Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
2012 Chevrolet Volt Owner ManualM
In Brief. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . 1-4
Vehicle Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Battery and Efficiency . . . . . . . . 1-21
Performance and
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-26
Keys, Doors, and Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
Keys and Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Vehicle Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Exterior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Interior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18
Seats and Restraints . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-19
Child Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-33 Storage
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Storage Compartments . . . . . . . . 4-1
Additional Storage Features . . . 4-2
Instruments and Controls . . . . 5-1
Instrument Panel Overview . . . . 5-3
Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Information Displays . . . . . . . . . . 5-29
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-47
Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . . 5-56
Universal Remote System . . . . 5-65
Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Lighting Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8
Audio Players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-14
Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-22
Trademarks and License
Agreements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-34 Climate Controls
. . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . 8-1
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-8
Driving and Operating . . . . . . . . 9-1
Driving Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Starting and Operating . . . . . . . 9-17
Electric Vehicle Operating
Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Electric Drive Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-31
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Ride Control Systems . . . . . . . . 9-36
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-40
Object Detection Systems . . . . 9-42
Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-48
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-59
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-64
Conversions and Add-Ons . . . 9-65
Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Vehicle Checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-6
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Electrical System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-32
Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
Introduction v
Vehicle Symbol Chart
Here are some additional symbols
that may be found on the vehicle
and what they mean. For more
information on the symbol, refer to
the Index.
9:Airbag Readiness Light
#:Air Conditioning
!:Antilock Brake System (ABS)
b/g:Audio Steering Wheel
Controls or OnStar®
I: Brake System Warning
Light
A: Charge Port Door
":Charging System (12‐Volt
Battery)
I: Cruise Control
f: Electric Parking Brake
d:Electronic Stability
Control (ESC)
B: Engine Coolant Temperature
O:Exterior Lamps
y:Fault
g:First Responder
.: Fuel Gauge
+:Fuses
3: Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer
_: High Voltage
j:LATCH System Child
Restraints
[: Leaf
*:Malfunction Indicator Lamp
::Oil Pressure
O:Power
B:Remote Vehicle Start
>:Safety Belt Reminders
g:StabiliTrak®Disable
7:Tire Pressure Monitor
i:Traction Control System (TCS)
Disable
Q: Vehicle Ready
M:Windshield Washer Fluid
Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
In Brief 1-1
In Brief
Instrument Panel
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . 1-4
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Remote Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8
Heated Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Head Restraint Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Passenger Sensing System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Mirror Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-13 Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-13
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . 1-15
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Vehicle Features
Radio(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19
Portable Audio Devices . . . . . . 1-19
Bluetooth
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . 1-19
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
Navigation System . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-21
Battery and Efficiency
High Voltage Safety Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-21
Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-22
Fueling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-24
Total Vehicle Range . . . . . . . . . 1-25
Regenerative Braking . . . . . . . . 1-25
Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-26
Performance and Maintenance
Traction Control System (TCS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-26
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-26
Tire Pressure Monitor . . . . . . . . 1-27
Tire Sealant and
Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-27
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . 1-27
Driving for Better Energy Efficiency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-28
Roadside Assistance Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-30
OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-30
Black plate (19,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
In Brief 1-19
Satellite Radio
Vehicles with an XM™satellite radio
tuner and a valid XM satellite radio
subscription can receive XM
programming.
XM Satellite Radio Service
XM is a satellite radio service based
in the 48 contiguous United States
and 10 Canadian provinces. XM
satellite radio has a wide variety of
programming and commercial-free
music, coast to coast, and in
digital-quality sound. A fee is
required to receive the XM service.
For more information refer to:
.www.xmradio.com or call
1-800-929-2100 (U.S.).
.www.xmradio.ca or call
1-877-438-9677 (Canada).
For more information, see Satellite
Radio on page 7‑11.
Portable Audio Devices
This vehicle has a 3.5 mm (1/8 in)
auxiliary input and a USB port
located in the center stack. External
devices such as iPods
®, laptop
computers, MP3 players, CD
changers, and USB storage devices
may be connected, depending on
the audio system.
For more information, see Auxiliary
Devices on page 7‑18.
Bluetooth®
The Bluetooth system allows users
with a Bluetooth-enabled cell phone
to make and receive hands-free
calls using the vehicle audio system
and controls.
