
Black plate (22,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
10-22 Vehicle Care
Checking Coolant
The vehicle must be on a level
surface when checking the coolant
level.
Check to see if coolant is visible
in the coolant surge tank. If the
coolant inside the coolant surge
tank is boiling, do not do anything
else until it cools down. If coolant
is visible but the coolant level is not
at or above the cold fill mark, add
a 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable
water and DEX-COOL coolant at the
coolant surge tank, but be sure the
cooling system is cool before this is
done. SeeEngine Overheating on
page 10‑23 for more information.
The coolant reservoir is located
on the passenger side of the
engine compartment. See Engine
Compartment Overview on
page 10‑10 for more information
on location. The coolant level should be at
or above the cold fill line on the
coolant surge tank. If it is not,
there could be a leak in the
cooling system.
How to Add Coolant to the
Coolant Surge Tank
{WARNING
You can be burned if you spill
coolant on hot engine parts.
Coolant contains ethylene glycol
and it will burn if the engine parts
are hot enough. Do not spill
coolant on a hot engine.
Notice: This vehicle has a
specific coolant fill procedure.
Failure to follow this procedure
could cause the engine to
overheat and be severely
damaged.
{WARNING
The electric cooling fans under
the hood can start up even when
the engine is not running and
can cause injury. Keep hands,
clothing, and tools away from
any underhood electric fan.
{WARNING
Steam and scalding liquids from a
hot cooling system can blow out
and burn you badly. They are
under pressure, and if you
turn the surge tank pressure
cap —even a little —they can
come out at high speed. Never
turn the cap when the cooling
system, including the surge tank
pressure cap, is hot. Wait for the
cooling system and surge tank
pressure cap to cool if you ever
have to turn the pressure cap.

Black plate (93,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-93
Interior Care
The interior will continue to look
its best if it is cleaned often.
Dust and dirt can accumulate
on the upholstery and cause
damage to the carpet, fabric,
leather, and plastic surfaces.
Stains should be removed quickly
as extreme heat could cause
them to set rapidly.
Lighter colored interiors may
require more frequent cleaning.
Newspapers and garments that can
transfer color to home furnishings
can also transfer color to the
interior.
Remove dust from small buttons
and knobs with a small brush with
soft bristles.
Your dealer has products for
cleaning the interior. When cleaning
the interior, only use cleaners
specifically designed for the
surfaces that are being cleaned.Permanent damage can result
from using cleaners on surfaces
for which they were not intended.
Apply the cleaner directly to the
cleaning cloth to prevent over-spray.
Remove any accidental over-spray
from other surfaces immediately.
Notice:
Using abrasive cleaners
when cleaning glass surfaces
on the vehicle, could scratch the
glass and/or cause damage to
the rear window defogger. When
cleaning the glass on the vehicle,
use only a soft cloth and glass
cleaner.
Cleaners can contain solvents that
can become concentrated in the
interior. Before using cleaners,
read and adhere to all safety
instructions on the label. While
cleaning the interior, maintain
adequate ventilation by opening
the doors and windows. Do not clean the interior using the
following cleaners or techniques:.Never use a knife or any other
sharp object to remove a soil
from any interior surface.
.Never use a stiff brush. It can
cause damage.
.Never apply heavy pressure or
rub aggressively with a cleaning
cloth. Use of heavy pressure can
damage the interior and does
not improve the effectiveness
of soil removal.
.Avoid laundry detergents
or dishwashing soaps with
degreasers. Using too much
soap will leave a residue that
leaves streaks and attracts
dirt. For liquid cleaners, about
20 drops per 3.78 L (1 gal) of
water is a good guide. Use only
mild, neutral-pH soaps.
.Do not heavily saturate the
upholstery while cleaning.
.Cleaners that contain solvents
can damage the interior.

