
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Selective Ride Control (Option)
RIDE CONTROL
SPORT I/
This knob is on the center console. Turn it to select the
ride control of your choice:
TOUR: Use for city and highway driving. Provides a
smooth, soft ride.
SPORT: Use where road conditions or personal
preference demand more control. Provides more “feel,”
or response to the road conditions.
PERF: Use for performance driving. Provides a tight,
firm ride and precise response to road conditions. TOUR
and SPORT will provide a similar ride at low
speeds around town, and both settings will increase
control and firmness at higher speeds. SPORT, however,
will adjust more at higher speeds than TOUR will.
PERF will provide much more control and a firmer ride
at all speeds.
You can select a setting at any time. Based on your
speed, the system automatically adjusts to provide the
best ride and handling. Select a new setting whenever
driving conditions change.
The amber SERVICE RIDE CONTROL light monitors
the system. Refer to “Service Ride Control Light” in the
Index.
Limited-Slip Rear Axle
Your rear axle can give you additional traction on snow,
mud, ice, sand or gravel. It works like a standard axle
most of the time, but when one of the rear wheels has no
traction and the other does, the limited-slip feature will
allow the wheel with traction to move the vehicle.
2-31

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Remember: Anti-lock doesn’t change the time you need
to get your foot up
to the brake pedal. If you get too
close to the vehicle in front of you, you won’t have time
to apply your brakes if that vehicle suddenly slows or
stops. Always leave enough room up ahead to stop, even
though you have anti-lock brakes.
To Use Anti-Lock
Don’t pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down
and let anti-lock work for you. You may hear a motor or
clicking noise and feel the brake pedal move a little
during a hard stop, but this
is normal. When your
anti-lock system is adjusting brake pressure
to help
avoid a braking skid, the ABS ACTIVE light will come
on. See “Anti-Lock Brake System Active Light” in the
Index.
ASR (Acceleration Slip Regulation) System
Your vehicle has a traction control system called ASR
that limits wheel spin. This is especially useful in
slippery road conditions. The system operates only if it
senses that the rear wheels are spinning too much or are
beginning to lose traction. When, this happens, the
system works the rear brakes and reduces engine power
(by closing the throttle and managing engine spark) to
limit wheel spin. ‘The ASR
ACTIVE light will come on when the ASR
system
is limiting wheel spin. See “ASR System Active
Light” in the Index. You may feel the system working,
or you may notice some noise, but this is normal.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the ASR system
begins to limit wheel spin, the cruise control will
automatically disengage. When road conditions allow
you to safely use it again,
you may re-engage the cruise
control. (See “Cruise Control” in the Index.)
SERVICE
ASR
The SERVICE ASR
warning light will
come on to
let you
know if there’s a
problem with your
ASR system.
See “ASR System Warning Light’’ in the Index. When
this warning light
is on, the system will not limit wheel
spin. Adjust your driving accordingly. (The ASR
OFF
light will also come on when the SERVICE ASR
warning light comes on.)
4-8

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops or the system is not functioning, you can steer but
it will take much more effort.
Steering Tips
Driving on Curves
It’s important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned on
the news happen on curves. Here’s why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each of us is subject to
the same laws of physics when driving on curves. The
traction of the tires against the road surface makes it
possible for the vehicle to change its path when you turn
the front wheels. If there’s no traction, inertia will keep
the vehicle going in the same direction. If you’ve ever
tried to steer a vehicle on wet
ice, you’ll understand this. The
traction you can get in a curve depends
on the
condition
of your tires and the road surface, the angle at
which the curve is banked, and your speed. While you’re
in a curve, speed is the one factor you can control.
Suppose you’re steering through a sharp curve. Then you
suddenly accelerate. Both control systems
-- steering and
acceleration
-- have to do their work where the tires meet
the road. Unless your
ASR system is on, adding the
sudden acceleration can demand too much of those
places.
You can lose control.
What should you do
if this ever happens? Ease up on the
accelerator pedal, steer the vehicle the way you want to
go, and slow down.
Speed limit signs near curves warn that you should
adjust your speed. Of course, the posted speeds are
based on good weather and road conditions. Under less
favorable conditions you’ll want to go slower.
If you need to reduce your speed as you approach a
curve, do
it before you enter the curve, while your front
wheels are straight ahead.
Try to adjust your speed
so you can “drive” through the
curve. Maintain a reasonable, steady speed. Wait to
accelerate until you are out of the curve, and then
accelerate gently into the straightaway.
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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 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 Sidemarker. Bulb Replacement .................... 6-42
Signaling Turns ................................ 2-40
Sixth (6) Position. Manual Transmission ............. 2-28
Sound Equipment, Adding ........................ 3-17
Spare Tire, Compact ............................. 5-40
Speaker Covers, Cleaning ........................ 6-59
Specially Treated Windshield (ZR- 1) ................ 3-9
Specifications Chart ............................. 6-75
Speedometer ................................... 2-67
Sportseat ...................................... 1-2
Springs, Fiberglass .............................. 6-64
Stains, Cleaning ................................ 6-57
Starter Switch .................................. 7-42
Starting Your Engine
Automatic Transmission
....................... 2- 18
Manual Transmission ......................... 2- 18
5.7 Liter LT1 Engine .......................... 2-20
5.7 Liter LT5 Engine .......................... 2- 18
Steam, If Coming From Your Engine
............... 5- 13
Steering Column Lock ........................... 7-43
Steering In Emergencies ......................... 4- 11
Steering Tips .................................. 4- 10
Steering Wheel, Tilt ............................. 2-38
Steering, Power ................................ 4-10
Storage, Of Your Vehicle ......................... 6-36
Storing a Flat Tire (Except ZR- 1 Rear Tires) ......... 5-37
Storing a Flat Tire (ZR-1 Rear Tires) ............... 5-39
Storing the Roof Panel ........................... 2-54
Stuck, If You Are ............................... 5-41
Sunvisors .................................... 2-51
Switch, Temperature Control ....................... 3-5
Skidding ...................................... 4-14
Steering ...................................... 4-10
Symbols. Vehicle .................................. x
System Problems
............................... 2-82
Tachometer ................................ 2-68
Temperature Control Lever ........................ 3-2
Temperature Control Switch ....................... 3-5
Temperature Sensors ............................. 3-6
Theft ......................................... 2-11
Theft-Deterrent Alarm System ..................... 2-12
Theft.Deterrent. Universal ........................ 2-12
Thermostat .................................... 6-29
Third (3) Position. Manual Transmission ............ 2-28
Tilt Steering Wheel ............................. 2-38
Tips about Your Audio System .................... 3-17
Tire Chains .................................... 6-55
Tire Inspection and Rotation ...................... 6-51
Alignment and Balance ........................ 6-54
ChangingaFlat .............................. 5-27
Extended Mobility ........................... 6-49
Inflation .................................... 6-50
Inspection and Rotation ....................... 6-51
Spare, Compact .............................. 5-40
Temperature ................................ 6-53
Traction .................................... 6-53
Treadwear .................................. 6-52
Uniform Quality Grading ...................... 6-52
Wear Indicators .............................. 6-51
Wheel Replacement .......................... 6-54
When It’s Time for New ....................... 6-51
TireLoading ................................... 4-28
Tires ......................................... 6-48
BuyingNew ................................ 6-52
9-11