2012 CHEVROLET VOLT warning

Black plate (3,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
Lighting 6-3
A light sensor on top of the
instrument panel makes the DRL
work, so be sure it is not covered.
Fully functional DRL are required on
all vehicles first sold in Canada.When the DRL are on, the taillamps,
sidemarker lamps, instrument panel
lights, and other lamps will not be
on. The instrument cluster will be lit.
When the exterior lamp control band
is turned to the headlamp position,
the low-beam headlamps come on.
The other lamps that come on with
the headlamps will also come on.
When the vehicle is on and you are
stopped, the DRL can be turned off
by moving the shift lever to P (Park).
The DRL will stay off until the shift
lever is moved out of the P (Park)
position.
The regular headlamp system
should be turned on when needed.
Hazard Warning Flashers
|(Hazard Warning Flasher):
Press this button, on the center
stack, to make the front and rear
turn signal lamps flash on and off.
This warns others that you are
having trouble.
Press
|again to turn the
flashers off.

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
Infotainment System 7-1
Infotainment
System
Introduction
Infotainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Theft-Deterrent Feature . . . . . . . 7-2
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2
Radio
AM-FM Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-11
Radio Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-13
Multi-Band Antenna . . . . . . . . . . 7-13
Audio Players
CD Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-14
MP3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-16
Auxiliary Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-18
Phone
Bluetooth (Overview) . . . . . . . . 7-22
Bluetooth (InfotainmentControls) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-24
Bluetooth (Voice Recognition) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-28
Trademarks and License
Agreements
Trademarks and License
Agreements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-34
Introduction
Infotainment
Read the following pages to
become familiar with the audio
system's features.
{WARNING
Taking your eyes off the road for
extended periods could cause a
crash resulting in injury or death
to you or others. Do not give
extended attention to
entertainment tasks while driving.
This system provides access to
many audio and non‐audio listings.

Black plate (3,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
Infotainment System 7-3
All functions are available when the
vehicle is parked. Do the following
before driving:
.Become familiar with the
infotainment system operation,
buttons on the faceplate, and
touch-sensitive screen buttons.
.Set up the audio by presetting
favorite stations, setting the
tone, and adjusting the
speakers.
.Set up phone numbers in
advance so they can be called
easily by pressing a single
button or a single voice
command for vehicles equipped
with phone capability.
{WARNING
Taking your eyes off the road too
long or too often while using the
navigation system could cause a
crash and you or others could be
injured or killed. Focus your
attention on driving and limit
glances at the moving map on the
navigation screen. Use voice
guidance whenever possible.
Infotainment System Overview
The infotainment system,
if equipped, is controlled by using
the buttons on the faceplate and the
touch screen.
See“Infotainment Control Buttons”
in this section for more information.

Black plate (23,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
Infotainment System 7-23
{WARNING
When using a cell phone, it can
be distracting to look too long or
too often at the screen of the
phone or the infotainment
(navigation) system. Taking your
eyes off the road too long or too
often could cause a crash
resulting in injury or death. Focus
your attention on driving.
Vehicles with a Bluetooth system
can use a Bluetooth‐capable cell
phone with a Hands‐Free Profile to
make and receive phone calls. The
infotainment system and voice
recognition are used to control the
system. The system can be used
while in ON/RUN or ACC/
ACCESSORY. The range of the
Bluetooth system can be up to 9.1 m
(30 ft). Not all phones support all
functions and not all phones work
with the Bluetooth system. See www.gm.com/bluetooth for
more information about compatible
phones.
Bluetooth Controls
Use the buttons located on the
infotainment system and the
steering wheel to operate the
Bluetooth system.
Steering Wheel Controls
b/g(Push To Talk) :
Press to
answer incoming calls, confirm
system information, and start voice
recognition.
$/i(End Call/Mute): Press to
end a call, reject a call, or cancel an
operation. Infotainment System Controls
For information about how to
navigate the menu system using the
infotainment controls, see
Overview
on page 7‑2.
V(Phone): Press to enter the
Phone main menu.
Voice Recognition
The voice recognition system uses
commands to control the system
and dial phone numbers.
Noise: The system may not
recognize voice commands if there
is too much background noise.
When to Speak: A tone sounds to
indicate that the system is ready for
a voice command. Wait for the tone
and then speak.
How to Speak: Speak clearly in a
calm and natural voice.

Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-5
{WARNING
Taking your eyes off the road too
long or too often could cause a
crash resulting in injury or death.
Focus your attention on driving.
Refer to the infotainment section for
more information on using that
system, including pairing and using
a cell phone.
If equipped, refer to the navigation
manual for information on that
system, including pairing and using
a cell phone.
Defensive Driving
Defensive driving means “always
expect the unexpected.” The first
step in driving defensively is to wear
the safety belt. See Safety Belts on
page 3‑10.
.Assume that other road users
(pedestrians, bicyclists, and
other drivers) are going to be
careless and make mistakes.
Anticipate what they might do
and be ready.
.Allow enough following distance
between you and the driver in
front of you.
.Focus on the task of driving.
Drunk Driving
Death and injury associated with
drinking and driving is a global
tragedy.
{WARNING
Drinking and then driving is very
dangerous. Your reflexes,
perceptions, attentiveness, and
judgment can be affected by even
a small amount of alcohol. You
can have a serious —or even
fatal —collision if you drive after
drinking.
Do not drink and drive or ride with
a driver who has been drinking.
Ride home in a cab; or if you are
with a group, designate a driver
who will not drink.
Control of a Vehicle
Braking, steering, and accelerating
are important factors in helping to
control a vehicle while driving.

