Page 53 of 516

Black plate (17,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
Keys, Doors and Windows 2-17
The vehicle aerodynamics are
designed to improve fuel economy
performance. This may result in
a pulsing sound when either rear
window is down and the front
windows are up. To reduce the
sound, open either a front window
or the sunroof (if equipped).
Power Windows
{WARNING
Leaving children in a vehicle
with the RKE transmitter is
dangerous for many reasons;
children or others could be badly
injured or even killed. They could
operate the power windows or
other controls or even make the
vehicle move. The windows will
function with the RKE transmitter
in the vehicle and they could be
seriously injured or killed if caught
in the path of a closing window.
Do not leave the RKE transmitter
in a vehicle with children.
When there are children in the
rear seat, use the window lockout
button to prevent unintentional
operation of the windows.
The window switches on the driver
door control all windows in the
vehicle. Each passenger door
has a switch that controls only
that window.
Press the front of the switch to open
the window. Pull the switch up to
close it.
The power windows work when the
vehicle is on, or when Retained
Accessory Power (RAP) is active.
SeeRetained Accessory Power
(RAP) on page 9‑22.
Page 54 of 516

Black plate (18,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
2-18 Keys, Doors and Windows
Express‐Down/Up Windows
Windows with an express-down
or up feature allow the window
to be lowered or raised without
holding the switch. The driver
window has express-down and up;
the passenger and rear windows
have only express-down.
Pull a window switch up or push
it down all the way, release it,
and the window goes up or down
automatically. Stop the window
by pushing or pulling the switch.
Express Window Anti-Pinch
Feature
If any object is in the path of the
window when the express-up is
active, the window will stop at the
obstruction and auto-reverse to apreset factory position. Weather
conditions such as severe icing
may also cause the window to
auto-reverse. The window will
return to normal operation once the
obstruction or condition is removed.
Express Window Anti-Pinch
Override
In an emergency, the anti-pinch
feature can be overridden in a
supervised mode. Hold the window
switch all the way up to the second
position. The window will rise for
as long as the switch is held. Once
the switch is released, the express
mode is re-activated.
In this mode, the window can still
close on an object in its path. Use
care when using the override mode.
Programming the Power
Windows
Programming the power windows
may be necessary if the 12-volt
battery has been disconnected or
discharged.
To program the window:
1. Close all doors with the
vehicle on, or when Retained
Accessory Power (RAP) is
active. See Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) on page 9‑22.
2. Pull the window switch to completely close the window.
Continue to hold the window
switch two seconds after the
window is closed.
3. Repeat for each window.
Page 55 of 516
Black plate (19,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
Keys, Doors and Windows 2-19
Window Lockout
The rear window lockout switch
is on the driver door. This feature
prevents the rear passenger
windows from operating, except
from the driver position.
Press
o{to activate the rear
window lockout switch. The LED
light (A) comes on when activated.
Press
o {again to deactivate the
lockout switch.
Sun Visors
Pull the sun visor down to block
glare. Detach the sun visor from
the center mount to pivot to the side
window, or to extend along the rod,
if available.
Page 56 of 516
Black plate (20,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
2-20 Keys, Doors and Windows
2NOTES
Page 82 of 516

Black plate (26,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
3-26 Seats and Restraints
{WARNING
Airbags inflate with great force,
faster than the blink of an eye.
Anyone who is up against, or
very close to, any airbag when it
inflates can be seriously injured
or killed. Do not sit unnecessarily
close to any airbag, as you would
be if you were sitting on the edge
of the seat or leaning forward.
Safety belts help keep you in
position before and during a
crash. Always wear a safety belt,
even with airbags. The driver
should sit as far back as possible
while still maintaining control of
the vehicle.
Occupants should not lean on or
sleep against the door or side
windows in seating positions with
seat-mounted side impact airbags
and/or roof-rail airbags.
{WARNING
Children who are up against,
or very close to, any airbag
when it inflates can be seriously
injured or killed. Airbags plus
lap-shoulder belts offer protection
for adults and older children, but
not for young children and infants.
Neither the vehicle's safety belt
system nor its airbag system
is designed for them. Young
children and infants need the
protection that a child restraint
system can provide. Always
secure children properly in
the vehicle. To read how, see
Older Children on page 3‑41or
Infants and Young Children on
page 3‑43.
There is an airbag readiness
light on the instrument cluster,
which shows the airbag symbol.
The system checks the airbag
electrical system for malfunctions.
The light tells you if there is an
electrical problem. See Airbag
Readiness Light on page 5‑19
for more information.
Page 84 of 516

