airbag off CHEVROLET VOLT 2011 Owner's Manual

Black plate (10,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
1-10 In Brief
Sensing System for
Passenger Airbag
The passenger sensing system will
turn off the right front passenger
frontal airbag and passenger knee
airbag under certain conditions.
The driver airbags, seat‐mounted
side impact airbags, and roof‐rail
airbags are not affected by the
passenger sensing system. See
Passenger Sensing System on
page 3‑33for more information.
The passenger airbag status
indicator will be visible on the
overhead console when the vehicle
is started. See Passenger Airbag
Status Indicator on page 5‑20.
Mirror Adjustment
Exterior
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.
See Folding Mirrors on page 2‑16.
Controls for the outside power
mirrors are on the driver door. To adjust a mirror:
1. Move the selector switch to
L (left) or R (right) to choose
the driver or passenger mirror.
2. Press the arrows on the control pad to move each mirror in the
desired direction.
3. Return the selector switch to the center position.
See Power Mirrors on page 2‑15.
When the rear window defogger
is activated, the heated mirriors,
if equipped, will also come on.
See Heated Mirrors on page 2‑16.
Interior
The vehicle has an automatic
dimming inside rearview mirror.
Automatic dimming reduces the
glare from the headlamps of the
vehicle behind you. The dimming
feature and the indicator light come
on each time the vehicle is started.
Hold the mirror in the center to
adjust it. See Automatic Dimming
Rearview Mirror on page 2‑16.

Black plate (18,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
1-18 In Brief
Battery and Efficiency
High Voltage Safety
Information
{WARNING
Exposure to high voltage
can cause shock, burns, and
even death. The high voltage
components in the vehicle can
only be serviced by technicians
with special training.
High voltage components are
identified by labels. Do not
remove, open, take apart,
or modify these components.
High voltage cable or wiring has
orange covering. Do not probe,
tamper with, cut, or modify high
voltage cable or wiring.
This vehicle has a high voltage
battery and a standard 12‐volt
battery. If the vehicle is in a crash, the
sensing system may shut down
the high voltage system. When this
occurs, the high voltage battery is
disconnected and the vehicle will
not start. The SERVICE VEHICLE
SOON message in the Driver
Information Center (DIC) will be
displayed. Before the vehicle can
be operated again, it must be
serviced at your dealer.
See
Battery on page 10‑28 for
important safety information. If an
airbag has inflated, see What Will
You See after an Airbag Inflates? on
page 3‑31.
Only a trained service technician
with the proper knowledge and
tools should inspect, test, or replace
the high voltage battery. See your
dealer if the high voltage battery
needs service.
See Battery on page 10‑28.
Charging
The high voltage battery can
be charged using a household
electrical outlet. There are three
ways to program how the vehicle
is charged. See Charging on
page 5‑33 for more information.
This section explains the process
for charging the high voltage battery.
Do not allow the vehicle to remain
in temperature extremes for long
periods without being driven or
plugged in. It is recommended that
the vehicle be plugged in when
temperatures are below 0°C (32°F)
and above 32°C (90°F) to maximize
high voltage battery life.
The charging system may run fans
and pumps that result in sounds
from the vehicle while it is turned
off. Additional unexpected clicking
sounds may be experienced caused
by the electrical devices used while
charging.

Black plate (26,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
3-26 Seats and Restraints
{WARNING
Airbags inflate with great force,
faster than the blink of an eye.
Anyone who is up against, or
very close to, any airbag when it
inflates can be seriously injured
or killed. Do not sit unnecessarily
close to any airbag, as you would
be if you were sitting on the edge
of the seat or leaning forward.
Safety belts help keep you in
position before and during a
crash. Always wear a safety belt,
even with airbags. The driver
should sit as far back as possible
while still maintaining control of
the vehicle.
Occupants should not lean on or
sleep against the door or side
windows in seating positions with
seat-mounted side impact airbags
and/or roof-rail airbags.
{WARNING
Children who are up against,
or very close to, any airbag
when it inflates can be seriously
injured or killed. Airbags plus
lap-shoulder belts offer protection
for adults and older children, but
not for young children and infants.
Neither the vehicle's safety belt
system nor its airbag system
is designed for them. Young
children and infants need the
protection that a child restraint
system can provide. Always
secure children properly in
the vehicle. To read how, see
Older Children on page 3‑41or
Infants and Young Children on
page 3‑43.
There is an airbag readiness
light on the instrument cluster,
which shows the airbag symbol.
The system checks the airbag
electrical system for malfunctions.
The light tells you if there is an
electrical problem. See Airbag
Readiness Light on page 5‑19
for more information.

