2002 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Owners Manual

2-87 Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
United States Canada
This gage shows the engine coolant temperature. If the
gage pointer moves into the shaded area, your engine
is too hot.
This means that your engine coolant has overheated.
If you have been operating your vehicle under normal
driving conditions, you should pull off the road, stop
your vehicle and turn off the engine as soon as possible.
(The larger tic marks are in increments of 30
below
220
F (104
C) and in increments of 10
above
220
F (104
C).)
See ªEngine Overheatingº in the Index for
more information.
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
(Check Engine Light)
Your vehicle is equipped
with a computer which
monitors operation of the
fuel, ignition and emission
control systems.
This system is called OBD II (On
-Board
Diagnostics
-Second Generation) and is intended
to assure that emissions are at acceptable levels for
the life of the vehicle, helping to produce a cleaner
environment. The CHECK ENGINE light comes on to
indicate that there is a problem and service is required.
Malfunctions often will be indicated by the system
before any problem is apparent. This may prevent
more serious damage to your vehicle. This system
is also designed to assist your service technician in
correctly diagnosing any malfunction.

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NOTICE:
If you keep driving your vehicle with this light
on, after a while, your emission controls may not
work as well, your fuel economy may not be as
good and your engine may not run as smoothly.
This could lead to costly repairs that may not be
covered by your warranty.
NOTICE:
Modifications made to the engine, transmission,
exhaust, intake or fuel system of your vehicle or
the replacement of the original tires with other
than those of the same Tire Performance Criteria
(TPC) can affect your vehicle's emission controls
and may cause the CHECK ENGINE light to
come on. Modifications to these systems could
lead to costly repairs not covered by your
warranty. This may also result in a failure to pass
a required Emission Inspection/Maintenance test.
This light should come on, as a check to show you it is
working, when the ignition is on and the engine is not
running. If the light doesn't come on, have it repaired.
This light will also come on during a malfunction in one
of two ways:

Light Flashing
-- A misfire condition has been
detected. A misfire increases vehicle emissions and
may damage the emission control system on your
vehicle. Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis
and service may be required.

Light On Steady
-- An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis and
service may be required.

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If the Light Is Flashing
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:

Reducing vehicle speed.

Avoiding hard accelerations.

Avoiding steep uphill grades.
If the light stops flashing and remains on steady,
see ªIf the Light Is On Steadyº following.
If the light continues to flash, when it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle. Find a safe place to park your vehicle.
Turn the key off, wait at least 10 seconds and restart the
engine. If the light remains on steady, see ªIf the Light
Is On Steadyº following. If the light is still flashing,
follow the previous steps, and drive the vehicle to your
dealer or qualified service center for service.If the Light Is On Steady
You may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you recently put fuel into your vehicle?
If so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully
install the cap. See ªFilling Your Tankº in the Index.
The diagnostic system can determine if the fuel cap
has been left off or improperly installed. A loose or
missing fuel cap will allow fuel to evaporate into the
atmosphere. A few driving trips with the cap properly
installed should turn the light off.
Did you just drive through a deep puddle of water?
If so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually be corrected when the electrical system
dries out. A few driving trips should turn the light off.

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Have you recently changed brands of fuel?
If so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel.
See ªFuelº in the Index. Poor fuel quality will
cause your engine not to run as efficiently as designed.
You may notice this as stalling after start
-up,
stalling when you put the vehicle into gear, misfiring,
hesitation on acceleration or stumbling on acceleration.
(These conditions may go away once the engine is
warmed up.) This will be detected by the system and
cause the light to turn on.
If you experience one or more of these conditions,
change the fuel brand you use. It will require at least
one full tank of the proper fuel to turn the light off.
If none of the above steps have made the light turn off,
have your dealer or qualified service center check the
vehicle. Your dealer has the proper test equipment and
diagnostic tools to fix any mechanical or electrical
problems that may have developed.Emissions Inspection and Maintenance Programs
Some state/provincial and local governments have or may
begin programs to inspect the emission control equipment
on your vehicle. Failure to pass this inspection could
prevent you from getting a vehicle registration.
Here are some things you need to know in order to help
your vehicle pass an inspection:
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the
CHECK ENGINE light is on or not working properly.
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the
OBD (on
-board diagnostic) system determines
that critical emission control systems have not been
completely diagnosed by the system. The vehicle would
be considered not ready for inspection. This can happen
if you have recently replaced your battery or if your
battery has run down. The diagnostic system is designed
to evaluate critical emission control systems during
normal driving. This may take several days of routine
driving. If you have done this and your vehicle still
does not pass the inspection for lack of OBD system
readiness, see your dealer or qualified service center to
prepare the vehicle for inspection.

