1997 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine The six-speed transmission has a spring that centers the
shift lever near THIRD
(3) and FOURTH (4). This
spring helps you know which gear you are in when you
are shifting. Be careful when shifting from FIRST
(1)
to SECOND (2) or downshifting from SIXTH (6) to
FIFTH (5). The springs will try to pull the gearshift
lever toward FOURTH
(4) and THIRD (3). Make sure
you move the lever into SECOND
(2) or FIFTH (5).
If you let the lever move in the direction of the
pulling, you may end up shifting from FIRST
(1) to
FOURTH (4) or from SIXTH (6) to THIRD (3).
~~
If you skip more than one gear when you
downshift, you could lose control of your vehicle.
And
you could injure yourself or others. Don’t
shift from SIXTH
(6) to THIRD (3), FIFTH (5)
to SECOND (2) or FOURTH (4) to FIRST (1).
Parking Brake
To set the parking brake, hold the brake pedal down.
Pull the parking brake lever. This sets your parking
brake. If the ignition is on, the brake system warning
light will come on.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine To release the parking brake, hold the brake pedal down.
Hold the release button in as you move the brake lever
all the way down.
(NOTICE:
Driving with the parking brake on can cause
your rear brakes
to overheat. You may have to
replace them, and you could also damage other
parts of your vehicle. Make sure the brake
warning light
is not on before driving.
Shifting Into PARK (P) (Automatic
Transmission
Models Only)
CAUTION:
-
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever is not fully in
PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
If you have left the engine running, the vehicle
can move suddenly. You or others could be
injured.
To be sure your vehicle won’t move, even
when you’re on fairly level ground, use the steps
that follow.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake.
2. Move the shift lever into the PARK (P) position by
holding in the button on the lever and pushing the
lever all the way toward the front of your vehicle.
3. Turn the ignition key to OFF.
4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can
remove the key from your ignition, your vehicle is
in PARK
(P).
Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine
Running (Automatic Transmission
Models Only)
It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle with the
engine running. Your vehicle could move
suddenly
if the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P)
with the parking brake firmly set. And, if you
leave the vehicle with the engine running, it could
overheat and even catch fire. You or others could
be injured. Don’t leave your vehicle with the
engine running unless you have to.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Torque Lock (Automatic Transmission)
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t shift your
transmission into PARK (P) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put too much force on the parking pawl in
the transmission. You may find it difficult to pull the
shift lever out of PARK (P). This is called “torque lock.”
To prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and then
shift into PARK (P) properly before you leave the
driver’s seat.
To find out how, see “Shifting Into
PARK (P)” in the Index.
When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out of
PARK (P)
before you release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may need to have another
vehicle push yours a little uphill to take some of the
pressure from the parking pawl in the transmission, so
you can pull the shift lever out of PARK
(P).
Shifting Out of PARK (P)
(Automatic Transmission)
Your Corvette has a brake-transmission shift interlock.
You have to fully apply your regular brake before you
can shift from PARK (P) when the ignition is in the
ON
position. See “Automatic Transmission Operation” in
the Index.
As a prompt, you will see a message in the Driver
Information Center (DIC) that will say PRESS
BRAKE BEFORE SHIFT within
15 seconds unless
the brake is pressed.
If you cannot shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure on
the shift lever
-- push the shift lever all the way into
PARK (P) and release the shift lever button
as you
maintain brake application. Then press the shift lever
button and move the shift lever into the gear you wish.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If you ever hold the brake pedal down but still can’t
shift out
of PARK (P), try this:
Parking Over Things That Burn
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Turn the key to the ACC position.
Apply and hold the brake until the end of Step
4.
Shift to NEUTRAL (N).
Start the engine and then shift to the drive gear
you want.
Have your vehicle inspected by your dealer as soon
as possible.
Parking Your Vehicle
(Manual Transmission)
Before you get out of your vehicle, 1: ,ut your manual
transmission in REVERSE (R) and firmly apply the
parking brake.
Things that can burn could touch hot exhaust
parts under your vehicle and ignite. Don’t park over papers, leaves, dry grass or other things that
can burn.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Engine Exhaust
Engine exhaust can kill. It contains the gas
carbon monoxide (CO), which you can’t see or
smell. It can cause unconsciousness and death.
You might have exhaust coming in if:
0 Your exhaust system sounds strange
Your vehicle gets rusty underneath.
0 Your vehicle was damaged in a collision.
0 Your vehicle was damaged when driving over
high points on the road or over road debris.
0 Repairs weren’t done correctly.
0 Your vehicle or exhaust system had
If you ever suspect exhaust is coming into
your vehicle:
0 Drive it only with all the windows down to
0 Have your vehicle fixed immediately.
or
different.
been modified improperly.
blow out any CO; and
Running Your Engine While You’re
Parked (Automatic Transmission)
It’s better not to park with the engine running. But if you
ever Pn- to, hern ?re SOT? thingr tn know.
Idling the engine with the climate control
system off could allow dangerous exhaust into
your vehicle (see the earlier Caution under
“Engine Exhaust”).
Also, idling in
a closed-in place can let deadly
carbon monoxide (CO) into your vehicle even if
the fan switch is at the highest setting. One place
this can happen is
a garage. Exhaust -- with
CO
-- can come in easily. NEVER park in a
garage with the engine running.
Another closed-in place can be
a blizzard. (See
“Blizzard” in the Index.)
2-37

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
Don’t leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to.
If you’ve left the
engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You or others could be injured.
To be sure your
vehicle won’t move, even when you’re on fairly
level ground, always set your parking brake and
move the shift lever to
PARK (P).
Follow the proper steps to be sure your vehicle won’t
move. See “Shifting Into PARK
(P)” in the Index.
Limited-Slip Rear Axle
Your limited-slip 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,
this feature will allow the wheel with traction to move
the vehicle.
Selective Real Time Damping
(Option)
You may have a ride control system on your Corvette
called Selective Real Time Damping (SRTD). The
system provides the following performance benefits:
Reduced impact harshness
0 Improved road isolation
Improved high-speed stability
Improved handling response

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine This knob is on the center console. Turn it to select the
suspension characteristic
of your choice.
TOUR: Use for normal 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.
You can select a setting at any time. Based on road
conditions, steering wheel angle and your vehicle speed,
the system automatically adjusts to provide the best ride
and handling. Select a new setting whenever driving
conditions change.
There are three Driver Information Center messages that
are displayed when
a malfunction occurs with the
Selective Real Time Damping system. Refer to “DIC
Warnings and Messages’’ in the Index.
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