2012 CHEVROLET EQUINOX towing

Black plate (78,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2012
10-78 Vehicle Care
Recreational Vehicle
Towing
Recreational vehicle towing means
towing the vehicle behind another
vehicle–such as behind a motor
home. The two most common types
of recreational vehicle towing are
known as dinghy towing and dolly
towing. Dinghy towing is towing the
vehicle with all four wheels on the
ground. Dolly towing is towing the
vehicle with two wheels on the
ground and two wheels up on a
device known as a dolly.
Here are some important things to
consider before recreational vehicle
towing:
.What is the towing capacity of
the towing vehicle? Be sure to
read the tow vehicle
manufacturer's
recommendations.
.What is the distance that will be
travelled? Some vehicles have
restrictions on how far and how
long they can tow.
.Is the proper towing equipment
going to be used? See your
dealer or trailering professional
for additional advice and
equipment recommendations.
.Is the vehicle ready to be
towed? Just as preparing the
vehicle for a long trip, make sure
the vehicle is prepared to be
towed.
Dinghy Towing
Front-wheel‐drive and
all-wheel-drive vehicles may be
dinghy towed from the front. These
vehicles can also be towed by
placing them on a platform trailer
with all four wheels off of the
ground. For other towing options,
see “Dolly Towing” following in this
section.
For vehicles being dinghy towed,
the vehicle should be run at the
beginning of each day and at each
RV fuel stop for about five minutes.
This will ensure proper lubrication of
transmission components.To tow the vehicle from the front
with all four wheels on the ground:
1. Position the vehicle that will be towed and secure it to the
towing vehicle.
2. Turn the ignition key to ON/RUN.
3. Shift the transmission to N (Neutral).
4. Turn the ignition key to ACC/ ACCESSORY.
5. Turn all accessories off.

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 (2,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2012
11-2 Service and Maintenance
Because of the way people use
vehicles, maintenance needs vary.
There may need to be more
frequent checks and services.
The Additional Required
Services‐Normal are for
vehicles that:
.Carry passengers and cargo
within recommended limits on
the Tire and Loading Information
label. See Vehicle Load Limits
on page 9‑16.
.Are driven on reasonable road
surfaces within legal driving
limits.
.Use the recommended fuel. See
Recommended Fuel on
page 9‑51.
Refer to the information in the
Maintenance Schedule Additional
Required Services ‐Normal chart. The Additional Required
Services
‐Severe are for vehicles
that are:
.Mainly driven in heavy city traffic
in hot weather.
.Mainly driven in hilly or
mountainous terrain.
.Frequently towing a trailer.
.Used for high speed or
competitive driving.
.Used for taxi, police, or delivery
service.
Refer to the information in the
Maintenance Schedule Additional
Required Services ‐Severe chart.
{WARNING
Performing maintenance work can
be dangerous and can cause
serious injury. Perform
maintenance work only if the
required information, proper tools,
and equipment are available.
If they are not, see your dealer to
have a trained technician do the
work. See Doing Your Own
Service Work on page 10‑4.

Black plate (7,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2012
Customer Information 13-7
Coverage
Services are provided up to 5 years/
160 000 km (100,000 mi), whichever
comes first.
In the U.S., anyone driving the
vehicle is covered. In Canada, a
person driving the vehicle without
permission from the owner is not
covered.
Roadside Assistance is not a part of
the New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
Chevrolet and General Motors of
Canada Limited reserve the right to
make any changes or discontinue
the Roadside Assistance program at
any time without notification.
Chevrolet and General Motors of
Canada Limited reserve the right to
limit services or payment to an
owner or driver if they decide the
claims are made too often, or the
same type of claim is made many
times.
Services Provided
.Emergency Fuel Delivery:
Delivery of enough fuel for the
vehicle to get to the nearest
service station.
.Lock‐Out Service:Service to
unlock the vehicle if you are
locked out. A remote unlock may
be available if you have OnStar.
For security reasons, the driver
must present identification
before this service is given.
.Emergency Tow from a Public
Road or Highway: Tow to the
nearest Chevrolet dealer for
warranty service, or if the vehicle
was in a crash and cannot be
driven. Assistance is also given
when the vehicle is stuck in the
sand, mud, or snow.
.Flat Tire Change: Service to
change a flat tire with the spare
tire. The spare tire, if equipped,
must be in good condition and
properly inflated. It is the owner's
responsibility for the repair or
replacement of the tire if it is not
covered by the warranty.
.Battery Jump Start: Service to
jump start a dead battery.
Services Not Included in
Roadside Assistance
.Impound towing caused by
violation of any laws.
.Legal fines.
.Mounting, dismounting,
or changing of snow tires,
chains, or other traction devices.
.Towing or services for vehicles
driven on a non-public road or
highway.

