Black plate (92,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
7-92 Infotainment System
Pairing a Phone Using the
Infotainment System
The pairing process can be started
by using the controls on the
infotainment system.
1. Press the CONFIG button.Turn the TUNE/MENU knob
until the Phone menu displays.
Press the TUNE/MENU knob or
press the Phone screen button
to display other options.
2. Turn the TUNE/MENU knobuntil Bluetooth displays. Press
the TUNE/MENU knob or press
the Bluetooth screen button to
display other options.
3. Select “Add new Phone.”
The pairing process will begin
searching for Bluetooth devices
on the cell phone. See the cell
phone manufacturer's user guide
for information on this process.On the cell phone, locate the
device named “Your Vehicle.”
Follow the instructions given on
the cell phone or follow the voice
prompts, to enter the four-digit
Personal Identification Number
(PIN) that has been provided.
4. The system voice prompt requests a name for the phone
being paired. Use a name
that best describes the phone.
The system voice prompt then
repeats the name you provided
for confirmation; say “Yes.”
5. The system responds with “phone name has been
successfully paired” after the
pairing process is complete.
Black plate (8,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
8-8 Climate Controls
Rear Window Defogger
=(Rear Window Defogger):
Press to turn the rear window
defogger on or off.
The rear window defogger
turns off automatically after about
five minutes. If turned on again,
it runs for about five minutes
before turning off. The defogger
can also be turned off by turning
the vehicle off.
For vehicles with heated outside
rearview mirrors, they turn on when
the rear window defogger button
is on and help to clear fog or frost
from the surface of the mirror.
See Heated Mirrors on page 2‑16. Notice:
Do not try to clear frost
or other material from the inside
of the front windshield and rear
window with a razor blade or
anything else that is sharp.
This may damage the rear
window defogger grid and affect
the radio's ability to pick up
stations clearly. The repairs
wouldn't be covered by the
vehicle warranty.
Remote Start: For vehicles with
this feature, the climate control
system may be started by using
the Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter. The climate control
system will default to an appropriate
heating or cooling mode.
See Remote Start on page 2‑8.
The rear window defogger turns on
if it is cold outside.
Compressor
The vehicle has an electric powered
air conditioning compressor.
This allows for continuous air
conditioning and/or high voltage
battery cooling operation, without
running the engine.
The compressor operating speed
is not tied to the engine speed, so
some noise may be heard from the
compressor, especially when air
conditioning use is high and the
engine has turned off. This is
normal.
Black plate (3,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-3
Drive Mode and PRNDL Selection
Use Normal Mode when possible.
Sport Mode provides more
responsive acceleration than
Normal Mode but can reduce
efficiency.
Use Mountain Mode prior to
climbing long, steep grades in
mountainous areas. Be sure to
engage Mountain Mode before
starting to climb. Mountain Mode
reduces electric range and power
but may be needed to maintain
speeds above 96 km/h (60 mph)
when climbing grades of 5% or
greater.
Use L (Low) in heavy stop‐and‐go
traffic or when traveling downhill.
L (Low) requires less brake
pedal application and provides
a controlled, efficient way to
slow the vehicle down.Climate Setting
Using the heat and air conditioning
systems decreases the energy
available for electric driving.
Optimal energy efficiency is
achieved with the heat, air
conditioning, and fan turned off.
Less energy is used at low fan
speeds. When using the fan:
.Fan Only is the most energy
efficient climate setting as long
as
0is not selected.
.ECO is for moderate air
conditioning and heater
operation and is the next
most energy efficient setting as
long as
0is not selected.
.Comfort provides the most
comfort but is the least energy
efficient.
Use the auto heated seat feature
instead of climate settings. Heating
the seat uses less energy than
heating the vehicle interior. Use remote start to heat or cool the
interior when the vehicle is plugged
in to maximize the electric range by
utilizing electricity from the electrical
outlet.
In hot weather, avoid parking in
direct sunlight or use sunshades
inside the vehicle.
Turn off the front and rear window
defog/defrost when they are no
longer needed.
Avoid driving with the windows open
at highway speeds.
