steering CHEVROLET EQUINOX 2016 2.G User Guide

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9234773) - 2016 - crc - 9/3/15
Seats and Restraints 63
whether the object is fixed or
moving, rigid or deformable, narrow
or wide.
Frontal airbags are not intended to
inflate during vehicle rollovers, in
rear impacts, or in many side
impacts.
In addition, the vehicle has
advanced technology frontal
airbags. Advanced technology
frontal airbags adjust the restraint
according to crash severity.
Seat-mounted side impact airbags
are designed to inflate in moderate
to severe side crashes depending
on the location of the impact.
Seat-mounted side impact airbags
are not designed to inflate in frontal
impacts, near frontal impacts,
rollovers, or rear impacts.
A seat-mounted side impact airbag
is designed to inflate on the side of
the vehicle that is struck.
Roof-rail airbags are designed to
inflate in moderate to severe side
crashes depending on the location
of the impact. In addition, these
roof-rail airbags are designed to
inflate during a rollover or in asevere frontal impact. Roof-rail
airbags are not designed to inflate in
rear impacts. Both roof-rail airbags
will inflate when either side of the
vehicle is struck, if the sensing
system predicts that the vehicle is
about to roll over on its side, or in a
severe frontal impact.
In any particular crash, no one can
say whether an airbag should have
inflated simply because of the
vehicle damage or repair costs.
What Makes an Airbag
Inflate?
In a deployment event, the sensing
system sends an electrical signal
triggering a release of gas from the
inflator. Gas from the inflator fills the
airbag causing the bag to break out
of the cover. The inflator, the airbag,
and related hardware are all part of
the airbag module.
For airbag locations, see
Where Are
the Airbags? 061
ii.
How Does an Airbag
Restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or
near frontal collisions, even belted
occupants can contact the steering
wheel or the instrument panel. In
moderate to severe side collisions,
even belted occupants can contact
the inside of the vehicle.
Airbags supplement the protection
provided by safety belts by
distributing the force of the impact
more evenly over the
occupant's body.
Rollover capable roof-rail airbags
are designed to help contain the
head and chest of occupants in the
outboard seating positions in the
first and second rows. The rollover
capable roof-rail airbags are
designed to help reduce the risk of
full or partial ejection in rollover
events, although no system can
prevent all such ejections.

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9234773) - 2016 - crc - 9/3/15
64 Seats and Restraints
But airbags would not help in many
types of collisions, primarily
because the occupant's motion is
not toward those airbags. SeeWhen
Should an Airbag Inflate? 062
ii.
Airbags should never be regarded
as anything more than a supplement
to safety belts.
What Will You See after
an Airbag Inflates?
After the frontal airbags and
seat-mounted side impact airbags
inflate, they quickly deflate, so
quickly that some people may not
even realize an airbag inflated.
Roof-rail airbags may still be at least
partially inflated for some time after
they inflate. Some components of
the airbag module may be hot for
several minutes. For location of the
airbags, see Where Are the
Airbags? 061
ii.
The parts of the airbag that come
into contact with you may be warm,
but not too hot to touch. There may
be some smoke and dust coming
from the vents in the deflated
airbags. Airbag inflation does not prevent the driver from seeing out of
the windshield or being able to steer
the vehicle, nor does it prevent
people from leaving the vehicle.
{Warning
When an airbag inflates, there
may be dust in the air. This dust
could cause breathing problems
for people with a history of
asthma or other breathing trouble.
To avoid this, everyone in the
vehicle should get out as soon as
it is safe to do so. If you have
breathing problems but cannot
get out of the vehicle after an
airbag inflates, then get fresh air
by opening a window or a door.
If you experience breathing
problems following an airbag
deployment, you should seek
medical attention.
The vehicle has a feature that may
automatically unlock the doors, turn
on the interior lamps and hazard
warning flashers, and shut off the
fuel system after the airbags inflate. The feature may also activate,
without airbag inflation, after an
event that exceeds a predetermined
threshold. You can lock the doors,
and turn off the interior lamps, and
turn off the hazard warning flashers
by using the controls for those
features.
{Warning
A crash severe enough to inflate
the airbags may have also
damaged important functions in
the vehicle, such as the fuel
system, brake and steering
systems, etc. Even if the vehicle
appears to be drivable after a
moderate crash, there may be
concealed damage that could
make it difficult to safely operate
the vehicle.
Use caution if you should attempt
to restart the engine after a crash
has occurred.
In many crashes severe enough to
inflate the airbag, windshields are
broken by vehicle deformation.

