
Black plate (26,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
7707483) - 2015 - crc - 9/29/14
5-26 Instruments and Controls
Brake System Messages
BRAKE FLUID LOW
This message is displayed when the
brake fluid level is low; seeBrake
Fluid on page 10-22.
RELEASE PARKING BRAKE
This message is displayed as a
reminder that the parking brake is
on. Release it before you attempt to
drive.
Compass Messages
CAL
This message is displayed when the
compass needs to be calibrated.
See Compass on page 5-4.
– –
Dashes will be displayed if the
compass needs service. See your
dealer for service.
Cruise Control Messages
APPLY BRAKE BEFORE
CRUISE
If this message displays when
attempting to activate cruise control,
apply the brake pedal and try again.
CRUISE SET TO XXX
This message displays when the
cruise control is set and shows the
speed it was set to. See Cruise
Control on page 9-35.
Door Ajar Messages
DOOR OPEN
A door open symbol will be
displayed on the DIC showing which
door is open. If the vehicle has been
shifted out of P (Park), a DOOR
OPEN message will also be
displayed. Close the door
completely.
MANUALLY CLOSE THE
POWER LIFTGATE
This message will display if the
power liftgate encounters multiple
obstacles on the same power cycle.
After removing the obstructions, the
liftgate will resume normal power
operation.
REAR ACCESS OPEN
This message will display along with
a symbol when the liftgate is open.
Close the liftgate completely.
Engine Cooling System
Messages
A/C OFF DUE TO HIGH
ENGINE TEMP
This message displays when the
engine coolant becomes hotter than
the normal operating temperature.
To avoid added strain on a hot
engine, the air conditioning
compressor automatically turns off.
When the coolant temperature
returns to normal, the air

Black plate (28,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
7707483) - 2015 - crc - 9/29/14
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.
FUEL LEVEL LOW
This message displays when the
vehicle is low on fuel. Refuel as
soon as possible.
TIGHTEN GAS CAP
This message may display 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.

Black plate (31,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
7707483) - 2015 - crc - 9/29/14
Instruments and Controls 5-31
TIRE LEARNING ACTIVE
This message displays when the
system is learning new tires. See
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation on
page 10-46.
TIRE LOW ADD AIR TO TIRE
This message displays when the
pressure in one or more of the tires
is low.
This message also displays LEFT
FRONT, RIGHT FRONT, LEFT
REAR, or RIGHT REAR to indicate
the location of the low tire.
The low tire pressure warning light
will also come on. SeeTire
Pressure Light on page 5-19.
If a tire pressure message appears
on the DIC, stop as soon as you
can. Inflate the tires by adding air
until the tire pressure is equal to the
values shown on the Tire and
Loading Information label. See Tires
on page 10-36, Vehicle Load Limits
on page 9-14, and Tire Pressure on
page 10-44. You can receive more than one tire
pressure message at a time. The
DIC also shows the tire pressure
values. See
Driver Information
Center (DIC) on page 5-22.
Transmission Messages
SERVICE TRANSMISSION
This message displays if there is a
problem with the transmission. See
your dealer.
SHIFT TO PARK
This message displays when the
transmission needs to be shifted to
P (Park). This may appear when
attempting to remove the key from
the ignition or from the vehicle if the
vehicle is not in P (Park).
TRANSMISSION HOT —IDLE
ENGINE
This message displays and a chime
sounds if the transmission fluid in
the vehicle gets hot. Driving with the
transmission fluid temperature high
can cause damage to the vehicle. Stop the vehicle and let it idle to
allow the transmission to cool. This
message clears when the fluid
temperature reaches a safe level.
Vehicle Reminder
Messages
ICE POSSIBLE DRIVE
WITH CARE
This message is displayed when ice
conditions are possible.
TURN WIPER CONTROL TO
INTERMITTENT FIRST
This message is displayed when
attempting to adjust the intermittent
wiper speed without intermittent
selected on the wiper control. See
Windshield Wiper/Washer on
page 5-3.

Black plate (36,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
7707483) - 2015 - crc - 9/29/14
5-36 Instruments and Controls
Remote Start Auto Heat Seats
When on, this feature will turn the
heated seats on when using remote
start on cold days.
Select On or Off.
Auto Defog
When turned on and high humidity
is detected, the climate control
system may adjust to outside air
supply and turn on the air
conditioner or the heater. The fan
speed may slightly increase to help
prevent fogging. When high
humidity is no longer detected, the
system will return to its prior
operation.
Select On or Off.
Auto Rear Defog
When on, this feature turns on the
rear defogger at vehicle start when
the interior temperature is cold and
fog is likely. The auto rear defog
function can be disabled by
pressing
1. When off, the feature
can be turned on by pressing
1. See
“Rear Window Defogger” under
Climate Control Systems on
page 8-1 orAutomatic Climate
Control System on page 8-3.
Select On or Off.
Comfort and Convenience
Select and the following may
display:
.Easy Exit Driver Seat
.Chime Volume
.Reverse Tilt Mirror
.Memory Remote Recall
Easy Exit Driver Seat
This feature moves the seat
rearward allowing the driver more
room to exit the vehicle. See “Easy
Exit Driver Seat” underMemory
Seats on page 3-6.
Select On or Off.
Chime Volume
This allows the selection of the
chime volume level.
Select Normal or High. Reverse Tilt Mirror
When on, both the driver and
passenger mirrors will tilt downward
when the vehicle is shifted to
R (Reverse) to improve visibility of
the ground near the rear wheels.
They will return to their previous
driving position when the vehicle is
shifted out of R (Reverse), the
ignition is turned to OFF, or the
vehicle is left in R (Reverse). See
Reverse Tilt Mirrors on page 2-16.
Select On or Off.
Memory Remote Recall
This feature automatically recalls
the current driver
’s previously stored
1 or 2 button positions when
entering the vehicle. See "Recalling
RKE Memory Positions (Memory
Remote Recall)" under Memory
Seats on page 3-6.
Select On or Off.
Collision Detection Systems
Select the following may display:
.Park Assist

