Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
7707483) - 2015 - crc - 9/29/14
7-4 Infotainment System
Operation
Controls
The infotainment system is operated
by using the pushbuttons,
multifunction knobs, display menus,
and steering wheel controls,
if equipped.
Turning the System On or Off
VOL/O(Volume/Power):Press to
turn the system on and off.
Automatic Switch-Off
If the infotainment system has been
turned on after the ignition is turned
off, the system will turn off
automatically after 10 minutes.
Volume Control
VOL/O(Volume/Power): Turn to
adjust the volume.
MENU/SEL: Turn to select radio
stations.
Press to show available information
about the current station or track.
5/?(Mute): For vehicles with
OnStar, press and hold
5/?to
mute the infotainment system. Press
and hold
5/?again, or turn the
VOL/
Oknob to cancel mute.
For vehicles without OnStar,
press
5/?to mute the
infotainment system. Press
5/?
again, or turn the VOL/Oknob to
cancel mute.
Tune Control
MENU/SEL: Turn to select radio
stations.
Press to show available information
about the current station or track.
Menu System
Controls
The MENU/SEL knob and the
E
BACK button are used to navigate
the menu system. MENU/SEL (Menu/Select):
Press to:
.Enter the menu system.
.Select or activate the highlighted
menu option.
.Confirm a set value.
.Turn a system setting on or off.
Turn to:
.Highlight a menu option.
.Select a value.
EBACK: Press to:
.Exit a menu.
.Return from a submenu screen
to the previous menu screen.
.Delete the last character in a
sequence.
RADIO/BAND: Press to:
.Display the menu for AM, FM,
XM (if equipped), CD, or AUX.
.Toggle through a menu.
Black plate (21,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
7707483) - 2015 - crc - 9/29/14
Infotainment System 7-21
Phone
Bluetooth (Overview)
See the infotainment manual for
more information.
For vehicles equipped with
Bluetooth capability, the system can
interact with many cell phones,
allowing:
.Placement and receipt of calls in
a hands-free mode.
.Sharing of the cell phone’s
address book or contact list with
the vehicle.
To minimize driver distraction,
before driving, and with the vehicle
parked:
.Become familiar with the
features of the cell phone.
Organize the phone book and
contact lists clearly and delete
duplicate or rarely used entries.
If possible, program speed dial
or other shortcuts.
.Review the controls and
operation of the infotainment
system.
.Pair cell phone(s) to the vehicle.
The system may not work with
all cell phones. See “Pairing”in
this section.
.If the cell phone has voice
dialing capability, learn to use
that feature to access the
address book or contact list. See
“Voice Pass-Thru” in this
section.
.See “Storing and Deleting Phone
Numbers” in this section.
{Warning
When using a cell phone, it can
be distracting to look too long or
too often at the screen of the
phone or the infotainment system.
Taking your eyes off the road too
long or too often could cause a
crash resulting in injury or death.
Focus your attention on driving. Vehicles with a Bluetooth system
can use a Bluetooth-capable cell
phone with a Hands-Free Profile to
make and receive phone calls. The
infotainment system and voice
recognition are used to control the
system. The system can be used
while in ON/RUN or ACC/
ACCESSORY. The range of the
Bluetooth system can be up to 9.1 m
(30 ft). Not all phones support all
functions and not all phones work
with the Bluetooth system. See
www.gm.com/bluetooth for more
information about compatible
phones.
Bluetooth Controls
Use the buttons located on the
infotainment system and the
steering wheel to operate the
Bluetooth system.
Steering Wheel Controls
b/g(Push To Talk):
Press to
answer incoming calls, confirm
system information, and start voice
recognition.
Black plate (26,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
7707483) - 2015 - crc - 9/29/14
7-26 Infotainment System
Dual Tone Multi-Frequency
(DTMF) Tones
The in-vehicle Bluetooth system can
send numbers during a call. This is
used when calling a menu-driven
phone system.
1. Turn or press the MENU/SELknob and select Enter Number.
2. Enter the character sequence. See “Entering a Character
Sequence” inOperation on
page 7-4 for more information.
Bluetooth (Voice
Recognition)
Using Voice Recognition
See the infotainment manual for
more information.
To use voice recognition, press the
b/gbutton located on the steering
wheel. Use the commands below for
the various voice features. For
additional information, say “Help”
while you are in a voice
recognition menu.
Pairing
A Bluetooth-enabled cell phone
must be paired to the Bluetooth
system and then connected to the
vehicle before it can be used. See
your cell phone manufacturer's user
guide for Bluetooth functions before
pairing the cell phone. If a Bluetooth
phone is not connected, calls will be
made using OnStar Hands-Free
Calling, if available. See OnStar
Overview on page 14-1 for more
information.
Pairing Information
.A Bluetooth phone with MP3
capability cannot be paired to
the vehicle as a phone and an
MP3 player at the same time.
.Up to five cell phones can be
paired to the Bluetooth system.
.The pairing process is disabled
when the vehicle is moving.
.Pairing only needs to be
completed once, unless the
pairing information on the cell
phone changes or the cell phone
is deleted from the system.
.Only one paired cell phone can
be connected to the Bluetooth
system at a time.
.If multiple paired cell phones are
within range of the system, the
system connects to the first
available paired cell phone in the
order that they were first paired
to the system. To link to a
different paired phone, see
“Linking to a Different Phone”
later in this section.
