instrument panel CHEVROLET VOLT 2012 1.G Owners Manual

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
2012 Chevrolet Volt Owner ManualM
In Brief. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . 1-4
Vehicle Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Battery and Efficiency . . . . . . . . 1-21
Performance and
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-26
Keys, Doors, and Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
Keys and Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Vehicle Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Exterior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Interior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18
Seats and Restraints . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-19
Child Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-33 Storage
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Storage Compartments . . . . . . . . 4-1
Additional Storage Features . . . 4-2
Instruments and Controls . . . . 5-1
Instrument Panel Overview . . . . 5-3
Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Information Displays . . . . . . . . . . 5-29
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-47
Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . . 5-56
Universal Remote System . . . . 5-65
Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Lighting Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8
Audio Players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-14
Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-22
Trademarks and License
Agreements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-34 Climate Controls
. . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . 8-1
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-8
Driving and Operating . . . . . . . . 9-1
Driving Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Starting and Operating . . . . . . . 9-17
Electric Vehicle Operating
Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Electric Drive Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-31
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Ride Control Systems . . . . . . . . 9-36
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-40
Object Detection Systems . . . . 9-42
Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-48
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-59
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-64
Conversions and Add-Ons . . . 9-65
Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Vehicle Checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-6
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Electrical System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-32

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
In Brief 1-1
In Brief
Instrument Panel
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . 1-4
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Remote Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8
Heated Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Head Restraint Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Passenger Sensing System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Mirror Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-13 Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-13
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . 1-15
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Vehicle Features
Radio(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19
Portable Audio Devices . . . . . . 1-19
Bluetooth
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . 1-19
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
Navigation System . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-21
Battery and Efficiency
High Voltage Safety Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-21
Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-22
Fueling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-24
Total Vehicle Range . . . . . . . . . 1-25
Regenerative Braking . . . . . . . . 1-25
Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-26
Performance and Maintenance
Traction Control System (TCS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-26
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-26
Tire Pressure Monitor . . . . . . . . 1-27
Tire Sealant and
Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-27
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . 1-27
Driving for Better Energy Efficiency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-28
Roadside Assistance Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-30
OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-30

Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
1-2 In Brief
Instrument Panel

Black plate (3,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
In Brief 1-3
A.Air Vents on page 8‑8.
B. Turn and Lane‐Change Lever. See Turn and Lane-Change
Signals on page 6‑4.
Exterior Lamp Controls on
page 6‑1.
Pedestrian Friendly Alert on
page 5‑6.
C. Instrument Cluster on page 5‑9.
Driver Information Center (DIC)
Display. See Driver Information
Center (DIC) on page 5‑45.
D. Windshield Wiper/Washer on
page 5‑6.
E. Heated Front Seats on page 3‑6
(If Equipped).
F. Center Stack Display on
page 5‑29.
G. Charging Status Indicator. See Charging Status Feedback on
page 9‑52. H. Light Sensor. See
Daytime
Running Lamps (DRL) on
page 6‑2.
I. Instrument Panel Storage on
page 4‑1.
J. Automatic Climate Control
System on page 8‑1.
K. Driver Information Center (DIC) Controls. See Driver Information
Center (DIC) on page 5‑45.
L. Instrument Panel Illumination
Control on page 6‑4.
M. Data Link Connector (DLC) (Out of View). See Malfunction
Indicator Lamp on page 5‑19.
N. Cruise Control on page 9‑40.
O. Steering Wheel Adjustment on
page 5‑5.
P. Horn on page 5‑6. Q.
Steering Wheel Controls on
page 5‑5 (If Equipped).
R. Leaf Button. See Center Stack
Display on page 5‑29.
S. DRIVE MODE Button. See Driver Selected Operating
Modes on page 9‑25.
T. Power Button on page 9‑18.
U. Shift Lever. See Electric Drive
Unit on page 9‑31.
V. Infotainment on page 7‑1.
Navigation System. See the
separate navigation system
manual.
W. Electric Parking Brake on
page 9‑34.
X. Power Door Locks on
page 2‑12.
Y. Hazard Warning Flashers on
page 6‑3.

Black plate (14,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
1-14 In Brief
The rear reading lamps are in the
headliner.
For more information on interior
lighting, seeInstrument Panel
Illumination Control on page 6‑4.
Exterior Lighting
The exterior lamp control is on the
turn signal/lane change lever.
O: Turn to operate the exterior
lamps.
O: Turns the exterior lamps off.
AUTO: Turns the exterior lamps on
and off automatically depending on
the exterior light.
;: Turns on the parking lamps,
together with the sidemarker lamps,
taillamps, license plate lamps, and
instrument panel lights.
5: Turns on the headlamps,
together with the parking lamps,
sidemarker lamps, taillamps, license
plate lamps, and instrument panel
lights.
For more information, see:
.Exterior Lamp Controls on
page 6‑1.
.Turn and Lane-Change Signals
on page 6‑4.
.Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer on page 6‑2.

Black plate (21,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
In Brief 1-21
Power Outlets
The accessory power outlets can be
used to plug in electrical equipment,
such as a cell phone or MP3 player.
There are three accessory power
outlets:
.Inside the front of the center
floor console.
.On the rear of the center floor
console.
.Inside the instrument panel
storage area.
The power outlets supply power
while the vehicle is on, or if the
vehicle is in Retained Accessory
Power (RAP). See Retained
Accessory Power (RAP) on
page 9‑21.
Remove the cover to access and
replace when not in use.
See Power Outlets on page 5‑8.
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 10‑25 for
important safety information. If an
airbag has inflated, see What Will
You See after an Airbag Inflates? on
page 3‑24.
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 10‑25.