Black plate (31,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-31
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? on
page 3‑28for more information.
Airbags should never be regarded
as anything more than a supplement
to safety belts.What Will You See after
an Airbag Inflates?
After the frontal airbags 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 deploy. Some components of
the airbag module may be hot for
several minutes. For location of the
airbag modules, see What Makes
an Airbag Inflate? on page 3‑30.
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 and hazard
warning flashers, and shut off the
fuel system after the airbags inflate.

Black plate (32,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
3-32 Seats and Restraints
You can lock the doors, turn off the
interior lamps and hazard warning
flashers by using the controls for
those features.
{WARNING
A crash severe enough to
inflate the airbags may have
also damaged important functions
in the vehicle, such as the fuel
system, brake and steering
systems, etc. Even if the vehicle
appears to be drivable after a
moderate crash, there may be
concealed damage that could
make it difficult to safely operate
the vehicle.
Use caution if attempting to
restart the vehicle after a crash
has occurred.In many crashes severe enough to
inflate the airbag, windshields are
broken by vehicle deformation.
Additional windshield breakage
may also occur from the right
front passenger airbag..Airbags are designed to inflate
only once. After an airbag
inflates, you will need some
new parts for the airbag system.
If you do not get them, the
airbag system will not be there
to help protect you in another
crash. A new system will include
airbag modules and possibly
other parts. The service manual
for your vehicle covers the need
to replace other parts.
.The vehicle has a crash
sensing and diagnostic module
which records information
after a crash. See
Vehicle Data
Recording and Privacy on
page 13‑26 andEvent Data
Recorders on page 13‑26.
.Let only qualified technicians
work on the airbag systems.
Improper service can mean that
an airbag system will not work
properly. See your dealer for
service.

Black plate (33,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-33
Passenger Sensing
System
The vehicle has a passenger
sensing system for the right front
passenger position. The passenger
airbag status indicator will be visible
on the overhead console when the
vehicle is started.
The words ON and OFF are visible
during the system check. When the
system check is complete, either
the word ON or OFF will be visible.
SeePassenger Airbag Status
Indicator on page 5‑20. The passenger sensing system
turns off the right front passenger
frontal airbag and the knee airbag
on the passenger side, under
certain conditions. The driver
airbag, the driver knee airbag, the
seat-mounted side impact airbags,
and the roof-rail airbags are not
affected by the passenger sensing
system.
The passenger sensing system
works with sensors that are part
of the right front passenger seat.
The sensors are designed to detect
the presence of a properly seated
occupant and determine if the right
front passenger frontal airbag and
passenger knee airbag should be
enabled (may inflate) or not.
According to accident statistics,
children are safer when properly
secured in a rear seat in a correct
child restraint for their weight
and size.
We recommend that children be
secured in a rear seat, including:
an infant or a child riding in a
rear-facing child restraint; a child
riding in a forward-facing child seat;
an older child riding in a booster
seat; and children, who are large
enough, using safety belts.
A label on the sun visor says,
“Never put a rear-facing child seat
in the front.”
This is because the risk
to the rear-facing child is so great,
if the airbag deploys.

