Trouble parking my Volt (straight)

[Frank F]

I'm having trouble getting the Volt straight and even in parking spaces. I usually end up way over to the right side of the space, or sometimes just crooked. I'm getting better (after 3 months), but still can't manage to park consistently. I never had this problem with any other car I've owned and I think it might be because I can't see any exterior part of the car from the driver's position. Even leaning full forward, I can't see the hood. Without a visual reference point, it's hard to tell whether the car is straight or not. Sometimes, when I think I've done a masterful job of parking, I get out of the car to find I'm several degrees off, way over to the right, and 3 feet from the front of the parking space! Maybe I need to stop concentrating so much and just use the "Force"!

Looking on the bright side though, this is my only complaint about my new Volt, and it's not even the Volt's fault! I just washed her this morning and it's a beautiful day, so maybe I'll drive up to the grocery store parking lot and practice parking.

BTW, my new nickname is Crappy Parker.

[Bob_Livonia]

If you have a rear camera with the grid, you could try backing in.

[kmg]

I have noticed the same thing. Visibility outside the car appears to be "raised up" compared to other cars I have driven, meaning it is harder to see the ground close to the car, in any direction. The point about not being able to see the outside edges of the car is probably also a factor. I have no problem easily parking in very tight parking spaces as long as the outside limits are at the driver's height of eye, like walls, columns, stacked boxes, and other cars. Painted lines on the ground are not so easy to see or line up with.

[tboult]

My wife cannot park it either.. took her 5 tries last night in the condo garage to get it aligned, tighter spots make it tougher.

You could use the camera as a reference even for left/right. The Volt is much larger than my old del-sol and I too am still learning to park it properly. For my home garage I solved the alignment by having my Power-cord hanging just right for me to use.. so it provides the reference. Then i learned to use the camera to make sure i'm inside the garage door and realized I could use the camera and grid lines to assess both left-right alignment as well as if I'm all the way in the garage.

And I find the beeping from the front radar hard to manage as it depends which sensor is going off.. With the backup I at least see which sensor is going off. With the front sensors it is a guessing game. I fine low things like the lawn mower, which shares my plug when its charging, so it close but not directly where I park, are not really that visible and with the sensors are hard to interpret which is going off from that or the stairs or the wall. GM.. graphics or per-sensor different sounds please.

[baltimore17]

One day, park the car exactly where you want it. Then hang an old tennis ball from the garage ceiling so that it just touches the windshield and is exactly in front of your line of sight when you're in the driver's seat. From that day forward, drive right towards the ball and stop when it touches the glass. Push pins and dental floss work well for the connection hardware.

[Rick C]

I have this same problem, I am never parked correctly in parking spaces in most parking lots. I am usually too far to the right and sometimes I am actually over the right lines into the next parking space without knowing it until I get out of the car, then I need to re park. I have had my Volt for over three months and still have trouble parking. It is weird though because I have never had this parking problem with all the other cars I have owned through the years. Though I have no trouble parking in my home garage where there is a second car parked on the right side. By the way I never park where other cars are parked, so maybe I need another car parked to the right of me in order to park correctly. HA! But I still can't bring myself to park next to other cars in a parking lot. I have not parked a car next to another car in over 12 years now, and my other car, 11 years old, does not have even one door ding on it. I get a lot of extra walking in because of parking so far away from where I am going. And should there be no good or safe place to park I just leave and go elsewhere. Love my Volt though.

Rick

[eddiey]

One day, park the car exactly where you want it. Then hang an old tennis ball from the garage ceiling so that it just touches the windshield and is exactly in front of your line of sight when you're in the driver's seat. From that day forward, drive right towards the ball and stop when it touches the glass. Push pins and dental floss work well for the connection hardware.

Fishing line and bobbers work very well too.... Much easier than a tennis ball.

[wainair]

I did the same thing with some butcher twine and an old ring shaped rubber dog chew!

[tboult]

If you are parking in your own garage. Props are fine.. when parking at work or public space, its a bit more difficult and when I find the camera helpful.

As I mentioned at Home my quick solution is a variation of the "ball and string/line/bobber".. I have my EVSE attached to a bungie cord (which is attached to the garage door opener). With a big loop of cable, the EVSE is hanging just by the left side of the windshield (but still to the left of car). So I don't aim for it, I aim to be next to it. Same effect except when the car is not in garage or fiends walk through the garage, it looks like my refueling line waiting for me to come home. And its also a good conversation starter about the EREV nature of the volt. (Neighbors seeing it have asked "You just plug it into the wall to refuel? Pretty cool")

[marlow]

I find the bakup up camera very help full with parking.