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Old 05-12-2013, 07:19 AM   #1
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Equinox Toad Questions

I towed my Equinox for the first time this week and I have two questions concerning it.

1) Will the tires turn with the ACC mode? I pulled it for a short ways to get to the campground exit and stopped to check everything again. A fellow camper that was helping me set it up followed me and said my tires did not appear to be turning. I checked the ignition key again and the steering wheel and tire turns, but are hard. Is this the correct setup?

2) I want to get the Tire Minder/Tracker pressure monitoring system. There is a question about what type of valve stems the Equinox has. Are they aluminum or brass? It looks like hard rubber to me.
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Old 05-12-2013, 07:47 AM   #2
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If your tires were not turning you would feel it from the drivers seat. What year Equinox is it and is it All-Wheel Drive...and approved for towing?
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Old 05-12-2013, 08:44 AM   #3
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It is front wheel drive and it is approved for 4-wheels down towing.
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Old 05-12-2013, 05:36 PM   #4
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Any comments on the valve stems???
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Old 05-12-2013, 06:38 PM   #5
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Valve stems can be rubber or metal. Makes no difference as the sensors are too light to make a difference. Your biggest problem is automatic car washes - take them off or risk breaking the valve stem.

Wheels turning? I'm assuming they are at least rolling. You will feel them if they are not.

Turning, as in the steering wheel turning as you tow around corners? If you can move the wheel by hand, it will be fine.
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Old 05-12-2013, 06:56 PM   #6
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I have a 2012 Equinox that I have towed on several long trips. I turn the key one click pull the fuse and go. I think you are referring to the steering wheel turning, I check it after setting up and have not had a problem.
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Old 05-12-2013, 07:42 PM   #7
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Yes I am referring to the steering wheel turning.
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Old 05-13-2013, 07:40 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by reubenray View Post
...Will the tires turn with the ACC mode? I pulled it for a short ways to get to the campground exit and stopped to check everything again. A fellow camper that was helping me set it up followed me and said my tires did not appear to be turning. I checked the ignition key again and the steering wheel and tire turns, but are hard. Is this the correct setup?...
The steering wheel does turn when the key is in the ACC position. The reason the steering wheel is hard to turn when in the ACC position is the engine is off and you have no power steering.

When I start out after hooking up, I always turn up the speaker on my backup monitor for a few seconds and listen for any unusual noises like tires dragging or any unusual clinks or clunks. When I make my first relatively sharp turn, I always check my rear view mirror to watch to make sure the front wheels are steering and the tires are turning.
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Old 05-16-2013, 08:01 AM   #9
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2) I want to get the Tire Minder/Tracker pressure monitoring system.
Do you get a lot of flat tires on your car when driving that you would add something like this?
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Old 05-16-2013, 08:13 AM   #10
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A ribbon or rag tied on the steering wheel at the top makes it very easy to see steering wheel movement in the back up camera
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Old 05-16-2013, 08:30 AM   #11
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I have the same car and same size MH as you. My tow bar is a blue ox but that should make no difference. When you make tight turns the steering wheels will not turn as much as it should so you may experience some scuffing of the front tires. If you turn the microphone monitor up on your rear camera set up you can sometimes hear the tires squeeling. It is particularaly loud when you drive across some painted lines on the road. The front wheels seem to turn but just not enough. The steering wheels will turn fine when you are driving on a more straight path and the steering has enough time to make the slow adjustment. I make sure I rotate the tires on the Equinox. So far I have over 40,000 miles on the tires and I have many more miles to go on them. You may even smell tire burning from time to time that seems to linger with the vehicle for a while. I'm learning to live with some of these issues as I don't think they are correctable.
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Old 05-16-2013, 07:38 PM   #12
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I just realized that you already have a tire monitoring system on your Equinox. I have the base model and it is available on the information button on your dashboard. You can find out how to access it and use it by reading the manual. It automatically warns you if the pressure gets low. Below 30 psi. It works, I know. It is also the one feature that keeps me using the on-star. It also gives me a monthly report on the vehicles health. As you travel you need to stop and turn on the engine to circulate the fluid in the transmission every 250 miles. You can also use that time to inspect the vehicle and towbar as a preventative maintenance routine. If I was you I would spend that money on a monitoring system for the MH. JMO
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Old 05-16-2013, 07:52 PM   #13
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turn the key off and lock the steering wheel and drive a short distance and you will see that if it is locked you know right away. ask me how I know. I did not make it out of the park.
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Old 05-20-2013, 12:38 PM   #14
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I use the TireMinder system on my motorhome and my Terrain (GMC version of Equinox). The Terrain valve steams are brass. I use teflon sealing tape on the valves to seal the TireMinder sensors to the valve steams of the motorhome and the Terrain. System works well and now I can monitor motorhome and Terrain tire pressures from the drivers seat of the motorhome. The TireMinder TMG400C system now comes with a repeater to extend its range more reliably to the toad.
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