
Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9918169) - 2017 - CRC - 3/23/16
214 Vehicle Care
The following explains the cooling
system and how to check and add
coolant when it is low. If there is a
problem with engine overheating,
seeEngine Overheating 0217.
What to Use
{Warning
Adding only plain water or some
other liquid to the cooling system
can be dangerous. Plain water
and other liquids, can boil before
the proper coolant mixture will.
The coolant warning system is set
for the proper coolant mixture.
With plain water or the wrong
mixture, the engine could get too
hot but you would not get the
overheat warning. The engine
could catch fire and you or others
could be burned. Use a 50/
50 mixture of clean, drinkable
water and DEX-COOL coolant. Use a 50/50 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and DEX-COOL
coolant. If using this mixture,
nothing else needs to be added.
This mixture:
.
Gives freezing protection down
to−37 °C (−34 °F), outside
temperature.
. Gives boiling protection up to
129 °C (265 °F), engine
temperature.
. Protects against rust and
corrosion.
. Will not damage aluminum parts.
. Helps keep the proper engine
temperature.
Caution
If improper coolant mixture,
inhibitors, or additives are used in
the vehicle cooling system, the
engine could overheat and be
damaged. Too much water in the
mixture can freeze and crack
engine cooling parts. The repairs
(Continued)
Caution (Continued)
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty. Use only the
proper mixture of engine coolant
for the cooling system. See
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants0285.
Never dispose of engine coolant by
putting it in the trash, pouring it on
the ground, or into sewers, streams,
or bodies of water. Have the coolant
changed by an authorized service
center, familiar with legal
requirements regarding used
coolant disposal. This will help
protect the environment and your
health.
Checking Coolant
The vehicle must be on a level
surface when checking the coolant
level.
Check to see if coolant is visible in
the coolant surge tank. If the coolant
inside the coolant surge tank is
boiling, do not do anything else until
it cools down. If coolant is visible

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9918169) - 2017 - CRC - 3/23/16
Vehicle Care 215
but the coolant level is not at or
above the COLD FILL line, add a
50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable
water and DEX-COOL coolant at the
coolant surge tank, but be sure the
cooling system is cool before this is
done. SeeEngine
Overheating 0217.
The coolant surge tank is in the
engine compartment on the driver
side of the vehicle. See Engine
Compartment Overview 0204.
How to Add Coolant to the
Coolant Surge Tank
Caution
This vehicle has a specific
coolant fill procedure. Failure to
follow this procedure could cause
the engine to overheat and be
severely damaged.
If you have not found a problem yet,
check to see if coolant is visible in
the coolant surge tank. If coolant is
visible but the coolant level is
not at the COLD FILL line, add a
50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water and DEX-COOL coolant at the
coolant surge tank, but be sure the
cooling system, including the
coolant surge tank pressure cap, is
cool before you do it. See
Engine
Overheating 0217 for more
information.
{Warning
Steam and scalding liquids from a
hot cooling system can blow out
and burn you badly. They are
under pressure, and if you turn
the coolant surge tank pressure
cap —even a little —they can
come out at high speed. Never
turn the cap when the cooling
system, including the coolant
surge tank pressure cap, is hot.
Wait for the cooling system and
coolant surge tank pressure cap
to cool if you ever have to turn
the pressure cap.
{Warning
Adding only plain water or some
other liquid to the cooling system
can be dangerous. Plain water
and other liquids, can boil before
the proper coolant mixture will.
The coolant warning system is set
for the proper coolant mixture.
With plain water or the wrong
mixture, the engine could get too
hot but you would not get the
overheat warning. The engine
could catch fire and you or others
could be burned. Use a 50/
50 mixture of clean, drinkable
water and DEX-COOL coolant.
{Warning
You can be burned if you spill
coolant on hot engine parts.
Coolant contains ethylene glycol
and it will burn if the engine parts
are hot enough. Do not spill
coolant on a hot engine.

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9918169) - 2017 - CRC - 3/23/16
Vehicle Care 217
Engine Overheating
The vehicle has an indicator to warn
of engine overheating. There is an
engine coolant temperature warning
light on the vehicle's instrument
panel. SeeEngine Coolant
Temperature Gauge 0103.
The decision may be made not to lift
the hood when this warning
appears, but instead get service
help right away. See Roadside
Assistance Program 0296.
If the decision to lift the hood is
made, make sure the vehicle is
parked on a level surface.
Then check to see if the engine
cooling fan(s) are running. If the
engine is overheating, the fan(s)
should be running. If they are not,
do not continue to run the engine
and have the vehicle serviced.
Caution
Running the engine without
coolant may cause damage or a
fire. Vehicle damage would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
If Steam is Coming from the
Engine Compartment
{Warning
Steam from an overheated engine
can burn you badly, even if you
just open the hood. Stay away
from the engine if you see or hear
steam coming from it. Just turn it
off and get everyone away from
the vehicle until it cools down.
Wait until there is no sign of
steam or coolant before you open
the hood.
If you keep driving when the
engine is overheated, the liquids
in it can catch fire. You or others
could be badly burned. Stop the
engine if it overheats, and get out
of the vehicle until the engine
is cool.
If No Steam is Coming from
the Engine Compartment
If an engine overheat warning is
displayed but no steam can be seen
or heard, the problem may not be
too serious. Sometimes the engine
can get a little too hot when the
vehicle:
. Climbs a long hill on a hot day.
. Stops after high-speed driving.
. Idles for long periods in traffic.
. Tows a trailer.
If the overheat warning is displayed
with no sign of steam: 1. Turn the air conditioning off.
2. Turn the heater on to the highest temperature and to the
highest fan speed. Open the
windows as necessary.
3. When it is safe to do so, pull off the road, shift to P (Park) or
N (Neutral) and let the
engine idle.
If the temperature overheat gauge is
no longer in the overheat zone or an
overheat warning no longer

