1997 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Key in the Ignition
If you leave your vehicle with the keys inside, it’s an
easy target for joy riders or professional thieves
-- so
don’t do it.
When you park your Corvette and open the driver’s
door, you’ll hear a tone reminding you
to remove your
key from the ignition and take it with you. Always do
this. Your steering wheel will be locked, and
so will
your ignition.
If you have an automatic transmission,
taking your key out also locks your transmission. And
remember to lock the doors.
Parking at Night
Park in a lighted spot, close all windows and lock your
vehicle. Remember to keep your valuables out
of sight.
Put them in a storage area, or take them with you.
Parking Lots
If you park in a lot where someone will be watching
your vehicle, it’s best to lock it up and take your keys.
But what if you have to leave your key?
Do not leave
valuables
in your vehicle, since there would be no place
to secure them.
Universal Theft-Deterrent System
SECURITY
Your Corvette has a
theft-deterrent alarm
system. With this system,
the SECURITY light will
flash as you open the door
(if your ignition is off). This
light reminds you to arm the
theft-deterrent system.
To arm the system, do the following:
1. Press the LOCK button on the key fob transmitter, as
2. Walk out of range with the passive switch on, OR
3. Open the door. (The SECURITY light should flash.)
Lock the door with the power door lock switch. The
SECURITY light will stop flashing and stay on. Close
all the doors. The SECURITY light should
go off.
Now, if a door or the hatch is opened without the key or
the key fob transmitter system, the alarm will go
off.
Your horn will sound for two minutes, then it will go off
to save battery power. And, your vehicle won’t start.
mentioned earlier,
OR
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine The theft-deterrent system won’t arm if you lock the
doors with a key, the manual door lock, or if you
power lock (from the inside) the vehicle after the
doors are closed.
If your passenger stays in the vehicle when you leave
with the keys, have the passenger lock the vehicle after
the doors are closed. This way the alarm won’t arm,
and your passenger won’t set it
off.
Always use your key or the key fob transmitter to
unlock a door. Unlocking a door any other way will
set off the alarm. If you do set
off the alarm, there
are four ways to stop it:
0 Unlock any door with your key.
0 Put the key in the ignition.
Press the UNLOCK button on the key
fob transmitter.
0 Walk into range with the passive switch on.
Testing the Alarm
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Make sure the rear hatch is latched.
Lower a window on the door.
Manually arm the system with the power door
lock switch.
Close the doors and wait
15 seconds.
Reach through the open window and press the
power unlock button. Now open the door. The
alarm should sound.
Turn off the alarm.
If the alarm is inoperative, check to see if the horn
works. If not, check the horn fuse. See “Fuses and
Circuit Breakers” in the Index. If the horn works, but
the alarm doesn’t
go off, see your dealer.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine PASS-Key@
Your vehicle is equipped
with the PASS-Key
(Personalized Automotive
Security System)
theft-deterrent system. PASS-Key is a passive
theft-deterrent system.
It works when you insert
or remove the key from
the ignition. When the
PASS-Key system senses that someone
is using the wrong key, it shuts down the vehicle’s
starter and fuel systems. For about three minutes, the
starter won’t work and fuel won’t go to the engine.
If someone tries to start your vehicle again or uses
another key during this time, the shutdown period
will start over again. This discourages someone from
randomly trying different keys with different resistor
pellets in an attempt to make a match.
The key must be clean and dry before it’s inserted in the
ignition or the engine may not start. If the SECURITY
light comes on, the key may be dirty or wet.
’ PASS-Key uses a resistor pellet in the ignition key that
matches a decoder in your vehicle. If
this happens and the starter won’t work, turn the
ignition off. Clean and dry the key, wait three minutes
and try again. If the starter still won’t work, wait three
minutes and try the other ignition key. At this time, you
may also want to check the fuses
(see “Fuses and Circuit
Breakers” in the Index). If the starter won’t work with
the other key, your vehicle needs service.
If your vehicle
does start, the first ignition key may be faulty. See your
Chevrolet dealer or a locksmith who can service the
PASS-Key.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine However, if you accidentally use a key that has a
damaged or missing resistor pellet, you will see no
SECURITY light. You don’t have to wait three
minutes before trying the proper key.
If the resistor pellet is damaged or missing, the starter
won’t work. Use the other ignition key, and see your
Chevrolet dealer or a locksmith who can service the
PASS-Key to have a new key made.
If the SECURITY light comes on while driving, have
your vehicle serviced as soon as possible.
If
you lose or damage a PASS-Key ignition key, see
your Chevrolet dealer or a locksmith who can service
PASS-Key. In an emergency, call the Chevrolet
Roadside Assistance Center at
1 -800-CHEV-USA
(1-800-243-8872). In Canada, call 1-800-268-6800.