Black plate (12,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2012
13-12 Customer Information
If a Crash Occurs
If there has been an injury, call
emergency services for help. Do not
leave the scene of a crash until all
matters have been taken care of.
Move the vehicle only if its position
puts you in danger, or you are
instructed to move it by a police
officer.
Give only the necessary information
to police and other parties involved
in the crash.
For emergency towing see
Roadside Assistance Program on
page 13‑6.
Gather the following information:
.Driver name, address, and
telephone number.
.Driver license number.
.Owner name, address, and
telephone number.
.Vehicle license plate number.
.Vehicle make, model, and
model year.
.Vehicle Identification
Number (VIN).
.Insurance company and policy
number.
.General description of the
damage to the other vehicle.
Choose a reputable repair facility
that uses quality replacement parts.
See “Collision Parts” earlier in this
section.
If the airbag has inflated, see What
Will You See after an Airbag
Inflates? on page 3‑26.
Managing the Vehicle Damage
Repair Process
In the event that the vehicle requires
damage repairs, GM recommends
that you take an active role in its
repair. If you have a pre-determined
repair facility of choice, take the
vehicle there, or have it towed there.
Specify to the facility that any
required replacement collision parts
be original equipment parts, either
new Genuine GM parts or recycled original GM parts. Remember,
recycled parts will not be covered by
the GM vehicle warranty.
Insurance pays the bill for the repair,
but you must live with the repair.
Depending on your policy limits,
your insurance company may
initially value the repair using
aftermarket parts. Discuss this with
the repair professional, and insist on
Genuine GM parts. Remember,
if the vehicle is leased, you may be
obligated to have the vehicle
repaired with Genuine GM parts,
even if your insurance coverage
does not pay the full cost.
If another party's insurance
company is paying for the repairs,
you are not obligated to accept a
repair valuation based on that
insurance company's collision policy
repair limits, as you have no
contractual limits with that company.
In such cases, you can have control
of the repair and parts choices as
long as the cost stays within
reasonable limits.

Black plate (3,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2012
INDEX i-3
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . . 8-1Air Conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-3
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Cluster, Instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Collision Damage Repair . . . . . 13-10
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . 10-73
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5 Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Connections, OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . 14-4
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Convenience Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Convex Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Coolant Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-17
Engine Temperature
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-15 Engine Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-29
Courtesy Transportation
Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-9
Cover Cargo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-9 Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-38
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Cupholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Customer Assistance . . . . . . . . . . 13-4 Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-3
Text Telephone (TTY)Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-4
Customer Information Service PublicationsOrdering Information . . . . . . 13-13
Customer Satisfaction Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-1
D
Damage Repair, Collision . . . . . 13-10
Danger, Warnings, andCautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
Data Recorders, Event . . . . . . . 13-15
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Devices, Auxiliary . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-28
Diagnostics, OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . 14-5
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4 Door
Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Power Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Drive Belt Routing, Engine . . . . . 12-4
Drive Systems All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . 10-26, 9-32
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Driving Characteristics and
Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-57
Defensive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Drunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
For Better Fuel Economy . . . . . 1-26
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-12
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . 9-12
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . . 9-15
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Off-Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 9-16
Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-11
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-13

Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2012
i-4 INDEX
E
E85 Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-53
ECO Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-31
Economy ModeFuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-31
Electrical Equipment, Add-On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-64
Electrical System Engine CompartmentFuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
Instrument Panel Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-40
Emergency, OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . 14-2
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . 10-14
Check and Service Engine
Soon Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Compartment Overview . . . . . . . 10-6
Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-17
Coolant Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-15
Cooling System Messages . . . 5-29
Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-9 Engine (cont'd)
Drive Belt Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-4
Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-12
Oil Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-29
Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-20
Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Running While Parked . . . . . . . . 9-28
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Equipment, Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-63
Event Data Recorders . . . . . . . . 13-15
Extender, Safety Belt . . . . . . . . . . 3-19
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . 6-1
F
Features Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Filter,
Engine Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . 10-14
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Flashers, Hazard Warning . . . . . . 6-3
Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-64 Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-65
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-86 Fluid
Automatic Transmission . . . . 10-13
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24
Power Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22
Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-23
Fog Lamps Bulb Replacement . . . . . . 10-33, 6-4
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Front Seats Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Heated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-51 Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-52
E85 (85% Ethanol) . . . . . . . . . . . 9-53
Economy Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-26
Economy Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Filling a Portable FuelContainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-56
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-54
Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-52
Gasoline Specifications . . . . . . . 9-51
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . 5-22