1997 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If a Tire Goes Flat
Your Corvette has neither a spare tire nor tire changing
equipment, because it was built with Goodyear
Extended Mobility Tires (EMT). See “Extended
Mobility Tires” in the Index.
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’ A CAUTION:
Because your vehicle has no spare tire, no tire
changing equipment, and no provisions to store a
tire in the vehicle, special tools and procedures
are required if a tire needs to be serviced.
If these
tools and procedures aren’t used, you or others
could be injured and your vehicle could be
damaged. Always be sure the proper tools and
procedures, as described in the Corvette Service
Manual, are used.
To order a service manual, see “Service and Owner
Publications” in the Index.
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.
A QUTION:
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 km/h) as shown
on the speedometer.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine NOTICE:
Spinning your wheels can destroy parts of your
vehicle
as well as the tires. If you spin the wheels
too fast while shifting your transmission back
and forth, you can destroy your transmission.
For information about using tire chains on your vehicle,
see “Tire Chains” in the Index.
Rocking Your Vehicle To Get It Out
First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That will
clear the area around your front wheels. You should
turn your TCS
off. (See “Traction Control System”
in the Index.) Then shift back and forth between
REVERSE (R) and a forward gear, spinning the wheels
as little as possible. For a manual transmission, shift
slowly between either FIRST
(1) or SECOND (2) and
REVERSE (R), allowing the wheels to stop before
shifting into gear. Release the accelerator pedal while
you shift, and press lightly
on the accelerator pedal
when the transmission is in gear.
If that doesn’t get you
out after a few tries, you may need to be towed out.
If you do need to be towed out, see “Towing Your
Vehicle”
in the Index.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine e Section 6 Service and Appearance Care
Here you will find information about the care of your Corvette. This section begins with service and fuel information,
and then it shows how to check important fluid and lubricant levels. There is also technical information about your
vehicle, and a part devoted to its appearance care.
6-2 Service 6-3 Fuel
6-5 Fuels in Foreign Countries
6-5 Filling Your Tank
6- 8 Checking Things Under the Hood
6-1 1 Engine Oil
6-16 Air Cleaner
6-18 Automatic Transmission Fluid
6- 19 Manual Transmission Fluid
6-20 Hydraulic Clutch
6-22 Engine Coolant
6-26 Surge Tank Pressure Cap
6-26 Power Steering Fluid
6-22 Rear Axle
6-26
Thermostat
6-27 Windshield Washer Fluid
6-
29 Brakes
6-32 Battery 6-33
6-33
6-37
6-40
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6-57 6-59
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6-69
6-69 6-7
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Bulb Replacement
Halogen Bulbs
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
Tires Appearance Care
Cleaning the Inside of Your Corvette
Care of Safety Belts
Cleaning the Outside of Your Corvette
Aluminum Wheels
Tires Underbody Maintenance
Appearance Care Materials
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
Service Parts Identification Label
Electrical System
Replacement Bulbs Capacities and Specifications
Air Conditioning Refrigerants
6-1

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Service
Your Chevrolet dealer knows your vehicle best and
wants you to be happy with it. We hope you’ll
go to
your dealer for all your service needs.
You’ 11 get
genuine GM parts and GM-trained and supported
service people.
We hope you’ll want to keep your GM vehicle all GM.
Genuine GM parts have one
of these marks:
L
B
Demo
Doing Your Own Service Work
If you want to do some of your own service work, you’ll
want to get the proper Corvette Service Manual. It tells
you much more about how to service your Corvette than
this manual can.
To order the proper service manual, see
“Service and Owner Publications” in the Index.
Your vehicle has an air bag system. Before attempting to
do your own service
work, see “Servicing Your Air
Bag-Equipped Corvette” in the Index.
You should keep a record with all parts receipts and list
the mileage and the date of any service work you
perform. See “Maintenance Record” in the Index.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine c
You can be injured and your vehicle could be
damaged
if you try to do service work on a
vehicle without knowing enough about it.
Be sure you have sufficient knowledge,
experience, the proper replacement parts
and tools before you attempt any vehicle
maintenance task.
