
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I NOTICE:
Spinning your wheels can destroy parts of your
vehicle as well as the tires. If you spin the wheels
too fast while shifting your transmission back
and forth, you can destroy your transmission.
For information about using tire chains on your vehicle,
see “Tire Chains” in the Index.
Rocking your vehicle to get it out:
First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That will
clear the area around your front wheels. You should turn
your ASR system off. (See
“ASR System” in the Index.)
Then shift back and forth between REVERSE (R) and a
forward gear (or with a manual transmission, between
FIRST
(1) or SECOND (2) gear and REVERSE (R)),
spinning the wheels as little as possible. Release the
accelerator pedal while you shift, and press lightly on
the accelerator pedal when the transmission is in gear.
If
that doesn’t get you out after a few tries, you may need
to be towed out. If you do need to be towed out, see
“Towing Your Vehicle” in the Index.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Tires
We don’t make tires. Your new vehicle comes with
high-quality tires made by a leading tire manufacturer.
These tires are warranted
by the tire manufacturers and
their warranties are delivered with every new Corvette.
If your spare tire is
a different brand than your road
tires, you will have a tire warranty folder from each of
these manufacturers.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Extended Mobility Tires (Option)
If your Corvette has optional Goodyear Extended
Mobility Tires (EMT’s), the tires will have “EMT”
molded on the sidewalls. Your vehicle may also have a
spare tire delete option. With the spare tire delete option,
there’s no spare tire, no tire changing equipment and no
place to store a tire in the vehicle. Extended Mobility
Tires perform
so well without any air that a Low Tire
Pressure Warning System (LTPWS) is used to alert you if
a tire has lost pressure.
A LOWELAT TIRE light will
appear on your Driver Information Center
if a tire’s
inflation pressure is less than
25 psi (170 kPa). If the
LOW/FLAT
TIRE light comes on, check your tire
pressures as soon as you can. See “Low Tire Pressure
Warning System” in the Index for additional information. If a
tire goes flat,
you won’t need to stop on the side of
the road to change the tire. You can just keep on driving.
The shorter the distance
you drive and the slower the
speed, the greater the chance that the tire will not have
to be replaced. If
you drive on a deflated EMT for
distances
of 50 miles (80 km) or less and at speeds of
55 mph (90 km/h) or less, there is a good chance that the
tire can be repaired. The tire can operate effectively with
no air pressure for up to 200 miles (320 km) at speeds
up to
55 mph (90 kmk), but the tire would then have to
be replaced. Also remember: When a tire is filled with
air, it provides a cushion between the road and the
wheel. Because you do not have this cushion when
driving on a deflated tire, try to avoid potholes that
could damage your wheel and require replacement of it.
Some road hazards can damage a tire beyond repair. This
damage could occur before you’ve driven on the tire
in a
deflated condition. Whenever a tire has been damaged, or
if you’ve driven any distance on a deflated EMT, check
with a Goodyear EMT Service Center to determine
whether
the tire can be repaired or should be replaced.
To maintain your vehicle’s extended mobility feature,
all replacement tires must be Extended Mobility Tires.
See the Goodyear Extended Mobility Tire Owner’s
Manual and Limited Warranty supplied with your
Corvette for additional information.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Inflation - Tire Pressure
The Tire-Loading Information label which is on the
driver’s door shows the correct inflation pressures for
your tires, when they’re cold. “Cold” means your
vehicle has been sitting for at least three hours or driven
no more than a mile.
For competitive driving or high-speed driving (over
150 mph or 240 km/h), make sure your tires are inflated
to
35 psi (240 Wa). When you end this type of driving,
reduce the “cold” inflation pressures
(if necessary) to
those listed on the Tire-Loading Information label.
I
I NOTICE:
Don’t let anyone tell you that underinflation or
overidation is
all right. It’s not. If your tires don’t
have enough
air (underinflation) you can get:
Too much flexing
0 Too much heat
Tire overloading
Bad wear
0 Bad handling
0 Bad fuel economy.
(Continued)
I I
I NOTICE: (Continued)
If your tires have too much air (overinflation),
you can get:
0 Unusual wear
0 Bad handling
0 Rough ride
0 Needless damage from road hazards.
1
When to Check
Check your tires once a month or more.
Don’t forget your compact spare tire. It should be at
60 psi (420 Wa).
How to Check
Use a good quality pocket-type gage to check tire
pressure. Simply looking at the tires will not tell you the
pressure, especially if you have radial tires
-- which
may look properly inflated even if they’re underinflated.
