2012 CHEVROLET VOLT tow

Black plate (22,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
5-22 Instruments and Controls
Brake System Warning
Light
The vehicle brake system consists
of two hydraulic circuits. If one
circuit is not working, the remaining
circuit can still work to stop the
vehicle. For normal braking
performance, both circuits need to
be working.
If the warning light comes on, there
is a brake problem. Have the brake
system inspected right away.
MetricEnglish
This light comes on briefly when the
vehicle is turned on. If it does not
come on then, have it fixed so it will
be ready to warn if there is a
problem. If the light comes on and stays on,
there is a base brake problem.
{WARNING
The brake system might not be
working properly if the brake
system warning light is on.
Driving with the brake system
warning light on can lead to a
crash. If the light is still on after
the vehicle has been pulled off
the road and carefully stopped,
have the vehicle towed for
service.
Electric Parking Brake
Light
This status light comes on when the
parking brake is applied. If the light
flashes and stays on after the
parking brake is released, or while
driving, there is a problem with the
electric parking brake system.
If the light does not come on,
or remains flashing, see your dealer.
See
Electric Parking Brake on
page 9‑34 for more information.

Black plate (23,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-23
Service Electric Parking
Brake Light
The Service Electric Parking Brake
light should come on briefly when
the vehicle is in ON/RUN. If it does
not come on, have it fixed so it will
be ready to warn if there is a
problem.
If this light stays on, there is a
problem with a system on the
vehicle that is causing the parking
brake system to work at a reduced
level. The vehicle can still be driven,
but should be taken to a dealer as
soon as possible. SeeElectric
Parking Brake on page 9‑34 for
more information. If a message
displays in the Driver Information Center (DIC), see
Brake System
Messages on page 5‑48 for more
information.
Antilock Brake System
(ABS) Warning Light
This light should come on briefly
when the vehicle is in ON/RUN. If it
does not come on, have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer.
If the ABS warning light stays on
longer than a few seconds after the
vehicle is in ON/RUN, or comes on
and stays on while driving, try
resetting the system. To reset the
system:
1. While driving, pull over when it is safe to do so.
2. Place the vehicle in P (Park). 3. Turn the vehicle off.
4. Restart the vehicle.
If the ABS warning light remains on
after resetting the system or comes
on again while driving, the vehicle
needs service. If the ABS warning
light is on, but the regular brake
system warning light is not on, the
antilock brakes are not working
properly, but the regular brakes are
still functioning. Have the vehicle
serviced right away. If both brake
lights are on, the vehicle does not
have antilock brakes, and there is a
problem with the regular brakes as
well. Have the vehicle towed for
service. See
Towing the Vehicle on
page 10‑81.

Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
6-2 Lighting
Headlamp High/
Low-Beam Changer
2 3
Headlamp High/Low‐Beam
Changer: Push the turn signal/lane
change lever away from you and
release, to turn the high beams on.
To return to low beams, push the
lever again or pull it toward you and
release.
This indicator light turns on in the
instrument cluster when the high‐
beam headlamps are on.
Flash-to-Pass
The flash‐to‐pass feature works with
the low beams or Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL) on or off.
To flash the high beams, pull the
turn signal/lane change lever toward
you momentarily and then release it.
Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL)
The Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)
system comes on in daylight when
the following conditions are met:
.The vehicle is on.
.The exterior lamp control is in
the automatic position.
.The electric drive unit is not in
P (Park).
.The light sensor determines it is
daytime.

Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
9-2 Driving and Operating
Charge Cord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-55
Utility Interruption ofCharging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-58
Electrical Requirements for Battery Charging . . . . . . . . . . . 9-58
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-59
Gasoline Specifications (U.S.
and Canada Only) . . . . . . . . . . 9-60
California Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-60
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 9-60
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-60
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-62
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-64
Towing
General Towing
Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-64
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On ElectricalEquipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-65
Driving Information
Driving for Better Energy
Efficiency
Use the following tips to help
maximize energy efficiency and
range.
Driving Style
Efficiency Gauge (Instrument
Cluster)
The ball indicator should be kept
green and in the center of the
gauge.
Inefficient acceleration is indicated
when the ball turns yellow and
travels above the center of the
gauge.
Aggressive braking is indicated
when the ball turns yellow and
travels below the center of the
gauge. Acceleration/Braking/Coasting
Avoid unnecessary rapid
accelerations and decelerations.
Electric range is maximized at
80 km/h (50 mph) and below. Higher
speeds use more energy and can
significantly reduce electric range.
Use cruise control when
appropriate.
Plan ahead for decelerations and
coast whenever possible. For
example, do not rush to traffic
signals.
Do not shift to N (Neutral) to coast.
The vehicle recovers energy while
coasting and braking in D (Drive)
or L (Low).
Drive Mode and PRNDL Selection
Use Normal Mode when possible.
Sport Mode provides more
responsive acceleration than
Normal Mode but can reduce
efficiency.

