1996 CHEVROLET CORVETTE oil change

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine START for about three seconds. If the vehicle starts
briefly but then stops again, do the same thing, but
this time keep the pedal down for five or six seconds.
This clears the extra gasoline from the engine.
I NOTICE:
Your engine is designed to work with the
electronics in your vehicle.
If you add electrical
parts or accessories, you could change the
way
the engine operates. Before adding electrical
equipment, check with your dealer.
If you don’t,
your engine might not perform properly.
If you ever have to have your vehicle towed, see
the part of this manual that tells how to do it
without damaging your vehicle. See “Towing
Your Vehicle” in the Index.
Racing or Other Competitive Driving
See your Warranty Book before using your Corvette for
racing or other competitive driving.
NOTICE:
If you use your Corvette for racing or other
competitive driving, your engine may use more
oil than it would with normal use. Low oil levels
can damage the engine. Be sure to check the oil
level often during racing or other competitive
driving and keep the level at or near the upper
mark on the engine oil dipstick.
You may need to
add oil. See “Engine Oil” in the Index.
2-19

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Have you recently changed brands of fuel?
If so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel (see
“Fuel” in the Index). Poor
fuel quality will cause your
engine not to run as efficiently as designed.
You may
notice this as stalling after start-up, stalling when you
put the vehicle into gear, misfiring, hesitation on
acceleration or stumbling on acceleration. (These
conditions may go away once the engine is warmed up.)
This will be detected by the system and cause the light
to turn on.
If you experience this condition, change the fuel brand
you use. It will require at least one full tank of the
proper fuel to turn the light
off.
If none of the above steps have made the light turn off,
have your dealer or qualified service center check the
vehicle. Your dealer has the proper test equipment and
diagnostic tools to fix any mechanical or electrical
problems that may have developed.
Low Oil Light
LOW
OIL
This light should come on
while you are starting your
engine.
If the light doesn’t
come on, have it repaired. If
the light comes on while
starting your engine and
stays on, your engine oil
level may be too low.
You
may need to add oil. See
“Engine Oil” in the Index.
2-88

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Engine Oil Life Monitor
CHANGE
OIL
The CHANGE OIL light
comes on for a few seconds
when you turn the ignition
on. It will come on and stay
on when it’s time to change
your oil.
The monitor uses oil temperature and engine revolutions
to decide when the oil
is nearly worn out. The light is
only a reminder, though. Be sure
to reset the monitor when your oil
is changed,
even
if the CHANGE OIL light didn’t come on. If you
don’t reset the monitor, it won’t work correctly. Follow
these steps:
1. Turn the key to RUN, but don’t start the engine.
2. Press ENG MET on the trip monitor. Then, within
five seconds, press it again.
3. Within five seconds, press and hold GAUGES on the
trip monitor. The CHANGE OIL light should flash.
4. Hold the GAUGES button until the CHANGE OIL
light stops flashing and goes out. This should take
about
10 seconds.
When the light goes out, the monitor is reset. If
the monitor doesn’t reset, turn the ignition off, then
try again.
2-91

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 8. Remove any rust or dirt
from the wheel bolts,
mounting surfaces and
spare wheel.
Rust or dirt on the wheel, or on the parts to
which it is fastened, can make the wheel nuts
become loose after a time. The wheel could come
off and cause an accident. When you change a
wheel, remove any rust or dirt from the places
where the wheel attaches to the vehicle. In an
emergency, you can use
a cloth or a paper towel
to do this; but be sure to use
a scraper or wire
brush later, if you need to, to get all the rust or
dirt off.
A CAUTION.
Never use oil or grease on studs or nuts. If you
do, the nuts might come loose. Your wheel could
fall
off, causing a.serious accident.
9. Replace the wheel nuts with the rounded end of the
nuts toward the wheel. Tighten each nut
by hand
until the wheel
is held against the hub.
5-31

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine SAE 5W-30
As shown in the viscosity chart, SAE 5W-30 is best
for your vehicle. However, you can use
SAE
1OW-30 if it’s going to be 0°F (-18°C) or above.
These numbers
on an oil container show its viscosity,
or thickness. Do not use other viscosity oils such as
SAE 20W-50.
Oils meeting these
requirements should also
have the “Starburst”
symbol on the container.
This symbol indicates that
the oil has been certified
by the American Petroleum
Institute (API).
Do not use
any oil which does not
carry this Starburst symbol.
You should look for this on the oil container, and use
only those oils that are identified as meeting GM
Standard GM4718M and have the Starburst symbol on
the front of the oil container. Your
Corvette engine is filled at the factory with a
Mobil 1
@ synthetic oil, which meets all requirements
for your vehicle.
Substitute Oil: When adding oil to maintain engine
oil level, oil meeting GM Standard GM47 18M may
not be available. You can add substitute oil designated
SAE 5W-30 with the “Starburst” symbol at all
temperatures.
If temperatures are above 0” F (- 18 ” C),
you may substitute SAE 1OW-30 with the “Starburst”
symbol. Substitute oil not meeting GM Standard
GM47 18M should not be used for an oil change.
Engine Oil Additives
Don’t add anything to your oil. Your Corvette dealer is
ready to advise
if you think something should be added.
6-13

