Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14420010) - 2021 - CRC - 11/10/20
36 Seats and Restraints
If available, the buttons are on the climate
control panel. To operate, the engine must
be running.
Press
LorMto heat the driver or
passenger seat cushion and seatback.
Press the button once for the highest
setting. With each press of the button, the
heated seat will change to the next lower
setting, and then to the off setting. The
lights indicate three for the highest setting
and one for the lowest.
The passenger seat may take longer to
heat up. Press
{orCto ventilate the driver or
passenger seat. A ventilated seat has a fan
that pulls air through the seat cushion and
seatback. The air is not cooled.
Press the button once for the highest
setting. With each press of the button, the
ventilated seat will change to the next lower
setting, and then to the off setting. The
lights indicate three for the highest setting
and one for the lowest.
Remote Start Heated and Ventilated Seats
During a remote start, the heated or
ventilated seats, if equipped, can be turned
on automatically. When it is cold outside,
the heated seats turn on, and when it is hot
outside the ventilated seats turn on. The
heated or ventilated seats are canceled
when the ignition is turned on. Press the
heated or ventilated seat button to use the
heated or ventilated seats after the vehicle
is started.
The heated or ventilated seat indicator lights
do not turn on during a remote start.
The temperature performance of an
unoccupied seat may be reduced. This is
normal. The remote start heated or ventilated seats
may be enabled or disabled in the vehicle
personalization menu. See
Remote Vehicle
Start 013 and
Vehicle Personalization 0108.
Rear Seats
Rear Seat Reminder
If equipped, the message REAR SEAT
REMINDER LOOK IN REAR SEAT displays
under certain conditions indicating there
may be an item or passenger in the rear
seat. Check before exiting the vehicle.
This feature will activate when a second row
door is opened while the vehicle is on or up
to 10 minutes before the vehicle is turned
on. There will be an alert when the vehicle
is turned off. The alert does not directly
detect objects in the rear seat; instead,
under certain conditions, it detects when a
rear door is opened and closed, indicating
that there may be something in the
rear seat.
The feature is active only once each time
the vehicle is turned on and off, and will
require reactivation by opening and closing
the second row doors. There may be an
alert even when there is nothing in the rear
Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14420010) - 2021 - CRC - 11/10/20
Seats and Restraints 37
seat; for example, if a child entered the
vehicle through the rear door and left the
vehicle without the vehicle being shut off.
The feature can be turned on or off. See
Vehicle Personalization0108.
Reclining the Seatback
To recline the seatback:
1. Pull the reclining seatback handle.
2. Move the seatback to the desired
position, and then release the handle to
lock the seatback in place.
3. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is locked.
Folding the Seatback
Either side of the seatback can be folded for
more cargo space. Fold a seatback only
when the vehicle is not moving.
Caution
Folding a rear seat with the seat belts
still fastened may cause damage to the
seat or the seat belts. Always unbuckle
the seat belts and return them to their
normal stowed position before folding a
rear seat.
To fold the seatback:
1. Pull the handle on top of the seatback to unlock it.
A tab near the seatback lever raises
when the seatback is unlocked.
2. Fold the seatback forward.
3. Stow the seat belt in the belt stowage clip.
Repeat the steps to fold the other
seatback, if desired.
Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14420010) - 2021 - CRC - 11/10/20
Seats and Restraints 43
3. Push the latch plate into the buckle untilit clicks.
Pull up on the latch plate to make sure
it is secure. If the belt is not long
enough, see Seat Belt Extender 045.
Position the release button on the buckle
so that the seat belt could be quickly
unbuckled if necessary.4. To make the lap part tight, pull up on the shoulder belt.
To unlatch the belt, push the button on the
buckle. The belt should return to its stowed
position.
Always stow the seat belt slowly. If the seat
belt webbing returns quickly to the stowed
position, the retractor may lock and cannot
be pulled out. If this happens, pull the seat
belt straight out firmly to unlock the
webbing, and then release it. If the webbing
is still locked in the retractor, see your
dealer.
Before a door is closed, be sure the seat belt
is out of the way. If a door is slammed
against a seat belt, damage can occur to
both the seat belt and the vehicle.
Seat Belt Pretensioners
This vehicle has seat belt pretensioners for
the front outboard occupants. Although the
seat belt pretensioners cannot be seen, they
are part of the seat belt assembly. They can
help tighten the seat belts during the early
stages of a moderate to severe frontal, near
frontal, or rear crash if the threshold
conditions for pretensioner activation are
met. Seat belt pretensioners can also help
tighten the seat belts in a side crash or a
rollover event.
Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14420010) - 2021 - CRC - 11/10/20
Seats and Restraints 49
Driver Side Shown, Passenger Side Similar
The roof-rail airbags for the driver, front
outboard passenger, and second row
outboard passengers are in the ceiling above
the side windows.
