Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12145779) - 2019 - CRC - 7/30/18
Introduction 3
About Driving the Vehicle
As with other vehicles of this type,
failure to operate this vehicle
correctly may result in loss of
control or a crash. Be sure to read
the driving guidelines in this manual
in the section called“Driving and
Operating” and specifically Driver
Behavior 0178, Driving
Environment 0179, and Vehicle
Design 0179.
Danger, Warning, and
Caution
Warning messages found on vehicle
labels and in this manual describe
hazards and what to do to avoid or
reduce them.
{Danger
Danger indicates a hazard with a
high level of risk which will result
in serious injury or death.
{Warning
Warning indicates a hazard that
could result in injury or death.
Caution
Caution indicates a hazard that
could result in property or vehicle
damage.
A circle with a slash through it is a
safety symbol which means “Do
Not,” “Do not do this,” or“Do not let
this happen.”
Symbols
The vehicle has components and
labels that use symbols instead of
text. Symbols are shown along with the text describing the operation or
information relating to a specific
component, control, message,
gauge, or indicator.
M:
Shown when the owner ’s
manual has additional instructions
or information.
*: Shown when the service
manual has additional instructions
or information.
0: Shown when there is more
information on another page —
“see page.”
Vehicle Symbol Chart
Here are some additional symbols
that may be found on the vehicle
and what they mean. See the
features in this manual for
information.
u: Air Conditioning System
G:Air Conditioning Refrigerant Oil
9:Airbag Readiness Light
!:Antilock Brake System (ABS)
$:Brake System Warning Light
Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12145779) - 2019 - CRC - 7/30/18
In Brief 7
1.Air Vents 0174.
2. Turn Signal Lever. See Turn
and Lane-Change Signals
0 164.
IntelliBeam
®System Button (If
Equipped). See Exterior Lamp
Controls 0160.
3. Instrument Cluster (Base and
Midlevel) 0120 orInstrument
Cluster (Uplevel) 0124.
Driver Information Center (DIC)
Display. See Driver Information
Center (DIC) (Base Level and
Midlevel) 0141 orDriver
Information Center (DIC)
(Uplevel) 0146.
4. Windshield Wiper/Washer
0112.
5. Infotainment 0168.
6. Light Sensor. See Automatic
Headlamp System 0163.
7. Hazard Warning Flashers
0163. 8.
Climate Control Systems 0169
(If Equipped).
Dual Automatic Climate Control
System 0171 (If Equipped).
9. Heated and Ventilated Front
Seats 064 (If Equipped).
10. Power Outlets 0115.
11. Wireless Charging 0116 (If
Equipped).
12. USB Port. See the infotainment manual.
Auxiliary Input Jack. See the
infotainment manual.
13. All-Wheel Drive 0214 (If
Equipped).
Tow/Haul Mode 0213.
14. Electric Parking Brake 0216.
15. Shift Lever. See Automatic
Transmission 0210.
Manual Mode 0212.
16. ENGINE START/STOP Button. SeeIgnition Positions 0194. 17.
Steering Wheel Controls 0112.
Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control 0218.
18. Horn 0112.
19. Steering Wheel Adjustment
0112 (Out of View).
20. Cruise Control 0222.
Heated Steering Wheel 0112
(If Equipped).
Forward Collision Alert (FCA)
System 0240 (If Equipped).
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) 0248
(If Equipped).
21. Hood Release. See Hood
0 278.
22. Fog Lamps 0164 (If
Equipped).
23. Exterior Lamp Controls 0160.
24. Data Link Connector (DLC) (Out of View). See Malfunction
Indicator Lamp (Check Engine
Light) 0132.
25. Instrument Panel Illumination
Control 0165.
Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12145779) - 2019 - CRC - 7/30/18
In Brief 9
Starting the Vehicle
1. Press and releaseQon the
RKE transmitter.
2. Immediately press and hold
/
for at least four seconds or until
the turn signal lamps flash.
Start the vehicle normally after
entering.
When the vehicle starts, the parking
lamps will turn on.
Remote start can be extended.
Canceling a Remote Start
To cancel a remote start, do one of
the following:
. Press and hold
/until the
parking lamps turn off.
. Turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
. Turn the vehicle on and then off.
See Remote Vehicle Start 036.
