Black plate (23,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-23
Leaving the Vehicle with the
Propulsion System On
{WARNING
It can be dangerous to leave
the vehicle with the propulsion
system on. The vehicle could
move suddenly if the shift lever
is not fully in P (Park) with the
parking brake firmly set. And,
if you leave the vehicle with the
propulsion system on, it could
overheat and even catch fire.
You or others could be injured.
Do not leave the vehicle with
the propulsion system on.
If you have to leave the vehicle with
the propulsion system on, be sure
the vehicle is in P (Park) and the
parking brake is firmly set before
you leave it. After you have moved the shift lever into P (Park), hold
down the regular brake pedal.
See if you can move the shift lever
away from P (Park) without first
pulling it toward you. If you can,
it means that the shift lever was
not fully locked into P (Park).
Torque Lock
Torque lock is when the weight of
the vehicle puts too much force on
the parking pawl in the electric drive
unit. This happens when parking
on a hill and shifting the electric
drive unit into P (Park) is not done
properly and then it is difficult to
shift out of P (Park). To prevent
torque lock, set the parking brake
and then shift into P (Park).
If torque lock does occur, your
vehicle may need to be pushed
uphill by another vehicle to relieve
the parking pawl pressure, so you
can shift out of P (Park).
Shifting out of Park
To shift out of P (Park), the vehicle
must be in ON/RUN, the brake
pedal must be applied, and the
charge cord must be unplugged.
The vehicle has an electronic shift
lock release system. The shift lock
release is designed to:
.Prevent the vehicle from turning
off unless the shift lever is in
P (Park).
.Prevent moving the shift lever
out of P (Park), unless the
vehicle is in ON/RUN, the brake
pedal is applied, and the charge
cord is unplugged.
The shift lock is always functional
except in the case of an uncharged
or low charged 12‐volt battery
(less than 9 volts).
If the vehicle has an uncharged
12‐volt battery or a 12‐volt battery
with low voltage, try charging or
jump starting the 12‐volt battery.
See Jump Starting on page 10‑79.
Black plate (25,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-25
Brakes
This vehicle has disc brakes.
Disc brake pads have built-in wear
indicators that make a high-pitched
warning sound when the brake pads
are worn and new pads are needed.
The sound can come and go or be
heard all the time the vehicle is
moving, except when applying
the brake pedal firmly.
{WARNING
The brake wear warning sound
means that soon the brakes will
not work well. That could lead to
a crash. When the brake wear
warning sound is heard, have
the vehicle serviced.
Notice: Continuing to drive with
worn-out brake pads could result
in costly brake repair. Some driving conditions or climates
can cause a brake squeal when
the brakes are first applied or
lightly applied. This does not mean
something is wrong with the brakes.
Properly torqued wheel nuts are
necessary to help prevent brake
pulsation. When tires are rotated,
inspect brake pads for wear and
evenly tighten wheel nuts in
the proper sequence to torque
specifications in
Capacities and
Specifications on page 12‑2.
Brake linings should always be
replaced as complete axle sets.
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal
does not return to normal height,
or if there is a rapid increase
in pedal travel. This could be
a sign that brake service might
be required.
Brake Adjustment
Every time the brakes are applied,
with or without the vehicle moving,
the brakes adjust for wear.
Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a vehicle is
complex. Its many parts have to be
of top quality and work well together
if the vehicle is to have really good
braking. The vehicle was designed
and tested with top-quality brake
parts. When parts of the braking
system are replaced, be sure to get
new, approved replacement parts.
If this is not done, the brakes might
not work properly. For example,
installing disc brake pads that are
wrong for the vehicle, can change
the balance between the front
and rear brakes —for the worse.
The braking performance expected
can change in many other ways if
the wrong replacement brake parts
are installed.
Black plate (62,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
10-62 Vehicle Care
Check that all wheel nuts are
properly tightened. See“Wheel
Nut Torque” underCapacities
and Specifications on
page 12‑2.
{WARNING
Rust or dirt on a wheel,
or on the parts to which it is
fastened, can make wheel
nuts become loose after a
time. The wheel could come
off and cause a crash. When
changing a wheel, remove
any rust or dirt from places
where the wheel attaches to
the vehicle. In an emergency,
a cloth or a paper towel can
be used, however, use a
scraper or wire brush to
remove all rust or dirt. Lightly coat the center of the
wheel hub with wheel bearing
grease after a wheel change
or tire rotation to prevent
corrosion or rust build-up.
Do not get grease on the flat
wheel mounting surface or
on the wheel nuts or bolts.
When It Is Time for New
Tires
Factors, such as maintenance,
temperatures, driving speeds,
vehicle loading, and road conditions
affect the wear rate of the tires.Treadwear indicators are one way
to tell when it is time for new tires.
