warning lights 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 (8,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
3-8 Seats and Restraints
Remote Start Heated Seats
When it is cold outside, the heated
seats can be programmed to turn on
automatically during a remote
vehicle start. Unless the auto
heated seats feature is available
and enabled, the heated seats will
be canceled when the vehicle is
turned on. If the vehicle has auto
heated seats and the feature is
enabled, the seat heating level will
automatically change to the level
required by the vehicle's interior
temperature when the vehicle is
turned on.
The indicator lights on the heated
seat buttons do not turn on during a
remote start.
The temperature performance of an
unoccupied seat may be reduced.
This is normal.
The heated seats will not turn on
during a remote start unless the
heated seats feature is enabled in
the vehicle personalization menu.
SeeVehicle Personalization on
page 5‑56 for more information.Rear Seats
Folding the Seatback
{WARNING
If either seatback is not locked, it
could move forward in a sudden
stop or crash. That could cause
injury to the person sitting there.
Always push and pull on the
seatbacks to be sure they are
locked.
{WARNING
A safety belt that is improperly
routed, not properly attached,
or twisted will not provide the
protection needed in a crash. The
person wearing the belt could be
seriously injured. After raising the
rear seatback, always check to be
sure that the safety belts are
properly routed and attached, and
are not twisted.
To fold the seatback down:
Notice: Folding a rear seat with
the safety belts still fastened may
cause damage to the seat or the
safety belts. Always unbuckle the
safety belts and return them to
their normal stowed position
before folding a rear seat.

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-1
Instruments and
Controls
Instrument Panel Overview
Instrument Panel Overview . . . . 5-3
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . 5-5
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . 5-5
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Pedestrian Friendly Alert . . . . . . 5-6
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . 5-6
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, andIndicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Battery Gauge (High Voltage) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
Driver Efficiency Gauge . . . . . . 5-15 Total Vehicle Range . . . . . . . . . 5-15
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . 5-16
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . 5-17
Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Charging System Light (12-Volt Battery) . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Electric Parking Brake Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Service Electric Parking Brake Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Sport Mode Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Mountain Mode Light . . . . . . . . 5-24
Traction Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
StabiliTrak
®OFF Light . . . . . . . 5-24
Traction Control System (TCS)/StabiliTrak
®Light . . . . 5-25
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . 5-26
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . 5-27
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27 Vehicle Ready Light . . . . . . . . . 5-27
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Door, Hood, or Hatch Open
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Information Displays
Center Stack Display . . . . . . . . 5-29
Power Flows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-32
Energy Information . . . . . . . . . . 5-43
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-44
Driver InformationCenter (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-45
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . 5-47
Battery and ChargingMessages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-47
Brake System Messages . . . . 5-48
Cruise Control Messages . . . . 5-49
Door Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . 5-49
Drive Mode Messages . . . . . . . 5-49
Electric Drive Unit Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-49
Engine Cooling System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-49
Engine Oil Messages . . . . . . . . 5-50

Black plate (8,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
5-8 Instruments and Controls
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 floor
console.
.On the rear of the 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.
Certain accessory plugs may not be
compatible with the accessory
power outlet and could overload
vehicle or adapter fuses. If a
problem is experienced, see your
dealer.
When adding electrical equipment,
be sure to follow the installation
instructions included with the
equipment. See
Add-On Electrical
Equipment on page 9‑65.
Notice: Hanging heavy
equipment from the power outlet
can cause damage not covered
by the vehicle warranty. The
power outlets are designed for
accessory power plugs only, such
as cell phone charge cords.
Warning Lights,
Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning lights and gauges can
signal that something is wrong
before it becomes serious enough
to cause an expensive repair or
replacement. Paying attention to the
warning lights and gauges could
prevent injury.
Warning lights come on when there
could be a problem with a vehicle
function. Some warning lights come
on briefly when the propulsion
system is started to indicate they
are working.
Gauges can indicate when there
could be a problem with a vehicle
function. Often gauges and warning
lights work together to indicate a
problem with the vehicle.

Black plate (9,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-9
When one of the warning lights
comes on and stays on while
driving, or when one of the gauges
shows there may be a problem,
check the section that explains what
to do. Waiting to do repairs can be
costly and even dangerous.
Instrument Cluster
The instrument cluster displays a
preview of information that includes
electric range, charging, odometer,
and battery status. This happens
upon entry when the driver door is
opened, and following the welcome
animation, before starting the
vehicle.A CHARGING OVERRIDE/
INTERRUPTION OCCURRED
message may display on the lower
left of the screen to indicate that a
charging override or interruption has
occurred due to one or more of the
following events:
.Override of the charge settings
by the owner using OnStar.
.Unintended interruption of AC
power at the vehicle's
charge port.
.Interruption of charging by the
utility company using OnStar as
authorized by vehicle owner.
The following screens may appear,
depending on the status.
This screen indicates that the
charge cord is not connected. Plug
the charge cord in to charge the
vehicle.

