Chevrolet
Equinox Electrical Fuse Replacement Guide
How to check or change a blown electrical
fuse or relay in a 3rd generation 2018 to 2022 GM Chevy Equinox.
2018 Equinox Engine Bay |
Engine Bay Fuse Box |
Front Retaining Clip |
This automotive
maintenance tutorial was specifically written to assist owners of the third
generation (2018, 2019 and probably also the face-lifted or updated 2020,
2021 and 2022 model years) GM Chevrolet Equinox SUV in checking or changing
a blown electrical fuse or a faulty relay in either the engine bay, interior
passenger compartment or the cargo area electrical panels. Owners of other General Motors vehicles from Chevy, Buick, GMC, Cadillac and Holden such as the Trax, Blazer, Traverse, Tahoe, Suburban, Cruze, Malibu, Impala, Camaro, Cascada, LaCrosse, Encore, Envision, Enclave, Regal, Canyon, Sierra, Terrain, Acadia, Yukon, Savana, XT4, XT5, XT6, Escalade, CTS, XTS, CT6, Astra, Commodore and Trailblazer may also find these DIY instructions to be helpful. The 3rd generation Equinox is equipped with standard mini blade electrical fuses which can be purchased at any auto parts store, at Walmart or online at Amazon. A white plastic fuse puller tool should be included on the underside of the engine bay fuse box cover. If the tool is missing, you could instead use a pair of needle nose pliers with rubber insulated handles. The first two steps are to open the hood and then move to the right (driver) side of the engine bay. The rectangular shaped primary fuse box is situated just behind the driver side headlight housing and in front of the 12V automotive battery. There are three retaining clips on the fuse box cover which are located on the front edge, right side and the rear edge. |
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Two Plastic Tabs |
Pinch Together - Release |
Release Right Side Clip |
Pinch together the
two release tabs on each retaining clip to unlock it. Once you have released all three retaining clips, pull the cover off the top of the fuse box. |
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Release Rear Clip |
Lift Off Fuse Box Cover |
Fuse Location Diagram |
Turn over the cover
to view the fuse and relay location diagram. There is also a fuse location diagram in the owner's manual. |
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Engine Bay Fuse Panel |
Small Cover On Left |
Electrical Terminals |
I also removed the small plastic cover on the left side of the fuse box to reveal the electrical terminals. You can skip this step. | ||
Driver Side Dashboard |
Interior Fuse Box |
Push In Two Release Tabs |
The second of the
three electrical panels is located in the interior passenger compartment
under the dashboard close to where the driver's left knee would reside while
driving. Look under the dashboard past the hood release lever and the OBD2 (OBDII) on-board diagnostics port. Push in the two release tabs before pulling off the black plastic cover. |
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Pull Off Fuse Box Cover |
Interior Electrical Block |
Cargo Area - Left Side |
Turn over the cover
to view the fuse location diagram. The third electrical panel is situated in the cargo area on the left (driver) side plastic interior panel. |
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Pry Open Access Cover |
Plastic Pry Bar Tool |
Fuse Location Diagram |
Use a plastic
pry bar tool or a flat head
screwdriver to remove the somewhat rectangular shaped access cover from the
cargo area interior panel. Turn over the cover to view the fuse location diagram. |
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Cargo Area Fuse Panel |
Plastic Fuse Puller Tool |
Place Jaws Over Old Fuse |
The white plastic
fuse puller tool should be attached to the top middle area of the primary
fuse block in the engine bay. Pull the tool straight out of its socket. Squeeze the end of the tool to open the jaws. Place the jaws over the old fuse that you'd like to check or change. |
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Pull Out Old Fuse |
Mini Blade Fuse Removed |
Hold Up To Light Bulb |
Pull the old fuse
straight out of its socket. To check the condition of the old fuse, hold it up to a light bulb. If the thin metal bar or "band" in the translucent plastic center of the old fuse appears to be burnt or broken, the old fuse is most likely "blown" and should be replaced with a new standard mini blade fuse of the same amperage rating (e.g. 5A, 10A, 15A, 20 amps). If the thin metal strip in the middle of the old fuse appears to be intact, the old fuse might still be in good working condition. Since new fuses are so inexpensive, it should still be replaced as part of your electrical issue troubleshooting process. If you suspect that a faulty relay is the cause of your problem, the easiest way to diagnose the issue is to simply replace the relay with a new one. You could also test the old relay with a digital multimeter. |
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Push In New Fuse |
Replace Fuse Puller Tool |
Replace Small Cover |
Push the new fuse
straight into the socket. Don't worry about how the number printed on the top of the fuse is orientated (e.g. 10, 15, 20). The new fuse can be installed in either direction. If you like a neat fuse box, feel free to line up the numbers so that are all situated in the same direction. If you removed the small cover, push it down into place over the electrical terminals. |
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Secure Fuse Box Cover |
Push On Interior Cover |
Replace Cargo Area Cover |
Lower the cover
straight on to the top of the fuse box. Push on it to secure the three retaining clips. You should feel or hear the retaining clips "click" securely into place. Push the interior passenger compartment fuse block cover back into place. Pop in the plastic access cover for the cargo area fuse panel. Test the electrical component that you were having issues with such as the horn, radio, power windows, headlights, tail lights, A/C system, power driver's seat, interior lights, windshield wipers, etc. If you are still having the same issue, there may be a shorted out wire or the electrical component itself needs to be replaced. Be sure to check the engine bay for signs of damage from rodents chewing on the electrical insulation. If you would like to add a hardwire 12V power source for an automotive accessory such as a GPS navigation unit, cell phone charger, dashcam (dash camera), security system, gauges or an LED lighted Uber / Lyft sign, buy an "Add-A-Circuit" or "Fuse Tap Holder". You can use a digital multimeter tool to check for a circuit in the interior passenger compartment fuse panel that either has constant 12 volt power ("hot") or a circuit that is "switched" and only has power when the ignition is switched on. For more, please check out all of my
2018-2022 GM Chevrolet Equinox DIY Repair & Maintenance Guides. |
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