Black plate (77,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
Infotainment System 7-77
Database Coverage
Explanations
Coverage areas vary with respect to
the level of map detail available for
any given area. Some areas feature
greater levels of detail than others.
If this happens, it does not mean
there is a problem with the system.
As the map data is updated, more
detail can become available for
areas which previously had limited
detail. SeeOrdering Map DVDs on
page 7‑76 for more information.
Voice Recognition
The navigation system's voice
recognition allows for hands-free
operation of the navigation system
and the audio system features.
Voice recognition only works if the
map database is installed in the
system.
If the radio is off, the only
commands would be Hands
Free and Help.
Navigation voice commands are not
available until the I Agree button
has been selected.
Voice recognition can be used when
the vehicle is on or when Retained
Accessory Power (RAP) is active.
SeeRetained Accessory Power
(RAP) on page 9‑22 for more
information.
Using Voice Recognition
1. Press and release theb g
steering wheel button. The audio
system mutes, and a beep is
heard. A voice prompt stating,
“Please start speaking after the
beep” might be heard.
If there is no beep, make sure
that the voice volume setting is
not turned down. See Configure
Menu on page 7‑66 for more
information.
While voice recognition is active,
the system displays a
gsymbol.
2. Clearly speak one of the commands listed later in this
section.
Black plate (78,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
7-78 Infotainment System
Canceling Voice Recognition
1. Press and release the$i
steering wheel button to cancel
a command, or if the system
response does not match the
verbal command.
2. The system replies, “Voice
recognition canceled.”
Pressing any other radio or
steering wheel control, other
than the volume knob or the
volume steering wheel button
cancels the session.
3. Press and release the
b g
steering wheel button to restart
the voice recognition session.
Helpful Hints for Speaking
Commands
.When multiple commands are
available, choose the command
that best works for you.
.Words that are in brackets are
optional. For example, for the
command “Radio (band) FM,”
saying “Radio FM” or“Radio
Band FM” are both valid
commands.
.Words separated by a ( / ) mean
there is a choice of using a
word on either side of the slash.
For example, for the command
(CD/DVD/Disc) (help), you can
say “CD (help)” or“DVD (help)”
or “Disc (help).”
.When the system recognizes the
command, the system will either
perform the function or ask to
confirm the choice by clearly
saying “yes”or“no.”
.When the system does not
recognize the command,
the system issues an error
message such as “pardon”
or “command not recognized.”
The system could also say,
“voice recognition canceled.”
.If experiencing difficulty with the
system recognizing a command,
confirm that the command is
correct. Try saying the command
clearly or wait for a brief moment
after the beep.
.Background noise such as a
climate control fan positioned
on high, open windows, and
very loud outside noises, even
if the windows are closed, can
cause voice commands to be
misunderstood.
Black plate (79,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
Infotainment System 7-79
.This system is able to recognize
commands in different
languages, such as English,
French Canadian, and Spanish.
The system only recognizes
commands based on the
language selected.
.To increase or decrease the
voice volume during a voice
recognition session, turn
the volume knob of the radio,
or press the volume steering
wheel buttons. If the volume
is adjusted during a voice
recognition session, a Voice
Volume bar appears on the
screen showing the voice
volume level as it is being
adjusted. This also changes
the volume of the guidance
prompts.
Voice Recognition Help
To enter the help playback session,
clearly speak one of the help
commands.
Help:The system plays back
more specific help commands
(such as Radio Help, Display Help,
Navigation Help) for the user to
choose from.
Radio (help): The system plays
back helpful advice about radio
commands, and some common
radio commands which are
available. Use this command
to learn about how to select a
band (AM, FM, or XM), and how
to change radio stations (by
speaking frequency numbers).
(CD/DVD/Disc) (help): The system
plays back helpful advice about
disc commands, and some common
disc commands which are available.
Use this command to learn about
how to select Disc mode playback,
and how to change track numbers. Display (help):
The system plays
back helpful advice about display
commands, and some common
display commands which are
available to adjust the display
setting.
Navigation (help): The system
plays back helpful advice about
navigation commands, and some
common navigation commands
which are available.
Voice Recognition Commands
The following list shows the
voice commands available for
the navigation system with a brief
description of each. The commands
are listed with the optional words
in brackets. To use the voice
commands, see the instructions
listed previously.
Black plate (82,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
7-82 Infotainment System
Destination and Guidance
Commands
Navigation (go to) preset
destination (number) (one, two,
three, four, five, or six):These
commands instruct the system to
set one of the preset destinations
one through six as the new
destination.
Navigation delete: This command
instructs the system to delete the
destination, route, or next waypoint.
The system requests a confirmation
of which item should be deleted
(destination, route, or next
waypoint).
Destination (available for English
language only): This command
instructs the system that the
user wants to enter a destination
using voice recognition. After this
command is stated, the system
displays a state abbreviation
(such as NY for New York). If the destination to be entered is in
the displayed state, then say the
desired city name. Otherwise, say
“Change State”
and say the state
name the search should take place
in. Then, say the desired city name
when prompted, and say the desired
street name and house number
when prompted.
