Black plate (61,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-61
If the child restraint has the LATCH
system, seeLower Anchors and
Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) on page 3‑49 for how and
where to install the child restraint
using LATCH. If a child restraint is
secured using a safety belt and
it uses a top tether, see Lower
Anchors and Tethers for Children
(LATCH System) on page 3‑49
for top tether anchor locations.
Do not secure a child seat in a
position without a top tether anchor
if a national or local law requires
that the top tether be anchored, or if
the instructions that come with the
child restraint say that the top strap
must be anchored.
In Canada, the law requires that
forward-facing child restraints have
a top tether, and that the tether be
attached. You will be using the lap-shoulder
belt to secure the child restraint in
this position. Follow the instructions
that came with the child restraint.
1. Move the seat as far back as
it will go before securing the
forward-facing child restraint.
When the passenger sensing
system has turned off the right
front passenger frontal airbag
and passenger knee airbag, the
off indicator on the passenger
airbag status indicator should
light and stay lit when you start
the vehicle. See Passenger
Airbag Status Indicator on
page 5‑20.
2. Put the child restraint on the seat.
3. Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap and shoulder portions of
the vehicle's safety belt through
or around the restraint. The child
restraint instructions will show
you how.
4. Push the latch plate into thebuckle until it clicks.
Position the release button on
the buckle so that the safety belt
could be quickly unbuckled if
necessary.
Black plate (62,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
3-62 Seats and Restraints
5. Pull the shoulder belt all the wayout of the retractor to set the
lock. When the retractor lock is
set, the belt can be tightened but
not pulled out of the retractor.6. To tighten the belt, push downon the child restraint, pull the
shoulder portion of the belt to
tighten the lap portion of the belt,
and feed the shoulder belt back
into the retractor. When installing
a forward-facing child restraint,
it may be helpful to use your
knee to push down on the child
restraint as you tighten the belt.
Try to pull the belt out of the
retractor to make sure the
retractor is locked. If the
retractor is not locked,
repeat Steps 5 and 6. 7. Before placing a child in the
child restraint, make sure it is
securely held in place. To check,
grasp the child restraint at the
safety belt path and attempt to
move it side to side and back
and forth. When the child
restraint is properly installed,
there should be no more than
2.5 cm (1 in) of movement.
If the airbags are off, the off
indicator in the passenger airbag
status indicator will come on and
stay on when the vehicle is started.
If a child restraint has been installed
and the on indicator is lit, see
“If the On Indicator is Lit for a Child
Restraint” underPassenger Sensing
System on page 3‑33 for more
information.
To remove the child restraint,
unbuckle the vehicle safety belt and
let it return to the stowed position.
Black plate (20,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
5-20 Instruments and Controls
A message may also display in the
Driver Information Center (DIC).
SeeAirbag System Messages on
page 5‑51 for more information.
{WARNING
If the airbag readiness light stays
on after the vehicle is started or
comes on while driving, it means
the airbag system might not be
working properly. The airbags in
the vehicle might not inflate in a
crash, or they could even inflate
without a crash. To help avoid
injury, have the vehicle serviced
right away.
Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator
The vehicle has a passenger
sensing system. See Passenger
Sensing System on page 3‑33
for important safety information.
The passenger airbag status
indicator is in the overhead console.
When the vehicle is started, the
passenger airbag status indicator
will light ON and OFF for several
seconds as a system check. Then, after several more seconds,
the status indicator will light either
ON or OFF to let you know the
status of the right front passenger
frontal airbag and the passenger
knee airbag.
If the word ON is lit on the
passenger airbag status indicator, it
means that the right front passenger
frontal airbag and the passenger
knee airbag are enabled and may
inflate.
If the word OFF is lit on the airbag
status indicator, it means that the
passenger sensing system has
turned off the right front passenger
frontal airbag and the passenger
knee airbag.
Black plate (21,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-21
If, after several seconds, both
status indicator lights remain on,
or if there are no lights at all, there
may be a problem with the lights
or the passenger sensing system.
See your dealer for service.
{WARNING
If the airbag readiness light ever
comes on and stays on, it means
that something may be wrong
with the airbag system. To help
avoid injury to yourself or others,
have the vehicle serviced right
away. SeeAirbag Readiness
Light on page 5‑19 for more
information, including important
safety information.
Charging System Light
(12-Volt Battery)
The charging system light comes
on briefly when the vehicle is in
ON/RUN, as a check to show the
light is working.
If the light stays on, or comes on
while driving, there could be a
problem with the electrical charging
system. Have it checked by your
dealer. Driving while this light is
on could drain the 12‐volt battery.
If a short distance must be driven
with the light on, be sure to turn off
all accessories, such as the radio.
Malfunction
Indicator Lamp
A computer system called OBD II
(On-Board Diagnostics-Second
Generation) monitors operation
of the fuel, ignition, and emission
control systems. It ensures that
emissions are at acceptable levels
for the life of the vehicle, helping
to produce a cleaner environment.
This light comes on when the
vehicle is placed in Service Only
Mode, as a check to show it is
working. If it does not, have the
vehicle serviced by your dealer.
See Power Button on page 9‑18
for more information.
Black plate (52,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
5-52 Instruments and Controls
SERVICE POWER STEERING
This message displays if there is a
problem with the power steering
system. Take the vehicle to your
dealer for service.
SERVICE VEHICLE SOON
This message displays if there is a
problem with the vehicle. Take the
vehicle to your dealer for service.
Depending on the severity of a
crash, this message may come
on along with the airbag readiness
light.
Starting the Vehicle
Messages
PRESS BRAKE TO START
VEHICLE
This message displays when
attempting to start the vehicle
without first pressing the brake
pedal.
