instrument panel CHEVROLET EQUINOX 2009 1.G Owners Manual

Seats and Restraint System............................. 1-1
Front Seats
............................................... 1-2
Rear Seats
..............................................1-10
Safety Belts
.............................................1-12
Child Restraints
.......................................1-32
Airbag System
.........................................1-58
Restraint System Check
............................1-74
Features and Controls..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-3
Doors and Locks
......................................2-10
Windows
.................................................2-14
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................2-16
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
...........2-19
Mirrors
....................................................2-36
OnStar
®System
......................................2-37
Storage Areas
.........................................2-41
Sunroof
..................................................2-47
Instrument Panel............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-4
Climate Controls
......................................3-18
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators
........3-23
Driver Information Center (DIC)
..................3-42
Audio System(s)
.......................................3-64Driving Your Vehicle....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and the Vehicle
....... 4-2
Towing
...................................................4-26
Service and Appearance Care.......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-5
Checking Things Under the Hood
...............5-10
All-Wheel Drive
........................................5-42
Headlamp Aiming
.....................................5-44
Bulb Replacement
....................................5-45
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.........5-51
Tires
......................................................5-52
Appearance Care
.....................................5-88
Vehicle Identication
.................................5-96
Electrical System
......................................5-97
Capacities and Specications
...................5-104
Maintenance Schedule..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance Information.................... 7-1
Customer Assistance and Information
........... 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
...........................7-14
Vehicle Data Recording and Privacy
...........7-16
Index................................................................ 1
2009 Chevrolet Equinox Owner ManualM

Manual Lumbar
On vehicles with this
feature, the knob is
located on the front of the
driver seat lower cushion
on the inboard side.
Turn the knob clockwise or counterclockwise to increase
or decrease the lumbar support.
Heated Seats
On vehicles with heated
seats, the switches are
located on the instrument
panel near the climate
controls.
The vehicle must be on for the heated seats to operate.
Press the switch, nearest to the seat, once to turn the
heated seat on to the high setting. Both indicator lights
will be lit. Press the switch a second time to turn the
heated seat to the low setting. One indicator light will
be lit. Press the switch a third time to turn the heated
seat off.
1-4

The person keeps going until stopped by something. In
a real vehicle, it could be the windshield...or the instrument panel...
1-15

Airbag System
Your vehicle has the following airbags:
A frontal airbag for the driver.
A frontal airbag for the right front passenger.
Your vehicle may have the following airbags:
A roof-rail airbag for the driver and the passenger
seated directly behind the driver.
A roof-rail airbag for the right front passenger and
the passenger seated directly behind that
passenger.
All of the airbags in your vehicle will have the word
AIRBAG embossed in the trim or on an attached label
near the deployment opening.
For frontal airbags, the word AIRBAG will appear on the
middle part of the steering wheel for the driver and
on the instrument panel for the right front passenger.
With roof-rail airbags, the word AIRBAG will appear
along the headliner or trim.Even if you do not have a right front passenger seat in
your vehicle there is still an active frontal airbag in the
right side of the instrument panel. Do not place cargo in
front of this airbag.
{CAUTION:
Be sure that cargo is not near an airbag. In a crash,
an inating airbag might force that object toward a
person. This could cause severe injury or even
death. Secure objects away from the area in which
an airbag would inate. For more information, see
Where Are the Airbags? on page 1-61andLoading
the Vehicle on page 4-20.
Airbags are designed to supplement the protection
provided by safety belts. Even though today’s airbags
are also designed to help reduce the risk of injury
from the force of an inating bag, all airbags must inate
very quickly to do their job.
1-58

{CAUTION:
Children who are up against, or very close to,
any airbag when it inates can be seriously injured
or killed. Airbags plus lap-shoulder belts offer
protection for adults and older children, but not for
young children and infants. Neither the vehicle’s
safety belt system nor its airbag system is designed
for them. Young children and infants need the
protection that a child restraint system can provide.
Always secure children properly in your vehicle.
To read how, seeOlder Children on page 1-32or
Infants and Young Children on page 1-35.There is an airbag
readiness light on the
instrument panel cluster,
which shows the airbag
symbol.
The system checks the airbag electrical system for
malfunctions. The light tells you if there is an electrical
problem. SeeAirbag Readiness Light on page 3-27
for more information.
1-60

Where Are the Airbags?
The driver’s airbag is in the middle of the steering
wheel.The right front passenger’s airbag is in the instrument
panel on the passenger’s side.
1-61

