Chevrolet 2011 Volt User manual

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2011 Chevrolet Volt
GM Service Technical College provides Collision Repair Guides free of charge. Collision Repair Guides can be displayed in
a classroom as long as they are represented as GM information and are not modified in any way.

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The Chevrolet Volt is a front-wheel drive, four-passenger electric vehicle with extended-range capability. The vehicle
is propelled exclusively by electric motors. The Volt uses high voltage energy that is stored in the high voltage battery
as its primary power source. However, once the battery capacity is reduced, the gasoline engine drives a generator
which produces electricity to power the vehicle.
The intent of this guide is to provide the collision repair technician information to properly handle and repair Chevrolet
Volt vehicles in the safest manner possible. This guide contains a general description of how the Chevrolet Volt vehicle
systems operate, identifies the location of the unique components, fuse blocks, and lifting locations. The guide also
describes methods of disabling the high voltage system and identifies cut zone information.

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High Strength Steel
The Volt has been designed to protect the
occupant(s) during a collision. The body structure is
nearly 80% high strength steel. The occupant ‘s are
protected from front, rear and side impacts by a
structural cage created by the underlying vehicle
structural design. The following parts are for formed
using ultra high strength steel:
•Door Inner Reinforcement Beams
•Center Pillar Reinforcements
•Windshield Pillar Reinforcements
•Rocker Panel Reinforcements
•Rear Compartment Lower Rails
Additional crumple zones protect the occupant with
front, side and rear rails that are designed to crush in
a crash.

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Potential damage area to
high voltage components.
The Volt battery has 360 volt
electrical potential at all
times. It is inside the center
tunnel and under the rear
seat area.
Vehicle CUT ZONES Potential damage area to high
voltage components. Side curtain air
bags and lift gate hold open struts.
WARNING: Do NOT cut into the vehicle
until the 12V electrical system has been
disabled. Cutting into the vehicle prior to
disconnecting and isolating the 12V
electrical energy sources may cause air bag
deployment resulting in serious injury.
Use caution when cutting in these areas:
•Center tunnel area or the area under
the rear seats. The 360 volt battery is
installed in this area.
•Roof rails near the lift gate hinge. Side
curtain air bag inflators and lift gate hold
open struts are located in this area
•Front seat back on the outboard area,
contains side air bags.
•B pillar near the rocker, contains the
seat belt retractor pretensioner. Note:
The outboard area of the front seat
lower frame houses an additional seat
belt pretentioner.

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Welding
When Welding GM recommends
disconnecting the 12volt battery
and removing any modules If
welding with-in 12 inches or
300mm of them. GM also
recommends disabling the high
voltage system if welding with-in
12 inches or 300mm of the high
voltage battery

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Paint Baking
General Motors does not recommend
baking the Volt vehicle for more then
40 minutes at 140° Fahrenheit or 60 °
Celsius. Damage to the high voltage
battery may occur.

To lift the vehicle on a hoist, use the
rocker outer panel weld flanges in each
corner of the vehicle.
Note: To avoid damage to the
vehicle, the hoist pads MUST not
contact the rocker panel moldings or the
under body air deflectors.
Lifting and Jacking

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Lifting and Jacking
The Chevrolet Volt may be lifted using a service jack from a single location. To raise the right-front or left-front of the
vehicle, place the service jack pad under the rear mounting bracket of the front cradle. To provide sufficient clearance for
certain service jacks, it may be necessary to place ramps under the vehicle's front tires. To lift the rear of the vehicle,
place the service jack lift pad under the rear spring support.
Rear Lift Points.
Front Lift Points.

