coolant CHEVROLET EQUINOX 2017 2.G Owners Manual

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9918169) - 2017 - CRC - 3/23/16
Introduction 3
Danger, Warning, and
Caution
Warning messages found on vehicle
labels and in this manual describe
hazards and what to do to avoid or
reduce them.
{Danger
Danger indicates a hazard with a
high level of risk which will result
in serious injury or death.
{Warning
Warning indicates a hazard that
could result in injury or death.
Caution
Caution indicates a hazard that
could result in property or vehicle
damage.
A circle with a slash through it is a
safety symbol which means“Do
Not,” “Do not do this,” or“Do not let
this happen.”
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: Shown when the owner
manual has additional instructions
or information.
*: Shown when the service
manual has additional instructions
or information.
0: Shown when there is more
information on another page —
“see page.” 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)
$:Brake System Warning Light
":Charging System
I: Cruise Control
`:Do Not Puncture
^:Do Not Service
B:Engine Coolant Temperature
O:Exterior Lamps
_: Flame/Fire Prohibited
#:Fog Lamps
.:Fuel Gauge
+: Fuses
3:Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer
j: LATCH System Child Restraints

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9918169) - 2017 - CRC - 3/23/16
30 Keys, Doors, and Windows
.The engine coolant temperature
is too high.
. The oil pressure is low.
. Two remote vehicle starts or a
start with an extension have
already been used.
. The vehicle is not in P (Park).
Remote Start Ready
If the vehicle does not have the
remote vehicle start feature, it may
have the remote start ready feature.
This feature allows your dealer to
add the manufacturer's remote
vehicle start feature. See your
dealer to add the manufacturer's
remote vehicle start feature to the
vehicle.
Door Locks
{Warning
Unlocked doors can be
dangerous.
. Passengers, especially
children, can easily open
the doors and fall out of a
moving vehicle. The chance
of being thrown out of the
vehicle in a crash is
increased if the doors are
not locked. So, all
passengers should wear
safety belts properly and the
doors should be locked
whenever the vehicle is
driven.
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
.Young children who get into
unlocked vehicles may be
unable to get out. A child
can be overcome by
extreme heat and can suffer
permanent injuries or even
death from heat stroke.
Always lock the vehicle
whenever leaving it.
. Outsiders can easily enter
through an unlocked door
when slowing or stopping
the vehicle. Lock the doors
to help prevent this from
happening.
To lock or unlock a door from the
outside of the vehicle, use the
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter. Pull the handle once
from the inside to unlock the door,
and a second time to open it.

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9918169) - 2017 - CRC - 3/23/16
Instruments and Controls 95
Instruments and
Controls
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . . 96
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . . 96
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . . 96
Rear Window Wiper/Washer . . . 98
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, andIndicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Engine Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . 103
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . . 104
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 Charging System Light . . . . . . . 105
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
(Check Engine Light) . . . . . . . . 106
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Vehicle Ahead Indicator . . . . . . 109
Traction Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
StabiliTrak
®OFF Light . . . . . . . . 110
Traction Control System (TCS)/ StabiliTrak
®Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . . 111
Fuel Economy Light . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . 112
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . 112
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . . 112
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . . 113
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . . 113
Information Displays
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Battery Voltage and ChargingMessages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Brake System Messages . . . . . 117
Compass Messages . . . . . . . . . . 117
Cruise Control Messages . . . . . 117
Door Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . . 117
Engine Cooling System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Engine Oil Messages . . . . . . . . . 118
Engine Power Messages . . . . . 119
Fuel System Messages . . . . . . . 119
Key and Lock Messages . . . . . . 119
Object Detection System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Ride Control System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Airbag System Messages . . . . 121
Security Messages . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Service Vehicle Messages . . . . 122
Tire Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Transmission Messages . . . . . . 122
Vehicle Reminder Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Vehicle Personalization
Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . . 123

