Chevrolet VOLT Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Climate Controls 157
The defogger only works when the
vehicle is on. The defogger will turn
off if the vehicle is turned off.
If equipped with heated outside
rearview mirrors, they turn on when
the rear window defogger button is
on and help to clear fog or frost from
the surface of the mirror. See
Heated Mirrors048.
Caution
Do not try to clear frost or other
material from the inside of the
front windshield and rear window
with a razor blade or anything
else that is sharp. This may
damage the rear window
defogger grid and affect the
radio's ability to pick up stations
clearly. The repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Remote Start : The climate control
system may be started by using the
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter. The climate control system will default to an appropriate
heating or cooling mode. See
Remote Start
038.
If equipped, the heated seats will
turn on if it is cold outside. The
heated seat indicator light may not
come on during a remote start.
If equipped, the heated steering
wheel will come on if it is cold
outside. The heated steering wheel
indicator light may not come on
during a remote start.
The rear window defogger turns on
if it is cold outside.
Compressor
The vehicle has an electric powered
air conditioning compressor. This
allows for continuous air
conditioning and/or high voltage
battery cooling operation, without
running the engine.
The compressor operating speed is
not tied to the engine speed, so
some noise may be heard from the
compressor, especially when air
conditioning use is high and the
engine has turned off. This is
normal.
Sensors
Solar Sensor
The solar sensor is on top of the
instrument panel, near the
windshield, where it monitors solar
intensity.
The climate control system uses the
sensor information to adjust the
temperature, fan speed,
recirculation, and air delivery mode
for best comfort.
Do not cover the sensor; otherwise
the automatic climate control system
may not work properly.
Humidity Sensor
The humidity sensor is near the
base of the inside rearview mirror.
The climate control system uses the
sensor information to adjust the
temperature and recirculation for
best comfort.
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234 Vehicle Care
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 235
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . 236
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . 242
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . 243
Cooling System (Engine) . . . . . 245
Cooling System (High Voltage Battery) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Cooling System (Power Electronics and Charger
Modules) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . 250
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251 Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Battery - North America . . . . . . 253
Electric Drive Unit Shift Lock
Control Function Check . . . . . 255
Park Brake and P (Park)
Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . 256
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . 256
Gas Strut(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Taillamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . 260
Electrical System
High Voltage Devices and Wiring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Electrical System Overload . . . 261
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . 262
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Rear Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Low-Profile Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . 273
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Tire Terminology andDefinitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 289
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Tire Sealant and Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
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Vehicle Care 235
Storing the Tire Sealant andCompressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . 305
Jump Starting
Jump Starting - North America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Towing the Vehicle
Towing the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . 311
Recreational VehicleTowing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
Appearance Care
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
General Information
For service and parts needs, visit
your dealer. You will receive
genuine GM parts and GM-trained
and supported service people.
Genuine GM parts have one of
these marks:
California Proposition
65 Warning
{Warning
Most motor vehicles, including
this one, as well as many of its
service parts and fluids, contain
and/or emit chemicals known to
the State of California to cause
cancer and birth defects or other
reproductive harm. Engine
exhaust, many parts and
systems, many fluids, and some
component wear by-products
contain and/or emit these
chemicals. For more information
go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/
passenger-vehicle.
See Battery - North America 0253
and Jump Starting - North America
0 306 and the back cover.
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248 Vehicle Care
3. Fill the coolant surge tank withthe proper mixture to the cold
fill line.
4. Replace the pressure cap. Be sure the pressure cap is
hand-tight and fully seated.
Caution
If the pressure cap is not tightly
installed, coolant loss and engine
damage may occur. Be sure the
cap is properly and tightly
secured.
Cooling System (High
Voltage Battery)
During vehicle operation and also
during charging, the high voltage
battery cells in the vehicle are kept
within a normal operating
temperature range. If the high
voltage battery cell temperature
rises above the normal operating
temperature range, the battery
cooling system turns on the air
conditioning compressor and cools
the coolant until the correct battery
cell temperature is reached. If the
high voltage battery cell temperature
falls below the normal operating
temperature range, a high voltage
heater, located in the battery, heats
the coolant until the correct battery
cell temperature is reached.
During high voltage battery system
cooling, you may feel temperature
changes at the air vents due to the
extra load on the system.
What to Use
The high voltage battery coolant
reservoir in the vehicle is filled with
GM Premix DEX-COOL engine
coolant. See Recommended Fluids
and Lubricants 0335. If using this
mixture, nothing else needs to be
added.
The coolant needs to be replaced at
the appropriate interval. See
Maintenance Schedule 0327.
Checking Coolant
The vehicle must be on a level
surface when checking the coolant
level.
The high voltage battery coolant
reservoir is located in the engine
compartment. See Engine
Compartment Overview 0239.
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282 Vehicle Care
Caution
Tire sealant materials are not all
the same. A non-approved tire
sealant could damage the TPMS
sensors. TPMS sensor damage
caused by using an incorrect tire
sealant is not covered by the
vehicle warranty. Always use only
the GM approved tire sealant
available through your dealer or
included in the vehicle.
Factory-installed Tire Inflator Kits
use a GM-approved liquid tire
sealant. Using non-approved tire
sealants could damage the TPMS
sensors. See Tire Sealant and
Compressor Kit 0292 for
information regarding the inflator kit
materials and instructions.
TPMS Malfunction Light and
Message
The TPMS will not function properly
if one or more of the TPMS sensors
are missing or inoperable. When the
system detects a malfunction, the low tire pressure warning light
flashes for about one minute and
then stays on for the remainder of
the ignition cycle. A DIC warning
message also displays. The
malfunction light and DIC warning
message come on at each ignition
cycle until the problem is corrected.
Some of the conditions that can
cause these to come on are:
.