Treadwear indicators appear when
the tires have only 1.6 mm (1/16 in)
or less of tread remaining. See
Tire
Inspection on page 10‑61 and
Tire Rotation on page 10‑61
for additional information.
Black plate (68,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
10-68 Vehicle Care
Replace wheels, wheel bolts,
wheel nuts, or Tire Pressure Monitor
System (TPMS) sensors with new
GM original equipment parts.
{WARNING
Using the wrong replacement
wheels, wheel bolts, or wheel
nuts can be dangerous. It could
affect the braking and handling
of the vehicle. Tires can lose air,
and cause loss of control, causing
a crash. Always use the correct
wheel, wheel bolts, and wheel
nuts for replacement.
Notice: The wrong wheel
can also cause problems with
bearing life, brake cooling,
speedometer or odometer
calibration, headlamp aim,
bumper height, vehicle ground
clearance, and tire clearance
to the body and chassis.
{WARNING
Rust or dirt on a wheel,
or on the parts to which it is
fastened, can make wheel
nuts become loose after a
time. The wheel could come
off and cause a crash. When
changing a wheel, remove
any rust or dirt from places
where the wheel attaches to
the vehicle. In an emergency,
a cloth or a paper towel can
be used, however, use a
scraper or wire brush to
remove all rust or dirt.
{WARNING
Never use oil or grease on studs
or the threads of the wheel nuts.
The wheel nuts might come loose
and the wheel could fall off,
causing a crash.
{WARNING
Incorrect wheel nuts or improperly
tightened wheel nuts can cause
the wheel to become loose and
even come off. This could lead
to a crash. Be sure to use the
correct wheel nuts. If you have
to replace them, be sure to get
new GM original equipment
wheel nuts.
Notice: Improperly tightened
wheel nuts can lead to brake
pulsation and rotor damage.
To avoid expensive brake repairs,
evenly tighten the wheel nuts in
the proper sequence and to the
proper torque specification.
Black plate (85,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-85
To load a vehicle onto a flatbed
carrier:
1. The vehicle must be on a flatsurface.
2. The front tires must be properly inflated. If necessary, move a
rear tire to the front to replace a
flat or damaged tire.
3. Place the tow chain hooks (B)
into one of the torque box
openings (A) behind the front
wheels.
4. Place a 1.2 m (4 ft) X 102 mm(4 in) X 102 mm (4 in) wood
beam (D) under the front cradle
crossmember (C), and on top
of both tow chains (E) to ensure
the tow chains do not come into
contact with the front fascia (A).
Try to minimize the contact of
the chains with the flexible
air dam (B).5. Ramps (B) are required forthe front fascia (C) to clear the
flatbed (A). The ramp height
should be approximately 102 mm
(4 in). Lower the flatbed onto the
set of ramps.
Notice: If ramps are not used, the
front fascia will come into contact
with the flatbed and may cause
damage. Always use ramps.
6. After the front tires are on the flatbed adjust the flatbed upward
to provide additional clearance
between the air dam, fascia,
and flatbed.
Black plate (86,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
10-86 Vehicle Care
7. When the fascia has enoughclearance to clear the flatbed,
lower the flatbed, and finish
pulling the vehicle onto the
flatbed.
8. Secure the vehicle to the
flatbed (B) using nonabrasive
straps (A) through all four wheel
openings and secure the straps
to the flatbed (B).
If the vehicle is parked off the
shoulder of the road, at an angle
that it cannot be pulled onto a
flatbed, a hook/chain can be placed
into either of the front torque box
openings to pull the vehicle onto
a flat surface. Make sure that the
chains do not come in contact with
the rocker panel (A) or the front
fascia (B).Notice: When using tow straps to
move the vehicle, damage may
occur if the tow straps contact
the rear fascia. Do not let the tow
straps contact the rear fascia.
If you cannot access the front
torque box openings, wrap a tow
strap through one, or both of the
rear trailing arms (A) between the
bushing and torque tube, and pull
the vehicle onto a flat surface.
Do not wrap the tow strap around
the rear torque tube (B).
Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
12-2 Technical Data
Vehicle Data
Capacities and Specifications
The following approximate capacities are given in metric and English conversions. Refer toRecommended Fluids
and Lubricants on page 11‑6 for more information.
Application Capacities
Metric English
Air Conditioning Refrigerant R134a For the air conditioning system refrigerant charge
amount, see the refrigerant label under the hood. See your dealer for more information.
Cooling Systems Engine 6.3 L 6.7 qt
High Voltage Battery 6.0 L 6.3 qt
Power Electronics 3.0 L 3.2 qt
Engine Oil with Filter 3.5 L 3.7 qt
Fuel Tank 35.2 L 9.3 gal
Electric Drive Unit 8.45 L 8.93 qt
Wheel Nut Torque 140 Y100 lb ft
All capacities are approximate. When adding, be sure to fill to the approximate level, as recommended in this
manual.