Be sure to use the proper nuts, bolts and
other fasteners. “English” and “metric”
fasteners can be easily confused.
If you use
the wrong fasteners, parts can later break
or fall
off. You could be hurt.
Adding Equipment to the Outside of
Your Vehicle
Things you might add to the outside of your vehicle can
affect the aifflow around it. This may cause wind noise
and affect windshield washer performance. Check with
your Chevrolet dealer before adding equipment to the
outside of your vehicle.
Fuel
Use premium unleaded gasoline rated at 91 octane or
higher for best performance. You may use middle grade
or regular unleaded gasolines, but your vehicle may not
accelerate as well.
At a minimum, the gasoline you use should meet
specifications ASTM
D48 14 in the United States and
CGSB 3.5-M93 in Canada. Improved gasoline
specifications have been developed by
the American
Automobile Manufacturers Association (AAMA) for
better vehicle performance and engine protection. Gasolines meeting the AAMA specification could
provide improved driveability and emission control
system protection compared to other gasolines.
Be sure the posted octane for premium is at least
91
(at least 89 for middle grade and 87 for regular). If the
octane is less than
87, you may get a heavy knocking
noise when you drive. If it’s bad enough,
it can damage
your engine.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If you’re using fuel rated at the recommended octane or
higher and you hear heavy knocking, your engine needs
service. But don’t worry if you hear a little pinging
noise when you’re accelerating or driving up a hill.
That’s normal, and you don’t have to buy a higher
octane fuel to get rid
of pinging. It’s the heavy, constant
knock that means you have a problem.
If your vehicle is certified to meet California Emission
Standards (indicated on the underhood emission control
label), it is designed to operate on fuels that meet
California specifications. If such fuels are not available
in states adopting California emissions standards, your
vehicle will operate satisfactorily on fuels meeting
federal specifications, but emission control system
performance may be affected. The malfunction indicator
lamp on your instrument panel may turn on and/or your
vehicle may fail a smog-check test.
If this occurs, return
to your authorized Chevrolet dealer for diagnosis to
determine the cause of failure.
In the event it is
determined that the cause
of the condition is the type of
fuels used, repairs may not be covered by your warranty.
Some gasolines that are not reformulated for low
emissions contain an octane-enhancing additive called
methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl (MMT);
ask your service station operator whether or not his fuel
contains MMT. General Motors does not recommend the
use of such gasolines.
If fuels containing MMT are used, spark
plug life may be reduced and your emission
control system performance may be affected. The
malfunction indicator lamp on your instrument panel
may turn on. If this occurs, return to your authorized
Chevrolet dealer for service.
To provide cleaner air, all gasolines in the United States
are now required to contain additives that will help
prevent deposits from forming in your engine and fuel
system, allowing your emission control system to
function properly. Therefore, you should
not have to add
anything to the fuel. In addition, gasolines containing
oxygenates, such as ethers and ethanol, and
reformulated gasolines may be available in your area to
help clean the air. General Motors recommends
that you
use these gasolines if they comply with the
specifications described earlier.
NOTICE:
Your vehicle was not designed for fuel that
I contains methanol. Don’t use it. It can corrode
~ metal parts in your fuel system and also damage
I plastic and rubber parts. That damage wouldn’t
1 be covered under your warranty.
6-4

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Fuels in Foreign Countries
If you plan on driving in another country outside the
United States or Canada, the proper
fuel may be hard to
find. Never use leaded gasoline or any other fuel not
recommended in the previous text on fuel. Costly repairs
caused by use of improper fuel wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty.
To check on fuel availability, ask an auto club, or
contact a major oil company that does business in the
country where you’ll be driving.
You can also write us at the following address for
advice. Just tell us where you’re going and give your
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).
General Motors International Product Center
1908 Colonel Sam Drive
Oshawa, Ontario
L 1 H 8P7
Filling Your Tank
The fuel fill door is on the driver’s side of the vehicle. The
fuel cap
is attached by a tether for your convenience.
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Gasoline vapor is highly flammable. It burns
violently, and that can cause very bad injuries.
Don’t smoke if you’re near gasoline or refueling
your vehicle. Keep sparks, flames and smoking
materials away from gasoline.
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