Chevrolet VOLT Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada/Mexico-
9159388) - 2016 - crc - 5/20/15
Instruments and Controls 131
RELEASE PARKING BRAKE
This message displays if the Electric
Parking Brake is on while the
vehicle is in motion. Release it
before attempting to drive. See
Electric Parking Brake0185.
SERVICE BRAKE ASSIST
This message displays when there
is a problem with the brake boost
system. When this message
displays, the brake pedal may be
harder to push and the stopping
distance may be longer. See your
dealer for service.
SERVICE PARKING BRAKE
This message displays when there
is a problem with the Electric
Parking Brake. See your dealer for
service.
STEP ON BRAKE TO
RELEASE PARK BRAKE
This message displays when
attempting to release the Electric
Parking Brake without the brake
pedal applied. See Electric Parking
Brake 0185.
Compass Messages
Dashes may be displayed if the
vehicle temporarily loses
communication with the Global
Positioning System (GPS).
Cruise Control Messages
CRUISE SET TO XXX
This message displays when the
cruise control is set and shows the
speed it was set to. See Cruise
Control 0190.
Door Ajar Messages
DOOR OPEN
A door open symbol will be
displayed on the DIC showing which
door is open. If the vehicle has been
shifted out of P (Park), a DOOR
OPEN message will also be
displayed. The DOOR OPEN
message may also be displayed if
the vehicle starts to move. Close the
door completely.
HOOD OPEN
This message will display along with
a hood open symbol when the hood
is open. Close the hood completely.
TRUNK OPEN
This message will display along with
a symbol when the hatch is open.
Close the hatch completely.
Electric Drive Unit
Messages
SHIFT FROM NEUTRAL
This message displays when the
vehicle should be shifted from
N (Neutral). If the vehicle remains in
electric neutral at low vehicle
speeds, the vehicle will not be able
to charge the high voltage battery.
SHIFT TO PARK
This message displays when the
vehicle should be shifted to
P (Park). This may appear when
attempting to turn off the vehicle
when it is not in P (Park).
Chevrolet VOLT Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada/Mexico-
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Driving and Operating 161
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 165
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 166
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 168
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 171
Power Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Starting and Stopping theVehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Electric Vehicle Operating
Modes
System Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Electric Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Extended Range Mode . . . . . . . 176
Driver Selected OperatingModes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Out of Fuel/Engine Unavailable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Maintenance Modes . . . . . . . . . . 180
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Electric Drive Unit
Electric Drive Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . 185
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . 186
Regenerative Braking . . . . . . . . 187
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Driver Mode Control . . . . . . . . . . 190
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . 193
Assistance Systems for Parking or Backing . . . . . . . . . . 193
Assistance Systems for Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Front Automatic Braking (FAB) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . 201
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . 203
Charging
Plug-In Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Delayed Charging Override . . . 206
Charging Status Feedback . . . 207
Charge Cord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Utility Interruption of Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Electrical Requirements for Battery Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Chevrolet VOLT Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada/Mexico-
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166 Driving and Operating
Warning (Continued)
occupants could drown. Do not
ignore police warnings and be
very cautious about trying to drive
through flowing water.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. Water
can build up under the vehicle's
tires so they actually ride on the
water. This can happen if the road is
wet enough and you are going fast
enough. When the vehicle is
hydroplaning, it has little or no
contact with the road.
There is no hard and fast rule about
hydroplaning. The best advice is to
slow down when the road is wet.
Other Rainy Weather Tips
Besides slowing down, other wet
weather driving tips include:
.Allow extra following distance.
. Pass with caution.
. Keep windshield wiping
equipment in good shape. .
Keep the windshield washer fluid
reservoir filled.
. Have good tires with proper
tread depth. See Tires0261.
. Turn off cruise control.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or through
mountains is different than driving
on flat or rolling terrain. See
“Mountain Mode” underDriver
Selected Operating Modes 0177.
Tips include:
. Keep the vehicle serviced and in
good shape.
. Check all fluid levels and brakes,
tires, cooling system, and
electric drive unit.
. Keep the vehicle in gear when
going down steep or long hills.
{Warning
Coasting downhill in N (Neutral)
or with the vehicle turned off is
dangerous. The brakes will have
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
to do all the work of slowing down
the vehicle and could become too
hot. Hot brakes may not be able
to slow the vehicle enough to
maintain speed and control. You
could crash. Always have the
vehicle running and in gear
(preferably LOW range) when
going downhill. This will allow the
electric drive unit to assist in
slowing and maintaining speed.