What Makes an Airbag Inate?
In a deployment event, the sensing system sends an
electrical signal triggering a release of gas from
the inator. Gas from the inator lls the airbag causing
the bag to break out of the cover and deploy. The
inator, the airbag, and related hardware are all part of
the airbag module.
Frontal airbag modules are located inside the steering
wheel and instrument panel. For vehicles with
roof-rail airbags, there are airbag modules in the ceiling
of the vehicle, near the side windows that have
occupant seating positions.
How Does an Airbag Restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or near frontal collisions,
even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel
or the instrument panel. In moderate to severe side
collisions, even belted occupants can contact the inside
of the vehicle.Airbags supplement the protection provided by safety
belts. Frontal airbags distribute the force of the impact
more evenly over the occupant’s upper body, stopping
the occupant more gradually. Roof-rail airbags distribute
the force of the impact more evenly over the occupant’s
upper body.
Rollover capable roof-rail airbags are designed to
help contain the head and chest of occupants in the
outboard seating positions in the rst and second rows.
The rollover capable roof-rail airbags are designed to
help reduce the risk of full or partial ejection in rollover
events, although no system can prevent all such
ejections.
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? on
page 1-63for more information.
Airbags should never be regarded as anything more
than a supplement to safety belts.
1-65

The vehicle has a feature that may automatically unlock
the doors, turn the interior lamps on, and turn the
hazard warning ashers on when the airbags inate.
You can lock the doors, turn the interior lamps off, and
turn the hazard warning ashers off by using the
controls for those features.
In many crashes severe enough to inate the airbag,
windshields are broken by vehicle deformation.
Additional windshield breakage may also occur from the
right front passenger airbag.
Airbags are designed to inate only once. After an
airbag inates, you will need some new parts for the
airbag system. If you do not get them, the airbag
system will not be there to help protect you in another
crash. A new system will include airbag modules and
possibly other parts. The service manual for the
vehicle covers the need to replace other parts.
The vehicle has a crash sensing and diagnostic
module which records information after a crash.
SeeVehicle Data Recording and Privacy on
page 7-16andEvent Data Recorders on page 7-17.
Let only qualied technicians work on the airbag
systems. Improper service can mean that an
airbag system will not work properly. See your
dealer/retailer for service.
Passenger Sensing System
The vehicle has a passenger sensing system for the
right front passenger position. The passenger airbag
status indicator will be visible on the instrument
panel when the vehicle is started.
The words ON and OFF, or the symbol for on and off,
will be visible during the system check. When the
system check is complete, either the word ON or the
word OFF, or the symbol for on or off, will be visible.
SeePassenger Airbag Status Indicator on page 3-28.
The passenger sensing system will turn off the right
front passenger frontal airbag under certain conditions.
The driver airbags are not affected by the passenger
sensing system.United States
Canada
1-67

Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle
Airbags affect how the vehicle should be serviced.
There are parts of the airbag system in several places
around the vehicle. Your dealer/retailer and the
service manual have information about servicing the
vehicle and the airbag system. To purchase a service
manual, seeService Publications Ordering Information
on page 7-15.
{CAUTION:
For up to 10 seconds after the ignition is turned off
and the battery is disconnected, an airbag can still
inate during improper service. You can be injured
if you are close to an airbag when it inates. Avoid
yellow connectors. They are probably part of the
airbag system. Be sure to follow proper service
procedures, and make sure the person performing
work for you is qualied to do so.
Adding Equipment to Your
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Q:Is there anything I might add to or change
about the vehicle that could keep the airbags
from working properly?
A:Yes. If you add things that change the vehicle’s
frame, bumper system, height, front end or side
sheet metal, they may keep the airbag system from
working properly. Changing or moving any parts of
the front seats, safety belts, the airbag sensing and
diagnostic module, steering wheel, instrument panel,
roof-rail airbag modules, ceiling headliner or pillar
garnish trim, overhead console, front sensors, side
impact sensors, rollover sensor module, or airbag
wiring can affect the operation of the airbag system.
In addition, the vehicle has a passenger sensing
system for the right front passenger position, which
includes sensors that are part of the passenger seat.
1-72

Lockout Protection
If you press the power door lock switch when the key is
in the ignition and any door is open, all the doors will
lock and only the driver’s door will unlock. Be sure
to remove the key from the ignition when locking your
vehicle.
If the keyless entry transmitter is used to lock the doors
and the key is in the ignition, a chime will sound
three times. All passenger doors will lock, but the
driver’s door will remain unlocked.
Liftgate
{CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to drive with the liftgate or
liftglass open because carbon monoxide (CO) gas
can come into your vehicle. You cannot see or
smell CO. It can cause unconsciousness and even
death. If you must drive with the liftgate open or if
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
electrical wiring or other cable connections must
pass through the seal between the body and the
liftgate or liftglass:
Make sure all other windows are shut.
Turn the fan on your climate control system to
its highest speed and select the control setting
that will force outside air into your vehicle.
See “Climate Control System” in the Index.
If you have air outlets on or under the
instrument panel, open them all the way.
SeeEngine Exhaust on page 2-34.
To unlock the liftgate, press the unlock button on the
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter twice or use the
power door lock switch.
To lock the liftgate, press the lock button on the
RKE transmitter or use the power door lock switch.
The liftgate does not have a key lock cylinder.
To open the liftgate, press the touchpad centered on
the underside of the liftgate handle and pull up.
When closing the liftgate, use the molded handles to
pull the liftgate down. Push the liftgate closed until
it latches.
2-12