Black plate (25,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
In Brief 1-25
2. When the READY TO REFUELmessage displays, the fuel door
on the passenger side will
unlock. Push the rearward edge
of the fuel door in and release to
open the door.
3. Turn the fuel cap counterclockwise to remove.
While refueling, hang the fuel
cap tether from the hook on the
inside of the fuel door. Complete
refueling within 30 minutes of
pushing the fuel door button on
the driver door. If refueling more
than 30 minutes, push the fuel
door button again. 4. After refueling, reinstall the fuel
cap by turning it clockwise until it
clicks. Close the fuel door.
See Filling the Tank on page 9‑62.
Total Vehicle Range
Total vehicle range is the remaining
distance the vehicle can be driven
combining the electric range and
fuel range.
SeeDriving for Better Energy
Efficiency on page 9‑2.
Regenerative Braking
Regenerative braking takes some of
the energy from the moving vehicle
and turns it back into electrical
energy. This energy is then stored
back into the high voltage battery
system, contributing to increased
energy efficiency.
See Regenerative Braking on
page 9‑36.
Black plate (20,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
5-20 Instruments and Controls
Notice:Modifications made to
the engine, electric drive unit,
exhaust, intake, or fuel system of
the vehicle or the replacement of
the original tires with other
than those of the same Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC) can
affect the vehicle emission
controls and can cause this light
to come on. Modifications to
these systems could lead to
costly repairs not covered by the
vehicle warranty. This could also
result in a failure to pass a
required Emission Inspection/
Maintenance test. See
Accessories and Modifications on
page 10‑3.
This light comes on during a
malfunction in one of two ways:
Light Flashing: A misfire condition
has been detected. A misfire
increases vehicle emissions and
could damage the emission control
system on the vehicle. Diagnosis
and service might be required. The following can prevent more
serious damage to the vehicle:
.Reduce vehicle speed.
.Avoid hard accelerations.
.Avoid steep uphill grades.
If the light continues to flash, when
it is safe to do so, stop the vehicle.
Find a safe place to park the
vehicle. Turn the vehicle off, wait at
least 10 seconds, and restart the
vehicle. If the light is still flashing,
follow the previous steps and see
your dealer for service as soon as
possible.
Light On Steady: An emission
control system malfunction has
been detected on the vehicle.
Diagnosis and service might be
required. The following may correct an
emission system malfunction:
.Check that the fuel cap is fully
installed. The diagnostic system
can determine if the fuel cap has
been left off or improperly
installed. A loose or missing fuel
cap allows fuel to evaporate into
the atmosphere. A few driving
trips with the cap properly
installed should turn the light off.
.Check that good quality fuel is
used. Poor fuel quality causes
the engine not to run as
efficiently as designed and may
cause stalling after start-up or
misfiring. These conditions might
go away once the engine is
warmed up.
If one or more of these
conditions occurs, change the
fuel brand used. It will require at
least one full tank of the proper
fuel to turn the light off.
Black plate (50,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
5-50 Instruments and Controls
ENGINE RUNNING DUE TO
TEMPERATURE
This message displays when the
high voltage battery is charged but
the engine has to come on because
of the outside temperature or high
voltage battery temperature.
Engine Oil Messages
CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
This message displays when the
engine oil needs to be changed.
After changing the engine oil, the
Engine Oil Life System must be
reset. SeeEngine Oil Life System
on page 10‑12 andDriver
Information Center (DIC) on
page 5‑45 for information on how to
reset the system. See Engine Oil on
page 10‑9 andMaintenance
Schedule on page 11‑3 for more
information.
OIL PRESSURE LOW —TURN
VEHICLE OFF
This message displays if low oil
pressure levels occur. Stop the
vehicle as soon as safely possible
and do not operate it until the cause
of the low oil pressure has been
corrected. Check the oil as soon as
possible and have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer.
Fuel System Messages
CLOSE FUEL DOOR
This message displays when the
fuel door is open and the vehicle is
moving.
ENGINE NOT AVAILABLE
ADD FUEL
This message displays when the
engine is not available due to
running out of fuel. The vehicle can
continue to be driven in Electric
Mode until the battery is depleted,
but will have reduced acceleration. When this message is displayed,
refuel the vehicle. See
Out of Fuel/
Engine Unavailable on page 9‑27.
FUEL LEVEL LOW
This message displays when the
vehicle is low on fuel. Refuel as
soon as possible.
READY TO REFUEL
This message displays when the
fuel system is depressurized and
the vehicle can be refueled.
TIGHTEN GAS CAP
This message displays when the
fuel cap is not on tight. Tighten the
fuel cap.
WAIT TO REFUEL
This message displays when the
fuel system is pressurized and you
must to wait to refuel the vehicle.
Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
Climate Controls 8-1
Climate Controls
Climate Control Systems
Automatic Climate ControlSystem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Air Vents
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-8
Climate Control
Systems
Automatic Climate
Control System
The climate control buttons and the
touch screen are used to adjust the
heating, cooling, and ventilation. The vehicle may require the use of
an auxiliary heat source under
certain cold conditions. This
provides additional heating and
defrost capability obtained by
running the engine, even if the high
voltage battery is adequately
charged. Under these conditions,
the engine will start and use fuel.
