Page 338 of 516

Black plate (36,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
9-36 Driving and Operating
To apply the EPB when this
light is on, lift up on the
Yswitch
and hold it in the up position.
Full application of the parking brake
by the EPB system may take a
longer period of time than normal
when this light is on. Continue to
hold the
Yswitch until the Electric
Parking Brake Light remains on.
If the Service Electric Parking
Brake Light is on, see your dealer.
If the EPB fails to apply, the rear
wheels should be blocked to
prevent vehicle movement.
For maximum EPB force when
parking on a hill, pull the EPB
switch twice.
EPB Release
To release the EPB, place the
vehicle in ON/RUN, apply and hold
the brake pedal, and push down
momentarily on the
Yswitch.
If attempting to release the EPB
without the brake pedal applied,
a chime will sound, and the DIC
message STEP ON BRAKE TO
RELEASE PARK BRAKE will be
displayed. The EPB is released
when the Electric Parking Brake
Light is off.
If the Service Electric Parking
Brake Light is on, the EPB has
detected a system problem, and is
operating with reduced functionality.
To release the EPB when this light
is on, push down on the
Yswitch
and hold it in the down position.
EPB release may take a longer
period of time than normal when
this light is on. Continue to hold
the
Yswitch until the Electric
Parking Brake Light is off. If the
light is on, see your dealer. Notice:
Driving with the parking
brake on can overheat the brake
system and cause premature
wear or damage to brake system
parts. Make sure that the parking
brake is fully released and the
Electric Parking Brake Light is
off before driving.
Automatic EPB Release
The EPB will automatically release
if the vehicle is running, placed
into gear, and an attempt is
made to drive away. Avoid rapid
acceleration when the EPB is
applied, to preserve parking
brake lining life.
See Electric Parking Brake Light on
page 5‑25, Service Electric Parking
Brake Light on page 5‑25, and
Brake System Messages on
page 5‑46.
Page 340 of 516

Black plate (38,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
9-38 Driving and Operating
When the vehicle is started
and begins to move, the system
performs several diagnostic checks
to ensure there are no problems.
The system may be heard or
felt while it is working. This is
normal and does not mean there
is a problem with the vehicle.
The system should initialize
before the vehicle reaches 32 km/h
(20 mph). In some cases, it may
take approximately 3.2 km (2 mi) of
driving before the system initializes.
The Traction Control System may
activate on dry or rough roads or
under conditions such as heavy
acceleration while turning or abrupt
changes in output from the electric
drive unit. When this happens,
a reduction in acceleration may
be noticed, or a noise or vibration
may be heard. This is normal.
The TCS/StabiliTrak warning light
will flash to indicate that the traction
control system is active.
If there is a problem detected, the
SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL
message displays in the DIC.
SeeRide Control System Messages
on page 5‑50. When this message
is displayed and
dcomes on and
stays on, the vehicle is safe to drive
but the system is not operational. If
dcomes on and stays on, reset
the system:
1. Stop the vehicle.
2. Turn the vehicle off and wait 15 seconds.
3. Start the vehicle.
If
dstill comes on and stays on,
the vehicle needs service.
Adding non‐GM accessories
can affect vehicle performance.
See Accessories and Modifications
on page 10‑4 for more information.
Page 341 of 516

Black plate (39,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-39
Electronic Stability
Control (ESC)
The vehicle has an Electronic
Stability Control system called
StabiliTrak. It is an advanced
computer‐controlled system that
assists with directional control of the
vehicle in difficult driving conditions.
StabiliTrak comes on automatically
whenever the vehicle is started and
cannot be turned off.
The system may be heard or felt
while it is working, but this is
normal.StabiliTrak activates when the
computer senses a difference
between the intended path and
the direction the vehicle is actually
traveling. StabiliTrak selectively
applies braking pressure to help
steer the vehicle in the intended
direction.
When the vehicle is started
and begins to move, the system
performs several diagnostic checks
to ensure there are no problems.
The system may be heard or
felt while it is working. This is
normal and does not mean there
is a problem with the vehicle.
The system should initialize
before the vehicle reaches 32 km/h
(20 mph). In some cases, it may
take approximately 3.2 km (2 mi) of
driving before the system initializes.
When the stability control system
activates, the Traction Control
System (TCS)/StabiliTrak light
flashes on the instrument cluster.
This also occurs when traction
control is activated. This is normal.
Continue to steer the vehicle in the
intended direction.
If there is a problem detected,
the SERVICE STABILITRAK
message displays in the DIC.
When this message is displayed
and the StabiliTrak light comes
on and stays on, the vehicle is
safe to drive but the system is
not operational. See
Ride Control
System Messages on page 5‑50.
Page 342 of 516