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9918169) - 2017 - CRC - 3/23/16
Instruments and Controls 103
.The gauge takes a few seconds
to stabilize after the ignition is
turned on, and goes back to
empty when the ignition is
turned off.
Engine Coolant
Temperature Gauge
Metric
English
This gauge measures the
temperature of the vehicle's engine.
If the indicator needle moves to the
hot side of the gauge toward the
colored line, the engine is too hot.
If the vehicle has been operated
under normal driving conditions, pull
off the road, stop the vehicle, and
turn off the engine as soon as
possible.
Safety Belt Reminders
Driver Safety Belt Reminder
Light
There is a driver safety belt
reminder light on the instrument
cluster.
When the vehicle is started, this
light flashes and a chime may come
on to remind the driver to fasten
their safety belt. Then the light stays
on solid until the belt is buckled.
This cycle may continue several
times if the driver remains or
becomes unbuckled while the
vehicle is moving.
If the driver safety belt is buckled,
neither the light nor the chime
comes on.

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9918169) - 2017 - CRC - 3/23/16
118 Instruments and Controls
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 airconditioning compressor turns back
on. The vehicle can continue to be
driven.
If this message continues to appear,
have the system repaired by your
dealer as soon as possible to avoid
damage to the engine.
COOLANT LEVEL LOW ADD
COOLANT
This message will display if the
coolant is low. See
Engine
Coolant 0213.
ENGINE OVERHEATED —
IDLE ENGINE
This message displays when the
engine coolant temperature is too
hot. Stop and allow the vehicle to
idle until it cools down.
ENGINE OVERHEATED —
STOP ENGINE
This message displays and a
continuous chime sounds if the
engine cooling system reaches
unsafe temperatures for operation.
Stop and turn off the vehicle as
soon as it is safe to do so to avoid severe damage. This message
clears when the engine has cooled
to a safe operating temperature.
HIGH COOLANT
TEMPERATURE
This message may display if the
coolant temperature is hot. See
Engine Overheating
0217.
Engine Oil Messages
CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
This message displays when the
engine oil needs to be changed.
When you change the engine oil, be
sure to reset the oil life system. See
Engine Oil Life System 0210, Driver
Information Center (DIC) 0113,
Engine Oil 0207, and Maintenance
Schedule 0276.
ENGINE OIL HOT, IDLE
ENGINE
This message displays when the
engine oil temperature is too hot.
Stop and allow the vehicle to idle
until it cools down.

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9918169) - 2017 - CRC - 3/23/16
Driving and Operating 147
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 155
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 156
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 158
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 163
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Retained AccessoryPower (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Engine Coolant Heater . . . . . . . 166
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . 168 Parking over Things
That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 170
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Fuel Economy Mode . . . . . . . . . 172
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . 175
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Driver Assistance Systems
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . 180
Parking Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182 Forward Collision Alert (FCA)
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Lane Departure
Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
California FuelRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 190
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
E85 or FlexFuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Trailer Towing
General Towing
Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Driving Characteristics and Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Towing Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Trailer Sway Control (TSC) . . . 198
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9918169) - 2017 - CRC - 3/23/16
166 Driving and Operating
each try, to allow the cranking
motor to cool. When the engine
starts, let go of the key and
accelerator. If the vehicle starts
briefly but then stops again,
repeat the procedure. This
clears the extra gasoline from
the engine. Do not race the
engine immediately after
starting it. Operate the engine
and transmission gently until
the oil warms up and lubricates
all moving parts.
Retained Accessory
Power (RAP)
These vehicle accessories can be
used for up to 10 minutes after the
engine is turned off:
.Audio System
. Power Windows
. Sunroof (if equipped)
Power to the audio system will
continue to operate for up to
10 minutes or until the driver door is
opened. Power to the power windows and
sunroof will continue to operate for
up to 10 minutes or until any door is
opened.
All these features will work when the
key is in ON/RUN or ACC/
ACCESSORY.
Engine Coolant Heater
The engine coolant heater,
if available, can help in cold weather
conditions at or below
−18 °C (0 °F)
for easier starting and better fuel
economy during engine warm-up.
Plug in the coolant heater at least
four hours before starting the
vehicle. An internal thermostat in
the plug end of the cord will prevent
engine coolant heater operation at
temperatures above −18 °C (0 °F).
To Use The Engine Coolant
Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the
electrical cord. The electrical cord is on the
passenger side of the engine
compartment, in front of the air
cleaner.
Check the heater cord for
damage. If it is damaged, do
not use it. See your dealer for
a replacement. Inspect the
cord for damage yearly.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 110-volt AC outlet.
{Warning
Improper use of the heater cord
or an extension cord can damage
the cord and may result in
overheating and fire.
. Plug the cord into a
three-prong electrical utility
receptacle that is protected
by a ground fault detection
function. An ungrounded
outlet could cause an
electric shock.
(Continued)

