Chevrolet VOLT Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9807421) - 2017 - CRC - 11/18/15
68 Seats and Restraints
How Does an Airbag
Restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or
near frontal collisions, even belted
occupants can contact the steering
wheel or the instrument panel. In
moderate to severe side collisions,
even belted occupants can contact
the inside of the vehicle.
Airbags supplement the protection
provided by safety belts by
distributing the force of the impact
more evenly over the
occupant's body.
Rollover capable roof-rail airbags
are designed to help contain the
head and chest of occupants in the
outboard seating positions in the
first and second rows. The rollover
capable roof-rail airbags are
designed to help reduce the risk of
full or partial ejection in rollover
events, although no system can
prevent all such ejections.But airbags would not help in many
types of collisions, primarily
because the occupant's motion is
not toward those airbags. See
When
Should an Airbag Inflate? 066.
Airbags should never be regarded
as anything more than a supplement
to safety belts.
What Will You See after
an Airbag Inflates?
After frontal, knee, and
seat-mounted side impact airbags
inflate, they quickly deflate, so
quickly that some people may not
even realize an airbag inflated.
Roof-rail airbags may still be at least
partially inflated for some time after
they inflate. Some components of
the airbag module may be hot for
several minutes. For location of the
airbags, see Where Are the
Airbags? 065.
The parts of the airbag that come
into contact with you may be warm,
but not too hot to touch. There may
be some smoke and dust coming
from the vents in the deflated
airbags. Airbag inflation does not prevent the driver from seeing out of
the windshield or being able to steer
the vehicle, nor does it prevent
people from leaving the vehicle.
{Warning
When an airbag inflates, there
may be dust in the air. This dust
could cause breathing problems
for people with a history of
asthma or other breathing trouble.
To avoid this, everyone in the
vehicle should get out as soon as
it is safe to do so. If you have
breathing problems but cannot
get out of the vehicle after an
airbag inflates, then get fresh air
by opening a window or a door.
If you experience breathing
problems following an airbag
deployment, you should seek
medical attention.
The vehicle has a feature that may
automatically unlock the doors, turn
on the interior lamps, turn on the
hazard warning flashers, and shut
off the fuel system after the airbags
Chevrolet VOLT Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9807421) - 2017 - CRC - 11/18/15
Seats and Restraints 69
inflate. The feature may also
activate, without airbag inflation,
after an event that exceeds a
predetermined threshold. You can
lock the doors, turn off the interior
lamps, and turn off the hazard
warning flashers by using the
controls for those features.
{Warning
A crash severe enough to inflate
the airbags may have also
damaged important functions in
the vehicle, such as the fuel
system, brake and steering
systems, etc. Even if the vehicle
appears to be drivable after a
moderate crash, there may be
concealed damage that could
make it difficult to safely operate
the vehicle.
Use caution if you should attempt
to restart the engine after a crash
has occurred.
If an airbag inflates or the vehicle
has been in a crash, the sensing
system may shut down the high voltage system. When this occurs,
the high voltage battery is
disconnected and the vehicle will
not start. The SERVICE VEHICLE
SOON message in the Driver
Information Center (DIC) will be
displayed. Before the vehicle can be
operated again, it must be serviced
at your dealer.
In many crashes severe enough to
inflate the airbag, windshields are
broken by vehicle deformation.
Additional windshield breakage may
also occur from the front outboard
passenger airbag.
.
Airbags are designed to inflate
only once. After an airbag
inflates, you will need some new
parts for the airbag system.
If you do not get them, the
airbag system will not be there
to help protect you in another
crash. A new system will include
airbag modules and possibly
other parts. The service manual
for the vehicle covers the need
to replace other parts. .
The vehicle has a crash sensing
and diagnostic module which
records information after a
crash. See Vehicle Data
Recording and Privacy 0353
and Event Data
Recorders 0353.
. Let only qualified technicians
work on the airbag systems.
Improper service can mean that
an airbag system will not work
properly. See your dealer for
service.
Passenger Sensing
System
The vehicle has a passenger
sensing system for the front
outboard passenger position. The
passenger airbag status indicator
will light on the overhead console
when the vehicle is started.
