
Black plate (3,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 5/21/12
In Brief 1-3
1.Air Vents on page 8‑6.
2. Turn and Lane-Change Lever. See Turn and Lane-Change
Signals on page 6‑3.
Exterior Lamp Controls on
page 6‑1.
Fog Lamps on page 6‑4 (If
Equipped).
3. Instrument Cluster on page 5‑8.
4. Windshield Wiper/Washer on
page 5‑3.
Rear Window Wiper/Washer on
page 5‑4.
5. Power Door Locks on page 2‑7.
6. Instrument Panel Storage on
page 4‑1 (If Equipped).
Forward Collision Alert (FCA)
Display (If Equipped). See
Forward Collision Alert (FCA)
System on page 9‑37.
Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
Indicator (If Equipped). See
Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
on page 9‑44. 7. Touchscreen (If Equipped).
8.
Safety Locks on page 2‑8.
9. Infotainment on page 7‑1.
Navigation System (If Equipped).
See Infotainment Manual.
10. Hood Release. See Hood on
page 10‑4.
11. Data Link Connector (DLC) (Out of View). See Malfunction
Indicator Lamp on page 5‑13.
12. Cruise Control on page 9‑35.
Forward Collision Alert (FCA)
Button (If Equipped). See
Forward Collision Alert (FCA)
System on page 9‑37.
Lane Departure Warning
(LDW) Button (If Equipped).
SeeLane Departure Warning
(LDW) on page 9‑44.
13. Instrument Panel Illumination
Control on page 6‑4.
14. Steering Wheel Adjustment on
page 5‑2.
15. Horn on page 5‑3. 16.
Steering Wheel Controls on
page 5‑2.
17. Ignition Positions on
page 9‑19.
18. Climate Control Systems on
page 8‑1 (If Equipped).
Automatic Climate Control
System on page 8‑3 (If
Equipped).
19. Shift Lever. See Shifting Into
Park on page 9‑23.
20. Fuel Economy Mode on
page 9‑29 (If Equipped).
21. StabiliTrak
®System on
page 9‑33.
22. Power Outlets on page 5‑6.
23. CD Player on page 7‑13.
24. Driver Information Center Buttons (If Equipped). See
Driver Information Center (DIC)
on page 5‑22.
25. Hazard Warning Flashers on
page 6‑3.

Black plate (15,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 5/21/12
In Brief 1-15
Transmission
Electronic Range Select
(ERS) Mode
ERS or manual mode allows for the
selection of the range of gear
positions. Use this mode when
driving down hill or towing a trailer
to limit the top gear and vehicle
speed.
To use this feature:
1. Move the shift lever toM (Manual Mode).
2. Press the plus/minus button on the shift lever, to increase or
decrease the gear range
available.
See Manual Mode on page 9‑28 for
more information.
Fuel Economy Mode
Vehicles with a 2.4L engine have a
Fuel Economy Mode. When
engaged, fuel economy mode can
improve the vehicle's fuel economy.
Press the “eco”(economy) button by
the shift lever to turn this feature on
or off. The “eco”light in the
instrument cluster will come on
when engaged, and a Driver
Information Center (DIC) message
“ECO MODE ON” displays. See
Fuel Economy Mode on page 9‑29.
Vehicle Features
Radio(s)
VOL/O: Press to turn the system
on and off. Turn to increase or
decrease the volume.
RADIO/BAND: Press to choose
between FM and AM.
MENU/SEL: Turn to select radio
stations.
Press to show available information
about the current station or track.
gSEEK: Press to seek the
previous station or track.
lSEEK: Press to seek the next
station or track.
Buttons 1–6: Press to save and
select favorite stations
For more information about these
and other radio features, see
Operation on page 7‑4.

Black plate (11,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 5/21/12
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-11
Do not force the liftgate open or
closed during a power cycle.
The power liftgate may be
temporarily disabled under extreme
temperatures or low battery
conditions. If this occurs, the liftgate
can still be operated manually.
If the vehicle is shifted out of
P (Park) while the power function is
in progress, the liftgate power
function will continue to completion.
If the vehicle is shifted out of
P (Park) and accelerated before the
power liftgate latch is closed, the
liftgate may reverse to the open
position. Cargo could fall out of the
vehicle. Always make sure the
power liftgate is closed and latched
before driving away.
If the liftgate is power opened and
the liftgate support struts have lost
pressure, the turn signals flash and
a chime will sound. The liftgate
stays open temporarily, and then
slowly closes. See a dealer for
service before using the liftgate.Obstacle Detection Features
If the liftgate encounters an obstacle
during a power open or close cycle,
a warning chime will sound and the
liftgate will automatically reverse
direction to the full closed or open
position. After removing the
obstruction, the power liftgate
operation can be used again. If the
liftgate encounters multiple
obstacles on the same power cycle,
the power function will deactivate
and a message will display in the
Driver Information Center (DIC), see
Object Detection System Messages
on page 5‑29. After removing the
obstructions, the liftgate will resume
normal power operation.
Pinch sensors are located on the
side edges of the liftgate. If an
object is caught between the liftgate
and the vehicle and presses against
this sensor, the liftgate will reverse
direction and open fully. The liftgate
will remain open until it is activated
again or closed manually.
Power Liftgate 3/4 Mode
To program the liftgate opening
height:
1. Turn the liftgate switch to eitherthe MAX, or the 3/4 mode
position and power open the
liftgate.
2. Stop the liftgate movement at the desired height by pressing
any liftgate switch. Manually
adjust the liftgate position if
required.
3. Press and hold the button on the liftgate adjacent to the latch until
the turn signals flash and a beep
sounds to indicate that the new
setting is recorded.
When power opened with the 3/4
mode selected, the liftgate stops at
the new set position.

