CHEVROLET VOLT 2011 Owner's Manual

Black plate (19,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-19
on. The flashing light will eventually
time out. The POWER
Obutton
light is on steady when in ON/RUN
power mode. When the vehicle is
turned off, the POWER
Obutton
light will turn off.
The Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter must be in the vehicle
for the system to operate. If the
vehicle will not start, place the RKE
transmitter in the transmitter slot.
See Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System Operation on page 2‑3.
ON/RUN: This position is for
driving and starting. With the vehicle
off, and the brake pedal applied,
pressing the POWER
Obutton once
will place the vehicle in ON/RUN.
The instrument cluster displays an
active fuel 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 on page 9‑20.
Service Only Mode
This power mode is available for
service and diagnostics, and to
verify the proper operation of
the MIL as may be required for
emission inspection purposes.
With the vehicle off, and the brake
pedal not applied, pressing and
holding the POWER
Obutton for
more than 5 seconds will place
the vehicle in Service Only Mode.
The instruments and audio systems
will operate as they do in ON/RUN,
but the vehicle will not be able to be
driven. The propulsion system will
not start in Service Only Mode. STOPPING THE VEHICLE/OFF:
To turn the vehicle off, push the
POWER
Obutton with the vehicle
in P (Park). Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) will remain active
until the driver door is opened.
See Retained Accessory Power
(RAP) on page 9‑22. When turning
off the vehicle, if the vehicle is not
in P (Park), the vehicle will go to
ACC/ACCESSORY and display the
message SHIFT TO PARK in the
Driver Information Center (DIC).
See Electric Drive Unit Messages
on page 5‑47.
In an emergency, if the vehicle must
be stopped while driving:
1. Brake using a firm and steady pressure. Do not pump the
brakes repeatedly. This may
deplete power assist, requiring
increased brake pedal force.

Black plate (20,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
9-20 Driving and Operating
2. Shift the vehicle to N (Neutral).This can be done while the
vehicle is moving. After shifting
to N (Neutral), firmly apply the
brakes and steer the vehicle
to a safe location.
3. Come to a complete stop, shift to P (Park), and turn the
vehicle to OFF by pushing the
POWER
Obutton.
4. Set the parking brake. See Electric Parking Brake on
page 9‑35.
{WARNING
Turning off the vehicle while
moving may disable the airbags.
While driving, only shut the
propulsion system off in an
emergency. 5. If the vehicle must be stopped
while driving, press and hold
the POWER
Obutton for
either longer than two seconds,
or press twice in five seconds.
Starting and Stopping the
Vehicle
Starting Procedure
Move the shift lever to P (Park) or
N (Neutral). The propulsion system
will not start in any other position.
Notice: Do not try to shift to
P (Park) if the vehicle is moving
or the electric drive unit could be
damaged. Shift to P (Park) only
when the vehicle is stopped. Notice:
The vehicle is designed
to work with the electronics in
the vehicle. If you add electrical
parts or accessories, you could
change the way the vehicle
operates. Before adding electrical
equipment, check with your
dealer. If you do not, the vehicle
might not perform properly. Any
resulting damage would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.

Black plate (21,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-21
The Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter must be in the vehicle.
Press the brake pedal and push
and release the POWER
Obutton.
If the RKE transmitter is not in the
vehicle or something is interfering
with the transmitter, a message
displays in the Driver Information
Center (DIC). See Key and Lock
Messages on page 5‑48.
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” in
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System Operation on page 2‑3.
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 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 on page 9‑20.

Black plate (22,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
9-22 Driving and Operating
Restarting Procedure
If the vehicle must be restarted
while it is still moving, move the
shift lever to N (Neutral) and
press the POWER
Obutton twice
without pressing the brake pedal.
The propulsion system will not
restart in any other position.
Computers determine when the
engine needs to run. The engine
may start, if required, when the
propulsion system is on. Some
vehicle conditions that force the
engine to run are:
.Cold ambient temperatures.
.The hood is open or not
completely latched.
.The high voltage battery has a
low charge.
.The engine is needed to
maintain the high voltage
battery temperature.
.The engine needs to run for
maintenance. See
Maintenance Modes on
page 9‑28.
A chime will sound if the driver
door is opened while the vehicle
is in ON/RUN. Always press the
POWER
Obutton to turn the
vehicle off before exiting.
Stopping Procedure
For information on how to turn the
vehicle off, see Power Button on
page 9‑18.
Retained Accessory
Power (RAP)
The following features will operate
for up to 10 minutes or until the
driver door is opened:
.Audio System
.Power Windows
.Accessory Power Outlets
Shifting Into Park
{WARNING
It can be dangerous to get out of
the vehicle if the shift lever is not
fully in P (Park) with the parking
brake firmly set. The vehicle can
roll. If you have left the propulsion
system on, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You or others could be
injured. To be sure the vehicle will
not move, even when you are on
fairly level ground, use the steps
that follow.
1. Hold the brake pedal down and set the parking brake.
See Electric Parking Brake on
page 9‑35 for more information.
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.

