
Chevrolet VOLT Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9807421) - 2017 - CRC - 11/18/15
150 Lighting
Turning On and Enabling
IntelliBeam
To enable the IntelliBeam system,
press
bon the turn signal lever
when the exterior lamp control is in
AUTO or
5. The blue high-beam
on light appears on the instrument
cluster when the high beams are on.
Driving with IntelliBeam
The system only activates the high
beams when driving over 40 km/h
(25 mph).
There is a sensor near the top
center of the windshield that
automatically controls the system.
Keep this area of the windshield
clear of debris to allow for best
system performance. The high-beam headlamps remain
on, under the automatic control,
until one of the following situations
occurs:
.
The system detects an
approaching vehicle's
headlamps.
. The system detects a preceding
vehicle's taillamps.
. The outside light is bright
enough that high-beam
headlamps are not required.
. The vehicle's speed drops below
20 km/h (12 mph).
. The IntelliBeam system is
disabled by the high/low-beam
changer or the flash-to-pass
feature. If this happens,
press
bon the turn signal
lever when the exterior
lamp control is in the
AUTO or
5position to
reactivate the IntelliBeam
system. The instrument cluster
light will come on to indicate
the IntelliBeam system is reactivated. See
Headlamp
High/Low-Beam Changer 0151
and Flash-to-Pass 0151.
The high beams may not turn off
automatically if the system cannot
detect another vehicle's lamps
because of any of the following:
. The other vehicle's lamps are
missing, damaged, obstructed
from view, or otherwise
undetected.
. The other vehicle's lamps are
covered with dirt, snow, and/or
road spray.
. The other vehicle's lamps cannot
be detected due to dense
exhaust, smoke, fog, snow, road
spray, mist, or other airborne
obstructions.
. The vehicle's windshield is dirty,
cracked, or obstructed by
something that blocks the view
of the light sensor.
. The vehicle is loaded such that
the front end points upward,
causing the light sensor to aim
high and not detect headlamps
and taillamps.

Chevrolet VOLT Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9807421) - 2017 - CRC - 11/18/15
Lighting 153
Turn and Lane-Change
Signals
Move the lever all the way up or
down to signal a turn.
An arrow on the instrument cluster
will flash in the direction of the turn
or lane change.Raise or lower the lever until the
arrow starts to flash to signal a lane
change. Hold it there until the lane
change is complete. If the lever is
moved momentarily to the lane
change position, the arrow will flash
three times.
The lever returns to its starting
position when it is released.
If after signaling a turn or lane
change, the arrow flashes rapidly or
does not come on, a signal bulb
may be burned out.
Have any burned out bulbs
replaced. If a bulb is not burned out,
check the fuse. See
Instrument
Panel Fuse Block 0266.
Interior Lighting
Instrument Panel
Illumination Control
The brightness of the instrument
panel cluster display, infotainment
display and controls, steering wheel
controls, and all other illuminated
controls, as well as feature status
indicators can be adjusted.
The knob for this feature is on the
instrument panel beside the steering
column.
Turn the knob clockwise or
counterclockwise to brighten or dim
the lights.

Chevrolet VOLT Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9807421) - 2017 - CRC - 11/18/15
Climate Controls 159
eco Mode :Press eco to select this
mode and the indicator will be lit.
The air conditioning and electric
heat are controlled to balance
comfort with fuel economy. As long
as
0MAX is not selected, the
vehicle electric range or fuel
economy will decrease less than in
MAX mode, but will result in
moderate comfort.
MAX Mode : Press MAX to select
this mode and the indicator will be
lit. The air conditioning and electric
heat are controlled to reach the best
comfort level based on the
temperature setting selected. In this
mode, vehicle electric range or fuel
economy will decrease depending
on the amount of energy required to
reach the best comfort levels.
The air conditioning and electric
heat could be on at the same time
when dehumidification is required in
eco or MAX modes.
The air conditioning may also run if
0MAX is selected, regardless of
the climate mode. Automatic Operation
The system automatically controls
the fan speed, air delivery mode,
and recirculation to heat or cool the
vehicle to the selected temperature.
When the AUTO indicator light is
on, the system is in full automatic
operation. If the air delivery mode or
fan speed setting is adjusted, the
AUTO indicator turns off and the
selected settings display.
For automatic operation:
1. Press AUTO.
2. Set the temperature. An initial setting of 23 °C (74 °F) is
recommended. Allow the
system time to stabilize. Adjust
the temperature as needed.
Manual Operation
O: Press to turn the climate control
system on and off.
A: Turn the knob clockwise or
counterclockwise to increase or
decrease the fan speed. The fan
speed setting appears on the
display screen. Manually adjusting
the fan speed cancels automatic fan control. Press AUTO to return to
automatic operation. Press
Oto turn
off the fan and the climate control
system.
If the power is turned off while in
eco or MAX mode, the display will
automatically change to Fan Only
mode. If the fan speed is increased
or AUTO is pressed, the climate
mode will revert back to eco or
MAX mode.
Temperature Control : Turn the
knob clockwise or counterclockwise
to increase or decrease the
temperature setting.
Air Delivery Mode Control :
Press
dandcor a
combination of the buttons to
change the direction of the airflow.
The indicator light in the button will
turn on. The current mode appears
in the display screen.
Pressing any of the air delivery
buttons cancels automatic air
delivery control and the direction of
the airflow can be controlled
manually. Press AUTO to return to
automatic operation.

