Chevrolet VOLT Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9807421) - 2017 - CRC - 11/18/15
188 Driving and Operating
Brakes
Antilock Brake
System (ABS)
This vehicle has ABS, an advanced
electronic braking system that helps
prevent a braking skid.
When propulsion is active and the
vehicle begins to drive away, ABS
checks itself. A momentary motor or
clicking noise might be heard while
this test is going on, and it might
even be noticed that the brake
pedal moves a little. This is normal.
If there is a problem with ABS, this
warning light stays on. SeeAntilock
Brake System (ABS) Warning
Light 0112.
If driving safely on a wet road and it
becomes necessary to slam on the
brakes and continue braking to avoid a sudden obstacle, a
computer senses that the wheels
are slowing down. If one of the
wheels is about to stop rolling, the
computer will separately work the
brakes at each wheel.
ABS can change the brake pressure
to each wheel, as required, faster
than any driver could. This can help
the driver steer around the obstacle
while braking hard.
As the brakes are applied, the
computer keeps receiving updates
on wheel speed and controls
braking pressure accordingly.
Remember: ABS does not change
the time needed to get a foot up to
the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too
close to the vehicle in front of you,
there will not be enough time to
apply the brakes if that vehicle
suddenly slows or stops. Always
leave enough room up ahead to
stop, even with ABS.
Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold
the brake pedal down firmly and let
ABS work. You might hear the ABS
pump or motor operating and feel
the brake pedal pulsate, but this is
normal.
Braking in Emergencies
ABS allows the driver to steer and
brake at the same time. In many
emergencies, steering can help
more than even the very best
braking.
Electric Parking Brake
Chevrolet VOLT Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9807421) - 2017 - CRC - 11/18/15
Driving and Operating 189
The vehicle has an Electric Parking
Brake (EPB). The EPB can always
be activated, even if the vehicle
is off.
The system has a red parking brake
status light and an amber parking
brake warning light. SeeElectric
Parking Brake Light 0111 and
Service Electric Parking Brake Light
0 112. There are also parking
brake-related Driver Information
Center (DIC) messages. See Brake
System Messages 0133. In case of
insufficient electrical power, the EPB
cannot be applied or released.
Before leaving the vehicle, check
the red parking brake status light to
ensure that the parking brake is
applied.
EPB Apply
To apply the EPB:
1. Be sure the vehicle is at a complete stop.
2. Pull the EPB switch momentarily. The red parking brake status light
will flash and then stay on once the
EPB is fully applied. If the red
parking brake status light flashes
continuously, then the EPB is only
partially applied or there is a
problem with the EPB. A DIC
message will display. Release the
EPB and try to apply it again. If the
light does not come on, or keeps
flashing, have the vehicle serviced.
Do not drive the vehicle if the red
parking brake status light is flashing.
See your dealer. See
Electric
Parking Brake Light 0111.
If the amber parking brake warning
light is on, lift up on the EPB switch
and hold it up. Continue to hold the
switch until the red parking brake
status light remains on. If the amber
parking brake warning light is on,
see your dealer.
If the EPB is applied while the
vehicle is moving, the vehicle will
decelerate as long as the switch is
held up. If the switch is held up until
the vehicle comes to a stop, the
EPB will remain applied. The vehicle may automatically apply
the EPB in some situations when
the vehicle is not moving. This is
normal, and is done to periodically
check the correct operation of the
EPB system.
If the EPB fails to apply, the rear
wheels should be blocked to
prevent vehicle movement.
EPB Release
To release the EPB:
1. Place the vehicle in ON/RUN.
2. Apply and hold the brake pedal.
3. Push momentarily on the EPB switch.
The EPB is released when the red
parking brake status light is off.
If the amber parking brake warning
light is on, release the EPB by
pushing down on the EPB switch
and holding it down. Continue to
hold the switch until the red parking
brake status light is off. If either light
stays on after release is attempted,
see your dealer.
