traction control CHEVROLET EQUINOX 2016 2.G Owner's Manual

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9234773) - 2016 - crc - 9/3/15
Vehicle Care 199
airbags, braking, stability, ride and
handling, emissions systems,
aerodynamics, durability, and
electronic systems like antilock
brakes, traction control, and stability
control. These accessories or
modifications could even cause
malfunction or damage not covered
by the vehicle warranty.
Damage to suspension components
caused by modifying vehicle height
outside of factory settings will not be
covered by the warranty.Damage to vehicle components
resulting from modifications or the
installation or use of non-GM
certified parts, including control
module or software modifications, is
not covered under the terms of the
vehicle warranty and may affect
remaining warranty coverage for
affected parts.
GM Accessories are designed to
complement and function with other
systems on the vehicle. See your
dealer to accessorize the vehicle
using genuine GM Accessories
installed by a dealer technician.
Also, see
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 069
ii.
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your Own
Service Work
{Warning
It can be dangerous to work on
your vehicle if you do not have
the proper knowledge, service
manual, tools, or parts. Always
follow owner manual procedures
and consult the service manual
for your vehicle before doing any
service work.
If doing some of your own service
work, use the proper service
manual. It tells you much more
about how to service the vehicle
than this manual can. To order the
proper service manual, see Service
Publications Ordering Information
0 298
ii.
This vehicle has an airbag system.
Before attempting to do your own
service work, see Servicing the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 069
ii.

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9234773) - 2016 - crc - 9/3/15
244 Vehicle Care
of grease, gasoline, or other
substances that can deteriorate
rubber.
Parking for an extended period can
cause flat spots on the tires that
may result in vibrations while
driving. When storing a vehicle for
at least a month, remove the tires or
raise the vehicle to reduce the
weight from the tires.
Buying New Tires
GM has developed and matched
specific tires for the vehicle. The
original equipment tires installed
were designed to meet General
Motors Tire Performance Criteria
Specification (TPC Spec)
system rating. When
replacement tires are needed,
GM strongly recommends
buying tires with the same TPC
Spec rating.
GM's exclusive TPC Spec
system considers over a dozen
critical specifications that impact
the overall performance of thevehicle, including brake system
performance, ride and handling,
traction control, and tire
pressure monitoring
performance. GM's TPC Spec
number is molded onto the tire's
sidewall near the tire size. If the
tires have an all-season tread
design, the TPC Spec number
will be followed by MS for mud
and snow. See
Tire Sidewall
Labeling 0231ii.
GM recommends replacing worn
tires in complete sets of four.
Uniform tread depth on all tires
will help to maintain the
performance of the vehicle.
Braking and handling
performance may be adversely
affected if all the tires are not
replaced at the same time.
If proper rotation and
maintenance have been done,
all four tires should wear out at
about the same time. See Tire
Rotation 0242
ii. However, if it is necessary to replace only one
axle set of worn tires, place the
new tires on the rear axle.
Winter tires with the same speed
rating as the original equipment
tires may not be available for H,
V, W, Y and ZR speed rated
tires. Never exceed the winter
tires’
maximum speed capability
when using winter tires with a
lower speed rating.
{Warning
Tires could explode during
improper service. Attempting
to mount or dismount a tire
could cause injury or death.
Only your dealer or authorized
tire service center should
mount or dismount the tires.

