1998 CHEVROLET CORVETTE instrument panel

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine or the instrument panel ... or the safety belts!
With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle does.
You get more time to stop. You stop over more distance,
and your strongest bones take the forces. That’s
why
safety belts make such good sense.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine There is an air bag readiness
light on the instrument
panel, which shows the air
bag symbol.
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.
How the Air Bag System Works
Where are the air bags?
The driver’s air bag is in the middle of the steering wheel.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine The passenger’s air bag is in the instrument panel on the
passenger’s side.
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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
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 fi-ontal or near-frontal collisions.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
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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.
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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 Vehicle
Air bags affect how your vehicle 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
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 Section 2 Features and Controls
Here you can learn about the many standard and optional features on your vehicle, 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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2-26
2-29
2-32
2-34
2-36
2-36 Door Locks
Memory (Option)
Remote Function Actuation
System
Remote Hatch/Trunk Lid Release
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) 2-37
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2-68
2-74
2-77
2-87 Parking Over
Things That Burn
Engine Exhaust
Running Your Engine While You’re Parked
(Automatic Transmission)
Limited-Slip Rear Axle
Selective Real Time Damping (Option)
Windows
Turn SignalMultifunction Lever
Exterior Lamps
Interior Lamps
Mirrors
Storage Compartments
Roof Panel (Coupe)
Convertible Top (Option)
Instrument Panel
Warning Lights, Gages and Messages
Driver Information Center (DIC)
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Remote Hatch/Trunk Lid Release
To use the remote hatcWtrunk lid release on automatic
transmission vehicles, your vehicle must be in PARK (P)
or NUETRAL
(N). For manual transmissions, set the
parking brake. See “Parking Brake” in the Index.
Press the button with the trunk symbol on it, located
at the left side of the steering column
on the
instrument panel, to release the hatchhunk lid
from inside your vehicle. The
key fob transmitter will also release the
hatcWtrunk lid. See “Remote Function Actuation
System” in the Index.
If your vehicle
is equipped with a hatch and you have
lost battery power, use the manual release cables to
open the hatch.
To access the cables, remove the two
access panels located in the rear of the trunk area.
There is one cable located underneath each access
panel. (See “Storage Compartments” in the Index for
more information.)
Pull each cable straight down for each latch to release
the hatch.
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