Black plate (40,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
9-40 Driving and Operating
Ifdcomes on and stays on, reset
the system:
1. Stop the vehicle.
2. Turn the vehicle off and wait 15 seconds.
3. Start the vehicle.
If
dstill comes on and stays on,
the vehicle needs service.
If cruise control is being used when
StabiliTrak activates, the cruise
control will automatically disengage.
Press the cruise control button to
reengage when road conditions
allow. See Cruise Control on
page 9‑40 for more information.
Cruise Control
The cruise control lets the vehicle
maintain a speed of about 40 km/h
(25 mph) or more without keeping
your foot on the accelerator. Cruise
control does not work at speeds
below 40 km/h (25 mph).
With the Traction Control
System (TCS) or Electronic
Stability Control (ESC), the system
may begin to limit wheel spin
while you are using cruise control.
If this happens, the cruise control
will automatically disengage.
SeeTraction Control System (TCS)
on page 9‑37 orElectronic Stability
Control (ESC) on page 9‑39.
{WARNING
Cruise control can be dangerous
where you cannot drive safely at
a steady speed. So, do not use
the cruise control on winding
roads or in heavy traffic.
Cruise control can be dangerous
on slippery roads. On such roads,
fast changes in tire traction can
cause excessive wheel slip, and
you could lose control. Do not use
cruise control on slippery roads.
Page 350 of 516
Black plate (48,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
9-48 Driving and Operating
Rear Vision Camera Error
Messages
SERVICE REAR VISION CAMERA
SYSTEM:If this message appears
in the center stack display, the
system is not receiving information it
requires from other vehicle systems.
If any other problem occurs or if a
problem persists, see your dealer.
Rear Vision Camera Location
The RVC is located above the
license plate. The area displayed by the camera is
limited.
It does not display objects that
are close to either corner or
under the bumper and can vary
depending on vehicle orientation or
road conditions. The distance of the
image that appears on the screen is
different from the actual distance.
The following illustration shows
the field of view that the camera
provides.A. View displayed by the camera.
B. Corner of the rear bumper.
Page 352 of 516

Black plate (50,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
9-50 Driving and Operating
In cold weather conditions, ice
may form around the charge port
door. The charge port door may
not open on the first attempt.
Remove ice from the area and
repeat attempting to open the
charge port door.
2. Open the rear hatch, lift the loadsupport floor covering (A), and
remove the charge cord (D). It is located near the tire sealant
and compressor kit (C). Pull up
on the charge cord handle (D)
to release it from the handle
clip (E). Lift the charge cord up
and rearward to remove it from
the vehicle. The vehicle plug (B)
is stored as shown.
3. Plug the charge cord into the electrical outlet. See Electrical
Requirements for Battery
Charging on page 9‑56.
Verify that the charge cord
status indicators are both green.
See Charge Cord on page 9‑54
for more information.
4. Then plug in the vehicle plug of the charge cord into the
charge port on the vehicle.
Verify that the charging status
indicator illuminates on top of
the instrument panel and a horn
chirp occurs. See Charging
Status Feedback on page 9‑52
for more information.
5. To arm the charge cord theft alert, lock the vehicle with the
RKE transmitter. This feature
can be disabled by a service
technician.
Page 356 of 516
Black plate (54,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
9-54 Driving and Operating
Charging StatusIndicator Sound Action/Reason
None (After Green or Yellow CSI
Indication Observed) None Charge cord connection
should be checked.
See
Malfunction Indicator
Lamp on page 5‑21.
None Repeated horn chirps
This feature can be
disabled by a service
technician.
To stop this alert, do one
of the following:
.Unplug the
charge cord.
.Press Unlock symbol
on the RKE.
.Press and hold the
Panic Alarm symbol
on the RKE, then
press again to stop
the panic alarm.
.Press the horn pad. Electricity was
interrupted before
charging was complete.
Charge Cord
See
Radio Frequency
Statement on page 13‑28 for
information regarding Part 15
of the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) rules and
Industry Canada Standards
RSS-210/220/310.
A. Charge Level Button
B. Charge Level Indicators
C. Charge Cord Status Indicators
D. Vehicle Plug
E. Wall Plug
Page 358 of 516

Black plate (56,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
9-56 Driving and Operating
A flashing red FAULT (B) indicates a
charge cord fault. The charge cord
will attempt to reset automatically.
If the flashing red FAULT (B)
continues for more than
30 seconds, unplug the charge
cord from the wall to reset. If the
fault remains, see your dealer for
service.
Charge Level Button
Two charge levels are available by
pressing the charge level button.
Select reduced or normal level.
The charge level cannot be
changed when the vehicle plug is
plugged into the charge port on the
vehicle. If the charge level button
is pressed while the vehicle plug is
plugged into the charge port on the
vehicle, the charge level indicatorswill flash briefly. To change the
charge level, unplug the vehicle
plug from the charge port on the
vehicle and select the desired
charge level.
Normal Level:
This level is
recommended. All four charge
level indicators will be lit.
Reduced Level: Use when the
electrical current is limited. Two
charge level indicators will be lit.
Vehicle Plug
The vehicle plug attaches to the
charge port on the vehicle. There
is a flashlight built into the vehicle
plug that can be used by squeezing
the vehicle plug lever. The flashlight
will turn off when the connection is
complete and the lever is released.
Electrical Requirements
for Battery Charging
The AC outlet must have a
grounded, dedicated, 15 amp or
greater, three‐prong wall plug.
That means there should be no
other major appliances connected
to the same circuit. If it is not a
dedicated circuit, the current rating
of the outlet circuit breaker could
be exceeded and cause it to trip
or open. The vehicle can be
charged in the reduced level mode.
See “Charge Level Button” in this
section. Reduced level mode allows
a non‐dedicated circuit to be used
but increases the charging time.
This vehicle is capable of being
charged with a variety of standard
vehicle charging equipment.