1997 CHEVROLET CORVETTE instrument panel

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine .. .. . ..
The person keeps going until stopped by something.
In
a real vehicle, it could be the windshield ...
or the instrument panel . . .
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine A CAUTION:
Air bags inflate with great force, faster than the
blink
of an eye. If you’re too close to an inflating
air bag, it could seriously injure you. Safety belts
help keep you in position before and during
a
crash. Always wear your safety belt, even with air
bags. The driver should sit as far back as possible
while still maintaining control
of the vehicle.
An inflating
air bag can seriously injure small
children. Always secure children properly in your
vehicle.
To read how, see the part of this manual
called “Children” and the caution label on the
passenger’s safety belt.
There is an air bag
readiness light on the
instrument panel, which
shows AIR BAG.
The system checks the air bag electrical system for
malfunctions. The light tells you if there is an electrical
problem. See “Air Bag Readiness Light” in the Index
for more information.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine How the Air Bag System Works
I
The passenger's air bag
passenger's side.
Where are the air bags?
The driver's air bag is in the middle of the steering wheel.
is in the instrument panel on the
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I A CAUTION:
If something is between an occupant and an air
bag, the bag might not inflate properly or it
might force the object into that person. The path of an inflating air bag must be kept clear. Don’t
put anything between an occupant and an air
bag, and don’t attach or put anything on the
steering wheel hub or on or near any other air
bag
covering.
When should an air bag inflate?
An air bag is designed to inflate in a moderate to severe
frontal
or near-frontal crash. The air bag will inflate
only if the impact speed is above the system’s designed
“threshold level.” If your vehicle goes straight into a
wall that doesn’t move or deform, the threshold level is
about
9 to 15 mph (14 to 24 km/h). The threshold level
can vary, however, with specific vehicle design,
so that
it can be somewhat above or below this range. If your
vehicle strikes something that will move or deform, such as
a parked car, the threshold level will be higher. The
air bag is not designed to inflate in rollovers, side
impacts or rear impacts, because inflation would not
help the occupant.
It
is possible that in a crash only one of the two air bags
in your Corvette will deploy.
This is rare, but can happen
in a crash just severe enough to make an air bag inflate.
In any particular crash, no one can say whether an air
bag should have inflated simply because
of the damage
to a vehicle or because of what the repair costs were.
Inflation
is determined by the angle of the impact and
how quickly the vehicle slows down in frontal or
near-frontal impacts.
What makes an air bag inflate?
In an impact of sufficient severity, the air bag sensing
system detects that the vehicle is in a crash. The sensing
system triggers a release of gas from the inflator, which
inflates the air bag. The inflator, air bag and related
hardware are all part of the air bag modules inside the
steering wheel and in the instrument panel in front
of
the passenger.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine How does an air bag restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions,
even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel or the
instrument panel.
Air bags supplement the protection
provided by safety belts.
Air bags distribute the force of
the impact more evenly over the occupant’s upper body, stopping the occupant more gradually. But air bags would
not help you in many types of collisions, including
rollovers, rear impacts and side impacts, primarily because an occupant’s motion is not toward those air bags. Air
bags should never be regarded as anything more
than a
supplement to safety belts, and then only in moderate to
severe frontal or near-frontal collisions.
What will you see after an air bag inflates?
After an air bag inflates, it quickly deflates, so quickly
that some people may not even realize the air bag
inflated. Some components of the air bag module
-- the
steering wheel hub for the driver’s air bag, or the
instrument panel for the passenger’s bag
-- will be hot
for a short time. The parts of the bag that come into
contact with
you may be warm, but not too hot to touch.
There will be some smoke and dust coming from vents
in the deflated air bags. Air bag inflation doesn’t prevent
the driver from seeing or from being able to steer the
vehicle, nor does it stop people from leaving the vehicle.
When an air bag inflates, there is dust in the air.
This dust could cause breathing problems for
people with a history of asthma or other
breathing trouble.
