU/SELECT knob
when “Remote Door Unlock” is
highlighted. Turn the knob to select
“All Doors” or“Driver Door.” Press
the knob to confirm and go back to
the last menu. Memory Remote Recall
This allows the Memory Remote
Recall feature to be turned on or off.
When on, this feature will recall the
current driver's last seat, outside
mirrors upon unlocking the driver
door with the RKE, and opening that
door. The current driver is identified
when the RKE transmitter is used to
unlock the driver door. See
“Memory
Remote Recall” underPower Seat
Adjustment on page 3‑3 for more
information.
Memory Remote Recall is when the
memorized settings will be recalled
as you unlock the vehicle.
Press the MENU/SELECT knob
when “Memory Remote Recall” is
highlighted to toggle between “On”
or “Off.” Press
}BACK to confirm
the selection and go back to the
last menu.
Return to Factory Settings
Select “Return to Factory Settings”
to return all of the vehicle
personalization to the default
settings. Turn the knob to select
“Yes” or“No.” Press the knob to
confirm and go back to the
last menu.

Black plate (13,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-13
{WARNING
Turning or driving across steep
hills can be dangerous. You could
lose traction, slide sideways, and
possibly roll over. You could be
seriously injured or killed. When
driving up hills, always try to go
straight up.
.Try to drive straight up the hill if
at all possible. If the path twists
and turns, you might want to find
another route.
.Ease up on the speed as you
approach the top of the hill.
.Attach a flag to the vehicle to be
more visible to approaching
traffic on trails or hills.
.Sound the horn as you approach
the top of the hill to let opposing
traffic know you are there.
.Use headlamps even during the
day to make the vehicle more
visible to oncoming traffic.
{WARNING
Driving to the top (crest) of a
hill at full speed can cause an
accident. There could be a
drop-off, embankment, cliff,
or even another vehicle. You
could be seriously injured or
killed. As you near the top of a
hill, slow down and stay alert.
If the vehicle stalls, or is about to
stall, and you cannot make it up
the hill:
.Push the brake pedal to stop the
vehicle and keep it from rolling
backwards and apply the
parking brake.
.If the engine is still running, shift
the transmission to R (Reverse),
release the parking brake, and
slowly back down the hill in
R (Reverse).
.If the engine has stopped
running, you need to restart it.
With the brake pedal pressed
and the parking brake still
applied, shift the transmission to
P (Park) and restart the engine.
Then, shift to R (Reverse),
release the parking brake, and
slowly back down the hill as
straight as possible in
R (Reverse).
.While backing down the hill, put
your left hand on the steering
wheel at the 12 o'clock position
so you can tell if the wheels are
straight and can maneuver as
you back down. It is best to back
down the hill with the wheels
straight rather than in the left or
right direction. Turning the wheel
too far to the left or right will
increase the possibility of a
rollover.