Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
10446639) - 2018 - CRC - 8/18/17
Vehicle Care 361
Caution
Towing the vehicle from the rear
could damage it. Also, repairs
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty. Never have the
vehicle towed from the rear.
Appearance Care
Exterior Care
Locks
Locks are lubricated at the factory.
Use a de-icing agent only when
absolutely necessary, and have the
locks greased after using. See
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants0381.
Washing the Vehicle
To preserve the vehicle's finish,
wash it often and out of direct
sunlight.
Caution
Do not use petroleum-based,
acidic, or abrasive cleaning
agents as they can damage the
vehicle's paint, metal, or plastic
parts. If damage occurs, it would
not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Approved cleaning
products can be obtained from
(Continued)
Caution (Continued)
your dealer. Follow all
manufacturer directions regarding
correct product usage, necessary
safety precautions, and
appropriate disposal of any
vehicle care product.
Caution
Avoid using high-pressure
washes closer than 30 cm (12 in)
to the surface of the vehicle. Use
of power washers exceeding
8,274 kPa (1,200 psi) can result
in damage or removal of paint
and decals.
Caution
Do not power wash any
component under the hood that
has this
esymbol.
(Continued)
Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
10446639) - 2018 - CRC - 8/18/17
Vehicle Care 363
The bright metal moldings on the
vehicle are aluminum, chrome,
or stainless steel. To prevent
damage always follow these
cleaning instructions:
.Be sure the molding is cool to
the touch before applying any
cleaning solution.
. Use only approved cleaning
solutions for aluminum, chrome,
or stainless steel. Some
cleaners are highly acidic or
contain alkaline substances and
can damage the moldings.
. Always dilute a concentrated
cleaner according to the
manufacturer ’s instructions.
. Do not use cleaners that are not
intended for automotive use.
. Use a nonabrasive wax on the
vehicle after washing to protect
and extend the molding finish.Cleaning Exterior Lamps/
Lenses, Emblems, Decals, and
Stripes
Use only lukewarm or cold water, a
soft cloth, and a car washing soap
to clean exterior lamps, lenses,
emblems, decals, and stripes.
Follow instructions under "Washing
the Vehicle" previously in this
section.
Lamp covers are made of plastic,
and some have a UV protective
coating. Do not clean or wipe them
when dry.
Do not use any of the following on
lamp covers:
.
Abrasive or caustic agents.
. Washer fluids and other cleaning
agents in higher concentrations
than suggested by the
manufacturer.
. Solvents, alcohols, fuels,
or other harsh cleaners.
. Ice scrapers or other hard items. .
Aftermarket appearance caps or
covers while the lamps are
illuminated, due to excessive
heat generated.
Caution
Failure to clean lamps properly
can cause damage to the lamp
cover that would not be covered
by the vehicle warranty.
Caution
Using wax on low gloss black
finish stripes can increase the
gloss level and create a
non-uniform finish. Clean low
gloss stripes with soap and
water only.
Air Intakes
Clear debris from the air intakes,
between the hood and windshield,
when washing the vehicle.
Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
10446639) - 2018 - CRC - 8/18/17
364 Vehicle Care
Shutter System
The vehicle may have a shutter
system designed to help increase
fuel economy. Keep the shutter
system clean for proper operation.
Windshield and Wiper Blades
Clean the outside of the windshield
with glass cleaner.
Clean rubber blades using a lint-free
cloth or paper towel soaked with
windshield washer fluid or a mild
detergent. Wash the windshield
thoroughly when cleaning the
blades. Bugs, road grime, sap, anda buildup of vehicle wash/wax
treatments may cause wiper
streaking.
Replace the wiper blades if they are
worn or damaged. Damage can be
caused by extreme dusty
conditions, sand, salt, heat, sun,
snow, and ice.
Weatherstrips
Apply weatherstrip lubricant on
weatherstrips to make them last
longer, seal better, and not stick or
squeak. Lubricate weatherstrips at
least once a year. Hot, dry climates
may require more frequent
application. Black marks from
rubber material on painted surfaces
can be removed by rubbing with a
clean cloth. See
Recommended
Fluids and Lubricants 0381.