To avoid this, everyone in the
vehicle should get out as soon as it
is safe to do so.
If you have breathing problems but can’t get out
of the vehicle after an air bag inflates, then get
fresh air by opening a window or door.
In many crashes severe enough to inflate an air bag,
windshields are broken by vehicle deformation.
Additional windshield breakage may also occur from the
passenger air bag.
Air bags are designed to inflate only once. After they
inflate, you’ll need some new parts for your air bag
system.
If you don’t get them, the air bag system
won’t be there to help protect you in another crash.
A new system will include air bag modules and
possibly other parts. The service manual for your
vehicle covers the need
to replace other parts.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 0
0
Your vehicle is equipped with a diagnostic module,
which records information about the air bag system.
The module records information about the readiness
of the system, when the sensors are activated and
driver’s safety belt usage at deployment.
Let only qualified technicians work on your
air bag system. Improper service can mean that your
air bag system won’t work properly. See your dealer
for service.
NOTICE:
If you damage the covering for the driver’s or the
passenger’s air bag, the bag may not work
properly. You may have to replace the air bag
module in the steering wheel or both the air bag
module and the instrument panel for the
passenger’s air bag.
Do not open or break the air
bag coverings.
Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped Corvette
Air bags affect how your Corvette should be serviced.
There are parts of the air bag system in several places
around your vehicle. You don’t want the system to
inflate while someone is working on your vehicle. Your
Corvette dealer and the Corvette Service Manual have
information about servicing your vehicle and the air bag
system. To purchase a service manual, see “Service and
Owner Publications” in the Index.
For up to 10 minutes after the ignition key is
turned off and the battery
is disconnected, an air
bag can still inflate during improper service. You
can be injured
if you are close to an air bag when
it inflates. Avoid yellow wires, wires wrapped
with yellow tape or yellow connectors. They are
probably part of the air bag system. Be sure to
follow proper service procedures, and make sure
the person performing work
for you is qualified
to do
so.
The air bag system does not need regular maintenance.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine e Section 2 Features and Controls
~~ ~~
Here you can learn about the many standard and optional features on your Corvette, and information on starting,
shifting and braking. Also explained are the instrument panel and the warning systems that tell you if everything
is working properly
-- and what to do if you have a problem.
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2-32
2-33
2-35
2-36 Keys
Door
Locks
Memory (Option)
Remote Function Actuation System
Remote Hatch Release
Theft
Universal Theft-Deterrent System
PASS-Key@
New Vehicle “Break-In”
Ignition Switch Starting Your Engine
Engine Coolant Heater (Canada Only)
Automatic Transmission Operation
Manual Transmission Operation
Parking Brake
Shifting Into PARK (P)
(Automatic Transmission Models Only)
Shifting Out
of PARK (P)
(Automatic Transmission)
Parking Your Vehicle (Manual Transmission) 2-36
2-37
2-37
2-38
2-38
2-40
2-4 1
2-4
1
2-50
2-52
2-53
2-54
2-59
2-6
1
2-68 2-70
2-7
1
2-8 1
2-90 Parking
Over Things That Bum
Engine Exhaust
Running Your Engine While You’re Parked
(Automatic Transmission)
Limited-Slip Rear Axle
Selective Real Time Damping (Option)
Windows
Tilt Wheel Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever
Lamps
Interior Lamps
Mirrors Storage Compartments
Floor Mats (Option)
Roof Panel
Instrument Panel
Instrument Panel Cluster
Warning Lights, Gages and Messages
Driver Information Center (DIC)
DIC Warnings and Messages
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Remote Hatch Release
Press the’ button with the trunk symbol on it, at the left
side of the steering column on the instrument panel, to
release the hatch from inside your vehicle.
The key fob transmitter will also release the hatch. See
“Remote Function Actuation System” in the Index. If you
don’t have battery power, use the manual release
cables to open the hatch. To access the cables, reach
through the slots in the bottom of the latch trim covers
and pull the cable for each latch to release the hatch.
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