To set a destination using voice
recognition:
1. Press and release the
b g
steering wheel control.
The audio system mutes,
and a beep is heard.
2. Say the command “Destination.”
The system replies with “Please
say city name or change state,”
and the system shows a pop-up
banner of an abbreviated state
name, such as NY for New York.
If the state is correct, then go to
Step 4. Otherwise, say “Change
State.”
For example, if the desired
destination is in Ohio, but the
system shows New York (NY)
in the pop-up banner, say
“Change State.”
3. After saying “Change State,” the
system replies with “Please say
state name.” Say the correct
state.
Black plate (86,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
7-86 Infotainment System
Using Voice Recognition
To use voice recognition, press thebgbutton on the steering wheel.
The system responds with a tone.
After the tone say “Hands Free”to
use the Bluetooth voice recognition
system. The system then responds
with “Ready,” followed by a tone.
After the tone, say a command.
For additional information say
“Help” while you are in a voice
recognition menu.
Pairing a Phone
1. Press
b g. Say “Hands Free”
after the tone.
2. Say “Bluetooth.”
3. Say “Pair.”The system responds
with instructions and a four‐digit
Personal Identification Number
(PIN). The PIN is used in Step 5. 4. Start the pairing process on the
cell phone that you want to pair.
For help with this process, see
your cell phone manufacturer's
user guide.
5. Locate the device named “Your
Vehicle” in the list on the cell
phone. Follow the instructions
on the cell phone to enter the
PIN that was provided in Step 3.
After the PIN is successfully
entered, the system prompts you
to provide a name for the paired
cell phone. This name will be
used to indicate which phones
are paired and connected to the
vehicle. See “Listing All Paired
and Connected Phones” later in
this section for more information.
6. Repeat Steps 1 through 5 to pair additional phones. Listing All Paired and Connected
Phones
The system can list all cell phones
paired to it. If a paired cell phone is
also connected to the vehicle, the
system responds with
“is connected”
after that phone name.
1. Press
b g. Say “Hands Free”
after the tone.
2. Say “Bluetooth.”
3. Say “List.”
Deleting a Paired Phone
If the phone name you want to
delete is unknown, see “Listing All
Paired and Connected Phones.”
1. Press
b g. Say “Hands Free”
after the tone.
2. Say “Bluetooth.”
3. Say “Delete.” The system asks
for which phone to delete.
4. Say the name of the phone you want to delete.
Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-1
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Driving for Better EnergyEfficiency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-8
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-8
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . 9-9
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . 9-10
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 9-10
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-11
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 9-13
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . 9-14
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . 9-18
Power Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-18
Starting and Stopping the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-20
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-22 Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-22
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Parking over Things
That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Electric Vehicle Operating
Modes
System Operation . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Electric Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Extended Range Mode . . . . . . 9-25
Driver Selected OperatingModes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Out of Fuel/Engine Unavailable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Maintenance Modes . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-31
Electric Drive Unit
Electric Drive Unit . . . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . 9-35
Regenerative Braking . . . . . . . . 9-37
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control System (TCS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-37
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-39
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-40
Object Detection Systems
Ultrasonic Parking Assist . . . . 9-43
Rear VisionCamera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-46
Charging
Plug-In Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-49
Delayed ChargingOverride . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-52
Charging Status Feedback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-52
Charge Cord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-54
Electrical Requirements for Battery Charging . . . . . . . . . . . 9-56
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 (6,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
9-6 Driving and Operating
And, of course, actual stopping
distances vary greatly with the
surface of the road, whether it is
pavement or gravel; the condition
of the road, whether it is wet, dry,
or icy; tire tread; the condition of the
brakes; the weight of the vehicle;
and the amount of brake force
applied.
Avoid needless heavy
braking. Some people drive in
spurts—heavy acceleration
followed by heavy braking —rather
than keeping pace with traffic.
This is a mistake. The brakes
might not have time to cool between
hard stops. The brakes will wear
out much faster with a lot of heavy braking. Keeping pace with the
traffic and allowing realistic following
distances eliminates a lot of
unnecessary braking. That means
better braking and longer brake life.
If propulsion is disabled while
the vehicle is being driven, brake
normally but do not pump the
brakes. If the brakes are pumped,
the pedal could get harder to push
down. If propulsion stops, there
will still be some power brake assist
but it will be used when the brake
is applied. Once the power assist is
used up, it can take longer to stop
and the brake pedal will be harder
to push.Steering
Electric Power Steering
If propulsion is disabled, the power
steering assist system may continue
to operate until you are able to stop
the vehicle. If power steering assist
is lost because the electric power
steering system is not functioning,
the vehicle can be steered but it
will take more effort.
The electric power steering
system does not require regular
maintenance. If you suspect
steering system problems and/or
the SERVICE POWER STEERING
message comes on, contact your
dealer for service. See
Service
Vehicle Messages on page 5‑51.