2012 CHEVROLET EQUINOX steering wheel

Black plate (16,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2012
7-16 Infotainment System
To search for a programming type
determined by station:
1. Press the MENU/SEL knob.
2. Select FM category list. A list ofall programming types available
displays.
3. Select the programming type. A list of stations that transmit
programming of the selected
type displays.
4. Select the station. The category lists are updated
when the station lists are
updated.
Updating Station & Category Lists
If stations stored in the station list
can no longer be received:
1. Press the MENU/SEL knob.
2. Select Update AM or FM Station List, if the stations stored in the
station list are no longer
received. A station search will be
completed and the first station in
the updated list will play. To cancel the station search, press
the MENU/SEL knob.
Storing a Station as a Favorite
Stations from all bands can be
stored in any order in the favorite
pages.
Up to six stations can be stored in
each favorite page and the number
of available favorite pages can
be set.
Storing a Station as a Favorite
To store the station to a position in
the list, press the corresponding
button 1 to 6 until a beep is heard.
Retrieving Stations
Press the FAV button to open a
favorite page or to switch to another
favorite page. Briefly press one of
the 1 to 6 buttons to retrieve the
station.
AM-FM Radio (Radio with
CD and Touchscreen)
Playing the Radio
For vehicles equipped with the
MyLink or IntelliLink infotainment
system, see the separate MyLink/
IntelliLink Features and Functions
Guide for more information.
Audio Source
VOL/
O(Power/Volume):
1. Press to turn the radio on or off.
2. Turn to increase or decrease the volume of the active source
(i.e., current audio source, active
navigation voice guidance,
or traffic prompts).
The steering wheel controls can
also be used to adjust the volume.
See Steering Wheel Controls on
page 5‑2 for more information.

Black plate (37,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2012
Infotainment System 7-37
To minimize driver distraction,
before driving, and with the vehicle
parked:
.Become familiar with the
features of the cell phone.
Organize the phone book and
contact lists clearly and delete
duplicate or rarely used entries.
If possible, program speed dial
or other shortcuts.
.Review the controls and
operation of the infotainment
system.
.Pair cell phone(s) to the vehicle.
The system may not work with
all cell phones. See“Pairing”in
this section for more information.
.If the cell phone has voice
dialing capability, learn to use
that feature to access the
address book or contact list. See
“Voice Pass-Thru” in this section
for more information.
.See “Storing and Deleting Phone
Numbers” in this section for
more information.
{WARNING
When using a cell phone, it can
be distracting to look too long or
too often at the screen of the
phone or the infotainment
(navigation) system. Taking your
eyes off the road too long or too
often could cause a crash
resulting in injury or death. Focus
your attention on driving.
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 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, confirm
system information, and start voice
recognition.
$/i(End Call/Mute): Press to
end a call, reject a call, or cancel an
operation.

Black plate (42,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2012
7-42 Infotainment System
Ending a Call
Turn or press the MENU/SEL knob
and select Hang Up.
Muting a Call
To Mute a Call
Turn or press the MENU/SEL knob
and select Mute Call.
To Cancel Mute
Turn or press the MENU/SEL knob
and select Mute Call.
Dual Tone Multi-Frequency
(DTMF) Tones
The in‐vehicle Bluetooth system can
send numbers during a call. This is
used when calling a menu‐driven
phone system.
1. Turn or press the MENU/SELknob and select Enter Number.
2. Enter the character sequence. See “Entering a Character
Sequence” inOperation on
page 7‑10 for more information.
Bluetooth (Voice
Recognition)
Using Voice Recognition
For vehicles equipped with the
MyLink or IntelliLink infotainment
system, see the separate MyLink/
IntelliLink Features and Functions
Guide for more information.
To use voice recognition, press the
b/gbutton located on the steering
wheel. Use the commands below for
the various voice features. For
additional information, say “Help”
while you are in a voice
recognition menu.
Pairing
A Bluetooth‐enabled cell phone
must be paired to the Bluetooth
system and then connected to the
vehicle before it can be used. See
your cell phone manufacturer's user
guide for Bluetooth functions before
pairing the cell phone. If a Bluetooth
phone is not connected, calls will be
made using OnStar Hands‐Free Calling, if available. See
OnStar
Overview on page 14‑1 for more
information.
Pairing Information
.A Bluetooth phone with MP3
capability cannot be paired to
the vehicle as a phone and an
MP3 player at the same time.
.Up to five cell phones can be
paired to the Bluetooth system.
.The pairing process is disabled
when the vehicle is moving.
.Pairing only needs to be
completed once, unless the
pairing information on the cell
phone changes or the cell phone
is deleted from the system.
.Only one paired cell phone can
be connected to the Bluetooth
system at a time.