Black plate (18,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
5-18 Instruments and Controls
Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator
The vehicle has a passenger
sensing system. SeePassenger
Sensing System on page 3‑26 for
important safety information. The
passenger airbag status indicator is
in the overhead console.
United States
Canada When the vehicle is started, the
passenger airbag status indicator
will light ON and OFF, or the symbol
for on and off for several seconds
as a system check. Then, after
several more seconds, the status
indicator will light either ON or OFF,
or the on or off symbol to let you
know the status of the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag
and knee airbag.
If the word ON or the on symbol is
lit on the passenger airbag status
indicator, it means that the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag
and knee airbag are allowed to
inflate.
If the word OFF or the off symbol is
lit on the airbag status indicator, it
means that the passenger sensing
system has turned off the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag
and knee airbag.
If, after several seconds, both status
indicator lights remain on, or if there
are no lights at all, there may be a
problem with the lights or the
passenger sensing system. See
your dealer for service.
{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 5‑17 for more
information, including important
safety information.

Black plate (23,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-23
Service Electric Parking
Brake Light
The Service Electric Parking Brake
light should come on briefly when
the vehicle is in ON/RUN. If it does
not come on, have it fixed so it will
be ready to warn if there is a
problem.
If this light stays on, there is a
problem with a system on the
vehicle that is causing the parking
brake system to work at a reduced
level. The vehicle can still be driven,
but should be taken to a dealer as
soon as possible. SeeElectric
Parking Brake on page 9‑34 for
more information. If a message
displays in the Driver Information Center (DIC), see
Brake System
Messages on page 5‑48 for more
information.
Antilock Brake System
(ABS) Warning Light
This light should come on briefly
when the vehicle is in ON/RUN. If it
does not come on, have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer.
If the ABS warning light stays on
longer than a few seconds after the
vehicle is in ON/RUN, or comes on
and stays on while driving, try
resetting the system. To reset the
system:
1. While driving, pull over when it is safe to do so.
2. Place the vehicle in P (Park). 3. Turn the vehicle off.
4. Restart the vehicle.
If the ABS warning light remains on
after resetting the system or comes
on again while driving, the vehicle
needs service. If the ABS warning
light is on, but the regular brake
system warning light is not on, the
antilock brakes are not working
properly, but the regular brakes are
still functioning. Have the vehicle
serviced right away. If both brake
lights are on, the vehicle does not
have antilock brakes, and there is a
problem with the regular brakes as
well. Have the vehicle towed for
service. See
Towing the Vehicle on
page 10‑81.

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
Lighting 6-1
Lighting
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . 6-1
Headlamp High/Low-BeamChanger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . 6-3
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Interior Lighting
Instrument Panel IlluminationControl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Lighting Features
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Battery Power Protection . . . . . . 6-6
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls
The exterior lamp control is on the
turn signal/lane change lever.
O(Exterior Lamp Control):
Operates the exterior lamps. Turn to
one of the following positions:
O(Off): Turns the exterior
lamps off. AUTO (Automatic Headlamps):
Turns the exterior lamps on and off
automatically depending on the
exterior light.
;(Parking Lamps):
Turns on the
parking lamps together with the
following:
.Sidemarker Lamps
.Taillamps
.License Plate Lamps
.Instrument Panel Lights
5(Headlamps): Turns on the
headlamps, together with the
previously listed lamps and lights.

Black plate (3,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
Lighting 6-3
A light sensor on top of the
instrument panel makes the DRL
work, so be sure it is not covered.
Fully functional DRL are required on
all vehicles first sold in Canada.When the DRL are on, the taillamps,
sidemarker lamps, instrument panel
lights, and other lamps will not be
on. The instrument cluster will be lit.
When the exterior lamp control band
is turned to the headlamp position,
the low-beam headlamps come on.
The other lamps that come on with
the headlamps will also come on.
When the vehicle is on and you are
stopped, the DRL can be turned off
by moving the shift lever to P (Park).
The DRL will stay off until the shift
lever is moved out of the P (Park)
position.
The regular headlamp system
should be turned on when needed.
Hazard Warning Flashers
|(Hazard Warning Flasher):
Press this button, on the center
stack, to make the front and rear
turn signal lamps flash on and off.
This warns others that you are
having trouble.
Press
|again to turn the
flashers off.

Black plate (36,1)Chevrolet Volt Owner Manual - 2012
9-36 Driving and Operating
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 5‑8 andDriver
Information Center (DIC) on
page 5‑45. 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 slipping 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 automatically
comes on whenever the vehicle is
turned on. To limit wheel spin,
especially in slippery road
conditions, the system should
always be left on. But, TCS can be
turned off if needed.