Black plate (29,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
In Brief 1-29
Use Mountain Mode prior to
climbing long, steep grades in
mountainous areas. Be sure to
engage Mountain Mode before
starting to climb. Mountain Mode
reduces electric range and power
but may be needed to maintain
speeds above 96 km/h (60 mph)
when climbing grades of 5% or
greater.
Use L (Low) in heavy stop‐and‐go
traffic or when traveling downhill.
L (Low) requires less brake pedal
application and provides a
controlled, efficient way to slow
the vehicle down.
Climate Setting
Using the heat and air conditioning
systems decreases the energy
available for electric driving.
Optimal energy efficiency is
achieved with the heat, air
conditioning, and fan turned off.Less energy is used at low fan
speeds. When using the fan:
.Fan Only is the most energy
efficient climate setting as long
as
0is not selected.
.ECO is for moderate air
conditioning and heater
operation and is the next most
energy efficient setting as long
as
0is not selected.
.Comfort provides the most
comfort but is the least energy
efficient.
Use the auto heated seat feature
instead of climate settings. Heating
the seat uses less energy than
heating the vehicle interior.
Use remote start to heat or cool the
interior when the vehicle is plugged
in to maximize the electric range by
utilizing electricity from the electrical
outlet. Engine Assisted Heating operation,
if equipped, can be personalized.
See
Vehicle Personalization on
page 5‑56 for more information.
In hot weather, avoid parking in
direct sunlight or use sunshades
inside the vehicle.
Turn off the front and rear window
defog/defrost when they are no
longer needed.
Avoid driving with the windows open
at highway speeds.
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.
Black plate (57,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-57
Selecting a Menu Option
Touch any one of the available
menu options on the touch screen
to select the option. A checkmark
next to the option indicates the
selected option.
Turning a Function On or Off
Touch the screen where the
available function is listed to turn it
on or off. A checkmark next to the
function indicates that the function
is on.Entering the
Personalization Menu
Press the Vehicle Settings menu on
the touch screen.
The Vehicle Settings menu features
may include:
.Climate and Air Quality
.Comfort and Convenience
.Languages
.Lighting
.Power Door Locks
.Remote Locking, Unlocking,
Starting
.Return to Factory Settings
Climate and Air Quality
Select the Climate and Air Quality
menu to display:
.Auto Fan Speed
.Auto Heated Seats
.Remote Start Auto Heated Seats
.Auto Defog
.Engine Assisted Heating
.Engine Assisted Heating
(Plugged‐In)
Black plate (58,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
5-58 Instruments and Controls
Auto Fan Speed
This feature sets the automatic fan
speed to maintain the desired
interior temperature. This selection
is available on vehicles with the
automatic climate control system.
Choose a blower setting:
High:Increased speed.
Medium: Moderate speed.
Low: Reduced speed.
To select the auto fan speed:
1. Press the Vehicle Settings menu.
2. Select Climate and Air Quality.
3. Select Auto Fan Speed.
4. Select the fan speed.
5. Press Back to return to the previous menu. Auto Heated Seats
When enabled, the auto heated seat
buttons on the touch screen will be
highlighted. This feature will
automatically activate heated seats
at the level required by the interior
temperature. The auto heated seats
can be turned off by using the
heated seat buttons on the center
stack.
To turn the auto heated seats on
or off:
1. Press the Vehicle
Settings menu.
2. Select Climate and Air Quality.
3. Turn the auto heated seats feature on or off.
4. Press Back to return to the previous menu. Remote Start Auto Heated Seats
When on, this feature will turn the
heated seats on when using remote
start.
To turn the remote start auto heated
seats on or off:
1. Press the Vehicle
Settings menu.
2. Select Climate and Air Quality.
3. Turn the remote start auto heated seats feature on or off.
4. Press Back to return to the previous menu.
Auto Defog
When on and high humidity is
detected, the climate control system
will adjust the outside air, air
conditioner, or heat to decrease
fogging. The fan speed may
increase. When high humidity is no
longer detected, the system will
return to previous operation.
Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
8-4 Climate Controls
Fan Only Mode:The air
conditioning and electric heat are
turned off. As long as
0is not
selected, the climate control settings
may not have a noticeable effect on
the vehicle electric range and fuel
economy.
When in Fan Only mode, the AUTO
indicator light will be off. When
AUTO is selected in Fan Only
mode, the mode will change to
either ECO or Comfort.
When in Fan Only mode, the air
conditioning system may turn on
automatically if the high voltage
battery is being cooled. The climate
control system could blow cold air.