. Drive at speeds to keep the
vehicle in its own lane. Do not
swing wide or cross the
center line.
. Be alert on top of hills.
Something could be in your lane
(e.g., stalled car, accident).
. Pay attention to special road
signs (e.g., falling rocks area,
winding roads, long grades,
passing or no-passing zones)
and take appropriate action.
Chevrolet VOLT Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada/Mexico-
9159388) - 2016 - crc - 5/20/15
Driving and Operating 167
Winter Driving
Driving on Snow or Ice
Snow or ice between the tires and
the road creates less traction or
grip, so drive carefully. Wet ice can
occur at about 0 °C (32 °F) when
freezing rain begins to fall. Avoid
driving on wet ice or in freezing rain
until roads can be treated.
For slippery road driving:
.Accelerate gently. Accelerating
too quickly causes the wheels to
spin and makes the surface
under the tires slick.
. Turn on Traction Control. See
Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control 0188.
. The Antilock Brake System
(ABS) improves vehicle stability
during hard stops, but the
brakes should be applied sooner
than when on dry pavement.
See Antilock Brake System
(ABS) 0184.
. Allow greater following distance
and watch for slippery spots. Icy
patches can occur on otherwise clear roads in shaded areas.
The surface of a curve or an
overpass can remain icy when
the surrounding roads are clear.
Avoid sudden steering
maneuvers and braking while
on ice.
. Turn off cruise control.
Stay with the vehicle unless there is
help nearby. If possible, use
Roadside Assistance. See Roadside
Assistance Program 0335. To get
help and keep everyone in the
vehicle safe:
. Turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
. Tie a red cloth to an outside
mirror.
{Warning
Snow can trap engine exhaust
under the vehicle. This may
cause exhaust gases to get
inside. Engine exhaust contains
carbon monoxide (CO), which
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
cannot be seen or smelled. It can
cause unconsciousness and even
death.
If the vehicle is stuck in snow:
. Clear snow from the base of
the vehicle, especially any
blocking the exhaust pipe.
. Open a window about 5 cm
(2 in) on the vehicle side
that is away from the wind,
to bring in fresh air.
. Fully open the air outlets on
or under the instrument
panel.
. Adjust the climate control
system to circulate the air
inside the vehicle and set
the fan speed to the highest
setting. See “Climate
Control Systems.”
For more information about CO,
see Engine Exhaust 0182 in the
index.
Chevrolet VOLT Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada/Mexico-
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188 Driving and Operating
Regen on Demand®
Regen on Demand allows increased
deceleration by pressing and
holding the steering wheel paddle.
It works in D (Drive) and L (Low).
The accelerator pedal must be fully
released for it to work.The brake pedal must be applied at
low speed, because Regen on
Demand will not bring the car to a
full stop.
Cruise control will turn off, and the
brake lights may come on, when
this feature is activated.
The brake controller applies the
hydraulic brakes using a pump. You
may hear the pump during some
braking maneuvers, such as rapid
brake applies or while replacing any
regenerative brake torque as the
vehicle comes to a stop. This is
normal operation.
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/
Electronic Stability
Control
The vehicle has a Traction Control
System (TCS) and an Electronic
Stability Control system called
StabiliTrak. These systems help
limit wheel slip and assist the driver
in maintaining control, especially on
slippery road conditions.
TCS activates if it senses that any
of the drive wheels are slipping or
beginning to lose traction. When this
happens, TCS applies the brakes to
the spinning wheels and reduces
engine power to limit wheel spin.
StabiliTrak activates when the
vehicle senses a difference between
the intended path and the direction
the vehicle is actually traveling.
StabiliTrak selectively applies
braking pressure to any of the
vehicle wheel brakes to help assist
the driver in keeping the vehicle on
the intended path.
Chevrolet VOLT Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada/Mexico-
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Driving and Operating 189
If cruise control is being used and
traction control or StabiliTrak begins
to limit wheel spin, cruise control will
disengage. Cruise control may be
turned back on when road
conditions allow.
Both systems come on
automatically when the vehicle is
started and begins to move. The
systems may be heard or felt while
they are operating or while
performing diagnostic checks. This
is normal and does not mean there
is a problem with the vehicle.
It is recommended to leave both
systems on for normal driving
conditions, but it may be necessary
to turn TCS off if the vehicle gets
stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow.
SeeIf the Vehicle Is Stuck 0168
and “Turning the Systems Off and
On” later in this section.The indicator light for both systems
is in the instrument cluster. This
light will:
.
Flash when TCS is limiting
wheel spin.
. Flash when StabiliTrak is
activated.
