automatic transmission CHEVROLET EQUINOX 2018 Owner's Manual

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
10446639) - 2018 - CRC - 8/18/17
In Brief 5
In Brief
Instrument Panel
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Initial Drive Information
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . . . 8
Stop/Start System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Liftgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Memory Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Heated and Ventilated Seats . . . 13
Head Restraint Adjustment . . . . 14
Seat Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Passenger Sensing System . . . 14
Mirror Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . . 15
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . . 17
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Vehicle Features
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Radio(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Portable Audio Devices . . . . . . . . 21
Bluetooth
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . . 21
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Forward Automatic Braking (FAB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . . 23
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . . 24
Surround Vision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . 24
Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Parking Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Universal Remote System . . . . . 25
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Performance and Maintenance
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Tire Pressure Monitor . . . . . . . . . . 27 Fuel (LYX - 1.5L L4 Turbo
Engine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Fuel (LTG - 2.0L L4 Turbo Engine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Fuel (Diesel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
E85 or FlexFuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . 28
Driving for Better Fuel
Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Diesel Particulate Filter . . . . . . . . 29
Diesel Exhaust Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Roadside Assistance Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
10446639) - 2018 - CRC - 8/18/17
In Brief 7
1.Air Vents 0195.
2. Turn Signal Lever. See Turn
and Lane-Change Signals
0 161.
IntelliBeam
®System Button (If
Equipped). See Exterior Lamp
Controls 0157.
3. Instrument Cluster 0122.
Driver Information Center (DIC)
Display. See Driver Information
Center (DIC) 0139.
4. Windshield Wiper/Washer
0114.
5. Infotainment 0165.
6. Light Sensor. See Automatic
Headlamp System 0160.
7. Hazard Warning Flashers
0160.
8. Climate Control Systems 0190
(If Equipped).
Dual Automatic Climate Control
System 0192 (If Equipped).
9. Heated and Ventilated Front
Seats 066 (If Equipped). 10.
Power Outlets 0118.
11. Wireless Charging 0120 (If
Equipped).
12. USB Port 0173.
Auxiliary Input Jack. See
Auxiliary Devices 0179.
13. All-Wheel Drive 0234 (If
Equipped).
Tow/Haul Mode 0234.
14. Electric Parking Brake 0236.
15. Shift Lever. See Automatic
Transmission 0231.
Manual Mode 0233.
16. ENGINE START/STOP Button. SeeIgnition Positions 0215.
17. Steering Wheel Controls 0113.
Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control 0238.
18. Horn 0114.
19. Steering Wheel Adjustment
0113 (Out of View). 20.
Cruise Control 0241.
Heated Steering Wheel 0114
(If Equipped).
Forward Collision Alert (FCA)
System 0248 (If Equipped).
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) 0254
(If Equipped).
21. Hood Release. See Hood
0 281.
22. Fog Lamps 0161 (If
Equipped).
23. Exterior Lamp Controls 0157.
24. Data Link Connector (DLC) (Out of View). See Malfunction
Indicator Lamp (Check Engine
Light) 0130.
25. Instrument Panel Illumination
Control 0162.

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
10446639) - 2018 - CRC - 8/18/17
In Brief 19
Dual Automatic Climate Control System
1. Driver and PassengerTemperature Controls
2. MAX Defrost
3. Air Delivery Mode Controls
4. A/C (Air Conditioning)
5. Heated and Ventilated Front Seats (If Equipped)
6. SYNC (Synchronized Temperature)
7. AUTO (Automatic Operation)
8. Fan Control 9. Power
10. Recirculation
11. Rear Window Defogger
See Climate Control Systems 0190
(If Equipped) or Dual Automatic
Climate Control System 0192 (If
Equipped).
Transmission
Electronic Range Select
(ERS) Mode
ERS or manual mode allows for the
selection of the range of gear
positions. Use this mode when
driving downhill to limit the top gear
and vehicle speed. See Manual
Mode 0233.
To use this feature: 1. Move the shift lever to L (Manual Mode).
2. Press the plus/minus button on the shift lever, to increase or
decrease the gear range
available.

