Black plate (52,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
3-52 Seats and Restraints
6. To tighten the belt, push downon the child restraint, pull the
shoulder portion of the belt to
tighten the lap portion of the belt,
and feed the shoulder belt back
into the retractor. When installing
a forward-facing child restraint, it
may be helpful to use your knee
to push down on the child
restraint as you tighten the belt.
Try to pull the belt out of the
retractor to make sure the
retractor is locked. If the
retractor is not locked, repeat
Steps 5 and 6. 7. If the child restraint has a top
tether, follow the child restraint
manufacturer's instructions
regarding the use of the top
tether. See Lower Anchors and
Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) on page 3‑42 for more
information.
8. Before placing a child in the child restraint, make sure it is
securely held in place. To check,
grasp the child restraint at the
safety belt path and attempt to
move it side to side and back
and forth. When the child
restraint is properly installed,
there should be no more than
2.5 cm (1 in) of movement. To remove the child restraint,
unbuckle the vehicle safety belt and
let it return to the stowed position.
If the top tether is attached to a top
tether anchor, disconnect it. If the
head restraint was removed,
reinstall it before the seating
position is used. See
“Head
Restraint Removal and
Reinstallation” underLower Anchors
and Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) on page 3‑42 for additional
information on installing the head
restraint properly.
If the seat has a safety belt guide,
return the safety belt into the guide
on the seatback by sliding the
webbing through the opening on the
guide.
Black plate (53,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
Seats and Restraints 3-53
Securing Child Restraints
(Front Passenger Seat)
This vehicle has airbags. A rear
seat is a safer place to secure a
forward-facing child restraint. See
Where to Put the Restraint on
page 3‑41.
In addition, the vehicle has a
passenger sensing system which is
designed to turn off the right front
passenger frontal airbag and
passenger knee airbag under
certain conditions. SeePassenger
Sensing System on page 3‑26 and
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator
on page 5‑18 for more information,
including important safety
information.
A label on the sun visor says,
“Never put a rear-facing child seat in
the front.” This is because the risk to
the rear-facing child is so great,
if the airbag deploys.
{WARNING
A child in a rear-facing child
restraint can be seriously injured
or killed if the right front
passenger airbag inflates. This is
because the back of the
rear-facing child restraint would
be very close to the inflating
airbag. A child in a forward-facing
child restraint can be seriously
injured or killed if the right front
passenger airbag inflates and the
passenger seat is in a forward
position.
Even if the passenger sensing
system has turned off the right
front passenger airbag(s), no
system is fail-safe. No one can
guarantee that an airbag will not
deploy under some unusual
circumstance, even though the
airbag(s) are turned off.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
Secure rear-facing child restraints
in a rear seat, even if the
airbag(s) are off. If you secure a
forward-facing child restraint in
the right front seat, always move
the front passenger seat as far
back as it will go. It is better to
secure the child restraint in a
rear seat.
SeePassenger Sensing System
on page 3‑26 for additional
information.
If the child restraint has the LATCH
system, see Lower Anchors and
Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) on page 3‑42 for how and
where to install the child restraint
using LATCH. If a child restraint is
secured using a safety belt and it
uses a top tether, see Lower
Anchors and Tethers for Children
(LATCH System) on page 3‑42 for
top tether anchor locations.
Black plate (54,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
3-54 Seats and Restraints
Do not secure a child seat in a
position without a top tether anchor
if a national or local law requires
that the top tether be anchored, or if
the instructions that come with the
child restraint say that the top strap
must be anchored.
In Canada, the law requires that
forward-facing child restraints have
a top tether, and that the tether be
attached.You will be using the lap-shoulder
belt to secure the child restraint in
this position. Follow the instructions
that came with the child restraint.
1. Move the seat as far back as it
will go before securing the
forward-facing child restraint.
When the passenger sensing
system has turned off the right
front passenger frontal airbag
and passenger knee airbag, the
off indicator on the passenger
airbag status indicator should
light and stay lit when you start
the vehicle. See Passenger
Airbag Status Indicator on
page 5‑18.
2. Put the child restraint on the seat.
3. Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap and shoulder portions of
the vehicle's safety belt through
or around the restraint. The child
restraint instructions will show
you how.
4. Push the latch plate into thebuckle until it clicks.
Position the release button on
the buckle so that the safety belt
could be quickly unbuckled if
necessary.
Black plate (55,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
Seats and Restraints 3-55
5. Pull the shoulder belt all the wayout of the retractor to set the
lock. When the retractor lock is
set, the belt can be tightened but
not pulled out of the retractor.6. To tighten the belt, push downon the child restraint, pull the
shoulder portion of the belt to
tighten the lap portion of the belt,
and feed the shoulder belt back
into the retractor. When installing
a forward-facing child restraint, it
may be helpful to use your knee
to push down on the child
restraint as you tighten the belt.
Try to pull the belt out of the
retractor to make sure the
retractor is locked. If the
retractor is not locked, repeat
Steps 5 and 6. 7. Before placing a child in the
child restraint, make sure it is
securely held in place. To check,
grasp the child restraint at the
safety belt path and attempt to
move it side to side and back
and forth. When the child
restraint is properly installed,
there should be no more than
2.5 cm (1 in) of movement.
