CHEVROLET EQUINOX 2018 Owner's Manual

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
10446639) - 2018 - CRC - 8/18/17
190 Climate Controls
Climate Controls
Climate Control Systems
Climate Control Systems . . . . . 190
Dual Automatic ClimateControl System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Air Vents
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Maintenance
Passenger Compartment AirFilter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Climate Control Systems
The heating, cooling, and ventilation for the vehicle can be controlled with
this system.
1. Fan Control
2. MAX Defrost
3. Defrost/Defog
4. A/C (Air Conditioning)
5. Temperature Control
6. Driver and Passenger Heated
Seats (If Equipped)
7. Recirculation 8. Air Delivery Mode Controls
9. Rear Window Defogger
^:
Turn the knob clockwise or
counterclockwise to increase or
decrease the fan speed or turn the
fan off.
TEMP : Turn the knob clockwise or
counterclockwise to increase or
decrease the temperature.

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
10446639) - 2018 - CRC - 8/18/17
Climate Controls 191
Air Delivery Mode Controls :
Press
{,z, and0or a
combination of the buttons to
change the direction of the airflow.
The indicator light in the button will
turn on.
To change the current mode, select
one or more of the following:
0: Clears the windows of fog or
moisture. Air is directed to the
windshield.
{: Air is directed to the
instrument panel outlets.
z: Air is directed to the floor
outlets.
0MAX : Air is directed to the
windshield and the fan runs at a
higher speed. Fog or frost is cleared
from the windshield more quickly.
When the button is pressed again,
the system returns to the previous
mode setting.
For best results, clear all snow and
ice from the windshield before
defrosting. A/C :
Press to turn the air
conditioning system on or off. If the
climate control system is turned off
or the outside temperature falls
below freezing, the air conditioner
will not run.
@: Press to turn on recirculation.
An indicator light comes on. Air is
recirculated to quickly cool the
inside of the vehicle or to reduce the
entry of outside air and odors.
Rear Window Defogger
K: Press to turn the rear window
defogger on or off. An indicator light
on the button comes on to show that
the rear window defogger is on.
The defogger can be turned off by
turning the ignition off or to ACC/
ACCESSORY.
The rear window defogger can be
set to automatic operation. See
“Climate and Air Quality” under
Vehicle Personalization 0145.
When Auto Rear Defog is selected,
the rear window defogger turns on
automatically when the interior
temperature is cold and the outside temperature is about 7 °C (44 °F)
and below. The auto rear defogger
turns off automatically.
If the vehicle is equipped with
heated outside mirrors, they turn on
when the rear window defogger
button is on and help to clear fog or
frost from the surface of the mirror.
See
Heated Mirrors 052.
Caution
Do not try to clear frost or other
material from the inside of the
front windshield and rear window
with a razor blade or anything
else that is sharp. This may
damage the rear window
defogger grid and affect the
radio's ability to pick up stations
clearly. The repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
MorL:If equipped, pressMorLto heat the driver or passenger seat.
See Heated and Ventilated Front
Seats 066.

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
10446639) - 2018 - CRC - 8/18/17
192 Climate Controls
Dual Automatic Climate Control System
The heating, cooling, and ventilation for the vehicle can be controlled with
this system.
1. Driver and PassengerTemperature Controls
2. MAX Defrost
3. Air Delivery Mode Controls
4. A/C (Air Conditioning)
5. Heated and Ventilated Front Seats (If Equipped)
6. SYNC (Synchronized Temperature) 7. AUTO (Automatic Operation)
8. Fan Control
9. Power
10. Recirculation
11. Rear Window Defogger
Automatic Operation
The system automatically heats or
cools the vehicle to the desired
temperature: .
Fan Speed
. Air Delivery Mode
. Air Conditioning
. Recirculation
When AUTO is lit, all four functions
operate automatically. Each function
can also be manually set and the
selected setting is displayed.
Functions not manually set will
continue to be automatically
controlled, even if the AUTO
indicator is not lit.
For automatic operation: 1. Press AUTO.
2. Set the temperature. Allow the system time to stabilize. Adjust
the temperature as needed for
best comfort.
To improve fuel efficiency and to
cool the vehicle faster, recirculation
may be automatically selected in
warm weather. The recirculation
light will not come on. Press
@to
select recirculation; press it again to
select outside air.