Chevrolet VOLT Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9807421) - 2017 - CRC - 11/18/15
Instruments and Controls 95
Instruments and
Controls
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . . 96
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . . 96
Heated Steering Wheel . . . . . . . . 96
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . . 97
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Wireless Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, andIndicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Battery Gauge (High Voltage) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Driver Efficiency Gauge . . . . . . 106
Power Indicator Gauge . . . . . . . 107
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . 107
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . . 108 Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Charging System Light (12-Volt Battery) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
(Check Engine Light) . . . . . . . . 109
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Electric Parking Brake Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Service Electric Parking Brake Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Sport Mode Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Mountain Mode Light . . . . . . . . . 113
Hold Mode Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Vehicle Ahead Indicator . . . . . . . 113
Traction Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
StabiliTrak
®OFF Light . . . . . . . . 114
Traction Control System (TCS)/ StabiliTrak
®Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . . 115
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . 116
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Vehicle Ready Light . . . . . . . . . . 116 High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . 116
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . . 117
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . . 117
Door Ajar Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Information Displays
Power Flows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Programmable Charging . . . . . . 119
Energy Information . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Driver Information
Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Battery and ChargingMessages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Brake System Messages . . . . . 133
Compass Messages . . . . . . . . . . 133
Cruise Control Messages . . . . . 133
Door Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . . 133
Electric Drive Unit Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Engine Cooling System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Engine Oil Messages . . . . . . . . . 134
Fuel System Messages . . . . . . . 135
Key and Lock Messages . . . . . 135
Lamp Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Object Detection System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Chevrolet VOLT Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9807421) - 2017 - CRC - 11/18/15
Instruments and Controls 105
Speedometer
The speedometer shows the
vehicle's speed in either kilometers
per hour (km/h) or miles per
hour (mph).
Odometer
The odometer shows how far the
vehicle has been driven, in either
kilometers or miles.
Trip Odometer
The trip odometer shows how far
the vehicle has been driven since
the trip odometer was last reset.
The trip odometer is accessed and
reset through the Driver Information
Center (DIC). SeeDriver
Information Center (DIC) 0130.
Battery Gauge (High
Voltage)
This gauge shows the high voltage
battery charge level.
The arrow next to the battery
symbol points to the side of the
vehicle the charge port is on.
See Electric Mode 0180.
Fuel Gauge
When the ignition is on, the fuel
gauge indicates about how much
fuel is left in the tank.
There is an arrow near the fuel
gauge pointing to the side of the
vehicle the fuel door is on.
When the indicator nears empty, the
low fuel light comes on. There still is
a little fuel left, but the vehicle
should be refueled soon.
Chevrolet VOLT Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9807421) - 2017 - CRC - 11/18/15
106 Instruments and Controls
Here are some things that owners
ask about. None of these show a
problem with the fuel gauge:
.At the service station, the fuel
pump shuts off before the gauge
reads full.
. It takes a little more or less fuel
to fill up than the gauge
indicated. For example, the
gauge may have indicated the
tank was half full, but it actually
took a little more or less than
half the tank's capacity to fill
the tank.
. The gauge takes a few seconds
to stabilize after the ignition is
turned on, and goes back to
empty when the ignition is
turned off.Driver Efficiency Gauge
This gauge appears on the left side
of the display in the Classic
Enhanced configuration.
This gauge is a guide to driving in
an efficient manner by keeping the
ball green and in the center of the
gauge. See
Driving for Better Energy
Efficiency 026.
accel : If the ball turns yellow and
travels above the center of the
gauge, acceleration is too
aggressive to optimize efficiency.
brake : If the ball turns yellow and
travels below the center of the
gauge, braking is too aggressive to
optimize efficiency.
In the Modern display
configurations, the light ring in the
center of the display acts as an
efficiency gauge. It is green when
driving efficiently and turns yellow
when acceleration or braking is too
aggressive.
