Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Instruments and Controls 153
Alert Type
This feature will set the type of alert
received from the driver assistance
systems to help avoid crashes,
either Beeps or Safety Alert Seat
vibration pulses.
Touch Beeps or Safety Alert Seat.
Forward Collision System
This feature will turn on or off
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) and
Forward Automatic Braking (FAB).
The Off setting disables all FCA and
FAB functions. With the Alert and
Brake setting, both FCA and FAB
are available. The Alert setting
disables FAB. SeeForward
Automatic Braking (FAB) 0242.
Touch Off, Alert, or Alert and Brake.
Lane Change Alert
The LCA system is a lane-changing
aid that assists drivers with avoiding
lane change crashes. See Lane
Change Alert (LCA) 0246.
When Lane Change Alert is
disabled, Side Blind Zone Alert is
also disabled. Touch Off or On.
Park Assist
If equipped, this allows the feature
to be turned on or off. See
Assistance Systems for Parking or
Backing
0236.
Touch Off or On.
Rear Camera Park Assist Symbols
This setting enables the Rear
Camera Park Assist Symbols. See
Assistance Systems for Parking or
Backing 0236.
Touch Off or On.
Rear Cross Traffic Alert
This allows the Rear Cross Traffic
Alert feature to be turned on or off.
See Assistance Systems for Parking
or Backing 0236.
Touch Off or On.
Comfort and Convenience
Touch and the following may
display:
. Chime Volume
. Hands Free Liftgate Control .
Reverse Tilt Mirror
. Auto Wipe in Reverse Gear
. Extended Hill Start Assist
Chime Volume
This determines the chime volume
level.
Touch the controls on the
infotainment display to adjust the
volume.
Hands Free Liftgate Control
The liftgate may be operated with a
kicking motion under the rear
bumper between the left exhaust
pipe and the license plate. See
Liftgate 042.
Touch Off, On-Open and Close,
or On-Open Only.
Reverse Tilt Mirror
When on, the driver and/or
passenger mirrors will tilt downward
when the vehicle is shifted to
R (Reverse) to improve visibility of
the ground near the rear wheels.
They will return to their previous
driving position when the vehicle is
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Driving and Operating 177
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Driver Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Driving Environment . . . . . . . . . . 179
Vehicle Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 186
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 187
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 189
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 194
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Stop/Start System . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Diesel Particulate Filter
Diesel Particulate Filter . . . . . . . 204
Diesel Exhaust Fluid
Diesel Exhaust Fluid . . . . . . . . . . 205
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 210
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . 216 Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . 218
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Adaptive Cruise Control . . . . . . 224
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . 234
Assistance Systems forParking or Backing . . . . . . . . . . 236
Assistance Systems for Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Forward Automatic Braking (FAB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Front Pedestrian Braking (FPB) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . 246
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . 248
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Driving and Operating 225
ACC works like regular cruise
control. ACC uses a windshield
mounted front camera sensor.
If a vehicle is detected in your path,
ACC can apply acceleration or
limited, moderate braking to
maintain the selected following gap.
To disengage ACC, apply the brake.
If ACC is controlling the vehicle
speed when the Traction Control
System (TCS) or StabiliTrak/
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
system activates, ACC may
automatically disengage. See
Traction Control/Electronic Stability
Control0218. When road
conditions allow ACC to be safely
used, ACC can be turned back on.
Disabling the TCS or StabiliTrak/
ESC system will disengage and
prevent engagement of ACC.
ACC can reduce the need for you to
frequently brake and accelerate,
especially when used on
expressways, freeways, and
interstate highways. When used on
other roads, you may need to take
over the control of braking or
acceleration more often.{Warning
ACC has limited braking ability
and may not have time to slow
the vehicle down enough to avoid
a collision with another vehicle
you are following. This can occur
when vehicles suddenly slow or
stop ahead, or enter your lane.
Also see “Alerting the Driver” later
in this section. Complete attention
is always required while driving
and you should be ready to take
action and apply the brakes. See
Defensive Driving 0180.
{Warning
ACC will not detect or brake for
children, pedestrians, animals,
or other objects.
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
Do not use ACC when:
. On winding and hilly roads
or when the camera sensor
is blocked by snow, ice,
or dirt. The system may not
detect a vehicle ahead.
Keep the windshield and
headlamps clean.
. When visibility is poor due
to rain, snow, fog, dirt,
insect residue, or dust;
when other foreign objects
obscure the camera’s view;
or when the vehicle in front
or oncoming traffic causes
additional environmental
obstructions, such as road
spray. ACC performance is
limited under these
conditions.
