1998 CHEVROLET CORVETTE light

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Freeway Driving
Mile for mile, freeways (also called thruways, parkways,
expressways, turnpikes or superhighways)
are the safest
of all roads. But they have their own special rules.
The most important advice on freeway driving is: Keep
up with traffic and keep to the right. Drive at the same
speed most of the other drivers
are driving. Too-fast or
too-slow driving breaks a smooth traffic flow. Treat the
left lane on a freeway as a passing lane. At the entrance, there is
usually a ramp that leads to the
freeway. If you have a clear view of the freeway
as you
drive along the entrance ramp, you should begin to
check traffic. Try to determine where you expect to
blend with the flow. Try to merge into the gap at close to
the prevailing speed. Switch on your turn signal, check
your mirrors and glance over your shoulder as often as
necessary. Try to blend smoothly with the traffic flow.
Once you
are on the freeway, adjust your speed to the
posted limit or to the prevailing rate
if it’s slower. Stay
in the right lane unless you want to pass.
Before changing lanes, check your mirrors. Then use
your turn signal.
Just before you leave the lane, glance quickly over your
shoulder to make sure there isn’t another vehicle in your
“blind” spot.
Once you
are moving on the freeway, make certain you
allow a reasonable following distance. Expect to move
slightly slower at night.
When you want to leave the freeway, move to the proper
lane well
in advance. If you miss your exit, do not,
under any circumstances, stop and back up. Drive on to
the next exit.
The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine You may see highway signs on mountains that warn of
special problems. Examples
are long grades, passing or
no-passing zones, a falling rocks area or winding
roads. Be alert to these and take appropriate action.
Winter Driving
Here are some tips for winter driving:
0 Have your vehicle in good shape for winter.
You may want to put winter emergency supplies in
your vehicle. Include an
ice scraper, a small brush
or broom, a supply
of windshield washer fluid, a rag, some winter outer
clothing, a small shovel,
a flashlight, a red cloth and a
couple of reflective warning triangles. And, if you will
be driving under severe conditions, include a small bag
of sand, a piece of old carpet or a couple of burlap bags
to help provide traction. Be sure you properly secure
these items in your vehicle.

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 2.
3.
Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper cables
can reach, but be sure the vehicles aren’t touching
each other.
If they are, it could cause a ground
connection you don’t want.
You wouldn’t be able to
start your Corvette, and the bad grounding could
damage the electrical systems.
Turn
off the ignition on both vehicles. Unplug
unnecessary accessories plugged into the cigarette
lighter or accessory plug. Turn
off all lamps that
aren’t needed as well as radios. This will avoid
sparks and help save both batteries. In addition, it
could save your radio!
I NOTICE:
If you leave your radio on, it could be badly
damaged. The repairs wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty.
4. Open the hoods and locate the batteries. Find the
positive
(+) and negative (-) terminals on, each.
An electric fan can start up even when the engine
is not running and can injure you. Keep hands,
clothing and tools away from any underhood
electric fan.
5-4

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I
Using a match near a battery can cause battery
gas to explode. People have been hurt doing this,
and some have been blinded. Use a flashlight
if
you need more light.
Be sure the battery has enough water. You don’t
need to add water to the Delco Freedom@ battery
installed in every new
GM vehicle. But if a
battery has filler caps, be sure the right amount
of fluid is there.
If it is low, add water to take
care of that first.
If you don’t, explosive gas could
be present.
Battery fluid contains acid that can burn you.
Don’t get it on you.
If you accidentally get it in
your eyes or on your skin, flush the place with
water and get medical help immediately.
5. Check that the jumper cables don’t have loose or
missing insulation. If they do, you could get a shock.
The vehicles could be damaged,
too.
Before you connect the cables, here are some basic things you should know. Positive
(+) will go to
positive
(+) and negative (-) will go to an unpainted
metal engine part or a body metal surface. Don’t
connect positive
(+) to negative (-) or you will get a
short that would damage the battery and maybe other
parts, too. And don’t connect negative
(-) to
negative
(-) on the dead battery, as this can cause
sparks. Follow Step
9 carefully.
r
I a CAUTION:
I
Fans or other moving engine parts can injure you
badly. Keep your hands away from moving parts
once the engine
is running.
5-5

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Engine Overheating
You will find an engine coolant temperature gage on the
instrument cluster and a COOLANT OVER TEMP
message on the Driver Information Center
(DIC).
Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode
Should a low coolant condition exist and the messages
COOLANT OVERTEMP and REDUCED ENGINE
POWER are displayed, along with the Check Engine
light, an overheat protection mode which alternates
firing groups of four cylinders helps prevent engine
damage. In this mode, you will notice a loss in power
and engine performance. This operating mode allows
your vehicle to be driven to a safe place in an
emergency; you may drive up
to 50 miles (80 km).
1 NOTICE:
After driving in the overheated engine protection
operating mode, to avoid engine damage, allow
the engine to cool before attempting any repair.
The engine oil will be severely degraded. Repair
the cause of coolant loss, change the oil and reset
the oil life monitor. See “Engine Oil, When to
Change” in the Index.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I NOTICE:
Spinning your wheels can destroy parts of your
vehicle as well as the tires.
If you spin the wheels
too fast while shifting your transmission back
and forth, you can destroy your transmission.
For information about using tire chains on your vehicle, see “Tire Chains’’ in the Index.
Rocking Your Vehicle To Get It Out
First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That will
clear the area around your front wheels. You should turn
your TCS System
off. (See “Traction Control System’’
in the Index.) Then shift back and forth between
REVERSE (R) and a forward gear, spinning the wheels
as little as possible. For a manual transmission, shift
slowly between either FIRST
(1) or SECOND (2) and
REVERSE (R), allowing the wheels to stop before
shifting into gear. Release the accelerator pedal while
you shift, and press lightly on the accelerator pedal
when the transmission is in gear. If that doesn’t get you
out after a few tries, you may need to be towed out.
If
you do need to be towed out, see “Towing Your Vehicle”
in the Index.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine You should look for this on the oil container, and use
only those oils that are identified as meeting GM
Standard 4718M and have the Starburst symbol on the
front of the oil container.
Your Corvette engine is filled at the factory with a
Mobil
l@ synthetic oil, which meets all requirements
for your vehicle.
Substitute Engine 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 OF (- 18 O C),
you may substitute
SAE low-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 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 (16
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 (16
000 km) or 12 months
(whichever occurs first) without an oil change. Use
engine oil meeting the GM Standard GM47 18M.
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 lun) 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 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 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%.
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