1997 CHEVROLET CORVETTE manual transmission

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (0): This position is
for normal driving.
THIRD (3): This position is also used for normal
driving, however, it offers more power and lower fuel
economy than AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE
(@).
Here are some times you might choose THIRD (3)
instead of AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (0):
0 When driving on hilly, winding roads.
0 When going down a steep hill.
SECOND (2): This position gives you more power but
lower fuel economy. You can use SECOND
(2) on hills.
It can help control your speed as
you go down steep
mountain roads, but then you would also want to use
your brakes off and on.
FIRST (1): This position gives you even more power
(but lower fuel economy) than SECOND
(2). You can
use it on very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud. If the
selector lever is put in FIRST
(l), the transmission
won’t shift into first gear until the vehicle is going
slowly enough.
NOTICE:
If your rear wheels can’t rotate, don’t try to
drive. This might happen if you were stuck in
very deep sand or mud or were up against a solid
object. You could damage your transmission.
Also,
if you stop when going uphill, don’t hold
your vehicle there with only the accelerator
pedal. This could overheat and damage the
transmission. Use your brakes or shift into
PARK (P) to hold your vehicle in position on
a hill.
Maximum engine speed is limited to protect driveline
components from .improper operation.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Manual Transmission Operation
6-Speed
1 3 5 R
2 4 6
This is your shift pattern.
Here’s how to operate
your transmission:
FIRST (1): Press the clutch pedal and shift into
FIRST
(1). Then slowly let up on the clutch pedal
as you press the accelerator pedal.
You can shift into FIRST (1) when you’re going less
than
40 mph (64 km/h).’If you’ve come to a complete
stop and it’s hard to shift into FIRST
(l), put the shift
lever in NEUTRAL
(N) and let up on the clutch. Press
the clutch pedal back down. Then shift into FIRST
(1).
SECOND (2): Press the clutch pedal as you let up on
the accelerator pedal and shift into SECOND (2).
Then, slowly let up on the clutch pedal as you press
the accelerator pedal.
THIRD(3),FOURTH(4),FIFTH(5)AND
SIXTH (6): Shift into THIRD (3), FOURTH (4)’
FIFTH (5) and SIXTH (6) the same way you do for
SECOND
(2). Slowly let up on the clutch pedal as
you press the accelerator pedal.
TO STOP: Let up on the accelerator pedal and press
the brake pedal. Just before the vehicle stops, press the clutch pedal and the brake pedal, and shift to
NEUTRAL
(N).
NEUTRAL (N): Use this position when you start or idle
your engine. Your shift lever is in NEUTRAL
(N) when
it is centered in
the shift pattern, not in any other gear.
REVERSE (R): To back up, press down the clutch
pedal and shift into REVERSE (R). Just apply pressure
to get the lever past FIFTH
(5) and SIXTH (6) into
REVERSE (R). Let up on the clutch pedal slowly while
pressing the accelerator pedal.
Your six-speed manual transmission has a feature that
allows you to safely shift into REVERSE (R) while the
vehicle is rolling (at less than
5 mph (8 km/h)). You
will be locked out if you try to shift into REVERSE (R)
while your vehicle is moving faster than
5 mph
(8 km/h). If you have turned your ignition off and
wish to park your car in REVERSE
(R), you will have
to move the shift lever quickly to the right, and
immediately forward into gear.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine ' Shift Speeds (Manual Transmission)
This chart shows when to shift to the next higher gear
for best fuel economy. Manual Transmission Recommended
Shift Speeds in
mph (km/h)
Acceleration Shift Speed
1to2 5to6 4to5
3to4 2to3
Engine
All
(80) (72) (64) (40) (24) Engines
50 45 40 25 15
If your engine speed drops below 900 rpm, or if the
engine is not running smoothly, you should downshift to
the next lower gear.
You may have to downshift two or
more gears to keep the engine running smoothly
or for
good performance.
NOTICE:
When you are shifting gears, don't move the
gear shift lever around needlessly. This can
damage parts
of the transmission and may
require costly repair. Shift directly into the next
appropriate gear.
One to Four Light (Manual Transmission)
IT04
SHIFT
When this light comes on, you can only shift from
FIRST
(1) to FOURTH (4)
instead of FIRST (1) to
SECOND (2). You must
complete the shift into
FOURTH
(4) to deactivate
this feature. This helps
you get the best possible
fuel economy.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine After shifting to FOURTH (4), you may downshift to a
lower gear if you prefer.
b I
NOTICE:
~~
Do not try to force the shift lever into SECOND
(2) or THIRD (3) when the ONE TO FOUR light
comes on.
Do not try to re-engage FIRST (1)
after starting to shift into FOURTH (4). You
will damage your transmission. Shift only
from FIRST
(1) to FOURTH (4) when the light
comes on.
This light will come on when:
0 The engine coolant temperature is higher than
0 You are going 15 to 19 mph (24 to 31 km/h) and
You are at 21 percent throttle or less.
120°F (49"C), and
Downshifting (Manual Transmission)
Do not downshift into the gear shown below at a speed
greater than shown in the table:
FIRST
(1) .................... 50 mph (80 km/h)
SECOND (2) ................ 74 mph (119 km/h)
THIRD (3) ................. 101 mph (163 km/h)
FOURTH (4) ............... 130 mph (209 km/h)
[ NOTICE:
If you skip more than one gear when you
downshift,
or if you race the engine when you
downshift, you can damage the clutch, driveshaft
or transmission.
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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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