
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Loss of Control
Let’s review what driving experts say about what
happens when the three control systems (brakes, steering
and acceleration) don’t have enough friction where the
tires meet the road to do what the driver has asked.
In any emergency, don’t give up. Keep trying to steer and
constantly seek an escape route or area of less danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive dnvers avoid most skids by taking reasonable
care suited to existing conditions, and by not “overdriving”\
those conditions. But skids
are always possible.
The three types of skids correspond to your Corvette’s
three control systems. In the braking skid your wheels
aren’t rolling. In the steering or cornering skid, too
much speed or steering in a curve causes tires to slip and
lose cornering force. And in the acceleration skid too
much throttle causes the driving wheels to spin.
A cornering skid is best handled by easing your foot off
the accelerator pedal.
Remember: Any ASR system helps avoid only the
acceleration skid.
If your ASR system is off, then an acceleration skid is
also best handled by easing your foot off the accelerator
pedal.
If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want the
vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly enough, your
vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready for a
second skid if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel, or other material is on the road. For safety, you’ll
want to slow down and adjust your driving to these
conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance
will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try your
best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration, or braking
(including engine braking by shifting to a lower gear).
Any sudden changes could cause the tires to slide.
You
may not realize the surface is slippery until your vehicle
is skidding. Learn to recognize warning clues
-- such as
enough water,
ice or packed snow on the road to make a
“mirrored surface”
-- and slow down when you have
any doubt.
Remember: Any anti-lock brake system (ABS) helps
avoid only the braking skid.
I
4-14

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If your vehicle has been changed or modified since it
was factory-new by adding aftermarket items like fog
lamps, aero skirting,
or special tires and wheels, these
instructions and illustrations may not be correct.
Before you do anything, turn
on the hazard warning
flashers.
When you call, tell the towing service:
That your vehicle cannot be towed from the rear with
sling-type equipment.
0 That your vehicle has rear-wheel drive.
The make, model, and year of your vehicle.
Whether you can still move the shift lever.
If there was an accident, what was damaged.
When the towing service arrives, let the tow operator
know that this manual contains detailed towing
instructions and illustrations. The operator may want to
see them.
5-7

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.
6-50

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 Don’t use any of these unless this manual says you can.
In many uses, these will damage your vehicle:
0 Alcohol
0 Laundry Soap
Bleach
Reducing Agents
Cleaning the Inside of Your Corvette
Use a vacuum cleaner often to get rid of dust and loose
dirt. Wipe vinyl or leather with a clean, damp cloth.
Your Chevrolet dealer has two GM cleaners, a
solvent-type spot lifter and a foam-type powdered
cleaner. They will clean normal spots and stains very
well.
Do not use them on vinyl or leather.
Here
are some cleaning tips:
0 Always read the instructions on the cleaner label.
Clean up stains as soon as you can -- before they set.
Use a clean cloth or sponge, and change to a clean area
0 Use solvent-type cleaners in a well-ventilated area
If a ring forms after spot cleaning, clean the entire
often.
A soft brush may
be used if stains are stubborn.
only. If you use them, don’t saturate the stained area.
area immediately or it will set.
Using Foam-Type Cleaner on Fabric
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Vacuum and brush the area to remove any loose dirt.
Always clean a whole trim panel or section. Mask
surrounding trim along stitch or welt lines.
Mix Multi-Purpose Powdered Cleaner following the
directions on the container label.
Use suds only and apply with a clean sponge.
Don’t saturate the material.
Don’t rub it roughly.
As soon as you’ve cleaned the section, use a sponge
to remove the suds.
Rinse the section with a clean, wet sponge.
Wipe
off what’s left with a slightly damp paper towel
or cloth.
Then
dry it immediately with a blow dryer or a heat lamp.
NOTICE:
Be careful. A blow dryer or a heat lamp may
scorch the fabric.
0 Wipe with a clean cloth.
6-56

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your Corvette has a “basecoatklearcoat” paint finish.
The clearcoat gives more depth and gloss to the colored
basecoat. Always use waxes and polishes that are
non-abrasive and made for a basecoatklearcoat paint
finish.
Machine compounding or aggressive polishing on
a basecoatlclearcoat paint finish
may dull the
finish or leave swirl marks.
Foreign materials such as calcium chloride and other
salts,
ice melting agents, road oil and tar, tree sap, bird
droppings, chemicals from industrial chimneys, etc. can
damage your vehicle’s finish if they remain on painted
surfaces. Wash the vehicle as soon as possible.
If
necessary, use non-abrasive cleaners that are marked
safe for painted surfaces to remove foreign matter.
Exterior painted surfaces are subject to aging, weather
and chemical fallout that can take their toll over a period
of years. You can help to keep the paint finish looking
new
by keeping your Corvette garaged or covered
whenever possible.
Cleaning Your Convertible Top
Your convertible top should be cleaned often. If you use
an automatic car wash, use one with water jets and
hanging cloths.
When you hand wash the top, do it in partial shade.
Vacuum away any dust and other material. Use a mild
soap, lukewarm water and a soft sponge.
A chamois or
cloth may leave lint on the top, and a brush can chafe
the threads in the top fabric. Don’t use detergents, harsh
cleaners, solvents or bleaching agents.
When you clean the top, put one hand under it to
support it. Wet the entire vehicle and wash the top
evenly to avoid spots or rings. Let the soap remain on
the fabric for a few minutes. When the top is really dirty,
use a mild foam-type cleaner. Thoroughly rinse the
entire vehicle, then let the top dry in direct sunlight.
To protect the convertible top:
0 After you wash the vehicle, make sure the top is
completely dry before you lower it.
0 Don’t get any cleaner on the vehicle’s painted finish;
it could leave streaks.
0 If you decide to go through an automatic car wash,
ask the manager if the equipment could damage your
top.
6-62