2015 CHEVROLET VOLT maintenance

Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet VOLT Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-7695131) -
2015 - crc - 4/25/14
9-4 Driving and Operating
Maintenance
Always keep the tires properly
inflated and the vehicle properly
aligned.
The weight of excess cargo in the
vehicle affects efficiency and range.
Avoid carrying more than is needed.
If fuel is not regularly used, consider
keeping the fuel tank only one-third
full. Excess fuel weight impacts
efficiency and range.
For fuel recommendations, seeFuel
on page 9-53
Avoid unnecessary use of electrical
accessories. Power used for
functions other than propelling the
vehicle will reduce EV range.
Using a rooftop carrier will reduce
efficiency due to additional weight
and drag.
Distracted Driving
Distraction comes in many forms
and can take your focus from the
task of driving. Exercise good judgment and do not let other
activities divert your attention away
from the road. Many local
governments have enacted laws
regarding driver distraction. Become
familiar with the local laws in
your area.
To avoid distracted driving, always
keep your eyes on the road, hands
on the wheel, and mind on the drive.
.Do not use a phone in
demanding driving situations.
Use a hands-free method to
place or receive necessary
phone calls.
.Watch the road. Do not read,
take notes, or look up
information on phones or other
electronic devices.
.Designate a front seat
passenger to handle potential
distractions.
.Become familiar with vehicle
features before driving, such as
programming favorite radio
stations and adjusting climate
control and seat settings.
Program all trip information into
any navigation device prior to
driving.
.Wait until the vehicle is parked
to retrieve items that have fallen
to the floor.
.Stop or park the vehicle to tend
to children.
.Keep pets in an appropriate
carrier or restraint.
.Avoid stressful conversations
while driving, whether with a
passenger or on a cell phone.
{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.

Black plate (6,1)Chevrolet VOLT Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-7695131) -
2015 - crc - 4/25/14
9-6 Driving and Operating
still be some power brake assist but
it will be used when the brake is
applied. Once the power assist is
used up, it can take longer to stop
and the brake pedal will be harder
to push.
Steering
Electric Power Steering
The vehicle has electric power
steering. It does not have power
steering fluid. Regular maintenance
is not required.
If power steering assist is lost due
to a system malfunction, the vehicle
can be steered, but may require
increased effort.
See your dealer if there is a
problem.
If the steering wheel is turned until it
reaches the end of its travel and is
held against that position for an
extended period of time, power
steering assist may be reduced.If the steering assist is used for an
extended period of time, power
assist may be reduced.
Normal use of the power steering
assist should return when the
system cools down.
See specific vehicle steering
messages under
Service Vehicle
Messages on page 5-48. See your
dealer if there is a problem.
Curve Tips
.Take curves at a reasonable
speed.
.Reduce speed before entering a
curve.
.Maintain a reasonable steady
speed through the curve.
.Wait until the vehicle is out of
the curve before accelerating
gently into the straightaway.
Steering in Emergencies
.There are some situations when
steering around a problem may
be more effective than braking.
.Holding both sides of the
steering wheel allows you to turn
180 degrees without removing
a hand.
.The Antilock Brake System
(ABS) allows steering while
braking.
Off-Road Recovery

Black plate (19,1)Chevrolet VOLT Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-7695131) -
2015 - crc - 4/25/14
Driving and Operating 9-19
driver door upon entry, when the
vehicle is ready to be driven, and
when the vehicle is turned off.
The instrument cluster displays an
active fuel or battery gauge, along
with an audio startup cue, when the
vehicle is ready to be driven. This
could take up to 15 seconds at
extremely cold temperatures. The
engine will only start if needed.
If the vehicle did not start, the
instrument cluster will display a
screen with inactive fuel and battery
gauges. SeeStarting and Stopping
the Vehicle on page 9-18.
Restarting Procedure
If the vehicle must be restarted
while it is still moving, move the shift
lever to N (Neutral) and press the
POWER
Obutton twice without
pressing the brake pedal. The
propulsion system will not restart in
any other position. Computers determine when the
engine needs to run. The engine
may start, if required, when the
propulsion system is on. Some
vehicle conditions that force the
engine to run:
.There are cold ambient
temperatures.
.The hood is open or not
completely latched.
.The high voltage battery has a
low charge.
.The engine needs to run for
maintenance.
See Maintenance Modes on
page 9-25.
A chime will sound if the driver door
is opened while the vehicle is in ON/
RUN. Always press the POWER
O
button to turn the vehicle off before
exiting.
Stopping Procedure
For information on how to turn the
vehicle off, see Power Button on
page 9-16.
Retained Accessory
Power (RAP)
The following features will operate
for up to 10 minutes or until the
driver door is opened:
.Audio System
.Accessory Power Outlets
Power windows will operate for up
to 10 minutes or until any door is
opened.
Shifting Into Park
1. Hold the brake pedal down and set the parking brake. See
Electric Parking Brake on
page 9-31.
2. Move the shift lever into P (Park) by pushing the lever all the way
toward the front of the vehicle.
3. Turn the vehicle off.