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
10446639) - 2018 - CRC - 8/18/17
Climate Controls 193
Driver and Passenger
Temperature Control :The
temperature can be adjusted
separately for the driver and the
passenger. Turn the knob clockwise
or counterclockwise to increase or
decrease the temperature.
SYNC : Press to link all climate
zone settings to the driver setting.
The SYNC indicator light will turn
on. When the passenger settings
are adjusted, the SYNC indicator
light turns off.
Manual Operation
O: Press to turn the fan off or on.
When off, no air will flow into the
vehicle. Turning the fan on, pressing
any other button, or turning a knob
will turn the system back on using
the current setting.
^: Press to increase or decrease
the fan speed. The fan speed
setting appears on the main display.
Pressing either button cancels
automatic fan control and the fan is
controlled manually. Press AUTO to
return to automatic operation. Air Delivery Mode Controls :
Press any combination of
X,Y,
or
[to change the direction of the
airflow. The indicator light in the
button will turn on. The current
mode appears in the display screen.
Pressing any of the three buttons
cancels automatic air delivery
control and the direction of the
airflow is controlled manually. Press
AUTO to return to automatic
operation.
To change the current mode, select
one or more of the following:
X: Clears the windows of fog or
moisture. Air is directed to the
windshield.
Y: Air is directed to the instrument
panel outlets.
[: Air is directed to the floor
outlets.
0MAX : Air is directed to the
windshield and the fan runs at a
higher speed. Fog or frost is cleared
from the windshield more quickly. When the button is pressed again,
the system returns to the previous
mode setting.
For best results, clear all snow and
ice from the windshield before
defrosting.
A/C :
Press to turn the air
conditioning system on or off. If the
climate control system is turned off
or the outside temperature falls
below freezing, the air conditioner
will not run.
Pressing this button cancels
automatic air conditioning and turns
off the air conditioner. Press AUTO
to return to automatic operation and
the air conditioner runs
automatically as needed. When the
indicator light is on, the air
conditioner runs automatically to
cool the air inside the vehicle or to
dry the air needed to defog the
windshield faster.@: Press to turn on recirculation.
An indicator light comes on. Air is
recirculated to quickly cool the
inside of the vehicle or to reduce the
entry of outside air and odors.

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
10446639) - 2018 - CRC - 8/18/17
194 Climate Controls
Auto Defog :The climate control
system may have a sensor to
automatically detect high humidity
inside the vehicle. When high
humidity is detected, the climate
control system may adjust to
outside air supply and turn on the
air conditioner. The fan speed may
slightly increase to help prevent
fogging. If the climate control
system does not detect possible
window fogging, it returns to normal
operation.
To turn Auto Defog off or on, see
“Climate and Air Quality” under
Vehicle Personalization 0145.
Rear Window Defogger
K:Press to turn the rear window
defogger on or off. An indicator light
on the button comes on to show that
the rear window defogger is on. The
defogger only works when the
ignition is on.
The defogger can be turned off by
turning the ignition to off or ACC/
ACCESSORY. The rear window defogger can be
set to automatic operation. See
“Climate and Air Quality”
under
Vehicle Personalization 0145.
When auto rear defog is selected,
the rear window defogger turns on
automatically when the interior
temperature is cold and the outside
temperature is about 7 °C (44 °F)
and below. The Auto Rear Defogger
turns off automatically.
If the vehicle is equipped with
heated outside mirrors, they turn on
when the rear window defogger
button is on and help to clear fog or
frost from the surface of the mirror.
See Heated Mirrors 052.Caution
Do not try to clear frost or other
material from the inside of the
front windshield and rear window
with a razor blade or anything
else that is sharp. This may
damage the rear window
defogger grid and affect the
(Continued)
Caution (Continued)
radio's ability to pick up stations
clearly. The repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Driver and Passenger Heated and
Ventilated Front Seats :
If equipped, press
LorMto heat
the driver or passenger seat.
If equipped, press
{orCto cool
the driver or passenger seat. See
Heated and Ventilated Front Seats
0 66.
Remote Start Climate Control
Operation (If Equipped) : If the
vehicle is equipped with the remote
start feature, the climate control
system may run when the vehicle is
started remotely. The system uses
the driver ’s previous settings to heat
or cool the inside of the vehicle. The
rear defog may come on during
remote start based on cold ambient
conditions. If the vehicle has heated
or ventilated seats, they may come
on during a remote start.