2-91 Engine Oil Pressure Gage
United States Canada
The engine oil pressure gage shows the engine oil pressure
in psi (pounds per square inch) or kPa (kilopascals) when
the engine is running.
Oil pressure should be 20 to 80 psi (140 to 550 kPa).
In certain situations such as long, extended idles on hot
days, it could read as low as 6 psi (40 kPa) and still
be considered normal. It may vary with engine speed,
outside temperature and oil viscosity, but readings
above the shaded area show the normal operating range.
Readings in the shaded area tell you that the engine is
low on oil, or that you might have some other oil
problem. See ªEngine Oilº in the Index.The engine oil pressure can also be displayed using the
GAGES button on the Driver Information Center (DIC).
See ªDriver Information Centerº in the Index.
CAUTION:
Don't keep driving if the oil pressure is low.
If you do, your engine can become so hot that
it catches fire. You or others could be burned.
Check your oil as soon as possible and have
your vehicle serviced.
NOTICE:
Damage to your engine from neglected oil
problems can be costly and is not covered by
your warranty.

2-92
Security Light
This light comes on to
remind you to arm your
theft
-deterrent system. If it
comes on and stays on when
your ignition is on, there
may be a problem with your
theft
-deterrent system.
See ªTheft
-Deterrent Systemº and ªPASS-Key Systemº
in the Index.
Check Gages Warning Light
This light will come on
briefly when you are
starting the engine. If the
light comes on and stays on
while you are driving, check
your gages to see if they are
in the warning areas.
This light can come on for the following reasons:

Low Oil Pressure

High Coolant Temperature

High or Low Battery Voltage

Low Fuel Level
Fuel Gage
Your fuel gage tells you
about how much fuel
you have left when the
ignition is on.
When the needle approaches the red zone, RESERVE
FUEL will appear on the Driver Information Center
(DIC) display. When the needle approaches the E, LOW
FUEL will appear on the display. At this time, you still
have a little fuel left, but you should get more soon.
Press RESET to acknowledge a DIC message(s).
Pressing RESET will also turn off a DIC message
but the LOW FUEL message will come on again in
10 minutes if you have not added fuel to the vehicle.

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Here are five things that some owners ask about.
All these things are normal and do not indicate that
anything is wrong with the fuel gage.

At the gas station, the gas pump shuts off before
the gage reads F (full).

It takes more (or less) fuel to fill up than the gage
reads. For example, the gage reads half full, but it
took more (or less) than half of the tank's capacity
to fit it.

The gage pointer may move while cornering,
braking or speeding up.

The gage may not indicate E (empty) when the
ignition is turned off.

The gage reading may change slightly within the
first several minutes after starting the vehicle.You can use the Driver Information Center (DIC) to
display more detailed fuel information. Each time you
press FUEL, one of the following will appear in the
Driver Information Center (DIC).

AVERAGE: The fuel economy calculated for
the current tank of fuel, or since you last reset
the display.

INST (Instant): The fuel economy calculated
for your current driving conditions.

RANGE: The distance you can drive
before refueling.

BLANK: The fuel gage is displayed alone.
You should reset the fuel information display every
time you refuel. To reset the display, press FUEL
until AVERAGE appears. Then, press RESET on the
Driver Information Center (DIC).

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Driver Information Center (DIC)
The Driver Information Center (DIC) will display
information about how your vehicle is functioning,
as well as warning messages if a system problem is
detected. The DIC display area is located in the
instrument panel cluster below the speedometer and
tachometer, directly above the steering column.
The following buttons are located on the DIC control
panel which is located to the right of the instrument
panel cluster.
1 FUEL: Press this button to display fuel information
such as fuel economy and range.
2 GAGES: Use this button to display gage information
like oil pressure and temperature, coolant temperature,
automatic transmission fluid temperature, battery
voltage and front/rear tire pressures.
3 TRIP: Use this button to display your total and trip
miles, the elapsed time function, your average speed and
the engine oil life.
4 OPTIONS: This button allows you to choose personal
options that are available on your vehicle, depending on
the options your vehicle is equipped with, such as
security, door locks, easy entry seats and language.
5 E/M (English/Metric): Use this button to change
the display between English and metric units.
RESET: This button, used along with the other buttons,
will reset system functions and turn off or acknowledge
messages on the Driver Information Center (DIC).
At the top of the DIC control buttons is a light sensor.
Be sure not to block the sensor or your lighting
functions may be disrupted.