climate control CHEVROLET EQUINOX 2011 2.G User Guide

Black plate (9,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
Keys, Doors and Windows 2-9
Do not press the touchpad while
closing the liftgate. This will cause
the liftgate to be unlatched.
Always close the liftgate before
driving.
Liftgate (Power)
Power Liftgate Operation
{WARNING
Exhaust gases can enter the
vehicle if it is driven with the
liftgate, trunk/hatch open, or with
any objects that pass through the
seal between the body and the
trunk/hatch or liftgate. Engine
exhaust contains Carbon
Monoxide (CO) which cannot be
seen or smelled. It can cause
unconsciousness and even death.(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
If the vehicle must be driven with
the liftgate, or trunk/hatch open:
.Close all of the windows.
.Fully open the air outlets on
or under the instrument
panel.
.Adjust the Climate Control
system to a setting that
brings in only outside air and
set the fan speed to the
highest setting. See Climate
Control System in the Index.
.If the vehicle is equipped with
a power liftgate, disable the
power liftgate function.
For more information about
carbon monoxide, see Engine
Exhaust on page 9‑34. On vehicles with a power liftgate,
the switch is on the overhead
console. The vehicle must be in
P (Park) to use the power feature.
The taillamps flash when the power
liftgate moves.
{WARNING
You or others could be injured if
caught in the path of the power
liftgate. Make sure there is no one
in the way of the liftgate as it is
opening and closing.
Notice: If you open the liftgate
without checking for overhead
obstructions such as a garage
door, you could damage the
liftgate or the liftgate glass.
Always check to make sure the
area above and behind the liftgate
is clear before opening it.
The power liftgate has three modes
of operation. Mode selection is
controlled by the interior mode
switch.

Black plate (15,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
Keys, Doors and Windows 2-15
Power Mirrors
Controls for the outside power
mirrors are on the driver door.
To adjust the mirrors:
1. Move the selector switch toL (left) or R (right) to choose the
driver or passenger mirror.
2. Press the arrows on the control pad to move each mirror in the
desired direction.
3. Return the selector switch to the middle position.
Heated Mirrors
For vehicles with heated mirrors:
The heated outside rearview mirrors
turn on when the rear window
defogger is on and help to clear fog
or frost from the surface of the
mirrors.
<(Rear Window Defogger):
This button is on the climate control
panel.
See “Rear Window Defogger” under
Automatic Climate Control System
on page 8‑3 for more information.
Park Tilt Mirrors
If the vehicle has the memory
package, the outside mirrors have a
park tilt feature. This feature
automatically tilts the outside mirrors
to a preselected position when the
vehicle is in R (Reverse). This
allows the driver to view the curb for
parallel parking.
The passenger and driver mirrors
return to their original position when
the vehicle is shifted out of
R (Reverse), or the ignition is turned
off or to OFF/LOCK.
This feature can be turned on or off
through the Driver Information
Center (DIC). See Vehicle
Personalization on page 5‑32.

Black plate (9,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-9
Heated Front Seats
{WARNING
If you cannot feel temperature
change or pain to the skin, the
seat heater may cause burns
even at low temperatures. To
reduce the risk of burns, people
with such a condition should use
care when using the seat heater,
especially for long periods of
time. Do not place anything on
the seat that insulates against
heat, such as a blanket, cushion,
cover or similar item. This may
cause the seat heater to
overheat. An overheated seat
heater may cause a burn or may
damage the seat.
On vehicles with heated front seats,
the buttons are near the climate
controls. To operate, the ignition
must be in ON/RUN.
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 the off setting. Three lights
indicate the highest setting, and
one light indicates the lowest. The passenger seat may take
longer to heat up.
Remote Start Heated Seats
When it is cold outside, the heated
seats can be programmed to turn on
automatically during a remote
vehicle start. The heated seats will
be canceled when the ignition is
turned on. Press the heated seat
button to use the heated seats after
the vehicle is started.
The heated seat button lights will
not turn on during a remote start.
The temperature of an unoccupied
seat may be reduced.
To program the heated seat feature
to enabled, see
“Remote Start Auto
Heat Seats” underVehicle
Personalization on page 5‑32 for
more information.

