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 (3,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
In Brief 1-3
A.Air Vents on page 8‑8.
B. Turn and Lane‐Change Lever. See Turn and Lane-Change
Signals on page 6‑4.
Exterior Lamp Controls on
page 6‑1.
Pedestrian Friendly Alert on
page 5‑6.
C. Instrument Cluster on page 5‑9.
Driver Information Center (DIC)
Display. See Driver Information
Center (DIC) on page 5‑45.
D. Windshield Wiper/Washer on
page 5‑6.
E. Heated Front Seats on page 3‑6
(If Equipped).
F. Center Stack Display on
page 5‑29.
G. Charging Status Indicator. See Charging Status Feedback on
page 9‑52. H. Light Sensor. See
Daytime
Running Lamps (DRL) on
page 6‑2.
I. Instrument Panel Storage on
page 4‑1.
J. Automatic Climate Control
System on page 8‑1.
K. Driver Information Center (DIC) Controls. See Driver Information
Center (DIC) on page 5‑45.
L. Instrument Panel Illumination
Control on page 6‑4.
M. Data Link Connector (DLC) (Out of View). See Malfunction
Indicator Lamp on page 5‑19.
N. Cruise Control on page 9‑40.
O. Steering Wheel Adjustment on
page 5‑5.
P. Horn on page 5‑6. Q.
Steering Wheel Controls on
page 5‑5 (If Equipped).
R. Leaf Button. See Center Stack
Display on page 5‑29.
S. DRIVE MODE Button. See Driver Selected Operating
Modes on page 9‑25.
T. Power Button on page 9‑18.
U. Shift Lever. See Electric Drive
Unit on page 9‑31.
V. Infotainment on page 7‑1.
Navigation System. See the
separate navigation system
manual.
W. Electric Parking Brake on
page 9‑34.
X. Power Door Locks on
page 2‑12.
Y. Hazard Warning Flashers on
page 6‑3.
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 (4,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
5-4 Instruments and Controls
A.Air Vents on page 8‑8.
B. Turn and Lane‐Change Lever. See Turn and Lane-Change
Signals on page 6‑4.
Exterior Lamp Controls on
page 6‑1.
Pedestrian Friendly Alert on
page 5‑6.
C. Instrument Cluster on page 5‑9.
Driver Information Center (DIC)
Display. See Driver Information
Center (DIC) on page 5‑45.
D. Windshield Wiper/Washer on
page 5‑6.
E. Heated Front Seats on page 3‑6
(If Equipped).
F. Center Stack Display on
page 5‑29.
G. Charging Status Indicator. See Charging Status Feedback on
page 9‑52. H. Light Sensor. See
Daytime
Running Lamps (DRL) on
page 6‑2.
I. Instrument Panel Storage on
page 4‑1.
J. Automatic Climate Control
System on page 8‑1.
K. Driver Information Center (DIC) Controls. See Driver Information
Center (DIC) on page 5‑45.
L. Instrument Panel Illumination
Control on page 6‑4.
M. Data Link Connector (DLC) (Out of View). See Malfunction
Indicator Lamp on page 5‑19.
N. Cruise Control on page 9‑40.
O. Steering Wheel Adjustment on
page 5‑5.
P. Horn on page 5‑6. Q.
Steering Wheel Controls on
page 5‑5 (If Equipped).
R. Leaf Button. See Center Stack
Display on page 5‑29.
S. DRIVE MODE Button. See Driver Selected Operating
Modes on page 9‑25.
T. Power Button on page 9‑18.
U. Shift Lever. See Electric Drive
Unit on page 9‑31.
V. Infotainment on page 7‑1.
Navigation System. See the
separate navigation system
manual.
W. Electric Parking Brake on
page 9‑34.
X. Power Door Locks on
page 2‑12.
Y. Hazard Warning Flashers on
page 6‑3.
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 (29,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-29
Hood Open
Hatch OpenThe DIC indicates when a door, the
hood, or the hatch is open. The light
displays the open area as shaded.
The DIC and the light both display
when the vehicle is moving. Only
the light displays if the vehicle is
stopped.
Information Displays
Center Stack Display
The center stack screen displays
Charging, Power Flow, and Energy
Information. See the information that
follows.
Climate Control, Infotainment, and
Vehicle Personalization information
also displays in this screen. For
more information on these
systems, see:
.Automatic Climate Control
System on page 8‑1.
.The navigation system manual
and
Infotainment on page 7‑1.
.Vehicle Personalization on
page 5‑56.
Black plate (56,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
5-56 Instruments and Controls
Vehicle
Personalization
The Vehicle Personalization
features can be accessed by using
either the infotainment controls or
the touch screen in the center stack
display. SeeOverview on page 7‑2
under “Infotainment System” for
more information.
Using the Infotainment
Controls
Use the CONFIG, TUNE/MENU
knob, and
}BACK buttons on the
center stack to select
personalization features.
CONFIG (Configure): Press to
scroll through the available menus
across the top of the touch screen
display. TUNE/MENU Knob
.Press to enter, select, or activate
a highlighted menu option.
.Turn to highlight a menu option.
.Press to turn a system setting on
or off.
}BACK
.Press to exit a menu.
.Press to return to a previous
screen.
Submenus
An arrow on the right‐hand edge of
the menu indicates that it has a
submenu with other options.
Selecting a Menu Option
1. Turn the TUNE/MENU knob to highlight the function.
2. Press the TUNE/MENU knob to select the highlighted option.
A checkmark next to the option
indicates the selected option. Turning a Function On or Off
1. Turn the TUNE/MENU knob to
highlight the function.
2. Press the TUNE/MENU knob to turn the function on or off.
A checkmark next to the function
indicates that the function is on.
Using the Touch Screen
Use the touch screen icons and
menus on the center stack display
to select personalization features.
w:Touch to scroll up.
x:Touch to scroll down.
Back: Touch Back in the upper
right corner of the display to return
to the previous menu.
Submenus
An arrow on the right‐hand edge of
the menu indicates that it has a
submenu with other options.
Black plate (60,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
5-60 Instruments and Controls
Chime Volume
This allows the selection of the
chime volume level to be either
normal or high.
To select the chime volume level:
1. Press the VehicleSettings menu.
2. Select Comfort and Convenience.
3. Select Chime Volume.
4. Select the volume level.
5. Press Back to return to the previous menu.
Button Chime
This allows a tone to be heard when
a selection is made using the
infotainment system.
To turn the button chime on or off:
1. Press the Vehicle Settings menu.
2. Select Comfort and Convenience. 3. Turn the button chime feature on
or off.
4. Press Back to return to the previous menu.
Energy Summary Exit Pop‐up
This allows the energy summary
exit pop‐up to be turned on or off:
1. Press the Vehicle Settings menu.
2. Select Comfort and Convenience.
3. Turn the energy summary exit pop‐up feature on or off.
4. Press Back to return to the previous menu.
Charge Cord Theft Alert
This allows the charge cord theft
alert to be turned on or off:
1. Press the Vehicle Settings menu.
2. Select Comfort and Convenience. 3. Turn the Charge Cord Theft Alert
feature on or off.
4. Press Back to return to the previous menu.
Charge Power Loss Alert
This allows the charge power loss
alert to be turned on or off:
1. Press the Vehicle Settings menu.
2. Select Comfort and Convenience.
3. Turn the Charge Power Loss Alert feature on or off.
4. Press Back to return to the previous menu.
Languages
This allows the selection of a
language:
1. Press the VehicleSettings menu.
2. Select Languages.