This is normal. To prevent cold air
from blowing into the interior, turn off
the fan control and select the vent
mode and manual recirculation
mode, and close the air vents.
When in Fan Only mode, if Auto
Defog is enabled, the air
conditioning and electric heat may
turn on when high humidity
conditions exist. See “Climate andAir Quality”
underVehicle
Personalization on page 5‑56 for
more information on the Auto Defog
selection. The air conditioning may
also run if
0is selected.
ECO Mode: The air conditioning
and electric heat are controlled to
balance comfort with fuel economy.
As long as
0is not selected, the
vehicle electric range or fuel
economy will decrease less than in
Comfort mode, but will result in
moderate comfort.
Comfort Mode: The air
conditioning and electric heat are
controlled to reach the best comfort
level based on the temperature
setting selected. In this mode,
vehicle electric range or fuel
economy will decrease depending
on the amount of energy required to
reach the best comfort levels.
Climate Power Gauge
When the climate mode is changed,
the Climate Power gauge displays
the impact that user setting changes
have on energy consumption. The
higher the reading, the more energy
is being used.
Air Conditioning/Heat Status Indicators
The air conditioning/heat status
displays when the air conditioning or
electric heat is being used.
Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
Climate Controls 8-5
The air conditioning and electric
heat could be on at the same time
when dehumidification is required in
ECO or Comfort modes.
In Fan Only mode, occasionally the
air conditioning and/or heating
status will be on if the Auto Defog
function is enabled and high
humidity is detected. See“Climate
and Air Quality” underVehicle
Personalization on page 5‑56, for
details on enabling or disabling the
Auto Defog function.
The air conditioning may also run if
0is selected, regardless of the
climate mode.
Automatic Operation
The system automatically controls
the fan speed, air delivery mode,
and recirculation to heat or cool the
vehicle to the selected temperature.
When the AUTO indicator light is
on, the system is in full automatic
operation. If the air delivery mode, fan speed, or recirculation setting is
adjusted, the AUTO indicator turns
off and the selected settings display.
For automatic operation:
1. Press AUTO.
2. Set the temperature. An initial
setting of 23°C (74°F) is
recommended. Allow the system
time to stabilize. Adjust the
temperature as needed.
Q/R(Temperature Control):
Press to increase or decrease the
temperature.
Auto Defog: The system will
monitor high humidity inside the
vehicle. When high humidity is
detected, the climate control system
may adjust to outside air supply and
turn on the air conditioner or the
heater. The fan speed may slightly
increase to help prevent fogging.
When high humidity is no longer
detected, the system will return to
its prior operation. To turn Auto Defog off or on, see
“Climate and
Air Quality” underVehicle
Personalization on page 5‑56.
Manual Operation
A(Fan Control): Press the fan
control buttons or the touch screen
fan control, to increase or decrease
the fan speed. The fan speed
setting displays. Pressing either
button cancels automatic fan control
and the fan can be controlled
manually. Press AUTO to return to
automatic operation. Press the fan
down button repeatedly to turn off
the fan and the climate control
system.
If the fan is manually turned off
while in ECO or Comfort mode, the
display will automatically change to
Fan Only mode. When the fan is
turned back on either by manually
increasing fan speed or pressing the
AUTO button, the climate mode will
revert back to ECO or
Comfort mode.
Black plate (6,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
8-6 Climate Controls
Air Delivery Mode Control:Press
CLIMATE to select the Climate
touch screen. Press the air delivery
mode touch screen button to
change the direction of the airflow.
The selected air delivery mode
button is lit. Pressing any of the air
delivery buttons cancels automatic
air delivery control and the direction
of the airflow can be controlled
manually. Press AUTO to return to
automatic operation.
To change the current mode, select
one of the following:
Y(Vent): Air is directed to the
instrument panel outlets.
\(Bi-Level): Air is divided
between the instrument panel
outlets and the floor outlets.
[(Floor): Air is directed to the
floor outlets.
-(Defog): Air is directed to the
windshield and floor outlets. Clears
the windows of fog or moisture.
0(Defrost): Air is directed to the
windshield. The windshield is
cleared of fog or frost more quickly.
Selecting
0will disable automatic
control and the AUTO button
indicator will not be lit.
Selecting
0again will return to the
previous climate settings.
For best results, clear all snow and
ice from the windshield before
defrosting.
If
0is selected in Fan Only or
ECO mode, air conditioning or
electric heat may turn on and have
a noticeable effect on vehicle
electric range and fuel economy.
