1997 CHEVROLET CORVETTE manual transmission

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you’re
planning to visit there, here are some tips that can make
your trips safer and more enjoyable.
Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all fluid
levels and also the brakes, tires, cooling system and
transmission. These parts can work hard on
mountain roads.
Know how to go down hills. The most important
thing to know
is this: let your engine do some of the
slowing down. Shift to a lower gear when you
go
down a steep or long hill.
A CAUTION:
If you don’t shift down, your brakes could get
so hot that they wouldn’t work well. You would
then have poor braking or even none going down
a hill. You could crash. Shift down to let your
engine assist your brakes on a steep
downhill slope.
I A CAUTION:
a
e
a
e
I
Coasting downhill in NEUTRAL (N) or with the
ignition
off is dangerous. Your brakes will have to
do all the work of slowing down. They could get
so hot that they wouldn’t work well. You would
then have
poor braking or even none going down
a hill. You could crash. Always have your engine
running and your vehicle
in gear when you
go downhill.
Know how to go uphill. You may want to shift down
to a lower gear.
The lower gears help cool your engine
and transmission, and you can climb
the hill better.
Stay in your own lane when driving on two-lane
roads in hills or mountains. Don’t swing wide or cut
across the center
of the road. Drive at speeds that let
you stay in your own lane.
As you go over the top of a hill, be alert. There could be
something in your lane, like a stalled car or an accident.
You may see highway signs on mountains that warn
of
special problems. Examples are long grades, passing or
no-passing zones, a falling rocks area
or winding
roads. Be alert to these and
take appropriate action.
4-25

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 1
Jump Starting
If your battery has run down, you may want to use
another vehicle and some jumper cables to start your
Corvette. But please
use the following steps to do
it safely.
NOTICE:
Ignoring these steps could result in costly damage
to your vehicle that wouldn’t be covered by your
warranty.
Trying to start your Corvette by pushing or
pulling it could damage your vehicle, even
if you
have a manual transmission. And if you have an
automatic transmission, it won’t start that way. Batteries can
hurt you. They can be dangerous
because:
They contain acid that can burn you.
0 They contain gas that can explode or ignite.
0 They contain enough electricity to
If you don’t follow these steps exactly, some or all
of these things can hurt you.
burn
you.
1. Check the other vehicle. It must have a 12-volt
battery with a negative ground system.
I NOTICE:
If the other system isn’t a 12-volt system with a
negative ground, both vehicles can be damaged.
I

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I
’
A CAUTION:
I
To help avoid injury to you or others:
Never let passengers ride in a vehicle that is
Never tow faster than safe or posted speeds.
Never tow with damaged parts not fully
Never get under your vehicle after it has
Always secure the vehicle on each side with
Use only R-hooks. being towed.
secured.
been lifted by the tow truck.
separate safety chains when towing it.
A vehicle can fall from a car carrier if it isn’t
adequately secured. This can cause
a collision,
serious personal injury and vehicle damage. The
vehicle should be tightly secured with chains or
steel cables before it is transported.
Don’t use substitutes (ropes, leather straps,
canvas webbing, etc.) that can be cut by sharp
edges underneath the towed vehicle. Always use
R-hooks inserted
in the front and rear R-hook
slots. Never use J-hooks. They will damage
drivetrain and suspension components.
When your vehicle is being towed, have the ignition key
in the
OFF position. The steering wheel should be
clamped in
a straight-ahead position, with a clamping
device designed for towing service.
Do not use the
vehicle’s steering column lock for this. The transmission
should be in
NEUTRAL (N) and the parking
brake released.
5-9

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Front Towing
Tow Limits -- 35 mph (55 kd), 50 miles (80 km)
NOTICE:
Do not tow with sling type equipment or bumper,
fog lamps and
air dam damage will occur. Use
wheel-lift or car-carrier equipment. Additional
ramping may be required for car-carrier
equipment. Use safety chains and wheel straps.
Use the shipping slots for car-carrier securing.
Don’t have your vehicle towed on the rear wheels
unless you have to. If the vehicle must be towed
on the rear wheels, don’t exceed the tow limits or
your transmission will be damaged.
Towing
a vehicle over rough surfaces could
damage the vehicle. Damage can occur from
vehicle to ground or vehicle to wheel-lift
equipment.
To help avoid damage, install a
towing dolly and raise the vehicle until adequate
clearance
is obtained between the ground and/or
wheel-lift equipment.
NOTICE: (Continued)
NOTICE: (Continued)
Do not attach winch cables or J-hooks to
suspension components when using car-carrier
equipment. Always use R-hooks inserted in the
shipping
slots.
NOTICE:
When using wheel-lift equipment, front
tire-to-ground clearance distance must be
a
minimum of 17 inches and a maximum of
22 inches or damage will occur.
SLOT
5-10

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If No Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
If you get the overheat warning but see or hear no
steam, the problem may not be too serious. Sometimes
the engine can get a little too hot when you:
Climb a long hill on a hot day.
Stop after high-speed driving.
0 Idle for long periods in traffic.
If you get the overheat warning with no sign of steam,
try this for a minute or
so:
1.
2.
3.
Turn off your air conditioner.
Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan
speed and open the window as necessary.
If you’re in a traffic jam, shift to NEUTRAL
(N);
otherwise, shift to the highest gear while
driving
-- AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (@) or
DRIVE (D) for automatic transmissions. If you
no longer have the overheat warning, you can
drive. Just to be safe, drive slower for about
10 minutes.
If the warning doesn’t come back on, you can
drive normally.
If the warning continues, pull over, stop, and park your
vehicle right away.
If there’s still no sign of steam, you can idle the engine
for two or three minutes while you’re parked, to see if
the warning stops. But then, if you still have the
warning,
turn ofthe engine and get everyone out of the
vehicle
until it cools down. Also, see “Overheated
Engine Protection Operating Mode” listed previously in
this section.
You may decide not to lift the hood
but to get service
help right away.
5-15

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.
-I
’ 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.
5-22

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.
5-23

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
6-5
1
6-5 1
6-54
6-55
6-56
6-57
6-57 6-59
6- 60
6- 60
6-6 1
6-69
6-69 6-7
1
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