1999 CHEVROLET CORVETTE service

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The 1999 Chevrolet Corvette Owner's Manual
1-1 Seats and Restraint SystemsThis section tells you how to use your seats and safety belts properly. It also explains the air bag system.
2-1 Features and ControlsThis section explains how to start and operate your vehicle.
3-1 Comfort Controls and Audio SystemsThis section tells you how to adjust the ventilation and comfort controls and how to operate your audio system.
4-1 Your Driving and the RoadHere you'll find helpful information and tips about the road and how to drive under different conditions.
5-1 Problems on the RoadThis section tells you what to do if you have a problem while driving, such as a flat tire or overheated engine, etc.
6-1 Service and Appearance CareHere the manual tells you how to keep your vehicle running properly and looking good.
7-1 Maintenance ScheduleThis section tells you when to perform vehicle maintenance and what fluids and lubricants to use.
8-1 Customer Assistance InformationThis section tells you how to contact Chevrolet for assistance and how to get service and owner publications.
It also gives you information on ªReporting Safety Defectsº on page 8-10.
9-1 IndexHere'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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GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem,
CHEVROLET, the CHEVROLET Emblem, the
name CORVETTE and the CORVETTE Emblem are
registered trademarks of General Motors Corporation.
This manual includes the latest information at the time it
was printed. We reserve the right to make changes in the
product after that time without further notice. For
vehicles first sold in Canada, substitute the name
ªGeneral Motors of Canada Limitedº for Chevrolet
Motor Division whenever it appears in this manual.
Please keep this manual in your vehicle, so it will be
there if you ever need it when you're on the road. If you
sell the vehicle, please leave this manual in it so the new
owner can use it.
We support voluntary
technician certification.
For Canadian Owners Who Prefer a
French Language Manual:
Aux propri‡taires canadiens: Vous pouvez vous
procurer un exemplaire de ce guide en fran†ais chez
votre concessionaire ou au:
DGN Marketing Services Ltd.
1577 Meyerside Dr.
Mississauga, Ontario L5T 1B9
Litho in U.S.A.

Copyright General Motors Corporation 1998
Part No. 10284776 A First Edition All Rights Reserved

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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.
CAUTION:
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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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. Some
modules also record speed, engine rpm, brake and
throttle data.

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 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 ªService and
Owner Publicationsº in the Index.
CAUTION:
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.

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This device complies with RSS-210 of Industry Canada.
Operation is subject to the following two conditions:
(1) this device may not cause interference, and (2) this
device must accept any interference received, including
interference that may cause undesired operation of
the device.
Changes or modifications to this system by other than
an authorized service facility could void authorization to
use this equipment.
If you ever notice a decrease in the key fob transmitter
range, try doing one of the following:

Check to determine if battery replacement is
necessary. See the instructions that follow.

Check the distance. You may be too far from your
vehicle. You may need to stand closer during rainy
or snowy weather.

Check the location. Other vehicles or objects may be
blocking the signal. Take a few steps to the left or
right, hold the transmitter higher, and try again.

Check to make sure that an electronic device such
as a cellular phone or lap top computer is not
causing interference.
Try to resynchronize the transmitter. See
ªResynchronizing Your Transmitterº in this section.

If you're still having trouble, see your dealer or a
qualified technician for service.
Operation
You don't have to do anything for the RFA to work
when the passive feature is on.

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Now, if a door or the hatch/trunk lid is opened without
the key or the key fob transmitter, the alarm will go off.
Your horn will sound for two minutes, then it will go off
to save battery power. And, your vehicle won't start.
The theft
-deterrent system won't arm if you lock the
doors with a key, the manual door lock, or if you use the
power door lock after the doors are closed.
If your passenger stays in the vehicle when you leave
with the keys, have the passenger lock the vehicle after
the doors are closed. This way the alarm won't arm, and
your passenger won't set it off.
PASS-Key

Your vehicle is equipped
with the PASS
-Key
(Personalized Automotive
Security System)
theft
-deterrent system.
PASS
-Key is a passive
theft
-deterrent system. It
works when you insert or
remove the key from
the ignition.PASS
-Key uses a resistor pellet in the ignition key that
matches a decoder in your vehicle.
When the PASS
-Key system senses that someone is
using the wrong key, it shuts down the vehicle's starter
and fuel systems. For about three minutes, the starter
won't work and fuel won't go to the engine. If someone
tries to start your vehicle again or uses another key
during this time, the shutdown period will start over
again. This discourages someone from randomly trying
different keys with different resistor pellets in an attempt
to make a match.
The key must be clean and dry before it's inserted in the
ignition or the engine may not start. If the SECURITY
light comes on, the key may be dirty or wet.
If this happens and the starter won't work, turn the
ignition off. Clean and dry the key, wait three minutes
and try again. If the starter still won't work, wait three
minutes and try the other ignition key. At this time, you
may also want to check the fuses (see ªFuses and Circuit
Breakersº in the Index). If the starter won't work with
the other key, your vehicle needs service. If your vehicle
does start, the first ignition key may be faulty. See your
dealer or a locksmith who can service the PASS
-Key.

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If you accidentally use a key that has a damaged or
missing resistor pellet, you will see no SECURITY
light. You don't have to wait three minutes before trying
the proper key.
If the resistor pellet is damaged or missing, the starter
won't work. Use the other ignition key, and see your
dealer or a locksmith who can service the PASS
-Key to
have a new key made.
If the SECURITY light comes on while driving, have
your vehicle serviced as soon as possible.
If you lose or damage a PASS
-Key ignition key, see
your dealer or a locksmith who can service PASS
-Key.
In an emergency, call the Chevrolet Roadside Assistance
Center at 1
-800-CHEV-USA
(1-800-243-8872).
(In Canada, call 1
-800-268-6800.)
New Vehicle ªBreak-Inº
NOTICE:
Your vehicle doesn't need an elaborate
ªbreak
-in.º But it will perform better in the long
run if you follow these guidelines:

Keep your speed at 55 mph (88 km/h) or
less for the first 500 miles (805 km).

Don't drive at any one speed
-- fast or
slow
-- for the first 500 miles (805 km).
Don't make full
-throttle starts.

Avoid making hard stops for the first
200 miles (322 km) or so. During this time
your new brake linings aren't yet broken
in. Hard stops with new linings can mean
premature wear and earlier replacement.
Follow this breaking
-in guideline every
time you get new brake linings.

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ACC: This is an on position in which you can operate
your electrical power accessories. With the key in this
position, the automatic transmission and steering
column will unlock.
ON: This is the position to which the switch returns
after you start the engine and release the switch. The
switch stays in ON when the engine is running. But even
when the engine is not running, you can use ON to
operate your electrical power accessories and to display
some instrument panel messages and telltales.
START: This position starts the engine. When the
engine starts, release the key. The ignition switch will
return to ON for normal driving.
When the engine is not running, ACC and ON allow you
to operate your electrical accessories, such as the radio.
A warning tone will sound if you open the driver's door
when the ignition is in OFF or ACC and the key is in
the ignition.
CAUTION:
Removing the key from the ignition switch will
lock the steering column and result in a loss of
ability to steer the vehicle. This could cause a
collision. If you need to turn the engine off while
the vehicle is moving, turn the key to ACC.
NOTICE:
If your key seems stuck in OFF and you can't
turn it, be sure you are using the correct key; if
so, is it all the way in? Turn the key only with
your hand. Using a tool to force it could break
the key or the ignition switch. If none of this
works, then your vehicle needs service.