Chevrolet VOLT Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9807421) - 2017 - CRC - 11/18/15
190 Driving and Operating
Caution
Driving with the parking brake on
can overheat the brake system
and cause premature wear or
damage to brake system parts.
Make sure that the parking brake
is fully released and the brake
warning light is off before driving.
Automatic EPB Release
The EPB will automatically release if
the vehicle is running, placed into
gear, and an attempt is made to
drive away. Avoid rapid acceleration
when the EPB is applied, to
preserve parking brake lining life.
Hill Start Assist (HSA)
The HSA feature will activate when
the vehicle is stopped on a
moderate to steep grade to help
prevent it from rolling in an
unintended direction. After the brake
pedal has been released and before
the accelerator pedal has been
pressed, HSA uses braking
pressure to hold the vehiclestationary. If HSA is holding the
vehicle, a DIC message displays.
HSA will not activate in a forward
drive gear when facing downhill,
or in R (Reverse) when facing uphill.
Extended Hill Start
Assist (EHSA)
Select the duration of the HSA
feature on the center stack
touchscreen by choosing the
submenu for Hill Start Assist or
Extended Hill Start Assist (EHSA).
See
“Extended Hill Start Assist"
under “Comfort and Convenience” in
Vehicle Personalization 0141.
When Standard Hold is selected,
the vehicle is held stationary for up
to two seconds after the brake pedal
is released. When Extended Hold is
selected, the vehicle is held
stationary for up to five minutes
after the brake pedal is released. In
either case, override the hold
feature by pressing the accelerator
pedal and attempting to drive away.
If Hill Start Assist is selected in the
Settings menu, it will hold the
vehicle for two seconds unless the
driver door is opened or the driver safety belt is unbuckled after
releasing the brake pedal.
If Extended Hill Start Assist is
selected, it will hold the vehicle for
five minutes unless the driver door
is opened and the driver safety belt
is unbuckled prior to releasing the
brake pedal. When EHSA is
deactivated after five minutes, or if it
is deactivated when the driver
safety belt is unlatched or the driver
door is opened, the Electric Parking
Brake will engage to prevent vehicle
movement.
Regenerative Braking
Some braking energy from the
moving vehicle is turned back into
electrical energy. This energy is
then stored back into the high
voltage battery system, increasing
energy efficiency.
The hydraulic disc brakes work with
the regenerative braking to ensure
effective braking, such as when a
high braking demand is requested.
Chevrolet VOLT Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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200 Driving and Operating
selected following gap. The vehicle
speed increases or decreases to
follow the vehicle in front of you, but
will not exceed the set speed. It may
apply limited braking, if necessary.
When braking is active, the brake
lamps will come on. The automatic
braking may feel or sound different
than if the brakes were applied
manually. This is normal.
Stationary or Very Slow-Moving
Objects
{Warning
Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)
may not detect and react to
stopped or slow-moving vehicles
ahead of you. For example, the
system may not brake for a
vehicle it has never detected
moving. This can occur in
stop-and-go traffic or when a
vehicle suddenly appears due to
a vehicle ahead changing lanes.
Your vehicle may not stop and
could cause a crash. Use caution
when using ACC. Your complete(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
attention is always required while
driving and you should be ready
to take action and apply the
brakes.
ACC Automatically Disengages
ACC may automatically disengage
and the driver will need to manually
apply the brakes to slow the
vehicle when:
. The sensors are blocked.
. The Traction Control System
(TCS) or StabiliTrak system has
activated or been disabled.
. No traffic or other objects are
being detected.
. There is a fault in the system.
The ACC active indicator will not be
displayed when ACC is no longer
active. Notification to Resume ACC
ACC will maintain a following gap
behind a detected vehicle and slow
your vehicle to a stop behind that
vehicle.
If the stopped vehicle ahead has
driven away and ACC has not
resumed, the vehicle ahead
indicator will flash as a reminder to
check traffic before proceeding. In
addition, three beeps will sound.
See
“Go Notifier” in“Collision/
Detection Systems” underVehicle
Personalization 0141.