Vehicle Charging/Maintenance
Charging
Keep the vehicle plugged in, even
when fully charged, to keep the
battery temperature ready for the
next drive. This is important when
outside temperatures are extremely
hot or cold.
Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-5
Alcohol affects four things that
anyone needs to drive a vehicle:
judgment, muscular coordination,
vision, and attentiveness.
Police records show that
almost 40 percent of all motor
vehicle-related deaths involve
alcohol. In most cases, these
deaths are the result of someone
who was drinking and driving.
In recent years, more than
17,000 annual motor vehicle-related
deaths have been associated with
the use of alcohol, with about
250,000 people injured.
For persons under 21, it is against
the law in every U.S. state to drink
alcohol. There are good medical,
psychological, and developmental
reasons for these laws.
The obvious way to eliminate the
leading highway safety problem is
for people never to drink alcohol
and then drive.Medical research shows that
alcohol in a person's system
can make crash injuries worse,
especially injuries to the brain,
spinal cord, or heart. This means
that when anyone who has been
drinking
—driver or passenger —is
in a crash, that person's chance of
being killed or permanently disabled
is higher than if the person had not
been drinking.
Control of a Vehicle
The following three systems
help to control the vehicle while
driving —brakes, steering, and
accelerator. At times, as when
driving on snow or ice, it is easy to
ask more of those control systems
than the tires and road can provide.
Meaning, you can lose control of the
vehicle.
Adding non‐dealer accessories
can affect vehicle performance.
See Accessories and Modifications
on page 10‑4.
Braking
See Brake System Warning Light on
page 5‑24.
Braking action involves perception
time and reaction time. Deciding to
push the brake pedal is perception
time. Actually doing it is
reaction time.
Average reaction time is about
three‐fourths of a second. But that
is only an average. It might be less
with one driver and as long as two
or three seconds or more with
another. Age, physical condition,
alertness, coordination, and
eyesight all play a part. So do
alcohol, drugs, and frustration.
But even in three‐fourths of a
second, a vehicle moving at
100 km/h (60 mph) travels 20 m
(66 ft). That could be a lot of
distance in an emergency, so
keeping enough space between
the vehicle and others is important.
Black plate (8,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
9-8 Driving and Operating
Off-Road Recovery
The vehicle's right wheels can drop
off the edge of a road onto the
shoulder while driving.
If the level of the shoulder is
only slightly below the pavement,
recovery should be fairly easy.
Ease off the accelerator and
then, if there is nothing in the way,
steer so that the vehicle straddles
the edge of the pavement.Turn the steering wheel 8 to 13 cm
(3 to 5 in), about one-eighth turn,
until the right front tire contacts
the pavement edge. Then turn the
steering wheel to go straight down
the roadway.
Loss of Control
Let us review what driving experts
say about what happens when the
three control systems
—brakes,
steering, and acceleration —do not
have enough friction where the tires
meet the road to do what the driver
has asked.
In any emergency, do not give up.
Keep trying to steer and constantly
seek an escape route or area of
less danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of
the vehicle. Defensive drivers avoid
most skids by taking reasonable
care suited to existing conditions,
and by not overdriving those
conditions. But skids are always
possible.
The three types of skids correspond
to the vehicle's three control
systems. In the braking skid,
the wheels are not rolling. In the
steering or cornering skid, too much
speed or steering in a curve causes
tires to slip and lose cornering force.
And in the acceleration skid, too
much throttle causes the driving
wheels to spin.
If the vehicle starts to slide, ease
your foot off the accelerator pedal
and quickly steer the way you
want the vehicle to go. If you start
steering quickly enough, the vehicle
may straighten out. Always be ready
for a second skid if it occurs.
Black plate (12,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
9-12 Driving and Operating
Blizzard Conditions
Being stuck in snow can be
a serious situation. Stay with
the vehicle unless there is help
nearby. If possible, use the
Roadside Assistance Program.
To get help and keep everyone
in the vehicle safe:
.Turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
.Tie a red cloth to an outside
mirror.
{WARNING
Snow can trap engine exhaust
under the vehicle. This may
cause exhaust gases to get
inside. Engine exhaust contains
Carbon Monoxide (CO) which
cannot be seen or smelled. It can
cause unconsciousness and even
death.(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
If the vehicle is stuck in the snow:
.Clear away snow from
around the base of the
vehicle, especially any that
is blocking the exhaust pipe.