. Turn on and stay on when either
system is not working.
If either system fails to turn on or to
activate, a message displays in the
Driver Information Center (DIC), and
dcomes on and stays on to
indicate that the system is inactive
and is not assisting the driver in
maintaining control. The vehicle is
safe to drive, but driving should be
adjusted accordingly.
If
dcomes on and stays on:
1. Stop the vehicle.
2. Turn the engine off and wait 15 seconds.
3. Start the engine. Drive the vehicle. If
dcomes on
and stays on, the vehicle may need
more time to diagnose the problem.
If the condition persists, see your
dealer.
Turning the Systems Off
and On
Caution
Do not repeatedly brake or
accelerate heavily when TCS is
off. The vehicle driveline could be
damaged.
Chevrolet VOLT Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada/Mexico-
9159388) - 2016 - crc - 5/20/15
190 Driving and Operating
To turn off only TCS, press and
release
g. The Traction Off lighti
displays in the instrument cluster.
The appropriate DIC message is
displayed. SeeRide Control System
Messages 0136. To turn TCS on
again, press and release
g. The
Traction Off light
idisplayed in the
instrument cluster will turn off.
To turn off both TCS and StabiliTrak,
press and hold
guntil the Traction
Off light
iand StabiliTrak Off light
gcome on and stay on in the
instrument cluster. The appropriate
DIC message is displayed. See
Ride Control System Messages
0 136. To turn TCS and StabiliTrak
on again, press and release
g. The
Traction Off light
iand StabiliTrak
Off light
gin the instrument cluster
turn off.
Adding accessories can affect the
vehicle performance. See
Accessories and Modifications
0 226.
Driver Mode Control
There are four operating modes that
can be selected while driving in
Electric or Extended Range Mode.
The four modes are Normal, Sport,
Mountain, and Hold.
Pressing MODE will display the
selectable drive modes in the Driver
Information Center (DIC). See
Driver Selected Operating Modes
0177 for information on mode
operation.
Cruise Control
The cruise control lets the vehicle
maintain a speed of about 40 km/h
(25 mph) or more without keeping
your foot on the accelerator. Cruise
control does not work at speeds
below 40 km/h (25 mph).
{Warning
Cruise control can be dangerous
where you cannot drive safely at
a steady speed. Do not use
cruise control on winding roads or
in heavy traffic.
Cruise control can be dangerous
on slippery roads. On such roads,
fast changes in tire traction can
cause excessive wheel slip, and
you could lose control. Do not use
cruise control on slippery roads.
With the Traction Control System
(TCS) or Electronic Stability Control
(ESC), the system may begin to
limit wheel spin while you are using
cruise control. If this happens, the
cruise control will automatically
Chevrolet VOLT Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada/Mexico-
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Driving and Operating 191
disengage. SeeTraction Control/
Electronic Stability Control 0188.
If a collision alert occurs when
cruise control is activated, cruise
control is disengaged. See Forward
Collision Alert (FCA) System 0198.
When road conditions allow you to
safely use it again, cruise control
can be turned back on.
If the brakes are applied, cruise
control disengages.
5: Press to turn the cruise control
system on and off. A white indicator
comes on in the instrument cluster
when cruise is turned on.
*: Press to disengage cruise
control without erasing the set
speed from memory.
+RES : If there is a set speed in
memory, press briefly to resume that
speed or press and hold to
accelerate. If cruise control is
already active, use to increase
vehicle speed.
−SET : Press briefly to set the
speed and activate cruise control.
If cruise control is already active,
use to decrease vehicle speed.
Setting Cruise Control
If
5is on when not in use, -SET or
+RES could get bumped and go into
cruise when not desired. Keep
5
off when cruise is not being used.
To set a speed:
1. Press
5to turn the cruise
system on.
2. Get up to the desired speed.
3. Press and release -SET. The desired set speed briefly
appears in the instrument
cluster. 4. Remove foot from the
accelerator pedal.
The cruise control indicator on the
instrument cluster turns green after
cruise control has been set to the
desired speed. See Instrument
Cluster 0100.
Resuming a Set Speed
If the cruise control is set at a
desired speed and then the brakes
are applied or
*is pressed, the
cruise control is disengaged without
erasing the set speed from memory.
Once the vehicle speed reaches
about 40 km/h (25 mph) or more,
briefly press +RES. The vehicle
returns to the previous set speed.
Increasing Speed While Using
Cruise Control
If the cruise control system is
already activated:
. Press and hold +RES on the
steering wheel until the vehicle
accelerates to the desired
speed, then release it.