New Vehicle “Break-In”
NOTICE:
Your modern Corvette doesn’t need an elaborate
“break-in.” But it will perform better in the long
run
if you follow these guidelines:
0 Keep your speed at 55 mph (88 km/h) or
less for the first
500 miles (805 km).
0 Don’t drive at any one speed -- fast or
slow
-- for the first 500 miles (805 km).
Don’t make full-throttle starts.
200 miles (322 km) or so. During this time
your new brake linings aren’t yet broken
in. Hard stops with new linings can mean
premature wear and earlier replacement.
Follow this breaking-in guideline every
time you get new brake linings.
0 Avoid making hard stops for the first
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Ignition Switch
With the key in the ignition switch, you can turn the
switch to four positions.
OFF: The only position from which you can remove
the key. Removing the key locks your steering wheel,
ignition and automatic transmission.
If you have an automatic transmission, the ignition
switch can’t be turned to
OFF unless the shift lever is
in PARK
(P).
ACC: The position in which you can operate your
electrical power accessories. With the key in this
position, the automatic transmission and steering
column will unlock.
ON: The position to which the switch returns after
you start the engine and release the switch. The switch
stays
in the ON position when the engine is running.
But even when the engine is not running, you can use
ON to operate your electrical power accessories and to
display some instrument panel messages and telltales.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine START Starts the engine. When the engine starts,
release the key. The ignition switch will return to
ON
for normal driving.
When the engine is not running, ACC and
ON allow you
to operate your electrical accessories, such as the radio.
A warning tone will sound if you open the driver’s
door when the ignition is in
OFF or ACC and the key
is in the ignition.
I A CAUTION:
Removing the key from the ignition switch will
lock the steering column and result in a loss of
ability to steer the vehicle. This could cause a
collision.
If you need to turn the engine off while
the vehicle is moving, turn the key to ACC.
NOTICE:
If your key seems stuck in OFF and you can’t
turn
it, be sure you are using the correct key; if
so, is it all the way in? If it is, then turn the
steering wheel left and right while you turn the
key hard. But turn the key only with your hand.
Using a tool to force it could break the key or the
ignition switch.
If none of this works, then your
vehicle needs service.
Retained Accessory Power (RAP)
With RAP, your power windows and the audio system
will continue to work for up to
15 minutes after the
ignition key is turned to
OFT and neither door is opened.
If a door is opened, the audio system and power
windows will shut off.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Starting Your Engine
Automatic Transmission
Move your shift lever to PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N).
Your engine won’t start in any other position
-- that’s a
safety feature. To restart when you’re already moving,
use NEUTRAL (N) only.
NOTICE:
Don’t try to shift to PARK (P) if your Corvette
is moving. If you do, you could damage the
transmission. Shift to PARK
(P) only when your
vehicle
is stopped.
Manual Transmission
The gear selector should be in NEUTRAL (N). Hold the
clutch pedal to the floor and start the engine. Your
vehicle won’t start if the clutch pedal is not all the way
down
-- that’s a safety feature.
Starting Your Engine
1. Without pushing the accelerator pedal, turn the
ignition key to START. When the engine starts, let
go of the key. The idle speed will go down as your
engine gets warm.
NOTICE:
Holding your key in START for longer than
15 seconds at a time will cause your battery to
be drained much sooner. And the excessive heat
can damage your starter motor.
2. If it doesn’t start within 10 seconds, push the
accelerator pedal all the way to the floor, while you
hold the ignition key in START. When the engine
starts, let go of the key and let up on the accelerator
pedal. Wait about
15 seconds between each try to
help avoid draining your battery.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine When starting your engine in very cold weather (below
0°F or -18”C), do this:
1. With your foot off the accelerator pedal, turn the
ignition key to START and hold it there. When the
engine starts, let go of the key. Use the accelerator
pedal to maintain engine speed, if you have to, until
your engine has
run for a while.
stops), it could be flooded with too much gasoline.
Try pushing your accelerator pedal all the way to the
floor and holding
it there as you hold the key in
START for about three seconds.
If the vehicle starts
briefly but then stops again, do the same thing, but
this time keep the pedal down for five or six seconds.
This clears the extra gasoline from the engine.
2. If your engine still won’t start (or starts but then
NOTICE:
Your engine is designed to work with the
electronics in your vehicle.
If you add electrical
parts or accessories, you could change the way
the engine operates. Before adding electrical
equipment, check with your dealer.
If you don’t,
your engine might not perform properly.
If you ever have to have your vehicle towed, see
the part of this manual that tells how to do
it
without damaging your vehicle. See “Towing
Your Vehicle” in the Index.
For your convenience and to avoid damage to your
starter, your vehicle is equipped with a starter interlock
feature. This feature will not allow you to crank the
engine when the vehicle is already running.
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