Black plate (12,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 5/21/12
2-12 Keys, Doors, and Windows
If there is no audible and visual
feedback when setting the
intermediate stop position, the
liftgate height is being set below the
3/4 open height minimum
(approximately 1.5 m or 5 ft). The
liftgate cannot be set below that
minimum and the new setting will
not be recorded.
Manual Operation of Power
Liftgate
To change the liftgate to manual
operation, turn the mode switch to
the OFF position.
With the power liftgate disabled and
all of the doors unlocked, the liftgate
can be manually opened and
closed. Manual operation of a
liftgate that also has power
operation requires more effort than
a standard manual liftgate.To open the liftgate, press the touch
pad on the handle on the outside of
the liftgate, and lift the gate open. To
close the liftgate, use the pull cup to
lower the liftgate and close. With the
power liftgate disabled, the liftgate
electric latch will still power latch
once contact is made with the
striker. Always close the liftgate
before driving.
If
Von the RKE transmitter is
pressed while power operation is
disabled, the turn signals flash and
the liftgate will not move.
The liftgate has an electric latch.
If the battery is disconnected or has
low voltage, the liftgate will not
open. The liftgate will resume
operation when the battery is
reconnected and charged.
Vehicle Security
This vehicle has theft-deterrent
features; however, they do not make
the vehicle impossible to steal.
Vehicle Alarm System
This vehicle has an anti-theft alarm
system.
Arming the System
To arm the system, do one of the
following:
.PressQon the RKE transmitter.
.Lock the vehicle using the key in
the driver door.
The alarm automatically arms after
about 30 seconds. The security
light, located on the instrument
panel, flashes.
Press
Von the RKE transmitter to
open the liftgate without setting off
the alarm. The system rearms when
the liftgate is closed.

Black plate (24,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 5/21/12
3-24 Seats and Restraints
moderate to severe side collisions,
even belted occupants can contact
the inside of the vehicle.
Airbags supplement the protection
provided by safety belts. Frontal
airbags distribute the force of the
impact more evenly over the
occupant's upper body, stopping the
occupant more gradually. Seat‐
mounted side impact and roof-rail
airbags distribute the force of the
impact more evenly over the
occupant's upper body.
Rollover capable roof-rail airbags
are designed to help contain the
head and chest of occupants in the
outboard seating positions in the
first and second rows. The rollover
capable roof-rail airbags are
designed to help reduce the risk of
full or partial ejection in rollover
events, although no system can
prevent all such ejections.
But airbags would not help in many
types of collisions, primarily
because the occupant's motion isnot toward those airbags. See
When
Should an Airbag Inflate? on
page 3‑22 for more information.
Airbags should never be regarded
as anything more than a supplement
to safety belts.
What Will You See after
an Airbag Inflates?
After the frontal airbags and
seat-mounted side impact airbags
inflate, they quickly deflate, so
quickly that some people may not
even realize an airbag inflated.
Roof-rail airbags may still be at least
partially inflated for some time after
they inflate. Some components of
the airbag module may be hot for
several minutes. For location of the
airbags, see Where Are the
Airbags? on page 3‑20.
The parts of the airbag that come
into contact with you may be warm,
but not too hot to touch. There may
be some smoke and dust coming
from the vents in the deflated
airbags. Airbag inflation does not prevent the driver from seeing out of
the windshield or being able to steer
the vehicle, nor does it prevent
people from leaving the vehicle.
{WARNING
When an airbag inflates, there
may be dust in the air. This dust
could cause breathing problems
for people with a history of
asthma or other breathing trouble.
To avoid this, everyone in the
vehicle should get out as soon as
it is safe to do so. If you have
breathing problems but cannot
get out of the vehicle after an
airbag inflates, then get fresh air
by opening a window or a door.
If you experience breathing
problems following an airbag
deployment, you should seek
medical attention.
The vehicle has a feature that may
automatically unlock the doors, turn
the interior lamps on, turn the