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9234773) - 2016 - crc - 9/3/15
Seats and Restraints 69
A wet seat can affect the
performance of the passenger
sensing system. Here is how:
.The passenger sensing system
may turn off the passenger
airbag when liquid is soaked into
the seat. If this happens, the off
indicator will be lit, and the
airbag readiness light on the
instrument panel will also be lit.
. Liquid pooled on the seat that
has not soaked in may make it
more likely that the passenger
sensing system will turn on the
passenger airbag while a child
restraint or child occupant is on
the seat. If the passenger airbag
is turned on, the on indicator will
be lit.
If the passenger seat gets wet, dry
the seat immediately. If the airbag
readiness light is lit, do not install a
child restraint or allow anyone to
occupy the seat. See Airbag
Readiness Light 0101
iifor important
safety information.
The on indicator may be lit if an
object, such as a briefcase,
handbag, grocery bag, laptop or other electronic device, is put on an
unoccupied seat. If this is not
desired remove the object from
the seat.
{Warning
Stowing of articles under the
passenger seat or between the
passenger seat cushion and
seatback may interfere with the
proper operation of the passenger
sensing system.
Servicing the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Airbags affect how the vehicle
should be serviced. There are parts
of the airbag system in several
places around the vehicle. Your
dealer and the service manual have
information about servicing the
vehicle and the airbag system. To
purchase a service manual, see
Service Publications Ordering
Information
0298
ii.
{Warning
For up to 10 seconds after the
vehicle is turned off and the
battery is disconnected, an airbag
can still inflate during improper
service. You can be injured if you
are close to an airbag when it
inflates. Avoid yellow connectors.
They are probably part of the
airbag system. Be sure to follow
proper service procedures, and
make sure the person performing
work for you is qualified to do so.
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Adding accessories that change the
vehicle's frame, bumper system,
height, front end, or side sheet
metal, may keep the airbag system
from working properly. The
operation of the airbag system can
also be affected by changing or
moving any parts of the front seats,
safety belts, the airbag sensing and
diagnostic module, steering wheel,
instrument panel, any of the airbag

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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92 Instruments and Controls
Instruments and
Controls
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . . 93
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . . 93
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . . 93
Rear Window Wiper/Washer . . . 94
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, andIndicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Engine Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . 100
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . . 101
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Charging System Light . . . . . . . 102 Malfunction Indicator Lamp
(Check Engine Light) . . . . . . . . 103
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Antilock Brake System (ABS)
Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Vehicle Ahead Indicator . . . . . . 106
Traction Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
StabiliTrak
®OFF Light . . . . . . . . 107
Traction Control System (TCS)/ StabiliTrak
®Light . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . 108
Fuel Economy Light . . . . . . . . . . 108
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . 109
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . 109
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . . 109
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . . 110
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . . 110
Information Displays
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 113 Battery Voltage and Charging
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Brake System Messages . . . . . 114
Compass Messages . . . . . . . . . . 114
Cruise Control Messages . . . . . 114
Door Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . . 114
Engine Cooling System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Engine Oil Messages . . . . . . . . . 115
Engine Power Messages . . . . . 115
Fuel System Messages . . . . . . . 116
Key and Lock Messages . . . . . . 116
Object Detection System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Ride Control System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Airbag System Messages . . . . . 118
Security Messages . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Service Vehicle Messages . . . . 118
Tire Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Transmission Messages . . . . . . 119
Vehicle Reminder Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Vehicle Personalization
Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . . 120

