Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
7707483) - 2015 - crc - 9/29/14
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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7
Memory Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Heated Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Head Restraint Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Passenger Sensing System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10 Mirror Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Steering Wheel
Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . 1-13
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Vehicle Features
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Radio(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
Portable Audio Devices . . . . . . 1-18
Bluetooth
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . 1-18
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19
Driver Information
Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19 Lane Departure
Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
Parking Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
Universal Remote System . . . 1-20
Performance and Maintenance
Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-21
Tire Pressure Monitor . . . . . . . . 1-21
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . 1-22
E85 or FlexFuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-22
Driving for Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-22
Roadside Assistance
Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-23
OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-23
Black plate (15,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
7707483) - 2015 - crc - 9/29/14
In Brief 1-15
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. A/C (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 parking brake pedal.
Black plate (16,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
7707483) - 2015 - crc - 9/29/14
1-16 In Brief
SeeParking Brake on page 9-31.
Transmission
Electronic Range Select
(ERS) Mode
ERS or manual mode allows for the
selection of the range of gear
positions. Use this mode when
driving downhill or towing a trailer to
limit the top gear and vehicle speed.
To use this feature:
1. Move the shift lever to
M (Manual Mode).
2. Press the plus/minus button on the shift lever to increase or
decrease the gear range
available.
See Manual Mode on page 9-28.
Fuel Economy Mode
Vehicles with a 2.4L engine have a
Fuel Economy Mode. When
engaged, Fuel Economy Mode can
improve the vehicle's fuel economy.
Press the eco (economy) button to
turn this feature on or off. The eco
light in the instrument cluster will
come on when engaged, and a
Driver Information Center (DIC)
message displays. See Fuel
Economy Mode on page 9-29.
Vehicle Features
Infotainment System
The base radio information is
included in this manual. See the
infotainment manual for information
on the uplevel radios, audio players,
phone, navigation system, and
voice or speech recognition. There
is also information on settings and
downloadable applications (if
equipped).
Radio(s)
VOL/O: Press to turn the system
on and off. Turn to increase or
decrease the volume.
RADIO/BAND: Press to choose
between AM, FM, XM (if equipped),
CD, and AUX.
MENU/SEL: Turn to select radio
stations.
Press to show available information
about the current station or track.
Black plate (16,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
7707483) - 2015 - crc - 9/29/14
5-16 Instruments and Controls
Brake System Warning
Light
The vehicle brake system consists
of two hydraulic circuits. If one
circuit is not working, the remaining
circuit can still work to stop the
vehicle. For normal braking
performance, both circuits need to
be working
MetricEnglish
The brake indicator light should
come on briefly as the engine is
started. If it does not come on have
the vehicle serviced by your dealer.
When the ignition is on, the brake
system warning light comes on
when the parking brake is set. The
light stays on if the parking brake
does not fully release. If it stays on
after the parking brake is fully released, there is a brake problem.
Have the brake system inspected
immediately.
{Warning
The brake system might not be
working properly if the brake
system warning light is on.
Driving with the brake system
warning light on can lead to a
crash. If the light is still on after
the vehicle has been pulled off
the road and carefully stopped,
have the vehicle towed for
service.
If the light comes on while driving, a
chime sounds. Pull off the road and
stop. The pedal might be harder to
push or go closer to the floor.
It might also take longer to stop.
If the light is still on, have the
vehicle towed for service. See
Towing the Vehicle on page 10-68.
Antilock Brake System
(ABS) Warning Light
For vehicles with the Antilock Brake
System (ABS), this light comes on
briefly when the engine is started.
If the light does not come on, have it
fixed so it will be ready to warn if
there is a problem.
If the ABS light comes on and stays
on while driving, stop as soon as
possible and turn the ignition off.
Start the engine again to reset the
system. If the light stays on after
driving at a speed above 20 km/h
(13 mph), see your dealer for
service. A chime may also sound
when the light comes on steady.
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 (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 (8,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
7707483) - 2015 - crc - 9/29/14
9-8 Driving and Operating
.Use headlamps even during the
day to make the vehicle more
visible.
{Warning
Driving to the top of a hill at high
speed can cause an accident.
There could be a drop-off,
embankment, cliff, or even
another vehicle. You could be
seriously injured or killed. As you
near the top of a hill, slow down
and stay alert.
.Never go downhill forward or
backward with the transmission
in N (Neutral). The brakes could
overheat and you could lose
control.
.When driving down a hill, keep
the vehicle headed straight
down. Use a low gear because
the engine will work with the
brakes to slow the vehicle and
help keep the vehicle under
control.
{Warning
Heavy braking when going down
a hill can cause your brakes to
overheat and fade. This could
cause loss of control and you or
others could be injured or killed.
Apply the brakes lightly when
descending a hill and use a low
gear to keep vehicle speed under
control.
If the vehicle stalls on a hill:
1. Apply the brakes to stop the vehicle, and then apply the
parking brake.
2. Shift into P (Park) and then restart the engine.
.If driving uphill when the
vehicle stalls, shift to
R (Reverse), release the
parking brake, and back
straight down.
.Never try to turn the vehicle
around. If the hill is steep
enough to stall the vehicle,
it is steep enough to cause
it to roll over.
.If you cannot make it up the
hill, back straight down
the hill.
.Never back down a hill in
N (Neutral) using only the
brake.
.The vehicle can roll
backward quickly and you
could lose control.
.If driving downhill when the
vehicle stalls, shift to a
lower gear, release the
parking brake, and drive
straight down the hill.
3. If the vehicle cannot be restarted after stalling, set the parking
brake, shift an automatic
transmission into P (Park), and
turn the vehicle off.
3.1. Leave the vehicle and seek help.