2015 CHEVROLET EQUINOX Owners Manual

Black plate (12,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
7707483) - 2015 - crc - 9/29/14
9-12 Driving and Operating
Warning (Continued)
loss of steering. Always have the
engine running and the vehicle
in gear.
.Stay in your own lane. Do not
swing wide or cut across the
center of the road. Drive at
speeds that let you stay in your
own lane.
.Be alert on top of hills;
something could be in your lane
(stalled car, accident).
.Pay attention to special road
signs (falling rocks area, winding
roads, long grades, passing or
no-passing zones) and take
appropriate action.
Winter Driving
Driving on Snow or Ice
Drive carefully when there is snow
or ice between the tires and the
road, creating less traction or grip.Wet ice can occur at about 0°C (32°
F) when freezing rain begins to fall,
resulting in even less traction. Avoid
driving on wet ice or in freezing rain
until roads can be treated with salt
or sand.
Drive with caution, whatever the
condition. Accelerate gently so
traction is not lost. Accelerating too
quickly causes the wheels to spin
and makes the surface under the
tires slick, so there is even less
traction.
Traction Control should be turned
on. See
Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control on page 9-33.
The Antilock Brake System (ABS)
improves vehicle stability during
hard stops on slippery roads, but
apply the brakes sooner than when
on dry pavement. See Antilock
Brake System (ABS) on page 9-30.
Allow greater following distance on
any slippery road and watch for
slippery spots. Icy patches can
occur on otherwise clear roads in
shaded areas. The surface of a curve or an overpass can remain icy
when the surrounding roads are
clear. Avoid sudden steering
maneuvers and braking while
on ice.
Turn off cruise control on slippery
surfaces.
Blizzard Conditions
Being stuck in snow can be a
serious situation. Stay with the
vehicle unless there is help nearby.
If possible, use Roadside
Assistance. See
Roadside
Assistance Program on page 13-5.
To get help and keep everyone in
the vehicle safe:
.Turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
.Tie a red cloth to an outside
mirror.

Black plate (13,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
7707483) - 2015 - crc - 9/29/14
Driving and Operating 9-13
{Warning
Snow can trap engine exhaust
under the vehicle. This may
cause exhaust gases to get
inside. Engine exhaust contains
carbon monoxide (CO) which
cannot be seen or smelled. It can
cause unconsciousness and even
death.
If the vehicle is stuck in the snow:
.Clear away snow from around
the base of your vehicle,
especially any that is blocking
the exhaust pipe.
.Check again from time to
time to be sure snow does
not collect there.
.Open a window about 5 cm
(2 in) on the side of the
vehicle that is away from the
wind to bring in fresh air.(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
.Fully open the air outlets on
or under the instrument
panel.
.Adjust the climate control
system to a setting that
circulates the air inside the
vehicle and set the fan speed
to the highest setting. See
“Climate Control Systems.”
For more information about
carbon monoxide, see Engine
Exhaust on page 9-26.
To save fuel, run the engine for only
short periods as needed to warm
the vehicle and then shut the engine
off and close the window most of
the way to save heat. Repeat this
until help arrives but only when you
feel really uncomfortable from the
cold. Moving about to keep warm
also helps. If it takes some time for help to
arrive, now and then when you run
the engine, push the accelerator
pedal slightly so the engine runs
faster than the idle speed. This
keeps the battery charged to restart
the vehicle and to signal for help
with the headlamps. Do this as little
as possible to save fuel.
If the Vehicle Is Stuck
Slowly and cautiously spin the
wheels to free the vehicle when
stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow.
If stuck too severely for the traction
system to free the vehicle, turn the
traction system off and use the
rocking method. See
Traction
Control/Electronic Stability Control
on page 9-33.
{Warning
If the vehicle's tires spin at high
speed, they can explode, and you
or others could be injured. The
(Continued)