Black plate (28,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
3-28 Seats and Restraints
Driver Side Shown,
Passenger Side Similar
The roof-rail airbags for the driver,
right front passenger, and second
row outboard passengers are in the
ceiling above the side windows.
{WARNING
If something is between an
occupant and an airbag, the
airbag might not inflate properly
or it might force the object into
that person causing severe injury (Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
or even death. The path of an
inflating airbag must be kept
clear. Do not put anything
between an occupant and an
airbag, and do not attach or
put anything on the steering
wheel hub or on or near any
other airbag covering.
Do not use seat accessories
that block the inflation path of a
seat-mounted side impact airbag.
Never secure anything to the roof
of a vehicle with roof-rail airbags
by routing a rope or tie‐down
through any door or window
opening. If you do, the path
of an inflating roof-rail airbag
will be blocked.
When Should an Airbag
Inflate?
Frontal airbags are designed
to inflate in moderate to severe
frontal or near frontal crashes
to help reduce the potential for
severe injuries mainly to the driver's
or right front passenger's head
and chest. However, they are
only designed to inflate if the
impact exceeds a predetermined
deployment threshold. Deployment
thresholds are used to predict how
severe a crash is likely to be in time
for the airbags to inflate and help
restrain the occupants.
Whether the frontal airbags will
or should deploy is not based on
how fast your vehicle is traveling.
It depends largely on what you hit,
the direction of the impact, and how
quickly your vehicle slows down.
Page 86 of 516

Black plate (30,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
3-30 Seats and Restraints
In any particular crash, no one
can say whether an airbag should
have inflated simply because of
the damage to a vehicle or because
of what the repair costs were.
For frontal airbags, inflation is
determined by what the vehicle hits,
the angle of the impact, and how
quickly the vehicle slows down.
For seat-mounted side impact and
roof-rail airbags, deployment is
determined by the location and
severity of the side impact.
In a rollover event, roof‐rail airbag
deployment is determined by the
direction of the roll.What Makes an Airbag
Inflate?
In a deployment event, the sensing
system sends an electrical signal
triggering a release of gas from the
inflator. Gas from the inflator fills the
airbag causing the bag to break out
of the cover and deploy. The inflator,
the airbag, and related hardware are
all part of the airbag module.
Frontal airbag modules are located
inside the steering wheel and
instrument panel. For vehicles
with knee airbags, there are
airbag modules below the steering
column and below the glove box.
For vehicles with seat-mounted side
impact airbags, there are airbag
modules in the side of the front
seatbacks closest to the door.
For vehicles with roof-rail airbags,
there are airbag modules in the
ceiling of the vehicle, near the
side windows that have occupant
seating positions.
How Does an Airbag
Restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or
near frontal collisions, even belted
occupants can contact the steering
wheel or the instrument panel.
In moderate to severe side
collisions, even belted occupants
can contact the inside of the
vehicle.
Airbags supplement the protection
provided by safety belts. Frontal
airbags with knee airbags distribute
the force of the impact more evenly
over the occupant's body, stopping
the occupant more gradually.
Seat-mounted side impact and
roof-rail airbags distribute the
force of the impact more evenly
over the occupant's upper body.
Page 87 of 516

Black plate (31,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-31
Rollover capable roof‐rail airbags
are designed to help contain the
head and chest of occupants in
the outboard seating positions
in the first and second rows.
The rollover capable roof‐rail
airbags are designed to help
reduce the risk of full or partial
ejection in rollover events, although
no system can prevent all such
ejections.
But airbags would not help in
many types of collisions, primarily
because the occupant's motion
is not toward those airbags. See
When Should an Airbag Inflate? on
page 3‑28for more information.
Airbags should never be regarded
as anything more than a supplement
to safety belts.What Will You See after
an Airbag Inflates?
After the frontal airbags and
seat-mounted side impact airbags
inflate, they quickly deflate, so
quickly that some people may not
even realize an airbag inflated.
Roof-rail airbags may still be at least
partially inflated for some time after
they deploy. Some components of
the airbag module may be hot for
several minutes. For location of the
airbag modules, see What Makes
an Airbag Inflate? on page 3‑30.
The parts of the airbag that come
into contact with you may be warm,
but not too hot to touch. There may
be some smoke and dust coming
from the vents in the deflated
airbags. Airbag inflation does not
prevent the driver from seeing out
of the windshield or being able to
steer the vehicle, nor does it prevent
people from leaving the vehicle.
{WARNING
When an airbag inflates, there
may be dust in the air. This dust
could cause breathing problems
for people with a history of
asthma or other breathing trouble.
To avoid this, everyone in the
vehicle should get out as soon
as it is safe to do so. If you have
breathing problems but cannot
get out of the vehicle after an
airbag inflates, then get fresh air
by opening a window or a door.
If you experience breathing
problems following an airbag
deployment, you should seek
medical attention.
The vehicle has a feature that may
automatically unlock the doors, turn
on the interior lamps and hazard
warning flashers, and shut off the
fuel system after the airbags inflate.