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9918169) - 2017 - CRC - 3/23/16
Driving and Operating 195
When turning with a trailer, make
wider turns than normal so the
trailer will not strike soft shoulders,
curbs, road signs, trees or other
objects. Use the turn signal well in
advance and avoid jerky or sudden
maneuvers.
Turn Signals When Towing a
Trailer
The turn signal indicators on the
instrument panel flash whenever
signaling a turn or lane change.
Properly hooked up, the trailer
lamps also flash, telling other
drivers the vehicle is turning,
changing lanes or stopping.
When towing a trailer, the arrows on
the instrument panel flash for turns
even if the bulbs on the trailer are
burned out. Check occasionally to
be sure the trailer bulbs are still
working.
Driving on Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower
gear before starting down a long or
steep downgrade. If the
transmission is not shifted down, the
brakes might have to be used so
much that they would get hot and no
longer work well.
The vehicle can tow in D (Drive).
Use a lower gear if the transmission
shifts too often.
When towing at high altitude on
steep uphill grades, engine coolant
boils at a lower temperature than at
normal altitudes. If the engine is
turned off immediately after towing
at high altitude on steep uphill
grades, the vehicle could show
signs similar to engine overheating.
To avoid this, let the engine run
while parked, preferably on level
ground, with the transmission in
P (Park) for a few minutes before
turning the engine off. If the
overheat warning comes on, see
Engine Overheating0217.
Parking on Hills
{Warning
Parking the vehicle on a hill with
the trailer attached can be
dangerous. If something goes
wrong, the rig could start to move.
People can be injured, and both
the vehicle and the trailer can be
damaged. When possible, always
park the rig on a flat surface.
If parking the rig on a hill: 1. Press the brake pedal, but do not shift into P (Park) yet. Turn
the wheels into the curb if
facing downhill or into traffic if
facing uphill.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the brake pedal
until the chocks absorb
the load.

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9918169) - 2017 - CRC - 3/23/16
200 Vehicle Care
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 201
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . 201
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Engine Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . 210
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . 211
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . 217
Power Steering Fluid (2.4L L4 Engine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218 Power Steering Fluid (3.6L
V6 Engine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Battery - North America . . . . . . 221
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . 222
Automatic Transmission Shift Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Ignition Transmission Lock Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . 223
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . 223
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps, and Back-Up
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . 226
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Electrical System
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Summer Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . 234
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Tire Terminology and
Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9918169) - 2017 - CRC - 3/23/16
Vehicle Care 205
1.Engine Air Cleaner/Filter 0211.
2. Engine Cover 0207.
3. Engine Oil Dipstick (Out of View). See Engine Oil0207.
4. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See Engine Oil 0207.
5. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See Brake Fluid 0220. 6.
Engine Compartment Fuse
Block 0228.
7. Remote Positive (+) Terminal. See Jump Starting - North
America 0260.
8. Remote Negative (−) Terminal. See Jump Starting - North
America 0260. 9.
Battery - North America 0221
(Out of View).
10. Engine Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap. See Engine
Coolant 0213.
11. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See Washer
Fluid 0219.