Pairing a Phone
1. Press
b/g. The system
responds “Ready,”followed by
a tone.
2. Say “Bluetooth.” This command
can be skipped.
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 (4,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
7707483) - 2015 - crc - 9/29/14
9-4 Driving and Operating
If the engine ever stops while the
vehicle is being driven, brake
normally but do not pump the
brakes. Doing so could make the
pedal harder to push down. If the
engine stops, there will be some
power brake assist but it will be
used when the brake is applied.
Once the power assist is used up, it
can take longer to stop and the
brake pedal will be harder to push.
Steering
Electric Power Steering (2.4L
L4 Engine)
If the vehicle has electric power
steering, it does not have power
steering fluid. Regular maintenance
is not required.
If power steering assist is lost due
to a system malfunction, the vehicle
can be steered, but may require
increased effort.If the steering wheel is turned until it
reaches the end of its travel and is
held against that position for an
extended period of time, power
steering assist may be reduced.
If the steering assist is used for an
extended period of time, power
assist may be reduced.
Normal use of the power steering
assist should return when the
system cools down.
See specific vehicle steering
messages under
Service Vehicle
Messages on page 5-30Hydraulic Power Steering (3.6L
V6 Engine)
If your vehicle has hydraulic power
steering, it may require
maintenance. See Power Steering
Fluid (2.4L L4 Engine) on
page 10-20 orPower Steering Fluid
(3.6L V6 Engine) on page 10-20.
If power steering is lost because the
engine stops or a system
malfunctions, the vehicle can be steered but may require increased
effort. See your dealer if there is a
problem.
{Caution
If the steering wheel is turned
until it reaches the end of its
travel, and is held in that position
for more than 15 seconds,
damage may occur to the power
steering system and there may be
loss of power steering assist.
Curve Tips
.Take curves at a reasonable
speed.
.Reduce speed before entering a
curve.
.Maintain a reasonable steady
speed through the curve
.Wait until the vehicle is out of
the curve before accelerating
gently into the straightaway.
Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
7707483) - 2015 - crc - 9/29/14
Driving and Operating 9-5
Steering in Emergencies
.There are some situations when
steering around a problem may
be more effective than braking.
.Holding both sides of the
steering wheel allows you to turn
180 degrees without removing
a hand.
.Anti-lock Brake System (ABS)
allows steering while braking.
Off-Road Recovery
The vehicle's right wheels can drop
off the edge of a road onto the
shoulder while driving. Follow
these tips:
1. Ease off the accelerator andthen, if there is nothing in the
way, steer the vehicle so that it
straddles the edge of the
pavement.
2. Turn the steering wheel about one-eighth of a turn, until the
right front tire contacts the
pavement edge.
3. Turn the steering wheel to go straight down the roadway.
Loss of Control
Skidding
There are three types of skids that
correspond to the vehicle's three
control systems:
.Braking Skid —wheels are not
rolling.
.Steering or Cornering Skid —
too much speed or steering in a
curve causes tires to slip and
lose cornering force.
.Acceleration Skid —too much
throttle causes the driving
wheels to spin.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids
by taking reasonable care suited to
existing conditions, and by not
overdriving those conditions. But
skids are always possible.
If the vehicle starts to slide, follow
these suggestions:
.Ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and steer the
way you want the vehicle to go.
The vehicle may straighten out.
Be ready for a second skid if it
occurs.
.Slow down and adjust your
driving according to weather
conditions. Stopping distance
can be longer and vehicle
control can be affected when
traction is reduced by water,
snow, ice, gravel, or other
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.
Black plate (7,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
7707483) - 2015 - crc - 9/29/14
Driving and Operating 9-7
Loading the Vehicle for
Off-Road Driving
{Warning
.Unsecured cargo on the load
floor can be tossed about
when driving over rough
terrain. You or your
passengers can be struck by
flying objects. Secure the
cargo properly.
.Keep cargo in the cargo area
as far forward and as low as
possible. The heaviest things
should be on the floor,
forward of the rear axle.
.Heavy loads on the roof raise
the vehicle's center of gravity,
making it more likely to roll
over. You can be seriously or
fatally injured if the vehicle
rolls over. Put heavy loads
inside the cargo area, not on
the roof.For more information about loading
the vehicle, see
Vehicle Load Limits
on page 9-14.
Environmental Concerns
.Always use established trails,
roads, and areas that have been
set aside for public off-road
recreational driving and obey all
posted regulations.
.Do not damage shrubs, flowers,
trees, or grasses or disturb
wildlife.
.Do not park over things that
burn. See Parking over Things
That Burn on page 9-25.
Driving on Hills
Driving safely on hills requires good
judgment and an understanding of
what the vehicle can and cannot do.
{Warning
Many hills are simply too steep
for any vehicle. Driving up hills
can cause the vehicle to stall.
Driving down hills can cause loss
of control. Driving across hills can
cause a rollover. You could be
injured or killed. Do not drive on
steep hills.
Before driving on a hill, assess the
steepness, traction, and
obstructions. If the terrain ahead
cannot be seen, get out of the
vehicle and walk the hill before
driving further.
When driving on hills:
.Use a low gear and keep a firm
grip on the steering wheel.
.Maintain a slow speed.
.When possible, drive straight up
or down the hill.
.Slow down when approaching
the top of the hill.