.Check again from time to
time to be sure snow does
not collect there.
.Open a window about 5 cm
(2 in) on the side of the
vehicle that is away from
the wind to bring in fresh air.
.Fully open the air outlets
on or under the instrument
panel.
.Adjust the climate control
system to a setting that
circulates the air inside
the vehicle and set the fan
speed to the highest setting.
See Climate Control Systems
in the Index.(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
For more information about
carbon monoxide, see Engine
Exhaust on page 9‑30.
To conserve energy, run the
vehicle for only short periods as
needed to warm the vehicle and
then shut the vehicle off and close
the window most of the way to
save heat. Repeat this until help
arrives but only when you feel really
uncomfortable from the cold. Moving
about to keep warm also helps.
If it takes some time for help to
arrive, start the vehicle. The engine
may start to charge the 12‐volt
battery. Turn off unnecessary
accessories to conserve energy.
Black plate (27,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-27
Sport Mode
Sport Mode provides more
responsive acceleration than
Normal Mode, but can reduce
efficiency. Use Normal Mode
whenever possible.
Press the DRIVE MODE button to
select Sport Mode.
Press the DRIVE MODE button
again to return to Normal Mode
and it becomes active after
three seconds.
The Sport light comes on when
Sport Mode is selected. SeeSport
Mode Light on page 5‑26.
Each time the vehicle is started,
it will return to Normal Mode.
Mountain Mode
Mountain Mode should be selected
at the beginning of a trip before
climbing steep, uphill grades and
when expecting to drive in very
hilly or mountainous terrain.
This mode maintains a reserve
electrical charge of the high voltage
battery to provide better grade
climbing performance. While driving
in Mountain Mode, the vehicle will
have less responsive acceleration. Mountain Mode will not change
normal vehicle braking performance
for steep downhill grades. See
Hill
and Mountain Roads on page 9‑10
and Electric Drive Unit on
page 9‑32.
Press the DRIVE MODE button
to select Mountain Mode. If steep
hill driving is expected, it is
recommended to select Mountain
Mode at least 20 minutes before
driving on steep grades. This will
allow the vehicle time to build a
sufficient battery charge reserve.
The engine may run when Mountain
Mode is selected. If Mountain
Mode is entered before four bars
of battery charge, the engine will
run at a higher speed to build
battery charge reserve. If Mountain
Mode is entered above four bars
of battery charge reserve, the
estimated electric range will
adjust accordingly.
Black plate (28,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
9-28 Driving and Operating
Press the Drive Mode button again
to return to Normal Mode and it
becomes active in three seconds.
If Mountain Mode is not selected
for these conditions, propulsion
power may be reduced and the
engine speed may increase. See
Propulsion Power Messages on
page 5‑50.
The vehicle returns to Normal Mode
at each start to maintain a smaller
battery charge reserve for normal
driving.
Out of Fuel/Engine
Unavailable
If the vehicle runs out of fuel,
or the engine will not start due
to a malfunction, the vehicle can
continue to be driven in Electric
Mode. The vehicle will have
less responsive acceleration.DIC messages indicate reduced
propulsion power, that the engine
is not available, and the need for
fuel or service.
Once the vehicle is refueled, or the
malfunction is corrected, the engine
will start the next time the vehicle is
turned on to perform a self test, and
DIC messages will not be displayed.
Once the engine starts successfully,
normal operation will continue in
either Electric or Extended Range
Mode. The engine will stop running
after the self test is completed,
and based on the current mode
of operation. See
Fuel System
Messages on page 5‑48 and
Service Vehicle Messages on
page 5‑51.
Maintenance Modes
Engine Maintenance Mode (EMM)
Engine Maintenance Mode
(EMM) runs the engine to keep
it in good working condition after
approximately six weeks of no or
very limited engine operation. EMM
will force the engine to run, even
if there is a charge to power the
vehicle. When EMM is needed,
the EMM Request screen appears
on the center stack display at
vehicle start.
If Yes is selected, EMM will begin.
The engine will run for a set
amount of time without turning off.