. On slippery roads where
fast changes in tire traction
can cause excessive
wheel slip
(Continued)
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Driving and Operating 229
faster the vehicle speed, the further
back your vehicle will follow a
vehicle detected ahead. Consider
traffic and weather conditions when
selecting the following gap. The
range of selectable gaps may not be
appropriate for all drivers and
driving conditions.
Changing the gap setting
automatically changes the alert
timing sensitivity (Far, Medium,
or Near) for the Forward Collision
Alert (FCA) feature. SeeForward
Collision Alert (FCA) System 0240.
Alerting the Driver
If ACC is engaged, driver action
may be required when ACC cannot
apply sufficient braking because of
approaching a vehicle too rapidly. When this condition occurs, six red
lights will flash on the windshield.
Either eight beeps will sound from
the front, or both sides of the Safety
Alert Seat will pulse five times. See
“Collision/Detection Systems”
under
Vehicle Personalization 0151.
See Defensive Driving 0180.
Approaching and Following a
Vehicle
The vehicle ahead indicator is in the
instrument cluster. It only displays
when a vehicle is detected in your
vehicle’s path moving in the same
direction. If this symbol is not
displaying, ACC will not respond to
or brake for vehicles ahead.
ACC automatically slows the vehicle
down and adjusts vehicle speed to
follow a detected vehicle ahead at
the selected following gap. The vehicle speed increases or
decreases to follow a detected
vehicle in front of your vehicle when
that vehicle is traveling slower than
your vehicle set speed. It may apply
limited braking, if necessary. When
braking is active, the brake lamps
will come on. The automatic braking
may feel or sound different than if
the brakes were applied manually.
This is normal.
Stationary or Very Slow-Moving
Objects
{Warning
ACC may not detect and react to
stopped or slow-moving vehicles
ahead of you. For example, the
system may not brake for a
vehicle it has never detected
moving. This can occur in
stop-and-go traffic or when a
vehicle suddenly appears due to
a vehicle ahead changing lanes.
Your vehicle may not stop and
could cause a crash. Use caution
(Continued)
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232 Driving and Operating
{Warning
On curves, ACC may respond to
a vehicle in another lane, or may
not have time to react to a vehicle
in your lane. You could crash into
a vehicle ahead of you, or lose
control of your vehicle. Give extra
attention in curves and be ready
to use the brakes if necessary.
Select an appropriate speed while
driving in curves.
ACC may operate differently in a
sharp curve. It may reduce the
vehicle speed if the curve is too
sharp.
When following a vehicle and
entering a curve, ACC may not
detect the vehicle ahead and
accelerate to the set speed. When
this happens, the vehicle ahead
indicator will not appear.
ACC may detect a vehicle that is
not in your lane and apply the
brakes.
ACC may occasionally provide an
alert and/or braking that is
considered unnecessary. It could
respond to vehicles in different
lanes or stationary objects when
entering or exiting a curve. This is
normal operation. The vehicle does
not need service. Other Vehicle Lane Changes
ACC will not detect a vehicle ahead
until it is completely in the lane. The
brakes may need to be manually
applied.
Objects Not Directly in Front of
Your Vehicle
The detection of objects in front of
the vehicle may not be possible if:
.
The vehicle or object ahead is
not within your lane.
. The vehicle ahead is shifted, not
centered, or is shifted to one
side of the lane.
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240 Driving and Operating
from the back of the vehicle do not
move further back when a trailer is
towed.
Turning the Features On or Off
RPA can be turned on and off
through vehicle personalization. See
Vehicle Personalization0151.
Turn off RPA when towing a trailer.
To turn the Rear Park Assist
symbols or guidance lines on or off,
see “Rear Camera” underVehicle
Personalization 0151. On some
models, select the guidance lines
button on the infotainment display to
turn them on or off.
RCTA can also be turned on or off
through vehicle personalization. see
“Collision/Detection Systems” under
Vehicle Personalization 0151.
Assistance Systems for
Driving
If equipped, when driving the
vehicle in a forward gear, Forward
Collision Alert (FCA), Lane
Departure Warning (LDW), Lane
Keep Assist (LKA), Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA), Lane Change Alert
(LCA), Forward Automatic Braking
(FAB), and/or the Front Pedestrian
Braking (FPB) System can help to
avoid a crash or reduce crash
damage.
Forward Collision Alert
(FCA) System
If equipped, the FCA system may
help to avoid or reduce the harm
caused by front-end crashes. When
approaching a vehicle ahead too
quickly, FCA provides a red flashing
alert on the windshield and rapidly
beeps or pulses the driver seat.
FCA also lights an amber visual
alert if following another vehicle
much too closely.
FCA detects vehicles within a
distance of approximately 60 m
(197 ft) and operates at speeds
above 8 km/h (5 mph).