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine . When to Change Engine Oil
If any one of these is true for you, use the short tripkity
maintenance schedule:
Most trips are less than 5 to 10 miles (8 to 16 km).
This is particularly important when outside
temperatures are below freezing.
Most trips include extensive idling (such as frequent
driving in stop-and-go traffic).
Most trips are through dusty areas.
Driving under these conditions causes engine oil to break
down sooner.
If any one of these is true for your vehicle,
you need to change your oil and filter every
3,000 miles
(5 OOO km) or 3 months -- whichever occurs first.
If none of them is true, use the long triphighway
maintenance schedule. Change the oil and filter every
7,500 miles (12 500 km) or 12 months -- whichever
occurs first. Driving a vehicle with a fully warmed
engine under highway conditions causes engine oil to
break down slower.
Your Corvette has an Oil Life Monitor. This featwe will
let you know when to change your
oil and filter -- usually
between
3,000 miles (5 O00 krn) and 7,500 miles
(12
500 km) since your last oil change. Under severe
conditions, the indicator may come on before
3,000 miles
(5 000 km). Never drive your vehicle more than
7,500 miles (12 500 km) or 12 months (whichever
occurs first) without
an oil change.
The system won’t detect dust in the oil.
So, if you
drive in a dusty area, be sure to change your oil every
3,000 miles
(5 000 km) or sooner if the CHANGE OIL
light comes on. Remember to reset the monitor when the
oil has been changed. For more information, see
“Engine Oil Life Monitor”
in the Index.
What to Do with Used Oil
Did you know that used engine oil contains certain
elements that may
be unhealthy for your skin and could
even cause cancer? Don’t let used oil stay on your
skin for
very long. Clean your skin and nails with soap and water,
or a good hand cleaner. Wash or throw away clothing or
rags containing used engine
oil. (See the manufacturer’s
warnings about the use and disposal of oil products.)
Used oil can be a real threat to the environment. If you
change your own oil, be sure to
drain all free-flowing oil
from the filter before disposal. Don’t ever dispose of oil by
putting it in the trash, pouring it on the ground, into
sewers, or into
streams or bodies of water. Instead, recycle
it by taking it to a place that collects used oil.
If you have
a problem properly disposing of your used oil, ask your dealer, a service station or a local recycling center for help\
.
6-14

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Automatic Transmission Fluid
When to Check and Change
A good time to check your automatic transmission fluid
level is when the engine oil is changed.
Change both the fluid and filter every
15,000 miles
(25 000 km) if the vehicle is mainly driven under one or
more of these conditions:
In heavy city traffic where the outside temperature
In hilly or mountainous terrain.
Uses such as found in taxi, police or delivery service.
If you do not use your vehicle under any of these
conditions, change the fluid and filter at
100,000 miles
(166 000 km).
See “Scheduled Maintenance Services” in the Index.
How to Check
Because this operation can be a little difficult, you
may choose to have this done at your Corvette
dealership Service Department.
regularly
reaches 90
OF (32 O C) or higher.
If you do it yourself, be sure to follow all the instructions
here, or you could get
a false reading on the dipstick.
I NOTICE:
Too much or too little fluid can damage your
transmission.
Too much can mean that some of
the fluid could come out and fall on hot engine
parts or exhaust system parts, starting a fire. Be
sure to get an accurate reading if you check your
transmission fluid.
Wait at least 30 minutes before checking the
transmission fluid level if you have been driving:
0 When outside temperatures are above 90°F (32°C).
0 At high speed for quite a while.
In heavy traffic -- especially in hot weather.
To get the right reading, the fluid should be at normal
operating temperature, which is
180°F to 200°F
(82°C to 93°C).

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine How to Add Fluid
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine what
kind of transmission fluid to use. See “Recommended
Fluids and Lubricants” in the Index.
Add fluid only after checking the transmission fluid
HOT.
(A COLD check is used only as a reference.) If
the fluid level is low, add only enough of the proper
fluid to bring the level up to the
HOT area for a hot
check. It doesn’t take much fluid, generally less than a
pint
(0.5 L). Don’t overfill. We recommend you use only
fluid labeled DEXRON@-111, because fluid with that
label is made especially for your automatic transmission.
Damage caused by fluid other than DEXRON-I11 is not
covered by your new vehicle warranty.
0 After adding fluid, recheck the fluid level as
described under “How to Check.”
When the correct fluid level is obtained, push the
dipstick back in all the way.
Manual Transmission Fluid
When to Check
A good time to have it checked is when the engine oil is
changed. However, the fluid in your manual
transmission doesn’t require changing.
How to Check
Because this operation can be difficult, you may
choose to have
this done at your Corvette dealership
Service Department.
If you do it yourself, be sure to follow all the
instructions here, or you could get a false reading.
NOTICE:
Too much or too little fluid can damage your
transmission.
Too much can mean that some of
the fluid could come out and fall on hot engine
parts or exhaust system parts, starting a fire. Be
sure to get an accurate reading
if you check your
transmission fluid.
Check the fluid level only when your engine is off, the
vehicle is parked on a level place and the transmission
is
cool enough for you to rest your fingers on the
transmission case.
6-21