Chevrolet VOLT Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9807421) - 2017 - CRC - 11/18/15
In Brief 13
The passenger airbag status
indicator lights on the overhead
console are visible when the vehicle
is started. SeePassenger Airbag
Status Indicator 0108.
Mirror Adjustment
Power Mirrors
To adjust a mirror:
1. Press
}or|to choose the
driver or passenger mirror.
2. Press the arrows on the control pad to move each mirror in the
desired direction. See
Power Mirrors 046.
When the rear window defogger is
activated, the heated mirrors,
if equipped, will also come on. See
Heated Mirrors 046.
Folding Mirrors
Mirrors can be folded inward toward
the vehicle to prevent damage when
going through an automatic car
wash. Push the mirror outward to
return it to the original position.
Interior Mirror
Adjust the rearview mirror for a clear
view of the area behind your
vehicle.
Manual Rearview Mirror
If equipped, push the tab forward for
daytime use and pull it for nighttime
use to avoid glare of the headlamps
from behind. See Manual Rearview
Mirror 046.
Automatic Dimming Rearview
Mirror
If equipped, the mirror will
automatically reduce the glare of
headlamps from behind. The dimming feature comes on when the
vehicle is started. See
Automatic
Dimming Rearview Mirror 046.
Steering Wheel
Adjustment
To adjust the steering wheel:
1. Pull the lever down.
2. Move the steering wheel up or down.
3. Pull or push the steering wheel closer or away from you.
4. Pull the lever up to lock the steering wheel in place.
Chevrolet VOLT Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9807421) - 2017 - CRC - 11/18/15
In Brief 15
Exterior Lighting
The exterior lamp control is on the
instrument panel to the left of the
steering column.
There are four positions.
O:Turns the exterior lamps off.
AUTO : Turns the exterior lamps on
and off automatically depending on
outside lighting.
;: Turns on the parking lamps
including all lamps, except the
headlamps.
5: Turns on the headlamps
together with the parking lamps and
instrument panel lights. See:
.
Exterior Lamp Controls 0149.
. Daytime Running Lamps
(DRL) 0151.
Windshield Wiper/Washer
With the ignition in ACC/
ACCESSORY or ON/RUN, move
the lever to select the wiper speed.
HI : Use for fast wipes.
LO : Use for slow wipes.
INT : Move the lever up to INT for
intermittent wipes, then turn the
band up for more frequent wipes or
down for less frequent wipes.
OFF : Use to turn the wipers off.
1X : For a single wipe, briefly move
the lever down. For several wipes,
hold the lever down.
f: Pull the lever toward you to
spray windshield washer fluid and
activate the wipers.
See Windshield Wiper/Washer 097.
Chevrolet VOLT Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9807421) - 2017 - CRC - 11/18/15
26 In Brief
Driving for Better Energy
Efficiency
Use the following tips to help
maximize energy efficiency and
range.
In colder temperatures, while these
efficiency tips will help, the electric
vehicle driving range may be lower
due to higher energy usage.
Driving Style
Efficiency Gauge (Instrument
Cluster)
The ball indicator should be kept
green and toward the center of the
gauge for efficient operation.
Inefficient acceleration is indicated
when the ball turns yellow and
travels above the center of the
gauge.
Aggressive braking is indicated
when the ball turns yellow and
travels below the center of the
gauge.Acceleration/Braking/Coasting
Avoid unnecessary rapid
accelerations and decelerations.
Electric range is maximized at
80 km/h (50 mph) and below. Higher
speeds use more energy and can
significantly reduce electric range.
Use cruise control when
appropriate.
Plan ahead for decelerations and
coast whenever possible. For
example, do not rush to traffic
signals.
Do not shift to N (Neutral) to coast.
The vehicle recovers energy while
coasting and braking in D (Drive)
or L (Low).
Drive Mode and PRNDL Selection
Use Normal Mode when possible.
Sport Mode provides more
responsive acceleration than
Normal Mode but can reduce
efficiency.
Use Mountain Mode prior to
climbing long, steep grades in
mountainous areas. Be sure to
engage Mountain Mode before
starting to climb. Mountain Mode
reduces electric range and power
but may be needed to maintain
speeds or steep grades.
Use Hold Mode on a trip where it is
expected that all of the electric
charge will be depleted. Use Hold
Mode mainly during highway or high
speed driving to maximize both EV
miles and fuel efficiency.
Use L (Low) in heavy stop-and-go
traffic or when traveling downhill.
