CHEVROLET VOLT 2011 Owner's Manual

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 (41,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-41
The cruise control buttons are on
the steering wheel.
1(On/Off):Press to turn the
cruise control system on and off.
An indicator light will turn on or
off in the instrument cluster.
*(Cancel): Press to disengage
cruise control without erasing the
set speed from memory. RES/+ (Resume/Accel):
Move
the thumbwheel up to resume
to a previously set speed or to
accelerate.
SET/− (Set/Coast): Move the
thumbwheel down to set a speed
and activate cruise control or to
make the vehicle decelerate.
Setting Cruise Control
If the cruise button is on when not in
use, it could get bumped and go into
cruise when not desired. Keep the
cruise control button off when cruise
is not being used.
To set a speed:
1. Press
1to turn cruise
control on.
2. Get up to the speed desired. 3. Move the thumbwheel down
toward SET/− and release it.
The desired set speed briefly
appears in the instrument
cluster.
4. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal.
When the brakes are applied, the
cruise control shuts off.
Resuming a Set Speed
If the cruise control is set at a
desired speed and then the
brakes are applied, the cruise
control is disengaged without
erasing the set speed from memory.
Once the vehicle speed is about
40 km/h (25 mph) or greater,
move the thumbwheel up toward
RES/+ briefly and then release it.
The vehicle returns to the previously
set speed and stays there.

Black plate (42,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
9-42 Driving and Operating
Increasing Speed While Using
Cruise Control
If the cruise control system is
already activated:
.Move the thumbwheel up
toward RES/+ and hold it until
the vehicle accelerates to the
desired speed, then release it.
.To increase the speed in small
amounts, move the thumbwheel
up toward RES/+ briefly and
then release it. Each time this
is done, the vehicle goes about
1.6 km/h (1 mph) faster.Reducing Speed While Using
Cruise Control
If the cruise control system is
already activated:
.Move the thumbwheel toward
SET/−
and hold until the desired
lower speed is reached, then
release it.
.To slow down in very small
amounts, move the thumbwheel
toward SET/− briefly. Each time
this is done, the vehicle goes
about 1.6 km/h (1 mph) slower.
Passing Another Vehicle While
Using Cruise Control
Use the accelerator pedal to
increase vehicle speed. When
you take your foot off the pedal,
the vehicle will slow down to the
previously set cruise control speed. Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well the cruise control works
on hills depends upon the vehicle
speed, load, and the steepness
of the hills. When going up steep
hills, you might have to step on
the accelerator pedal to maintain
the vehicle speed. When going
downhill, you might have to brake
or shift to a lower gear to maintain
the vehicle speed. When the brakes
are applied the cruise control is
disengaged.

Black plate (43,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-43
Ending Cruise Control
There are three ways to end cruise
control:
.Step lightly on the brake pedal;
when cruise control disengages,
the indicator light will not be lit.
.Press*.
.Press1to turn the cruise
control system off completely.
The cruise control cannot be
resumed.
Erasing Speed Memory
The cruise control set speed
is erased from memory by
pressing
1or if the vehicle
is turned off.
Object Detection
Systems
Ultrasonic Parking Assist
For vehicles with the Ultrasonic
Front and Rear Parking Assist
(UFRPA) system, it assists the
driver with parking and avoiding
objects. UFRPA operates at
speeds less than 8 km/h (5 mph).
The sensors on the front and rear
bumper detect objects up to 1.2 m
(4 ft) in front of the vehicle, 2.5 m
(8 ft) behind the vehicle, and at
least 25.4 cm (10 in) off the ground.
{WARNING
The Ultrasonic Front and Rear
Parking Assist (UFRPA) system
does not replace driver vision.
It cannot detect:
.Objects that are below the
bumper, underneath the
vehicle, or if they are too
close or far from the vehicle.
.Children, pedestrians,
bicyclists, or pets.
If you do not use proper care
before moving forward and while
backing; vehicle damage, injury,
or death could occur. Even with
UFRPA, always check in front of
the vehicle before moving forward
and behind the vehicle before
backing up. While moving forward
and backing, be sure to look for
objects and check the vehicle
mirrors.

Black plate (44,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
9-44 Driving and Operating
How the System Works
UFRPA comes on automatically
when the shift lever is moved into
R (Reverse). The front and rear
sensors are automatically turned on.
After the vehicle is shifted out of
R (Reverse), the rear sensors are
turned off and the front sensors
stay on until the vehicle is above a
speed of 8 km/h (5 mph). The front
sensors may also be turned on by
pressing the park assist button
in the overhead console without
shifting into R (Reverse) while the
vehicle is traveling at a low speed.
See“Turning the System On and
Off” later in this section.
When the vehicle is in N (Neutral),
the system may be active. If the
vehicle is in a car wash, the sensors
may detect objects in the car wash.
See “Turning the System On and
Off” later in this section to turn the
system off. High-toned beeps from the front
speakers are for objects detected
near the front bumper. Low-toned
beeps from the rear speakers are
for objects detected near the rear
bumper. The interval between the
beeps becomes shorter as the
vehicle gets closer to the obstacle.
When the distance is less than
30 cm (12 in) the beeps are
continuous.
To be detected, objects must be at
least 25.4 cm (10 in) off the ground
and below hood or hatch level.
Objects must also be within
1.2 m (4 ft) in front of the vehicle
and 2.5 m (8 ft) from the rear
bumper. This distance may be less
during warmer or humid weather.
PARK ASSIST OFF displays on
the Driver Information Center (DIC)
to indicate that UFRPA is off.
The message disappears after
a short period of time.
Objects Detected by Both the
Front and Rear Sensors
If objects are detected at the
same time near both the front and
rear bumpers while backing up,
the beeps only sound to indicate
that objects are close to the rear
bumper.
If an object comes within 0.3 m (1 ft)
of the front bumper while the vehicle
is backing up and at the same time
there is another object further than
0.3 m (1 ft) from the rear bumper,
then the beeps only sound to
indicate the object that is closer
to the front bumper.