AUTO
h(Auto Recirculation):
Press to allow the system to
automatically choose the air supply
mode for best performance in terms
of comfort, efficiency, and
defogging. Air is recirculated or
outside air is pulled into the vehicle.
The touch screen button is lit.
h(Manual Recirculation):
Press to alternate between
recirculating air inside the vehicle or
pulling in outside air. When
selected, the touch screen button
lights up to indicate that air is being
recirculated. This helps to quickly
cool the air inside the vehicle or
prevent outside air and odors from
entering.
Pressing this button cancels
automatic recirculation. Press AUTO
or AUTO
hto return to automatic
operation; recirculation runs
automatically as needed.
Manual recirculation mode is not
available when in Defrost or Defog
modes.
M/L(Manual Heated Seats): If
available, the controls are on the
center stack. To operate, the vehicle
must be on.
Press
MorLto heat the driver or
passenger seat cushion and
seatback. For more information, see
Heated Front Seats on page 3‑6.
Black plate (7,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
Climate Controls 8-7
MAUTO/LAUTO (Auto Heated
Seats): If available, the controls
are on the touch screen on the
center stack.
Press the touch screen
LAUTO or
MAUTO button. The button color
will change to green when this
feature is on. When the vehicle is
on, this feature will automatically
activate the heated seats at the
level required by the vehicle's
interior temperature. The active
high, medium, low, or off heated
seat level will be indicated by the
manual heated seat button lights on
the center stack. Use the touch
screen buttons or the manual
heated seat buttons on the center
stack to turn auto heated seats off.
For more information, see Heated
Front Seats on page 3‑6.
Rear Window Defogger
=(Rear Window Defogger):
Press to turn the rear window
defogger on or off.
The rear window defogger turns off
automatically after about
five minutes. If turned on again, it
runs for about five minutes before
turning off. The defogger can also
be turned off by turning the
vehicle off.
For vehicles with heated outside
rearview mirrors, they turn on when
the rear window defogger button is
on and help to clear fog or frost from
the surface of the mirror. See
Heated Mirrors on page 2‑17.
Notice: Do not try to clear frost
or other material from the inside
of the front windshield and rear
window with a razor blade or
anything else that is sharp. This
may damage the rear window
defogger grid and affect the
radio's ability to pick up stations
clearly. The repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty. Remote Start:
For vehicles with
this feature, the climate control
system may be started by using the
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter. The climate control
system will default to an appropriate
heating or cooling mode. See
Remote Start on page 2‑8.
The rear window defogger turns on
if it is cold outside.
Compressor
The vehicle has an electric powered
air conditioning compressor. This
allows for continuous air
conditioning and/or high voltage
battery cooling operation, without
running the engine.
The compressor operating speed is
not tied to the engine speed, so
some noise may be heard from the
compressor, especially when air
conditioning use is high and the
engine has turned off. This is
normal.
Black plate (3,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-3
Use Mountain Mode prior to
climbing long, steep grades in
mountainous areas. Be sure to
engage Mountain Mode before
starting to climb. Mountain Mode
reduces electric range and power
but may be needed to maintain
speeds above 96 km/h (60 mph)
when climbing grades of 5% or
greater.
Use L (Low) in heavy stop‐and‐go
traffic or when traveling downhill.
L (Low) requires less brake pedal
application and provides a
controlled, efficient way to slow the
vehicle down.
Climate Setting
Using the heat and air conditioning
systems decreases the energy
available for electric driving.
Optimal energy efficiency is
achieved with the heat, air
conditioning, and fan turned off.Less energy is used at low fan
speeds. When using the fan:
.Fan Only is the most energy
efficient climate setting as long
as
0is not selected.
.ECO is for moderate air
conditioning and heater
operation and is the next most
energy efficient setting as long
as
0is not selected.
.Comfort provides the most
comfort but is the least energy
efficient.
Use the auto heated seat feature
instead of climate settings. Heating
the seat uses less energy than
heating the vehicle interior. Use remote start to heat or cool the
interior when the vehicle is plugged
in to maximize the electric range by
utilizing electricity from the electrical
outlet.
Engine Assisted Heating operation,
if equipped, can be personalized.
See
Vehicle Personalization on
page 5‑56 for more information.
In hot weather, avoid parking in
direct sunlight or use sunshades
inside the vehicle.
Turn off the front and rear window
defog/defrost when they are no
longer needed.
Avoid driving with the windows open
at highway speeds.