Chevrolet VOLT Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9807421) - 2017 - CRC - 11/18/15
Introduction 3
Danger, Warning, and
Caution
Warning messages found on vehicle
labels and in this manual describe
hazards and what to do to avoid or
reduce them.
{Danger
Danger indicates a hazard with a
high level of risk which will result
in serious injury or death.
{Warning
Warning indicates a hazard that
could result in injury or death.
Caution
Caution indicates a hazard that
could result in property or vehicle
damage.
A circle with a slash through it is a
safety symbol which means“Do
Not,” “Do not do this,” or“Do not let
this happen.”
Symbols
The vehicle has components and
labels that use symbols instead of
text. Symbols are shown along with
the text describing the operation or
information relating to a specific
component, control, message,
gauge, or indicator.
M: Shown when the owner
manual has additional instructions
or information.
*: Shown when the service
manual has additional instructions
or information.
0: Shown when there is more
information on another page —
“see page.” Vehicle Symbol Chart
Here are some additional symbols
that may be found on the vehicle
and what they mean. For more
information on the symbol, refer to
the Index.
9:
Airbag Readiness Light
#:Air Conditioning
!:Antilock Brake System (ABS)
b/g: Audio Steering Wheel
Controls or OnStar®
I: Brake System Warning
Light
": Charging System (12-Volt
Battery)
I: Cruise Control
`:Do Not Puncture
^:Do Not Service
f:Electric Parking Brake
d: Electronic Stability
Control (ESC)
B: Engine Coolant Temperature
O:Exterior Lamps
y:Fault
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
Seats and Restraints 71
.There is a critical problem with
the airbag system or the
passenger sensing system.
When the passenger sensing
system has turned off the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag
and knee airbag, the off indicator
will light and stay lit to remind you
that the airbags are off. See
Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator 0108.
The passenger sensing system is
designed to turn on the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag
and knee airbag anytime the system
senses that a person of adult size is
sitting properly in the front outboard
passenger seat.
When the passenger sensing
system has allowed the airbags to
be enabled, the on indicator will light
and stay lit as a reminder that the
airbags are active.
For some children, including
children in child restraints, and for
very small adults, the passenger
sensing system may or may not turn
off the front outboard passenger
frontal airbag and knee airbag, depending upon the person’s
seating posture and body build.
Everyone in the vehicle who has
outgrown child restraints should
wear a safety belt properly
—
whether or not there is an airbag for
that person.
{Warning
If the airbag readiness light ever
comes on and stays on, it means
that something may be wrong
with the airbag system. To help
avoid injury to yourself or others,
have the vehicle serviced right
away. See Airbag Readiness
Light 0108 for more information,
including important safety
information.
If the On Indicator Is Lit for a
Child Restraint
The passenger sensing system is
designed to turn off the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag
and knee airbag if the system
determines that an infant is present in a child restraint. If a child restraint
has been installed and the on
indicator is lit:
1. Turn the vehicle off.
2. Remove the child restraint from the vehicle.
3. Remove any additional items from the seat such as blankets,
cushions, seat covers, seat
heaters, or seat massagers.
4. Reinstall the child restraint following the directions
provided by the child restraint
manufacturer and refer to
Securing Child Restraints (With
the Safety Belt in the Front
Seat) 090 orSecuring Child
Restraints (With the Safety Belt
in the Rear Seat) 088.
5. If, after reinstalling the child restraint and restarting the
vehicle, the on indicator is still
lit, turn the vehicle off. Then
slightly recline the vehicle
seatback and adjust the seat
cushion, if adjustable, to make
Chevrolet VOLT Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Seats and Restraints 73
Additional Factors Affecting
System Operation
Safety belts help keep the
passenger in position on the seat
during vehicle maneuvers and
braking, which helps the passenger
sensing system maintain the
passenger airbag status. See
“Safety Belts”and“Child Restraints”
in the Index for additional
information about the importance of
proper restraint use.
A thick layer of additional material,
such as a blanket or cushion,
or aftermarket equipment such as
seat covers, seat heaters, and seat
massagers can affect how well the
passenger sensing system
operates. We recommend that you
not use seat covers or other
aftermarket equipment except when
approved by GM for your specific
vehicle. See Adding Equipment to
the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 074
for more information about
modifications that can affect how
the system operates. A wet seat can affect the
performance of the passenger
sensing system. Here is how:
.
The passenger sensing system
may turn off the passenger
frontal airbag and passenger
knee airbag when liquid is
soaked into the seat. If this
happens, the off indicator will be
lit, and the airbag readiness light
on the instrument panel will also
be lit.
. Liquid pooled on the seat that
has not soaked in may make it
more likely that the passenger
sensing system will turn on the
passenger frontal airbag and
passenger knee airbag while a
child restraint or child occupant
is on the seat. If the passenger
frontal airbag and passenger
knee airbag are turned on, the
on indicator will be lit.