When the vehicle ahead drives
away, press +RES or the
accelerator pedal to resume ACC.
If stopped for more than
two minutes or if the driver door is
opened and the driver safety belt is
unbuckled, the ACC automatically
applies the Electric Parking Brake
(EPB) to hold the vehicle. The
Electric Parking Brake status light
will turn on. See Electric Parking
Brake 0188. To release the EPB,
press the accelerator pedal.
Chevrolet VOLT Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Driving and Operating 203
.Press the Regen on Demand
paddle.
Erasing Speed Memory
The cruise control set speed is
erased from memory if
5is pressed
or if the ignition is turned off.
Cleaning the Sensing System
The camera sensor on the
windshield ahead of the rearview
mirror and the radar sensors on the
front of the vehicle can become
blocked by snow, ice, dirt, or mud.
These areas need to be cleaned for
ACC to operate properly.
For cleaning instructions, see
“Washing the Vehicle” under
Exterior Care 0314.
System operation may also be
limited under snow, heavy rain,
or road spray conditions.
Driver Assistance
Systems
This vehicle may have features that
work together to help avoid crashes
or reduce crash damage while
driving, backing, and parking. Read
this entire section before using
these systems.
{Warning
Do not rely on the Driver
Assistance Systems. These
systems do not replace the need
for paying attention and driving
safely. You may not hear or see
alerts or warnings provided by
these systems. Failure to use
proper care when driving may
result in injury, death, or vehicle
damage. See Defensive
Driving 0166.
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
Under many conditions, these
systems will not:
. Detect children,
pedestrians, bicyclists,
or animals.
. Detect vehicles or objects
outside the area monitored
by the system.
. Work at all driving speeds.
. Warn you or provide you
with enough time to avoid a
crash.
. Work under poor visibility or
bad weather conditions.
. Work if the detection sensor
is not cleaned or is covered
by ice, snow, mud, or dirt.
Complete attention is always
required while driving, and you
should be ready to take action
and apply the brakes and/or steer
the vehicle to avoid crashes.
Chevrolet VOLT Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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206 Driving and Operating
Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA)
If equipped, when the vehicle is
shifted into R (Reverse), RCTA
displays a red warning triangle with
a left or right pointing arrow on the
RVC screen to warn of traffic
coming from the left or right. This
system detects objects coming from
up to 20 m (65 ft) from the left or
right side of the vehicle. When an
object is detected, three beeps
sound from the left or right,
depending on the direction of the
detected vehicle.
Turning the Features On or Off
TheXbutton on the center
console is used to turn on or off the
Front and Rear Parking Assist and
the Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA).
The indicator light in the button
comes on when the features are on
and turns off when the features
have been disabled.
RCTA can also be turned off
through vehicle personalization. See
“Collision/Detection Systems” under
Vehicle Personalization 0141. To turn the RPA symbols or
guidance lines on or off, see
“Rear
Camera” underVehicle
Personalization 0141.
Automatic Parking
Assist (APA)
If equipped, APA searches for and
steers the vehicle into parallel and
perpendicular parking spots. When
using APA, you must still shift gears,
and control the brakes and
accelerator. The Driver Information
Center (DIC) and audible beeps
help to guide parking maneuvers.
{Warning
APA does not apply the brakes.
APA may not detect objects in the
parking space, objects that are
soft or narrow, objects high off the
ground such as flatbed trucks,
or objects below ground level
such as large potholes. Always
verify that the parking space is
appropriate for parking a vehicle.
APA does not respond to changes
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
in the parking space, such as
movement of an adjacent vehicle,
or a person or object entering the
parking space. APA does not
detect or avoid traffic that is
behind or alongside of the
vehicle. Always be prepared to
stop the vehicle during the
parking maneuver.
Press
Oon the center console to
enable the system to search for a
parking space that is large enough
and within 1.5 m (5 ft) of the vehicle.
The vehicle speed must be below
30 km/h (18 mph).
The system cannot:
. Detect whether it is a legal
parking space.