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The Volt is equipped with eight air bags to protect the
occupant in front, rear, side and rollover crashes for
360° of protection.
The Volt is one of the few vehicles with knee air bags
which helps reduce injuries to the front occupant’s
legs.
Chevrolet Volt Air Bags
There are dual pretensioner
seatbelts that work together with
the air bag system to protect the
occupant in the event of a crash.
Seat Mounted Side
Air Bags
Driver and
Passenger Air Bags
Roof Rail
Air Bags
Knee Air Bags

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The contactors within the high voltage battery are
commanded open whenever one or more airbags
deploy. This interrupts the 360 volt electrical system
and discontinues current flow through the high
voltage cables.
This vehicle is equipped with dual-stage air bags
and the appearance of deployed air bags does not
ensure all stages of the air bags have deployed.
Therefore, disabling 12 volt power is essential to
ensure personal safety even if the airbags in the
vehicle appear to have been deployed. After
disabling 12 volt power, wait 1 minute to allow any
un-deployed air bag reserve energy to dissipate.
Air Bag Deployment

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SIR Sensor Locations

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SIR Sensor Locations (cont.)
1. Right Front Impact Sensor--Located under the hood at the front right side of the vehicle
2. Passenger Instrument PanelAir Bag--Located at the top right under the instrument panel
3. Right Roof Rail Air Bag--Located under the headliner, extending from the passenger front pillar to the passenger rear pillar
4. Passenger Knee Air Bag--Located in the instrument panel behind the glove box.
5. Inflatable Restraint Sensing and Diagnostic Module (SDM)--Located underneath the center console
6. Right Front Side Impact Sensor--Located in the right front door
7. Passenger Presence System--Located on the passenger front seat underneath the seat bottom trim
8. Passenger Seat Belt Anchor Pretensioner--Located on the outboard side of the passenger seat
9. Passenger Seat Side Air Bag--Located on the seat back of the passenger seat
10.Passenger Seat Belt Retractor Pretensioner--Located under the passenger side trim near the bottom of the center pillar
11.Right Rear Side Impact Sensor--Located in the right rear door
12.Inflator Module for Right Roof Rail Air Bag--Located behind the headliner above the C-pillar
13.12 V Battery--Located in the trunk
14.Inflator Module for Left Roof Rail Air Bag--Located behind the headliner above the C-pillar
15.Left Rear Side Impact Sensor--Located in the left rear door
16.Driver Seat Belt Retractor Pretensioner--Located under the driver side trim near the bottom of the center pillar
17.Driver Seat Side Air Bag--Located on the seat back of the driver seat
18.Driver Seat Belt Anchor Pretensioner--Located on the outboard side of the driver seat
19.300 V Battery--Located in between the driver and passenger seats, underneath the center console
20.Left Front Side Impact Sensor--Located in the left front door
21.Left Roof Rail Air Bag--Located under the headliner, extending from the driver front pillar to the driver rear pillar
22.Driver KneeAir Bag--Located in the instrument panel below the steering wheel
23.Driver Steering WheelAir Bag--Located on the steering wheel
24.Left Front Impact Sensor--Located under the hood at the front left side of the vehicle

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Air Bag Repairs and Inspections Required After a
Collision
Warning: Proper operation of the Supplemental Inflatable Restraint (SIR) sensing system requires that any repairs to
the vehicle structure return the vehicle structure to the original production configuration. Not properly repairing the
vehicle structure could cause non-deployment of the air bag(s) in a frontal collision or deployment of the air bag(s) for
conditions less severe than intended.
After any collision, inspect the following components as indicated. If you detect any damage, replace the component. If
you detect any damage to the mounting points or mounting hardware, repair the component or replace the hardware
as needed.
•The steering column--Inspect the steering column for bending, twisting, buckling or any type of damage.
•The instrument panel knee bolsters and mounting points-
•The instrument panel brackets, braces, etc.
•The seat belts--Perform the seat belt operational and functional checks.
•The instrument panel cross car beam.
•The instrument panel mounting points and brackets.
•The seats and seat mounting points.
•The roof and headliner mounting points.

