check engine light CHEVROLET EQUINOX 2015 2.G User Guide

Black plate (11,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
7707483) - 2015 - crc - 9/29/14
Driving and Operating 9-11
Warning (Continued)
After driving through a large
puddle of water or a car/vehicle
wash, lightly apply the brake
pedal until the brakes work
normally.
Flowing or rushing water creates
strong forces. Driving through
flowing water could cause the
vehicle to be carried away. If this
happens, you and other vehicle
occupants could drown. Do not
ignore police warnings and be
very cautious about trying to drive
through flowing water.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. Water
can build up under the vehicle's
tires so they actually ride on the
water. This can happen if the road is
wet enough and you are going fast
enough. When the vehicle is
hydroplaning, it has little or no
contact with the road.There is no hard and fast rule about
hydroplaning. The best advice is to
slow down when the road is wet.
Other Rainy Weather Tips
Besides slowing down, other wet
weather driving tips include:
.Allow extra following distance.
.Pass with caution.
.Keep windshield wiping
equipment in good shape.
.Keep the windshield washer fluid
reservoir filled.
.Have good tires with proper
tread depth. See
Tires on
page 10-36.
.Turn off cruise control.
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
Using the brakes to slow the
vehicle on a long downhill slope
can cause brake overheating, can
reduce brake performance, and
could result in a loss of braking.
Shift the transmission to a lower
gear 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. This can cause
overheating of the brakes and
(Continued)

Black plate (13,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
7707483) - 2015 - crc - 9/29/14
Driving and Operating 9-13
{Warning
Snow can trap engine exhaust
under the vehicle. This may
cause exhaust gases to get
inside. Engine exhaust contains
carbon monoxide (CO) which
cannot be seen or smelled. It can
cause unconsciousness and even
death.
If the vehicle is stuck in the snow:
.Clear away snow from around
the base of your vehicle,
especially any that is blocking
the exhaust pipe.
.Check again from time to
time to be sure snow does
not collect there.
.Open a window about 5 cm
(2 in) on the side of the
vehicle that is away from the
wind to bring in fresh air.(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
.Fully open the air outlets on
or under the instrument
panel.
.Adjust the climate control
system to a setting that
circulates the air inside the
vehicle and set the fan speed
to the highest setting. See
“Climate Control Systems.”
For more information about
carbon monoxide, see Engine
Exhaust on page 9-26.
To save fuel, run the engine for only
short periods as needed to warm
the vehicle and then shut the engine
off and close the window most of
the way to save heat. Repeat this
until help arrives but only when you
feel really uncomfortable from the
cold. Moving about to keep warm
also helps. If it takes some time for help to
arrive, now and then when you run
the engine, push the accelerator
pedal slightly so the engine runs
faster than the idle speed. This
keeps the battery charged to restart
the vehicle and to signal for help
with the headlamps. Do this as little
as possible to save fuel.
If the Vehicle Is Stuck
Slowly and cautiously spin the
wheels to free the vehicle when
stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow.
If stuck too severely for the traction
system to free the vehicle, turn the
traction system off and use the
rocking method. See
Traction
Control/Electronic Stability Control
on page 9-33.
{Warning
If the vehicle's tires spin at high
speed, they can explode, and you
or others could be injured. The
(Continued)

Black plate (30,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
7707483) - 2015 - crc - 9/29/14
9-30 Driving and Operating
.The gas pedal will be less
sensitive.
.The vehicle's computer will more
aggressively shut off fuel to the
engine under deceleration.
.The engine idle speed will be
lower.
.Driving performance is more
conservative.
.The climate controls may take
longer to heat or cool the cabin.
.The rear defogger will stay on
for shorter periods of time.
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive
Vehicles with this feature transfer
engine power, as required, to all
four wheels. It is fully automatic, and
adjusts itself as needed for road
conditions.
When using a compact spare tire on
an AWD vehicle, the system
automatically detects the compact
spare and reduces AWD
performance to protect the system.
To restore full AWD operation and
prevent excessive wear on the
system, replace the compact spare
with a full-size tire as soon as
possible. SeeCompact Spare Tire
on page 10-64.
Brakes
Antilock Brake
System (ABS)
This vehicle has ABS, an advanced
electronic braking system that helps
prevent a braking skid.
When the vehicle begins to drive
away, ABS checks itself.
A momentary motor or clicking noise
might be heard while this test is
going on, and it might even be
noticed that the brake pedal moves
a little. This is normal.
If there is a problem with ABS, this
warning light stays on. See Antilock
Brake System (ABS) Warning Light
on page 5-16.