Black plate (14,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
7707483) - 2015 - crc - 9/29/14
9-14 Driving and Operating
Warning (Continued)
vehicle can overheat, causing an
engine compartment fire or other
damage. Spin the wheels as little
as possible and avoid going
above 56 km/h (35 mph).
Rocking the Vehicle to Get
it Out
Turn the steering wheel left and
right to clear the area around the
front wheels. Turn off any traction
system. Shift back and forth
between R (Reverse) and a low
forward gear, spinning the wheels
as little as possible. To prevent
transmission wear, wait until the
wheels stop spinning before shifting
gears. Release the accelerator
pedal while shifting, and press
lightly on the accelerator pedal
when the transmission is in gear.
Slowly spinning the wheels in the
forward and reverse directions
causes a rocking motion that could
free the vehicle. If that does not getthe vehicle out after a few tries, it
might need to be towed out. If the
vehicle does need to be towed out,
see
Towing the Vehicle on
page 10-68.
Vehicle Load Limits
It is very important to know how
much weight the vehicle can
carry. This weight is called the
vehicle capacity weight and
includes the weight of all
occupants, cargo and all
nonfactory-installed options.
Two labels on the vehicle show
how much weight it may
properly carry, the Tire and
Loading Information label and
the Certification label.
{Warning
Do not load the vehicle any
heavier than the Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
(GVWR), or either the
maximum front or rear Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR).
This can cause systems to
break and change the way the
vehicle handles. This could
cause loss of control and a
crash. Overloading can also
shorten the life of the vehicle.

Black plate (15,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
7707483) - 2015 - crc - 9/29/14
Driving and Operating 9-15
Tire and Loading Information
Label
Label Example
A vehicle specific Tire and
Loading Information label is
attached to the vehicle's center
pillar (B-pillar). With the driver's
door open, you will find the label
attached near the door lock
post. The Tire and Loading
Information label shows the
number of occupant seatingpositions (1), and the maximum
vehicle capacity weight (2) in
kilograms and pounds.
The Tire and Loading
Information label also shows the
tire size of the original
equipment tires (3) and the
recommended cold tire inflation
pressures (4). For more
information on tires and inflation
see
Tires on page 10-36 and
Tire Pressure on page 10-44.
There is also important loading
information on the Certification
label. It tells you the Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR)
and the Gross Axle Weight
Rating (GAWR) for the front and
rear axle. See “Certification
Label” later in this section. “Steps for Determining Correct
Load Limit–
1.Locate the statement "The
combined weight of
occupants and cargo should
never exceed XXX kg or
XXX lbs." on your vehicle’s
placard.
2.Determine the combined
weight of the driver and
passengers that will be riding
in your vehicle.
3.Subtract the combined
weight of the driver and
passengers from XXX kg or
XXX lbs.
4.The resulting figure equals
the available amount of cargo
and luggage load capacity.
For example, if the "XXX"
amount equals 1400 lbs. and
there will be five 150 lb
passengers in your vehicle,
the amount of available cargo

Black plate (16,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
7707483) - 2015 - crc - 9/29/14
9-16 Driving and Operating
and luggage load capacity is
650 lbs. (1400-750 (5 x 150)
= 650 lbs.)
5.Determine the combined
weight of luggage and cargo
being loaded on the vehicle.
That weight may not safely
exceed the available cargo
and luggage load capacity
calculated in Step 4.
6.If your vehicle will be towing
a trailer, load from your trailer
will be transferred to your
vehicle. Consult this manual
to determine how this
reduces the available cargo
and luggage load capacity of
your vehicle.”
See Trailer Towing on page 9-52
for important information on
towing a trailer, towing safety
rules and trailering tips.Example 1
1.Vehicle Capacity Weight
for Example 1 = 453 kg
(1,000 lbs).
2.Subtract Occupant Weight
@ 68 kg (150 lbs) × 2 =
136 kg (300 lbs).
3.Available Occupant and
Cargo Weight = 317 kg
(700 lbs).
Example 2
1.Vehicle Capacity Weight
for Example 2 = 453 kg
(1,000 lbs).
2.Subtract Occupant Weight
@ 68 kg (150 lbs) × 5 =
340 kg (750 lbs).
3.Available Cargo Weight =
113 kg (250 lbs).