Black plate (45,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-45
Turning the System On and Off
The UFRPA system can be turned
on and off by pressing the park
assist button in the overhead
console.
The park assist button lights up
when the system is on and turns
off when it has been disabled.
When the System Does Not
Seem to Work Properly
If UFRPA does not turn on due to a
temporary condition, the message
PARK ASSIST OFF displays on the
DIC, and the light on the park assist
button turns off. This can occur
under the following conditions:
.The ultrasonic sensors are not
clean. Keep the sensors free of
mud, dirt, snow, ice, and slush.
For cleaning instructions, see
Exterior Care on page 10‑89.
.The vehicle was washed in cold
weather. This may cause frost
or ice to form in the park assist
sensors. Keep the sensors free
of frost or ice.
.An object was hanging out of the
hatch during the last drive cycle.
Once the attached object is
removed, UFRPA will return to
normal operation.
.The bumper is damaged.
Take the vehicle to your
dealer to repair the system.
.Other conditions may affect
system performance, such as
vibrations from a jackhammer or
the compression of air brakes
on a very large truck.

Black plate (46,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
9-46 Driving and Operating
Rear Vision
Camera (RVC)
The vehicle may have a Rear Vision
Camera (RVC) system. Read this
entire section before using it.
The RVC system can assist
the driver when backing up by
displaying a view of the area
behind the vehicle.
{WARNING
The Rear Vision Camera (RVC)
system does not replace driver
vision. RVC does not:
.Detect objects that are
outside the camera's field
of view, below the bumper,
or underneath the vehicle.
.Detect children, pedestrians,
bicyclists, or pets.(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
Do not back the vehicle by only
looking at the RVC screen, or use
the screen during longer, higher
speed backing maneuvers or
where there could be cross-traffic.
Your judged distances using the
screen will differ from actual
distances.
If you do not use proper care
before backing up, you could
hit a vehicle, child, pedestrian,
bicyclist, or pet, resulting in
vehicle damage, injury, or death.
Even though the vehicle has
the RVC system, always check
carefully before backing up by
checking behind and around the
vehicle.
How the System Works
When the vehicle is shifted
into R (Reverse), the image
of the area behind the vehicle
appears in the center stack
display with the message CHECK
SURROUNDINGS FOR SAFETY.
The previous screen displays
when the vehicle is shifted out of
R (Reverse) after approximately
10 seconds.
To cancel the delay, do one of the
following:
.Press a button on the
infotainment system.
.Shift into P (Park).
.Reach a vehicle speed of
8 km/h (5 mph).

Black plate (47,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-47
Turning the Rear Vision Camera
System On or Off
To turn the RVC system on or off:
1. Shift into P (Park).
2. Press the CONFIG button on thecenter stack.
3. Select Display.
4. Select Camera. When a checkmark appears next to
Camera, then the RVC system
is on.
Symbols
The navigation system may have
a feature that lets the driver view
symbols on the navigation screen
while using the RVC. The Ultrasonic
Front and Rear Parking Assist
(UFRPA) system must not be
disabled to use the caution symbols. The error message REAR PARKING
ASSIST SYMBOLS UNAVAILABLE
may display if UFRPA has been
disabled and the symbols have
been turned on. See
Ultrasonic
Parking Assist on page 9‑43.
The symbols appear and may
cover an object when viewing the
navigation screen when an object
is detected by the UFRPA system.
To turn the symbols on or off:
1. Shift into P (Park).
2. Press the CONFIG button on the
center stack.
3. Select Display.
4. Select Symbols. When a checkmark appears next to
Symbols, symbols will appear. Guidelines
The RVC system has a guideline
overlay that can help the driver align
the vehicle when backing into a
parking spot.
To turn the guidelines on or off:
1. Shift into P (Park).
2. Press the CONFIG button on the
center stack.
3. Select Display.
4. Select Guidelines. When a checkmark appears next to
Guidelines, guidelines will
appear.

Black plate (48,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
9-48 Driving and Operating
Rear Vision Camera Error
Messages
SERVICE REAR VISION CAMERA
SYSTEM:If this message appears
in the center stack display, the
system is not receiving information it
requires from other vehicle systems.
If any other problem occurs or if a
problem persists, see your dealer.
Rear Vision Camera Location
The RVC is located above the
license plate. The area displayed by the camera is
limited.
It does not display objects that
are close to either corner or
under the bumper and can vary
depending on vehicle orientation or
road conditions. The distance of the
image that appears on the screen is
different from the actual distance.
The following illustration shows
the field of view that the camera
provides.A. View displayed by the camera.
B. Corner of the rear bumper.