Hey man, did you get the Equinox fixed? I noticed how easy the starter is to get to when I did the first oil change on mine the other day. I have to say that this is one of the easiest vehicles I've ever had to change the oil on. Easy access to both the oil pan drain plug and the oil filter. That's the only easy DIY thing I've found so far besides changing the air filter. And what a rip having to buy another valve cover if you want to change the PCV valve on the 3.4 engine. What kind of nonsense is that?

 

We had the same problem, I thought it was the starter at first but it ended up being a blown head gasket. Antifreeze had leaked into the cylinder causing it to lock since it doesn't compress.

Larry