cruise control CHEVROLET EQUINOX 2011 2.G Owners Manual

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
2011 Chevrolet Equinox Owner ManualM
In Brief. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . 1-4
Vehicle Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19
Performance and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-24
Keys, Doors and Windows . . . 2-1
Keys and Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Vehicle Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Exterior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Interior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19
Seats and Restraints . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-11
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-27
Child Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-43 Storage
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Storage Compartments . . . . . . . . 4-1
Additional Storage Features . . . 4-2
Roof Rack System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Instruments and Controls . . . . 5-1
Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Information Displays . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . . 5-32
Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Lighting Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-11
Audio Players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-19
Rear Seat Infotainment . . . . . . . 7-33
Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-46 Climate Controls
. . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . 8-1
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-5
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-6
Driving and Operating . . . . . . . . 9-1
Driving Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Starting and Operating . . . . . . . 9-28
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-34
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 9-35
Drive Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-38
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-39
Ride Control Systems . . . . . . . . 9-41
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-44
Object Detection Systems . . . . 9-46
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-53
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-59
Conversions and Add-Ons . . . 9-68

Black plate (6,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
vi Introduction
Symbols
The vehicle has components and
labels that use symbols instead of
text. Symbols are shown along with
the text describing the operation or
information relating to a specific
component, control, message,
gauge, or indicator.
M:This symbol is shown when
you need to see your owner manual
for additional instructions or
information.
*: This symbol is shown when
you need to see a service manual
for additional instructions or
information. Vehicle Symbol Chart
Here are some additional symbols
that may be found on the vehicle
and what they mean. For more
information on the symbol, refer to
the Index.
9:
Airbag Readiness Light
#:Air Conditioning
!:Antilock Brake System (ABS)
g:Audio Steering Wheel Controls
or OnStar®
$: Brake System Warning Light
":Charging System
I:Cruise Control
B: Engine Coolant Temperature
O:Exterior Lamps
#:Fog Lamps
.: Fuel Gauge
+:Fuses
3: Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer
j: LATCH System Child
Restraints
*: Malfunction Indicator Lamp
::Oil Pressure
}:Power
/:Remote Vehicle Start
>:Safety Belt Reminders
7:Tire Pressure Monitor
d:Traction Control
M:Windshield Washer Fluid

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
In Brief 1-1
In Brief
Instrument Panel
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . 1-4
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Liftgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7
Memory Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Heated Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Head Restraint Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Sensing System for Passenger Airbag . . . . . . . . . . 1-12
Mirror Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12 Steering Wheel
Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-13
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-13
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . 1-14
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Vehicle Features
Radio(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
Portable Audio Devices . . . . . . 1-21
Bluetooth
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-21
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . 1-21
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-22
Navigation System . . . . . . . . . . . 1-22
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-22
Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . 1-23
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-23
Ultrasonic Parking Assist . . . . 1-23
Roof Rack System . . . . . . . . . . . 1-24
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-24
Performance and Maintenance
Traction Control System (TCS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-24
StabiliTrak
®System . . . . . . . . . 1-25
Tire Pressure Monitor . . . . . . . . 1-25
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . 1-26
Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) . . . . . 1-26
Driving for Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-26
Roadside Assistance Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-27
OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-27