Black plate (12,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
9-12 Driving and Operating
If the Vehicle Is Stuck
Slowly and cautiously spin the
wheels to free the vehicle when
stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow.
The Traction Control System (TCS)
must be turned off by pressing the
TSC/ESC button. Traction control is
not completely off, but will only
engage if the maneuver can cause
damage to the electric drive unit.
{WARNING
If the vehicle's tires spin at high
speed, they can explode, and you
or others could be injured. The
vehicle can overheat, causing an
engine compartment fire or other
damage. Spin the wheels as little
as possible and avoid going
above 55 km/h (35 mph).
For information about using tire
chains on the vehicle, see Tire
Chains on page 10‑65.
Rocking the Vehicle to Get
it Out
Turn the steering wheel left and
right to clear the area around the
front wheels. Shift back and forth
between R (Reverse) and a forward
gear, spinning the wheels as little as
possible. The Traction Control
System prevents the tires from
spinning at high speeds. To prevent
electric drive unit wear, wait until the
wheels stop spinning before shifting
gears. Release the accelerator
pedal while shifting, and press
lightly on the accelerator pedal
when the electric drive unit is in
gear. Slowly spinning the wheels in
the forward and reverse directions
causes a rocking motion that could
free the vehicle. If that does not get
the vehicle out after a few tries, it
might need to be towed out. If the
vehicle does need to be towed out,
see Towing the Vehicle on
page 10‑81.
Vehicle Load Limits
It is very important to know how
much weight the vehicle can
carry. This weight is called the
vehicle capacity weight and
includes the weight of all
occupants, cargo, and all
nonfactory‐installed options.
Two labels on the vehicle show
how much weight it was
designed to carry, the Tire and
Loading Information label and
the Certification label.

Black plate (14,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
9-14 Driving and Operating
Steps for Determining Correct
Load Limit
1.Locate the statement“The
combined weight of
occupants and cargo should
never exceed XXX kg or
XXX lbs” on your vehicle's
placard.
2.Determine the combined
weight of the driver and
passengers that will be riding
in your vehicle.
3.Subtract the combined
weight of the driver and
passengers from XXX kg or
XXX lbs.
4.The resulting figure equals
the available amount of cargo
and luggage load capacity.
For example, if the “XXX”
amount equals 1400 lbs and
there will be five 150 lb
passengers in your vehicle,
the amount of available cargo
and luggage load capacity is
650 lbs (1400 −750 (5 x 150)
= 650 lbs).
5.Determine the combined
weight of luggage and cargo
being loaded on the vehicle.
That weight may not safely
exceed the available cargo
and luggage load capacity
calculated in Step 4.
6.If your vehicle will be towing
a trailer, the load from your
trailer will be transferred to
your vehicle. Consult this
manual to determine how this
reduces the available cargo
and luggage load capacity of
your vehicle.
The vehicle is neither designed
nor intended to tow a trailer.

Black plate (22,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
9-22 Driving and Operating
Shifting Into Park
{WARNING
It can be dangerous to get out of
the vehicle if the shift lever is not
fully in P (Park) with the parking
brake firmly set. The vehicle can
roll. If you have left the propulsion
system on, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You or others could be
injured. To be sure the vehicle will
not move, even when you are on
fairly level ground, use the steps
that follow.
1. Hold the brake pedal down and set the parking brake.
See Electric Parking Brake on
page 9‑34 for more information.
2. Move the shift lever into P (Park) by pushing the lever all the way
toward the front of the vehicle.
3. Turn the vehicle off.
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).

Black plate (23,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-23
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.
Parking the vehicle in extreme cold
for several days without the charge
cord connected may cause the
electric drive unit to be locked in
P (Park) until the propulsion system
has warmed sufficiently.
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
Battery on page 10‑25
orJump
Starting on page 10‑75.
If the console shift lever cannot be
moved out of P (Park):
1. Apply and maintain the regular
brakes.
2. Turn the vehicle on using the POWERObutton. See Power
Button on page 9‑18.
3. Let up on the shift lever and make sure the shift lever is
pushed all the way into P (Park).
4. Press the shift lever button.
5. Move the shift lever into the desired gear.
If you still cannot move the shift
lever from P (Park), see your dealer
or a professional towing service.
Parking over Things
That Burn
{WARNING
Things that can burn could touch
hot exhaust parts under the
vehicle and ignite. Do not park
over papers, leaves, dry grass,
or other things that can burn.