Black plate (37,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
7707483) - 2015 - crc - 9/29/14
Instruments and Controls 5-37
Park Assist
This allows the Parking Assist
feature to be turned on or off.
Select On or Off.
Lighting
Select and the following may
display:
.Vehicle Locator Lights
.Exit Lighting
Vehicle Locator Lights
This allows the vehicle locator lights
to be turned on or off.
Select On or Off.
Exit Lighting
This allows the selection of how
long the exterior lamps stay on
when leaving the vehicle when it is
dark outside.
Select Off, 30 Seconds, 1 Minute,
or 2 Minutes.
Power Door Locks
Select and depending on the radio
the following may display:
.Auto Door Unlock
.Delayed Door Lock
Auto Door Unlock
This allows selection of which doors
will automatically unlock when the
vehicle is shifted into P (Park).
Select All Doors, Driver Door,
or OFF.
Delayed Door Lock
When on, this feature will delay the
locking of the doors. See Delayed
Locking on page 2-8.
Select to enable or disable.
Remote Lock/Unlock/Start
Select and depending on the radio
the following may display:
.Remote Unlock Feedback
.Remote Unlock Light Feedback
.Remote Lock Feedback
.Remote Door Unlock
Remote Unlock Feedback or
Remote Unlock Light Feedback
When on, the exterior lamps will
flash when unlocking the vehicle
with the RKE transmitter.
Depending on the radio select Flash
Lights or OFF, or select to enable or
disable.
Remote Lock Feedback
This allows selection of what
feedback is provided when
unlocking the vehicle with the RKE
transmitter.
Select Lights and Horn, Lights Only,
Horn Only, or Off.
Remote Door Unlock
This allows selection of which doors
will unlock on the first press of
Kon
the RKE transmitter.
Select Driver Door or All Doors.

Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
7707483) - 2015 - crc - 9/29/14
6-2 Lighting
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 lever all the way toward
you, then release it.
Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL)
The 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 control is
in AUTO.
.The transmission is not in
P (Park).
.The light sensor determines it is
daytime.
.The parking brake is released.
Fully functional 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 cluster will be lit.
When the exterior lamp control is
turned to
5, 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.
Automatic Headlamp
System
When it is dark enough outside, the
headlamps come on automatically.
Do not cover the light sensor on top
of the instrument panel or the
headlamps will come on when they
are not needed.
The system may also turn on the
headlamps when driving through a
parking garage or tunnel.
If the vehicle is started in a dark
garage, the automatic headlamp
system comes on immediately. If it
is light outside when the vehicle
leaves the garage, there is a slight
delay before the automatic
headlamp system changes to the
DRL. During that delay, the
instrument cluster may not be as
bright as usual. Make sure the
instrument panel brightness control

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
7707483) - 2015 - crc - 9/29/14
Driving and Operating 9-1
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . 9-10
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 9-11
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-12
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 9-13
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . 9-14
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . 9-19
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-19
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Retained AccessoryPower (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-22
Engine Coolant Heater . . . . . . . 9-23 Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Parking over Things
That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . 9-27
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Fuel Economy Mode . . . . . . . . . 9-29
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-31
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . 9-32
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Driver Assistance Systems
Forward Collision Alert (FCA)System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-37
Parking Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-39
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-41
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-43
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-44
California FuelRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-45
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 9-46
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-46
E85 or FlexFuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-46
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-47
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-48
Trailer Towing
General TowingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-49
Driving Characteristics and Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-49
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-52
Towing Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . 9-54
Trailer Sway Control (TSC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-54

Black plate (6,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
7707483) - 2015 - crc - 9/29/14
9-6 Driving and Operating
material on the road. Learn to
recognize warning clues—such
as enough water, ice, or packed
snow on the road to make a
mirrored surface —and slow
down when you have any doubt.
.Try to avoid sudden steering,
acceleration, or braking,
including reducing vehicle speed
by shifting to a lower gear. Any
sudden changes could cause
the tires to slide.
Remember: Antilock brakes help
avoid only the braking skid.
Off-Road Driving
All-wheel-drive vehicles can be
used for off-road driving. Vehicles
without all-wheel drive and vehicles
not equipped with All Terrain (AT) or
On-Off Road (OOR) tires must not
be driven off-road except on a level,
solid surface. To contact the tire
manufacturer for more information
about the original equipment tires, see the Limited Warranty and
Owner Assistance Information
manual.
Controlling the vehicle is the key to
successful off-road driving. One of
the best ways to control the vehicle
is to control the speed.
{Warning
When driving off-road, bouncing
and quick changes in direction
can easily throw you out of
position. This could cause you to
lose control and crash. You and
your passengers should always
wear safety belts.
Before Driving Off-Road
.Have all necessary maintenance
and service work completed.
.Fuel the vehicle, fill fluid levels,
and check inflation pressure in
all tires, including the spare,
if equipped.
.Read all the information about
all-wheel-drive vehicles in this
manual.
.Make sure all underbody
shields, if equipped, are properly
attached.
.Know the local laws that apply to
off-road driving.
To gain more ground clearance if
needed, it may be necessary to
remove the front fascia lower air
dam. However, driving without the
air dam reduces fuel economy.
{Caution
Operating the vehicle for
extended periods without the front
fascia lower air dam installed can
cause improper air flow to the
engine. Re-attach the front fascia
air dam after off-road driving.