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Old 03-29-2017, 09:33 AM   #1
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2018 Equinox flat tow?

Does anyone know if the 2018 Equinox will be able to be flat towed? I understand that in this model year some changes are being made to the AWD.
Linda
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Old 03-29-2017, 10:26 AM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by taigarazz View Post
Does anyone know if the 2018 Equinox will be able to be flat towed? I understand that in this model year some changes are being made to the AWD.
Linda
Sorry, can't answer your question but we were looking to trading in our 2011 Terrain with a new 2018 Terrain but found out that you can no longer get the V6 engine. So, we'll stick with the 2011 for now.

Unless they (GM) has changed the transmission, I would assume that both the Equinox and Terrain are still 4-down towable.

Ron
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Old 03-29-2017, 02:32 PM   #3
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Complete redesign in the 2018 Equinox and Terrain.

Read the owners manual VERY carefully. Just like the Saturn Aura, Chevrolet Malibu and Pontiac G6 from a time, certain engines WERE flat towable, and others WERE NOT. From the outside appearance, they looked identical, but within a model vehicle there can be a variety of transmission designs in the same vehicle.

FOR EXAMPLE....The Honda CRV was flat towable for quite some time....up to and including 2014...... but not anymore no matter what engine or AWD vs FWD.

Automatic 4 wheels down get fewer every year, just beware.
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Old 03-29-2017, 03:42 PM   #4
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The Equinox/Terrain may be getting the same 10 speed transmission as the Cadillac XT5 (the replacement for the SRX). The XT5 can't be towed 4 down.
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Old 03-29-2017, 10:15 PM   #5
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2018 Owners Manual

Quoted from the 2018 Chevy Equinox owners manual
Quote:
Dinghy Towing

Front-wheel-drive (1.5 L Gas FWD/ 1.6 L Diesel) and all-wheel-drive (1.6 L Diesel only) vehicles may be dinghy towed from the front. These vehicles can also be towed by placing them on a platform trailer with all four wheels off of the ground. All other engine/transmission combinations must be towed by platform trailer. Also see the information on dolly towing later
in this section.

For vehicles being dinghy towed, the vehicle should be run at the beginning of each day and at each RV fuel stop for about five minutes. This will ensure proper lubrication of transmission components.
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Old 03-30-2017, 11:49 AM   #6
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Thank you, Bokobird!
Interesting that in the AWD, only the diesel can be towed... well I guess it's the 1.5 FWD for me!
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Old 03-31-2017, 12:36 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rockwood27 View Post
The Equinox/Terrain may be getting the same 10 speed transmission as the Cadillac XT5 (the replacement for the SRX). The XT5 can't be towed 4 down.

Actually, the two gas models will get a "9" speed trans and the new diesel will stay with the "6" speed trans

Not sure if the 9 speed is a derivative of the 10 speed or not. But since it's not a CVT, I'm assuming it can still be towed 4-down.

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Old 04-26-2017, 10:06 AM   #8
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Has anyone bought an '18 Equinox yet? What are your thoughts on the new model? Are baseplates available yet? What is the tab height?
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Old 04-30-2017, 09:22 PM   #9
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Originally Posted by lanerd View Post
Actually, the two gas models will get a "9" speed trans and the new diesel will stay with the "6" speed trans

Not sure if the 9 speed is a derivative of the 10 speed or not. But since it's not a CVT, I'm assuming it can still be towed 4-down.

Ron
I would not make that assumption. I haven't seen any 8,9 or 10 speed automatics that are rated to flt tow.
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Old 08-11-2017, 03:30 PM   #10
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flat tow equinox

i have 2018 1.5L equinox with 6 speed trans, yes, it is flat towable, the 2.0L with 9 speed is not. It is the 9 speed trans model that is not towable.
the 1.5 is only available with 6 speed trans.

Front wheel drive. I do not know status on AWD
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Old 08-28-2017, 03:53 PM   #11
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I just got home from a one week trip with my new 2018 Equinox. The instructions in the owners manual seemed too simple and they were. I have the keyless ignition. I had battery problems. I towed it home Friday with a dead battery and left it at my dealer over the weekend. They could find nothing wrong, but their tech line advised the the owners manual is being rewritten. I was told a battery disconnect is needed. My thinking at this point is to follow the manual and add the disconnect as the last step getting ready to go. Any suggestions on how to power the Invisabrake?
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Old 08-29-2017, 07:00 AM   #12
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We have a 2018 Equinox and we have towed it for over 2,000 miles with no issues. We have the front wheel drive 1.5 liter turbo model.
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Old 08-29-2017, 07:12 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bompa51 View Post
I just got home from a one week trip with my new 2018 Equinox. The instructions in the owners manual seemed too simple and they were. I have the keyless ignition. I had battery problems. I towed it home Friday with a dead battery and left it at my dealer over the weekend. They could find nothing wrong, but their tech line advised the the owners manual is being rewritten. I was told a battery disconnect is needed. My thinking at this point is to follow the manual and add the disconnect as the last step getting ready to go. Any suggestions on how to power the Invisabrake?


We have a charge line from our RV to the Equinox. This is how we tow ours;
Press and hold the start button for 7 - 10 seconds, with your foot OFF the brake until the dash lights up.
Put your foot on the brake and shift to neutral.
Take your foot off the brake and press the start button. The dash lights will go out, but a message on the dash will appear that says "Shift To Park". You will also hear a chime sounding.

We towed in that mode and did not have any issues with the battery.

We did tow once without pressing the start/stop button at the end, which left all of the dashboard lights on, and we did get a low battery warning and in addition, the odometer logged the miles we towed.

By pressing the start/stop button after shifting to neutral, it eliminated those issues. The chime must only go on for a limited amount of time. At the end of the day it was no longer sounding, but the "shift to park" was still showing on the dashboard.

We did have a dedicated 12 volt outlet wired under the drivers seat to power the RVI3 Brake System.
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Old 08-29-2017, 07:31 AM   #14
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GM is notorious for giving incomplete instructions on how to flat tow. These are the instructions for many of their vehicles:

Quote:
To dinghy tow the vehicle from the
front with all four wheels on the
ground:
1. Position the vehicle to tow and
then secure it to the towing
vehicle.
2. Shift the automatic
transmission to P (Park) or a
manual transmission into
1 (First) gear and turn the
ignition to LOCK/OFF.
3. Set the parking brake.
4. To prevent the battery from
draining while the vehicle is
being towed, remove the DLIS
fuse from the instrument panel
fuse block. See Instrument
Panel Fuse Block.
5. Turn the ignition to ACC/
ACCESSORY.
6. Shift an automatic transmission
to N (Neutral) or a manual
transmission to Neutral.
7. Release the parking brake.
Reinstall the DLIS fuse once the
destination has been reached


Nowhere does it say to turn the key out of the ACC position so how does removing the DLIS fuse prevent the battery from draining? It doesn't. The DLIS fuse removal allows you to turn the key OFF with the gearshift in Neutral.
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