{Warning
If something is between an occupant and
an airbag, the airbag might not inflate
properly or it might force the object into
that person causing severe injury or even
death. The path of an inflating airbag
must be kept clear. Do not put anything
between an occupant and an airbag, and (Continued)
Warning (Continued)
do not attach or put anything on the
steering wheel hub or on or near any
other airbag covering.
Do not use seat accessories that block the
inflation path of a seat-mounted side
impact airbag.
Never secure anything to the roof of a
vehicle with roof-rail airbags by routing a
rope or tie‐down through any door or
window opening. If you do, the path of
an inflating roof-rail airbag will be
blocked.
When Should an Airbag Inflate?
This vehicle is equipped with airbags. See
Airbag System046. Airbags are designed to
inflate if the impact exceeds the specific
airbag system's deployment threshold.
Deployment thresholds are used to predict
how severe a crash is likely to be in time
for the airbags to inflate and help restrain
the occupants. The vehicle has electronic
sensors that help the airbag system
determine the severity of the impact.
Deployment thresholds can vary with
specific vehicle design. Frontal airbags are designed to inflate in
moderate to severe frontal or near frontal
crashes to help reduce the potential for
severe injuries, mainly to the driver's or
front outboard passenger's head and chest.
Whether the frontal airbags will or should
inflate is not based primarily on how fast
the vehicle is traveling. It depends on what
is hit, the direction of the impact, and how
quickly the vehicle slows down.
Frontal airbags may inflate at different crash
speeds depending on whether the vehicle
hits an object straight on or at an angle,
and whether the object is fixed or moving,
rigid or deformable, narrow or wide.
Frontal airbags are not intended to inflate
during vehicle rollovers, rear impacts,
or many side impacts.
In addition, the vehicle has advanced
technology frontal airbags. Advanced
technology frontal airbags adjust the
restraint according to crash severity.
Seat-mounted side impact airbags are
designed to inflate in moderate to severe
side crashes depending on the location of
the impact. Seat-mounted side impact
airbags are not designed to inflate in frontal
impacts, near frontal impacts, rollovers,
Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14420010) - 2021 - CRC - 11/12/20
80 Instruments and Controls
INT :Move the lever up to INT for
intermittent wipes, then turn the band up
for more frequent wipes or down for less
frequent wipes.
OFF : Use to turn the wipers off.
1X : For a single wipe, briefly move the
lever down. For several wipes, hold the
lever down.
{Warning
In freezing weather, do not use the
washer until the windshield is warmed.
Otherwise the washer fluid can form ice
on the windshield, blocking your vision.
{Warning
Before driving the vehicle, always clear
snow and ice from the hood, windshield,
roof, and rear of the vehicle, including all
lamps and windows. Reduced visibility
from snow and ice buildup could lead to
a crash.
Clear snow and ice from the wiper blades
and windshield before using them. If frozen
to the windshield, carefully loosen or thaw
them. Damaged blades should be replaced.
See Wiper Blade Replacement 0267.
Heavy snow or ice can overload the wiper
motor. If the wiper motor overheats, the
windshield wipers will stop until the motor
cools and the wiper control is turned off.
See Electrical System Overload 0272.
Wiper Parking
If the ignition is turned off while the wipers
are on LO, HI, or INT, they will
immediately stop.
If the windshield wiper lever is then moved
to OFF before the driver door is opened or
within 10 minutes, the wipers will restart
and move to the base of the windshield. If the ignition is turned off while the wipers
are performing wipes due to windshield
washing, the wipers continue to run until
they reach the base of the windshield.
Windshield Washer
f:
Pull the windshield wiper lever
toward you to spray windshield washer fluid
and activate the wipers. The wipers will
continue until the lever is released or the
maximum wash time is reached. When the
lever is released, additional wipes may occur
depending on how long the windshield
washer had been activated. See Washer
Fluid 0263 for information on filling the
windshield washer fluid reservoir.
Rear Window Wiper/Washer
The ignition must be on or in the ACC/
ACCESSORY position to operate the rear
window wiper/washer.
Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14420010) - 2021 - CRC - 11/12/20
Instruments and Controls 109
4. Touch9orRto turn a feature off or on.
5. Touch
zto go to the top level of the
Settings menu.
The menu may contain the following:
Rear Seat Reminder
This allows for a chime and a message when
the rear door has been opened before or
during operation of the vehicle.
Touch Off or On.
Climate and Air Quality
Touch and the following may display:
.Auto Fan Speed
.Air Quality Sensor
.Auto Cooled Seats
.Auto Heated Seats
.Auto Defog
.Auto Rear Defog
Auto Fan Speed
This setting specifies the amount of airflow
when the climate control fan setting is
Auto Fan.
