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220 Driving and Operating
octane rating below 87, as it may
cause engine damage and will lower
fuel economy.
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
other fuels containing more than
15% ethanol must be used only in
FlexFuel vehicles.Caution
Do not use fuel containing
methanol. It can corrode metal
parts in the fuel system and also
damage plastic and rubber parts.
That damage would not be
covered under the vehicle
warranty.
Some gasolines, mainly high octane
racing gasolines, can contain an
octane-enhancing additive called
methylcyclopentadienyl manganese
tricarbonyl (MMT). Do not use
gasolines and/or fuel additives with
MMT as they can reduce spark plug
life and affect emission control
system performance. The
malfunction indicator lamp may turn
on. If this occurs, see your dealer
for service.
California Fuel
Requirements
If the vehicle is certified to meet
California Emissions Standards, it is
designed to operate on fuels that
meet California specifications. See
the underhood emission control
label. If this fuel is not available in
states adopting California Emissions
Standards, the vehicle will operate
satisfactorily on fuels meeting
federal specifications, but emission
control system performance might
be affected. The malfunction
indicator lamp could turn on and the
vehicle may not pass a smog-check
test. See Malfunction Indicator
Lamp (Check Engine Light) 0109.
If this occurs, return to your
authorized dealer for diagnosis. If it
is determined that the condition is
caused by the type of fuel used,
repairs may not be covered by the
vehicle warranty.

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Driving and Operating 221
Fuels in Foreign
Countries
If planning to drive in countries
outside the U.S. or Canada, the
proper fuel might be hard to find.
Check regional auto club or fuel
retail brand websites for availability
in the country where driving. Never
use leaded gasoline, fuel containing
methanol, manganese, or any other
fuel not recommended. Costly
repairs caused by use of improper
fuel would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty.
Fuel Additives
To keep fuel systems clean, TOP
TIER Detergent Gasoline is
recommended. SeeFuel0219.
If TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline is
not available, one bottle of Fuel
System Treatment PLUS added to
the fuel tank at every engine oil
change, can help. Fuel System
Treatment PLUS is the only
gasoline additive recommended by
General Motors. It is available at
your dealer.
Filling the Tank
{Warning
Fuel vapors and fuel fires burn
violently and can cause injury or
death. . To help avoid injuries to you
and others, read and follow
all the instructions on the
fuel pump island.
. Turn off the engine when
refueling.
. Keep sparks, flames, and
smoking materials away
from fuel.
. Do not leave the fuel pump
unattended.
. Do not use a cell phone
while refueling.
. Do not reenter the vehicle
while pumping fuel.
. Keep children away from
the fuel pump and never let
children pump fuel.
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
.Fuel can spray out if the fuel
cap is opened too quickly.
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.
The fuel system on this vehicle
requires a refueling process to
control evaporative emissions. To
refuel the vehicle:

Chevrolet VOLT Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada/Mexico-
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222 Driving and Operating
1. Press the fuel door button onthe driver door for one second.
A WAIT TO REFUEL message
displays on the Driver
Information Center.
2. When the READY TO REFUEL
message displays, the fuel
door on the passenger side will
unlock. To open the fuel door,
push and release the rearward
center edge of 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 pressing the fuel
door button on the driver door.
If refueling after more than
30 minutes, press the fuel door
button again.
4. After refueling, reinstall the fuel cap by turning it clockwise until
it clicks. Close the fuel door.
{Warning
Overfilling the fuel tank by more
than three clicks of a standard fill
nozzle may cause:
. Vehicle performance issues,
including engine stalling and
damage to the fuel system.
. Fuel spills.
. Potential fuel fires.
Do not top off or overfill the tank.
Wait a few seconds before removing
the nozzle and clean fuel from
painted surfaces as soon as
possible. See Exterior Care0304.
{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.
Caution
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 may not fit properly,
may cause the malfunction
indicator lamp to light, and could
damage the fuel tank and
emissions system. See
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
(Check Engine Light) 0109.