Chevrolet VOLT Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9807421) - 2017 - CRC - 11/18/15
164 Driving and Operating
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 168
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 169
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 171
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 175
Power Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Starting and Stopping theVehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Electric Vehicle Operating
Modes
System Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Electric Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Extended Range Mode . . . . . . . 180
Driver Selected OperatingModes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Out of Fuel/Engine Unavailable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Maintenance Modes . . . . . . . . . . 183
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Electric Drive Unit
Electric Drive Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . 188
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . 190
Regenerative Braking . . . . . . . . 190
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Driver Mode Control . . . . . . . . . . 193
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Adaptive Cruise Control . . . . . . 196
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . 203
Assistance Systems for Parking or Backing . . . . . . . . . . 204
Assistance Systems for Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Forward Automatic Braking (FAB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . 211
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . 213
Charging
Plug-In Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Delayed Charging Override . . . 217
Charging Status Feedback . . . 217
Charge Cord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Utility Interruption of Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Electrical Requirements for Battery Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . 229

Chevrolet VOLT Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9807421) - 2017 - CRC - 11/18/15
Driving and Operating 167
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 underService Vehicle
Messages 0139. 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
The vehicle's right wheels can drop
off the edge of a road onto the
shoulder while driving. Follow
these tips:
1. Ease off the accelerator and then, if there is nothing in the
way, steer the vehicle so that it
straddles the edge of the
pavement.
2. Turn the steering wheel about one-eighth of a turn, until the
right front tire contacts the
pavement edge.

Chevrolet VOLT Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9807421) - 2017 - CRC - 11/18/15
168 Driving and Operating
3. Turn the steering wheel to gostraight down the roadway.
Loss of Control
Skidding
There are three types of skids that
correspond to the vehicle's three
control systems:
.Braking Skid —wheels are not
rolling.
. Steering or Cornering Skid —
too much speed or steering in a
curve causes tires to slip and
lose cornering force.
. Acceleration Skid —too much
throttle causes the driving
wheels to spin.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids
by taking reasonable care suited to
existing conditions, and by not
overdriving those conditions. But
skids are always possible.
If the vehicle starts to slide, follow
these suggestions:
. Ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and steer the
way you want the vehicle to go. The vehicle may straighten out.
Be ready for a second skid if it
occurs.
. Slow down and adjust your
driving according to weather
conditions. Stopping distance
can be longer and vehicle
control can be affected when
traction is reduced by water,
snow, ice, gravel, or other
material on the road. Learn to
recognize warning clues —such
as enough water, ice, or packed
snow on the road to make a
mirrored surface —and slow
down when you have any doubt.
. Try to avoid sudden steering,
acceleration, or braking,
including reducing vehicle speed
by shifting to a low gear or by
using Regen on Demand. Any
sudden changes could cause
the tires to slide.
Remember: Antilock brakes help
avoid only the braking skid.
Driving on Wet Roads
Rain and wet roads can reduce
vehicle traction and affect your
ability to stop and accelerate.
Always drive slower in these types
of driving conditions and avoid
driving through large puddles and
deep-standing or flowing water.
{Warning
Wet brakes can cause crashes.
They might not work as well in a
quick stop and could cause
pulling to one side. You could
lose control of the vehicle.
After driving through a large
puddle of water or a car/vehicle
wash, lightly apply the brake
pedal until the brakes work
normally.
Flowing or rushing water creates
strong forces. Driving through
flowing water could cause the
vehicle to be carried away. If this
happens, you and other vehicle (Continued)

Chevrolet VOLT Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9807421) - 2017 - CRC - 11/18/15
170 Driving and Operating
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 0192.
. 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) 0188.
. 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 0345. 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 0185.

Chevrolet VOLT Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Driving and Operating 177
displays in the Driver Information
Center (DIC). SeeKey and Lock
Messages 0135.
If the vehicle will not start due to a
low RKE transmitter battery, the
vehicle can still be driven. See
“Starting the Vehicle with a Low
Transmitter Battery” inRemote
Keyless Entry (RKE) System
Operation 030.
A Welcome, Ready, and Good-bye
audio message will be heard in the
vehicle and animated on the
instrument cluster when opening the
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 and/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. See Starting
and Stopping the Vehicle 0176. Restarting Procedure
If the vehicle must be restarted
while it is still moving, move the shift
lever to N (Neutral) and press
POWER
Otwice without pressing
the brake pedal. The propulsion
system will not restart in any other
position.
Forced Engine On
Some vehicle conditions that force
the engine to run:
. There are cold ambient
temperatures.
. The hood is open or not
completely latched while the
vehicle is not in N (Neutral).
. The high voltage battery has a
low charge.
. The engine needs to run for
maintenance.
See Maintenance Modes 0183.
A chime will sound if the driver door
is opened while the vehicle is in ON/
RUN. Always press POWER
Oto
turn the vehicle off before exiting.
Stopping Procedure
For information on how to turn the
vehicle off, see Power Button0175.
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 0188.
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.