If the passenger seat gets wet, dry
the seat immediately. If the airbag
readiness light is lit, do not install a
child restraint or allow anyone to occupy the seat. See
Airbag
Readiness Light 0108 for important
safety information.
The on indicator may be lit if an
object, such as a briefcase,
handbag, grocery bag, laptop,
or other electronic device, is put on
an unoccupied seat. If this is not
desired, remove the object from
the seat.
{Warning
Stowing of articles under the
passenger seat or between the
passenger seat cushion and
seatback may interfere with the
proper operation of the passenger
sensing system.
Servicing the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Airbags affect how the vehicle
should be serviced. There are parts
of the airbag system in several
places around the vehicle. Your
dealer and the service manual have
information about servicing the
Chevrolet VOLT Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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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
108 Instruments and Controls
grocery bag, laptop, or other
electronic device. To turn off the
reminder light and/or chime, remove
the object from the seat or buckle
the safety belt.
Airbag Readiness Light
This light shows if there is an
electrical problem with the airbag
system. The system check includes
the airbag sensor(s), the passenger
sensing system, the pretensioners,
the airbag modules, the wiring, and
the crash sensing and diagnostic
module. For more information on the
airbag system, seeAirbag
System 063.
The airbag readiness light comes on
for several seconds when the
vehicle is started. If the light does
not come on then, have it fixed
immediately.
{Warning
If the airbag readiness light stays
on after the vehicle is started or
comes on while driving, it means
the airbag system might not be
working properly. The airbags in
the vehicle might not inflate in a
crash, or they could even inflate
without a crash. To help avoid
injury, have the vehicle serviced
right away.
If there is a problem with the airbag
system, a Driver Information Center
(DIC) message may also come on.
See Airbag System
Messages 0139.
Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator
The vehicle has a passenger
sensing system. See Passenger
Sensing System 069 for important
safety information. The passenger
airbag status indicator is in the
overhead console.
When the vehicle is started, the
passenger airbag status indicator
will light ON and OFF for several
seconds as a system check. Then,
after several more seconds, the
status indicator will light either ON
or OFF to let you know the status of
the front outboard passenger frontal
airbag and knee airbag.
If the word ON is lit on the
passenger airbag status indicator, it
means that the front outboard
passenger frontal airbag and knee
airbag are allowed to inflate.
If the word OFF is lit on the airbag
status indicator, it means that the
passenger sensing system has
turned off the front outboard
passenger frontal airbag and knee
airbag.
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Instruments and Controls 109
If, after several seconds, both status
indicator lights remain on, or if there
are no lights at all, there may be a
problem with the lights or the
passenger sensing system. See
your dealer for service.
{Warning
If the airbag readiness light ever
comes on and stays on, it means
that something may be wrong
with the airbag system. To help
avoid injury to yourself or others,
have the vehicle serviced right
away. SeeAirbag Readiness
Light 0108 for more information,
including important safety
information.
Charging System Light
(12-Volt Battery)
The charging system light comes on
briefly when the vehicle is in ON/
RUN, as a check to show the light is
working.
If the light stays on, or comes on
while driving, there could be a
problem with the electrical charging
system. Have it checked by your
dealer. Driving while this light is on
could drain the 12-volt battery.
If a short distance must be driven
with the light on, be sure to turn off
all accessories, such as the radio.
Malfunction Indicator
Lamp (Check Engine
Light)
This light is part of the vehicle’s
emission control on-board
diagnostic system. If this light is on
while the engine is running, a
malfunction has been detected and
the vehicle may require service. The
light should come on to show that it
is working when the vehicle is in
Service Only Mode. See Power
Button 0175.
Malfunctions are often indicated by
the system before any problem is
noticeable. Being aware of the light
and seeking service promptly when
it comes on may prevent damage.
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Instruments and Controls 113
Mountain Mode Light
This light comes on when Mountain
Mode is selected. See“Mountain
Mode” inDriver Selected Operating
Modes 0181 for more information.
Hold Mode Light
This light comes on when Hold
Mode is selected. See “Hold Mode”
in Driver Selected Operating Modes
0 181 for more information.
Lane Keep Assist (LKA)
Light
This light is green if LKA is available
to assist.
LKA may assist by gently turning
the steering wheel if the vehicle
approaches a detected lane marking
without using the turn signal in that
direction. The LKA light will turn
amber.
This light is amber and flashes as a
Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
alert, to indicate that the lane
marking has been crossed.
See Lane Keep Assist (LKA) 0213.
Vehicle Ahead Indicator
If equipped, this indicator will
display green when a vehicle is
detected ahead and amber when
you are following a vehicle ahead
much too closely.
See Forward Collision Alert (FCA)
System 0208.
Traction Off Light
This light comes on briefly while
starting the engine. If it does not,
have the vehicle serviced by your