
Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2012
Introduction v
Vehicle Symbol Chart
Here are some additional symbols
that may be found on the vehicle
and what they mean. For more
information on the symbol, refer to
the Index.
9:Airbag Readiness Light
#:Air Conditioning
!:Antilock Brake System (ABS)
$:Brake System Warning Light
":Charging System
I:Cruise Control
B: Engine Coolant Temperature
O:Exterior Lamps
#:Fog Lamps
.: Fuel Gauge
+:Fuses
3: Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer
j: LATCH System Child
Restraints
*: Malfunction Indicator Lamp
::Oil Pressure
J:OnStar®
}: Power
/:Remote Vehicle Start
>:Safety Belt Reminders
%: Steering Wheel Controls
7:Tire Pressure Monitor
d:Traction Control/StabiliTrak®
M:Windshield Washer Fluid 

Black plate (20,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2012
1-20 In Brief
5. Press the MENU/SEL knob toselect the next value.
6. To save the time or date and return to the Time and Date
Settings menu, press the
E
BACK button at any time or
press the MENU/SEL knob after
adjusting the minutes or year.
Setting the 12/24 Hour Format
1. Press the CONFIG button.
2. Select Time and Date Settings.
3. Highlight 12/24 Hour Format.
4. Press the MENU/SEL button to select the 12 hour or 24 hour
display format.
Setting the Month & Day Format
1. Press the CONFIG button.
2. Select Time and Date Settings.
3. Highlight Month & Day Format.
4. Press the MENU/SEL knob to select MM/DD (month/day) or
DD/MM (day/month). Setting the Auto Time Adjust
1. Press the CONFIG button.
2. Select Time and Date Settings.
3. Highlight Auto Time Adjust.
4. Press the MENU/SEL knob to
turn Auto Time Adjust on or off.
Satellite Radio
Vehicles with an XM™ satellite radio
tuner and a valid XM satellite radio
subscription can receive XM
programming.
XM Satellite Radio Service
XM is a satellite radio service based
in the 48 contiguous United States
and 10 Canadian provinces. XM
satellite radio has a wide variety of
programming and commercial-free
music, coast to coast, and in
digital-quality sound. A fee is
required to receive the XM service. For more information refer to:
.www.xmradio.com or call
1-800-929-2100 (U.S.).
.www.xmradio.ca or call
1-877-438-9677 (Canada).
For more information, see Satellite
Radio on page 7‑19.
Portable Audio Devices
Some vehicles have a 3.5 mm
(1/8 in) auxiliary input and a USB
port located in the center console.
External devices such as iPods
®,
laptop computers, MP3 players, CD
changers, and USB storage devices
may be connected, depending on
the audio system.
For more information, see Auxiliary
Devices on page 7‑28. 

Black plate (23,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-23
High-Beam On Light
The high‐beam on light comes on
when the high-beam headlamps are
in use.
SeeHeadlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer on page 6‑2 for more
information.
Front Fog Lamp Light
The front fog lamp light comes on
when the fog lamps are in use. The light goes out when the fog
lamps are turned off. See
Fog
Lamps on page 6‑4 for more
information.
Lamps On Reminder
For vehicles with the lamps on
reminder light, it comes on when the
lights are in use.
Cruise Control Light
The cruise control light is white
whenever the cruise control is set,
and turns green when the cruise
control is active.
The light turns off when the cruise
control is turned off. See Cruise
Control on page 9‑38 for more
information. 

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2012
Lighting 6-1
Lighting
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . 6-1
Headlamp High/Low-BeamChanger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Automatic Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . 6-3
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Interior Lighting
Instrument Panel Illumination Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Lighting Features
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Battery Load Management . . . . 6-5
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls
The exterior lamp control is on the
turn signal/lane change lever.
O(Exterior Lamp Control):
Operates the exterior lamps. Turn to
one of the following positions:
O(Off): Briefly turn to this position
to turn the automatic light control off
or on again. AUTO (Automatic Headlamps):
Turns the exterior lamps on and off
automatically depending on the
exterior light. The vehicle will default
to the AUTO setting when it is first
started.
;(Parking Lamps):
Turns on the
parking lamps together with the
following:
.Sidemarker Lamps
.Taillamps
.License Plate Lamps
.Instrument Panel Lights
5(Headlamps): Turns on the
headlamps, together with the
previously listed lamps and lights. 

Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2012
6-2 Lighting
Headlamp High/
Low-Beam Changer
2 3
Headlamp High/Low‐Beam
Changer: Push the turn signal/lane
change lever away from you and
release, to turn the high beams on.
To return to low beams, push the
lever again or pull it toward you and
release.
This indicator light turns on in the
instrument panel cluster when the
high‐beam headlamps are on.
Flash-to-Pass
The flash‐to‐pass feature works with
the low beams or Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL) on or off.
To flash the high beams, pull the
turn signal/lane change lever all the
way toward you, then release it.
Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL)
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)
system makes the low-beam
headlamps come on at a reduced
brightness in daylight when the
following conditions are met:
.The ignition is on.
.The exterior lamp band is in the
automatic position.
.The transmission is not in
P (Park).
.The light sensor determines it is
daytime.
.The parking brake is released. Fully functional Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL) are required on all
vehicles first sold in Canada.
When the DRL are on the taillamps,
sidemarker, instrument panel lights
and other lamps will not be on. The
instrument panel cluster will be lit.
When the exterior lamp band is
turned to the headlamp position, the
low-beam headlamps come on. The
other lamps that come on with the
headlamps will also come on.
To idle your vehicle with the DRL
off, move the shift lever to P (Park).
The DRL will stay off until the shift
lever is moved out of the P (Park)
position.
The regular headlamp system
should be turned on when needed. 

Black plate (36,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2012
7-36 Infotainment System
When a DVD video menu is being
displayed, press
©or¨to cursor up
or down on the menu. Hold
©or¨to
cursor left or right on the menu.
PROG (Program): Press to go to
the next preset radio station or
channel set on the main radio. If the
front seat passengers are listening
to the radio, this function may be
inactive on some radios.
When a CD or DVD audio disc is
playing, press PROG to go to the
beginning of the disc or display disc
info. If the front seat passengers are
listening to a disc, this function may
be inactive on some radios. When a disc is playing in the CD or
DVD changer, press and hold
PROG to select the next disc,
if multiple discs are loaded. If the
front seat passengers are listening
to a disc, this function may be
inactive on some radios.
The PROG button may be used to
access the menu of an MP3. Once
in the menu, use
©or¨to make
selections.
When a DVD video menu is
displayed, press PROG, or press
and hold PROG to perform the
menu function, then press ENTER.
Phone
Bluetooth (Overview)
For vehicles equipped with the
MyLink or IntelliLink infotainment
system, see the separate MyLink/
IntelliLink Features and Functions
Guide for more information.
For vehicles equipped with
Bluetooth capability, the system can
interact with many cell phones,
allowing:
.Placement and receipt of calls in
a hands-free mode.
.Sharing of the cell phone’s
address book or contact list with
the vehicle. 

Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2012
INDEX i-5
Fuel (cont'd)Recommended . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-51
Requirements, California . . . . . 9-52
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
Fuel Economy Mode . . . . . . . . . . . 9-31
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36 Engine CompartmentFuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Instrument Panel Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-40
G
GasolineSpecifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-51
Gauges Engine Coolant
Temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Warning Lights and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8 General Information
Service and Maintenance . . . . . 11-1
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-56
Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
GM Mobility Reimbursement Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-6
H
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . . . 6-3
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
HeadlampsAiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-32
Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Headlamps, Front Turn
Signal, Sidemarker, and
Parking Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-32
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . . 6-2
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Heated Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Heated Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15 Heater
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Heating and Air Conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1, 8-3
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-12
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . 9-12
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . . 9-34
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-5
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-13
I
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Ignition Transmission LockCheck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Infants and Young Children,
Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-37
Infotainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Instrument Panel Storage Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii 

Black plate (6,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2012
i-6 INDEX
J
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-74
K
Key and Lock Messages . . . . . . . 5-30
Keyless EntryRemote (RKE) System . . . . . . . . 2-3
Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
L
Labeling, Tire Sidewall . . . . . . . . 10-43
Lamps Daytime Running (DRL) . . . . . . . 6-2
Dome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Exterior Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
License Plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
Malfunction Indicator . . . . . . . . . 5-14
On Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Lane Departure Warning . . . . . . . 9-48
Lane Departure Warning
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-15 LATCH System
Replacing Parts after a
Crash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-49
LATCH, Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children . . . . . . . . . . 3-43
Liftgate Carbon Monoxide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Lighting Entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Illumination Control . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Lights
Airbag Readiness . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Antilock Brake System(ABS) Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Brake System Warning . . . . . . . 5-17
Charging System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Engine Oil Pressure . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Front Fog Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Fuel Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
High-Beam On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . . 6-2
Lane Departure Warning . . . . . . 5-18 Lights (cont'd)
Low Fuel Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . 5-12
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
StabiliTrak
®OFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Traction Control System (TCS)/StabiliTrak
®. . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Traction Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Locks Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Power Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . . 5-22
Lower Anchors and Tethers
for Children (LATCH
System) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-43
Lumbar Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5 Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5