
Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13555863) - 2020 - CRC - 8/2/19
6 Introduction
1.Air Vents 0159.
2. Turn Signal Lever. See Turn
and Lane-Change Signals
0 148.
IntelliBeam
®System Button (If
Equipped). See Exterior Lamp
Controls 0144.
3. Instrument Cluster (Base and
Midlevel) 0102 or
Instrument Cluster (Uplevel)
0 106.
Driver Information Center (DIC)
Display. See Driver Information
Center (DIC) (Base Level and
Midlevel) 0123 or
Driver Information Center (DIC)
(Uplevel) 0129.
4. Windshield Wiper/Washer 094.
5. Infotainment 0153.
6. Light Sensor. See Automatic
Headlamp System 0147.
7. Hazard Warning Flashers
0148.
8. Climate Control Systems 0154
(If Equipped). Dual Automatic Climate Control
System
0156 (If Equipped).
9. Heated and Ventilated Front
Seats 043 (If Equipped).
10. Power Outlets 097.
11. Wireless Charging 098 (If
Equipped).
12. USB Port. See the infotainment manual.
Auxiliary Input Jack. See the
infotainment manual.
13. All-Wheel Drive 0204 (If
Equipped).
Tow/Haul Mode 0203.
14. Electric Parking Brake 0205.
15. Shift Lever. See Automatic
Transmission 0200.
Manual Mode 0202.
16. ENGINE START/STOP Button. SeeIgnition Positions 0180.
17. Steering Wheel Controls 094.
Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control 0208.
18. Horn 094. 19.
Steering Wheel Adjustment
094 (Out of View).
20. Cruise Control 0212.
Heated Steering Wheel 094 (If
Equipped).
Forward Collision Alert (FCA)
System 0230 (If Equipped).
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) 0238
(If Equipped).
21. Hood Release. See Hood
0 268.
22. Fog Lamps 0148 (If
Equipped).
23. Exterior Lamp Controls 0144.
24. Data Link Connector (DLC) (Out of View). See Malfunction
Indicator Lamp (Check Engine
Light) 0114.
25. Instrument Panel Illumination
Control 0149. 

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13555863) - 2020 - CRC - 8/2/19
Keys, Doors, and Windows 23
Presslon the bottom of the
liftgate next to the pull cup to close.
Press any liftgate button, the touch
pad, or
bon the RKE transmitter
while the liftgate is moving to stop it.
Pressing any liftgate button or
pressing
btwice quickly on the
RKE transmitter again restarts the
operation in the reverse direction.
Pressing the touch pad on the
liftgate handle will restart the
motion, but only in the opening
direction.
Caution
Manually forcing the liftgate to
open or close during a power
cycle can damage the vehicle.
Allow the power cycle to
complete.
The power liftgate may be
temporarily disabled under extreme
low temperatures, or after repeated
power cycling over a short period of
time. If this occurs, the liftgate can
still be operated manually.
If the vehicle is shifted out of
P (Park) while the power function is
in progress, the liftgate will continue
to completion. If the vehicle is
accelerated before the liftgate has
completed moving, the liftgate may
stop or reverse direction. Check for
Driver Information Center (DIC)
messages and make sure the
liftgate is closed and latched before
driving. Falling Liftgate Detection
If the power liftgate automatically
closes after a power opening cycle,
it indicates that the system is
reacting to excess weight on the
liftgate or a possible support strut
failure. A repetitive chime will sound
while the falling liftgate detection
feature is operating. Remove any
excess weight. If the liftgate
continues to automatically close
after opening, see your dealer for
service before using the power
liftgate.
Interfering with the power liftgate
motion or manually closing the
liftgate too quickly after power
opening may resemble a support
strut failure. This could also activate
the falling liftgate detection feature.
Allow the liftgate to complete its
operation and wait a few seconds
before manually closing the liftgate.
Obstacle Detection Features
If the liftgate encounters an obstacle
during a power open or close cycle,
the liftgate will automatically reverse
direction and move a short distance 