Black plate (22,1)Chevrolet VOLT Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-7695131) -
2015 - crc - 4/25/14
9-22 Driving and Operating
Electric Mode
In Electric Mode, the vehicle does
not use fuel or produce tailpipe
emissions. During this primary
mode, the vehicle is powered by
electrical energy stored in the high
voltage battery. The vehicle can
operate in this mode until the
battery has reached a low charge.
There are some conditions when the
battery charge is high enough to
provide Electric Mode operation, but
the engine still runs. They are:
.Cold ambient temperatures.
.Hot or cold high voltage battery
temperatures.
.The hood being open or not
completely closed and latched.
.Certain high voltage battery fault
conditions.
.Engine Maintenance Mode or
Fuel Maintenance Mode
being run.
Extended Range Mode
When the vehicle reaches the end
of its electric range, it switches to
Extended Range Mode (ERM). In
this secondary mode, electricity is
produced by the fuel‐powered
engine. This secondary source of
electric power extends the vehicle
range. Operation will continue in
ERM until the vehicle can be
plugged in to recharge the high
voltage battery and restore
Electric Mode.
The high voltage battery will
continue to provide some power and
work together with the engine to
provide peak performance when it is
required, such as driving up a steep
incline or for high acceleration
maneuvers. The battery will not be
charged nor will electric vehicle
range be restored by the engine.
In either Electric Mode or Extended
Range Mode, when the hood is
open, the engine will run without
turning off if the vehicle is on. Thehigh voltage battery is neither
charged nor discharged when this
occurs.
In either Electric Mode or Extended
Range Mode, if there is a high
voltage battery fault, the engine may
run without turning off to generate
needed electricity. The malfunction
indicator lamp will turn on. See
Malfunction Indicator Lamp on
page 5-16.
Driver Selected Operating
Modes
While driving in Electric or Extended
Range Mode, additional operating
modes can be selected.

Black plate (25,1)Chevrolet VOLT Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-7695131) -
2015 - crc - 4/25/14
Driving and Operating 9-25
mode transitions the vehicle to
Extended Range Mode to maintain
the battery charge reserve.
Upon exiting Hold Mode, the
reserved battery charge becomes
available again and the vehicle
returns to Electric Mode. If the
transition is from Hold Mode directly
to Mountain Mode, the electric
range displayed adjusts for the
Mountain Mode charge reserve.
Hold Mode will not change normal
vehicle acceleration or braking
performance.
Press the DRIVE MODE button to
select Hold Mode.
Press the DRIVE MODE button
again to return to Normal Mode and
it becomes active after
three seconds.
The Hold light comes on when Hold
Mode is selected. SeeHold Mode
Light on page 5-21.
Each time the vehicle is started, it
will return to Normal Mode.Out of Fuel/Engine
Unavailable
If the vehicle runs out of fuel, or the
engine will not start due to a
malfunction, the vehicle can
continue to be driven in Electric
Mode. The vehicle will have less
responsive acceleration. DIC
messages indicate reduced
propulsion power, that the engine is
not available, and the need for fuel
or service.
Once the vehicle is refueled, or the
malfunction is corrected, the engine
will start the next time the vehicle is
turned on to perform a self test, and
DIC messages will not be displayed.
Once the engine starts successfully,
normal operation will continue in
either Electric or Extended Range
Mode. The engine will stop running
after the self test is completed, and
based on the current mode of
operation. See Fuel System
Messages on page 5-44 and
Service Vehicle Messages on
page 5-48.
Maintenance Modes
Engine Maintenance Mode (EMM)
EMM runs the engine to keep it in
good working condition after
approximately six weeks of no or
very limited engine operation. EMM
will force the engine to run, even if
there is a charge to power the
vehicle. When EMM is needed, the
EMM Request screen appears on
the center stack display at vehicle
start.
If Yes is selected, EMM will begin.
The engine will run for a set amount
of time without turning off. During

