2012 CHEVROLET VOLT service

Black plate (45,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-45
Winter Tires
Consider installing winter tires on
the vehicle if frequent driving on
snow or ice covered roads is
expected. All season tires provide
good overall performance on most
surfaces, but they may not offer the
traction or the same level of
performance as winter tires on snow
or ice covered roads.
Winter tires, in general, are
designed for increased traction on
snow and ice covered roads. With
winter tires, there may be decreased
dry road traction, increased road
noise, and shorter tread life. After
changing to winter tires, be alert for
changes in vehicle handling and
braking.
See your dealer for details
regarding winter tire availability and
proper tire selection. Also, see
Buying New Tires on page 10‑59.If using snow tires:.Use tires of the same brand and
tread type on all four wheel
positions.
.Use only radial ply tires of the
same size, load range, and
speed rating as the original
equipment tires.
Winter tires with the same speed
rating as the original equipment tires
may not be available for H, V, W, Y,
and ZR speed rated tires. If winter
tires with a lower speed rating are
chosen, never exceed the tire's
maximum speed capability.
Tire Sidewall Labeling
Useful information about a tire is
molded into its sidewall. The
examples show a typical
passenger tire sidewall.
Passenger (P‐Metric) Tire Example
(A) Tire Size:The tire size is a
combination of letters and
numbers used to define a
particular tire's width, height,
aspect ratio, construction type,
and service description. See the
“Tire Size” illustration later in this
section for more detail.

Black plate (47,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-47
(C) Aspect Ratio:A two‐digit
number that indicates the tire
height‐to‐width measurements.
For example, if the tire size
aspect ratio is 60, as shown in
item C of the illustration, it would
mean that the tire's sidewall is
60 percent as high as it is wide.
(D) Construction Code
:A
letter code is used to indicate
the type of ply construction in
the tire. The letter R means
radial ply construction; the
letter D means diagonal or bias
ply construction; and the letter B
means belted‐bias ply
construction.
(E) Rim Diameter
:Diameter of
the wheel in inches.
(F) Service Description
:These
characters represent the load
index and speed rating of the
tire. The load index represents
the load carrying capacity a tire is certified to carry. The speed
rating is the maximum speed a
tire is certified to carry a load.
Tire Terminology and
Definitions
Air Pressure:The amount of
air inside the tire pressing
outward on each square inch of
the tire. Air pressure is
expressed in kPa (kilopascal)
or psi (pounds per square inch).
Accessory Weight
:The
combined weight of optional
accessories. Some examples of
optional accessories are, electric
drive unit, power steering, power
brakes, power windows, power
seats, and air conditioning.
Aspect Ratio
:The relationship
of a tire's height to its width. Belt
:A rubber coated layer of
cords that is located between
the plies and the tread. Cords
may be made from steel or other
reinforcing materials.
Bead
:The tire bead contains
steel wires wrapped by steel
cords that hold the tire onto
the rim.
Bias Ply Tire
:A pneumatic tire
in which the plies are laid at
alternate angles less than
90 degrees to the centerline of
the tread.
Cold Tire Pressure
:The
amount of air pressure in a tire,
measured in kPa (kilopascal)
or psi (pounds per square inch)
before a tire has built up heat
from driving. See Tire Pressure
on page 10‑50.

