2012 CHEVROLET EQUINOX airbag

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2012
2012 Chevrolet Equinox Owner ManualM
In Brief. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . 1-4
Vehicle Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19
Performance and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-25
Keys, Doors, and Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
Keys and Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Vehicle Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Exterior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Interior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18
Roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-20
Seats and Restraints . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-12
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-21
Child Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-35 Storage
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Storage Compartments . . . . . . . . 4-1
Additional Storage Features . . . 4-2
Roof Rack System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Instruments and Controls . . . . 5-1
Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Information Displays . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . . 5-34
Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Lighting Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-14
Audio Players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-23
Rear Seat Infotainment . . . . . . . 7-34
Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-36
Trademarks and License Agreements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-48 Climate Controls
. . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . 8-1
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-5
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-6
Driving and Operating . . . . . . . . 9-1
Driving Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Starting and Operating . . . . . . . 9-20
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 9-29
Drive Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Ride Control Systems . . . . . . . . 9-35
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-38
Object Detection Systems . . . . 9-40
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-51
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-56
Conversions and Add-Ons . . . 9-64
Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Vehicle Checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-32
Electrical System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
Wheels and Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-42

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 (12,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2012
1-12 In Brief
Safety Belts
Refer to the following sections for
important information on how to use
safety belts properly:
.Safety Belts on page 3‑12.
.How to Wear Safety Belts
Properly on page 3‑13.
.Lap-Shoulder Belt on page 3‑15.
.Lower Anchors and Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) on
page 3‑43.
Passenger Sensing
System
United States
CanadaThe passenger sensing system will
turn off the right front passenger
frontal airbag under certain
conditions. The driver airbag, seat‐
mounted side impact airbags, and
roof‐rail airbags are not affected by
the passenger sensing system.
The passenger airbag status
indicator will be visible on the
overhead console when the vehicle
is started. See
Passenger Sensing
System on page 3‑28 for more
information.

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2012
Seats and Restraints 3-1
Seats and
Restraints
Head Restraints
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Front Seats
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Power Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . 3-4
Lumbar Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . 3-5
Memory Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7
Heated Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Rear Seats
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10
Safety Belts
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-12
How to Wear Safety BeltsProperly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-13
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . 3-15
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-19
Safety Belt Extender . . . . . . . . . 3-19 Safety System Check . . . . . . . . 3-19
Safety Belt Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-20
Replacing Safety Belt System
Parts after a Crash . . . . . . . . . 3-20
Airbag System
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-21
Where Are the Airbags? . . . . . 3-23
When Should an AirbagInflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-24
What Makes an Airbag Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-26
How Does an Airbag Restrain? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-26
What Will You See after an Airbag Inflates? . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-26
Passenger Sensing
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-28
Servicing the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-32
Adding Equipment to the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle . . . 3-33
Airbag System Check . . . . . . . . 3-34
Replacing Airbag System Parts after a Crash . . . . . . . . . 3-34
Child Restraints
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-35
Infants and YoungChildren . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-37
Child Restraint Systems . . . . . 3-39
Where to Put the Restraint . . . 3-41
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-43
Replacing LATCH System Parts After a Crash . . . . . . . . . 3-49
Securing Child Restraints (Rear Seat ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-49
Securing Child Restraints (Front Passenger Seat) . . . . 3-52

Black plate (13,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2012
Seats and Restraints 3-13
When you wear a safety belt, you
and the vehicle slow down together.
There is more time to stop because
you stop over a longer distance and,
when worn properly, your strongest
bones take the forces from the
safety belts. That is why wearing
safety belts makes such good
sense.
Questions and Answers About
Safety Belts
Q: Will I be trapped in the vehicleafter a crash if I am wearing a
safety belt?
A: You could be—whether you are
wearing a safety belt or not.
Your chance of being conscious
during and after a crash, so you
can unbuckle and get out, is
much greater if you are belted. Q: If my vehicle has airbags, why
should I have to wear safety
belts?
A: Airbags are supplemental
systems only; so they work with
safety belts —not instead of
them. Whether or not an airbag
is provided, all occupants still
have to buckle up to get the
most protection.
Also, in nearly all states and in
all Canadian provinces, the law
requires wearing safety belts.
How to Wear Safety Belts
Properly
This section is only for people of
adult size.
There are special things to know
about safety belts and children. And
there are different rules for smaller
children and infants. If a child will be
riding in the vehicle, see Older
Children on page 3‑35 orInfants
and Young Children on page 3‑37.
Follow those rules for everyone's
protection.
It is very important for all occupants
to buckle up. Statistics show that
unbelted people are hurt more often
in crashes than those who are
wearing safety belts.

