ECU CHEVROLET EQUINOX 2011 2.G Owner's Manual

Black plate (54,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
3-54 Seats and Restraints
Top Tether Anchors
The top tether anchors for each rear
seating position are located on the
back of the rear seatback. The rear
compartment storage panel/cover
might need to be adjusted to access
the anchors. Be sure to use an
anchor located on the same side of
the vehicle as the seating position
where the child restraint will be
placed. Do not secure a child restraint in a
position without a top tether anchor
if a national or local law requires
that the top tether be attached, or if
the instructions that come with the
child restraint say that the top tether
must be attached.
According to accident statistics,
children and infants are safer when
properly restrained in a child
restraint system or infant restraint
system secured in a rear seating
position. See
Where to Put the
Restraint on page 3‑50 for
additional information.
Securing a Child Restraint
Designed for the LATCH
System
{WARNING
If a LATCH-type child restraint is
not attached to anchors, the child
restraint will not be able to protect
the child correctly. In a crash, the
child could be seriously injured or
killed. Install a LATCH-type child
restraint properly using the
anchors, or use the vehicle's
safety belts to secure the
restraint, following the instructions
that came with the child restraint
and the instructions in this
manual.

Black plate (55,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-55
{WARNING
Do not attach more than one child
restraint to a single anchor.
Attaching more than one child
restraint to a single anchor could
cause the anchor or attachment
to come loose or even break
during a crash. A child or others
could be injured. To reduce the
risk of serious or fatal injuries
during a crash, attach only one
child restraint per anchor.
{WARNING
Children can be seriously injured
or strangled if a shoulder belt is
wrapped around their neck and
the safety belt continues to
tighten. Buckle any unused safety
belts behind the child restraint so
children cannot reach them.(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
Pull the shoulder belt all the way
out of the retractor to set the lock,
if your vehicle has one, after the
child restraint has been installed.
Notice: Do not let the LATCH
attachments rub against the
vehicle’ s safety belts. This may
damage these parts. If necessary,
move buckled safety belts to
avoid rubbing the LATCH
attachments.
Do not fold the empty rear seat
with a safety belt buckled. This
could damage the safety belt or
the seat. Unbuckle and return the
safety belt to its stowed position,
before folding the seat.
Make sure to attach the child
restraint at the proper anchor
location. This system is designed to make
installation of child restraints easier.
When using lower anchors, do not
use the vehicle's safety belts.
Instead use the vehicle's anchors
and child restraint attachments to
secure the restraints. Some
restraints also use another vehicle
anchor to secure a top tether.
1. Attach and tighten the lower
attachments to the lower
anchors. If the child restraint
does not have lower
attachments or the desired
seating position does not have
lower anchors, secure the child
restraint with the top tether and
the safety belts. Refer to the
child restraint manufacturer
instructions and the instructions
in this manual.
1.1. Find the lower anchors for the desired seating
position.

Black plate (57,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-57
.If the position being used
has a fixed headrest or
head restraint and a dual
tether is being used, route
the tether around the
headrest or head restraint.
.If the position being used
has a fixed headrest or
head restraint and a single
tether is being used, route
the tether over the headrest
or head restraint.
3. Before placing a child in the child restraint, make sure it is
securely held in place. To check,
grasp the child restraint at the
LATCH path and attempt to
move it side‐to‐side and
back‐and‐forth. There should be
no more than 2.5 cm (1 in) of
movement, for proper
installation.
Replacing LATCH System
Parts After a Crash
{WARNING
A crash can damage the LATCH
system in the vehicle. A damaged
LATCH system may not properly
secure the child restraint,
resulting in serious injury or even
death in a crash. To help make
sure the LATCH system is
working properly after a crash,
see your dealer to have the
system inspected and any
necessary replacements made
as soon as possible.
If the vehicle has the LATCH system
and it was being used during a
crash, new LATCH system parts
may be needed.
New parts and repairs may be
necessary even if the LATCH
system was not being used at the
time of the crash.