. Park exactly lined up with the
vehicle next to it if the spot is
approached at an angle or if the
parking space is angled.
. Park exactly centered in a spot
that is marked too large.
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Driving and Operating 207
.Always detect short curbs.
If the vehicle is equipped with
perpendicular parking mode, press
and hold
Oduring the search
process to switch the APA parking
mode between perpendicular and
parallel parking.
APA searches for parking spaces to
the right of the vehicle. To search for
a parking space to the left, turn on
the left turn signal.
After completely passing a large
enough space bordered by two
vehicles or other objects, an audible
beep occurs and a red symbol
displays in the DIC.
APA will instruct the vehicle to stop
once a large enough space is found.
Follow the instructions in the DIC.
When instructed to drive in reverse,
shift to R (Reverse) to engage
automatic steering. The steering
wheel will briefly vibrate as a
reminder to remove hands from the
steering wheel. Check surroundings
and continue braking or accelerating
as needed, and be prepared to stop
to avoid vehicles, pedestrians,
or objects.
If the vehicle is in R (Reverse), but
does not steer into the expected
space, this may be because the
system is maneuvering the vehicle
into a previously detected space.
The APA system does not need
service. If the vehicle exceeds 10 km/h
(6 mph), APA is automatically
disengaged and automatic steering
will turn off. A DIC progress arrow
displays the status of the parking
maneuver. Depending on the space
size, additional maneuvers may be
required, and there will be additional
instructions. When changing gears,
allow the automatic steering to
complete before continuing the
parking maneuver. Upon successful
completion of a maneuver, APA will
beep and display a PARKING
COMPLETE message. Place the
vehicle in P (Park).
APA may automatically disengage if:
.
The steering wheel is used by
the driver.
. The maximum allowed speed is
exceeded.
. There is a failure with the APA
system.
. Electronic Stability Control or
antilock brakes are activated.
. A high priority vehicle message
is displayed in the DIC.
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210 Driving and Operating
Cleaning the System
If the FCA system does not seem to
operate properly, cleaning the
outside of the windshield in front of
the rearview mirror, and cleaning the
front of the vehicle where radar
sensors are located, may correct
the issue.
Forward Automatic
Braking (FAB)
If the vehicle has Forward Collision
Alert (FCA), it also has FAB, which
includes Intelligent Brake
Assist (IBA). When the system
detects a vehicle ahead in your path
that is traveling in the same
direction that you may be about to
crash into, it can provide a boost to
braking or automatically brake the
vehicle. This can help avoid or
lessen the severity of crashes when
driving in a forward gear. Depending
on the situation, the vehicle may
automatically brake moderately or
hard. This front automatic braking
can only occur if a vehicle is
detected. This is shown by the FCAvehicle ahead indicator being lit.
See
Forward Collision Alert (FCA)
System 0208.
The system works when driving in a
forward gear between 8 km/h
(5 mph) and 60 km/h (37 mph).
It can detect vehicles up to
approximately 60 m (197 ft).
{Warning
FAB is an emergency crash
preparation feature and is not
designed to avoid crashes. Do
not rely on FAB to brake the
vehicle. FAB will not brake
outside of its operating speed
range and only responds to
detected vehicles.
FAB may not: . Detect a vehicle ahead on
winding or hilly roads.
. Detect all vehicles,
especially vehicles with a
trailer, tractors, muddy
vehicles, etc.
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
.Detect a vehicle when
weather limits visibility, such
as in fog, rain, or snow.
. Detect a vehicle ahead if it
is partially blocked by
pedestrians or other objects.
Complete attention is always
required while driving, and you
should be ready to take action
and apply the brakes and/or steer
the vehicle to avoid crashes.
FAB may slow the vehicle to a
complete stop to try to avoid a
potential crash. If this happens, FAB
may engage the Electric Parking
Brake (EPB) to hold the vehicle at a
stop. Release the EPB or firmly
press the accelerator pedal.
{Warning
FAB may automatically brake the
vehicle suddenly in situations
where it is unexpected and (Continued)