PRESS BUTTON AGAIN TO
TURN OFF
This message displays as a
reminder to press the POWER
O
button to turn the vehicle off when
an attempt is made to turn off the
vehicle while it is in motion.
Tire Messages
SERVICE TIRE MONITOR
SYSTEM
This message displays if there is
a problem with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS). SeeTire
Pressure Monitor Operation on
page 10‑57 for more information.
TIRE LEARNING ACTIVE
This message displays when
the system is learning new tires.
SeeTire Pressure Monitor
Operation on page 10‑57 for
more information.
TIRE LOW ADD AIR TO TIRE
This message displays when the
pressure in one or more of the tires
is low.
This message also displays
LEFT FRONT, RIGHT FRONT,
LEFT REAR, or RIGHT REAR to
indicate the location of the low tire.
The low tire pressure warning
light will also come on. See Tire
Pressure Light on page 5‑27.
If a tire pressure message appears
on the DIC, stop as soon as you
can. Inflate the tires by adding air
until the tire pressure is equal to
the values shown on the Tire and
Loading Information label. See Tires
on page 10‑48, Vehicle Load Limits
on page 9‑14, and Tire Pressure on
page 10‑54.
You can receive more than one
tire pressure message at a time.
The DIC also shows the tire
pressure values. See Driver
Information Center (DIC) on
page 5‑43.
Black plate (20,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
9-20 Driving and Operating
2. Shift the vehicle to N (Neutral).This can be done while the
vehicle is moving. After shifting
to N (Neutral), firmly apply the
brakes and steer the vehicle
to a safe location.
3. Come to a complete stop, shift to P (Park), and turn the
vehicle to OFF by pushing the
POWER
Obutton.
4. Set the parking brake. See Electric Parking Brake on
page 9‑35.
{WARNING
Turning off the vehicle while
moving may disable the airbags.
While driving, only shut the
propulsion system off in an
emergency. 5. If the vehicle must be stopped
while driving, press and hold
the POWER
Obutton for
either longer than two seconds,
or press twice in five seconds.
Starting and Stopping the
Vehicle
Starting Procedure
Move the shift lever to P (Park) or
N (Neutral). The propulsion system
will not start in any other position.
Notice: Do not try to shift to
P (Park) if the vehicle is moving
or the electric drive unit could be
damaged. Shift to P (Park) only
when the vehicle is stopped. Notice:
The vehicle is designed
to work with the electronics in
the vehicle. If you add electrical
parts or accessories, you could
change the way the vehicle
operates. Before adding electrical
equipment, check with your
dealer. If you do not, the vehicle
might not perform properly. Any
resulting damage would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Black plate (8,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
10-8 Vehicle Care
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your Own
Service Work
{WARNING
Never try to do your own
service on high voltage battery
components. You can be injured
and the vehicle can be damaged
if you try to do your own service
work. Service and repair of these
high voltage battery components
should only be performed by a
trained service technician with
the proper knowledge and tools.
Exposure to high voltage
can cause shock, burns, and
even death. The high voltage
components in the vehicle can
only be serviced by technicians
with special training.(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
High voltage components are
identified by labels. Do not
remove, open, take apart,
or modify these components.
High voltage cable or wiring has
orange covering. Do not probe,
tamper with, cut, or modify high
voltage cable or wiring.
{WARNING
You can be injured and the
vehicle could be damaged if you
try to do service work on a vehicle
without knowing enough about it.
.Be sure you have sufficient
knowledge, experience,
the proper replacement
parts, and tools before
attempting any vehicle
maintenance task.(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
.Be sure to use the proper
nuts, bolts, and other
fasteners. Metric and
English fasteners can be
easily confused. If the wrong
fasteners are used, parts
can later break or fall off.
You could be hurt.
If doing some of your own service
work, use the proper service
manual. It tells you much more
about how to service the vehicle
than this manual can. To order the
proper service manual, see Service
Publications Ordering Information
on page 13‑12.
This vehicle has an airbag system.
Before attempting to do your own
service work, see Airbag System
Check on page 3‑40.
Black plate (11,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
Customer Information 13-11
Some insurance companies will
not specify aftermarket collision
parts. When purchasing insurance,
we recommend that you ensure that
the vehicle will be repaired with GM
original equipment collision parts.
If such insurance coverage is
not available from your current
insurance carrier, consider switching
to another insurance carrier.
If the vehicle is leased, the leasing
company may require you to have
insurance that ensures repairs with
Genuine GM Original Equipment
Manufacturer (OEM) parts or
Genuine Manufacturer replacement
parts. Read the lease carefully, as
you may be charged at the end of
the lease for poor quality repairs.If a Crash Occurs
If there has been an injury, call
emergency services for help. Do not
leave the scene of a crash until all
matters have been taken care of.
Move the vehicle only if its position
puts you in danger, or you are
instructed to move it by a police
officer.
Give only the necessary information
to police and other parties involved
in the crash.
For emergency towing see
Roadside Assistance Program on
page 13‑6.
Gather the following information:
.Driver name, address, and
telephone number.
.Driver license number.
.Owner name, address, and
telephone number.
.Vehicle license plate number.
.Vehicle make, model, and
model year.
.Vehicle Identification
Number (VIN).
.Insurance company and policy
number.
.General description of the
damage to the other vehicle.
Choose a reputable repair facility
that uses quality replacement parts.
See “Collision Parts” earlier in this
section.
In a crash, the sensing system may
shut down the high voltage system.
See Battery on page 10‑28 for
important safety information. If an
airbag has inflated, see What Will
You See after an Airbag Inflates? on
page 3‑31.