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-1
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 9-11
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . 9-12
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 9-12
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-13
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 9-15
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . 9-16
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . 9-20
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Retained AccessoryPower (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Engine Coolant Heater . . . . . . . 9-25 Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Parking over Things
That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . 9-29
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-31
Fuel Economy Mode . . . . . . . . . 9-31
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-34
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . 9-34
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control System (TCS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
StabiliTrak
®System . . . . . . . . . 9-36
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-38
Object Detection Systems
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-40
Ultrasonic Parking Assist . . . . 9-43
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-45
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-48
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-51
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . 9-51
Gasoline Specifications (U.S.and Canada Only) . . . . . . . . . . 9-51
California Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-52
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 9-52
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-52
Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) . . . . . 9-53
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-54
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-56

Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2012
9-4 Driving and Operating
Control of a Vehicle
Braking, steering, and accelerating
are important factors in helping to
control a vehicle while driving.
Braking
Braking action involves perception
time and reaction time. Deciding to
push the brake pedal is perception
time. Actually doing it is
reaction time.
Average driver reaction time is
about three‐fourths of a second. In
that time, a vehicle moving at
100 km/h (60 mph) travels
20 m (66 ft), which could be a lot of
distance in an emergency.
Helpful braking tips to keep in mind
include:
.Keep enough distance between
you and the vehicle in front
of you.
.Avoid needless heavy braking.
.Keep pace with traffic.If the engine ever stops while the
vehicle is being driven, brake
normally but do not pump the
brakes. Doing so could make the
pedal harder to push down. If the
engine stops, there will be some
power brake assist but it will be
used when the brake is applied.
Once the power assist is used up, it
can take longer to stop and the
brake pedal will be harder to push.
Steering
Electric Power Steering
(2.4L L4 Engine)
If the engine stalls while driving, the
power steering assist system will
continue to operate until you are
able to stop the vehicle.
If power steering assist is lost due
to a system malfunction, the vehicle
can be steered, but may require
increased effort.
If the steering wheel is turned in
either direction several times until it
stops, or it is held until it is stopped
for an extended time, power
steering assist may be reduced. The
normal power steering assist should
return shortly after a few normal
steering movements.
The electric power steering system
does not require regular
maintenance. If you suspect
steering system problems, such as
abnormally high steering effort for a
prolonged period of time, contact
your dealer for service repairs.Hydraulic Power Steering
(3.0L V6 Engine)
If power steering assist is lost due
to a system malfunction, the vehicle
can be steered, but may require
increased effort.

Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-5
Curve Tips
.Take curves at a reasonable
speed.
.Reduce speed before entering a
curve.
.Maintain a reasonable steady
speed through the curve
.Wait until the vehicle is out of
the curve before accelerating
gently into the straightaway.
Steering in Emergencies
.There are some situations when
steering around a problem may
be more effective than braking.
.Holding both sides of the
steering wheel allows you to turn
180 degrees without removing
a hand.
.Anti-lock Brake System (ABS)
allows steering while braking.
Off-Road Recovery
The vehicle's right wheels can drop
off the edge of a road onto the
shoulder while driving. Follow
these tips:
1. Ease off the accelerator andthen, if there is nothing in the
way, steer the vehicle so that it
straddles the edge of the
pavement. 2. Turn the steering wheel about
one-eighth of a turn, until the
right front tire contacts the
pavement edge.
3. Then turn the steering wheel to go straight down the roadway.
Loss of Control
Skidding
There are three types of skids that
correspond to the vehicle's three
control systems:
.Braking Skid —wheels are not
rolling.
.Steering or Cornering
Skid —too much speed or
steering in a curve causes tires
to slip and lose cornering force.
.Acceleration Skid —too much
throttle causes the driving
wheels to spin.

