1997 CHEVROLET CORVETTE service

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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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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your Corvette engine is filled at the factory with a
Mobil
l@ synthetic oil, which meets all requirements for
your vehicle.
Substitute Oil: When adding oil to maintain engine oil
level, oil meeting GM Standard GM4718M may not be
available. You can add substitute oil designated SAE
5W-30 with the “Starburst” symbol at all temperatures.
If temperatures are above 0°F
(- 18 O C), you may
substitute SAE 1OW-30 with the “Starburst” symbol.
Substitute oil not meeting GM Standard GM4718M
should not be used for an oil change.
Engine Oil Additives
Don’t add anything to your oil. Your Chevrolet dealer is
ready to advise
if you think something should be added.
When to Change Engine Oil
Your Corvette has an Engine Oil Life Monitor. This
feature will let you know when to change your oil and
filter
-- usually between 3,000 miles (5 000 km) and
10,000 miles (1 6 000 km) since your last oil change.
Under severe conditions, the indicator may come on
before
3,000 miles (5 000 km). Never drive your vehicle
more than 10,000 miles
(1 6 000 km) or 12 months
(whichever occurs first) without an oil change. Use
engine oil meeting the GM Standard GM4718M. The
system won’t detect dust in the
oil. So, if you
drive in a dusty area, be sure to change your oil every
3,000 miles (5 000 km) or sooner if the CHANGE OIL
light comes on. Remember to reset the Engine Oil Life
Monitor when the oil has been changed. For more
information, see “Engine Oil Life Monitor” in the Index.
When Changing the Engine Oil
There is a special procedure for changing engine oil.
Contact your Chevrolet dealer for additional information
or the procedure can be found in a Corvette Service
Manual. To purchase a service manual, see “Service and
Owner Publications”
in the Index.
How to Reset the Engine Oil Life Monitor
Press RESET to acknowledge the CHANGE OIL SOON
warning. The oil page on the DIC will then show a
message such as OIL LIFE 0%. To reset the monitor,
press and hold RESET for two seconds.
You will then
receive a message such as OIL LIFE
99%.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine What to Do with Used Oil
Did you know that used engine oil contains certain
elements that may be unhealthy for your skin and could
even cause cancer? Don’t
let used oil stay on your skin
for very long. Clean your slun and nails with soap and
water, or a good hand cleaner. Wash or throw away
clothing or rags containing used engine oil. (See the
manufacturer’s warnings about the use and disposal
of
oil products.)
Used
oil can be a real threat to the environment. If you
change your own oil, be sure to drain all free-flowing oil
from the filter before disposal. Don’t ever dispose of oil
by putting it in the trash, pouring it on the ground, into
sewers, or into streams or bodies of water. Instead,
recycle it
by taking it to a place that collects used oil. If
you have a problem properly disposing of your used oil,
ask your dealer, a service station or a local recycling
center for help.
Air Cleaner
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine when to
replace the air filter.
See “Scheduled Maintenance Services” in the Index.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 2. Pull the assembly out.
3. Replace the filter.
4. Push the assembly back into place.
5. Fasten the clips.
Automatic Transmission Fluid
How to Check
Because this operation is difficult, you may choose to
have this done at your Chevrolet dealer service
department. It is not necessary to check the transmission
fluid level.
A transmission fluid leak is the only reason
for fluid loss. If a leak occurs, take the vehicle to your
Chevrolet dealer service department and have it repaired
as soon
as possible.
There is
a special procedure for checking and changing the
transmission fluid, Contact your Chevrolet dealer for
Corvette Service Manual.
To purchase a service manual,
see “Service and Owner Publications” in the Index.
- additional information or the procedure can be found in a
NOTICE:
We recommend that only fluid labeled
DEXR0N’-I11 be used, because fluid with that
label
is made specially for your automatic
transmission. Damage caused by fluid other than DEXRON@-I11 is not covered by your new
vehicle warranty.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Change both the fluid and filter every 50,000 miles
(80 000 km) if the vehicle is mainly driven under one of
these conditions:
In heavy city traffic where the outside temperature
regularly reaches
90” F (32” C) or higher.
In hilly or mountainous terrain.
0 High performance operation.
If you do not use your vehicle under one of these
conditions, the fluid and filter do not require changing.
See “Scheduled Maintenance Services” in the Index for
the proper service intervals for the transmission fluid
and filter.
Manual Transmission Fluid
When to Check
A good time to have it checked is when the engine oil is
changed. However, the fluid in your manual
transmission doesn’t require changing.
How to Check
Because this operation can be difficult, you may
choose to have this done at your Chevrolet dealership
Service Department.
If you do it yourself, be sure to follow all the
instructions here, or you could get a false reading.
I NOTICE:
Too much or too little fluid can damage your
transmission.
Too much can mean that some
of the fluid could come out and fall on hot
exhaust system parts, starting a fire. Be sure to
1 get an accurate reading if you check your
transmission fluid.
Check the fluid level only when your engine is off, the
vehicle is parked on a level place and the transmission is
cool enough for you to rest your fingers
on the
transmission case.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine When to Check and What to Use
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine how
often you should check the fluid level
in your clutch
master cylinder reservoir and for the proper fluid. See
“Owner Checks and Services” and “Recommended
Fluids and Lubricants”
in the Index.
How To Check and Add Fluid
The clutch master cylinder is on the driver’s side of the
engine compartment, near the fender.
To check the fluid, remove the cap and rubber seal.
1
Fluid should be added if the fluid level is below the step
on the inside of the reservoir. There are additional
instructions on the reservoir cap.
Replace the rubber seal and cap.
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