
Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 5/21/12
2013 Chevrolet Equinox Owner ManualM
In Brief. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . 1-4
Vehicle Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
Performance and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-21
Keys, Doors, and Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
Keys and Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Vehicle Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Exterior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Interior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18 Seats and Restraints
. . . . . . . . . 3-1
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-18
Child Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-32
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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Information Displays . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . . 5-32
Universal Remote System . . . . 5-37 Lighting
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Lighting Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7
Audio Players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-13
Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-21
Trademarks and License
Agreements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-33
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . 8-1
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-6
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-6

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 5/21/12
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 . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Liftgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7
Memory Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Heated Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Head Restraint Adjustment . . . . 1-9
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Passenger Sensing System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Mirror Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10 Steering Wheel
Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . 1-12
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-13
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
Vehicle Features
Radio(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Portable Audio Devices . . . . . . 1-16
Bluetooth
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . 1-17
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19 Lane Departure
Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
Ultrasonic Parking Assist . . . . 1-20
Roof Rack System . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
Universal Remote System . . . 1-21
Performance and Maintenance
Traction Control
System (TCS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-21
StabiliTrak
®System . . . . . . . . . 1-21
Tire Pressure Monitor . . . . . . . . 1-22
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . 1-22
Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) . . . . . 1-22
Driving for Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-23
Roadside Assistance Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-23
OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-23

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 (9,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 5/21/12
In Brief 1-9
Memory Features
If available, 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.
See
Memory Seats on page 3‑6 and
Vehicle Personalization on
page 5‑32.
Heated Seats
Uplevel Climate Control System
Shown, Base Similar
If available, the buttons are near the
climate controls. To operate, the
ignition must be in ON/RUN. Press
zorJto heat the driver or
passenger seat cushion and
seatback.
Indicator lights on the button show
the temperature setting.
See Heated Front Seats on
page 3‑8.
Head Restraint
Adjustment
Do not drive until the head restraints
for all occupants are installed and
adjusted properly.
To achieve a comfortable seating
position, change the seatback
recline angle as little as necessary
while keeping the seat and the head
restraint height in the proper
position.
See Head Restraints on page 3‑2
and Seat Adjustment on page 3‑3.

Black plate (13,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 5/21/12
In Brief 1-13
Rear Window Wiper/Washer
The rear wiper controls are on the
end of the windshield wiper lever.
ON:Press the upper portion of the
button for continuous rear window
wipes.
OFF: The rear wiper turns off when
the button is returned to the middle
position.
INT: Press the lower portion of the
button to set a delay between
wipes.
m =REAR: Push the windshield
wiper lever forward to spray washer
fluid on the rear window.
See Windshield Wiper/Washer on
page 5‑3 andRear Window Wiper/
Washer on page 5‑4.
Climate Controls
The vehicle's heating, cooling, defrosting, and ventilation can be controlled
with these systems.
Climate Control System
1. Fan Control
2. Air Delivery Mode Controls
3. Temperature Control
4. Outside Air 5. Front Defrost
6. Rear Window Defogger
7. Recirculation
8. Air Conditioning

Black plate (14,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 5/21/12
1-14 In Brief
Automatic Climate Control System
1. Fan Control
2. AUTO (Automatic Operation)
3. Air Delivery Mode Controls
4. Front Defrost
5. Recirculation
6. Temperature Control
7. Power8. Driver and Passenger Heated
Seats
9. Rear Window Defogger
10. Air Conditioning
See Climate Control Systems on
page 8‑1 (If Equipped) or Automatic
Climate Control System on page 8‑3
(If Equipped).
Parking Brake
To set the parking brake, hold the
regular brake pedal down, then
push the parking brake pedal down.
If the ignition is on, the brake
system warning light will come on.
See Brake System Warning Light on
page 5‑16.
To release the parking brake, hold
the regular brake pedal down, then
push down momentarily on the
parking brake pedal until you feel
the pedal release. Slowly pull your
foot up off the park brake pedal.
See Parking Brake on page 9‑31.

Black plate (18,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 5/21/12
1-18 In Brief
Cruise Control
ON/OFF5CRUISE:Press to turn
the cruise control system on and off.
*CANCEL: Press to disengage
cruise control without erasing the
set speed from memory.
RES/+: Move the thumbwheel up to
make the vehicle resume to a
previously set speed or to
accelerate. SET/−:
Move the thumbwheel down
toward SET/- to set a speed and
activate cruise control, or to make
the vehicle decelerate.
See Cruise Control on page 9‑35.
Infotainment System
See the infotainment manual for
information on the radio, audio
players, phone, navigation system,
and voice or speech recognition.
It also includes information on
settings and downloadable
applications (if equipped).
Driver Information
Center (DIC)
The DIC display is located in the
center of the instrument panel
cluster. It shows the status of many
vehicle systems.
The DIC buttons are located below
the climate control system.
MENU: Press this button to get to
the Trip/Fuel Menu and the Vehicle
Information Menu.
QorR: Use these buttons to
scroll through the items in each
menu. A small marker will move
along the page as you scroll through
the items. This shows where each
page is in the menu.
SET/CLR: Use this button to set or
clear the menu item when it is
displayed.

Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 5/21/12
2-4 Keys, Doors, and Windows
7(Vehicle Locator/Panic
Alarm): Press and release one
time to initiate vehicle locator. The
exterior lamps flash and the horn
chirps three times. Press and hold
7for at least three seconds to
sound the panic alarm. The horn
sounds and the turn signals flash
until
7is pressed again or the key
is placed in the ignition and turned
to ON/RUN.
/(Remote Vehicle Start): For
vehicles with this feature, first press
Qthen press and hold/to start
the engine from outside the vehicle
using the RKE transmitter. See
Remote Vehicle Start on page 2‑4
for additional information.
The buttons on the keys are
disabled when there is a key in the
ignition.
Programming Transmitters to
the Vehicle
Only RKE transmitters programmed
to this vehicle will work. If a
transmitter is lost or stolen, a replacement can be purchased and
programmed through your dealer.
When the replacement transmitter is
programmed to this vehicle, all
remaining transmitters must also be
reprogrammed. Any lost or stolen
transmitters will no longer work
once the new transmitter is
programmed.
Battery Replacement
Replace the battery if the REPLACE
BATTERY IN REMOTE KEY
message displays in the DIC. See
“Replace Battery in Remote Key”
under
Key and Lock Messages on
page 5‑28.
The battery is not rechargeable. To
replace the battery:
1. Push the button on the transmitter to extend the key.
2. Remove the battery cover by prying with a finger.
3. Remove the battery by pushing on the battery and sliding it
toward the key blade. 4. Insert the new battery, positive
side facing up. Push the battery
down until it is held in place.
Replace with a CR2032 or
equivalent battery.
5. Snap the battery cover back on to the transmitter.
Remote Vehicle Start
The vehicle may have this feature
that allows you to start the engine
from outside the vehicle.
/(Remote Vehicle Start): This
button will be on the RKE
transmitter if the vehicle has remote
start.
The climate control system will use
the previous settings during a
remote start. The rear defog may
come on during remote start based
on cold ambient conditions. The
rear defog indicator light does not
come on during remote start.