Things you didn't know about your Volt!

[burgandy25]

I was on the Pontiac G8 forum and they had a cool thread about little tricks and what nots about the G8 that were not listed in the manual or anything, just things stumbled upon while using the volt. (Easter Eggs) One good example for the Volt is how people have found that during the start up sound that if you turn your volume down as its playing that the start up sound will go down and stay down unless you turn it up while starting up. Anything else anyone has found just by luck or exploring? it would help other drivers out to know a little more about their Volt by sharing.

#1 You can turn your start up sound up or down while its playing via the volume knob. This user friendly technique of just turning the volume knob as a sound is being emitted is available on other sounds as well: Phone and NAV (oh and the radio/hdd/usb) - Thanks Scottf200!
#2 The flap under the passenger front floor mat that when removed has the VIN. - Thanks RDO CA!
#3 Reason for single reverse lamp has to do with worldwide sales in which some countries only allow one reverse bulb even if two reverse houseings are installed, only one can be functional.
#4 In the trunk, where you life the floor panel up all the way there is an elastic cord on the right side that you can hook on the little post that is there for the cargo cover. Has to be open at least to the post height. - Thanks MichaelH!
#5 The secret hole under the plastic mat in the storage compartment above the instrument panel on the dashboard. You insert the key into it and press the blue start button to start the car should the transmitter battery in the key not be working, or if you ran the key through your laundry and it doesn't work anymore. It is also a hole used to recode a new key. - Thanks bookdabook!
#6 The compartment over the left wheel well. The small yellow labels with the firehat symbols (one of which is visible in your photo) are the 12-volt "cut points" used by first responders to aid in disabling the Volt power systems after a serious accident and/or during an extrication procedure. - Thanks WopOnTour!
#7 When you leave the turn signal on for more than about 30 seconds while driving you get a notice on the dash and an audible ding. - Thanks SolarExec!
#8 If there is a sever weather advisory in your area, you get the attached screen. If you touch "List", you get a list of locations near by to choose from. Touch a location to read the weather advisory. But only for the first 3 months because it requires XM- Thanks honoreitscom and Rusty!
#9 With the rear seats down it can almost sound like a rear window is open. They damp noise from behind. - Thanks Rusty!
#10 When you pass something big fast (or something big passes you) there's a *push* of air from the vents- Thanks Rusty!
#11 The climate control has limits. Anything under 60 degrees shows as "LO". Anything above 88 (89?) shows as HI. - Thanks Rusty!
#12 If while you're on the nav screen you hit the nav button, it split screens and brings up the radio screen on the left so you can change the channel. Press the nav button again to get back to full screen nav mode. - Thanks Rusty!
#13 The start up volume thing isn't quite a secret. If you hit Config > Radio > Audio Cues then you can adjust the volume of all audio cues or turn them off all together. - Thanks JoeBroSD!
#14 If you have a bluetooth phone paired and HOLD the talk button on the steering wheel instead of just pressing it once, it will shortcut you to your recent outgoing calls. This is a handy trick for somebody who doesn't want to go through all of the voice commands to place a call. - Thanks JoeBroSD!
#15 After entering a destination into the navigation system, when you are given the option to select between several different routes, if you hold down the "Guide" screen button for ~10 seconds it will enter DEMO mode and give you an overview of the route as if you were actually driving. This is a feature I like to show to people who want to see the Nav in action but don't have time to drive through an actual route. - Thanks JoeBroSD!
#16 If you are using the schedule in the Volt to start your charging at a particular time (say midnight to 4am for a 220v charge to where you are off peak), you can easily temporarily *override* that schedule to get an immediate charge but plugging the car in, waiting for the green flashing light, unplugging and plugging it back in within 5 seconds. - Thanks Scottf200!
#17 You can make your dash readout have a "Leaf" target for you to aim at achieving for efficiency. (not Nissan Leaf, no pun intended). - Thanks Scottf200!
#18 You hit the charge-door open button after you've powered down but before you open the driver's door. An option menu pops up for an option to immediatly charge if you have your Volt set to delayed charging. - Thanks jgm3!
#19 When you use the hands-free speakerphone, the car will automatically turn the A/C fan down so you can hear the conversation. When you start start a call - the A/C fan revvs down...when you completed the call, the A/C revves back up again. - Thanks highhandicapper!
#20 The car's doors have a pre-designated umbrella holder. - Thanks Scottf200!
#21 The inside of the gas door has a hook to keep the gas cap from sitting on your car. - Thanks Scottf200!
#22 You can change the scale of the NAV MAP by rotating the Tuning Dial, just below the screen. - Thanks Berry252!

[MadMax]

I'm going to try that today. Hope it works!

That sound is so cheesy. I hope one day we can hack some other sound in there. The current startup up sound is terrible. Would probably change mine to a Macintosh startup chime.

[RDO CA]

I tried it and it works --thanks for the tip

Roy #272

[RDO CA]

How about the flap under the passenger front floor mat that when removed has the VIN.

Roy #272

[Noel Park]

burgandy25,

I ran right out in the parking lot and tried it. Awesome! The thing annoyed me every time I got in the car. All credit to you. Well done!

Did you notice that a little graphic comes up to show the level going down? Who Knew? You made my day, LOL.

[Cari]

I already knew about the volume turning down the start up sound. Either it was in one of the test drive reviews here or someone stated how to do it in response to someone complaining about the start up sound. It wasn't it's own thread, so certainly a tips thread would be useful.

Paul (Cari's husband)

[burgandy25]

I don't take credit to the finding out of the start up noise, I found that out in a previous post, I give the credit to those who posed it before me, I'm just trying to start a thread that people can go to for tips and such as people start to get used to their volt. lets keep this going for Volt owners! I hope me myself some day will be a proud owner of one. $20k saved up after this summer for a car. my 97 stratus is getting old and worry some. go to now if it dies is 08 G8 GT or Cruze.

[burgandy25]

burgandy25,

I ran right out in the parking lot and tried it. Awesome! The thing annoyed me every time I got in the car. All credit to you. Well done!

Did you notice that a little graphic comes up to show the level going down? Who Knew? You made my day, LOL.

No problem no credit to me I found this by searching the Forum! and Thanks I hope to have one someday hopefully soon!

[MichaelH]

Maybe most Volt owners already know this, but I found another little item of interest in the "trunk." When you lift the floor panel up all the way, there is an elastic cord over on the right side that you can hook on the little post that is there for the cargo cover. Remember, I said you have to lift the panel all the way, at least just past that little post. This leaves your hands free to do what you lifted the panel up for in the first place.

It turns out I had one of these in my last car (2000 Mitsubishi Diamante) that I discovered about two days before I sold it. |-)

[bookdabook]

[IMG]
key-start-hole by bbookser, on Flickr[/IMG]

OK this has been mentioned in the forum before but I don't think a picture has been posted. This is discussed in the manual on p. 2-4 to 2-6. This is the secret hole under the plastic mat in the storage compartment above the instrument panel on the dashboard. You insert the key into it and press the blue start button to start the car should the transmitter battery in the key not be working, or if you ran the key through your laundry and it doesn't work anymore. It is also a hole used to recode a new key.

[IMG]
LRwhlwell.secretfuse.access by bbookser, on Flickr[/IMG]

I posted this photo on the mysteries of the rear hatch so excuse me if you've seen it already. This is a compartment over the left wheel well. The bus I am pointing to can be used to get electrical performance info from the car if you remove the white cap and insert a gadget into it.