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13555863) - 2020 - CRC - 8/2/19
42 Seats and Restraints
4. Immediately press and hold the1 or 2 memory button matching
the above DIC welcome
message until two beeps
sound.
If too much time passes
between releasing SET and
pressing 1, the memory
position will not be saved and
two beeps will not sound.
Repeat Steps 3 and 4.
1 or 2 corresponds to the driver
number. See “Identifying Driver
Number” previously in this
section.
5. Repeat Steps 1–4 for a second driver using 1 or 2.
To save the position for
Band
Seat Exit Memory features, repeat
Steps 1–4 using
B. This saves the
position for getting out of the
vehicle.
Save preferred memory feature
positions to both 1 and 2 if you are
the only driver. Manually Recalling Memory
Positions
Press and hold 1, 2, or
Bto recall
the previously saved memory
positions if you are driver 1 or 2
identified in the DIC welcome
message. RKE transmitters 3–8 will
not recall memory positions.
To stop Manual Memory recall
movement, release 1, 2, or
Bor
press any of the following controls:
. Power seat
. Memory SET
. Power mirror, with the driver or
passenger side mirror selected
Seat Entry Memory
The vehicle identifies the number of
the current driver ’s RKE transmitter
(1–8). See Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System Operation 08. If the
RKE transmitter is 1 or 2, and Seat
Entry Memory is enabled in vehicle
personalization, the positions saved
to the same memory button number
1 or 2 are automatically recalled
when the vehicle is turned on, or turned from off to ACC/
ACCESSORY. RKE transmitters 3–8
will not provide automatic memory
recalls.
To turn Seat Entry Memory on or off,
see
“Vehicle Personalization
Settings” previously in this section
and Vehicle Personalization 0134.
The shift lever must be in P (Park)
to start Seat Entry Memory. Seat
Entry Memory recall will complete if
the vehicle is shifted out of P (Park)
prior to reaching the saved memory
position.
To stop Seat Entry Memory recall
movement, turn the vehicle off or
press any of the following controls:
. Power seat
. Memory SET, 1, 2, or
B
.Power mirror, with the driver or
passenger side mirror selected
If the saved memory seat position
does not automatically recall or
recalls to the wrong positions, the
driver ’s RKE transmitter number (1
or 2) may not match the memory
button number that positions were 

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13555863) - 2020 - CRC - 8/2/19
110 Instruments and Controls
For vehicles with the Stop/Start
system, when the ignition is on, the
tachometer indicates the vehicle
status. When pointing to AUTO
STOP, the engine is off but the
vehicle is on and can move. The
engine could auto start at any time.
When the indicator points to OFF,
the vehicle is off.
When the engine is on, the
tachometer will indicate the engine’s
revolutions per minute (rpm). The
tachometer may vary by several
hundred rpm’s, during Auto Stop
mode, when the engine is shutting
off and restarting.Fuel Gauge
Metric Uplevel
English Uplevel
When the ignition is on, the fuel
gauge indicates about how much
fuel is left in the tank.
An arrow on the fuel gauge
indicates the side of the vehicle the
fuel door is on.
When the indicator nears empty, the
low fuel light comes on. There is a
small amount of fuel left, but the fuel
tank should be filled soon.
Here are four things that some
owners ask about. None of these
show a problem with the fuel gauge: 

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13555863) - 2020 - CRC - 8/2/19
136 Instruments and Controls
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 setting controls the vehicle
response when detecting a vehicle
ahead of you. The Off setting
disables all FCA and AEB functions.
With the Alert and Brake setting,
both FCA and AEB are available.
The Alert setting disables AEB. See
Automatic Emergency Braking
(AEB)0232.
Touch Off, Alert, or Alert and Brake.
Front Pedestrian Detection
This feature may help avoid or
reduce the harm caused by
front-end crashes with nearby
pedestrians.
See Front Pedestrian Braking (FPB)
System 0234.
Select Off, Alert, or Alert and Brake. Adaptive Cruise Go Notifier
This setting determines if an alert
will appear when Adaptive Cruise
Control brings the vehicle to a
complete stop and the vehicle
ahead of you starts moving again.
See
Adaptive Cruise Control 0214.
Touch Off or On.
Lane Change Alert
The LCA system is a lane-changing
aid that assists drivers with avoiding
lane change crashes. See Lane
Change Alert (LCA) 0236.
When Lane Change Alert is
disabled, Side Blind Zone Alert is
also disabled. See Side Blind Zone
Alert (SBZA) 0236.
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 0226.
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
0226.
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 0226.
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. 

