traction control CHEVROLET VOLT 2011 User Guide

Black plate (9,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-9
Of course, traction is reduced when
water, snow, ice, gravel, or other
material is on the road. For safety,
slow down and adjust your driving
to these conditions. It is important
to slow down on slippery surfaces
because stopping distance is longer
and vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with
reduced traction, try to avoid
sudden steering, acceleration,
or braking, including reducing
vehicle speed by shifting to a lower
gear. Any sudden changes could
cause the tires to slide. You might
not realize the surface is slippery
until the vehicle is skidding. 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.
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.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
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
occupants could drown. Do not
ignore police warnings and be
very cautious about trying to
drive through flowing water.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. Water
can build up under the vehicle's
tires so they actually ride on the
water. This can happen if the road
is wet enough and you are going
fast enough. When the vehicle is
hydroplaning, it has little or no
contact with the road.
There is no hard and fast rule about
hydroplaning. The best advice is to
slow down when the road is wet.

Black plate (11,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-11
WARNING (Continued)
to slow the vehicle enough to
maintain speed and control.
You could crash. Always have
the vehicle running and in gear
(preferably LOW range) when
going downhill. This will allow
the electric drive unit to assist in
slowing and maintaining speed.
.Stay in your own lane. Do not
swing wide or cut across the
center of the road. Drive at
speeds that let you stay in
your own lane.
.Top of hills: Be
alert—something could
be in your lane (stalled car,
accident).
.Pay attention to special road
signs (falling rocks area, winding
roads, long grades, passing or
no-passing zones) and take
appropriate action.
Winter Driving
Driving on Snow or Ice
Drive carefully when there is
snow or ice between the tires
and the road, creating less traction
or grip. Wet ice can occur at about
0°C (32°F) when freezing rain
begins to fall, resulting in even less
traction. Avoid driving on wet ice or
in freezing rain until roads can be
treated with salt or sand.
Drive with caution, whatever the
condition. Accelerate gently so
traction is not lost. Accelerating
too quickly causes the wheels to
spin and makes the surface under
the tires slick, so there is even less
traction.
Try not to break the fragile traction.
If you accelerate too fast, the drive
wheels will spin and polish the
surface under the tires even more. The Antilock Brake System (ABS)
improves vehicle stability during
hard stops on slippery roads, but
apply the brakes sooner than when
on dry pavement.
Allow greater following distance
on any slippery road 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 on slippery
surfaces.

Black plate (13,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-13
If the Vehicle Is Stuck
Slowly and cautiously spin the
wheels to free the vehicle when
stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow.
Shifting the vehicle into L will allow
the driver to achieve more wheel
spin. The wheel spin will still be
limited by the traction control
system to prevent any driveline
damage. The increase in allowable
wheel spin is only active at low
speeds.{WARNING
If the vehicle's tires spin at high
speed, they can explode, and
you or others could be injured.
The vehicle can overheat,
causing an engine compartment
fire or other damage. Spin the
wheels as little as possible and
avoid going above 55 km/h
(35 mph).
For information about using tire
chains on the vehicle, see Tire
Chains on page 10‑69.
Rocking the Vehicle to Get
it Out
Turn the steering wheel left and
right to clear the area around the
front wheels. Shift back and forth
between R (Reverse) and a forward
gear, spinning the wheels as little
as possible. The Traction Control
System prevents the tires from
spinning at high speeds. To prevent
electric drive unit wear, wait until the
wheels stop spinning before shifting
gears. Release the accelerator
pedal while shifting, and press
lightly on the accelerator pedal
when the electric drive unit is in
gear. Slowly spinning the wheels in
the forward and reverse directions
causes a rocking motion that could
free the vehicle. If that does not get
the vehicle out after a few tries, it
might need to be towed out. If the
vehicle does need to be towed out,
see Towing the Vehicle on
page 10‑84.