Tires
Use a stiff brush with tire cleaner to
clean the tires.
Caution
Using petroleum-based tire
dressing products on the vehicle
may damage the paint finish and/
or tires. When applying a tire
dressing, always wipe off any
overspray from all painted
surfaces on the vehicle.
Wheels and Trim —Aluminum
or Chrome
Use a soft, clean cloth with mild
soap and water to clean the wheels.
After rinsing thoroughly with clean
water, dry with a soft, clean towel.
A wax may then be applied.
Caution
Chrome wheels and other chrome
trim may be damaged if the
vehicle is not washed after driving
on roads that have been sprayed
with magnesium, calcium,
or sodium chloride. These
(Continued)
Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
10446639) - 2018 - CRC - 8/18/17
Service and Maintenance 373
Maintenance
Schedule
Owner Checks and Services
At Each Fuel Stop
.Check the engine oil level. See
Engine Oil 0288.
Once a Month
. Check the tire inflation
pressures. See Tire Pressure
0 327.
. Inspect the tires for wear. See
Tire Inspection 0333.
. Check the windshield washer
fluid level. See Washer Fluid
0 300.
Engine Oil Change
When the CHANGE ENGINE OIL
SOON message displays, have the
engine oil and filter changed within
the next 1 000 km/600 mi. If driven
under the best conditions, the
engine oil life system may not
indicate the need for vehicle service
for up to a year. The engine oil and
filter must be changed at least once
a year and the oil life system must
be reset. Your trained dealer
technician can perform this work.
If the engine oil life system is reset
accidentally, service the vehicle
within 5 000 km/3,000 mi since the
last service. Reset the oil life
system when the oil is changed.
See Engine Oil Life System 0292.
On vehicles with diesel engines, it is
recommended to drain the diesel
fuel filter of water when the oil is
changed or when the WATER IN
FUEL CONTACT SERVICE
message displays.
Tire Rotation and Required
Services Every 12 000 km/
7,500 mi
Rotate the tires, if recommended for
the vehicle, and perform the
following services. See Tire
Rotation 0333.
. Check engine oil level and oil
life percentage. If needed,
change engine oil and filter, and
reset oil life system. See Engine
Oil 0288 andEngine Oil Life
System 0292.
. Check engine coolant level. See
Cooling System 0295.
. Check windshield washer fluid
level. See Washer Fluid 0300.
. Visually inspect windshield wiper
blades for wear, cracking,
or contamination. See Exterior
Care 0361. Replace worn or
damaged wiper blades. See
Wiper Blade Replacement
0 305.
. Check tire inflation pressures.
See Tire Pressure 0327.
Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
10446639) - 2018 - CRC - 8/18/17
Service and Maintenance 379
Battery
The 12-volt battery supplies power
to start the engine and operate any
additional electrical accessories.
.To avoid break-down or failure to
start the vehicle, maintain a
battery with full cranking power.
. Trained dealer technicians have
the diagnostic equipment to test
the battery and ensure that the
connections and cables are
corrosion-free.
Belts
. Belts may need replacing if they
squeak or show signs of
cracking or splitting.
. Trained dealer technicians have
access to tools and equipment
to inspect the belts and
recommend adjustment or
replacement when necessary. Brakes
Brakes stop the vehicle and are
crucial to safe driving.
.
Signs of brake wear may include
chirping, grinding, or squealing
noises, or difficulty stopping.
. Trained dealer technicians have
access to tools and equipment
to inspect the brakes and
recommend quality parts
engineered for the vehicle.
Fluids
Proper fluid levels and approved
fluids protect the vehicle’s systems
and components. See
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants 0381 for GM approved
fluids.
. Engine oil and windshield
washer fluid levels should be
checked at every fuel fill.
. Instrument cluster lights may
come on to indicate that fluids
may be low and need to be
filled. Hoses
Hoses transport fluids and should
be regularly inspected to ensure
that there are no cracks or leaks.
