2012 CHEVROLET EQUINOX key

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 (1,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2012
In Brief 1-1
In Brief
Instrument Panel
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . 1-4
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Liftgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8
Memory Features . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Heated Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Head Restraint Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12
Passenger Sensing System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12 Mirror Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-13
Steering Wheel
Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-13
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . 1-15
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Vehicle Features
Radio(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
Portable Audio Devices . . . . . . 1-20
Bluetooth
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-21
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . 1-21
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-22
Navigation System . . . . . . . . . . . 1-22
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-22 Forward Collision Alert (FCA)
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-23
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-23
Rear Vision
Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-24
Ultrasonic Parking Assist . . . . 1-24
Roof Rack System . . . . . . . . . . . 1-24
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-24
Performance and Maintenance
Traction Control System (TCS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-25
StabiliTrak
®System . . . . . . . . . 1-25
Tire Pressure Monitor . . . . . . . . 1-25
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . 1-26
Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) . . . . . 1-26
Driving for Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-26
Roadside Assistance Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-27
OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-27

Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2012
1-4 In Brief
Initial Drive
Information
This section provides a brief
overview about some of the
important features that may or may
not be on your specific vehicle.
For more detailed information, refer
to each of the features which can be
found later in this owner manual.
Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System
The Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter will work up to
60 m (195 ft) away from the vehicle.
Press this button to extend the key.
The key can be used for the ignition
and all locks.
K:Press to unlock the driver door
or all doors.
Q: Press to lock all doors. Lock and unlock feedback can be
personalized.
V:
For vehicles with the power
liftgate, press and hold until the
liftgate begins to move to open the
liftgate.
For vehicles without the power
liftgate, first press
K, then press
and hold
Vto unlock the liftgate.
7: Press and release to locate the
vehicle. Press and hold for at least
two seconds to sound the panic
alarm. Press
7again to cancel the
panic alarm.
See Keys on page 2‑2 andRemote
Keyless Entry (RKE) System
Operation on page 2‑3.

Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2012
In Brief 1-5
Remote Vehicle Start
With this feature the engine can be
started from outside of the vehicle.
Starting the Vehicle
1. Press and releaseQon the
Remote Keyless Entry
transmitter.
2. Press and hold
/for about
two seconds. The turn signal
lamps will briefly flash to confirm
the vehicle has been started.
The parking lamps will turn on
and remain on as long as the
engine is running. The vehicle's
doors will be locked.
3. The key must be inserted and turned to ON/RUN before
driving.
The engine will shut off after
10 minutes unless a time extension
is done or the key is inserted and
turned to ON/RUN.
Canceling a Remote Start
To cancel a remote start, do one of
the following:
.Press/until the parking lamps
turn off.
.Turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
.Insert the key and turn it to
ON/RUN and then back to
LOCK/OFF.
See Remote Vehicle Start on
page 2‑5.
Door Locks
To lock or unlock the vehicle from
the outside, press
QorKon the
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter.
Base Radio Shown, Uplevel Similar
There is a power door lock switch
on the instrument panel.

Black plate (10,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2012
1-10 In Brief
Power Reclining Seatbacks
To adjust a power seatback,
if available:
.Tilt the top of the control
rearward to recline.
.Tilt the top of the control forward
to raise.
See Reclining Seatbacks on
page 3‑5.
Memory Features
On vehicles with the memory
feature, the “1”and “2”buttons on
the outboard side of the driver seat
are used to manually save and
recall the driver seat and outside
mirror positions. These manually
stored positions are referred to as
Button Memory positions.
The vehicle will also automatically
save driver seat and outside mirror
positions to the current driver
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter when the ignition is turned off. These automatically
stored positions are referred to as
RKE Memory positions.
Storing Button Memory Positions
To save positions into Button
Memory:
1. Adjust the driver seat, seatback
recliner, and both outside mirrors
to the desired driving positions.
2. Press and hold MEM (Memory) and “1”at the same time until a
beep sounds.
3. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 for a second driver using “2.”
To recall the manually saved Button
Memory positions, press and hold
“1” or“2.” The driver seat and
outside mirrors move to the
positions stored to those buttons
when pressed. Releasing “1”or“2”
before the stored positions are
reached stops the recall.

Black plate (26,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2012
1-26 In Brief
During cooler conditions, the low tire
pressure warning light may appear
when the vehicle is first started and
then turn off. This may be an early
indicator that the tire pressures are
getting low and the tires need to be
inflated to the proper pressure.
The TPMS does not replace normal
monthly tire maintenance. It is the
driver’s responsibility to maintain
correct tire pressures.
See Tire Pressure Monitor System
on page 10‑51.
Engine Oil Life System
The engine oil life system calculates
engine oil life based on vehicle use
and displays the CHANGE ENGINE
OIL SOON message when it is time
to change the engine oil and filter.
The oil life system should be reset
to 100% only following an oil
change. Resetting the Oil Life System
1. Turn the ignition to ON/RUN,
with the engine off.
2. Press the DIC MENU button to display the Vehicle
Information menu.
3. Press either the up or down arrows to view REMAINING
OIL LIFE.
4. Press the SET/CLR button until 100% is displayed.
5. Turn the key to LOCK/OFF.
Or:
1. Turn the ignition to ON/RUN with the engine off.
2. Fully press and release the accelerator pedal three times
within five seconds.
See Engine Oil Life System on
page 10‑12.
Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol)
Vehicles that have a FlexFuel badge
and a yellow fuel cap can use either
unleaded gasoline or ethanol fuel
containing up to 85% ethanol (E85).
See Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) on
page 9‑53. For all other vehicles,
use only the unleaded gasoline
described under Recommended
Fuel on page 9‑51.
Driving for Better Fuel
Economy
Driving habits can affect fuel
mileage. Here are some driving tips
to get the best fuel economy
possible.
.Avoid fast starts and accelerate
smoothly.
.Brake gradually and avoid
abrupt stops.
.Avoid idling the engine for long
periods of time.

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2012
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-1
Keys, Doors, and
Windows
Keys and Locks
Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System Operation . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Power Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Safety Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Doors
Liftgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Vehicle Security
Vehicle Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Anti-theft Alarm System . . . . . . 2-13
Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Immobilizer Operation . . . . . . . 2-13
Exterior Mirrors
Convex Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Power Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Heated Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Blind Spot Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Park Tilt Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Interior Mirrors
Manual Rearview Mirror . . . . . . 2-17
Automatic Dimming Rearview Mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Windows
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18
Power Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18
Sun Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-20
Roof
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-20

Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2012
2-2 Keys, Doors, and Windows
Keys and Locks
Keys
{WARNING
Leaving children in a vehicle with
the ignition key is dangerous for
many reasons. Children or others
could be badly injured or even
killed. They could operate the
power windows or other controls
or even make the vehicle move.
The windows will function with the
keys in the ignition and children
could be seriously injured or killed
if caught in the path of a closing
window. Do not leave the keys in
a vehicle with children.
The key that is part of the Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter can
be used for the ignition and all
locks.Press the button on the RKE
transmitter to extend the key. Press
the button and the key blade to
retract the key.
See your dealer if a new key is
needed.
Notice:If the keys get locked in
the vehicle, it may have to be
damaged to get them out. Always
carry a spare key.
If locked out of the vehicle, see
Roadside Assistance Program on
page 13‑6.