Black plate (6,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2012
9-6 Driving and Operating
Defensive drivers avoid most skids
by taking reasonable care suited to
existing conditions, and by not
overdriving those conditions. But
skids are always possible.
If the vehicle starts to slide, follow
these suggestions:
.Ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly
steer the way you want the
vehicle to go. The vehicle may
straighten out. Be ready for a
second skid if it occurs.
.Slow down and adjust your
driving according to weather
conditions. Stopping distance
can be longer and vehicle
control can be affected when
traction is reduced by water,
snow, ice, gravel, or other
material on the road. Learn to
recognize warning clues—such
as enough water, ice, or packed
snow on the road to make a
mirrored surface —and slow
down when you have any doubt.
.Try to avoid sudden steering,
acceleration, or braking,
including reducing vehicle speed
by shifting to a lower gear. Any
sudden changes could cause
the tires to slide.
Remember: Antilock brakes help
avoid only the braking skid.
Off-Road Driving
All-wheel-drive vehicles can be
used for off-road driving. Vehicles
without all-wheel drive and vehicles
not equipped with All Terrain (AT) or
On-Off Road (OOR) tires must not
be driven off-road except on a level,
solid surface. To contact the tire
manufacturer for more information
about the original equipment tires,
see the Limited Warranty and
Owner Assistance Information
manual.
Controlling the vehicle is the key to
successful off-road driving. One of
the best ways to control the vehicle
is to control the speed.
{WARNING
When driving off-road, bouncing
and quick changes in direction
can easily throw you out of
position. This could cause you to
lose control and crash. You and
your passengers should always
wear safety belts.
Before Driving Off-Road
.Have all necessary maintenance
and service work completed.
.Fuel the vehicle, fill fluid levels,
and check inflation pressure in
all tires, including the spare,
if equipped.
.Read all the information about
all-wheel-drive vehicles in this
manual.
.Make sure all underbody
shields, if equipped, are properly
attached.
.Know the local laws that apply to
off-road driving.

Black plate (8,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2012
9-8 Driving and Operating
Driving on Hills
Driving safely on hills requires good
judgment and an understanding of
what the vehicle can and cannot do.
{WARNING
Many hills are simply too steep
for any vehicle. Driving up hills
can cause the vehicle to stall.
Driving down hills can cause loss
of control. Driving across hills can
cause a rollover. You could be
injured or killed. Do not drive on
steep hills.
Before driving on a hill, assess the
steepness, traction, and
obstructions. If the terrain ahead
cannot be seen, get out of the
vehicle and walk the hill before
driving further. When driving on hills:
.Use a low gear and keep a firm
grip on the steering wheel.
.Maintain a slow speed.
.When possible, drive straight up
or down the hill.
.Slow down when approaching
the top of the hill.
.Use headlamps even during the
day to make the vehicle more
visible.
{WARNING
Driving to the top of a hill at high
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.
.Never go downhill forward or
backward with the transmission
in N (Neutral). The brakes could
overheat and you could lose
control.
.When driving down a hill, keep
the vehicle headed straight
down. Use a low gear because
the engine will work with the
brakes to slow the vehicle and
help keep the vehicle under
control.
{WARNING
Heavy braking when going down
a hill can cause your brakes to
overheat and fade. This could
cause loss of control and you or
others could be injured or killed.
Apply the brakes lightly when
descending a hill and use a low
gear to keep vehicle speed under
control.