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9234773) - 2016 - crc - 9/3/15
Vehicle Care 245
{Warning
Mixing tires of different sizes,
brands, or types may cause
loss of control of the vehicle,
resulting in a crash or other
vehicle damage. Use the
correct size, brand, and type
of tires on all wheels.
{Warning
Using bias-ply tires on the
vehicle may cause the wheel
rim flanges to develop cracks
after many miles of driving.
A tire and/or wheel could fail
suddenly and cause a crash.
Use only radial-ply tires with
the wheels on the vehicle.
If the vehicle tires must be
replaced with a tire that does not
have a TPC Spec number, make
sure they are the same size, load range, speed rating, and
construction (radial) as the
original tires.
Vehicles that have a tire
pressure monitoring system
could give an inaccurate
low-pressure warning if non-TPC
Spec rated tires are installed.
See
Tire Pressure Monitor
System 0238
ii.
The Tire and Loading
Information label indicates the
original equipment tires on the
vehicle. See Vehicle Load Limits
0 156
ii.
Different Size Tires and
Wheels
If wheels or tires are installed that
are a different size than the original
equipment wheels and tires, vehicle
performance, including its braking,
ride and handling characteristics,
stability, and resistance to rollover
may be affected. If the vehicle has
electronic systems such as antilock
brakes, rollover airbags, roll bars, traction control, electronic stability
control, or All-Wheel Drive, the
performance of these systems can
also be affected.
{Warning
If different sized wheels are used,
there may not be an acceptable
level of performance and safety if
tires not recommended for those
wheels are selected. This
increases the chance of a crash
and serious injury. Only use GM
specific wheel and tire systems
developed for the vehicle, and
have them properly installed by a
GM certified technician.
See Buying New Tires 0244
iiand
Accessories and Modifications
0 198
ii.

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9234773) - 2016 - crc - 9/3/15
246 Vehicle Care
Uniform Tire Quality
Grading
The following information relates
to the system developed by the
United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA), which grades tires by
treadwear, traction, and
temperature performance. This
applies only to vehicles sold in
the United States. The grades
are molded on the sidewalls of
most passenger car tires. The
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
(UTQG) system does not apply
to deep tread, winter tires,
compact spare tires, tires with
nominal rim diameters of
10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm),
or to some limited-production
tires.
While the tires available on
General Motors passenger cars
and light trucks may vary with
respect to these grades, they
must also conform to federal
safety requirements andadditional General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC)
standards.
Quality grades can be found
where applicable on the tire
sidewall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width. For
example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA
Temperature A
All Passenger Car Tires Must
Conform to Federal Safety
Requirements In Addition To
These Grades.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a
comparative rating based on the
wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a
specified government test
course. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one and
one-half (1½) times as well on
the government course as a tire
graded 100. The relative
performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of
their use, however, and may
depart significantly from the
norm due to variations in driving
habits, service practices and
differences in road
characteristics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from
highest to lowest, are AA, A, B,
and C. Those grades represent
the tire's ability to stop on wet
pavement as measured under
controlled conditions on
specified government test
surfaces of asphalt and
concrete. A tire marked C may
have poor traction performance.
Warning: The traction grade
assigned to this tire is based on
straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include
acceleration, cornering,
hydroplaning, or peak traction
characteristics.

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9234773) - 2016 - crc - 9/3/15
256 Vehicle Care
8. Make sure the metal tube iscentered at the striker. Push
the tube toward the front of the
vehicle.
9. Close the liftgate and make sure it is latched properly.
The compact spare is for temporary
use only. Replace the compact
spare tire with a full-size tire as
soon as you can.
Compact Spare Tire
{Warning
Driving with more than one
compact spare tire at a time could
result in loss of braking and
handling. This could lead to a
crash and you or others could be
injured. Use only one compact
spare tire at a time.
If this vehicle has a compact spare
tire, it was fully inflated when new;
however, it can lose air over time.
Check the inflation pressure
regularly. It should be 420 kPa
(60 psi).
Stop as soon as possible and check
that the spare tire is correctly
inflated after being installed on the
vehicle. The compact spare tire is
designed for temporary use only.
The vehicle will perform differently
with the spare tire installed and it is
recommended that the vehicle
speed be limited to 80 km/h
(50 mph). To conserve the tread of
the spare tire, have the standard tire repaired or replaced as soon as
convenient and return the spare tire
to the storage area.
When using a compact spare tire,
the AWD (if equipped), ABS, and
Traction Control systems may
engage until the spare tire is
recognized by the vehicle,
especially on slippery roads. Adjust
driving to reduce possible
wheel slip.
Caution
When the compact spare is
installed, do not take the vehicle
through an automatic car wash
with guide rails. The compact
spare can get caught on the rails
which can damage the tire, wheel,
and other parts of the vehicle.
Do not use the compact spare on
other vehicles.
Do not mix the compact spare tire or
wheel with other wheels or tires.
They will not fit. Keep the spare tire
and its wheel together.