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
10446639) - 2018 - CRC - 8/18/17
Seats and Restraints 65
4. Immediately press and hold the1 or 2 memory button matching
the above DIC welcome
message until two beeps
sound.
If too much time passes
between releasing SET and
pressing 1, the memory
position will not be saved and
two beeps will not sound.
Repeat Steps 3 and 4.
1 or 2 corresponds to the driver
number. See “Identifying Driver
Number” in this section.
5. Repeat Steps 1–4 for a second driver using 1 or 2.
To save positions for
Band easy
exit features, repeat Steps 1–4
using
B. This stores the positions
for getting out of the vehicle.
Save preferred memory feature
positions to both 1 and 2 if you are
the only driver. Manually Recalling Memory
Positions
Press and hold 1, 2, or
Bto recall
the previously stored memory
positions.
To stop manual recall movement,
release 1, 2, or
B. Recall can also
be stopped by pressing a power
seat, SET, power mirror, or power
steering wheel control, if memory
equipped. The driver or passenger
side mirror must be selected.
Auto Memory Recall
The vehicle identifies the number of
the current driver ’s RKE transmitter
(1–8). See Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System Operation 032. If the
RKE transmitter is 1 or 2, and Auto
Memory Recall is programmed on in
vehicle personalization, the
positions saved to the same
memory button number 1 or 2 are
automatically recalled when the
ignition is turned on, or turned from
OFF to ACC/ACCESSORY. RKE
transmitters 3–8 will not provide
automatic memory recalls. To turn Auto Memory Recall on or
off, see "Vehicle Personalization
Settings" previously in this section
and
Vehicle Personalization 0145.
The transmission must be in
P (Park) to initiate Auto Memory
Recall. Auto Memory Recall will
complete if the vehicle is shifted out
of P (Park) prior to reaching the
stored memory position.
To stop Auto Memory Recall
movement, turn the ignition off or
press any of the following memory
controls:
. Power seat
. Memory SET, 1, 2, or
B
.Power mirror, with the driver or
passenger side mirror selected
. Power steering wheel,
if equipped
If the stored memory seat position
does not automatically recall or
recalls to the wrong positions, the
driver ’s RKE transmitter number (1
or 2) may not match the memory
button number that positions were

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
10446639) - 2018 - CRC - 8/18/17
116 Instruments and Controls
{Warning
In freezing weather, do not use
the washer until the windshield is
warmed. Otherwise the washer
fluid can form ice on the
windshield, blocking your vision.
Rear Wiper Arm Assembly
Protection
When using an automatic car wash,
move the rear wiper control to OFF
to disable the rear wiper. In some
vehicles, if the transmission is in
N (Neutral) and the vehicle speed is
very slow, the rear wiper will
automatically park.
The wiper operations return to
normal when the transmission is no
longer in N (Neutral) or the vehicle
speed has increased.
Reverse Gear Wipes
If the rear wiper control is off, the
rear wiper will automatically operate
continuously when the transmission
is in R (Reverse), and the front
windshield wiper is performing low or high speed wipes. If the rear
wiper control is off, the transmission
is in R (Reverse), and the front
windshield wiper is performing
interval wipes, then the rear wiper
automatically performs interval
wipes.
This feature can be turned on or off.
See
Vehicle Personalization 0145.
The windshield washer reservoir is
used for the windshield and rear
window. Check the fluid level if
either washer is not working. See
Washer Fluid 0300.
Compass
The vehicle may have a compass
display on the Driver Information
Center (DIC). The compass receives
its heading and other information
from the Global Positioning
System (GPS) antenna, StabiliTrak,
and vehicle speed information.
The compass system is designed to
operate for a certain number of
miles or degrees of turn before
needing a signal from the GPS
satellites. When the compass display shows CAL, drive the
vehicle for a short distance in an
open area where it can receive a
GPS signal. The compass system
will automatically determine when a
GPS signal is restored and provide
a heading again.
Clock
Base Radio
The infotainment system controls
are used to access the time and
date settings through the menu
system. See
Operation0168 on
how to use the menu system.
Setting the Time and Date
When Auto Set is enabled the time
cannot be manually set.
1. Press
{, then touch
SETTINGS.
2. Touch Time and Date, then Set Time or Set Date.
3. Touch + or −to adjust the
value.

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
10446639) - 2018 - CRC - 8/18/17
198 Driving and Operating
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Driver Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Driving Environment . . . . . . . . . . 199
Vehicle Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 207
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 208
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 210
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 215
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Diesel Particulate Filter
Diesel Particulate Filter . . . . . . . 225
Diesel Exhaust Fluid
Diesel Exhaust Fluid . . . . . . . . . . 226
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 231
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . 236
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237 Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . 238
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . 244
Assistance Systems forParking or Backing . . . . . . . . . . 245
Assistance Systems for Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Forward Automatic Braking (FAB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . 252
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . 254
Fuel
Fuel (Gasoline) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
California Fuel Requirements (Gasoline) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Fuels in Foreign Countries (Gasoline) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
10446639) - 2018 - CRC - 8/18/17
Driving and Operating 205
{Warning
Driving to the top of a hill at high
speed can cause an accident.
There could be a drop-off,
embankment, cliff, or even
another vehicle. You could be
seriously injured or killed. As you
near the top of a hill, slow down
and stay alert.
. Never go downhill forward or
backward with the transmission
in N (Neutral). The brakes could
overheat and you could lose
control.
. When driving down a hill, keep
the vehicle headed straight
down. Use a low gear because
the engine will work with the
brakes to slow the vehicle and
help keep the vehicle under
control.
{Warning
Heavy braking when going down
a hill can cause your brakes to
overheat and fade. This could
cause loss of control and you or
others could be injured or killed.
Apply the brakes lightly when
descending a hill and use a low
gear to keep vehicle speed under
control.
If the vehicle stalls on a hill: 1. Apply the brakes to stop the vehicle, and then apply the
parking brake.
2. Shift into P (Park) and then restart the engine.
.If driving uphill when the
vehicle stalls, shift to
R (Reverse), release the
parking brake, and back
straight down. .
Never try to turn the vehicle
around. If the hill is steep
enough to stall the vehicle,
it is steep enough to cause
it to roll over.
. If you cannot make it up the
hill, back straight down
the hill.
. Never back down a hill in
N (Neutral) using only the
brake. The vehicle can roll
backward quickly and you
could lose control.
. If driving downhill when the
vehicle stalls, shift to a
lower gear, release the
parking brake, and drive
straight down the hill.
3. If the vehicle cannot be restarted after stalling, set the
parking brake, shift an
automatic transmission into
P (Park), and turn the
vehicle off.
3.1. Leave the vehicle and
seek help.