If your tires have valve caps, be sure to put them back
on. They help prevent leaks by keeping out dirt and
moisture.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Tire Rotation
The tires on your Corvette are directional, asymmetrical,
and are different sizes front to rear. Due to this, your
tires should not be rotated. Each tire and wheel should
be used only in the position it is in.
When it’s Time for New Tires
One way to tell when it’s time for new tires is to check
the treadwear indicators, which will appear when your
tires have only
1/16 inch (1.6 mm) or less of tread
remaining. You
need a new tire
if
You can see the indicators at three or more places
You can see cord or fabric showing through the tire’s
0 The tread or sidewall is cracked, cut or snagged deep
enough
to show cord or fabric.
The tire has a bump, bulge or split.
0 The tire has a puncture, cut, or other damage that
around
the tire.
rubber.
can’t be repaired well because
of the size or location
of the damage.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Buying New Tires
To find out what kind and size of tires you need, look at
the Tire-Loading Information label.
The tires installed on your vehicle when it was new had
a Tire Performance Criteria Specification (TPC Spec)
number on each tire’s sidewall. When you get new tires,
get ones with that same TPC Spec number. That way,
your vehicle will continue to have tires that are designed
to give proper endurance, handling, speed rating,
traction, ride and other things during normal service on
your vehicle. If your tires have an all-season tread
design, the TPC number will be followed by an
“MS”
(for mud and snow).
If you ever replace your tires with those not having a
TPC Spec number, make sure they are the same size,
load range, speed rating and construction type (bias,
bias-belted or radial) as your original tires.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
The following information relates to the system
developed
by the United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration which grades tires by
treadwear, traction and temperature performance. (This
applies only to vehicles sold in the United States.)
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on
the wear rate of the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on
a specified government test course. For
6-52

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and a half
(1 1/2) times as well on the government course as a tire
graded
100. The relative performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of their use, however, and
may depart significantly from the norm due to variations
in driving habits, service practices and differences in
road characteristics and climate.
Traction - A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest are: A, B,
and C. They represent the tire’s ability to stop on wet
pavement as measured under controlled conditions on
specified government test surfaces of asphalt and
concrete.
A tire marked C may have poor traction
performance.
Warning: The traction grade assigned to this tire is based
on braking (straight-ahead) traction tests and does not
include cornering (turning) traction.
Temperature - A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C,
representing the tire’s resistance to the generation of
heat and its ability to dissipate heat when tested under
controlled conditions on a specified indoor laboratory
test wheel. Sustained high temperature can cause the
material of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire life, and excessive
temperature can lead to sudden tire failure.
The grade
C corresponds to a level of performance
which all passenger car tires must meet under the
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
No. 109. Grades
B and A represent higher levels of performance on the
laboratory test wheel than the minimum required by law.
Warning: The temperature grade for this tire is
established for a tire that is properly inflated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed, underinflation, or
excessive loading, either separately or in combination,
can cause heat buildup and possible tire failure.
These grades are molded on the sidewalls of passenger
car tires.
While the tires available as standard or optional
equipment on General Motors vehicles may vary with
respect to these grades, all such tires meet General
Motors performance standards and have been approved
for use on General Motors vehicles. All passenger type
(P Metric) tires must conform to Federal safety
requirements in addition to these grades.
6-53

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine NOTICE:
Do not use a glass treatment or conditioner
containing ethyl alcohol or ethyl sulfate on the
roof panel. These products may damage the panel.
Cleaning the Outside of Your
Corvette
The paint finish on your vehicle provides beauty, depth
of color, gloss retention and durability.
Washing Your Vehicle
The best way to preserve your vehicle’s finish is to keep
it clean by washing it often with lukewarm or cold water.
Don’t wash your vehicle in the direct rays of the sun.
Don’t use strong soaps or chemical detergents. Use
liquid hand, dish
or car washing (mild detergent) soaps.
Don’t use cleaning agents that are petroleum based, or
that contain acid or abrasives. All cleaning agents
should be flushed promptly and not allowed
to dry on the surface,
or they could stain.
Dry the finish with a
soft, clean chamois
or a 100% cotton towel to avoid
surface scratches and water spotting.
High pressure car washes may cause water to enter
your
vehicle.
I 1
I NOTICE:
Conveyor systems on some automatic car washes
may damage
a Corvette. They may not have
enough clearance for the undercarriage
or for the
extra wide rear tires
on ZR-1 models.
Check with the manager before using a car wash.
Finish Care
Occasional waxing or mild polishing of your Corvette
by hand may be necessary to remove residue from the
paint finish. You can get
GM approved cleaning
products from your dealer. (See “Appearance Care and
Materials” in the Index.)
6-6 1