check transmission fluid CHEVROLET EQUINOX 2011 2.G Owners Manual

Black plate (19,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-19
Highway Hypnosis
Always be alert and pay attention to
your surroundings while driving.
If you become tired or sleepy, find a
safe place to park the vehicle
and rest.
Other driving tips include:
.Keep the vehicle well ventilated.
.Keep interior temperature cool.
.Keep your eyes moving—scan
the road ahead and to the sides.
.Check the rearview mirror and
vehicle instruments often.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or through
mountains is different than driving
on flat or rolling terrain. Tips for
driving in these conditions include:
.Keep the vehicle serviced and in
good shape.
.Check all fluid levels and brakes,
tires, cooling system, and
transmission.
.Shift to a lower gear when going
down steep or long hills.
{WARNING
If you do not shift down, the
brakes could get so hot that they
would not work well. You would
then have poor braking or even
none going down a hill. You could
crash. Shift down to let the engine
assist the brakes on a steep
downhill slope.
{WARNING
Coasting downhill in N (Neutral)
or with the ignition off is
dangerous. The brakes will have
to do all the work of slowing down
and they could get so hot that
they would not work well. You
would then have poor braking or
even none going down a hill.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
You could crash. Always have the
engine running and the vehicle in
gear when going downhill.
.Stay in your own lane. Do not
swing wide or cut across the
center of the road. Drive at
speeds that let you stay in your
own lane.
.Top of hills: Be alert—
something could be in your
lane (stalled car, accident).
.Pay attention to special road
signs (falling rocks area, winding
roads, long grades, passing or
no-passing zones) and take
appropriate action.

Black plate (64,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
9-64 Driving and Operating
Leaving After Parking on a Hill
1. Apply and hold the brake pedal.
2. Start the engine.
3. Shift into a gear.
4. Release the parking brake.
5. Let up on the brake pedal.
6. Drive slowly until the trailer isclear of the chocks.
7. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer
Towing
The vehicle needs service more
often when pulling a trailer. See this
manual's Maintenance Schedule or
Index for more information. Things that are especially important
in trailer operation are automatic
transmission fluid, engine oil, axle
lubricant, belts, cooling system and
brake system. Inspect these before
and during the trip.
Check periodically to see that all
hitch nuts and bolts are tight.
Engine Cooling When Trailer
Towing
The cooling system may temporarily
overheat during severe operating
conditions. See
Engine Overheating
on page 10‑22.
Trailer Towing
Before pulling a trailer, there are
three important considerations that
have to do with weight:
.The weight of the trailer
.The weight of the trailer tongue
.The total weight on the vehicle's
tires
Weight of the Trailer
How heavy can a trailer safely be?
Speed, altitude, road grades,
outside temperature, special
equipment, and the amount of
tongue weight the vehicle can carry
must be considered. See “Weight of
the Trailer Tongue” later in this
section for more information.

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-1
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . 10-3
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-6
Engine Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-10
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-10
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . 10-14
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-15
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . 10-15 Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-17
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-18
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . 10-22
Power Steering Fluid
(2.4L L4 Engine) . . . . . . . . . . 10-23
Power Steering Fluid (3.0L V6 Engine) . . . . . . . . . . 10-23
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-26
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . 10-29
Automatic Transmission Shift Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Ignition Transmission Lock Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . 10-30
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-31
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
Headlamps, Front TurnSignal, Sidemarker, and
Parking Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Sidemarker, Stoplamps,
and Back-Up Lamps . . . . . . 10-36
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . 10-38
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . 10-39
Electrical System
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-39
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-40
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-43

Black plate (15,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-15
If the CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
message comes back on when the
vehicle is started, the engine oil life
system has not been reset. Repeat
the procedure.
Automatic Transmission
Fluid
How to Check Automatic
Transmission Fluid
It is not necessary to check
the transmission fluid level.
A transmission fluid leak is the only
reason for fluid loss. If a leak
occurs, take the vehicle to your
dealer service department and have
it repaired as soon as possible.
There is a special procedure for
checking and changing the
transmission fluid. Because this
procedure is difficult, this should be
done at your dealer service
department. Contact your dealer for
additional information or the
procedure can be found in the
service manual. To purchase aservice manual, see
Service
Publications Ordering Information
on page 13‑13.
Change the fluid and filter at the
intervals listed in Scheduled
Maintenance on page 11‑2, and be
sure to use the fluid listed in
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants on page 11‑6.
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter
See Engine Compartment Overview
on page 10‑6 for the location of the
engine air cleaner/filter.
When to Inspect the Engine Air
Cleaner/Filter
Inspect or replace the air cleaner/
filter at the scheduled maintenance
intervals. See Scheduled
Maintenance on page 11‑2 for more
information. If driving in dusty/dirty
conditions, inspect the filter at each
engine oil change.
How to Inspect the Engine Air
Cleaner/Filter
To inspect the air cleaner/filter,
remove the filter from the vehicle
and lightly shake the filter to release
loose dust and dirt. If the filter
remains caked with dirt, a new filter
is required. Never use compressed
air to clean the filter.
To inspect or replace the engine air
cleaner/filter:
1. Open the hood. See Hood on
page 10‑4.
2. Locate the air filter housing on the passenger side of the engine
compartment. See Engine
Compartment Overview on
page 10‑6.

Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
11-4 Service and Maintenance
Additional Required Services
Every 12 000 km/7,500 Miles
.Rotate tires. Tires should be
rotated every 12 000 km/
7,500 miles. SeeTire Rotation
on page 10‑60.
At Each Fuel Stop
.Engine oil level check. See
Engine Oil on page 10‑10.
.Engine coolant level check. See
Engine Coolant on page 10‑18.
.Windshield washer fluid level
check. See Washer Fluid on
page 10‑24.
Once a Month
.Tire inflation check. See Tire
Pressure on page 10‑53.
.Tire wear inspection. See Tire
Inspection on page 10‑59.
.Sunroof track and seal
inspection, if equipped.
See Sunroof on page 2‑19. Once a Year
.See
Starter Switch Check on
page 10‑29.
.See Automatic Transmission
Shift Lock Control Function
Check on page 10‑29.
.See Ignition Transmission Lock
Check on page 10‑30.
.See Park Brake and P (Park)
Mechanism Check on
page 10‑30.
.Accelerator pedal check for
damage, high effort, or binding.
Replace if needed.
.Underbody flushing service.
.Hood/Decklid/Liftgate/Liftglass
Support Gas Strut Service:
Visually inspect gas strut,
if equipped, for signs of wear,
cracks, or other damage. Check
the hold open ability of the gas
strut. Contact your dealer if
service is required. First Engine Oil Change After
Every 40 000 km/25,000 Miles
.Passenger compartment air filter
replacement (or every
24 months, whichever occurs
first). More frequent replacement
may be needed if you drive in
areas with heavy traffic, areas
with poor air quality, or areas
with high dust levels.
Replacement may also be
needed if you notice reduced air
flow, windows fogging up,
or odors. Your dealer can help
you determine when it is the
right time to replace the filter.

Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
Service and Maintenance 11-5
First Engine Oil Change After
Every 80 000 km/50,000 Miles
.Engine air cleaner filter
replacement. SeeEngine Air
Cleaner/Filter on page 10‑15.
.Automatic transmission fluid
change (severe service) for
vehicles mainly driven in heavy
city traffic in hot weather, in hilly
or mountainous terrain, when
frequently towing a trailer,
or used for taxi, police,
or delivery service. See
Automatic Transmission Fluid on
page 10‑15.
.Transfer case fluid change
(severe service) for vehicles
mainly driven in hilly or
mountainous terrain, when
frequently towing a trailer,
or used for taxi, police,
or delivery service.
.Evaporative control system
inspection. Check all fuel and
vapor lines and hoses for proper
hook‐up, routing, and condition.
Check that the purge valve,
if the vehicle has one, works
properly. Replace as needed.
An Emission Control Service.
The U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency or the
California Air Resources Board
has determined that the failure
to perform this maintenance item
will not nullify the emission
warranty or limit recall liability
prior to the completion of
the vehicle's useful life.
We, however, urge that all
recommended maintenance
services be performed at the
indicated intervals and the
maintenance be recorded. First Engine Oil Change After
Every 160 000 km/100,000 Miles
.Automatic transmission fluid
change (normal service). See
Automatic Transmission Fluid on
page 10‑15.
.Transfer case fluid change
(normal service).
.Spark plug replacement and
spark plug wires inspection.
An Emission Control Service.
First Engine Oil Change After
Every 240 000 km/150,000 Miles
.Engine cooling system drain,
flush, and refill (or every five
years, whichever occurs first).
See Cooling System on
page 10‑17. An Emission
Control Service.
.Engine drive belts inspection for
fraying, excessive cracks,
or obvious damage (or every
10 years, whichever occurs
first). Replace, if needed.