Black plate (16,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2012
3-16 Seats and Restraints
To unlatch the belt, push the button
on the buckle.
Before a door is closed, be sure the
safety belt is out of the way. If a
door is slammed against a safety
belt, damage can occur to both the
safety belt and the vehicle.
Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster
The vehicle has a shoulder belt
height adjuster for the driver and
right front passenger seating
positions.Adjust the height so the shoulder
portion of the belt is on the shoulder
and not falling off of it. The belt
should be close to, but not
contacting, the neck. Improper
shoulder belt height adjustment
could reduce the effectiveness of
the safety belt in a crash. See
How
to Wear Safety Belts Properly on
page 3‑13.
Move the height adjuster up to the
desired position by pushing up on
the height adjuster. After the height adjuster is set to the
desired position, try to move it down
without pressing the release
button (A) to make sure it has
locked into position. Press the
release button to lower the height
adjuster.
Safety Belt Pretensioners
This vehicle has safety belt
pretensioners for front outboard
occupants. Although the safety belt
pretensioners cannot be seen, they
are part of the safety belt assembly.
They can help tighten the safety
belts during the early stages of a
moderate to severe frontal and near
frontal crash if the threshold
conditions for pretensioner
activation are met. And, if the
vehicle has side impact airbags,
safety belt pretensioners can help
tighten the safety belts in a side
crash or a rollover event.

Black plate (20,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2012
3-20 Seats and Restraints
Safety Belt Care
Keep belts clean and dry.
{WARNING
Do not bleach or dye safety belts.
It may severely weaken them. In
a crash, they might not be able to
provide adequate protection.
Clean safety belts only with mild
soap and lukewarm water.
Replacing Safety Belt
System Parts after a
Crash
{WARNING
A crash can damage the safety
belt system in the vehicle.
A damaged safety belt system
may not properly protect the
person using it, resulting in
serious injury or even death in a
crash. To help make sure the
safety belt systems are working
properly after a crash, have them
inspected and any necessary
replacements made as soon as
possible.After a minor crash, replacement of
safety belts may not be necessary.
But the safety belt assemblies that
were used during any crash may
have been stressed or damaged.
See your dealer to have the safety
belt assemblies inspected or
replaced.
New parts and repairs may be
necessary even if the safety belt
system was not being used at the
time of the crash.
Have the safety belt pretensioners
checked if the vehicle has been in a
crash, or if the airbag readiness light
stays on after you start the vehicle
or while you are driving. See
Airbag
Readiness Light on page 5‑12.

Black plate (21,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2012
Seats and Restraints 3-21
Airbag System
The vehicle has the following
airbags:
.A frontal airbag for the driver.
.A frontal airbag for the right front
passenger.
.A seat-mounted side impact
airbag for the driver.
.A seat-mounted side impact
airbag for the right front
passenger.
.A roof-rail airbag for the driver
and the passenger seated
directly behind the driver.
.A roof-rail airbag for the right
front passenger and the
passenger seated directly
behind the right front passenger.
All of the airbags in the vehicle will
have the word AIRBAG embossed
in the trim or on an attached label
near the deployment opening. For frontal airbags, the word
AIRBAG will appear on the middle
part of the steering wheel for the
driver and on the instrument panel
for the right front passenger.
With seat-mounted side impact
airbags, the word AIRBAG will
appear on the side of the seatback
closest to the door.
With roof-rail airbags, the word
AIRBAG will appear along the trim.
Airbags are designed to supplement
the protection provided by safety
belts. Even though today's airbags
are also designed to help reduce
the risk of injury from the force of an
inflating bag, all airbags must inflate
very quickly to do their job.
Here are the most important things
to know about the airbag system:
{WARNING
You can be severely injured or
killed in a crash if you are not
wearing your safety belt, even
with airbags. Airbags are
designed to work with safety
belts, not replace them. Also,
airbags are not designed to inflate
in every crash. In some crashes
safety belts are the only restraint.
See
When Should an Airbag
Inflate? on page 3‑24.
Wearing your safety belt during a
crash helps reduce the chance of
hitting things inside the vehicle or
being ejected from it. Airbags are
“supplemental restraints” to the
safety belts. Everyone in the
vehicle should wear a safety belt
properly, whether or not there is
an airbag for that person.