Black plate (3,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
In Brief 1-3
A.Air Vents on page 8‑5.
B. Turn and Lane‐Change Lever. See Turn and Lane-Change
Signals on page 6‑3.
Exterior Lamp Controls on
page 6‑1.
Fog Lamps on page 6‑3
(If Equipped).
C. Instrument Cluster on page 5‑9.
D. Windshield Wiper/Washer on
page 5‑4.
Rear Window Wiper/Washer on
page 5‑5.
E. Power Door Locks on page 2‑7.
F. Instrument Panel Storage on
page 4‑1.
G. Safety Locks on page 2‑8.
H. AM-FM Radio on page 7‑11.
Navigation System
(If Equipped). See Navigation
System Manual. I. Data Link Connector (DLC).
See Malfunction Indicator Lamp
on page 5‑14.
J. Cruise Control on page 9‑44.
K. Instrument Panel Illumination
Control on page 6‑4.
L. Steering Wheel Adjustment on
page 5‑2.
M. Horn on page 5‑3.
N. Steering Wheel Controls on
page 5‑3.
O. Ignition Positions on page 9‑28.
P. Climate Control Systems on
page 8‑1 (If Equipped).
Automatic Climate Control
System on page 8‑3
(If Equipped).
Q. Shift Lever. See Shifting Into
Park on page 9‑32.
R. Fuel Economy Mode on
page 9‑38 (If Equipped). S.
StabiliTrak®System on
page 9‑43.
T. Cupholders on page 4‑1.
U. Power Outlets on page 5‑7.
V. CD Player on page 7‑19.
W. Driver Information Center Buttons (If Equipped). See
Driver Information Center (DIC)
on page 5‑22.
X. Hazard Warning Flashers on
page 6‑3.
Y. Glove Box on page 4‑1.

Black plate (22,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
1-22 In Brief
Cruise Control
5:Press to turn the cruise control
system on and off.
\: Press to disengage cruise
control without erasing the set
speed from memory.
RES/+: Move the thumbwheel
up to make the vehicle resume to a
previously set speed or to
accelerate. SET/−
:Move the thumbwheel
down toward SET/- to set a speed
and activate cruise control, or to
make the vehicle decelerate.
See Cruise Control on page 9‑44.
Navigation System
The vehicle's navigation system
(if equipped) provides detailed maps
of most major freeways and roads.
After a destination has been set,
the system provides turn-by-turn
instructions for reaching the
destination. In addition, the system
can help locate a variety of points of
interest (POI), such as banks,
airports, restaurants, and more.
See the Navigation System manual
for more information.
Driver Information
Center (DIC)
The DIC display is located in the
center of the instrument panel
cluster. It shows the status of many
vehicle systems.
The DIC buttons are located below
the climate control system.
MENU: Press this button to get to
the Trip/Fuel Menu and the Vehicle
Information Menu.

Black plate (26,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
1-26 In Brief
Engine Oil Life System
The engine oil life system calculates
engine oil life based on vehicle use
and displays the CHANGE ENGINE
OIL SOON message when it is time
to change the engine oil and filter.
The oil life system should be reset
to 100% only following an oil
change.
Resetting the Oil Life System
1. Turn the ignition to ON/RUN,with the engine off.
2. Press the DIC menu button to display the Vehicle
Information menu.
3. Press either the up or down arrows to view REMAINING
OIL LIFE.
4. Press the SET/CLEAR button until 100% is displayed.
5. Turn the key to LOCK/OFF. Or:
1. Turn the ignition to ON/RUN with
the engine off.
2. Fully press and release the accelerator pedal three times
within five seconds.
See Engine Oil Life System on
page 10‑14.
Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol)
Vehicles that have a FlexFuel badge
and a yellow fuel cap can use either
unleaded gasoline or ethanol fuel
containing up to 85% ethanol (E85).
See Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) on
page 9‑56. For all other vehicles,
use only the unleaded gasoline
described under Recommended
Fuel on page 9‑53.
Driving for Better Fuel
Economy
Driving habits can affect fuel
mileage. Here are some driving tips
to get the best fuel economy
possible.
.Avoid fast starts and accelerate
smoothly.
.Brake gradually and avoid
abrupt stops.
.Avoid idling the engine for long
periods of time.
.When road and weather
conditions are appropriate, use
cruise control.
.Always follow posted speed
limits or drive more slowly when
conditions require.
.Keep vehicle tires properly
inflated.
.Combine several trips into a
single trip.