Door Locks
To lock or unlock the vehicle from
the outside, press
QorKon the
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter.
Q: Press to lock the doors. The
indicator light in the switch will come
on when the door is locked.
K: Press to unlock the doors.
See Door Locks 038. To manually unlock a door from
inside the vehicle, pull once on the
door handle to unlock it, and a
second time to open it.
Keyless Access
Press the button on the driver door
handle when the RKE transmitter is
within 1 m (3 ft) of the driver door
handle. When unlocking from the
driver door, the first press unlocks
that door; press again within
five seconds to unlock all passenger
doors. See
Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System Operation 030.
Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12145779) - 2019 - CRC - 7/30/18
Keys, Doors, and Windows 37
If the vehicle has heated and
ventilated front seats, they may
come on during a remote start. See
Heated and Ventilated Front Seats
064.
Laws in some local communities
may restrict the use of remote
starters. For example, some laws
require a person using remote start
to have the vehicle in view. Check
local regulations for any
requirements.
Do not use the remote start feature
if the vehicle is low on fuel. The
vehicle could run out of fuel.
Other conditions can affect the
performance of the transmitter. See
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System 030.
Starting the Engine Using Remote
Start
1. Press and release
Qon the
RKE transmitter.
2. Immediately press and hold
/
for at least four seconds or until
the turn signal lamps flash. The
turn signal lamps flashing confirms the request to remote
start the vehicle has been
received.
The parking lamps will turn on
and remain on as long as the
engine is running. The
vehicle's doors will be locked.
3. Turn the ignition on before driving.
The engine will shut off after
15 minutes unless a time
extension is done or the
ignition is turned on.
Extending Engine Run Time
For a 15-minute extension, after
30 seconds repeat Steps 1 and 2
while the engine is still running. The
remote start can be extended once.
When the remote start is extended,
the second 15 minutes will be
added.
For example, if the engine has been
running for 15 minutes, and
15 minutes are added, the engine
will run for a total of 30 minutes. A maximum of two remote starts or
a start with an extension are
allowed between ignition cycles.
The ignition must be turned on and
then back off to use remote start
again.
Canceling a Remote Start
To shut off the engine:
.
Press and hold
/until the
parking lamps turn off.
. Turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
. Turn the ignition on and then off.
Conditions in Which Remote Start
Will Not Work
The remote vehicle start feature will
not operate if:
. A transmitter is in the vehicle.
. The hood is not closed.
. The hazard warning flashers
are on.
. There is an emission control
system malfunction.
Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12145779) - 2019 - CRC - 7/30/18
82 Seats and Restraints
But airbags would not help in many
types of collisions, primarily
because the occupant's motion is
not toward those airbags. SeeWhen
Should an Airbag Inflate? 080.
Airbags should never be regarded
as anything more than a supplement
to seat belts.
What Will You See after
an Airbag Inflates?
After frontal and seat-mounted side
impact airbags inflate, they quickly
deflate, so quickly that some people
may not even realize the airbags
inflated. Roof-rail airbags may still
be at least partially inflated for some
time after they inflate. Some
components of the airbag module
may be hot for several minutes. For
location of the airbags, see Where
Are the Airbags? 079.
The parts of the airbag that come
into contact with you may be warm,
but not too hot to touch. There may
be some smoke and dust coming
from the vents in the deflated
airbags. Airbag inflation does not prevent the driver from seeing out of
the windshield or being able to steer
the vehicle, nor does it prevent
people from leaving the vehicle.
{Warning
When an airbag inflates, there
may be dust in the air. This dust
could cause breathing problems
for people with a history of
asthma or other breathing trouble.
To avoid this, everyone in the
vehicle should get out as soon as
it is safe to do so. If you have
breathing problems but cannot
get out of the vehicle after an
airbag inflates, then get fresh air
by opening a window or a door.
If you experience breathing
problems following an airbag
deployment, you should seek
medical attention.
The vehicle has a feature that may
automatically unlock the doors, turn
on the interior lamps and hazard
warning flashers, and shut off the
fuel system after the airbags inflate. The feature may also activate,
without airbag inflation, after an
event that exceeds a predetermined
threshold. After turning the ignition
off and then on again, the fuel
system will return to normal
operation; the doors can be locked,
the interior lamps can be turned off,
and the hazard warning flashers can
be turned off using the controls for
those features. If any of these
systems are damaged in the crash
they may not operate as normal.