{Warning
FCA is a warning system and
does not apply the brakes. When
approaching a slower-moving or
stopped vehicle ahead too rapidly,
or when following a vehicle too
closely, FCA may not provide a
warning with enough time to help
avoid a crash. It also may not
provide any warning at all. FCA
does not warn of pedestrians,
animals, signs, guardrails,
bridges, construction barrels,
or other objects. Be ready to take
action and apply the brakes. See
Defensive Driving
0180.
FCA can be disabled with the FCA
steering wheel control, or if
equipped, through vehicle
personalization. See “Collision/
Detection Systems” underVehicle
Personalization 0151.
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Driving and Operating 241
Detecting the Vehicle Ahead
FCA warnings will not occur unless
the FCA system detects a vehicle
ahead. When a vehicle is detected,
the vehicle ahead indicator will
display green. Vehicles may not be
detected on curves, highway exit
ramps, or hills, due to poor visibility;
or if a vehicle ahead is partially
blocked by pedestrians or other
objects. FCA will not detect another
vehicle ahead until it is completely
in the driving lane.
{Warning
FCA does not provide a warning
to help avoid a crash, unless it
detects a vehicle. FCA may not
detect a vehicle ahead if the FCA
sensor is blocked by dirt, snow,(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
or ice, or if the windshield is
damaged. It may also not detect a
vehicle on winding or hilly roads,
or in conditions that can limit
visibility such as fog, rain,
or snow, or if the headlamps or
windshield are not cleaned or in
proper condition. Keep the
windshield, headlamps, and FCA
sensors clean and in good repair.
Collision Alert
When your vehicle approaches
another detected vehicle too rapidly,
the red FCA display will flash on the
windshield. Also, eight rapid
high-pitched beeps will sound from
the front, or both sides of the Safety
Alert Seat will pulse five times. When this Collision Alert occurs, the
brake system may prepare for driver
braking to occur more rapidly which
can cause a brief, mild deceleration.
Continue to apply the brake pedal
as needed. Cruise control may be
disengaged when the Collision Alert
occurs.
Tailgating Alert
The vehicle ahead indicator will
display amber when you are
following a vehicle ahead much too
closely.
Selecting the Alert Timing
The Collision Alert control is on the
steering wheel. Press
[to set the
FCA timing to Far, Medium, or Near,
or on some vehicles, Off. The first
button press shows the current
setting on the DIC. Additional button
presses will change this setting. The
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242 Driving and Operating
chosen setting will remain until it is
changed and will affect the timing of
both the Collision Alert and the
Tailgating Alert features. The timing
of both alerts will vary based on
vehicle speed. The faster the
vehicle speed, the farther away the
alert will occur. Consider traffic and
weather conditions when selecting
the alert timing. The range of
selectable alert timings may not be
appropriate for all drivers and
driving conditions.
Following Distance Indicator
The following distance to a moving
vehicle ahead in your path is
indicated in following time in
seconds on the Driver Information
Center (DIC). SeeDriver
Information Center (DIC) (Base
Level and Midlevel) 0141 orDriver
Information Center (DIC) (Uplevel)
0 146. The minimum following time
is 0.5 seconds away. If there is no
vehicle detected ahead, or the
vehicle ahead is out of sensor
range, dashes will be displayed.
Unnecessary Alerts
FCA may provide unnecessary
alerts for turning vehicles, vehicles
in other lanes, objects that are not
vehicles, or shadows. These alerts
are normal operation and the
vehicle does not need service.
Cleaning the System
If the FCA system does not seem to
operate properly, this may correct
the issue:
. Clean the outside of the
windshield in front of the
rearview mirror.
. Clean the entire front of the
vehicle.
. Clean the headlamps.
Forward Automatic
Braking (FAB)
If the vehicle has Forward Collision
Alert (FCA), it also has FAB, which
includes Intelligent Brake
Assist (IBA). When the system
detects a vehicle ahead in your path
that is traveling in the same direction that you may be about to
crash into, it can provide a boost to
braking or automatically brake the
vehicle. This can help avoid or
lessen the severity of crashes when
driving in a forward gear. Depending
on the situation, the vehicle may
automatically brake moderately or
hard. This forward automatic
braking can only occur if a vehicle is
detected. This is shown by the FCA
vehicle ahead indicator being lit.
See
Forward Collision Alert (FCA)
System 0240.
The system works when driving in a
forward gear between 8 km/h
(5 mph) and 80 km/h (50 mph).
It can detect vehicles up to
approximately 60 m (197 ft).
{Warning
FAB is an emergency crash
preparation feature and is not
designed to avoid crashes. Do
not rely on FAB to brake the
vehicle. FAB will not brake (Continued)