Black plate (7,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-7
Off-Road Recovery
The vehicle's right wheels can drop
off the edge of a road onto the
shoulder while driving. Follow
these tips:
1. Ease off the accelerator andthen, if there is nothing in the
way, steer the vehicle so that it
straddles the edge of the
pavement. 2. Turn the steering wheel about
one-eighth of a turn, until the
right front tire contacts the
pavement edge.
3. Then turn the steering wheel to go straight down the roadway.
Loss of Control
Skidding
There are three types of skids that
correspond to the vehicle's three
control systems:
.Braking Skid —wheels are not
rolling.
.Steering or Cornering
Skid —too much speed or
steering in a curve causes tires
to slip and lose cornering force.
.Acceleration Skid —too much
throttle causes the driving
wheels to spin. Defensive drivers avoid most skids
by taking reasonable care suited to
existing conditions, and by not
overdriving those conditions. But
skids are always possible.
If the vehicle starts to slide, follow
these suggestions:
.Ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly
steer the way you want the
vehicle to go. The vehicle may
straighten out. Be ready for a
second skid if it occurs.
.Slow down and adjust your
driving according to weather
conditions. Stopping distance
can be longer and vehicle
control can be affected when
traction is reduced by water,
snow, ice, gravel, or other
material on the road. Learn to
recognize warning clues
—such
as enough water, ice, or packed
snow on the road to make a
mirrored surface —and slow
down when you have any doubt.

Black plate (8,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
9-8 Driving and Operating
.Try to avoid sudden steering,
acceleration, or braking,
including reducing vehicle speed
by shifting to a lower gear. Any
sudden changes could cause
the tires to slide.
Remember: Antilock brakes help
avoid only the braking skid.
Driving on Wet Roads
Rain and wet roads can reduce
vehicle traction and affect your
ability to stop and accelerate.
Always drive slower in these types
of driving conditions and avoid
driving through large puddles and
deep‐standing or flowing water.
{WARNING
Wet brakes can cause crashes.
They might not work as well in a
quick stop and could cause
pulling to one side. You could
lose control of the vehicle.
After driving through a large
puddle of water or a car/vehicle
wash, lightly apply the brake
pedal until the brakes work
normally.
Flowing or rushing water creates
strong forces. Driving through
flowing water could cause the
vehicle to be carried away. If this
happens, you and other vehicle
occupants could drown. Do not
ignore police warnings and be
very cautious about trying to drive
through flowing water.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. Water
can build up under the vehicle's
tires so they actually ride on the
water. This can happen if the road is
wet enough and you are going fast
enough. When the vehicle is
hydroplaning, it has little or no
contact with the road.
There is no hard and fast rule about
hydroplaning. The best advice is to
slow down when the road is wet.

Black plate (9,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-9
Other Rainy Weather Tips
Besides slowing down, other wet
weather driving tips include:
.Allow extra following distance.
.Pass with caution.
.Keep windshield wiping
equipment in good shape.
.Keep the windshield washer fluid
reservoir filled.
.Have good tires with proper
tread depth. SeeTires on
page 10‑44.
.Turn off cruise control.
Highway Hypnosis
Always be alert and pay attention to
your surroundings while driving.
If you become tired or sleepy, find a
safe place to park the vehicle
and rest. Other driving tips include:
.Keep the vehicle well ventilated.
.Keep the interior
temperature cool.
.Keep your eyes moving
—scan
the road ahead and to the sides.
.Check the rearview mirror and
vehicle instruments often.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or through
mountains is different than driving
on flat or rolling terrain. See
“Mountain Mode” underDriver
Selected Operating Modes on
page 9‑25. Tips for driving in these
conditions include:
.Keep the vehicle serviced and in
good shape.
.Check all fluid levels and brakes,
tires, cooling system, and
electric drive unit.
.Keep the vehicle in gear when
going down steep or long hills.
{WARNING
Coasting downhill in N (Neutral)
or with the vehicle turned off is
dangerous. The brakes will have
to do all the work of slowing down
the vehicle and could become too
hot. Hot brakes may not be able
to slow the vehicle enough to
maintain speed and control. You
could crash. Always have the
vehicle running and in gear
(preferably LOW range) when
going downhill. This will allow the
electric drive unit to assist in
slowing and maintaining speed.
.Stay in your own lane. Do not
swing wide or cut across the
center of the road. Drive at
speeds that let you stay in your
own lane.
.Top of hills: Be
alert —something could be in
your lane (stalled car, accident).