Make sure there is fuel in the tank.
Do not allow the vehicle to remain in
extreme temperatures for long
periods without being driven or
being plugged in.
Black plate (16,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
9-16 Driving and Operating
Refer to the vehicle's Tire and
Loading Information label for
specific information about the
vehicle's capacity weight and
seating positions. The combined
weight of the driver, passengers,
and cargo should never exceed
the vehicle's capacity weight.Certification Label
Label Example
A vehicle-specific Certification
label is found on the center pillar
(B-pillar). The label shows the
gross weight capacity of the
vehicle. This is the Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR)
and includes the weight of the
vehicle, all occupants, fuel, and
cargo. Never exceed the GVWR
for the vehicle, or the Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for
either the front or rear axle.Spread out heavy loads equally
on both sides of the vehicle. See
“Steps for Determining Correct
Load Limit”
earlier in this
section.
{WARNING
Do not load the vehicle any
heavier than the Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating
(GVWR), or either the
maximum front or rear Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR).
This can cause systems to
break and change the way the
vehicle handles. This could
cause loss of control and a
crash. Overloading can also
shorten the life of the vehicle.
Black plate (62,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
9-62 Driving and Operating
Filling the Tank
{WARNING
Fuel vapor burns violently and a
fuel fire can cause bad injuries.
To help avoid injuries to you and
others, read and follow all the
instructions on the fuel pump
island. Turn off the vehicle when
refueling. Do not smoke near fuel
or when refueling the vehicle. Do
not use cellular phones. Keep
sparks, flames, and smoking
materials away from fuel. Do not
leave the fuel pump unattended
when refueling the vehicle. This is
against the law in some places.
Do not re-enter the vehicle while
pumping fuel. Keep children away
from the fuel pump; never let
children pump fuel.The fuel system on this vehicle
requires a refueling process to
control evaporative emissions. To
refuel the vehicle:
1. Press the fuel door button on the
driver door for one second.
A WAIT TO REFUEL message
displays on the Driver
Information Center.
2. When the READY TO REFUELmessage displays, the fuel door
on the passenger side will
unlock. Push the rearward edge
of the fuel door in and release to
open the door.
3. Turn the fuel cap counterclockwise to remove.
While refueling, hang the fuel
cap tether from the hook on the
inside of the fuel door. Complete
refueling within 30 minutes of
pushing the fuel door button on
the driver door. If refueling more
than 30 minutes, push the fuel
door button again.
Black plate (63,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-63
4. After refueling, reinstall the fuelcap by turning it clockwise until it
clicks. Close the fuel door.
{WARNING
Fuel can spray out on you if you
open the fuel cap too quickly.
If you spill fuel and then
something ignites it, you could be
badly burned. This spray can
happen if the tank is nearly full,
and is more likely in hot weather.
Open the fuel cap slowly and wait
for any hiss noise to stop. Then
unscrew the cap all the way. Do not top off or overfill the tank and
wait a few seconds before removing
the nozzle. Clean fuel from painted
surfaces as soon as possible. See
Exterior Care on page 10‑85.{WARNING
If a fire starts while you are
refueling, do not remove the
nozzle. Shut off the flow of fuel by
shutting off the pump or by
notifying the station attendant.
Leave the area immediately.
Notice:
If a new fuel cap is
needed, be sure to get the right
type of cap from your dealer. The
wrong type of fuel cap might not
fit properly, might cause the
malfunction indicator lamp to
light, and could damage the fuel
tank and emissions system. See
Malfunction Indicator Lamp on
page 5‑19.
Black plate (10,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
10-10 Vehicle Care
Checking Engine Oil
It is a good idea to check the engine
oil level at each fuel fill. In order to
get an accurate reading, the vehicle
must be on level ground. The
engine oil dipstick handle is a yellow
loop. SeeEngine Compartment
Overview on page 10‑8 for the
location of the engine oil dipstick.
Obtaining an accurate oil level
reading is essential:
1. If the engine has been running recently, turn off the engine and
allow several minutes for the oil
to drain back into the oil pan.
Checking the oil level too soon
after engine shutoff will not
provide an accurate oil level
reading.
2. Pull out the dipstick and clean it with a paper towel or cloth, then
push it back in all the way.
Remove it again, keeping the tip
down, and check the level.
When to Add Engine Oil
If the oil is below the cross-hatched
area at the tip of the dipstick, add
1 L (1 qt) of the recommended oil
and then recheck the level. See
“Selecting the Right Engine Oil” in
this section for an explanation of
what kind of oil to use. For engine
oil crankcase capacity, see
Capacities and Specifications on
page 12‑2. Notice:
Do not add too much oil.
Oil levels above or below the
acceptable operating range
shown on the dipstick are harmful
to the engine. If you find that you
have an oil level above the
operating range, i.e., the engine
has so much oil that the oil level
gets above the cross-hatched
area that shows the proper
operating range, the engine could
be damaged. You should drain
out the excess oil or limit driving
of the vehicle and seek a service
professional to remove the
excess amount of oil.
See Engine Compartment Overview
on page 10‑8 for the location of the
engine oil fill cap.
Add enough oil to put the level
somewhere in the proper operating
range. Push the dipstick all the way
back in when through.