Touch Low, Medium, or High. Air Quality Sensor
This setting switches the system into
Recirculation Mode based on the quality of
the outside air.
Touch Off, Low Sensitivity, or High
Sensitivity.
Auto Cooled Seats
When enabled, this feature will
automatically activate ventilated seats at
the level required by the interior
temperature. See
Heated and Ventilated
Front Seats 035.
Touch Off or On.
Auto Heated Seats
When enabled, this feature will
automatically activate the heated seats at
the level required by the interior
temperature. The auto heated seats can be
turned off by using the heated seat buttons
on the center console. See Heated and
Ventilated Front Seats 035.
Touch Off or On.
Auto Defog
This setting automatically turns the front
defogger on when the engine is started.
Touch Off or On. Auto Rear Defog
This setting automatically turns the rear
defogger on when the engine is started.
Touch Off or On.
Collision/Detection Systems
Touch and the following may display:
.Alert Type
.Forward Collision System
.Front Pedestrian Detection
.Adaptive Cruise Go Notifier
.Lane Change Alert
.Park Assist
.Rear Camera Park Assist Symbols
.Rear Cross Traffic Alert
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 can alert of a potential crash
with a detected vehicle ahead and can apply
brakes to help reduce a collision’s severity.
Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14420010) - 2021 - CRC - 11/10/20
120 Lighting
Some localities have laws that require the
high beams to be off when the fog lamps
are on.
Interior Lighting
Instrument Panel Illumination
Control
This feature adjusts the brightness of all
illuminated controls. The instrument panel
illumination control is next to the exterior
lamp control.
Push the knob in all the way until it extends
out and then turn the knob clockwise or
counterclockwise to brighten or dim the
lights. Push the knob back in when finished.
The knob is functional at night, or when the
headlamps or parking lamps are ON.
Courtesy Lamps
The courtesy lamps come on when any door
is opened,
Kon the RKE transmitter is
pressed, or when the ignition is switched
off. See Dome Lamps 0120.
Dome Lamps
The dome lamp controls are in the overhead
console. To operate, press the following buttons:
jOFF :
Press to turn off the dome
lamps when any door is opened,
Kon the
RKE transmitter is pressed, or when the
ignition is switched off. An indicator light on
the button will turn on when the dome
lamp override is activated. Press
jOFF
again to deactivate this feature and the
indicator light will turn off. The dome lamps
will come on when any door is opened,
K
on the RKE transmitter is pressed, or when
the ignition is switched off.
+ ON/OFF : Press to turn the dome lamps
on manually.
Reading Lamps
There are reading lamps on the overhead
console and over the rear passenger doors.
These lamps come on when any door is
opened,
Kon the RKE transmitter is
pressed, or when the ignition is
switched off.
To operate, the ignition must be on, or in
ACC/ACCESSORY, or using Retained Accessory
Power (RAP).
Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14420010) - 2021 - CRC - 11/10/20
Lighting 121
Front Reading Lamps
The front reading lamps are in the overhead
console.
Press the lamp lenses to turn the front
reading lamps on or off.
Rear Reading Lamps Press the lamp lens to turn the rear
passenger reading lamps on or off.
Lighting Features
Entry Lighting
Some exterior lamps turn on briefly at
night, or in areas with limited lighting,
when
Kis pressed on the Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE) transmitter. After about
30 seconds, the exterior lamps turn off.
Entry lighting can be disabled manually by
turning the ignition on or to ACC/
ACCESSORY, or by pressing
Kon the RKE
transmitter. When any door is opened,
or the
Kon the RKE transmitter is pressed,
all interior lights turn on if the dome lamp
control is in the DOOR position. After closing
the doors, the interior lamps dim to off
after 20 seconds.
The entry lighting feature for exterior
lighting can be changed. See “Vehicle
Locator Lights” underVehicle Personalization
0 108.
Exit Lighting
Some exterior lamps come on at night, or in
areas with limited lighting, when the driver
door is opened after the ignition is turned
off. The interior lights come on after the
ignition is turned off. The exterior lamps and
interior lights remain on for a set amount of
time, then automatically turn off.
The exterior lamps turn off immediately by
turning the exterior lamp control off.
This exit lighting for exterior lights can be
changed. See Vehicle Personalization 0108.
Battery Load Management
The vehicle has Electric Power Management
(EPM) that estimates the battery's
temperature and state of charge. It then
adjusts the voltage for best performance
and extended life of the battery.
When the battery's state of charge is low,
the voltage is raised slightly to quickly bring
the charge back up. When the state of
charge is high, the voltage is lowered
slightly to prevent overcharging. If the
vehicle has a voltmeter gauge or a voltage
display on the Driver Information Center