1996 CHEVROLET CORVETTE engine overheat

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Engine Oil Temperature Gauge
320
OIL TEMP OF
This gauge shows your
engine oil temperature. Oil
temperature may vary with
the type
of driving you do
and weather conditions.
If your gauge pointer moves close to or into the shaded
area and stays there, your oil temperature is too high.
Check the engine coolant temperature and engine oil
level.
If your engine is too hot, see “Engine
Overheating” in the Index. Your vehicle may need
service; see your dealer.
I,
For numeric gauge
measurements, press the GAUGES button on the trip
monitor until
OIL appears.
The number that appears next to the fuel gauge is the oil
temperature.
If LO appears, the temperature is below
32°F (OOC).
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Engine Overheating
You will find an engine coolant temperature gauge on
the instrument cluster and a
LOW COOLANT light on
the Driver Information Center.
If Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
Steam from an overheated engine can burn you
badly, even if you just open the hood. Stay away
from the engine
if you see or hear steam coming
from it. Just turn it
off and get everyone away
from the vehicle until it cools down. Wait until
there is no sign of steam or coolant before
opening the hood.
If you keep driving when your engine is
overheated, the liquids in it can catch fire.
You or
others could be badly burned. Stop your engine if
it overheats, and get out of the vehicle until the
engine is cool.
I NOTICE:
If your engine catches fire because you keep
driving with no coolant, your vehicle can be
badly damaged. The costly repairs would not be
covered by your warranty.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If No Steam Is Corning From Your Engine
If you get the overheat warning but see or hear no
steam, the problem may not be too serious. Sometimes
the engine can get a little too hot when you:
Climb a long hill on a hot day.
Stop after high-speed driving.
Idle for long periods in traffic.
If .you get the overheat warning with no sign of steam,
try this for a minute or
so:
1. Turn off your air conditioner.
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan
speed and open the window as necessary.
3. If you’re in a traffic jam, shift to NEUTRAL (N);
otherwise, shift to the highest gear while
driving
-- AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (@)
or DRIVE (D) for automatic transmissions. If you no longer have the overheat warning, you can
drive. Just
to be
safe, drive slower for about 10 minutes.
If the warning doesn’t come back on, you can
drive normally.
If the warning continues, pull over, stop, and park your
. vehicle right away.
If there’s still no sign of steam, you can idle the engine
for two or three minutes while you’re parked, to see
if the warning stops. But then,
if you still have the
warning,
turn oJjcthe engine and get everyone out of
the vehicle until it cools down.
You may decide not to lift the hood but to get service
help right away.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine When it is cool, remove the coolant recovery tank cap
and look at the dipstick.
The coolant level should be at or above
COLD. If it
isn’t, you may have a leak in the radiator hoses, heater
hoses, radiator, water pump
or somewhere else in the
cooling system.
.h CAUTION:
*
8’
Heater and radiator hoses, and other engine
parts, can be very
hot. Don’t touch them. If you
do, you can be bul‘ned.
Don’t run the engine
if there is a leak. If you run
the engine, it could lose all coolant. That could
cause an engine fire, and you could be burned.
Get any leak fixed before you drive the vehicle.
I NOTICE:
I
Engine damage from running your engine
without coolant isn’t covered by your warranty.
I
If there seems to be no leak, with the engine on, check to
see if the electric engine fans are running.
If the engine
is overheating, both fans should be running. If they
aren’t, your vehicle needs service.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine How to Add Coolant to the Coolant
Recovery Tank
If you haven’t found a problem yet, but the coolant level
isn’t at
or above the COLD mark, add a 50/50 mixture
of
clean water (preferably distilled) and DEX-COOL“
(orange-colored, silicate-free) antifreeze at the coolant
recovery tank. (See “Engine Coolant” in the Index
for more information.)
-
A CAUTION:
Adding only plain water to your cooling system
can be dangerous. Plain water, or some other
liquid like alcohol, can boil before the proper
coolant
mix will. Your vehicle’s coolant warning
system is set for the proper coolant mix. With
plain water or the wrong mix, your engine could
get too hot but you wouldn’t get the overheat
warning.
Your engine could catch fire and you or
others could be burned. Use
a 50/50 mix of clean
water and
DEX-COOL TM antifreeze.
NOTICE:
In cold weather, water can freeze and crack the
engine, radiator, heater core and other parts.
Use the recommended coolant and the proper
coolant mix.
5-17

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine You can be burned if you spill coolant on hot
engine parts. Coolant contains ethylene glycol
and it will burn
if the engine parts are hot
enough. Don’t spill coolant on a hot engine.
I
When the coolant in the coolant recovery tank is at or
above the
COLD mark, start your vehicle.
If the overheat warning continues, there’s one more
thing
you can try. You can add the proper coolant mix
directly
to the coolant high fill reservoir, but be sure the
cooling system is cool before
you do it.
Steam and scalding liquids from
a hot cooling
system can blow out and burn you badly. They are
under pressure, and if you turn the coolant high
fill reservoir pressure
cap -- even a little -- they
CAUTION: (Continued) can
come out
at high speed. Never turn the cap
when the cooling system, including the coolant
high fill reservoir pressure cap,
is hot. Wait for the
cooling system and coolant high fill reservoir
pressure cap to cool
if you ever have to turn the
I pressure cap.
5-18

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine How to Add Coolant to the C
Fill Reservoir mt
H
I NOTICE:
Your engine has a specific coolant high fill
reservoir
fill procedure. Failure to follow this
procedure could cause your engine
to overheat
and be severely damaged.
1. You can remove the coolant high fill reservoir
pressure cap when the cooling system, including the
coolant high
fill reservoir pressure cap and upper
radiator hose, is no longer hot. Turn the pressure cap
slowly counterclockwise
until it first stops. (Don’t
press down while turning
the pressure cap.)
If you hear a hiss, wait for that to stop. A hiss means
there is still some pressure left.
2. Then keep turning the pressure cap, but now push
down
as you turn it. Remove the pressure cap.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine NOTICE:
When the compact spare is installed, don’t take
your vehicle through an automatic car wash with
guide rails. The compact spare can get caught on
the rails. That can damage the tire and wheel,
and maybe other parts
of your vehicle.
Don’t use your compact spare on other vehicles.
And don’t mix your compact spare tire or wheel with
other wheels
or tires. They won’t fit. Keep your spare
tire and its wheel together.
NOTICE:
Tire chains won’t fit your compact spare. Using
them can damage your car and can damage
the chains too. Don’t use tire chains on your
compact spare.
If You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud,
Ice
or Snow
What you don’t want to do when your vehicle is stuck is
to spin your wheels too fast. The method known as
“rocking” can help you get out when you’re stuck, but
you must use caution.
If you let your tires spin at high speed, they can
explode, and you or others could be injured. And,
the transmission
or other parts of the vehicle can
overheat. That could cause an engine
compartment fire or other damage. When you’re
stuck, spin the wheels
as little as possible. Don’t
spin the wheels above
35 mph (55 kmh) as shown
on the speedometer.
5-39