With a multi-point inspection, your
dealer can inspect the hoses and
advise if replacement is needed.
Lamps
Properly working headlamps,
taillamps, and brake lamps are
important to see and be seen on
the road.
.
Signs that the headlamps need
attention include dimming, failure
to light, cracking, or damage.
The brake lamps need to be
checked periodically to ensure
that they light when braking.
. With a multi-point inspection,
your dealer can check the lamps
and note any concerns.
Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
10446639) - 2018 - CRC - 8/18/17
382 Service and Maintenance
UsageFluid/Lubricant
Weatherstrip Conditioning Weatherstrip Lubricant (GM Part No. 3634770, in Canada 10953518) or equivelant.
Windshield Washer Automotive windshield washer fluid that meets regional freeze protection requirements.
Maintenance Replacement Parts
Replacement parts identified below by name, part number, or specification can be obtained from your dealer.
Part GM Part Number ACDelco Part Number
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter 23279657 A3226C
Engine Oil Filter 1.5L L4 Gas Engine 12640445 PF64
1.6L L4 Diesel Engine 55588497 PF2264G
2.0L L4 Gas Engine 12640445 PF64
Fuel Filter 1.6L L4 Diesel Engine 84186990 TP1016
Passenger Compartment Air Filter 13508023 CF185
Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
10446639) - 2018 - CRC - 8/18/17
Index 419
Filter,Engine Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Flashers, Hazard Warning . . . . . . 160
Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340 Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 369
Fluid
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 293
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Diesel Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Folding Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Forward Automatic Braking . . . . . 250
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Frequency Statement Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 399
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Front Seats Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Heated and Ventilated . . . . . . . . . . 66
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Biodiesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Cold Weather Operation . . . . . . 262 Fuel (cont'd)
Diesel Engines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Economy Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Filling a Portable Fuel
Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . 266, 268
Filter Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . 137
Requirements, California . . . . . 257
Running out of Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Water in Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
What to Use in Canada and Mexico . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
What to Use in the U.S. . . . . . . 259
Fuel for Diesel Engines . . . . . . . . . 258
Fuses Engine Compartment FuseBlock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . 312
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
Rear Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318
G
Garage Door Opener . . . . . . . . . . . 154 Garage Door Opener (cont'd)
Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Gas Strut(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Gauges Engine CoolantTemperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Warning Lights and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
General Information
Service and Maintenance . . . . . 371
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
GM Mobility Reimbursement
Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393
H
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
Hands-Free Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . . . 160
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
10446639) - 2018 - CRC - 8/18/17
Index 423
R
Radio Frequency Statement . . . . 399
Radio Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
RadiosAM-FM Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Satellite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Heated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . 245
Rear Window Washer/Wiper . . . . 115
Rearview Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Automatic Dimming . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381
Records Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 384
Recreational Vehicle Towing . . . . 358
Reimbursement Program,
GM Mobility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Replacement Parts
Airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 382
Replacing Airbag System . . . . . . . . 89 Replacing LATCH System
Parts after a Crash . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Replacing Seat Belt System Parts after a Crash . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Reporting Safety Defects Canadian Government . . . . . . . . 400
General Motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 401
U.S. Government . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400
Restraints Where to Put . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Reverse Tilt Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Roads Driving, Wet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Roadside Assistance
Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393
Roof Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Roof Rack System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Rotation, Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333
Routing, Engine Drive Belt . . . . . . 388
Running out of Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
S
Safety Defects Reporting
Canadian Government . . . . . . . . 400
General Motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 401
U.S. Government . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400
Safety Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Safety System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Scheduling Appointments . . . . . . . 395
Sealant Kit, Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 341
Seat Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Extender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
How to Wear Seat BeltsProperly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Reminders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Replacing after a Crash . . . . . . . . 77
Use During Pregnancy . . . . . . . . . . 76
Seats Adjustment, Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Heated and Ventilated Front . . . . 66
Heated, Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Lumbar Adjustment, Front . . . . . . 62
Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Power Adjustment, Front . . . . . . . 61
Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67