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9918169) - 2017 - CRC - 3/23/16
232 Vehicle Care
FusesUsage
16 Body control module 5
17 Rear auxiliary power
18 Instrument panel/ Ignition
19 Universal garage door opener
20 Body control module 6
21 –
22 Sensing/Diagnostic module/Ignition
23 Front vision camera
24 –
25 Transmission gear shift position
indicator
26 –
27 –
28 –
29 Front blower motor
30 Body control module 3 Fuses
Usage
31 Amplifier
32 Discrete logic ignition switch
33 Communications integration module
34 Body control module 2
35 Sensing/Diagnostic module battery
36 Data link connector
37 Instrument panel battery
38 Passenger sensing system module
39 –
40 Body control module 8
41 Logistic relay (if equipped)
42 Retained accessory power relayWheels and Tires
Tires
Every new GM vehicle has
high-quality tires made by a
leading tire manufacturer. See
the warranty manual for
information regarding the tire
warranty and where to get
service. For additional
information refer to the tire
manufacturer.
{Warning
.Poorly maintained and
improperly used tires are
dangerous.
.Overloading the tires can
cause overheating as a
result of too much
flexing. There could be a
blowout and a serious
crash. See Vehicle Load
Limits 0159.
(Continued)

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9918169) - 2017 - CRC - 3/23/16
240 Vehicle Care
Tire Pressure
Tires need the correct amount of
air pressure to operate
effectively.Caution
Neither tire underinflation nor
overinflation is good.
Underinflated tires, or tires
that do not have enough air,
can result in:
.Tire overloading and
overheating which could
lead to a blowout.
.Premature or
irregular wear.
.Poor handling.
.Reduced fuel economy.
Overinflated tires, or tires that
have too much air, can
result in:
.Unusual wear.
(Continued)
Caution (Continued)
.Poor handling.
.Rough ride.
.Needless damage from
road hazards.
The Tire and Loading
Information label on the vehicle
indicates the original equipment
tires and the correct cold tire
inflation pressures. The
recommended pressure is the
minimum air pressure needed to
support the vehicle's maximum
load carrying capacity. See
Vehicle Load Limits 0159.
How the vehicle is loaded
affects vehicle handling and ride
comfort. Never load the vehicle
with more weight than it was
designed to carry. When to Check
Check the tires once a month or
more. Do not forget the compact
spare, if the vehicle has one.
The cold compact spare tire
pressure should be at 420 kPa
(60 psi). See
Compact Spare
Tire 0259.
How to Check
Use a good quality pocket-type
gauge to check tire pressure.
Proper tire inflation cannot be
determined by looking at the tire.
Check the tire inflation pressure
when the tires are cold, meaning
the vehicle has not been driven
for at least three hours or no
more than 1.6 km (1 mi).
Remove the valve cap from the
tire valve stem. Press the tire
gauge firmly onto the valve to
get a pressure measurement.
If the cold tire inflation pressure
matches the recommended
pressure on the Tire and
Loading Information label, no

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9918169) - 2017 - CRC - 3/23/16
Index 319
Electrical System (cont'd)Instrument Panel Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Emergency
OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . .211
Check and Service EngineSoon Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Compartment Overview . . . . . . . 204
Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Coolant Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Cooling System Messages . . . .118
Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Drive Belt Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Oil Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118
Oil Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119
Running While Parked . . . . . . . . 170
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Equipment, Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198 Event Data Recorders . . . . . . . . . . 304
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Extender, Safety Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . 133
Exterior Lighting Battery
Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
F
FeaturesMemory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Filter, Engine Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . . . .211
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Flashers, Hazard Warning . . . . . . 135
Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251 Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
FlexFuel
E85 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Fluid Automatic Transmission . . . . . . .211
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Power Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135 Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183 Forward Collision Alert
(FCA) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . 109
Frequency Statement Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112
Front Seats
Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Heated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189 Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Economy Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Economy Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Filling a Portable Fuel
Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . .112
Requirements, California . . . . . 189
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . .119
Fuel Economy Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227 Engine Compartment FuseBlock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9918169) - 2017 - CRC - 3/23/16
322 Index
Messages (cont'd)Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116
Vehicle Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Mirrors Automatic DimmingRearview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Convex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Heated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Manual Rearview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Tilt in Reverse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Mirrors, Interior Rearview . . . . . . . . 40
Monitor System, Tire
Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
N
NavigationOnStar®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
Net, Convenience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . . . 163
O
Object Detection System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Off-Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151 Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151 Off-Road (cont'd)
Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Oil Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . 210
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Older Children, Restraints . . . . . . . 72
Online Owner Center . . . . . . . . . . . 295
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
OnStar
®Additional
Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311
OnStar
®Connections . . . . . . . . . . . 308
OnStar®Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
OnStar®Emergency . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
OnStar®Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
OnStar®Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
OnStar®Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Operation Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Ordering Service Publications . . . . . . . . . . 301
Outlets
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Overheating, Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
P
Park Shifting Into . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Shifting Out of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Parking
Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Brake and P (Park)Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . 223
Over Things That Burn . . . . . . . 169
Parking Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Passenger Compartment Air Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Passenger Sensing System . . . . . 66
Perchlorate Materials Requirements, California . . . . . . 201
Personalization Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Power Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Protection, Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Retained Accessory (RAP) . . . 166
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Steering Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41