Black plate (3,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
Technical Data 12-3
ApplicationCapacities
Metric English
Transmission Fluid (Drain and Refill)
2.4L L4 6–Speed Automatic* 8.5 L 9.0 qt
3.0L V6 6–Speed Automatic* 9.0 L 9.5 qt
Wheel Nut Torque 190 Y140 lb ft
*See Automatic Transmission Fluid on page 10‑15 for information on checking fluid level.
All capacities are approximate. When adding, be sure to fill to the approximate level, as recommended in this
manual. Recheck fluid level after filling.
Engine Specifications
Engine VIN CodeTransmission Spark Plug Gap
2.4L L4 CAutomatic 0.9 mm (0.035 in)
3.0L V6 5Automatic 1.1 mm (0.043 in)

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
INDEX i-1
A
Accessories andModifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Accessory Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-31
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-68
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle . . . . . 3-40
Adjustments Lumbar, Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
Air Cleaner/Filter, Engine . . . . . 10-15
Air Conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-3
Air Filter, Passenger
Compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-6
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-5
Airbag System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-42
How Does an AirbagRestrain? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-33
Passenger Sensing
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-35
What Makes an Airbag Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-33 Airbag System (cont.)
What Will You See After
an Airbag Inflates? . . . . . . . . . . 3-34
When Should an Airbag
Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-31
Where Are the Airbags? . . . . . . 3-29
Airbags Adding Equipment to theVehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-40
Passenger Status Indicator . . . 5-12
Readiness Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Servicing Airbag-Equipped Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-40
System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-27
Alarm System Anti-Theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . 10-28, 9-38
AM-FM Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-11
Antenna Multi-Band . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-18
Anti-Theft Alarm System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Alarm System Messages . . . . . 5-31 Antilock Brake
System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-39
Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Appearance Care Exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-86
Interior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-90
Assistance Program,
Roadside . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-6
Audio Players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-19 CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-19
CD/DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-21
Audio System Radio Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-18
Rear Seat (RSA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-43
Theft-Deterrent Feature . . . . . . . . 7-2
Automatic
Climate Control System . . . . . . . . 8-3
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . 9-35 Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-15
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-37
Automatic Transmission
Shift Lock Control
Function Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Auxiliary Devices . . . . . . . . 7-28, 7-31

Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
i-2 INDEX
B
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-78
Load Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Voltage and ChargingMessages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Blade Replacement, Wiper . . . 10-31
Bluetooth . . . . . . . . . . 7-46, 7-47, 7-51
Brake System Warning Light . . . 5-16
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25 Antilock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-39
Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-40
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-26
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-40
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Break-In, New Vehicle . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-39
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36, 6-3
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-35 Bulb Replacement (cont.)
Headlamps, Front Turn
Signal, Sidemarker, and
Parking Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
License Plate Lamps . . . . . . . 10-38
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Sidemarker, Stoplamps,
and Backup Lamps . . . . . . . . 10-36
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-62
C
Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
California
Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . 9-54
Perchlorate MaterialsRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Camera, Rear Vision . . . . . . . . . . 9-48
Canadian Vehicle Owners . . . . . . . . iv
Capacities and Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Carbon Monoxide Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-34
Liftgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8, 2-9
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-20 Cargo
Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Tie Downs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Cautions, Danger, and Warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .v
CD DVD Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-21
CD Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-19
Center Console Storage . . . . . . . . 4-2
Chains, Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-67
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Check Engine Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
IgnitionTransmission Lock . . . . . . . . 10-30
Child Restraints Infants and YoungChildren . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-45
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children . . . . . . . . . 3-52
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-43
Securing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-58, 3-60
Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-48

Black plate (10,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
i-10 INDEX
Safety Defects ReportingCanadian Government . . . . . . 13-15
General Motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-15
U.S. Government . . . . . . . . . . . 13-14
Safety Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Safety System Check . . . . . . . . . . 3-25
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-14
Scheduled Maintenance . . . . . . . 11-2
Scheduling Appointments . . . . . . 13-9
Seats Adjustment, Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Heated Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Lumbar Adjustment, Front . . . . . 3-6
Power Adjustment, Front . . . . . . 3-3
Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7
Securing Child Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-58, 3-60
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12 Service
Accessories and
Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Doing Your Own Work . . . . . . . . 10-4
Engine Soon Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Maintenance Records . . . . . . . . 11-9
Maintenance, General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-1
Parts Identification Label . . . . . 12-1
Publications Ordering Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-13
Scheduling Appointments . . . . . 13-9
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-31
Servicing the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle . . . . . 3-40
Shift Lock Control Function
Check, Automatic
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Sidemarker Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
Signals, Turn and Lane-Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3 Spare Tire
Compact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-77
Specifications and Capacities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
StabiliTrak
®OFF Light . . . . . . . . . 5-18
StabiliTrak®System . . . . . . . . . . . 9-43
Start Assist, Hills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-41
Start Vehicle, Remote . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5 Fluid, Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-23
Wheel Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Wheel Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
Stoplamps and Back-Up Lamps
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
Storage Mass Media (MEM) . . . . . . . . . . . 7-24
Storage Areas Cargo Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Center Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Convenience Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Roof Rack System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3