The Bluetooth-enabled cell phone
must be paired with the in-vehicle
Bluetooth system before it can be
used in the vehicle. Not all phones
will support all functions. See
Bluetooth (Overview) on
page 7‑22 orBluetooth
(Infotainment Controls) on
page 7‑24 orBluetooth (Voice
Recognition) on page 7‑28.
Steering Wheel Controls
For vehicles with audio steering
wheel controls, some audio controls
can be adjusted at the steering
wheel.
b/g: Press to interact with an
OnStar, Bluetooth, or navigation
system (if equipped).
Black plate (20,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
1-20 In Brief
$/i:Press to silence the
vehicle speakers only. Press again
to turn the sound on. For vehicles
with OnStar or Bluetooth systems,
press to reject an incoming call,
or to end a current call.
_SRC^: Use this control to select
a radio band or audio source.
Use
_or^to select the next or
previous favorite radio station, CD
track, DVD track/chapter (with
navigation), or MP3 track.
Press SRC to change between
radio and CD or DVD.
Press and hold SRC to interact with
the navigation system.
+
x−: Press + to increase or −to
decrease the volume.
For more information, see Steering
Wheel Controls on page 5‑5.
Cruise Control
The cruise control buttons are on
the steering wheel.
1: Press to turn the cruise control
system on and off. An indicator light
will turn on or off in the instrument
cluster.
*: Press to disengage cruise
control without erasing the set
speed from memory.
RES/+ : Move the thumbwheel up
to resume to a previously set speed
or to accelerate. SET/−
:Move the thumbwheel
down to set a speed and activate
cruise control or to make the vehicle
decelerate.
See Cruise Control on page 9‑40.
Navigation System
If the vehicle has a navigation
system, there is a separate
navigation system manual that
includes information on the radio,
audio players, and navigation
system.
The navigation system provides
detailed maps of most major
freeways and roads. After a
destination has been set, the
system provides turn-by-turn
instructions for reaching the
destination. In addition, the system
can help locate a variety of points of
interest (POIs), such as banks,
airports, restaurants, and more.
See the navigation system manual
for more information.
Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-5
Controls
Steering Wheel
Adjustment
To adjust the steering wheel:
1. Pull the lever (A) down.
2. Move the steering wheel upor down.
3. Pull or push the steering wheel closer or away from you.
4. Pull the lever (A) up to lock the steering wheel in place. Do not adjust the steering wheel
while driving.
Steering Wheel Controls
For vehicles with audio steering
wheel controls, some audio controls
can be adjusted at the steering
wheel.
b/g(Push to Talk):
For vehicles
with an OnStar, Bluetooth,
or navigation system (if equipped),
press to interact with those systems.
See Bluetooth (Overview) on
page 7‑22 orBluetooth
(Infotainment Controls) on
page 7‑24 orBluetooth (Voice
Recognition) on page 7‑28 and
OnStar Overview on page 14‑1 for
more information.
$/i(End Call/Mute): Press to
silence the vehicle speakers only.
Press again to turn the sound on.
For vehicles with OnStar or
Bluetooth systems, press to reject
an incoming call, or to end a
current call.
_SRC^(Rotary Control): Turn_
or^to select a radio band or audio
source.
Turn
_or^to select the next or
previous favorite radio station, CD
track, DVD track/chapter, or MP3
track.
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 (2,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
7-2 Infotainment System
To minimize taking your eyes off the
road while driving, do the following
while the vehicle is parked:
.Become familiar with the
operation and controls of the
audio system.
.Set up the tone, speaker
adjustments, and preset radio
stations.
For more information, see Defensive
Driving on page 9‑5.
The vehicle has Retained
Accessory Power (RAP). With RAP,
the audio system can be played
even after the ignition is turned off.
See Retained Accessory Power
(RAP) on page 9‑21 for more
information.
Navigation/Radio System
For vehicles with a navigation radio
system, see the separate navigation
manual.
Theft-Deterrent Feature
The theft-deterrent feature works by
learning a portion of the Vehicle
Identification Number (VIN) to the
infotainment system. The
infotainment system does not
operate if it is stolen or moved to a
different vehicle.
Overview
For vehicles equipped with the
MyLink®or IntelliLink®infotainment
system, see the separate MyLink/
IntelliLink Features and Functions
Guide for more information.
Keeping your eyes on the road and
your mind on the drive is important
for safe driving. The infotainment
system has built-in features
intended to help with this by
disabling some features when
driving. A grayed-out function is not
available when the vehicle is
moving.