Black plate (6,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
i-6 INDEX
I
Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Infants and Young Children,Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-43
Information Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-41
Open Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-24
Infotainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Instrument Panel Storage Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
J
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-79
K
Key and Lock Messages . . . . . . . 5-48
Keyless Entry Remote (RKE) System . . . . . . . . 2-3
Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
L
Labeling, Tire Sidewall . . . . . . . . 10-49
Lamp Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-49
Lamps Daytime Running (DRL) . . . . . . . 6-3
Dome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Exterior Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
License Plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
Malfunction Indicator . . . . . . . . . 5-21
On Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-29
Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-19
LATCH System Replacing Parts after aCrash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-57
LATCH, Lower Anchors and
Tethers for Children . . . . . . . . . . 3-49
Lifting the Vehicle, Tires . . . . . . . 10-5
Lighting Entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Exit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Illumination Control . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5 Lights
Airbag Readiness . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Antilock Brake System
(ABS) Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Brake System Warning . . . . . . . 5-24
Charging System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-29
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . 5-25
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning . . . . . . . 5-27
Engine Oil Pressure . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
High-Beam On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-29
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . . 6-2
Hood, Door, Hatch Open . . . . . 5-30
Low Fuel Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Mountain Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . 5-18
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-29
Service Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Sport Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Traction Control System (TCS)/StabiliTrak
®. . . . . . . . . . 5-27

Black plate (7,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
INDEX i-7
LocksAutomatic Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11
Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
Lockout Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11
Power Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-8
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . . 5-28
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children
(LATCH System) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-49
M
Maintenance
Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-8
Maintenance Modes . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Maintenance Schedule Recommended Fluids andLubricants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-6
Scheduled Maintenance . . . . . . 11-2
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . 5-21
Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-44 Menu
Configure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-66
Messages Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-51
Anti-theft Alarm System . . . . . . . 5-51
Brake System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-46
Door Ajar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-46
Drive Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-47
Electric Drive Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-47
Engine Cooling System . . . . . . . 5-47
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-48
Fuel System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-48
Key and Lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-48
Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-49
Object Detection System . . . . . 5-49
Propulsion Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-50
Ride Control System . . . . . . . . . . 5-50
Service Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-51
Starting the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 5-52
Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-52
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-45
Vehicle Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-53
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-53 Mirrors
Automatic Dimming
Rearview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Convex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Folding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Heated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Mode Electric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Extended Range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Modes
Driver Selected . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Monitor System, Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-55
Mountain Mode Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
MP3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-23
Multi-band Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-18

Black plate (8,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
i-8 INDEX
N
NavigationDestination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-51
Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-47
Using the System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-39
Vehicle Data Recordingand Privacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-27
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . . 9-18
O
Object Detection System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-49
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
Trip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-8
Oil Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-12
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . 10-15
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-48
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Older Children, Restraints . . . . . 3-41
Online Owner Center . . . . . . . . . . 13-4
OnStar
®System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-27
Open Source Information . . . . . 13-24 Ordering
Map DVDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-76
Service Publications . . . . . . . . 13-12
Out of Fuel/Engine Unavailable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Outlets Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Overheating, Engine . . . . . . . . . . 10-23
Overview, Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-3
P
ParkShifting into . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-22
Shifting out of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Parking Assist, Ultrasonic . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-43
Brake and P (Park)Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . 10-30
Over Things That Burn . . . . . . . 9-24
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Passenger Sensing System . . . 3-33
Pedestrian Friendly Alert . . . . . . . 6-2
Perchlorate Materials
Requirements, California . . . . . 10-3 Personalization
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-53
Phone Bluetooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-85
Plug-In Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-49
Power Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-18
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11
Flows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-31
Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Protection, Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Retained Accessory (RAP) . . . 9-22
Steering Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Pregnancy, Using Safety
Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-23
Privacy Radio FrequencyIdentification (RFID) . . . . . . . 13-27
Problems with Route
Guidance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-76
Program Courtesy Transportation . . . . . . 13-8