2012 CHEVROLET VOLT Owners Manual

Black plate (19,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-19
STOPPING THE VEHICLE/OFF:
To turn the vehicle off, push the
POWER
Obutton with the vehicle
in P (Park). Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) will remain active until
the driver door is opened. See
Retained Accessory Power (RAP)
on page 9‑21. When turning off the
vehicle, if the vehicle is not in
P (Park), the vehicle will go to ACC/
ACCESSORY and display the
message SHIFT TO PARK in the
Driver Information Center (DIC).
See Electric Drive Unit Messages
on page 5‑49. If the vehicle must be shut off in an
emergency:
1. Brake using a firm and steady
pressure. Do not pump the
brakes repeatedly. This may
deplete power assist, requiring
increased brake pedal force.
2. Shift the vehicle to N (Neutral). This can be done while the
vehicle is moving. After shifting
to N (Neutral), firmly apply the
brakes and steer the vehicle to a
safe location.
3. Come to a complete stop, shift to P (Park), and turn the vehicle
off by pushing the POWER
O
button.
4. Set the parking brake. See Electric Parking Brake on
page 9‑34.
{WARNING
Turning off the vehicle while
moving may disable the airbags.
While driving, only shut the
propulsion system off in an
emergency.
If the vehicle cannot be pulled over,
and must be shut off while driving,
press and hold the POWER
O
button for longer than two seconds,
or press twice in five seconds.

Black plate (20,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
9-20 Driving and Operating
Starting and Stopping the
Vehicle
Starting Procedure
Move the shift lever to P (Park) or
N (Neutral). The propulsion system
will not start in any other position.
Notice:Do not try to shift to
P (Park) if the vehicle is moving
or the electric drive unit could be
damaged. Shift to P (Park) only
when the vehicle is stopped.
Notice: The vehicle is designed
to work with the electronics in the
vehicle. If you add electrical parts
or accessories, you could change
the way the vehicle operates.
Before adding electrical
equipment, check with your
dealer. If you do not, the vehicle
might not perform properly. Any
resulting damage would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty. The Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter must be in the vehicle.
Press the brake pedal and push and
release the POWER
Obutton.
If the RKE transmitter is not in the
vehicle or something is interfering
with the transmitter, a message
displays in the Driver Information
Center (DIC). See Key and Lock
Messages on page 5‑51.
If the vehicle will not start due to a
low RKE transmitter battery, the
vehicle can still be driven. See
“Starting the Vehicle with a Low
Transmitter Battery” inRemote
Keyless Entry (RKE) System
Operation on page 2‑3.
A Welcome, Ready, and Good‐bye
audio message will be heard in the
vehicle and animated on the
instrument cluster when opening the
driver door upon entry, when the
vehicle is ready to be driven, and
when the vehicle is turned off.

Black plate (21,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-21
The instrument cluster displays an
active fuel or battery gauge, along
with an audio startup cue, when the
vehicle is ready to be driven. This
could take up to 15 seconds at
extremely cold temperatures. The
engine will only start if needed.
If the vehicle did not start, the
instrument cluster will display a
screen with inactive fuel and battery
gauges. SeeStarting and Stopping
the Vehicle on page 9‑20.
Restarting Procedure
If the vehicle must be restarted
while it is still moving, move the shift
lever to N (Neutral) and press the
POWER
Obutton twice without
pressing the brake pedal. The
propulsion system will not restart in
any other position. Computers determine when the
engine needs to run. The engine
may start, if required, when the
propulsion system is on. Some
vehicle conditions that force the
engine to run are:
.Cold ambient temperatures.
.The hood is open or not
completely latched.
.The high voltage battery has a
low charge.
.The engine is needed to
maintain the high voltage battery
temperature.
.The engine needs to run for
maintenance.
See Maintenance Modes on
page 9‑28.
A chime will sound if the driver door
is opened while the vehicle is in ON/
RUN. Always press the POWER
O
button to turn the vehicle off before
exiting.
Stopping Procedure
For information on how to turn the
vehicle off, see Power Button on
page 9‑18.
Retained Accessory
Power (RAP)
The following features will operate
for up to 10 minutes or until the
driver door is opened:
.Audio System
.Power Windows
.Accessory Power Outlets

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.