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-1
Instruments and
Controls
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . 5-2
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . 5-3
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . 5-4
Rear Window Wiper/Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Clock (With Date Display) . . . . . 5-6
Clock (Without Date Display) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10 Engine Coolant Temperature
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . 5-11
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . 5-12
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Charging System Light . . . . . . 5-13
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Traction Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
StabiliTrak
®OFF Light . . . . . . . 5-18
Traction Control System (TCS)/StabiliTrak
®Light . . . . 5-18
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . 5-20
Fuel Economy Light . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . 5-21
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . 5-21
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Information Displays
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Battery Voltage and ChargingMessages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Brake System Messages . . . . 5-26
Compass Messages . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Cruise Control Messages . . . . 5-27
Door Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Engine Cooling System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Engine Oil Messages . . . . . . . . 5-28
Engine Power Messages . . . . 5-29
Fuel System Messages . . . . . . 5-29
Key and Lock Messages . . . . . 5-29
Object Detection System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-29
Ride Control System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
Airbag System Messages . . . . 5-30
Safety Belt Messages . . . . . . . 5-31

Black plate (22,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
5-22 Instruments and Controls
Lamps On Reminder
For vehicles with the lamps on
reminder light, it comes on when the
lights are in use.
Cruise Control Light
The cruise control light is white
whenever the cruise control is set,
and turns green when the cruise
control is active.
The light turns off when the cruise
control is turned off. SeeCruise
Control on page 9‑44 for more
information.
Information Displays
Driver Information
Center (DIC)
The vehicle may have a Driver
Information Center (DIC). It displays
information about the vehicle and
warning messages if there is a
system problem detected. DIC
messages display in the center of
the instrument panel cluster. See
Vehicle Messages on page 5‑26 for
more information.
The vehicle may also have features
that can be customized through the
controls on the radio. See Vehicle
Personalization on page 5‑32 for
more information.
DIC Operation and Displays
Use the DIC buttons located in the
center of the instrument panel to
access different displays. The DIC
displays trip, fuel, vehicle system
information, and warning messages.

Black plate (27,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-27
Compass Messages
CAL
This message is displayed when the
compass needs to be calibrated.
SeeCompass on page 5‑5.
– – –
Three dashes will be displayed if the
compass needs service. See your
dealer for service.
Cruise Control Messages
APPLY BRAKE BEFORE
CRUISE
If this message displays when
attempting to activate cruise control,
apply the brake pedal and try again.
CRUISE SET TO XXX
This message displays when the
cruise control is set and shows the
speed it was set to. See Cruise
Control on page 9‑44 for more
information.
Door Ajar Messages
DOOR OPEN
A door open symbol will be
displayed on the DIC showing which
door is open. If the vehicle has been
shifted out of P (Park), a DOOR
OPEN message will also be
displayed. Close the door
completely.
HOOD OPEN
This message will display along with
a hood open symbol when the hood
is open. Close the hood completely.
MANUALLY CLOSE THE
POWER LIFTGATE
This message will display if the
power liftgate encounters multiple
obstacles on the same power cycle.
After removing the obstructions, the
liftgate will resume normal power
operation.
REAR ACCESS OPEN
This message will display along with
a symbol when the liftgate is open.
Close the liftgate completely.
Engine Cooling System
Messages
A/C OFF DUE TO HIGH
ENGINE TEMP
This message displays when the
engine coolant becomes hotter than
the normal operating temperature.
To avoid added strain on a hot
engine, the air conditioning
compressor automatically turns off.
When the coolant temperature
returns to normal, the air
conditioning compressor turns back
on. You can continue to drive the
vehicle.
If this message continues to appear,
have the system repaired by your
dealer as soon as possible to avoid
damage to the engine.

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-1
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-7
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-8
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . 9-18
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . 9-19
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 9-19
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-20
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . 9-22
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . 9-22
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . 9-28
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Retained AccessoryPower (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-31
Engine Coolant Heater . . . . . . . 9-32
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Shifting Out of Park . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Parking Over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-34
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-34
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . 9-35
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-37
Fuel Economy Mode . . . . . . . . . 9-38
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-38
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-39
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-40
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-40
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . 9-41
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control System (TCS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-41
StabiliTrak
®System . . . . . . . . . 9-43
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-44
Object Detection Systems
Ultrasonic Parking Assist . . . . 9-46
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-48