Black plate (37,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-37
Regenerative Braking
Regenerative braking takes some of
the energy from the moving vehicle
and turns it back into electrical
energy. This energy is then stored
back into the high voltage battery
system, contributing to increased
energy efficiency.
The hydraulic disc brakes work with
the regenerative braking to ensure
effective braking, such as when a
high braking demand is requested.
The braking system is
computer controlled and
blends the regenerative braking
with the conventional hydraulic disc
brakes to meet any requirements
for deceleration. The controllerinterprets the braking request
and uses regenerative braking,
conventional hydraulic braking, or a
combination of both as necessary.
Because the controller applies the
hydraulic brakes through its high
pressure accumulator, you may
occasionally hear the motor‐driven
pump when it recharges the system.
This is normal.
See
Warning Lights, Gauges,
and Indicators on page 5‑9 and
Driver Information Center (DIC) on
page 5‑43. In the event of a
controller problem, the brake pedal
may be harder to push and the
stopping distance may be longer.
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control
System (TCS)
The vehicle has a Traction Control
System (TCS) that limits wheel
spin. The system operates if it
senses that one or both of the drive
wheels are spinning or beginning to
lose traction. When this happens,
the system brakes the spinning
wheel(s) and/or reduces power
to limit wheel spin.
The system may be heard or felt
while it is working, but this is
normal.
To assist with directional control
of the vehicle, TCS comes on
automatically whenever the vehicle
is started and cannot be turned off.

Black plate (38,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
9-38 Driving and Operating
When the vehicle is started
and begins to move, the system
performs several diagnostic checks
to ensure there are no problems.
The system may be heard or
felt while it is working. This is
normal and does not mean there
is a problem with the vehicle.
The system should initialize
before the vehicle reaches 32 km/h
(20 mph). In some cases, it may
take approximately 3.2 km (2 mi) of
driving before the system initializes.
The Traction Control System may
activate on dry or rough roads or
under conditions such as heavy
acceleration while turning or abrupt
changes in output from the electric
drive unit. When this happens,
a reduction in acceleration may
be noticed, or a noise or vibration
may be heard. This is normal.
The TCS/StabiliTrak warning light
will flash to indicate that the traction
control system is active.
If there is a problem detected, the
SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL
message displays in the DIC.
SeeRide Control System Messages
on page 5‑50. When this message
is displayed and
dcomes on and
stays on, the vehicle is safe to drive
but the system is not operational. If
dcomes on and stays on, reset
the system:
1. Stop the vehicle.
2. Turn the vehicle off and wait 15 seconds.
3. Start the vehicle.
If
dstill comes on and stays on,
the vehicle needs service.
Adding non‐GM accessories
can affect vehicle performance.
See Accessories and Modifications
on page 10‑4 for more information.

Black plate (39,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-39
Electronic Stability
Control (ESC)
The vehicle has an Electronic
Stability Control system called
StabiliTrak. It is an advanced
computer‐controlled system that
assists with directional control of the
vehicle in difficult driving conditions.
StabiliTrak comes on automatically
whenever the vehicle is started and
cannot be turned off.
The system may be heard or felt
while it is working, but this is
normal.StabiliTrak activates when the
computer senses a difference
between the intended path and
the direction the vehicle is actually
traveling. StabiliTrak selectively
applies braking pressure to help
steer the vehicle in the intended
direction.
When the vehicle is started
and begins to move, the system
performs several diagnostic checks
to ensure there are no problems.
The system may be heard or
felt while it is working. This is
normal and does not mean there
is a problem with the vehicle.
The system should initialize
before the vehicle reaches 32 km/h
(20 mph). In some cases, it may
take approximately 3.2 km (2 mi) of
driving before the system initializes.
When the stability control system
activates, the Traction Control
System (TCS)/StabiliTrak light
flashes on the instrument cluster.
This also occurs when traction
control is activated. This is normal.
Continue to steer the vehicle in the
intended direction.
If there is a problem detected,
the SERVICE STABILITRAK
message displays in the DIC.
When this message is displayed
and the StabiliTrak light comes
on and stays on, the vehicle is
safe to drive but the system is
not operational. See
Ride Control
System Messages on page 5‑50.

