1997 CHEVROLET CORVETTE engine overheat

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine The 1997 Chevrolet Corvette Owner’s Manual
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Seats and Restraint Systems
This section tells you how to use your seats and safety belts\
properly. It also explains the air bag system.
Features and Controls
This section explains how to start and operate your Corvette.
Comfort Controls and Audio Systems
This section tells you how to adjust the ventilation and comfort controls and how to operate your audio \
system.
Your Driving and the Road
Here you’ll find helpful information and tips about the road\
and how to drive under different conditions.
Problems on the Road
This section tells what to do if you have a problem while driving, such as a flat tire or overheated engine, etc.
Service and Appearance Care
Here the manual tells you how to keep your Corvette running p\
roperly and looking good.
Maintenance Schedule
This section tells you when to perform vehicle maintenance and what fluids and lubricants to u\
se.
Customer Assistance Information
This section tells you how to contact Chevrolet for assistance \
and how to get service and owner publications.
It also gives you information on “Reporting Safety Defects” on page
8- 10.
Index
Here’s an alphabetical listing of almost every subject in this manual. You can use it to quickly find
something you want to read.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine To Use the Coolant Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord. With
headlamps closed, route the cord in the opening
between the left-hand headlamp door and the fender
panel.
Do not pinch the cord when closing the hood.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 110-volt AC outlet.
I
,A CAUTION:
-
Plugging the cord into an ungrounded outlet
could cause an electrical shock.
Also, the wrong
kind of extension cord could overheat and cause
a fire.
You could be seriously injured. Plug the
cord into a properly grounded three-prong 110-volt
AC outlet. If the cord won’t reach, use a
heavy-duty three-prong extension cord rated for
at least
15 amps.
4. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug and
store the cord as it was before
to keep it away
fiom moving engine parts. If you don’t, it could
be damaged.
How long should you keep the coolant heater plugged
in? The answer depends on the outside temperature,
the kind of oil you have, and some other things.
Instead
of trying to list everything here, we ask that
you contact your Chevrolet dealer in the area where
you’ll be parking your vehicle. The dealer can give
you the best advice for that particular area.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (0): This position is
for normal driving.
THIRD (3): This position is also used for normal
driving, however, it offers more power and lower fuel
economy than AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE
(@).
Here are some times you might choose THIRD (3)
instead of AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (0):
0 When driving on hilly, winding roads.
0 When going down a steep hill.
SECOND (2): This position gives you more power but
lower fuel economy. You can use SECOND
(2) on hills.
It can help control your speed as
you go down steep
mountain roads, but then you would also want to use
your brakes off and on.
FIRST (1): This position gives you even more power
(but lower fuel economy) than SECOND
(2). You can
use it on very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud. If the
selector lever is put in FIRST
(l), the transmission
won’t shift into first gear until the vehicle is going
slowly enough.
NOTICE:
If your rear wheels can’t rotate, don’t try to
drive. This might happen if you were stuck in
very deep sand or mud or were up against a solid
object. You could damage your transmission.
Also,
if you stop when going uphill, don’t hold
your vehicle there with only the accelerator
pedal. This could overheat and damage the
transmission. Use your brakes or shift into
PARK (P) to hold your vehicle in position on
a hill.
Maximum engine speed is limited to protect driveline
components from .improper operation.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine To release the parking brake, hold the brake pedal down.
Hold the release button in as you move the brake lever
all the way down.
(NOTICE:
Driving with the parking brake on can cause
your rear brakes
to overheat. You may have to
replace them, and you could also damage other
parts of your vehicle. Make sure the brake
warning light
is not on before driving.
Shifting Into PARK (P) (Automatic
Transmission
Models Only)
CAUTION:
-
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever is not fully in
PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
If you have left the engine running, the vehicle
can move suddenly. You or others could be
injured.
To be sure your vehicle won’t move, even
when you’re on fairly level ground, use the steps
that follow.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake.
2. Move the shift lever into the PARK (P) position by
holding in the button on the lever and pushing the
lever all the way toward the front of your vehicle.
3. Turn the ignition key to OFF.
4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can
remove the key from your ignition, your vehicle is
in PARK
(P).
Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine
Running (Automatic Transmission
Models Only)
It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle with the
engine running. Your vehicle could move
suddenly
if the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P)
with the parking brake firmly set. And, if you
leave the vehicle with the engine running, it could
overheat and even catch fire. You or others could
be injured. Don’t leave your vehicle with the
engine running unless you have to.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine To use the lighter, push it in all the way and let go.
~ When it’s ready, it will pop back by itself.
NOTICE:
Don’t hold a cigarette lighter in with your hand
while it is heating.
If you do, it won’t be able to
back away from the heating element when it’s
ready. That can make it overheat, damaging the
lighter and the heating element.
Sun Visors
To block out glare, you can swing down the visors. You
can also swing them to the side.
Visor Vanity Mirror
Pull down the sun visor and lift the cover to expose the
vanity
mirror. When the cover is lifted, the lights will
come on automatically, even if the ignition is
off.
Accessory Outlet
This outlet is located inside the center console, on
the forward left side. Remove the tethered cap to use
the outlet. The outlet can be used to connect electrical
equipment such as a cellular phone or
CB radio.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Traction Control System (TCS) Light
This light should come on
briefly as you start the
engine. If the light doesn’t
come
on then, have it fixed
so it will be ready to warn
you if there’s a problem.
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
f
This gage shows the engine
coolant temperature. If the
gage pointer moves into the
shaded area, your engine
is
too hot!
If it stays on, or comes on and the DIC shows a
SERVICE TRACTION SYSTEM message when you’re
driving, there’s a problem with your TCS system and
your vehicle needs service. When this light is on, the
system will not limit wheel spin. Adjust your driving
accordingly. If the driver turns
off the Traction Control
System by pressing the button
on the console, the TCS
system light will come on and the TRACTION
SYSTEM
OFF message will show on the DIC. This
means that your engine coolant has overheated.
If you have been operating your vehicle under normal
driving conditions, you should pull off the road, stop
your vehicle and turn off the engine as soon as possible.
(The larger tic marks are in increments of
30 O below
220°F (104°C) and in increments of 10 O above
220 OF (104”C).)
In “Problems on the Road,” this manual shows what to
do. See “Engine Overheating” 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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