Black plate (25,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 5/21/12
Seats and Restraints 3-25
hazard warning flashers on, and
shut off the fuel system after the
airbags inflate. You can lock the
doors, turn the interior lamps off,
and turn the hazard warning
flashers off by using the controls for
those features.
{WARNING
A crash severe enough to inflate
the airbags may have also
damaged important functions in
the vehicle, such as the fuel
system, brake and steering
systems, etc. Even if the vehicle
appears to be drivable after a
moderate crash, there may be
concealed damage that could
make it difficult to safely operate
the vehicle.
Use caution if you should attempt
to restart the engine after a crash
has occurred.In many crashes severe enough to
inflate the airbag, windshields are
broken by vehicle deformation.
Additional windshield breakage may
also occur from the front outboard
passenger airbag.
.Airbags are designed to inflate
only once. After an airbag
inflates, you will need some new
parts for the airbag system.
If you do not get them, the
airbag system will not be there
to help protect you in another
crash. A new system will include
airbag modules and possibly
other parts. The service manual
for the vehicle covers the need
to replace other parts.
.The vehicle has a crash sensing
and diagnostic module which
records information after a
crash. See
Vehicle Data
Recording and Privacy on
page 13‑13 andEvent Data
Recorders on page 13‑14.
.Let only qualified technicians
work on the airbag systems.
Improper service can mean that
an airbag system will not work
properly. See your dealer for
service.
Passenger Sensing
System
The vehicle has a passenger
sensing system for the right front
passenger position. The passenger
airbag status indicator will be visible
on the overhead console when the
vehicle is started.

Black plate (20,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 5/21/12
5-20 Instruments and Controls
Fuel Economy Light
For vehicles with the fuel economy
mode light, it comes on when the
eco (economy) switch, located on
the center console near the shifter,
is pressed. For vehicles with a
Driver Information Center (DIC) an
ECO MODE ON message displays.
SeeFuel System Messages on
page 5‑28 for more information.
Press the switch again to turn off
the light and exit the fuel
saver mode.
Low Fuel Warning Light
English Shown, Metric Similar
This light comes on for a few
seconds when the ignition is turned
on as a check to indicate it is
working. If it does not come on,
have it fixed.
The low fuel warning light is a circle
located on the fuel gauge. This light
comes on and a chime sounds
periodically when the vehicle is low
on fuel. The light goes off when fuel
is added to the fuel tank. For vehicles with a Driver
Information Center (DIC), see
Fuel
System Messages on page 5‑28 for
more information.
Security Light
The immobilizer light should come
on briefly as the engine is started.
If it does not come on, have the
vehicle serviced by your dealer.
If the system is working normally,
the indicator light turns off.
If the light stays on and the engine
does not start, there could be a
problem with the theft-deterrent
system. See Immobilizer Operation
on page 2‑13.

Black plate (28,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 5/21/12
5-28 Instruments and Controls
Engine Power Messages
ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED
This message displays when the
vehicle's engine power is reduced.
Reduced engine power can affect
the vehicle's ability to accelerate.
If this message is on, but there is no
reduction in performance, proceed
to your destination. The
performance may be reduced the
next time the vehicle is driven. The
vehicle may be driven at a reduced
speed while this message is on, but
maximum acceleration and speed
may be reduced. Anytime this
message stays on, the vehicle
should be taken to your dealer for
service as soon as possible.
Fuel System Messages
ECO MODE ON
On some models, this message
displays when the fuel economy
mode has been turned on bypressing the eco button near the
shift lever. See
Fuel Economy Mode
on page 9‑29 for more information.
FUEL LEVEL LOW
This message displays when the
vehicle is low on fuel. Refuel as
soon as possible.
TIGHTEN GAS CAP
This message displays when the
fuel cap is not on tight. Tighten the
fuel cap.
Key and Lock Messages
REPLACE BATTERY IN
REMOTE KEY
This message displays when the
battery in the Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) transmitter needs to be
replaced.
Object Detection System
Messages
FORWARD COLLISION
ALERT OFF
If your vehicle has the Forward
Collision Alert (FCA) system, this
message may display if the FCA
system cannot activate due to a
temporary condition. See Forward
Collision Alert (FCA) System on
page 9‑37.
FRONT CAMERA BLOCKED,
CLEAN WINDSHIELD
This message displays when the
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) and
Forward Collision Alert (FCA)
systems are disabled because the
camera view is blocked and cannot
operate properly. It may also
activate during heavy rain or due to
road spray. To clean the system,
clean the outside of the windshield
area in front of the LDW/FCA
camera sensor.