Black plate (55,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-55
successfully. See "TPMS Sensor
Matching Process" later in this
section.
.The TPMS sensor matching
process was started but not
completed or not completed
successfully after rotating the
tires. The DIC message and
malfunction light should go off
once the TPMS sensor matching
process is performed
successfully. See“TPMS Sensor
Matching Process” later in this
section.
.One or more TPMS sensors are
missing or damaged. The DIC
message and the malfunction
light should go off when the
TPMS sensors are installed and
the sensor matching process is
performed successfully. See
your dealer for service.
.Replacement tires or wheels do
not match the original equipment
tires or wheels. Tires and wheels
other than those recommended
could prevent the TPMS from
functioning properly. See Buying
New Tires on page 10‑59.
.Operating electronic devices or
being near facilities using radio
wave frequencies similar to the
TPMS could cause the TPMS
sensors to malfunction.
If the TPMS is not functioning
properly , it cannot detect or signal a
low tire condition. See your dealer
for service if the TPMS malfunction
light and DIC message come on
and stay on.
TPMS Sensor Matching
Process
Each TPMS sensor has a unique
identification code. The identification
code needs to be matched to a new
tire/wheel position after rotating the
vehicle’s tires or replacing one or
more of the TPMS sensors. Also,
the TPMS sensor matching process
should be performed after replacing
a spare tire with a road tire
containing the TPMS sensor. The
malfunction light and the DIC
message should go off at the next
drive cycle. The sensors are
matched to the tire/wheel positions,
using a TPMS relearn tool, in the
following order: driver side front tire,
passenger side front tire, passenger
side rear tire, and driver side rear.
See your dealer for service or to
purchase a relearn tool.
There are two minutes to match
the first tire/wheel position, and
five minutes overall to match all four
tire/wheel positions. If it takes
longer, the matching process stops
and must be restarted.

Black plate (60,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
10-60 Vehicle Care
GM recommends replacing all the
tires at the same time. Uniform tread
depth on all tires will help to
maintain the performance of the
vehicle. Braking and handling
performance may be adversely
affected if all the tires are not
replaced at the same time. SeeTire
Inspection on page 10‑57 andTire
Rotation on page 10‑57 for
information on proper tire rotation.
{WARNING
Tires could explode during
improper service. Attempting
to mount or dismount a tire
could cause injury or death.
Only your dealer or authorized
tire service center should
mount or dismount the tires.
{WARNING
Mixing tires of different sizes,
brands, or types may cause
loss of control of the vehicle,
resulting in a crash or other
vehicle damage. Use the
correct size, brand, and type
of tire on all wheels.
{WARNING
Using bias-ply tires on the
vehicle may cause the wheel
rim flanges to develop cracks
after many miles of driving.
A tire and/or wheel could fail
suddenly and cause a crash.
Use only radial-ply tires with
the wheels on the vehicle.
If the vehicle tires must be replaced
with a tire that does not have a TPC
Spec number, make sure they are
the same size, load range, speed
rating, and construction (radial) as
the original tires.
Vehicles that have a tire pressure
monitoring system could give an
inaccurate low‐pressure warning if
non‐TPC Spec rated tires are
installed. See Tire Pressure Monitor
System on page 10‑51.
The Tire and Loading Information
Label indicates the original
equipment tires on the vehicle. See
Vehicle Load Limits on page 9‑12,
for the label location and more
information about the Tire and
Loading Information label.

Black plate (62,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
10-62 Vehicle Care
use spare tires, tires with
nominal rim diameters of
10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm),
or to some limited-production
tires.
While the tires available on
General Motors passenger cars
and light trucks may vary with
respect to these grades, they
must also conform to federal
safety requirements and
additional General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC)
standards.
All Passenger Car Tires Must
Conform to Federal Safety
Requirements In Addition To
These Grades.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a
comparative rating based on the
wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a
specified government testcourse. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one and
a half (1½) times as well on the
government course as a tire
graded 100. The relative
performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of
their use, however, and may
depart significantly from the
norm due to variations in driving
habits, service practices and
differences in road
characteristics and climate.
Traction
–AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from
highest to lowest, are AA, A, B,
and C. Those grades represent
the tire's ability to stop on wet
pavement as measured under
controlled conditions on
specified government test
surfaces of asphalt and
concrete. A tire marked C may
have poor traction performance.
Warning: The traction grade assigned to this tire is based on
straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include
acceleration, cornering,
hydroplaning, or peak traction
characteristics.
Temperature
–A, B, C
The temperature grades are A
(the highest), B, and C,
representing the tire's resistance
to the generation of heat and its
ability to dissipate heat when
tested under controlled
conditions on a specified indoor
laboratory test wheel. Sustained
high temperature can cause the
material of the tire to degenerate
and reduce tire life, and
excessive temperature can lead
to sudden tire failure. The grade
C corresponds to a level of
performance which all
passenger car tires must meet
under the Federal Motor Safety
Standard No. 109. Grades B and