Chevrolet VOLT Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9807421) - 2017 - CRC - 11/18/15
110 Instruments and Controls
Caution
If the vehicle is driven continually
with this light on, the emission
control system may not work as
well, the fuel economy may be
lower, and the vehicle may not
run smoothly. This could lead to
costly repairs that might not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Caution
Modifications to the engine,
electric drive unit, exhaust, intake,
or fuel system, or the use of
replacement tires that do not
meet the original tire
specifications, can cause this light
to come on. This could lead to
costly repairs not covered by the
vehicle warranty. This could also
affect the vehicle’s ability to pass
an Emissions Inspection/
Maintenance test. See
Accessories and
Modifications0237. If the light is flashing :
A
malfunction has been detected that
could damage the emission control
system and increase vehicle
emissions. Diagnosis and service
may be required.
To help prevent damage, reduce
vehicle speed and avoid hard
accelerations and uphill grades.
If the light continues to flash, find a
safe place to park. Turn the vehicle
off and wait at least 10 seconds
before restarting the engine. If the
light is still flashing, follow the
previous guidelines and see your
dealer for service as soon as
possible.
If the light is on steady : A
malfunction has been detected.
Diagnosis and service may be
required.
Check the following:
. A loose or missing fuel cap may
cause the light to come on. See
Filling the Tank 0231. A few
driving trips with the cap
properly installed may turn the
light off. .
Poor fuel quality can cause
inefficient engine operation and
poor driveability, which may go
away once the engine is warmed
up. If this occurs, change the
fuel brand. It may require at
least one full tank of the proper
fuel to turn the light off. See
Fuel 0230.
If the light remains on, see your
dealer.
Emissions Inspection and
Maintenance Programs
If the vehicle requires an Emissions
Inspection/Maintenance test, the
test equipment will likely connect to
the vehicle's Data Link
Connector (DLC).
The DLC is under the instrument
panel to the left of the steering
wheel. Connecting devices that are
Chevrolet VOLT Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9807421) - 2017 - CRC - 11/18/15
116 Instruments and Controls
Low Fuel Warning Light
The low fuel warning light comes on
briefly when the vehicle is started.
This light also comes on when the
fuel level is low. When fuel is added,
the light should go off. If it does not,
have the vehicle serviced.
Security Light
The security light should come on
briefly as the engine is started. If it
does not come on, have the vehicleserviced by your dealer. If the
system is working normally, the
indicator light turns off.
If the light stays on and the engine
does not start, there could be a
problem with the theft-deterrent
system. See
Immobilizer
Operation 044.
Vehicle Ready Light
The vehicle ready light comes on
whenever the vehicle is ready to be
driven.
High-Beam On Light
This light comes on when the
high-beam headlamps are in use.
See Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer 0151.
IntelliBeam®Light
This light comes on when the
IntelliBeam system, if equipped, is
enabled.
See Exterior Lamp Controls 0149.
Chevrolet VOLT Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9807421) - 2017 - CRC - 11/18/15
128 Instruments and Controls
Charge Mode were updated
using the customer website
(available in select regions).
. There was an unintended loss of
AC power during the plug-in
charge event. For example,
there was a power outage or the
charge cord was unplugged from
the wall.
. The charge process was
interrupted by the utility
company via OnStar as
authorized by the vehicle owner
(available in select regions).
See Utility Interruption of
Charging 0228.
Programmable Charging
Disabled
When the Programmable Charging
system is disabled, the main
charging screen will display “- -:- -”
for the Charge Complete Time. The
Programmable Charging system will
be disabled if the Charge Complete
Time cannot be confidently
estimated. If the Programmable
Charging system is consistently
disabled, see your dealer.
Energy Information
To view Energy Usage, Energy
Usage Score, and Energy Details,
touch Energy on the infotainment
display, touch INFO, then touch
hor
k. To reset the values, the high
voltage battery needs to be fully
recharged. Energy Usage
The Energy Usage screen displays
information for the total of all drive
cycles since the last time the high
voltage battery was fully charged.
This includes:
.
Distance traveled in
Electric Mode
. Distance traveled in Extended
Range Mode
. Total distance traveled
. Electric energy used from the
battery
. Total fuel used
. Average fuel economy