Black plate (58,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
3-58 Seats and Restraints
Securing Child Restraints
(Rear Seat)
When securing a child restraint in a
rear seating position, study the
instructions that came with the
child restraint to make sure it is
compatible with this vehicle.
If the child restraint has the LATCH
system, seeLower Anchors and
Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) on page 3‑52 for how and
where to install the child restraint
using LATCH. If a child restraint is
secured in the vehicle using a
safety belt and it uses a top tether,
see Lower Anchors and Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) on
page 3‑52 for top tether anchor
locations.
Do not secure a child seat in a
position without a top tether anchor
if a national or local law requires
that the top tether be anchored, or if
the instructions that come with the
child restraint say that the top strap
must be anchored. In Canada, the law requires that
forward-facing child restraints have
a top tether, and that the tether be
attached.
If the child restraint does not have
the LATCH system, you will be
using the safety belt to secure the
child restraint in this position. Be
sure to follow the instructions that
came with the child restraint. Secure
the child in the child restraint when
and as the instructions say.
If more than one child restraint
needs to be installed in the rear
seat, be sure to read
Where to Put
the Restraint on page 3‑50.
1. Put the child restraint on the seat.
2. Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap and shoulder portions of
the vehicle's safety belt through
or around the restraint. The child
restraint instructions will show
you how.
3. Push the latch plate into the
buckle until it clicks.
Position the release button on
the buckle so that the safety belt
could be quickly unbuckled if
necessary.

Black plate (59,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-59
4. Pull the shoulder belt all the wayout of the retractor to set the
lock. When the retractor lock is
set, the belt can be tightened but
not pulled out of the retractor.5. To tighten the belt, push downon the child restraint, pull the
shoulder portion of the belt to
tighten the lap portion of the belt,
and feed the shoulder belt back
into the retractor. When installing
a forward-facing child restraint, it
may be helpful to use your knee
to push down on the child
restraint as you tighten the belt.
Try to pull the belt out of the
retractor to make sure the
retractor is locked. If the
retractor is not locked, repeat
Steps 4 and 5. 6. If the child restraint has a top
tether, follow the child restraint
manufacturer's instructions
regarding the use of the top
tether. See Lower Anchors and
Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) on page 3‑52 for more
information.
7. Before placing a child in the child restraint, make sure it is
securely held in place. To check,
grasp the child restraint at the
safety belt path and attempt to
move it side to side and back
and forth. When the child
restraint is properly installed,
there should be no more than
2.5 cm (1 in) of movement.
To remove the child restraint,
unbuckle the vehicle safety belt and
let it return to the stowed position.
If the top tether is attached to a
top tether anchor, disconnect it.

Black plate (60,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
3-60 Seats and Restraints
Armrest Retaining Strap
{WARNING
A rear center armrest that is not
properly stowed and secured
could fall forward during a sudden
stop or collision. The armrest
could contact an infant secured in
a rear‐facing child restraint in the
center seat position. Fasten the
retaining strap onto the stowed
armrest before installing a rear‐
facing child restraint in the rear
center seat position.
When new, the vehicle's glove box
materials included an armrest
retaining strap. Use it to secure thecenter armrest before installing a
rear‐facing child restraint in the
second row center seat position.
Stow the rear seat center armrest.
Attach the retaining strap to the
armrest loop (A) and to the center
top tether anchor on the
seatback (B). Make sure the
retaining strap's clips are firmly
attached.
Install the rear-facing child restraint
using the child restraint
manufacturer's instructions and the
instructions described previously.Remove the armrest retaining strap
before installing a forward facing
child restraint in the center seat
position, as it may interfere with the
attachment of the top tether to the
top tether anchor on the seatback.
Securing Child Restraints
(Front Passenger Seat)
This vehicle has airbags. A rear
seat is a safer place to secure a
forward-facing child restraint. See
Where to Put the Restraint on
page 3‑50.
In addition, the vehicle has a
passenger sensing system which is
designed to turn off the right front
passenger frontal airbag under
certain conditions. See
Passenger
Sensing System on page 3‑35 and
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator
on page 5‑12 for more information,
including important safety
information.

Black plate (61,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-61
A label on the sun visor says,
“Never put a rear-facing child seat in
the front.”This is because the risk to
the rear-facing child is so great,
if the airbag deploys.
{WARNING
A child in a rear-facing child
restraint can be seriously
injured or killed if the right front
passenger airbag inflates.
This is because the back of the
rear-facing child restraint would
be very close to the inflating
airbag. A child in a forward-facing
child restraint can be seriously
injured or killed if the right front
passenger airbag inflates and the
passenger seat is in a forward
position.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
Even if the passenger sensing
system has turned off the right
front passenger frontal airbag, no
system is fail-safe. No one can
guarantee that an airbag will not
deploy under some unusual
circumstance, even though it is
turned off.
Secure rear-facing child
restraints in a rear seat, even if
the airbag is off. If you secure a
forward-facing child restraint in
the right front seat, always move
the front passenger seat as far
back as it will go. It is better to
secure the child restraint in a
rear seat.
SeePassenger Sensing System
on page 3‑35 for additional
information. If the child restraint has the
LATCH system, see
Lower Anchors
and Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) on page 3‑52 for how and
where to install the child restraint
using LATCH. If a child restraint is
secured using a safety belt and it
uses a top tether, see Lower
Anchors and Tethers for Children
(LATCH System) on page 3‑52 for
top tether anchor locations.
Do not secure a child seat in a
position without a top tether anchor
if a national or local law requires
that the top tether be anchored, or if
the instructions that come with the
child restraint say that the top strap
must be anchored.
In Canada, the law requires that
forward-facing child restraints have
a top tether, and that the tether be
attached.