One of the road tires has been
replaced with the spare tire. The
spare tire does not have a
TPMS sensor. The malfunction
light and DIC message should
go off after the road tire is
replaced and the sensor
matching process is performed
successfully. See “TPMS Sensor
Matching Process” later in this
section.
. The TPMS sensor matching
process was not done or not
completed successfully after
rotating the tires. The
malfunction light and the DIC
message should go off after
successfully completing the sensor matching process. See
"TPMS Sensor Matching
Process" later in this section.
. One or more TPMS sensors are
missing or damaged. The
malfunction light and the DIC
message should go off when the
TPMS sensors are installed and
the sensor matching process is
performed successfully. See
your dealer for service.
. Replacement tires or wheels do
not match the original equipment
tires or wheels. Tires and wheels
other than those recommended
could prevent the TPMS from
functioning properly. See Buying
New Tires 0286.
. Operating electronic devices or
being near facilities using radio
wave frequencies similar to the
TPMS could cause the TPMS
sensors to malfunction.
If the TPMS is not functioning
properly it cannot detect or signal a
low tire pressure condition. See
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292 Vehicle Care
Warning (Continued)
anything else, you or others could
be badly injured or killed if the
vehicle slips off the jack. If a jack
is provided with the vehicle, only
use it for changing a flat tire.
If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire
and wheel damage by driving slowly
to a level place, well off the road,
if possible. Turn on the hazard
warning flashers. See Hazard
Warning Flashers 0148.
{Warning
Changing a tire can be
dangerous. The vehicle can slip
off the jack and roll over or fall
causing injury or death. Find a
level place to change the tire. To
help prevent the vehicle from
moving:
1. Set the parking brake firmly. (Continued)
Warning (Continued)
2. Put an automatictransmission in P (Park) or a
manual transmission in
1 (First) or R (Reverse).
3. Turn off the engine and do not restart while the vehicle
is raised.
4. Do not allow passengers to remain in the vehicle.
5. Place wheel blocks, if equipped, on both sides of
the tire at the opposite
corner of the tire being
changed.
This vehicle may come with a jack
and spare tire or a tire sealant and
compressor kit. To use the jacking
equipment to change a spare tire
safely, follow the instructions below.
Then see Tire Changing 0299. To
use the tire sealant and compressor
kit, see Tire Sealant and
Compressor Kit 0292. When the vehicle has a flat tire (2),
use the following example as a
guide to assist you in the placement
of wheel blocks (1), if equipped.
1. Wheel Block (If Equipped)
2. Flat Tire
The following information explains
how to repair or change a tire.
Tire Sealant and
Compressor Kit
{Warning
Idling a vehicle in an enclosed
area with poor ventilation is
dangerous. Engine exhaust may
(Continued)
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Vehicle Care 293
Warning (Continued)
enter the vehicle. Engine exhaust
contains carbon monoxide (CO)
which cannot be seen or smelled.
It can cause unconsciousness
and even death. Never run the
engine in an enclosed area that
has no fresh air ventilation. For
more information, seeEngine
Exhaust 0182.
{Warning
Overinflating a tire could cause
the tire to rupture and you or
others could be injured. Be sure
to read and follow the tire sealant
and compressor kit instructions
and inflate the tire to its
recommended pressure. Do not
exceed the recommended
pressure.
{Warning
Storing the tire sealant and
compressor kit or other
equipment in the passenger
compartment of the vehicle could
cause injury. In a sudden stop or
collision, loose equipment could
strike someone. Store the tire
sealant and compressor kit in its
original location.
If this vehicle has a tire sealant and
compressor kit, there may not be a
spare tire or tire changing
equipment, and on some vehicles
there may not be a place to store
a tire.
The tire sealant and compressor
can be used to temporarily seal
punctures up to 6 mm (0.25 in) in
the tread area of the tire. It can also
be used to inflate an
underinflated tire.
If the tire has been separated from
the wheel, has damaged sidewalls,
or has a large puncture, the tire is
too severely damaged for the tire sealant and compressor kit to be
effective. See
Roadside Assistance
Program 0345.
Read and follow all of the tire
sealant and compressor kit
instructions.
The kit includes:
1. Sealant Canister Inlet Valve
2. Sealant/Air Hose
3. Base of Sealant Canister
4. Tire Sealant Canister
5. On/Off Button
6. Slot on Top of Compressor
7. Pressure Deflation Button
8. Pressure Gauge
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294 Vehicle Care
9. Power Plug
10. Air Only Hose
Tire Sealant
Read and follow the safe handling
instructions on the label adhered to
the tire sealant canister (4).
Check the tire sealant expiration
date on the tire sealant canister.
The tire sealant canister (4) should
be replaced before its expiration
date. Replacement tire sealant
canisters are available at your local
dealer.
There is only enough sealant to seal
one tire. After usage, the tire sealant
canister must be replaced.
Using the Tire Sealant and
Compressor Kit to Temporarily
Seal and Inflate a
Punctured Tire
When using the tire sealant and
compressor kit during cold
temperatures, warm the kit in a
heated environment for five minutes.
This will help to inflate the tire
faster.
If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire
and wheel damage by driving slowly
to a level place. Turn on the hazard
warning flashers. SeeHazard
Warning Flashers 0148.
See If a Tire Goes Flat 0291 for
other important safety warnings.
Do not remove any objects that
have penetrated the tire.
1. Remove the tire sealant canister (4) and compressor
from its storage location. See
Storing the Tire Sealant and
Compressor Kit 0299.
2. Remove the air only hose (10) and the power plug (9) from the
bottom of the compressor. 3. Place the compressor on the
ground near the flat tire.
4. Attach the air only hose (10) tothe sealant canister inlet
valve (1) by turning it clockwise
until tight.