{Warning
A crash severe enough to inflate
the airbags may have also
damaged important functions in
the vehicle, such as the fuel
system, brake and steering
systems, etc. Even if the vehicle
appears to be drivable after a
moderate crash, there may be
concealed damage that could
make it difficult to safely operate
the vehicle.
(Continued)
Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12145779) - 2019 - CRC - 7/30/18
160 Lighting
Lighting
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . 160
Headlamp High/Low-BeamChanger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Automatic Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . 163
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Interior Lighting
Instrument Panel Illumination Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Courtesy Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Lighting Features
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Battery Load Management . . . 167
Battery Power Protection . . . . . 167
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls
The exterior lamp control is on the
instrument panel to the left of the
steering column.
There are four positions.
O: Turns the exterior lamps off and
deactivates the AUTO mode. Turn
to
Oagain to reactivate the
AUTO mode.
In Canada, the headlamps will
automatically reactivate when the
vehicle is shifted out of P (Park).
AUTO : Turns the exterior lamps on
and off automatically depending on
outside lighting.
Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12145779) - 2019 - CRC - 7/30/18
Lighting 163
When the DRL are on, the taillamps,
sidemarker lamps, instrument panel
lights, and other lamps will not be
on. The instrument cluster will be lit.
The DRL turn off when the
headlamps are turned to
Oor the
ignition is off. For vehicles first sold
in Canada, the DRL can only be
turned off when the vehicle is
parked.
The regular headlamp system
should be turned on when needed.
Automatic Headlamp
System
When the exterior lamp control is
set to AUTO and it is dark enough
outside, the headlamps come on
automatically.
There is a light sensor on top of the
instrument panel. Do not cover the
sensor; otherwise 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.
When it is bright enough outside,
the headlamps will turn off or may
change to Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL).
The automatic headlamp system
turns off when the exterior lamp
control is turned to
Oor the ignition
is off.
Lights On with Wipers
If the windshield wipers are
activated in daylight with the engine
on, and the exterior lamp control is
in AUTO, the headlamps, parking
lamps, and other exterior lamps
come on. The transition time for the
lamps coming on varies based on
wiper speed. When the wipers are
not operating, these lamps turn off.
Move the exterior lamp control to
O
or;to disable this feature.
Hazard Warning Flashers
Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12145779) - 2019 - CRC - 7/30/18
Driving and Operating 179
Driving Environment
Be prepared for driving in inclement
weather, at night, or during other
times where visibility or traction may
be limited, such as on curves,
slippery roads, or hilly terrain.
Unfamiliar surroundings can also
have hidden hazards.
Learn more about driving in different
conditions and off-road driving in
this section.
Vehicle Design
Utility vehicles have a significantly
higher rollover rate than other types
of vehicles. This is because they
have a higher ground clearance and
a narrower track or shorter
wheelbase than passenger cars,
which makes them more capable for
off-road driving. While these design
characteristics provide the driver
with a better view of the road, these
vehicles do have a higher center of
gravity than other types of vehicles.
A utility vehicle does not handle thesame as a vehicle with a lower
center of gravity, like a car, in similar
situations.
Safe driver behavior and
understanding of the environment
can help avoid a rollover crash in
any type of vehicle, including utility
vehicles.
Distracted Driving
Distraction comes in many forms
and can take your focus from the
task of driving. Exercise good
judgment and do not let other
activities divert your attention away
from the road. Many local
governments have enacted laws
regarding driver distraction. Become
familiar with the local laws in
your area.
To avoid distracted driving, keep
your eyes on the road, keep your
hands on the steering wheel, and
focus your attention on driving.
.
Do not use a phone in
demanding driving situations.
Use a hands-free method to
place or receive necessary
phone calls.
. Watch the road. Do not read,
take notes, or look up
information on phones or other
electronic devices.
. Designate a front seat
passenger to handle potential
distractions.
. Become familiar with vehicle
features before driving, such as
programming favorite radio
stations and adjusting climate
control and seat settings.
Program all trip information into
any navigation device prior to
driving.
. Wait until the vehicle is parked
to retrieve items that have fallen
to the floor.
. Stop or park the vehicle to tend
to children.
. Keep pets in an appropriate
carrier or restraint.