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9234773) - 2016 - crc - 9/3/15
Instruments and Controls 93
Universal Remote System
Universal Remote System . . . . 126
Universal Remote SystemProgramming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Universal Remote System Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129Controls
Steering Wheel
Adjustment
To adjust the steering wheel:
1. Pull the lever down.
2. Move the steering wheel up or down.
3. Pull or push the steering wheel closer or away from you.
4. Pull the lever up to lock the steering wheel in place.
Do not adjust the steering wheel
while driving.
Steering Wheel Controls
The infotainment system can be
operated by using the steering
wheel controls. See "Steering
Wheel Controls" in the infotainment
manual.
Horn
Pressaon the steering wheel pad
to sound the horn.
Windshield Wiper/Washer
The windshield wiper/washer lever
is located on the right side of the
steering column. With the ignition in
ACC/ACCESSORY or ON/RUN/
START, move the windshield wiper
lever to select the wiper speed.
HI : Use for fast wipes.
LO : Use for slow wipes.

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9234773) - 2016 - crc - 9/3/15
104 Instruments and Controls
If towing a trailer, reduce the
amount of cargo being hauled as
soon as possible.
If the light continues to flash, find a
safe place to park. Turn the vehicle
off and wait at least 10 seconds
before restarting the engine. If the
light is still flashing, follow the
previous guidelines and see your
dealer for service as soon as
possible.
If the light is on steady :A
malfunction has been detected.
Diagnosis and service may be
required.
Check the following:
. A loose or missing fuel cap may
cause the light to come on. See
Filling the Tank 0188
ii. A few
driving trips with the cap
properly installed may turn the
light off.
. Poor fuel quality can cause
inefficient engine operation and
poor driveability, which may go
away once the engine is warmed
up. If this occurs, change the
fuel brand. It may require at least one full tank of the proper
fuel to turn the light off. See
Fuel
0 185
ii.
If the light remains on, see your
dealer.
Emissions Inspection and
Maintenance Programs
If the vehicle requires an Emissions
Inspection/Maintenance test, the
test equipment will likely connect to
the vehicle's Data Link
Connector (DLC).
The DLC is under the instrument
panel to the left of the steering
wheel. Connecting devices that are
not used to perform an Emissions
Inspection/Maintenance test or to
service the vehicle may affect
vehicle operation. See Add-On
Electrical Equipment 0196
ii. See
your dealer if assistance is needed. The vehicle may not pass
inspection if:
.
The light is on when the engine
is running.
. The light does not come on
when the ignition is in ON/RUN
while the engine is off.
. Critical emission control systems
have not been completely
diagnosed. If this happens, the
vehicle would not be ready for
inspection and might require
several days of routine driving
before the system is ready for
inspection. This can happen if
the 12-volt battery has recently
been replaced or run down, or if
the vehicle has been recently
serviced.
See your dealer if the vehicle will
not pass or cannot be made ready
for the test.

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9234773) - 2016 - crc - 9/3/15
118 Instruments and Controls
SERVICE TRACTION
CONTROL
This message displays when there
is a problem with the Traction
Control System (TCS). SeeTraction
Control/Electronic Stability Control
0 172
ii.
SERVICE STABILITRAK
This message displays if there is a
problem with the StabiliTrak system.
See Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control 0172
ii.
STABILITRAK OFF
This message displays when the
StabiliTrak system is turned off. See
Traction Control/Electronic Stability
Control 0172
ii.
TRACTION CONTROL OFF
This message displays when the
Traction Control System (TCS) is
turned off. Adjust your driving
accordingly.
TRACTION CONTROL ON
This message displays when the
Traction Control System (TCS) is
first turned on. See Traction Control/
Electronic Stability Control 0172
ii.
Airbag System Messages
SERVICE AIRBAG
This message displays if there is a
problem with the airbag system. See
your dealer for service.
Security Messages
THEFT ATTEMPTED
This message displays if the vehicle
detects a tamper condition.
Service Vehicle Messages
SERVICE POWER STEERING
This message displays and a chime
may sound when there may be a
problem with the power steering
system. If this message displays
and a reduction in steering performance or loss of power
steering assistance is noticed, see
your dealer.
SERVICE VEHICLE SOON
This message is displayed if there is
a problem with the vehicle. Take the
vehicle to your dealer for service.
Tire Messages
SERVICE TIRE MONITOR
SYSTEM
This message displays if there is a
problem with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS). See
Tire
Pressure Monitor Operation 0239
ii.
TIRE LEARNING ACTIVE
This message displays when the
system is learning new tires. See
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation
0239
ii.
TIRE PRESSURE LOW ADD
AIR TO TIRE
This message displays when the
pressure in one or more of the tires
is low.