Black plate (62,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
3-62 Seats and Restraints
You will be using the lap-shoulder
belt to secure the child restraint in
this position. Follow the instructions
that came with the child restraint.
1. Move the seat as far back as itwill go before securing the
forward-facing child restraint.
When the passenger sensing
system has turned off the right
front passenger frontal airbag
and seat‐mounted side impact
airbag, the off indicator on the
passenger airbag status
indicator should light and stay lit
when you start the vehicle. See
Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator on page 5‑12.
2. Put the child restraint on the seat.
3. Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap and shoulder portions of
the vehicle's safety belt through
or around the restraint. The child
restraint instructions will show
you how.
4. Push the latch plate into thebuckle until it clicks.
Position the release button on
the buckle, so that the safety
belt could be quickly unbuckled
if necessary.5. Pull the shoulder belt all the wayout of the retractor to set the
lock. When the retractor lock is
set, the belt can be tightened but
not pulled out of the retractor.

Black plate (63,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-63
6. To tighten the belt, push downon the child restraint, pull the
shoulder portion of the belt to
tighten the lap portion of the belt,
and feed the shoulder belt back
into the retractor. When installing
a forward-facing child restraint, it
may be helpful to use your knee
to push down on the child
restraint as you tighten the belt.
Try to pull the belt out of the
retractor to make sure the
retractor is locked. If the
retractor is not locked, repeat
Steps 5 and 6. If the vehicle does not have a
rear seat and the child restraint
has a top tether, follow the child
restraint manufacturer's
instructions regarding the use of
the top tether. See
Lower
Anchors and Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) on
page 3‑52 for more information.
7. Before placing a child in the child restraint, make sure it is
securely held in place. To check,
grasp the child restraint at the
safety belt path and attempt to
move it side to side and back
and forth. When the child
restraint is properly installed,
there should be no more than
2.5 cm (1 in) of movement.
If the airbags are off, the off
indicator in the passenger airbag
status indicator will come on and
stay on when the vehicle is started. If a child restraint has been
installed and the on indicator is lit,
see
“If the On Indicator is Lit for a
Child Restraint” underPassenger
Sensing System on page 3‑35 for
more information.
To remove the child restraint,
unbuckle the vehicle safety belt and
let it return to the stowed position.

Black plate (3,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
Storage 4-3
Roof Rack System
{WARNING
If something is carried on top of
the vehicle that is longer or wider
than the roof rack—like paneling,
plywood, or a mattress— the wind
can catch it while the vehicle is
being driven. The item being
carried could be violently torn off,
and this could cause a collision,
and damage the vehicle. Never
carry something longer or wider
than the roof rack on top of the
vehicle unless using a GM
certified accessory carrier.
This vehicle may be equipped
with a roof rack. For roof racks that
do not have cross rails included,
GM certified cross rails can be
purchased as an accessory.
See your dealer for additional
information. Notice:
Loading cargo on the
roof rack that weighs more than
100 kg (220 lbs) or hangs over the
rear or sides of the vehicle may
damage the vehicle. Load cargo
so that it rests evenly between
the cross rails, making sure to
fasten cargo securely.
To prevent damage or loss of cargo
when driving, check to make sure
cross rails and cargo are securely
fastened. Loading cargo on the roof
rack will make the vehicle's center
of gravity higher. Avoid high speeds,
sudden starts, sharp turns, sudden
braking, or abrupt maneuvers;
otherwise it may result in loss of
control. If driving for a long distance,
on rough roads, or at high speeds,
occasionally stop the vehicle to
make sure the cargo remains in
its place. Do not exceed the
maximum vehicle capacity when
loading the vehicle. For more information on vehicle
capacity and loading, see
Vehicle
Load Limits on page 9‑22.
The roof rack cross rails can be
locked in four positions along the
roof rack side rails. These are the
only positions in which the cross
rails will lock.