Black plate (40,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
9-40 Driving and Operating
Ifdcomes on and stays on, reset
the system:
1. Stop the vehicle.
2. Turn the vehicle off and wait 15 seconds.
3. Start the vehicle.
If
dstill comes on and stays on,
the vehicle needs service.
If cruise control is being used when
StabiliTrak activates, the cruise
control will automatically disengage.
Press the cruise control button to
reengage when road conditions
allow. See Cruise Control on
page 9‑40 for more information.
Cruise Control
The cruise control lets the vehicle
maintain a speed of about 40 km/h
(25 mph) or more without keeping
your foot on the accelerator. Cruise
control does not work at speeds
below 40 km/h (25 mph).
With the Traction Control
System (TCS) or Electronic
Stability Control (ESC), the system
may begin to limit wheel spin
while you are using cruise control.
If this happens, the cruise control
will automatically disengage.
SeeTraction Control System (TCS)
on page 9‑37 orElectronic Stability
Control (ESC) on page 9‑39.
{WARNING
Cruise control can be dangerous
where you cannot drive safely at
a steady speed. So, do not use
the cruise control on winding
roads or in heavy traffic.
Cruise control can be dangerous
on slippery roads. On such roads,
fast changes in tire traction can
cause excessive wheel slip, and
you could lose control. Do not use
cruise control on slippery roads.

Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
10-4 Vehicle Care
Accessories and
Modifications
Adding non‐dealer accessories or
making modifications to the vehicle
can affect vehicle performance and
safety, including such things as
airbags, braking, stability, ride
and handling, emissions systems,
aerodynamics, durability, and
electronic systems like antilock
brakes, traction control, and stability
control. These accessories or
modifications could even cause
malfunction or damage not
covered by the vehicle warranty.Damage to vehicle components
resulting from modifications or
the installation or use of non‐GM
certified parts, including control
module or software modifications,
is not covered under the terms of
the vehicle warranty and may affect
remaining warranty coverage for
affected parts.
GM Accessories are designed to
complement and function with other
systems on the vehicle. Your GM
dealer can accessorize the vehicle
using genuine GM Accessories.
When you go to your GM dealer
and ask for GM Accessories,
you will know that GM-trained and
supported service technicians will
perform the work using genuine
GM Accessories.
Also, see
Adding Equipment to
the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle on
page 3‑38.

Black plate (39,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-39
Engine Compartment Fuse Block
A fuse puller is located in the engine
compartment fuse block.
The vehicle may not be equipped
with all of the fuses, relays, and
features shown. Mini Fuses Usage
1 Engine Control
Module
–Switched
Power
2 Emissions
3 Not Used Mini Fuses Usage
4 Ignition
Coils/Injectors
5 Empty
6a Empty
6b Rear Defogger
(Lower Grid)
7 Empty
8 Empty
9 Heated Mirrors
10 Air Conditioning
Control Module
11 Traction
Power Inverter
Module
–Battery
12 Cabin Heater Pump
and Valve
13 Empty
14 Empty

Black plate (40,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
10-40 Vehicle Care
Mini Fuses Usage15 Traction Power
Inverter Module
and Transmission
Control
Module
–Battery
17 Engine Control
Module
–Battery
22 Left High‐Beam
Headlamp
24 Empty
25 Empty
26 Empty
31 Rechargeable
Energy Storage
System (High
Voltage Battery)
Coolant Pump
32 Sensing Diagnostic
Module
–Run/Crank Mini Fuses Usage
33 Run/Crank for Fuel
System Control
Module/Vehicle
Integration Control
Module
34 Vehicle
Integration Control
Module
–Battery
35 Power Electronics
Coolant Pump
36 Empty
37 Cabin Heater
Control Module
38 Empty
39 Rechargeable
Energy Storage
System (High
Voltage Battery)
Control Module Mini Fuses Usage
40 Front Windshield
Washer
41 Right High‐Beam
Headlamp
46 Empty
47 Empty
49 Empty
50 Rear Vision
Camera
–Run/
Crank (If Equipped)
51 Run/Crank for
ABS/Rechargeable
Energy Storage
System (High
Voltage Battery)/
Charger
52 Engine
Control Module/
Transmission
Control
Module
–Run/Crank