Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
7707483) - 2015 - crc - 9/29/14
2015 Chevrolet Equinox Owner ManualM
In Brief. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . 1-4
Vehicle Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Performance and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-21
Keys, Doors, and Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
Keys and Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Vehicle Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Exterior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Interior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19
Seats and Restraints . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-11
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-20
Child Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-32 Storage
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Storage Compartments . . . . . . . . 4-1
Additional Storage Features . . . 4-2
Roof Rack System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
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 . . . . 5-38
Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Lighting Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8
Audio Players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-12
Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-21
Trademarks and License
Agreements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-32 Climate Controls
. . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . 8-1
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-6
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-7
Driving and Operating . . . . . . . . 9-1
Driving Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Starting and Operating . . . . . . . 9-19
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 9-27
Drive Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Ride Control Systems . . . . . . . . 9-33
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Driver Assistance Systems . . . 9-37
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-44
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-49
Conversions and Add-Ons . . . 9-55
Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Vehicle Checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-27
Electrical System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Wheels and Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
Black plate (9,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
7707483) - 2015 - crc - 9/29/14
In Brief 1-9
.Tilt the top of the control forward
to raise.
See Reclining Seatbacks on
page 3-5.
Memory Features
If available, the “1,” “2,”and MEM
(Memory) 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.
Black plate (12,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
7707483) - 2015 - crc - 9/29/14
1-12 In Brief
4. Pull the lever up to lock thesteering wheel in place.
Do not adjust the steering wheel
while driving.
Interior Lighting
Reading Lamps
These lamps are located on the
overhead console. These lamps
come on automatically when any
door is opened.
For manual operation, press the
button next to each lamp to turn it
on or off.
Dome Lamps
There are front and rear dome
lamps.
The dome lamp controls are located
in the overhead console. To change
the settings, press the following:
*: Turns the lamp off, even when
a door is open.
1: The lamps come on
automatically when a door is
opened.
+: Turns the dome lamps on.
The dome lamps can also be turned
on and off by pressing the buttons
next to the lamps.
For more information on interior
lighting, See Instrument Panel
Illumination Control on page 6-4.
Exterior Lighting
The exterior lamp control is on the
turn signal lever.
O: Turn to operate the exterior
lamps.
O: Briefly turn to this position to
turn the automatic light control off or
on again.
AUTO: Turns the exterior lamps on
and off automatically depending on
the exterior light.
;: Turns on the parking lamps
including all lamps, except the
headlamps.
5: Turns on the headlamps,
together with the parking lamps and
instrument panel lights.
See:
.Exterior Lamp Controls on
page 6-1
.Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)
on page 6-2
.Fog Lamps on page 6-4
Black plate (14,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
7707483) - 2015 - crc - 9/29/14
2-14 Keys, Doors, and Windows
On Solid:Vehicle is secured
during the delay to arm the system.
Fast Flash: Vehicle is unsecured.
A door, the hood, or the liftgate
is open.
Slow Flash: Alarm system is
armed.
Arming the Alarm System
1. Turn off the vehicle.
2. Lock the vehicle in one of three ways:
.Use the RKE transmitter.
.With a door open, press the
interior
Q.
3. After 30 seconds the alarm system will arm, and the
indicator light will begin to slowly
flash indicating the alarm system
is operating. Pressing
Qon the
RKE transmitter a second time
will bypass the 30-second delay
and immediately arm the alarm
system. The vehicle alarm system will not
arm if the doors are locked with
the key.
If the driver door is opened without
first unlocking with the RKE
transmitter, the horn will chirp and
the lights will flash to indicate
pre-alarm. If the vehicle is not
started, or the door is not unlocked
by pressing
Kon the RKE
transmitter during the 10-second
pre-alarm, the alarm will be
activated.
If a door, the hood, or the liftgate is
opened without first disarming the
system, the turn signals will flash
and the horn will sound for about
30 seconds. The alarm system will
then re-arm to monitor for the next
unauthorized event.
Disarming the Alarm System
To disarm the alarm system or turn
off the alarm if it has been activated:
.PressKon the RKE transmitter.
.Start the vehicle. To avoid setting off the alarm by
accident:
.Lock the vehicle after all
occupants have left the vehicle
and all doors are closed.
.Always unlock a door with the
RKE transmitter.
Unlocking the driver door with the
key will not disarm the system or
turn off the alarm.
How to Detect a Tamper
Condition
IfKis pressed on the RKE
transmitter and the horn chirps and
the lights flash three times, an alarm
occurred previously while the alarm
system was armed.
If the alarm has been activated, a
message will appear on the DIC.
See Security Messages on
page 5-30.
Immobilizer
See Radio Frequency Statement on
page 13-12.
Black plate (9,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
7707483) - 2015 - crc - 9/29/14
Seats and Restraints 3-9
Uplevel Climate Control SystemShown, 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.
Press the button once for the
highest setting. With each press of
the button, the heated seat will
change to the next lower setting,
and then the off setting. Three lights
indicate the highest setting, and one
light indicates the lowest. The passenger seat may take
longer to heat up.