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
10446639) - 2018 - CRC - 8/18/17
220 Driving and Operating
brake pedal is released or the
accelerator pedal is pressed, the
engine may restart.
The engine may restart even if the
brake pedal is applied.
Auto Stop may be deactivated if:
.A minimum vehicle speed is not
reached.
. The engine or transmission is
not at the required operating
temperature.
. The outside temperature is not
in the required operating range,
typically between −10 °C (14 °F)
and 50 °C (122 °F).
. The shift lever is in any gear
other than D (Drive).
. The battery has been recently
disconnected.
. The battery charge is low.
. The interior comfort level has not
reached the required level for
the climate control system or
defog settings. See Dual
Automatic Climate Control
System 0192. .
The Auto Stop time is greater
than two minutes.
Engine Heater
{Warning
Do not plug in the engine block
heater while the vehicle is parked
in a garage or under a carport.
Property damage or personal
injury may result. Always park the
vehicle in a clear open area away
from buildings or structures. The engine 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
engine 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 Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Remove the heater cord from
the rear compartment.
3. 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.
4. Plug the cord into the receptacle in the front fascia.
5. Plug the other end of the cord into a normal, grounded
110-volt AC outlet.

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
10446639) - 2018 - CRC - 8/18/17
Driving and Operating 231
Automatic
Transmission
P :This position locks the front
wheels. Use P (Park) when starting
the engine because the vehicle
cannot move easily.
{Warning
It is dangerous to get out of the
vehicle if the shift lever is not fully
in P (Park) with the parking brake
firmly set. The vehicle can roll.
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
Do not leave the vehicle when the
engine is running. If you have left
the engine running, the vehicle
can move suddenly. You or others
could be injured. To be sure the
vehicle will not move, even when
you are on fairly level ground,
always set the parking brake and
move the shift lever to P (Park).
SeeShifting Into Park 0221 and
Driving Characteristics and
Towing Tips 0271.
The vehicle has an automatic
transmission shift lock control
system. You must fully apply the
regular brake first and then press
the shift lever button before shifting
from P (Park) when the ignition is
on. If you cannot shift out of
P (Park), ease pressure on the shift
lever, then push the shift lever all
the way into P (Park) as you
maintain brake application. Then press the shift lever button and
move the shift lever into another
gear. See
Shifting out of Park 0223.
R : Use this gear to back up.
Caution
Shifting to R (Reverse) while the
vehicle is moving forward could
damage the transmission. The
repairs would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Shift to
R (Reverse) only after the vehicle
is stopped.
To rock the vehicle back and forth to
get out of snow, ice, or sand without
damaging the transmission, see If
the Vehicle Is Stuck 0210.
N : In this position, the engine does
not connect with the wheels. To
restart the engine when the vehicle
is already moving, use
N (Neutral) only.

Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
10446639) - 2018 - CRC - 8/18/17
232 Driving and Operating
{Warning
Shifting into a drive gear while the
engine is running at high speed is
dangerous. Unless your foot is
firmly on the brake pedal, the
vehicle could move very rapidly.
You could lose control and hit
people or objects. Do not shift
into a drive gear while the engine
is running at high speed.
Caution
Shifting out of P (Park) or
N (Neutral) with the engine
running at high speed may
damage the transmission. The
repairs would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Be sure the
engine is not running at high
speed when shifting the vehicle.
Caution
A transmission hot message may
display if the automatic
transmission fluid is too hot.
Driving under this condition can
damage the vehicle. Stop and idle
the engine to cool the automatic
transmission fluid. This message
clears when the transmission fluid
has cooled sufficiently.
D : This position is for normal
driving. If more power is needed for
passing, press the accelerator
pedal down.
Caution
If the vehicle does not shift gears,
the transmission could be
damaged. Have the vehicle
serviced right away.
Caution
Spinning the tires or holding the
vehicle in one place on a hill
using only the accelerator pedal
may damage the transmission.
The repair will not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. If the vehicle
is stuck, do not spin the tires.
When stopping on a hill, use the
brakes to hold the vehicle in
place.
L : Allows the driver to select the
range of gear positions. See Manual
Mode 0233.
Operating Modes
The transmission may operate in a
lower gear than normal to improve
vehicle performance. The engine
speed may be higher and there may
be an increase in noise during the
following conditions:
. When climbing a grade.
. When driving downhill.