If the airbags are off, the off
indicator in the passenger airbag
status indicator will come on and
stay on when the vehicle is started.
If a child restraint has been installed
and the on indicator is lit, see “If the
On Indicator Is Lit for a Child
Restraint” underPassenger Sensing
System on page 3‑26 for more
information.
To remove the child restraint,
unbuckle the vehicle safety belt and
let it return to the stowed position.
Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
9-4 Driving and Operating
Vehicle Charging/Maintenance
Charging
Keep the vehicle plugged in, even
when fully charged, to keep the
battery temperature ready for the
next drive. This is important when
outside temperatures are extremely
hot or cold.
Maintenance
Always keep the tires properly
inflated and the vehicle properly
aligned.
The weight of excess cargo in the
vehicle affects efficiency and range.
Avoid carrying more than is needed.
If fuel is not regularly used, consider
keeping the fuel tank only one‐third
full. Excess fuel weight impacts
efficiency and range.
Use premium fuel.
Avoid unnecessary use of electrical
accessories. Power used for
functions other than propelling the
vehicle will reduce EV range.Using a rooftop carrier will reduce
efficiency due to additional weight
and drag.
Distracted Driving
Distraction comes in many forms
and can take your focus from the
task of driving. Exercise good
judgment and do not let other
activities divert your attention away
from the road. Many local
governments have enacted laws
regarding driver distraction. Become
familiar with the local laws in
your area.
To avoid distracted driving, always
keep your eyes on the road, hands
on the wheel, and mind on the drive.
.Do not use a phone in
demanding driving situations.
Use a hands-free method to
place or receive necessary
phone calls.
.Watch the road. Do not read,
take notes, or look up
information on phones or other
electronic devices.
.Designate a front seat
passenger to handle potential
distractions.
.Become familiar with vehicle
features before driving, such as
programming favorite radio
stations and adjusting climate
control and seat settings.
Program all trip information into
any navigation device prior to
driving.
.Wait until the vehicle is parked
to retrieve items that have fallen
to the floor.
.Stop or park the vehicle to tend
to children.
.Keep pets in an appropriate
carrier or restraint.
.Avoid stressful conversations
while driving, whether with a
passenger or on a cell phone.
Black plate (17,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-17
If you put things inside the
vehicle—like suitcases,
tools, packages, or anything
else —they will go as fast as
the vehicle goes. If you have to
stop or turn quickly, or if there is
a crash, they will keep going.
{WARNING
Things inside the vehicle can
strike and injure people in a
sudden stop or turn, or in a
crash.
.Put things in the cargo
area of the vehicle. In the
cargo area, put them as
far forward as possible.
Try to spread the weight
evenly.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
.Never stack heavier
things, like suitcases,
inside the vehicle so that
some of them are above
the tops of the seats.
.Do not leave an
unsecured child restraint
in the vehicle.
.Secure loose items in the
vehicle.
.Do not leave a seat folded
down unless needed.
Starting and
Operating
New Vehicle Break-In
Notice: The vehicle does not
require a break-in period. Vehicle
break‐in is performed during
manufacturing.
Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
INDEX i-5
G
Garage Door Opener . . . . . . . . . . 5-65Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-65
Gasoline Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-60
Gauges Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Driver Efficiency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Warning Lights and
Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
General Information Service and Maintenance . . . . . 11-1
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-64
Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
GM Mobility Reimbursement Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-6
H
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Hatch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . . . 6-3
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . . 6-2
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Heated Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
Heated Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Heating and Air Conditioning . . . 8-1
High Voltage Battery Gauge . . . 5-14
High Voltage Devices and Wiring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-32
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-9
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . 9-9
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-7 Hood, Door, Hatch Open
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-12
I
Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Infants and Young Children,Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-36
Information Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-43
Infotainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Instrument Panel
Storage Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
J
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-75
Black plate (10,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
i-10 INDEX
Safety Defects ReportingCanadian Government . . . . . . 13-15
General Motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-15
U.S. Government . . . . . . . . . . . 13-14
Safety Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Safety System Check . . . . . . . . . . 3-17
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-11
Scheduling Appointments . . . . . . 13-8
Sealant Kit, Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-67
Seats Adjustment, Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Heated Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5
Securing Child
Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-50, 3-53
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-2
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Service Accessories andModifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Doing Your Own Work . . . . . . . . 10-6
Engine Soon Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19 Service (cont'd)
Maintenance Records . . . . . . .11-14
Maintenance, General
Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-1
Parts Identification Label . . . . . 12-1
Publications Ordering Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-13
Scheduling Appointments . . . . . 13-8
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-54
Service Electric Parking Brake Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Servicing the Airbag . . . . . . . . . . . 3-31
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-22
Out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Signals, Turn and Lane-Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Specifications and
Capacities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Sport Mode Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
StabiliTrak OFF Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Start Remote . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8 Starting and Stopping the
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-20
Starting the Vehicle Messsages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-54
Status Screens Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-52
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Wheel Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Wheel Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Storage Areas Cargo Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Floor Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Umbrella . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Storing the Tire Sealant
and Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . 10-74
Stuck Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-12
Sun Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-21
Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
System Infotainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
System Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24