Remote Start Heated Seats
When it is cold outside, the heated
seats can be programmed to turn on
automatically during a remote
vehicle start. The heated seats will
be canceled when the ignition is
turned on. Press the heated seat
button to use the heated seats after
the vehicle is started.
The heated seat button lights will
not turn on during a remote start.
The temperature of an unoccupied
seat may be reduced.
To program the heated seat feature
to enabled, see
Vehicle
Personalization on page 5-32.
Rear Seats
Split Folding Seatbacks
Either side of the rear seatback can
be folded down for more cargo
space.
Folding the Seatbacks
{Caution
Folding a rear seat with the safety
belts still fastened may cause
damage to the seat or the safety
belts. Always unbuckle the safety
belts and return them to their
normal stowed position before
folding a rear seat.
To fold the seatback down:
1. Unbuckle the rear safety belts and place the front seatbacks in
the upright position. See
Reclining Seatbacks on
page 3-5.
Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
7707483) - 2015 - crc - 9/29/14
Instruments and Controls 5-1
Instruments and
Controls
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . 5-2
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . 5-2
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . 5-3
Rear Window Wiper/Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Engine Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . 5-11
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . 5-11 Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Charging System Light . . . . . . 5-13
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Vehicle Ahead Indicator . . . . . . 5-17
Traction Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
StabiliTrak
®OFF Light . . . . . . . 5-18
Traction Control System (TCS)/StabiliTrak
®Light . . . . 5-18
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . 5-19
Fuel Economy Light . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . 5-20
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . 5-21
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Information Displays
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Battery Voltage and ChargingMessages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Brake System Messages . . . . 5-26
Compass Messages . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Cruise Control Messages . . . . 5-26
Door Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Engine Cooling System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Engine Oil Messages . . . . . . . . 5-27
Engine Power Messages . . . . 5-28
Fuel System Messages . . . . . . 5-28
Key and Lock Messages . . . . . 5-28
Object Detection System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Ride Control System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-29
Airbag System Messages . . . . 5-30
Security Messages . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
Service Vehicle Messages . . . 5-30
Tire Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
Transmission Messages . . . . . 5-31
Vehicle Reminder Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-31
Black plate (7,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
7707483) - 2015 - crc - 9/29/14
Instruments and Controls 5-7
Certain accessory plugs may not be
compatible with the accessory
power outlets and could overload
vehicle and adapter fuses. If a
problem is experienced, see your
dealer.
When adding electrical equipment,
be sure to follow the installation
instructions included with the
equipment. SeeAdd-On Electrical
Equipment on page 9-55.
{Caution
Hanging heavy equipment from
the power outlet can cause
damage not covered by the
vehicle warranty. The power
outlets are designed for
accessory power plugs only, such
as cell phone charge cords.
Warning Lights,
Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning lights and gauges can
signal that something is wrong
before it becomes serious enough
to cause an expensive repair or
replacement. Paying attention to the
warning lights and gauges could
prevent injury.
Warning lights come on when there
could be a problem with a vehicle
function. Some warning lights come
on briefly when the engine is started
to indicate they are working. Gauges can indicate when there
could be a problem with a vehicle
function. Often gauges and warning
lights work together to indicate a
problem with the vehicle.
When one of the warning lights
comes on and stays on while
driving, or when one of the gauges
shows there may be a problem,
check the section that explains what
to do. Waiting to do repairs can be
costly and even dangerous.
Black plate (12,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
7707483) - 2015 - crc - 9/29/14
5-12 Instruments and Controls
The airbag readiness light comes on
for several seconds when the
vehicle is started. If the light does
not come on then, have it fixed
immediately.
{Warning
If the airbag readiness light stays
on after the vehicle is started or
comes on while driving, it means
the airbag system might not be
working properly. The airbags in
the vehicle might not inflate in a
crash, or they could even inflate
without a crash. To help avoid
injury, have the vehicle serviced
right away.
If there is a problem with the airbag
system, a Driver Information Center
(DIC) message may also come on.
See Airbag System Messages on
page 5-30.
Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator
The vehicle has a passenger
sensing system. See Passenger
Sensing System on page 3-26 for
important safety information. The
overhead console has a passenger
airbag status indicator.
United States
Canada
When the vehicle is started, the
passenger airbag status indicator
will light ON and OFF, or the symbol
for on and off, for several seconds as a system check. Then, after
several more seconds, the status
indicator will light either ON or OFF,
or either the on or off symbol to let
you know the status of the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag.
If the word ON or the on symbol is
lit on the passenger airbag status
indicator, it means that the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag is
allowed to inflate.
If the word OFF or the off symbol is
lit on the passenger airbag status
indicator, it means that the
passenger sensing system has
turned off the front outboard
passenger frontal airbag.
If, after several seconds, both status
indicator lights remain on, or if there
are no lights at all, there may be a
problem with the lights or the
passenger sensing system. See
your dealer for service.