Black plate (26,1)Chevrolet VOLT Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-7695131) -
2015 - crc - 4/25/14
9-26 Driving and Operating
EMM, a DIC message displays to
show the EMM percentage
complete.
If No is selected, the EMM Request
screen will appear when the vehicle
is next started. The EMM request
can be delayed for only one day.
If the EMM request was delayed for
one day, EMM will automatically
start the engine at the next vehicle
start. An EMM Notification screen
will appear in the center stack
display.
If the vehicle shuts off during EMM,
it will restart the next time the
vehicle is driven. A message
displays to indicate that EMM is
active.If EMM is required and the fuel level
is low, EMM may eventually empty
the fuel tank if fuel is not added.
This will result in reduced, or no
power. An adequate fuel level must
be maintained in the vehicle to keep
it operational. See
Propulsion Power
Messages on page 5-47.
Fuel Maintenance Mode (FMM)
FMM tracks average fuel age. Old
fuel can cause engine problems.
If low engine usage causes average
fuel age to exceed approximately
one year, FMM will run the engine to
use up the old fuel. The engine will
run until enough fresh fuel is added
to bring the average fuel age into an
acceptable range. Allowing more old fuel to be used up by FMM and
adding a larger amount of fresh fuel
will maximize the length of time
before another fuel maintenance
mode is needed. During FMM the
engine may turn on and off.
When FMM is needed, the FMM
Request screen appears on the
center stack display at vehicle start.
If Yes is selected, FMM will begin.
FMM will automatically continue at
each vehicle start until fresh fuel is
added.
If No is selected, the FMM Request
screen will appear when the vehicle
is next started. The FMM request
can be delayed for only one day.

Black plate (53,1)Chevrolet VOLT Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-7695131) -
2015 - crc - 4/25/14
Driving and Operating 9-53
Charging equipment with a rating of
at least 240 volts/20 amps will
provide the fastest charging time
and best charging efficiency to
recharge the high voltage battery.
240 volt/40 amp circuits provide
flexibility for future vehicle charging
needs. Always follow the charging
equipment installation instructions.
Contact your dealer for more
information.
{Caution
Do not use portable or stationary
backup generating equipment to
charge the vehicle. This may
cause damage to the vehicle's
charging system. Only charge the
vehicle from utility supplied
power.
Fuel
Use of the recommended fuel is an
important part of the proper
maintenance of this vehicle. When
driving in the U.S. and Canada, to
help keep the engine clean and
maintain optimum vehicle
performance, we recommend TOP
TIER Detergent Gasolines. See
www.toptiergas.com for a list of TOP
TIER Detergent Gasolines.
Use premium unleaded gasoline
meeting ASTM specification D4814
with a posted octane rating of 91 orhigher. If the octane is less than 91,
damage to the engine may occur
and may void the vehicle warranty.
If heavy knocking is heard when
using gasoline rated at 91 octane or
higher, the engine needs service.
Use of Seasonal Fuels
Use summer and winter fuels in the
appropriate season. The fuels
industry automatically modifies the
fuel for the appropriate season.
If fuel is left in the vehicle tank for
long periods of time, driving or
starting could be affected. Drive the
vehicle until the fuel is at one-half
tank or less, then refuel with the
current seasonal fuel.
Prohibited Fuels
Gasolines containing oxygenates
such as ethers and ethanol, as well
as reformulated gasolines, are
available in some cities. If these
gasolines comply with the
previously described specification,
then they are acceptable to use.
However, E85 (85% ethanol) and

Black plate (6,1)Chevrolet VOLT Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-7695131) -
2015 - crc - 4/25/14
10-6 Vehicle Care
Warning (Continued)
High voltage components are
identified by labels. Do not
remove, open, take apart,
or modify these components.
High voltage cable or wiring has
orange covering. Do not probe,
tamper with, cut, or modify high
voltage cable or wiring.
{Warning
It can be dangerous to work on
your vehicle if you do not have
the proper knowledge, service
manual, tools, or parts. Always
follow owner manual procedures
and consult the service manual
for your vehicle before doing any
service work.
If doing some of your own service
work, use the proper service
manual. It tells you much more about how to service the vehicle
than this manual can. To order the
proper service manual, see
Service
Publications Ordering Information
on page 13-11.
This vehicle has an airbag system.
Before attempting to do your own
service work, see Airbag System
Check on page 3-29.
Keep a record with all parts receipts
and list the mileage and the date of
any service work performed. See
Maintenance Records on
page 11-12.{Caution
Even small amounts of
contamination can cause damage
to vehicle systems. Do not allow
contaminants to contact the fluids,
reservoir caps, or dipsticks.
Hood
To open the hood:
1. Turn the vehicle off before opening the hood. If the vehicle
is on, the engine will start when
the hood is opened. See Electric
Mode on page 9-22 and
Extended Range Mode on
page 9-22.
2. Pull the release handle with this
symbol. It is below the
instrument panel outboard of the
steering wheel.