Black plate (33,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
7707483) - 2015 - crc - 9/29/14
Driving and Operating 9-33
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/
Electronic Stability
Control
System Operation
The vehicle has a Traction Control
System (TCS) and StabiliTrak®, an
electronic stability control system.
These systems help limit wheel slip
and assist the driver in maintaining
control, especially on slippery road
conditions.
TCS activates if it senses that any
of the drive wheels are spinning or
beginning to lose traction. When this
happens, TCS applies the brakes to
the spinning wheels and reduces
engine power to limit wheel spin.
StabiliTrak activates when the
vehicle senses a difference between
the intended path and the direction
the vehicle is actually traveling.
StabiliTrak selectively applies
braking pressure to any one of the vehicle wheel brakes to assist the
driver in keeping the vehicle on the
intended path.
If cruise control is being used and
traction control or StabiliTrak begins
to limit wheel spin, cruise control will
disengage. Cruise control may be
turned back on when road
conditions allow.
Both systems come on
automatically when the vehicle is
started and begins to move. The
systems may be heard or felt while
they are operating or while
performing diagnostic checks. This
is normal and does not mean there
is a problem with the vehicle.
It is recommended to leave both
systems on for normal driving
conditions, but it may be necessary
to turn TCS off if the vehicle gets
stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow.
See
If the Vehicle Is Stuck on
page 9-13 and“Turning the
Systems Off and On” later in this
section.
The indicator light for both systems
is in the instrument cluster. This
light will:
.Flash when TCS is limiting
wheel spin.
.Flash when StabiliTrak is
activated.
.Turn on and stay on when either
system is not working.
If either system fails to turn on or to
activate, a message displays in the
Driver Information Center (DIC),
and
dcomes on and stays on to
indicate that the system is inactive
and is not assisting the driver in
maintaining control. The vehicle is
safe to drive, but driving should be
adjusted accordingly.

Black plate (55,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
7707483) - 2015 - crc - 9/29/14
Driving and Operating 9-55
When TSC is applying the brakes,
the TCS/StabiliTrak indicator light
flashes to notify the driver to reduce
speed. If the trailer continues to
sway, StabiliTrak will reduce engine
torque to help slow the vehicle.
TSC will not function if StabiliTrak is
turned off. SeeTraction Control/
Electronic Stability Control on
page 9-33.
Conversions and
Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical
Equipment
{Caution
Some electrical equipment can
damage the vehicle or cause
components to not work and
would not be covered by the
warranty. Always check with your
dealer before adding electrical
equipment.
Add-on equipment can drain the
vehicle's 12-volt battery, even if the
vehicle is not operating.
The vehicle has an airbag system.
Before attempting to add anything
electrical to the vehicle, see
Servicing the Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle on page 3-30 andAdding
Equipment to the Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle on page 3-31.

Black plate (18,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
7707483) - 2015 - crc - 9/29/14
10-18 Vehicle Care
will allow any pressure still left to
be vented out the
discharge hose.
2. Keep turning the pressure cap slowly, and remove it.
3. Fill the coolant surge tank withthe proper DEX-COOL coolant
mixture, to the COLD FILL line. 4. With the coolant surge tank
pressure cap off, start the
engine and let it run until the
upper radiator hose can be felt
getting hot. Watch out for the
engine cooling fan(s).
By this time, the coolant level
inside the coolant surge tank
may be lower. If the level is
lower, add more of the proper
DEX-COOL coolant mixture to
the coolant surge tank until the
level reaches the COLD
FILL line.
5. Replace the pressure cap. Be sure the pressure cap is
hand-tight.{Caution
If the pressure cap is not tightly
installed, coolant loss and
possible engine damage may
occur. Be sure the cap is properly
and tightly secured. Check the level in the coolant surge
tank when the cooling system has
cooled down. If the coolant is not at
the proper level, repeat Steps 1–
3 and reinstall the pressure cap.
If the coolant still is not at the proper
level when the system cools down
again, see your dealer.
Engine Overheating
The vehicle has an indicator to warn
of engine overheating. There is an
engine coolant temperature warning
light on the vehicle's instrument
panel. See
Engine Coolant
Temperature Gauge on page 5-10.
The decision may be made not to lift
the hood when this warning
appears, but instead get service
help right away. See Roadside
Assistance Program on page 13-5.
If the decision to lift the hood is
made, make sure the vehicle is
parked on a level surface.
Then check to see if the engine
cooling fan(s) are running. If the
engine is overheating, the fan(s)

