1997 CHEVROLET CORVETTE check engine

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Malfunction Indicator Lamp (Check Engine Light)
CHECK
Your Corvette is equipped
with a computer which
monitors operation of the
fuel, ignition and emission
control systems.
This system is called OBD I1 (On-Board
Diagnostics-Second Generation) and is intended to
assure that emissions are at acceptable levels for the
life of the vehicle, helping
to produce a cleaner
environment. (In Canada, OBD
I1 is replaced by
Enhanced Diagnostics.) The CHECK ENGINE light
comes on to indicate that there
is a problem and service
is required. Malfunctions often will be indicated by
the system before any problem is apparent. This may
prevent more serious damage to your vehicle. This
system
is also designed to assist your service technician
in correctly diagnosing any malfunction.
NOTICE:
If you keep driving your vehicle with this light
on, after a while, your emission controls may not
work as well, your fuel economy may not be as
good and your engine may not run as smoothly. This could lead to costly repairs that may not be
covered by your warranty.
This light should come on, as a check to show you it is
working, when the ignition is on and the engine is not
running. If the light doesn’t come on, have it repaired.
This light will also come on during a malfunction in one
of two ways:
0
0 Light Flashing -- A misfire condition has been
detected. A misfire increases vehicle emissions and
may damage the emission control system on your
vehicle. Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis
and service
is required.
Light On Steady -- An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis and
service may be required.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If the Light Is Flashing
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:
0 Reducing vehicle speed.
0 Avoiding hard accelerations.
0 Avoiding steep uphill grades.
If the light stops flashing and remains on steady, see “If
the Light Is On Steady” following.
If the light continues to flash, when it is safe to do
so,
stop the vehicle. Find a safe place to park your vehicle.
Turn the key
off, wait at least 10 seconds and restart the
engine. If the light remains on steady, see
“If the Light
Is On Steady” following. If the light is still flashing,
follow the previous steps, and drive the vehicle to your
dealer or qualified service center for service.
If the Light Is On Steady
You may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you just drive through a deep puddle of water? If
so, your electrical system
may be wet. The condition
will usually be corrected when the electrical system
dries out.
A few driving trips should turn the light off.
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 one or more of these conditions,
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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Engine Oil Pressure Gage
The engine oil pressure
gage shows the engine oil
pressure in psi (pounds
per square inch) or
Wa (kilopascals) when
the engine
is running.
Oil pressure should be
20 to 80 psi (140 to 550 Wa).
(In certain situations such as long, extended idles on
hot days, it could read as low as
6 psi (40 kPa) and still
be considered normal.) It may vary with engine speed,
outside temperature and oil viscosity, but readings
above the shaded area show the normal operating range.
Readings in the shaded area tell
you that the engine is
low on oil, or that you might have some other oil
problem. See “Engine Oil” in the Index.
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The engine oil pressure can also be displayed using the
GAGES button on the DIC. See “Driver Information
Center” in the Index.
I
/A CAUTION:
Don’t keep driving if the oil pressure is low. If
you do, your engine can become so hot that it
catches fire. You or others could be burned.
Check your oil as soon as possible and have
your vehicle serviced.
I NOTICE:
Damage to your engine from neglected oil
problems can be costly and is not covered
by
your warranty.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Security Light
SECURITY
This light comes on to
remind you
to arm your
theft-deterrent system. If it
comes
on and stays on when
your ignition
is on, there
may be a problem with your
theft-deterrent system.
Check Gages Light
CHECK
GAGES
This light will come on
briefly when you
are
starting the engine. If the
light comes on and stays on
while you are driving, check
your gages to see if they are
in the warning areas.
See “Universal Theft-Deterrent” and “PASS-Key
System” in the Index. This light can
come
on for the following reasons:
0 Low Oil Pressure
0 High Coolant Temperature
0 High or Low Battery Voltage
0 Low Fuel Level
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Average Speed
Press the TRIP button until the average speed is
displayed, such as:
AVERAGE SPEED 62 MPH or
AVERAGE SPEED 100 km/h
Press reset in this mode to start calculating the average
speed. Press and hold RESET to clear.
Engine Oil Life
Press the TRIP button until the engine oil life is
displayed, such as OIL LIFE REMAIN
89%.
This is an estimate of the engine oil’s remaining useful
life. It will show
99% when the system is reset after
an oil change. It will alert you to change your oil
on
a schedule consistent with your driving conditions.
When the remaining oil life is low, the system will
alert you with a message CHANGE
OIL SOON.
When the oil life is down to zero, you will receive the
message CHANGE OIL NOW. To
reset the OIL LIFE reminder after an oil change:
1. With the ignition on, press the TRIP button so the
OIL LIFE percentage is displayed.
2. Press RESET and hold for two seconds. The word
RESET will appear, then
OIL LIFE 99%.
Remember, you must reset the OIL LIFE yourself after
each oil change. It will not reset itself. Also, be careful
not to reset the
OIL LIFE accidentally at any time other
than when the oil has just been changed. It can’t be reset
accurately until the next oil change.
The DIC does not replace the need to maintain your
vehicle as recommended in the Maintenance Schedule
in this manual. Also, the oil change reminder will not
detect dusty conditions or engine malfunctions that may
affect the oil. If you drive in dusty areas, change your
oil after every
3,000 miles (5 000 km) or three months,
whichever occurs first, unless the DIC instructs you to
do
so sooner. Also, the oil change reminder does not
measure how much
oil you have in your engine, so be
sure to check your oil level often. See “Engine Oil” in
the Index.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine ABS ACTIVE (Anti-Lock Brake System Active):
When your anti-lock system is adjusting brake pressure
to help avoid a braking skid, the ABS ACTIVE message
will be displayed.