Black plate (23,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
In Brief 1-23
Lift the charge cord up and
rearward to remove it from the
vehicle. The vehicle plug (B) is
stored as shown.
3. Plug the charge cord into the electrical outlet. See Electrical
Requirements for Battery
Charging on page 9‑58. Verify
that the charge cord status
indicators are both green. See
Charge Cord on page 9‑55.
Select the appropriate charge
level. On some models, charge
level selection can be made
using the Select Charge Level
Preference screen on the center
stack. See “Charge Level
Selection” underCharging on
page 5‑32. On some models,
charge level selection can be
made using the charge level
button on the charge cord. See
“Charge Level Button” under
Charge Cord on page 9‑55.
4. Plug in the vehicle plug of the
charge cord into the charge port
on the vehicle. Verify that the
charging status indicator
illuminates on top of the
instrument panel and a horn
chirp occurs. See Charging
Status Feedback on page 9‑52
for more information.
5. To arm the charge cord theft alert, lock the vehicle with the
RKE transmitter. To disable this
feature, see “Charge Cord Theft
Alert” inVehicle Personalization
on page 5‑56. End Charge
1. Unlock the vehicle with the RKE
transmitter to disarm the charge
cord theft alert.
2. Unplug the vehicle plug of thecharge cord from the vehicle by
squeezing the vehicle plug lever
and pull to remove.
3. Close the charge port door by pressing firmly in the center to
latch properly.
4. Unplug the charge cord from the electrical outlet.

Black plate (6,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
2-6 Keys, Doors, and Windows
3. Remove the rubber mat in theinstrument panel storage.
Extend the key blade on the new
transmitter and insert the key
blade into the transmitter slot.
4. Press and hold the POWER
O
button on the center stack for
two seconds. When the
transmitter is programmed, the
DIC will show that it is ready to
program the next transmitter. 5. Remove the transmitter from the
transmitter slot and press
Kon
the transmitter.
To program additional
transmitters, repeat Steps 3
through 5.
When all additional transmitters
are programmed, press and hold
the POWER
Obutton for
10 seconds to exit
programming mode.
Programming without a
Recognized Transmitter
Non-Canadian (U.S.) owners are
permitted to program a new
transmitter to their vehicle when a
recognized transmitter is not
available. The Canadian regulations
require that Canadian owners see
their dealer for programming new
transmitters when two recognized
transmitters are not available. If there are no currently recognized
transmitters available, follow this
procedure to program up to five
transmitters. This procedure will
take approximately 30 minutes to
complete. The vehicle must be off
and all of the transmitters must be in
the vehicle.
1. Insert the vehicle key of the
transmitter into the key lock
cylinder on the outside of the
driver door and turn the key to
the unlock position five times
within 10 seconds.
The Driver Information Center
(DIC) displays REMOTE LEARN
PENDING, PLEASE WAIT.

Black plate (7,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-7
2. Wait for 10 minutes until the DICdisplays PRESS START
BUTTON TO LEARN and then
press the POWER
Obutton on
the center stack.
The DIC display will again show
REMOTE LEARN PENDING,
PLEASE WAIT.
3. Repeat Step 2 two more times. After the third time, all previously
known transmitters will no longer
work with the vehicle. Remaining
transmitters can be programmed
during the next steps.
The DIC display should now
show READY FOR
REMOTE #1.
4. Remove the rubber mat in theinstrument panel storage.
Extend the key blade on the new
transmitter and insert the key
blade into the transmitter slot.
5. Press and hold the POWER
O
button for two seconds. When
the transmitter is programmed,
the DIC will show that it is ready
to program the next transmitter. 6. Remove the transmitter from the
transmitter slot and press
Kon
the transmitter.
To program additional
transmitters, repeat Steps 4
through 6.
When all additional transmitters
are programmed, press and hold
the POWER
Obutton for
10 seconds to exit
programming mode.
Starting the Vehicle with a Low
Transmitter Battery
If the transmitter battery is weak, the
DIC may display NO REMOTE
DETECTED when you try to start
the vehicle. The REPLACE
BATTERY IN REMOTE KEY
message may also be displayed at
this time.

Black plate (8,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
2-8 Keys, Doors, and Windows
To start the vehicle:
1. Open the instrument panelstorage and remove the
rubber mat.
2. Extend the key blade and placethe blade into the slot.
3. With the vehicle in P (Park) or N (Neutral), press the brake
pedal and the POWER
Obutton
on the center stack. See Power
Button on page 9‑18 for
additional information. Replace the transmitter battery as
soon as possible.
Battery Replacement
Notice:
When replacing the
battery, do not touch any of the
circuitry on the transmitter. Static
from your body could damage the
transmitter.
To replace the battery:
1. Extend the key blade and open the battery cover on the back of
the unit.
2. Remove the used battery. Avoid touching the circuit board to
other components.
3. Insert the new battery, positive side facing down toward
the base.
4. Reassemble the battery cover.
5. Check the operation of the transmitter with the vehicle.
Remote Start
This feature starts the heating or air
conditioning systems and rear
window defogger from outside the
vehicle. Use remote start to heat or
cool the interior when the vehicle is
plugged in to maximize the electric
range by utilizing electricity from the
electrical outlet. Normal operation of
the system will return after the
vehicle has been turned on.
B(Remote Start): This button is
on the RKE transmitter.
During remote start:
.The climate control system will
typically default to the last
climate settings. If the fan is off
or if Fan Only was selected, the
air conditioning or heat will turn
on as needed. See Automatic
Climate Control System on
page 8‑1 for more information.