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13555863) - 2020 - CRC - 8/2/19
162 Driving and Operating
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Driver Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Driving Environment . . . . . . . . . . 164
Vehicle Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Driving for Better FuelEconomy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 172
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 173
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 175
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 180
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . 182 Stop/Start System . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Winter Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Diesel Particulate Filter
Diesel Particulate Filter . . . . . . . 191
Diesel Exhaust Fluid
Diesel Exhaust Fluid . . . . . . . . . . 195
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 200
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . 205
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . 207
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Adaptive Cruise Control . . . . . . 214
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . 225
Assistance Systems forParking or Backing . . . . . . . . . . 226
Assistance Systems for Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Front Pedestrian Braking (FPB) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . 236
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . 238 

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13555863) - 2020 - CRC - 8/2/19
184 Driving and Operating
If you are trying to start the engine
after you have run out of fuel, follow
the steps inRunning Out of Fuel
(Diesel) 0249.
When the engine is cold, let it run
for a few minutes before driving.
This lets oil pressure build up. The
engine will sound louder when it
is cold.
Cold Weather Starting (Diesel
Engine)
Use the recommended engine oil
when the outside temperature drops
below freezing. See Engine Oil
0 275. When the outside
temperature drops below –18°C (0°
F), use of the engine heater is
recommended.
See Fuel for Diesel Engines 0243
for information on what fuel to use in
cold weather.
If the Diesel Engine Will Not
Start
If you have run out of fuel, see
Running Out of Fuel (Diesel) 0249. If the vehicle is not out of fuel, and
the engine will not start:
If the battery does not have enough
charge to start the engine, see
Battery - North America
0290.
Check that the correct engine oil
has been used and changed at
appropriate intervals. If the wrong oil
is used, the engine may be harder
to start.
Be sure to use the proper fuel for
existing weather conditions. See
Fuel for Diesel Engines 0243.
If the engine starts, runs a short
time, then stops, the vehicle needs
service.
{Warning
Do not use gasoline or starting
aids, such as ether, in the air
intake. They could damage the
engine, which may not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
They could also cause a fire,
which could cause serious
personal injury.
Stop/Start System
This vehicle has a Stop/Start
system to shut off the engine to help
conserve fuel. It has components
designed for the increased number
of starts.
{Warning
The automatic engine Stop/Start
feature causes the engine to shut
off while the vehicle is still on. Do
not exit the vehicle before shifting
to P (Park). The vehicle may
restart and move unexpectedly.
Always shift to P (Park), and then
turn the ignition off before exiting
the vehicle.
Auto Engine Stop/Start
When the brakes are applied and
the vehicle is at a complete stop,
the engine may turn off. When
stopped, the tachometer displays
AUTO STOP. See Tachometer
0 109. When the brake pedal is
released or the accelerator pedal is
pressed, the engine will restart. 

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13555863) - 2020 - CRC - 8/2/19
Driving and Operating 185
To maintain vehicle performance,
other conditions may cause the
engine to automatically restart
before the brake pedal is released.
Auto Stops may not occur and/or
auto restarts may occur because:
.The climate control settings
require the engine to be running
to cool or heat the vehicle
interior.
. The vehicle battery charge
is low.
. The vehicle battery has recently
been disconnected.
. Minimum vehicle speed has not
been reached since the last
Auto Stop
. The accelerator pedal is
pressed.
. The engine or transmission is
not at the required operating
temperature.
. The outside temperature is not
in the required operating range.
. The vehicle is in any gear other
than D (Drive). .
Tow/Haul Mode or other driver
modes have been selected.
. The vehicle is on a steep hill or
grade.
. The driver door has been
opened or driver seat belt has
been unbuckled.
. The hood has been opened.
. The Auto Stop has reached the
maximum allowed time.
Winter Cover
If equipped, the winter cover can be
used to enhance heater
performance in extremely cold
conditions below −0 °C (32 °F). The
winter cover installs over the grille
and restricts airflow to the engine
compartment.
Usage Guidelines
The winter cover should only be
used while operating the vehicle in
extremely cold temperatures or in
heavy snow for extended periods. In
these temperatures, the vehicle
does not need a large amount of air
to properly cool the engine. When more airflow is required to cool the
vehicle, the winter cover should not
be used. The following usage
guidelines will allow adequate
airflow for proper radiator and air
cooler performance:
.
Do not use the winter cover if
towing a trailer. The vehicle may
overheat if the radiator is
covered while towing.
. Do not modify the cover. The
winter cover does not cover
some sections of the front of the
vehicle to provide enough
airflow.
. Keep the underside of the winter
cover as clean as possible.
Remove monthly or as
necessary and clean away dust
and debris.
. Do not use the winter cover
above −0 °C (32 °F).
Use only a mild soap to clean. Do
not use harsh soap, strong
detergents, or vinyl protectant/
sealant type products as they may