Black plate (33,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-33
3. Press the center of the MENU/SELECT knob to select the
Vehicle Settings menu.
The following list of menu items will
be available:
.Climate and Air Quality
.Comfort and Convenience
.Collision/Detection Systems
.Languages
.Lighting
.Power Door Locks
.Remote Lock/Unlock/Start
.Return to Factory Settings
Turn the MENU/SELECT knob to
highlight the menu. Press the knob
to select it. Each of the menus is
detailed in the following information.
All of the menus may not be
available. Only those tied to the
features on your vehicle will be
shown.
Climate and Air Quality
Select the Climate and Air Quality
menu and the following will be
displayed:
.Auto Fan Speed
.Air Conditioning Mode
.Remote Start Auto Heat Seats
Auto Fan Speed
This selection is available on
vehicles with the Automatic Climate
Control System. Choose from the
following blower speed settings:
High: Increased speed.
Low: Reduced speed.
Normal: Moderate speed.
Press the MENU/SELECT knob
when Auto Fan Speed is
highlighted. Turn the knob to
highlight “High,” “Normal,” or“Low.”
Press the knob to confirm the
selection and go back to the
last menu. Air Conditioning Mode
This will allow you to select whether
or not the air conditioning comes on
automatically the next time the
vehicle is started.
“On”means that
the air conditioning will be on at
start up, regardless of whether it
was on or off the last time the
vehicle was turned off. “Off”means
the air conditioning will be off at the
next start up, regardless of whether
it was on or off the last time the
vehicle was turned off. “Last
Setting” means that when the
vehicle is started, the air
conditioning will resume whichever
setting it was at the last time the
vehicle was turned off.
Press the MENU/SELECT knob
when Air Conditioning Mode is
highlighted. Turn the knob to
highlight “On,” “Off,” or“Last
Setting.” Press the knob to confirm
the selection and go back to the
last menu.

Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
Lighting 6-5
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 (DIC), you may see the
voltage move up or down. This is
normal. If there is a problem, an
alert will be displayed.The battery can be discharged at
idle if the electrical loads are very
high. This is true for all vehicles.
This is because the generator
(alternator) may not be spinning fast
enough at idle to produce all the
power that is needed for very high
electrical loads.
A high electrical load occurs when
several of the following are on, such
as: headlamps, high beams, fog
lamps, rear window defogger,
climate control fan at high speed,
heated seats, engine cooling fans,
trailer loads, and loads plugged into
accessory power outlets.
EPM works to prevent excessive
discharge of the battery. It does this
by balancing the generator's output
and the vehicle's electrical needs.
It can increase engine idle speed to
generate more power, whenever
needed. It can temporarily reduce
the power demands of some
accessories.Normally, these actions occur in
steps or levels, without being
noticeable. In rare cases at the
highest levels of corrective action,
this action may be noticeable to the
driver. If so, a Driver Information
Center (DIC) message might be
displayed, such as BATTERY
SAVER ACTIVE, BATTERY
VOLTAGE LOW, or LOW BATTERY.
If one of these messages displays, it
is recommended that the driver
reduce the electrical loads as much
as possible. See
Driver Information
Center (DIC) on page 5‑22.

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
Climate Controls 8-1
Climate Controls
Climate Control Systems
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . 8-1
Automatic Climate ControlSystem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-3
Air Vents
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-5
Maintenance
Passenger Compartment AirFilter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-6
Climate Control Systems
The vehicle's heating, cooling, defrosting, and ventilation can be controlled
with this system.
A. Fan Control
B. Air Delivery Mode Controls
C. Temperature Control
D. Outside Air
E. Defrost
F. Rear Window Defogger
G. Recirculation
H. Air ConditioningA(Fan Control): Turn to increase
or decrease the fan speed. Turn the
knob completely to
Tto turn the
fan off.
Temperature Control: Turn to
increase or decrease the
temperature.

Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
8-2 Climate Controls
Air Delivery Mode Control:To
change the current mode, select
one of the following:
F (Vent): Air is directed to the
instrument panel outlets.
* (Bi-Level): Air is directed to the
instrument panel outlets and the
floor outlets.
7 (Floor): Air is directed to the
floor outlets.
W(Defog): Clears the windows of
fog or moisture. Air is directed to the
windshield and floor outlets.
0(Defrost): Clears the
windshield of fog or frost more
quickly. Air is directed to the
windshield and side window outlets.
For best results, clear all snow and
ice from the windshield before
defrosting.
Do not drive the vehicle until all the
windows are clear.
Air Conditioning
#(Air Conditioning): Press to
turn the air conditioning on or off.
If the fan is turned off or the outside
temperature falls below freezing, the
air conditioning will not work.
h(Recirculation): Press to turn
on the recirculation. An indicator
light comes on. Air is recirculated
inside the vehicle. It helps to quickly
cool the air inside the vehicle or
prevent outside air and odors from
entering.
%(Outside Air): Press to turn
on the outside air. An indicator light
comes on. Outside air is circulated
throughout the vehicle.
Rear Window Defogger
<(Rear Defogger): Press to turn
the rear window defogger on or off.
The rear window defogger turns off
after about 10 minutes. It can also
be turned off by turning the ignition
to ACC/ACCESSORY or LOCK/
OFF. If turned on again, it runs for
about five minutes before
turning off.
Do not drive the vehicle until all the
windows are clear.
Notice: Do not use a razor blade
or sharp object to clear the inside
rear window. Do not adhere
anything to the defogger grid
lines in the rear glass. These
actions may damage the rear
defogger. Repairs would not be
covered by your warranty.