L (Low) requires less brake pedal
application and provides a
controlled, efficient way to slow the
vehicle down.
Climate Setting
Using the heat and air conditioning
systems decreases the energy
available for electric driving.
Optimal energy efficiency is
achieved with the heat, air
conditioning, and fan turned off.
Chevrolet VOLT Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9807421) - 2017 - CRC - 11/18/15
46 Keys, Doors, and Windows
Power Mirrors
To adjust a mirror:1. Press
}or|to choose the
driver or passenger mirror.
2. Press the arrows on the control pad to move each mirror in the
desired direction.
Folding Mirrors
Manual Folding Mirrors
The mirrors can be folded inward
toward the vehicle to prevent
damage when going through an
automatic car wash. Push the mirror
outward to return it to the original
position.
Heated Mirrors
The rear window defogger also
heats the outside mirrors,
if equipped.
K:Press to heat the outside
rearview mirrors. See “Rear Window
Defogger” underAutomatic Climate
Control System 0157.
Interior Mirrors
Interior Rearview Mirrors
Adjust the rearview mirror for a clear
view of the area behind the vehicle.
Do not spray glass cleaner directly
on the mirror. Use a soft towel
dampened with water.
Manual Rearview Mirror
If equipped with a manual rearview
mirror, push the tab forward for
daytime use and pull it for nighttime
use to avoid glare from the
headlamps from behind.
Automatic Dimming
Rearview Mirror
If equipped, automatic dimming
reduces the glare of headlamps
from behind. The dimming feature
comes on when the vehicle is
started.
Chevrolet VOLT Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9807421) - 2017 - CRC - 11/18/15
56 Seats and Restraints
To fold the seatback down:
Caution
Folding a rear seat with the safety
belts still fastened may cause
damage to the seat or the safety
belts. Always unbuckle the safety
belts and return them to their
normal stowed position before
folding a rear seat.
1. Pull the seatback release leverto unlock the seatback.
A tab near the lever raises
when the seatback is unlocked.
2. Fold the seatback forward.
Raising the Seatback
Caution
Damage to the safety belt or
seatback locking mechanism can
occur if the safety belt is caught
between the rear seatback and
the seatback locking mechanism.
The safety belt must be out of the
way when the rear seat is raised
to the upright, locked position.
If the safety belt is damaged, see
your dealer and have it replaced. To raise the seatback:
1. The safety belt should not
cross the seatback locking
mechanism when raising the
seatback.
2. Raise the seatback and push it rearward to lock it into place.
A tab near the seatback
release lever retracts when the
seatback is locked.
3. Push and pull the top of the seatback to be sure it is locked
into position.
Keep the seat in the upright, locked
position when not in use.
Chevrolet VOLT Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9807421) - 2017 - CRC - 11/18/15
Seats and Restraints 61
To unlatch the belt, push the button
on the buckle. The belt should
return to its stowed position.
Always stow the safety belt slowly.
If the safety belt webbing returns
quickly to the stowed position, the
retractor may lock and cannot be
pulled out. If this happens, pull the
safety belt straight out firmly to
unlock the webbing, and then
release it. If the webbing is still
locked in the retractor, see your
dealer.
Before a door is closed, be sure the
safety belt is out of the way. If a
door is slammed against a safety
belt, damage can occur to both the
safety belt and the vehicle.
Safety Belt Pretensioners
This vehicle has safety belt
pretensioners for front outboard
occupants. Although the safety belt
pretensioners cannot be seen, they
are part of the safety belt assembly.They can help tighten the safety
belts during the early stages of a
moderate to severe frontal, near
frontal, or rear crash if the threshold
conditions for pretensioner
activation are met. Safety belt
pretensioners can also help tighten
the safety belts in a side crash or a
rollover event.
Pretensioners work only once. If the
pretensioners activate in a crash,
they need to be replaced, and other
new parts for the vehicle's safety
belt system may be required. See
Replacing Safety Belt System Parts
after a Crash
062.
Safety Belt Use During
Pregnancy
Safety belts work for everyone,
including pregnant women. Like all
occupants, they are more likely to
be seriously injured if they do not
wear safety belts.
A pregnant woman should wear a
lap-shoulder belt, and the lap
portion should be worn as low as
possible, below the rounding,
throughout the pregnancy.
The best way to protect the fetus is
to protect the mother. When a safety
belt is worn properly, it is more likely
that the fetus will not be hurt in a
crash. For pregnant women, as for
anyone, the key to making safety
belts effective is wearing them
properly.
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 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