Black plate (24,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
9-24 Driving and Operating
Electric Vehicle
Operating Modes
System Operation
This vehicle is an Extended Range
Electric Vehicle (EREV). It uses an
electric propulsion system to drive
the vehicle at all times. Electricity is
the vehicle's primary source of
energy, while gasoline is the
secondary source.
The vehicle has two modes of
operation: Electric and Extended
Range. In both modes, the vehicle
is propelled by its electric drive unit.
It converts electrical energy into
mechanical energy to drive the
wheels. The vehicle's performance
remains the same in either mode.
SeeDriving for Better Energy
Efficiency on page 9‑2.
Electric Mode
In Electric Mode, the vehicle does
not use fuel or produce tailpipe
emissions. During this primary
mode, the vehicle is powered by
electrical energy stored in the high
voltage battery. The vehicle can
operate in this mode until the
battery has reached a low charge.
There are some conditions when the
battery charge is high enough to
provide Electric Mode operation, but
the engine still runs. They are:
.Cold ambient temperatures.
.Hot or cold high voltage battery
temperatures.
.The hood being open or not
completely closed and latched.
.Certain high voltage battery fault
conditions.
.Engine Maintenance Mode or
Fuel Maintenance Mode
being run.
Extended Range Mode
When the vehicle reaches the end
of its electric range, it switches to
Extended Range Mode (ERM). In
this secondary mode, electricity is
produced by the fuel‐powered
engine. This secondary source of
electric power extends the vehicle
range. Operation will continue in
ERM until the vehicle can be
plugged in to recharge the high
voltage battery and restore
Electric Mode.
The high voltage battery will
continue to provide some power and
work together with the engine to
provide peak performance when it is
required, such as driving up a steep
incline or for high acceleration
maneuvers. The battery will not be
charged nor will electric vehicle
range be restored by the engine.

Black plate (25,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-25
In either Electric Mode or Extended
Range Mode, when the hood is
open, the engine will run without
turning off if the vehicle is on. The
high voltage battery is neither
charged nor discharged when this
occurs.
In either Electric Mode or Extended
Range Mode, if there is a high
voltage battery fault, the engine may
run without turning off to generate
needed electricity. The malfunction
indicator lamp will turn on. See
Malfunction Indicator Lamp on
page 5‑19.Driver Selected Operating
Modes
While driving in Electric or Extended
Range Mode, additional operating
modes can be selected.
Press the DRIVE MODE button to
display selectable drive modes in
the Driver Information Center (DIC).
Continue pressing to scroll through
the modes.
Highlight either the Mountain or
Sport Mode, then release the
DRIVE MODE button. After
three seconds, the new drive
mode will become active.
Pressing the DRIVE MODE button
again will return to Normal Mode,
and become active after
three seconds.
At next start, the vehicle will default
to Normal Mode. Drive modes can
then be selected again as desired.
During some conditions, certain
drive modes may be unavailable.
The unavailable mode is grayed out
in the DIC menu and cannot be
selected.

Black plate (26,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
9-26 Driving and Operating
If in Sport or Mountain Mode, either
may become unavailable and the
vehicle will return to Normal Mode.
The indicator light goes off and a
DIC message displays. See
Propulsion Power Messages on
page 5‑52.
Sport Mode
Sport Mode provides more
responsive acceleration than
Normal Mode, but can reduce
efficiency. Use Normal Mode
whenever possible.
Press the DRIVE MODE button to
select Sport Mode.Press the DRIVE MODE button
again to return to Normal Mode and
it becomes active after
three seconds.
The Sport light comes on when
Sport Mode is selected. See
Sport
Mode Light on page 5‑24.
Each time the vehicle is started, it
will return to Normal Mode.
Mountain Mode
Mountain Mode should be selected
at the beginning of a trip before
climbing steep, uphill grades and
when expecting to drive in very hilly
or mountainous terrain. This mode
maintains a reserve electrical
charge of the high voltage battery to provide better grade climbing
performance. While driving in
Mountain Mode, the vehicle will
have less responsive acceleration.
Mountain Mode will not change
normal vehicle braking performance
for steep downhill grades. See
Hill
and Mountain Roads on page 9‑9
and Electric Drive Unit on
page 9‑31.
Press the DRIVE MODE button to
select Mountain Mode. If steep hill
driving is expected, it is
recommended to select Mountain
Mode at least 20 minutes before
driving on steep grades. This will
allow the vehicle time to build a
sufficient battery charge reserve.
If Mountain Mode is not selected for
these conditions, propulsion power
may be reduced and the engine
speed may increase. See
Propulsion Power Messages on
page 5‑52.