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224 Driving and Operating
Conversions and
Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical
Equipment
{Warning
The Data Link Connector (DLC) is
used for vehicle service and
Emission Inspection/Maintenance
testing. SeeMalfunction Indicator
Lamp (Check Engine Light)
0 109. A device connected to the
Data Link Connector (DLC)—
such as an aftermarket fleet or
driver-behavior tracking device—
may interfere with vehicle
systems. This could affect vehicle
operation and cause a crash.
Such devices may also access
information stored in the vehicle’s
systems.
Caution
Some electrical equipment can
damage the vehicle or cause
components to not work and
would not be covered by the
warranty. Always check with your
dealer before adding electrical
equipment.
Add-on equipment can drain the
vehicle's 12-volt battery, even if the
vehicle is not operating.
When adding electrical equipment, it
should only be connected using the
accessory power outlets. The
maximum power that can be
supplied by one accessory power
outlet, or spread across all power
outlets, is 200 watts or 15 amps.
Exceeding 200 watts or 15 amps
may cause erratic vehicle operation.
See Power Outlets 098.

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Vehicle Care 225
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 226
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . 226
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Lifting the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your Own Service Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . 234
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . 235
Cooling System (Engine) . . . . . 236
Cooling System (High Voltage Battery) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Cooling System (Power Electronics and Charger
Modules) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . 242
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242 Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Battery - North America . . . . . . 245
Electric Drive Unit Shift Lock
Control Function Check . . . . . 247
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . 247
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . 248
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Taillamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . 250
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Electrical System
High Voltage Devices and Wiring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Electrical System Overload . . . 252
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Rear Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . 263
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Tire Terminology andDefinitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 279
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Tire Sealant and Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Storing the Tire Sealant and Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288

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226 Vehicle Care
Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . 294
Jump Starting
Jump Starting - NorthAmerica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Towing the Vehicle
Towing the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Recreational VehicleTowing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Appearance Care
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312
General Information
For service and parts needs, visit
your dealer. You will receive
genuine GM parts and GM-trained
and supported service people.
Genuine GM parts have one of
these marks:
California Proposition
65 Warning
WARNING: Most motor vehicles,
including this one, contain and/or
emit chemicals known to the State
of California to cause cancer and
birth defects or other reproductive harm. Engine exhaust, many parts
and systems, many fluids, and
some component wear by-products
contain and/or emit these
chemicals.
See
Battery - North America 0245
and Jump Starting - North America
0 295.
California Perchlorate
Materials Requirements
Certain types of automotive
applications, such as airbag
initiators, safety belt pretensioners,
and lithium batteries contained in
Remote Keyless Entry transmitters,
may contain perchlorate materials.
Special handling may be necessary.
For additional information, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/
perchlorate.
Accessories and
Modifications
Adding non-dealer accessories or
making modifications to the vehicle
can affect vehicle performance and
safety, including such things as

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230 Vehicle Care
This vehicle has an airbag system.
Before attempting to do your own
service work, seeAirbag System
Check 073.
Keep a record with all parts receipts
and list the mileage and the date of
any service work performed. See
Maintenance Records 0326.
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 0176 and
Extended Range Mode 0176.
2. Pull the release handle with
this symbol. It is below the
instrument panel outboard of
the steering wheel.
3. Go to the front of the vehicleand locate the secondary
release lever under the front
left center of the hood. Push
the secondary hood release
lever to the right to disengage. 4. Lift the hood and release the
hood prop rod from its retainer
above the radiator support.
Place the prop rod securely
into the slot in the hood.
To close the hood:
1. Before closing the hood, check that all filler caps are properly
installed. Then, lift the hood to
relieve pressure on the
hood prop.
2. Remove the hood prop from the slot in the hood and return
it to its retainer above the
radiator support. The prop rod
must lock into place when
returning it to the retainer to
prevent hood damage.
3. Lower the hood 20 cm (8 in) above the vehicle and release
it so it fully latches. Check to
make sure the hood is firmly
closed. Repeat the process if
necessary.

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Vehicle Care 231
Engine Compartment Overview