Black plate (17,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
7707483) - 2015 - crc - 9/29/14
Driving and Operating 9-17
Example 3
1.Vehicle Capacity Weight
for Example 3 = 453 kg
(1,000 lbs).
2.Subtract Occupant Weight
@ 91 kg (200 lbs) × 5 =
453 kg (1,000 lbs).
3.Available Cargo Weight =
0 kg (0 lbs).
Refer to the vehicle's Tire and
Loading Information label for
specific information about the
vehicle's capacity weight and seating positions. The combined
weight of the driver, passengers,
and cargo should never exceed
the vehicle's capacity weight.
Certification Label
Label Example
A vehicle-specific Certification
label is attached to the lower
center pillar on the driver side of
the vehicle or on the rear edge
of the driver door. The label
shows the size of the vehicle's
original tires and the inflation
pressures needed to obtain thegross weight capacity of the
vehicle. This is called Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR).
The GVWR includes the weight
of the vehicle, all occupants,
fuel, and cargo.
The Certification/Tire label also
tells you the maximum weights
for the front and rear axles,
called Gross Axle Weight Rating
(GAWR). To find out the actual
loads on the front and rear
axles, you need to go to a weigh
station and weigh the vehicle.
Your dealer can help you with
this. Be sure to spread out the
load equally on both sides of the
center line.
Never exceed the GVWR for the
vehicle, or the GAWR for either
the front or rear axle.

Black plate (18,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
7707483) - 2015 - crc - 9/29/14
9-18 Driving and Operating
If the vehicle is carrying a heavy
load, it should be spread out.
See“Steps for Determining
Correct Load Limit” earlier in this
section.
{Warning
Do not load the vehicle any
heavier than the Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating
(GVWR), or either the
maximum front or rear Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR).
This can cause systems to
break and change the way the
vehicle handles. This could
cause loss of control and a
crash. Overloading can also
shorten the life of the vehicle.
Your warranty does not cover
parts or components that fail
because of overloading. The label will help you decide
how much cargo and installed
equipment your vehicle can
carry.
Using heavier suspension
components to get added
durability might not change your
weight ratings. Ask your dealer
to help you load your vehicle the
right way.
If you put things inside your
vehicle
–like suitcases, tools,
packages, or anything else –
they will go as fast as the
vehicle goes. If you have to stop
or turn quickly, or if there is a
crash, they will keep going.
{Warning
Things inside the vehicle can
strike and injure people in a
sudden stop or turn, or in a
crash.
.Put things in the cargo
area of the vehicle. In the
cargo area, put them as
far forward as possible.
Try to spread the weight
evenly.
.Never stack heavier
things, like suitcases,
inside the vehicle so that
some of them are above
the tops of the seats.
.Do not leave an
unsecured child restraint
in the vehicle.
(Continued)

Black plate (19,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
7707483) - 2015 - crc - 9/29/14
Driving and Operating 9-19
Warning (Continued)
.Secure loose items in the
vehicle.
.Do not leave a seat folded
down unless needed.
Starting and
Operating
New Vehicle Break-In
{Caution
The vehicle does not need an
elaborate break-in. But it will
perform better in the long run if
you follow these guidelines:
.Do not drive at any one
constant speed, fast or slow,
for the first 805 km (500 mi).
Do not make full-throttle
starts. Avoid downshifting to
brake or slow the vehicle.
.Avoid making hard stops for
the first 322 km (200 mi) or
so. During this time the new
brake linings are not yet
broken in. Hard stops with
new linings can mean
premature wear and earlier
replacement. Follow this(Continued)
Caution (Continued)
breaking-in guideline every
time you get new brake
linings.
Following break-in, engine speed
and load can be gradually
increased.
Ignition Positions
The ignition switch has four different
positions.