Black plate (9,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
7707483) - 2015 - crc - 9/29/14
Service and Maintenance 11-9
Additional
Maintenance and Care
Your vehicle is an important
investment and caring for it properly
may help to avoid future costly
repairs. To maintain vehicle
performance, additional
maintenance services may be
required.
It is recommended that your dealer
perform these services—their
trained dealer technicians know
your vehicle best. Your dealer can
also perform a thorough
assessment with a multi-point
inspection to recommend when your
vehicle may need attention.
The following list is intended to
explain the services and conditions
to look for that may indicate
services are required. Battery
The battery supplies power to start
the engine and operate any
additional electrical accessories.
.To avoid break-down or failure to
start the vehicle, maintain a
battery with full cranking power.
.Trained dealer technicians have
the diagnostic equipment to test
the battery and ensure that the
connections and cables are
corrosion-free.
Belts
.Belts may need replacing if they
squeak or show signs of
cracking or splitting.
.Trained dealer technicians have
access to tools and equipment
to inspect the belts and
recommend adjustment or
replacement when necessary. Brakes
Brakes stop the vehicle and are
crucial to safe driving.
.Signs of brake wear may include
chirping, grinding, or squealing
noises, or difficulty stopping.
.Trained dealer technicians have
access to tools and equipment
to inspect the brakes and
recommend quality parts
engineered for the vehicle.
Fluids
Proper fluid levels and approved
fluids protect the vehicle’s systems
and components. See
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants on page 11-12 for GM
approved fluids.
.Engine oil and windshield
washer fluid levels should be
checked at every fuel fill.
.Instrument cluster lights may
come on to indicate that fluids
may be low and need to be
filled.

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
7707483) - 2015 - crc - 9/29/14
INDEX i-1
A
Accessories andModifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Accessory Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-22
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-55
Additional Information
OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-6
Additional Maintenance and Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-9
Adjustments
Lumbar, Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5
Air Cleaner/Filter, Engine . . . . . 10-12
Air Conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-3
Air Filter, Passenger Compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-7
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-6
Airbag System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-31
How Does an AirbagRestrain? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-24
Passenger Sensing System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-26
What Makes an Airbag Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-24 Airbag System (cont'd)
What Will You See after an
Airbag Inflates? . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-24
When Should an Airbag
Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-23
Where Are the Airbags? . . . . . . 3-21
Airbags Adding Equipment to theVehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-31
Passenger Status Indicator . . . 5-12
Readiness Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Servicing Airbag-Equipped Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-30
System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-20
Alarm Vehicle Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . 9-30, 10-24
AM-FM Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8
Antenna Multi-band . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-12
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Appearance Care Exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-71
Interior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-76 Assistance Program,
Roadside . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-5
Audio Players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-12 CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-12
MP3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-15
Audio System Radio Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-11
Theft-Deterrent Feature . . . . . . . . 7-2
Automatic Climate Control System . . . . . . . . 8-3
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . 10-12
Automatic Transmission Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Shift Lock Control
Function Check . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24
Auxiliary Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-16

Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
7707483) - 2015 - crc - 9/29/14
i-2 INDEX
B
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-23Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-65
Load Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Voltage and ChargingMessages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Blade Replacement, Wiper . . . 10-25
Bluetooth
Overview . . . . . . . . . 7-21, 7-22, 7-26
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . 5-16
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-21 Antilock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-31
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Break-In, New Vehicle . . . . . . . . . 9-19 Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27
License Plate Lamps . . . . . . . 10-29
Taillamps, Turn Signal,Sidemarker, Stoplamps,
and Backup Lamps . . . . . . . . 10-28
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-51
C
Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
California Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . 9-45
Perchlorate MaterialsRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Camera
Rear Vision (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-41
Canadian Vehicle Owners . . . . . . . . iii
Capacities and Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Carbon Monoxide
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Liftgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-12 Cargo
Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Tie-Downs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Cautions, Danger, and Warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
CD Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-12
Center Console Storage . . . . . . . . 4-2
Chains, Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-56
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . 5-13
Check Engine Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Ignition
Transmission Lock . . . . . . . . 10-25
Child Restraints Infants and YoungChildren . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-34
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children . . . . . . . . . 3-40
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-32
Securing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-46, 3-48
Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-37
Cleaning Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-71
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-76

Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
7707483) - 2015 - crc - 9/29/14
i-4 INDEX
Driving (cont'd)Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 9-14
Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-10
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-12
E
E85 or FlexFuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-46
ECO Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-29
Economy Mode
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-29
Electrical Equipment, Add-On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-55
Electrical System Engine CompartmentFuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-34
Emergency
OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-2
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . 10-12
Check and Service EngineSoon Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Compartment Overview . . . . . . . 10-5 Engine (cont'd)
Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-15
Coolant Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Coolant Temperature
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-14
Cooling System Messages . . . 5-26
Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-8
Drive Belt Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-4
Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10-11
Oil Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-18
Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Running While Parked . . . . . . . . 9-26
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Equipment, Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-54
Event Data Recorders . . . . . . . . 13-14
Extender, Safety Belt . . . . . . . . . . 3-18
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . 6-1
F
Features
Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Filter, Engine Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . 10-12
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Flashers, Hazard Warning . . . . . . 6-3
Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-56 Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-58
FlexFuel E85 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-46
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-79
Fluid Automatic Transmission . . . . 10-12
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22
Power Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-20
Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-20
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4 Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Forward Collision Alert
(FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-37
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Frequency Statement Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-12