Slippery road conditions may exist
if this message is
displayed,
so adjust your driving accordingly. The
message will stay on for a few seconds after the system
stops adjusting brake pressure.
SERVICE ABS (Anti-Lock Brake System): If the
SERVICE ABS message is displayed when you are
driving, stop as soon as possible and turn the ignition
off. Then start the engine again to reset the system. If
the message stays on, or comes back on again while you
are driving, your vehicle is in need of service.
If the
regular brake system warning light isn’t on, you still
have brakes, but don’t have anti-lock brakes. If the
regular brake system light is also on, you don’t have
anti-lock brakes and there is a problem with your
brakes. See “Brake System Warning Light” earlier in
this section.
SERVICE COLUMN LOCK: The system that
controls the locking and unlocking of the steering
column may
not work properly. Have the vehicle
towed to a dealer for service.
LOW OIL PRESSURE: You will hear four chimes
and the CHECK GAGES telltale will come
on when
this message is displayed. To acknowledge the warning,
press the RESET button. After you press the RESET
button, a message will be displayed and you will hear a
chime every minute until the vehicle
is serviced. If you
do not press RESET, the message will remain on the
digital display until the vehicle
is serviced.
Low oil pressure may be the result of a combination
of low oil level and abrupt changes in the vehicle’s
direction. When this warning
is displayed, you should
not operate
the engine at high RPM or make fast abrupt
moves. When convenient, you should check the oil
level. See “Engine Oil” in the Index.
LOW OIL LEVEL: Press RESET to acknowledge that
you have read the message and to remove it from the
display. The message will reappear every
10 minutes
until this condition changes.
You will hear two chimes when this message is
displayed.
If this message appears after starting your
engine, your engine oil level may be too low. You may
need to add oil. See “Engine Overheating” in the Index.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine REDUCED ENGINE POWER: You will hear chimes
continuously when this message is displayed. To
acknowledge that you have read the message and to
remove it from the display, press RESET. The
message will reappear every
15 seconds until this
condition changes.
If the Driver Information Center displays the
REDUCED ENGINE POWER message and the
CHECK ENGINE light comes on, a noticeable
reduction in the vehicle’s performance may occur. If the
REDUCED ENGINE POWER message is displayed but
there is no reduction
in performance, proceed to your
destination. The performance may be reduced the next
time the vehicle is driven.
The vehicle may be driven at a reduced speed while the
REDUCED ENGINE POWER message is displayed,
but acceleration and speed may be reduced. Anytime the
CHECK ENGINE light stays on, the vehicle should be
taken to an authorized Chevrolet dealer as soon as
possible for diagnosis and repair.
Also, refer to “Malfunction Indicator Lamp” (Check
Engine Light) in the Index. If the REDUCED ENGINE
POWER message is displayed in combination with the
COOLANT OVER TEMP message, see “Engine
Overheating” in the Index.
SERVICE VEHICLE SOON: If this message appears
on the DIC, there may be an electrical or another system
problem with your Corvette. Have your vehicle checked
by your dealer if this message keeps appearing.
CHARGE SYSTEM FAULT Press RESET to
acknowledge that you have read the message and to
remove it from the display. The message will reappear
every
10 minutes until this condition changes. You will
hear two chimes when this message is displayed.
If this message comes
on while you are driving, you
may have a problem with the electrical charging system.
It could indicate that you have a loose or broken drive
belt or another electrical problem. Have it checked
right away. Driving while this light is
on could drain
your battery.
If you must drive a short distance with the message on,
be certain to turn off your accessories, such as the radio
and air conditioner.
TRACTION SYS ACTIVE: When your traction
control system is limiting wheel spin, the TRACTION
SYS ACTIVE message will be displayed. Slippery road
conditions may exist if this message is displayed,
so
adjust your driving accordingly. The message will stay
on for a few seconds after the traction control system
stops limiting wheel spin.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine LOW COOLANT You will hear two chimes when this
message is displayed. To acknowledge the warning press
RESET. After you press RESET, a message will
reappear and you will hear a chime every
10 minutes
until this condition changes.
This message indicates that the coolant in the system is
low. You may need to add coolant.
See “Engine
Overheating” in the Index.
COOLANT OVER TEMP: You will hear four chimes
and the CHECK GAGES telltale will come on when this
message is displayed. To acknowledge the warning,
press the RESET button. After you press the RESET
button, a message will be displayed and you will hear a
chime every minute until this condition changes. If you
do not press RESET, the message will remain on the
digital display until the condition changes.
If the engine coolant exceeds 255
“F (124”C), this
message is displayed. If you have been operating your
vehicle under normal driving conditions, you should
pull off from the road, stop your vehicle and turn off the
engine as soon as possible. You can monitor the coolant
temperature with the GAGES button on the DIC or the
engine coolant gage on the instrument panel cluster.
See
“Engine Overheating” in the Index.
HIGH OIL TEMPERATURE REDUCE ENGINE
RPM:
You will hear four chimes and the CHECK
GAGES telltale will come on when this message is
displayed. To acknowledge the warning, press the
RESET button. After you press the RESET button, a
message will be displayed and you will hear a chime
every minute until this condition changes. If you do not
press RESET, the message will remain on the digital
display until the condition changes.
If the engine oil temperature exceeds 320°F (160” C),
this message is displayed. You should 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,
so see your dealer. You can
monitor the oil temperature with the GAGES button on
the DIC.
HIGH TRANS TEMP: You will hear four chimes and
the CHECK GAGES telltale will come on when
this message is displayed. To acknowledge this
warning, press the RESET button. After you press the
RESET button, the message will be displayed every
10 minutes until the condition changes. If you do not
press RESET, the message remains on the display until
the condition changes.
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