
Black plate (75,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-75
Notice:If the jumper cables are
connected or removed in the
wrong order, electrical shorting
may occur and damage the
vehicle. The repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Always connect and remove the
jumper cables in the correct
order, making sure that the
cables do not touch each other or
other metal.
1. The vehicle used to jump start must have 12-volt battery with a
negative ground.
Notice: Only use a vehicle that
has a 12-volt system with a
negative ground for jump
starting. If the other vehicle does
not have a 12-volt system with a
negative ground, both vehicles
can be damaged. 2. The vehicles should be close
enough for the jumper cables to
reach, but the vehicles should
not be touching. Touching could
cause grounding and possible
electrical system damage.
Put both vehicles in P (Park)
and set the parking brake firmly.
3. Unplug accessories plugged into the cigarette lighter or the
accessory power outlet. Turn off
the radio and all lamps that are
not needed. Turn off the ignition
on both vehicles.
4. Locate the positive (+) and negative (−) terminals on both
vehicles. Some vehicles have
remote jump starting terminals.
{WARNING
An electric fan can start up even
when the engine is not running
and can injure you. Keep hands,
clothing and tools away from any
underhood electric fan.
5. The remote positive (+) terminal (A) is located on the
underhood fuse block, on the
driver side. Lift the red cap to
uncover the terminal. 

Black plate (79,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-79
6. To prevent the battery fromdraining while the vehicle is
being towed, remove fuse 32,
the Discrete Logic Ignition
Switch fuse, from the instrument
panel fuse block and store it in a
safe location. See Instrument
Panel Fuse Block on
page 10‑40.
Notice: If the vehicle is towed
without performing each of the
steps listed under “Dinghy
Towing,” the automatic
transmission could be damaged.
Be sure to follow all steps of the
dinghy towing procedure prior to
and after towing the vehicle.
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 10‑40.
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 (80,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2012
10-80 Vehicle Care
Dolly Towing (Front-Wheel‐
Drive Vehicles)
To tow the vehicle from the front
with the rear wheels on the ground,
do the following:
1. Put the front wheels on a dolly.
2. Move the shift lever to P (Park).
3. Set the parking brake.
4. Secure the vehicle to the dolly.5. Follow the dolly manufacturer's
instructions for preparing the
vehicle and dolly for towing.
6. Release the parking brake.
Towing the Vehicle From
the Rear
Notice: Towing the vehicle from
the rear could damage it. Also,
repairs would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Never have
the vehicle towed from the rear. 

Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2012
11-4 Service and Maintenance
.Visually inspect windshield wiper
blades for wear, cracking,
or contamination. SeeExterior
Care on page 10‑81. Replace
worn or damaged wiper blades.
See Wiper Blade Replacement
on page 10‑28.
.Check tire inflation pressures.
See Tire Pressure on
page 10‑50.
.Inspect tire wear. See Tire
Inspection on page 10‑56.
.Visually check for fluid leaks.
.Inspect engine air cleaner filter.
See Engine Air Cleaner/Filter on
page 10‑14.
.Inspect brake system.
.Visually inspect steering,
suspension, and chassis
components for damaged, loose,
or missing parts or signs of
wear. See Exterior Care on
page 10‑81.
.Check restraint system
components. See Safety System
Check on page 3‑19.
.Visually inspect fuel system for
damage or leaks.
.Visually inspect exhaust system
and nearby heat shields for
loose or damaged parts.
.Lubricate body components. See
Exterior Care on page 10‑81.
.Check starter switch. See Starter
Switch Check on page 10‑27.
.Check automatic transmission
shift lock control function. See
Automatic Transmission Shift
Lock Control Function Check on
page 10‑27.
.Check ignition transmission lock.
See Ignition Transmission Lock
Check on page 10‑28.
.Check parking brake and
automatic transmission park
mechanism. See Park Brake and
P (Park) Mechanism Check on
page 10‑28.
.Check accelerator pedal for
damage, high effort, or binding.
Replace if needed.
.Visually inspect gas strut for
signs of wear, cracks, or other
damage. Check the hold open
ability of the strut. See your
dealer if service is required.
.Inspect sunroof track and seal,
if equipped. See Sunroof on
page 2‑20. 

Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2012
i-2 INDEX
B
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-26Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-74
Load Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Voltage and ChargingMessages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Blade Replacement, Wiper . . . 10-28
Blind Spot Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Bluetooth . . . . . . . . . . 7-36, 7-38, 7-42
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . 5-17
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-23 Antilock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-34
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Break-In, New Vehicle . . . . . . . . . 9-20
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36 Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33, 6-4
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-32 Bulb Replacement (cont'd)
Headlamps, Front Turn
Signal, Sidemarker, and
Parking Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-32
License Plate Lamps . . . . . . . 10-35
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Sidemarker, Stoplamps,
and Backup Lamps . . . . . . . . 10-34
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-58
C
Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
California
Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . 9-52
Perchlorate MaterialsRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Camera, Rear Vision . . . . . . . . . . 9-45
Canadian Vehicle Owners . . . . . . . . iii
Capacities and Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Carbon Monoxide Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Liftgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-13 Cargo
Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Tie-Downs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Cautions, Danger, and Warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
CD Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-23
Center Console Storage . . . . . . . . 4-1
Chains, Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-63
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . 5-14
Check Engine Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Ignition
Transmission Lock . . . . . . . . 10-28
Child Restraints Infants and YoungChildren . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-37
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children . . . . . . . . . 3-43
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-35
Securing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-49, 3-52
Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-39
Cleaning Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-81
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-84 

Black plate (8,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2012
i-8 INDEX
OnStar®
Additional Information . . . . . . . . 14-5
Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-4
Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-5
Emergency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-2
Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-2
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-1
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-2
System, In Brief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-27
Operation, Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-10
Ordering Service Publications . . . . . . . . 13-13
Outlets Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Overheating, Engine . . . . . . . . . . 10-20
Overview, Infotainment
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-3, 7-5
Overview, OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . 14-1
P
Park Shifting Into . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Shifting Out of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Tilt Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17 Parking
Assist, Ultrasonic . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-43
Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Brake and P (Park)
Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . 10-28
Over Things That Burn . . . . . . . 9-27
Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Passenger Compartment Air Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-6
Passenger Sensing System . . . 3-28
Perchlorate Materials
Requirements, California . . . . . 10-3
Personalization Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-34
Phone
Bluetooth . . . . . . . . . 7-36, 7-38, 7-42
Power Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Retained Accessory (RAP) . . . 9-25
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Steering Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18 Pregnancy, Using Safety
Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-19
Privacy Radio FrequencyIdentification (RFID) . . . . . . . 13-17
Program Courtesy Transportation . . . . . . 13-9
Proposition 65 Warning, California . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
R
Radio FrequencyIdentification (RFID) . . . . . . . . 13-17
Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-17
Radios AM-FM Radio . . . . . . . . . . . 7-14, 7-16
Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-22
Satellite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-19
Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Rear Seat Audio (RSA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-34
Rear Seat Entertainment System Rear Seat Audio (RSA) . . . . . . . 7-34
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . 9-45
Rear Window Washer/Wiper . . . . 5-4