Black plate (23,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-23
Leaving the Vehicle with the
Propulsion System On
{WARNING
It can be dangerous to leave
the vehicle with the propulsion
system on. The vehicle could
move suddenly if the shift lever
is not fully in P (Park) with the
parking brake firmly set. And,
if you leave the vehicle with the
propulsion system on, it could
overheat and even catch fire.
You or others could be injured.
Do not leave the vehicle with
the propulsion system on.
If you have to leave the vehicle with
the propulsion system on, be sure
the vehicle is in P (Park) and the
parking brake is firmly set before
you leave it. After you have moved the shift lever into P (Park), hold
down the regular brake pedal.
See if you can move the shift lever
away from P (Park) without first
pulling it toward you. If you can,
it means that the shift lever was
not fully locked into P (Park).
Torque Lock
Torque lock is when the weight of
the vehicle puts too much force on
the parking pawl in the electric drive
unit. This happens when parking
on a hill and shifting the electric
drive unit into P (Park) is not done
properly and then it is difficult to
shift out of P (Park). To prevent
torque lock, set the parking brake
and then shift into P (Park).
If torque lock does occur, your
vehicle may need to be pushed
uphill by another vehicle to relieve
the parking pawl pressure, so you
can shift out of P (Park).
Shifting out of Park
To shift out of P (Park), the vehicle
must be in ON/RUN, the brake
pedal must be applied, and the
charge cord must be unplugged.
The vehicle has an electronic shift
lock release system. The shift lock
release is designed to:
.Prevent the vehicle from turning
off unless the shift lever is in
P (Park).
.Prevent moving the shift lever
out of P (Park), unless the
vehicle is in ON/RUN, the brake
pedal is applied, and the charge
cord is unplugged.
The shift lock is always functional
except in the case of an uncharged
or low charged 12‐volt battery
(less than 9 volts).
If the vehicle has an uncharged
12‐volt battery or a 12‐volt battery
with low voltage, try charging or
jump starting the 12‐volt battery.
See Jump Starting on page 10‑79.

Black plate (24,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
9-24 Driving and Operating
If the console shift lever cannot be
moved out of P (Park):
1. Apply and maintain the regularbrakes.
2. Turn the vehicle on using the POWER
Obutton. See Power
Button on page 9‑18.
3. Let up on the shift lever and make sure the shift lever is
pushed all the way into P (Park).
4. Press the shift lever button.
5. Move the shift lever into the desired gear.
If you still cannot move the shift
lever from P (Park), see your dealer
or a professional towing service.
Parking over Things
That Burn
{WARNING
Things that can burn could touch
hot exhaust parts under the
vehicle and ignite. Do not park
over papers, leaves, dry grass,
or other things that can burn.
Electric Vehicle
Operating Modes
System Operation
This vehicle is an Extended Range
Electric Vehicle (EREV). It uses an
electric propulsion system to drive
the vehicle at all times. Electricity
is the vehicle's primary source of
energy, while gasoline is the
secondary source.
The vehicle has two modes of
operation: Electric and Extended
Range. In both modes, the vehicle
is propelled by its electric drive unit.
It converts electrical energy into
mechanical energy to drive the
wheels. The vehicle's performance
remains the same in either mode.
See Driving for Better Energy
Efficiency on page 9‑2.

Black plate (25,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-25
Electric Mode
In Electric Mode, the vehicle does
not use fuel or produce tailpipe
emissions. During this primary
mode, the vehicle is powered
by electrical energy stored in the
high voltage battery. The vehicle
can operate in this mode until the
battery has reached a low charge.
There are some conditions when
the battery charge is high enough
to provide Electric Mode operation,
but the engine still runs. They are:
.Cold ambient temperatures.
.Hot or cold high voltage battery
temperatures.
.The hood being open or not
completely closed and latched.
.Certain high voltage battery fault
conditions.
.Engine Maintenance Mode
or Fuel Maintenance Mode
being run.
Extended Range Mode
When the vehicle reaches the end
of its electric range, it switches
to Extended Range Mode (ERM).
In this secondary mode, electricity
is produced by the fuel‐powered
engine. This secondary source of
electric power extends the vehicle
range. Operation will continue
in ERM until the vehicle can be
plugged in to recharge the high
voltage battery and restore
Electric Mode.
The high voltage battery will
continue to provide some power
and work together with the engine
to provide peak performance when
it is required, such as driving up a
steep incline or for high acceleration
maneuvers. The battery will not be
charged nor will electric vehicle
range be restored by the engine.In either Electric Mode or Extended
Range Mode, when the hood is
open, the engine will run without
turning off if the vehicle is on.
The high voltage battery is neither
charged nor discharged when this
occurs.
In either Electric Mode or Extended
Range Mode, if there is a high
voltage battery fault, the engine
may run without turning off to
generate needed electricity.
The Malfunction Indicator Lamp
will turn on. See
Malfunction
Indicator Lamp on page 5‑21.