Black plate (66,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
10-66 Vehicle Care
A rear blowout, particularly on a
curve, acts much like a skid and
may require the same correction as
used in a skid. Stop pressing the
accelerator pedal and steer to
straighten the vehicle. It may be
very bumpy and noisy. Gently brake
to a stop, well off the road,
if possible.
{WARNING
Driving on a flat tire will cause
permanent damage to the tire.
Re-inflating a tire after it has been
driven on while severely
underinflated or flat may cause a
blowout and a serious crash.
Never attempt to re-inflate a tire
that has been driven on while
severely underinflated or flat.
Have your dealer or an authorized
tire service center repair or
replace the flat tire as soon as
possible.If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire
and wheel damage by driving slowly
to a level place and stopping, well
off the road, if possible.
1. Turn on the hazard warning
flashers. See Hazard Warning
Flashers on page 6‑3.
2. Set the parking brake firmly.
3. Put the shift lever in P (Park). See Shifting Into Park on
page 9‑22.
4. Turn off the engine.
5. Inspect the flat tire. If the tire has been separated from
the wheel, has damaged sidewalls,
or has a puncture larger than
6 mm (¼ in), the tire is too severely
damaged for the tire sealant and
compressor kit to be effective. See
Roadside Assistance Program on
page 13‑6.
If the tire has a puncture less than
6 mm (¼ in) in the tread area of the
tire, see
Tire Sealant and
Compressor Kit on page 10‑67.

Black plate (80,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
10-80 Vehicle Care
Notice:If the jumper cables are
connected or removed in the
wrong order, electrical shorting
may occur and damage the
vehicle. The repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Always connect and remove the
jumper cables in the correct
order, making sure that the
cables do not touch each other or
other metal.
Connecting the Jumper Cables
1. Connect the red positive (+) jumper cable to the positive (+)
terminal of the other vehicle with
the run‐down battery. Use a
remote positive (+) terminal if
available. Do not let the other
end touch metal.
2. Connect the other end of the red positive (+) jumper cable to the
positive (+) battery terminal of
the Volt. 3. Connect the black negative (−)
jumper cable to the negative (−)
battery terminal of the Volt. Do
not let the other end touch
anything until the next step.
4. Make the final connection to a heavy, unpainted metal engine
part or to the remote negative (−)
terminal on the other vehicle
with the run‐down battery.
5. Press the POWER
Obutton to
start the Volt. This will wake up
the electronics on the Volt. The
engine will only start if it is
needed.
6. Try to start the other vehicle that had the run‐down battery. If it
will not start after a few tries, it
probably needs service. Disconnecting the Jumper Cables
1. Disconnect the black
negative (−) jumper cable from
the other vehicle that had the
run‐down battery. Do not let the
other end of the cable touch
anything until after the next step.
2. Disconnect the black negative (−) jumper cable from
the Volt.
3. Disconnect the red positive (+) jumper cable from the Volt. Do
not let the other end of the cable
touch anything until after the
next step.
4. Disconnect the red positive (+) jumper cable from the other
vehicle.
5. Return the positive (+) and negative (−) terminal covers to
their original positions.

Black plate (81,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-81
Towing
Towing the Vehicle
Notice:Incorrectly towing a
disabled vehicle may cause
damage to the vehicle. The
disabled vehicle should be towed
on a flatbed car carrier. Use care
when there is low ground
clearance and/or special
equipment.
Attempting to pull the vehicle
onto a flatbed without following
the proper steps could damage
the vehicle.
Consult your dealer or a
professional towing service if the
disabled vehicle must be towed.
See Roadside Assistance Program
on page 13‑6. To load a vehicle onto a flatbed
carrier:
1. The vehicle must be on a flat
surface.
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).