Black plate (3,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
Climate Controls 8-3
Automatic Climate Control System
The vehicle's heating, cooling, defrosting, and ventilation can be controlled
with this system.
A. Fan Control
B. AUTO (Automatic Operation)
C. Air Delivery Mode Controls
D. Defrost
E. Recirculation
F. Temperature ControlG. Power
H. Driver and Passenger
Heated Seats
I. Rear Window Defogger
J. Air Conditioning Automatic Operation
The system automatically controls
the fan speed, air delivery, air
conditioning, and recirculation to
heat or cool the vehicle to the
selected temperature.
When the AUTO indicator light is
on, the system is in full automatic
operation.
To place the system in
automatic mode:
1. Press AUTO.
2. Set the temperature. Allow the
system time to stabilize. Then
adjust the temperature as
needed.

Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
8-4 Climate Controls
Manual Operation
O(Power):Press to turn the
climate control system on or off.
A(Fan Control): Turn to increase
or decrease the fan speed.
Adjusting the fan speed while in
automatic mode places the fan
under manual control. The AUTO
indicator light turns off. The air
delivery mode remains in automatic
control.
Temperature Control: Turn to
increase or decrease the
temperature inside the vehicle.
H/G(Air Delivery Mode
Control): Press mode up or mode
down to cycle through the different
air delivery modes. The current
mode is shown on the display. Select from the following:
F
(Vent): Air is directed to the
instrument panel outlets.
* (Bi-Level): Air is directed to the
instrument panel outlets and the
floor outlets.
7 (Floor): Air is directed to the
floor outlets.
W(Defog): Clears the windows of
fog or moisture. Air is directed to the
windshield and floor outlets.
0(Defrost): Clears the
windshield of fog or frost more
quickly. Air is directed to the
windshield and side window outlets.
Selecting defrost disables the
automatic mode.
For best results, clear all snow and
ice from the windshield before
defrosting.
Do not drive the vehicle until all the
windows are clear.
Air Conditioning
#(Air Conditioning): Press to
turn the air conditioning on or off.
If the fan is turned off or the outside
temperature falls below freezing, the
air conditioning will not work. When
in AUTO, the air conditioning will
come on automatically as needed.
h(Recirculation): Press to turn
on the recirculation. Press to
alternate between recirculation and
outside air, if the vehicle does not
have a separate outside air button.
The indicator light turns on when
recirculation is selected. Air is
recirculated inside the vehicle.
It helps quickly cool the air inside
the vehicle or prevent outside air
and odors from entering.
%(Outside Air, If Equipped):
Press to turn on the outside air. An
indicator light comes on. Outside air
is circulated throughout the vehicle.

Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
Climate Controls 8-5
Rear Window Defogger
<(Rear Defogger):Press to turn
the rear window defogger on or off.
The rear window defogger turns off
after about 10 minutes. It can also
be turned off by turning the ignition
to ACC/ACCESSORY or LOCK/
OFF. If turned on again, it runs for
about five minutes before
turning off.
Do not drive the vehicle until all the
windows are clear.
Notice: Do not use a razor blade
or sharp object to clear the inside
rear window. Do not adhere
anything to the defogger grid
lines in the rear glass. These
actions may damage the rear
defogger. Repairs would not be
covered by your warranty.
L/M(Driver and Passenger
Heated Seats): For vehicles with
heated seats, see Heated Front
Seats on page 3‑9. Remote Start Climate Control
Operation:
For vehicles with the
remote vehicle 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 front
heated seats will turn on if it is cold
outside. The heated seat indicator
lights do not come on during a
remote start. See Remote Vehicle
Start on page 2‑5.
Sensors
The solar sensor, located on
top of the instrument panel near the
windshield, monitors the solar heat.
The climate control system
uses the information to adjust
the temperature, fan speed,
recirculation, and air delivery mode.
Do not cover the solar sensor or the
system will not work properly.
Air Vents
Use the air outlets, located in the
center and on the side of the
instrument panel, to direct the
airflow. Use the thumbwheels
located near the center air outlets,
to open or close off the airflow.
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.
.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.