Black plate (26,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
9-26 Driving and Operating
Driver Selected Operating
Modes
While driving in Electric or Extended
Range Mode, additional operating
modes can be selected.
Press the DRIVE MODE button to
display selectable drive modes in
the Driver Information Center (DIC).
Continue pressing to scroll through
the modes.
Highlight either the Mountain
or Sport Mode, then release
the DRIVE MODE button.
After three seconds, the new
drive mode will become active.
Pressing the DRIVE MODE
button again will return to Normal
Mode, and become active after
three seconds.At next start, the vehicle will default
to the Normal Mode. Drive modes
can then be selected again as
desired.
During some conditions, certain
drive modes may be unavailable.
The unavailable mode is grayed
out in the DIC menu and cannot
be selected.
If in Sport or Mountain Mode,
either may become unavailable and
the vehicle will return to Normal
Mode. The indicator light goes
off and a DIC message displays.
See
Propulsion Power Messages on
page 5‑50.

Black plate (27,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-27
Sport Mode
Sport Mode provides more
responsive acceleration than
Normal Mode, but can reduce
efficiency. Use Normal Mode
whenever possible.
Press the DRIVE MODE button to
select Sport Mode.
Press the DRIVE MODE button
again to return to Normal Mode
and it becomes active after
three seconds.
The Sport light comes on when
Sport Mode is selected. SeeSport
Mode Light on page 5‑26.
Each time the vehicle is started,
it will return to Normal Mode.
Mountain Mode
Mountain Mode should be selected
at the beginning of a trip before
climbing steep, uphill grades and
when expecting to drive in very
hilly or mountainous terrain.
This mode maintains a reserve
electrical charge of the high voltage
battery to provide better grade
climbing performance. While driving
in Mountain Mode, the vehicle will
have less responsive acceleration. Mountain Mode will not change
normal vehicle braking performance
for steep downhill grades. See
Hill
and Mountain Roads on page 9‑10
and Electric Drive Unit on
page 9‑32.
Press the DRIVE MODE button
to select Mountain Mode. If steep
hill driving is expected, it is
recommended to select Mountain
Mode at least 20 minutes before
driving on steep grades. This will
allow the vehicle time to build a
sufficient battery charge reserve.
The engine may run when Mountain
Mode is selected. If Mountain
Mode is entered before four bars
of battery charge, the engine will
run at a higher speed to build
battery charge reserve. If Mountain
Mode is entered above four bars
of battery charge reserve, the
estimated electric range will
adjust accordingly.

Black plate (28,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
9-28 Driving and Operating
Press the Drive Mode button again
to return to Normal Mode and it
becomes active in three seconds.
If Mountain Mode is not selected
for these conditions, propulsion
power may be reduced and the
engine speed may increase. See
Propulsion Power Messages on
page 5‑50.
The vehicle returns to Normal Mode
at each start to maintain a smaller
battery charge reserve for normal
driving.
Out of Fuel/Engine
Unavailable
If the vehicle runs out of fuel,
or the engine will not start due
to a malfunction, the vehicle can
continue to be driven in Electric
Mode. The vehicle will have
less responsive acceleration.DIC messages indicate reduced
propulsion power, that the engine
is not available, and the need for
fuel or service.
Once the vehicle is refueled, or the
malfunction is corrected, the engine
will start the next time the vehicle is
turned on to perform a self test, and
DIC messages will not be displayed.
Once the engine starts successfully,
normal operation will continue in
either Electric or Extended Range
Mode. The engine will stop running
after the self test is completed,
and based on the current mode
of operation. See
Fuel System
Messages on page 5‑48 and
Service Vehicle Messages on
page 5‑51.
Maintenance Modes
Engine Maintenance Mode (EMM)
Engine Maintenance Mode
(EMM) runs the engine to keep
it in good working condition after
approximately six weeks of no or
very limited engine operation. EMM
will force the engine to run, even
if there is a charge to power the
vehicle. When EMM is needed,
the EMM Request screen appears
on the center stack display at
vehicle start.
If Yes is selected, EMM will begin.
The engine will run for a set
amount of time without turning off.