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9234773) - 2016 - crc - 9/3/15
Index 315
ConnectionsOnStar®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
Control Traction and ElectronicStability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Convenience Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Convex Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Coolant Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Engine Temperature Gauge . . 100
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209 Engine Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . .114
Courtesy Transportation Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Cover
Cargo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174 Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114
Cupholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Customer Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . 292 Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Text Telephone (TTY)Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292 Customer Information
Service Publications
Ordering Information . . . . . . . . 298
Customer Satisfaction Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
D
Damage Repair, Collision . . . . . . . 296
Danger, Warning, and Caution . . . . 2
Data Recorders, Event . . . . . . . . . 301
Daytime RunningLamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Diagnostics OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Door
Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Power Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Drive Belt Routing, Engine . . . . . . 288
Drive Systems All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . 170, 219
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 Driving
Characteristics and
Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Defensive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Drunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
For Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . 22
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . 153
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . . 155
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Off-Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154E
E85 or FlexFuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
ECO Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Economy Mode Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Electrical Equipment,
Add-On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Electrical System Engine Compartment FuseBlock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Instrument Panel Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9234773) - 2016 - crc - 9/3/15
318 Index
LATCH, Lower Anchors andTethers for Children . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Liftgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Lighting Entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Exit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Illumination Control . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 Airbag Readiness . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Antilock Brake System(ABS) Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Brake System Warning . . . . . . . 105
Charging System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110
Engine Oil Pressure . . . . . . . . . . 108
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Front Fog Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Fuel Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
High-Beam On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . 130
Lane Departure Warning . . . . . . 106
Low Fuel Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . 100
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
StabiliTrak
®OFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Traction Control System (TCS)/StabiliTrak
®. . . . . . . . . . 107 Lights (cont'd)
Traction Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Locks Automatic Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Lockout Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Power Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . . . 109
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Lumbar Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
M
MaintenanceRecords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Maintenance and Care Additional . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Maintenance Schedule . . . . . . . . . 273 Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . . 103
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Memory Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Memory Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Messages
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118
Battery Voltage and
Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113
Brake System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114
Door Ajar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114
Engine Cooling System . . . . . . . .114
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115
Engine Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115
Fuel System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116
Key and Lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116
Object Detection System . . . . . .116
Ride Control System . . . . . . . . . . .117
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118
Service Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118
Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113
Vehicle Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119
Mirrors
Automatic DimmingRearview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Convex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Heated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Manual Rearview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Tilt in Reverse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9234773) - 2016 - crc - 9/3/15
322 Index
Tires (cont'd)Wheel Alignment and Tire
Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 247
When It Is Time for New
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Towing Driving Characteristics . . . . . . . . 190
Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 190
Recreational Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . 260
Trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Trailer Sway Control (TSC) . . . 195
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Traction Control System (TCS)/StabiliTrak
®Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Trailer Sway Control (TSC) . . . . . . . . . . 195
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Transmission Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Fluid, Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119 Transportation Program,
Courtesy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Turn Signal Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
U
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . 246
Universal Remote System . . . . . . 126Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Using This Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
V
Vehicle Alarm System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Canadian Owners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Identification Number (VIN) . . . 285
Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113
Personalization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Reminder Messages . . . . . . . . . . .119
Remote Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Vehicle Ahead Indicator . . . . . . . . 106 Vehicle Care
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Vehicle Data Recording and Privacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Ventilation, Air . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
W
Warning Brake System Light . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Caution and Danger . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Lane Departure (LDW) . . . . . . . 184
Warning Light Forward CollisionAlert (FCA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Warning Lights, Gauges, and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Warnings Hazard Flashers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Wheels Alignment and Tire Balance . . 247
Different Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Where to Put the Restraint . . . . . . 77
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40