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
10446639) - 2018 - CRC - 8/18/17
Climate Controls 195
SeeRemote Vehicle Start 038 and
Heated and Ventilated Front Seats
0 66.
Sensor
The solar sensor on top of the
instrument panel near the
windshield monitors the solar heat.
The climate control system uses the
sensor information to adjust the
temperature, fan speed,
recirculation, and air delivery mode
for best comfort.
Do not cover the sensor; otherwise
the automatic climate control system
may not work properly.
Air Vents
Use the louvers located on the air
vents to change the direction of the
airflow.
To open or close off the airflow:
.
On the center air vents, move
the slider knobs up or down.
. On the outer and rear air vents,
move the slider knobs right
or left.
Operation Tips
. Clear away any ice, snow,
or leaves from air inlets at the
base of the windshield that could
block the flow of air into the
vehicle. .
Clear snow off the hood to
improve visibility and help
decrease moisture drawn into
the vehicle, which may improve
long term system performance.
. Keep the path under the front
seats clear of objects to help
circulate the air inside of the
vehicle more effectively.
. Use of non-GM approved hood
deflectors can adversely affect
the performance of the system.
Check with your dealer before
adding equipment to the outside
of the vehicle.
. Do not attach any devices to the
air vent slats. This restricts
airflow and may cause damage
to the air vents.

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
10446639) - 2018 - CRC - 8/18/17
196 Climate Controls
Maintenance
Passenger Compartment
Air Filter
The filter removes dust, pollen, and
other airborne irritants from outside
air that is pulled into the vehicle.
The filter should be replaced as part
of routine scheduled maintenance.
SeeMaintenance Schedule 0373.
To find out what type of filter to use,
see Maintenance Replacement
Parts 0382.
1. Open the glove box.
2. Disconnect the glove box door damper (1) from the glove box
door assembly by squeezing
the pivot (2) to release the
damper ring.3. Squeeze both sides of theglove box bin inward to lower
beyond the stops.

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
10446639) - 2018 - CRC - 8/18/17
Climate Controls 197
4. Press the latches on either sideof the service door inward to
release. Open the service door
and remove the old filter.
5. Install the new air filter.
6. Close the service door completely.
7. Reverse the steps to reinstall the glove box.
See your dealer if additional
assistance is needed.
Service
All vehicles have a label underhood
that identifies the refrigerant used in
the vehicle. The refrigerant system
should only be serviced by trained
and certified technicians. The air
conditioning evaporator should
never be repaired or replaced by
one from a salvage vehicle.
It should only be replaced by a new
evaporator to ensure proper and
safe operation.
During service, all refrigerants
should be reclaimed with proper
equipment. Venting refrigerants directly to the atmosphere is harmful
to the environment and may also
create unsafe conditions based on
inhalation, combustion, frostbite,
or other health-based concerns.

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
10446639) - 2018 - CRC - 8/18/17
198 Driving and Operating
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Driver Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Driving Environment . . . . . . . . . . 199
Vehicle Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 207
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 208
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 210
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 215
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Diesel Particulate Filter
Diesel Particulate Filter . . . . . . . 225
Diesel Exhaust Fluid
Diesel Exhaust Fluid . . . . . . . . . . 226
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 231
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . 236
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237 Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . 238
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . 244
Assistance Systems forParking or Backing . . . . . . . . . . 245
Assistance Systems for Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Forward Automatic Braking (FAB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . 252
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . 254
Fuel
Fuel (Gasoline) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
California Fuel Requirements (Gasoline) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Fuels in Foreign Countries (Gasoline) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
10446639) - 2018 - CRC - 8/18/17
Driving and Operating 199
Fuel Additives (Gasoline) . . . . . 258
Fuel for Diesel Engines . . . . . . . 258
What Fuel to Use in the U.S.(Diesel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
What Fuel to Use in Canada
and Mexico (Diesel) . . . . . . . . . 260
Biodiesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Cold Weather Operation (Diesel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Water in Fuel (Diesel) . . . . . . . . 262
Running Out of Fuel (Diesel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Fuel Filter Replacement (Diesel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Filling the Tank (Gasoline) . . . . 266
Filling the Tank (Diesel) . . . . . . . 268
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Trailer Towing
General TowingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Driving Characteristics and Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Towing Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Trailer Sway Control (TSC) . . . 277
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Driving Information
Driver Behavior
Driving is an important
responsibility. Driver behavior, the
driving environment, and the
vehicle's design all affect how well a
vehicle performs.
Being aware of these factors can
help in understanding how the
vehicle handles and what can be
done to avoid many types of
crashes, including a rollover crash.
Most serious injuries and fatalities to
unbelted occupants can be reduced
or prevented by the use of seat
belts. In a rollover crash, an
unbelted person is significantly
more likely to die than a person
wearing a seat belt. In addition,
avoiding excessive speed, sudden
or abrupt turns, and drunken or
aggressive driving can help make
trips safer and avoid the possibility
of a crash.
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 the