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9234773) - 2016 - crc - 9/3/15
Lighting 133
Have any burned out bulbs
replaced. If a bulb is not burned out,
check the fuse; seeFuses0224
ii.
Fog Lamps
For vehicles with fog lamps, the
control is located on the turn signal
lever.
Use the fog lamps for better vision
in foggy or misty conditions.
#FOG (Fog Lamps) : Turn the fog
lamp band on the lever to
#and
release it, to turn the fog lamps on
or off. The band will return to its
original position.
The parking lamps or low-beam
headlamps must be on to use the
fog lamps.
The fog lamps will go off whenever
the high-beam headlamps are
turned on. When the high-beam
headlamps are turned off, the fog
lamps will come on again.
Some localities have laws that
require the headlamps to be on
along with the fog lamps.
Interior Lighting
Instrument Panel
Illumination Control
This control is located on the
instrument panel, to the left of the
steering column.
D(Instrument Panel
Brightness) : Turn clockwise or
counterclockwise to brighten or dim
the lights.
Dome Lamps
There are front and rear dome
lamps.
The dome lamp controls are located
in the overhead console. To change
the settings, press the following:
*(Dome Lamp Override) : Turns
the lamps off, even when a door
is open.
1(Door) : The lamps come on
automatically when a door is
opened.
+(On) : Turns the dome
lamps on.

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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144 Driving and Operating
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 152
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 153
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 155
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 159
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Retained AccessoryPower (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Engine Coolant Heater . . . . . . . 163
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . 165 Parking over Things
That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 167
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Fuel Economy Mode . . . . . . . . . 169
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . 172
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Driver Assistance Systems
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . 176
Parking Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178 Forward Collision Alert (FCA)
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Lane Departure
Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
California FuelRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 187
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
E85 or FlexFuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Trailer Towing
General Towing
Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Driving Characteristics and Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Towing Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Trailer Sway Control (TSC) . . . 195
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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146 Driving and Operating
{Warning
Drinking and then driving is very
dangerous. Your reflexes,
perceptions, attentiveness, and
judgment can be affected by even
a small amount of alcohol. You
can have a serious—or even
fatal —collision if you drive after
drinking.
Do not drink and drive or ride with
a driver who has been drinking.
Ride home in a cab; or if you are
with a group, designate a driver
who will not drink.
Control of a Vehicle
Braking, steering, and accelerating
are important factors in helping to
control a vehicle while driving.
Braking
Braking action involves perception
time and reaction time. Deciding to
push the brake pedal is perception
time. Actually doing it is
reaction time. Average driver reaction time is
about three-quarters of a second. In
that time, a vehicle moving at
100 km/h (60 mph) travels 20 m
(66 ft), which could be a lot of
distance in an emergency.
Helpful braking tips to keep in mind
include:
.
Keep enough distance between
you and the vehicle in front
of you.
. Avoid needless heavy braking.
. Keep pace with traffic.
If the engine ever stops while the
vehicle is being driven, brake
normally but do not pump the
brakes. Doing so could make the
pedal harder to push down. If the
engine stops, there will be some
power brake assist but it will be
used when the brake is applied.
Once the power assist is used up, it
can take longer to stop and the
brake pedal will be harder to push.
Steering
Electric Power Steering (2.4L
L4 Engine)
If the vehicle has electric power
steering, it does not have power
steering fluid. Regular maintenance
is not required.
If power steering assist is lost due
to a system malfunction, the vehicle
can be steered, but may require
increased effort.
If the steering wheel is turned until it
reaches the end of its travel and is
held against that position for an
extended period of time, power
steering assist may be reduced.
If the steering assist is used for an
extended period of time, power
assist may be reduced.
Normal use of the power steering
assist should return when the
system cools down.
See specific vehicle steering
messages under Service Vehicle
Messages 0118
ii