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After a frontal collision involving air bag deployment, replace the following components.
•Passenger instrument panel air bag, if deployed
•Driver steering wheel air bag
•Inflatable restraint sensing and diagnostic module (SDM)
•Front and/or side impact sensors, impact sensor replacement policy requires replacing sensors in the area of the
accident damage
•Driver/Passenger seat side air bag, if deployed
•Seat back cover on if side seat air bag is deployed
•Driver/Passenger seat belt anchor and/or retractor pretensioners
•Steering wheel air bag coil and the coil wiring pigtail—If melted, scorched, or other damaged due to excessive heat.
Air Bag Repairs and Inspections Required After a
Collision (cont.)

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Air Bag Repairs and Inspections Required After a
Collision (cont.)
After a collision involving driver/passenger side seat air bag deployment, replace the following components.
•Left/right side impact sensors on the side of the impact.
•Left/right roof rail air bag on the side of the impact.
•Inflatable restraint sensing and diagnostic module (SDM), if SDM has DTC B0052 56.
•Inflatable restraint seat belt anchor and/or retractor pretensioner.
•Driver or passenger seat back cushion cover replacement.
Warning: Do not repair or replace the seat stitching or seams in the seat back trim cover with an internal mounted seat side
airbag module. Replace the complete seat back trim cover from the OEM. Non-OEM seat stitching may cause improper
airbag deployment which could result in personal injury.
Perform additional inspections on the following components.
•The seat cushion frame
•The seat recliner and cover, if equipped
•The seat adjuster
•The seat back frame
•Door trim assembly
•Impacted seat cushion side covers and switches

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Break away Pedals
If a crash is severe enough to damage the dash panel or distort it, it may cause the pedal assembly to
disengage. If this occurs the petal assembly would have to be replaced.
DeLatcher
Inner & Outer
Pedal Arm
Assemblies
DeLatcher
Tab

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The Chevrolet Volt propulsion system is composed of the following
components and systems:
•High voltage battery
•Absorbent Glass Mat (AGM) low voltage battery (12V)
•Power inverter module
•Accessory power module
•High voltage battery charger
•1.4 Liter Engine
•4ET50 transmission
•Thermal Management Systems
System Components

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The high voltage battery, also known as the
drive motor battery, is a system of many
components that operate together to provide
the energy required for vehicle propulsion.
High voltage contactors, internal to the battery
pack, turn on and off to control the output of the
high voltage battery.
High and Low Voltage Batteries
The Chevrolet Volt’s low voltage system (12V) utilizes
anAGM lead acid battery. The battery is located in the
rear compartment underneath the load floor. The low
voltage energy is utilized by vehicle modules to control
the high voltage battery contactors. Severing the low
voltage cables should cause the system to open the
contactors. The low voltage (12V) cable cut location is
found behind the left rear closeout panel in the rear
compartment of the vehicle. Low Voltage AGM Battery
High Voltage Battery

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Power Inverter Module
Power Electronics
Accessory Power Module
The power inverter module is located on the drivers side
of the engine compartment and is mounted on top of the
transmission. The module changes the high voltage
direct current into 3 phase alternating current. This 3-
phase electrical energy is provided to the motors within
the transmission for vehicle propulsion.
The accessory power module is located in the rear
compartment beneath the load floor. The module.
replaces the belt-driven generator common to
conventional vehicles The module converts high
voltage DC electrical energy into low voltage DC
electrical energy to provide the energy needed for the
vehicle systems.

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The Chevrolet Volt features an onboard high voltage charging
system that recharges the high voltage battery. The system
utilizes a unique cord to connect the vehicle to an electrical
receptacle. The charger is located behind the passenger
headlamp assembly and bumper fascia. The charger converts
householdAC into DC voltage to charge the onboard battery.
The vehicle charge port provides the interface between the
cords, plug, and the charger.
In the event a Volt is involved in an incident while the battery
charger is plugged in for charging the battery, remove the
charge cord from the car using the charger cord handle at the
charge port in the left front fender. If that cannot be
accomplished, the electrical power to the charge cord should
be terminated at the source.
Charging System
High Voltage Charger
Vehicle Charge Port