1998 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your anti-lock brakes improve your vehicle’s stability when you make a hard stop on a slippery road. Even
though you have the anti-lock braking system, you’ll
want to begin stopping sooner than you would on
dry
pavement. See “Anti-Lock” in the Index.
Allow greater following distance on any
slippery road.
Watch for slippery spots. The road might be fine
until you hit
a spot that’s covered with ice. On an
otherwise clear road, ice patches may appear in
shaded areas where the sun can’t reach: around
clumps
of trees, behind buildings or under bridges.
Sometimes the surface
of a curve or an overpass may
remain icy when the surrounding roads are clear.
If
you see a patch of ice ahead of you, brake before you
are on it. Try not to brake while you’re actually on
the ice, and avoid sudden steering maneuvers.
If You’re Caught in a Blizzard

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If you are stopped by heavy snow, you could be in a
serious situation. You should probably stay with your
vehicle unless you know for sure that you are near help
and you can hike through the snow. Here
are some
things to do to summon help and keep yourself and your
passengers safe:
Turn on your hazard flashers.
Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police that
you’ve been stopped by the snow.
Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket around you.
If you have no blankets or extra clothing, make body
insulators from newspapers, burlap bags, rags, floor
mats
-- anything you can wrap around yourself or
tuck under your clothing to keep warm.
You can run the engine to keep warm, but be careful.
4-27

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I A CAUTION:
Snow can trap exhaust gases under your vehicle.
This can cause deadly CO (carbon monoxide) gas
to get inside. CO could overcome you and
kill
you. You can’t see it or smell it, so you might not
know it is in your vehicle. Clear away snow from
around the base of your vehicle, especially any
that is blocking your exhaust pipe. And check
around again from time to time to be sure snow
doesn’t collect there.
Open
a window just a little on the side of the
vehicle that’s away from the wind. This will help
keep CO out.
Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When you run the engine, make it
go a little faster
than just idle. That is, push the accelerator slightly.
This
uses less fuel for the heat that you get and it keeps the
battery charged.
You will need a well-charged battery to
restart the vehicle, and possibly for signaling later on
with your headlamps. Let the heater
run for a while.
Then, shut the engine
off and close the window almost
all the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine again
and repeat this only when you feel really uncomfortable
from the cold. But do it as little as possible. Preserve the
fuel as long as you can. To help keep warm, you can get
out of the vehicle and do some fairly vigorous exercises
every half hour or
so until help comes.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Loading Your Vehicle
TIRE-LOADING INFORMATION
VEHICLE CAP. WT.
FRT. CTR. RR. TOTAL LBS.
MAX. LOADING & GVWR SAME AS VEHICLE
CAPACITY WEIGHT
XXX COLD TIRE
TIRE
SIZE SPEED PRESSURE
RTG PSI/KPa
FRT.
RR.
SPA.
IF TIRES ARE HOT, ADD 4PSIi28KPa
SEE OWNER‘S MANUAL FOR ADDITIONAL
INFORMATiON
Two labels on your vehicle show how much weight it
may properly carry. The Tire-Loading Information label
found on the rear edge of the driver’s door tells you the
proper size, speed rating and recommended inflation. It
also gives you important information about the number
of people that can be in your vehicle and the total weight
that you can carry. This weight is called Vehicle
Capacity Weight and includes the weight
of all
occupants, cargo, and all non-factory-installed options.
MFD BY GENERAL MOTORS CORP
DATE GVWR GAWR FRT GAWR
RR
THIS VEHICLE CONFORMS TO ALL APPLI-
CABLE U.S. FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE
SAFETY, BUMPER, AND THEFT PREVENTION
STANDARDS IN EFFECT ON THE DATE
OF
MANUFACTURE SHOWN ABOVE.
I
The other label is the Certification label, found on the
rear edge of the driver’s door. It tells you the gross
weight capacity of your vehicle, called the GVWR
(Gross Vehicle Weight Rating). The GVWR includes the
weight of the vehicle, all occupants, fuel and cargo.
Never exceed the GVWR for your vehicle, or the
GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating) for either the front
or rear axle.
And, if you do have a heavy load,
you should spread it
out. Don’t carry more than
100 lbs. (45 kg) in your
rear area.
4-29

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Do not load your vehicle any heavier than the
GVWR, or either the maximum front or rear
GAWR. If you do, parts on your vehicle can break,
or it can change the way your vehicle handles.
These could cause you to lose control.
Also,
overloading can shorten the life of your vehicle.
NOTICE:
Your warranty does not cover parts or
components that fail because of overloading.
If you put things inside your vehicle -- like suitcases,
tools, packages
or anything else -- they will go as fast as
the vehicle goes.
If you have to stop or turn quickly, or
if there is a crash, they’ll keep going.
rn I
A CAUTION:
Things you put inside your vehicle can strike
and injure people in a sudden stop or turn, or
in
a crash.
0 Put things in the rear area of your vehicle.
Never stack heavier things, like suitcases,
lky to spread the weight evenly.
inside the vehicle
so that some of them are
above the tops of the seats.
Don’t leave an unsecured child restraint in
your vehicle.
0 When you carry something inside the
vehicle, secure
it whenever you can.
Towing A Trailer
Your Corvette is neither designed nor intended to tow
a trailer.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Section 5 Problems on the Road
Here you’ll find what to do about some problems that can occur on the ro\
ad.
5-2
5-3
5-8 5-13 Hazard Warning Flashers
Jump Starting
Towing Your Vehicle
Engine Overheating
5-16 Cooling System
5-22 If a Tire Goes Flat
5-22 If You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow
5-1

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Hazard Warning Flashers
Your hazard warning flashers let you warn others. They
also let police know you have a problem. Your front and
rear
turn signal lamps will flash on and off.
Press this button to make
your front and rear turn
signal lamps flash on
and
off.
The hazard warning flashers will work once the button
is pressed, regardless of the key position.
To turn off the flashers, push the hazard button.
When the hazard warning flashers are on, your turn
signals won't work.
Other Warning Devices
If you carry reflective triangles, you can set one up at
the side of the road about
300 feet (100 m) behind
your vehicle.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
I 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 burn you.
If you don’t follow these steps exactly, some or all
of these things can hurt 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.
5-3