In 1998, General Motors eliminated the Geo brand from its lineup and transferred the Tracker -- a compact SUV -- to Chevrolet's lineup. The Tracker continued under the Chevrolet nameplate through the 2004 model year. In 2005, Chevrolet discontinued the aging Tracker and replaced it with the more modern Equinox crossover SUV. The first-generation Equinox borrowed some styling cues from the TrailBlazer SUV, but a 2010 redesign set the compact SUV apart from other Chevy SUVs. The newly redesigned 2010 Equinox came standard with a 2.4-liter Ecotec four-cylinder engine. Changing the engine oil in the Ecotec engine is a straightforward task, despite the unorthodox location of the oil filter.
Open the Equinox's hood, and unscrew the oil filler cap from the top of the engine.
Raise the front of the Equinox, with a floor jack, and set jack stands beneath the SUV's subframe. Lower the vehicle onto the jack stands.
Crawl beneath the Equinox, and find the oil pan -- the large, metal pan on the bottom of the engine. Position a drain pan under the drain plug on the rear of the oil pan. Loosen the drain plug, using a combination wrench, and remove the drain plug by hand. Allow all of the oil to drain from the oil pan into the drain pan.
Wipe the drain plug off with a clean, lint-free cloth, and hand-tighten it into the oil pan. Tighten the drain plug to 18 foot-pounds, using a torque wrench and six-point socket.
Raise the Equinox off the jack stands, using a floor jack, and remove the jack stands from under the SUV. Lower the vehicle to the ground.
Find the oil filter housing cap -- the roughly 3-inch-diameter plastic cap on the front driver's side of the engine. Loosen the oil filter housing cap, using GM special tool No. J-44887 and a ratchet. Pull the oil filter housing cap off the oil filter housing -- notice the oil filter remains attached to the cap. Notate the position of the oil filter on the cap, and pull the oil filter off the cap. Set the old filter in the drain pan.
Clean the threads and rubber O-ring on the oil filter cap, using a clean, lint-free cloth. Place a small amount of new 5W-30 engine oil on your fingers, and coat the O-ring with new oil. Press a new oil filter onto the same direction as the old filter until it clicks into place.
Line the filter and oil filter housing cap up with the oil filter housing, and set the cap and filter on the housing. Hand-tighten the oil filter housing cap. Tighten the oil filter housing cap to 18 foot-pounds, using GM special tool No. J-44887 and a torque wrench.
Insert a funnel into the oil filler hole, and pour 5 qts. of 5W-30 engine oil into the engine. Wait about 2 minutes, as the oil settles. Remove pull the oil dipstick -- the yellow-handled stick near the front of the engine compartment -- and wipe the oil off the dipstick. Reinsert the dipstick and remove it again. Verify that the oil level is near, or slightly above, the crosshatched area on the dipstick. Add more oil as needed.
Start the engine, and allow it to run for about 3 minutes -- check for oil leaks as the engine idles. Shut the engine off and wait about 2 minutes for the oil to settle. Remove the engine oil dipstick to verify the oil is within the crosshatched area on the dipstick. Add more oil as needed.
Remove the funnel, and tighten the oil filler cap into the oil filler hole.
Insert the funnel into an empty oil bottle, and fill the bottle with old oil from the drain pan. Once full, close the oil bottle's cap. Repeat this step until you transfer all of the old oil to the empty oil bottles. Take the bottles of old oil and the old oil filter to a used automotive fluid-recycling center. Some auto parts stores take old oil free of charge.