Black plate (34,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
3-34 Seats and Restraints
{WARNING
A child in a rear-facing child
restraint can be seriously
injured or killed if the right
front passenger airbag inflates.
This is because the back of the
rear-facing child restraint would
be very close to the inflating
airbag. A child in a forward-facing
child restraint can be seriously
injured or killed if the right front
passenger airbag inflates and the
passenger seat is in a forward
position.
Even if the passenger sensing
system has turned off the right
front passenger airbag(s), no
system is fail-safe. No one can
guarantee that an airbag will not
deploy under some unusual
circumstance, even though
the airbag(s) are turned off.(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
Secure rear-facing child restraints
in a rear seat, even if the
airbag(s) are off. If you secure a
forward-facing child restraint in
the right front seat, always move
the front passenger seat as far
back as it will go. It is better to
secure the child restraint in a
rear seat.
The passenger sensing system is
designed to turn off the right front
passenger airbag and passenger
knee airbag if:
.The right front passenger seat is
unoccupied.
.The system determines that
an infant is present in a child
restraint.
.A right front passenger takes
his/her weight off of the seat for
a period of time.
.Or, if there is a critical problem
with the airbag system or the
passenger sensing system.
When the passenger sensing
system has turned off the right
front passenger frontal airbag and
passenger knee airbag, the off
indicator will light and stay lit to
remind you that the airbags are
off. See Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator on page 5‑20.
The passenger sensing system is
designed to turn on (may inflate) the
right front passenger frontal airbag
and passenger knee airbag anytime
the system senses that a person of
adult size is sitting properly in the
right front passenger seat.
When the passenger sensing
system has allowed the airbags to
be enabled, the on indicator will light
and stay lit to remind you that the
airbags are active.

Black plate (35,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-35
For some children, including
children in child restraints,
and for very small adults, the
passenger sensing system may
or may not turn off the right front
passenger frontal airbag and
passenger knee airbag, depending
upon the person’s seating posture
and body build. Everyone in the
vehicle who has outgrown child
restraints should wear a safety
belt properly —whether or not
there is an airbag for that person.
{WARNING
If the airbag readiness light ever
comes on and stays on, it means
that something may be wrong
with the airbag system. To help
avoid injury to yourself or others,
have the vehicle serviced right
away. See Airbag Readiness
Light on page 5‑19 for more
information, including important
safety information.
If the On Indicator is Lit for a
Child Restraint
If a child restraint has been installed
and the on indicator is lit:
1. Turn the vehicle off.
2. Remove the child restraint from the vehicle.
3. Remove any additional items from the seat such as blankets,
cushions, seat covers, seat
heaters, or seat massagers.
4. Reinstall the child restraint following the directions
provided by the child restraint
manufacturer and refer to
Securing Child Restraints
(Rear Seat) on page 3‑57 or
Securing Child Restraints (Front
Passenger Seat) on page 3‑60. 5. If, after reinstalling the child
restraint and restarting the
vehicle, the on indicator is
still lit, turn the vehicle off.
Then slightly recline the vehicle
seatback and adjust the seat
cushion, if adjustable, to make
sure that the vehicle seatback
is not pushing the child restraint
into the seat cushion.
Also make sure the child
restraint is not trapped under
the vehicle head restraint.
If this happens, adjust the head
restraint. See Head Restraints
on page 3‑2.
6. Restart the vehicle.
The passenger sensing system
may or may not turn off the
airbags for a child in a child
restraint depending upon the
child's seating posture and body
build. It is better to secure a
child restraint in a rear seat.

Black plate (36,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
3-36 Seats and Restraints
If the Off Indicator is Lit for an
Adult-Size Occupant
If a person of adult size is sitting
in the right front passenger seat,
but the off indicator is lit, it could be
because that person is not sitting
properly in the seat. If this happens,
use the following steps to allow thesystem to detect that person and
enable the right front passenger
frontal airbag and passenger
knee airbag:
1. Turn the vehicle off.
2. Remove any additional material
from the seat, such as blankets,
cushions, seat covers, seat
heaters, or seat massagers.
3. Place the seatback in the fully upright position.
4. Have the person sit upright in the seat, centered on the seat
cushion, with legs comfortably
extended.
5. Restart the vehicle and have the person remain in this position for
two to three minutes after the on
indicator is lit.
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.

Black plate (37,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-37
SeeAdding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle on
page 3‑38 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 enable
(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 on page 5‑19
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.