2002 CHEVROLET CORVETTE ESP

3-31
Disabling the Theft-Deterrent Feature
Enter your secret code as follows; pause no more than
15 seconds between steps:
1. Turn the ignition to ACC or ON.
2. Turn the radio off.
3. Press the 1 and 4 pushbuttons at the same time.
Hold them down until SEC shows on the display.
4. Press MN and 000 will appear on the display.
5. Press MN again to make the last two digits agree
with your code.
6. Press HR to make the first one or two digits agree
with your code.
7. Press AM FM after you have confirmed that the
code matches the secret code you have written down.
The display will show
---, indicating that the radio
is no longer secured.
If the code entered is incorrect, SEC will appear on the
display. The radio will remain secured until the correct
code is entered.When battery power is removed and later applied to a
secured radio, the radio won't turn on and LOC will
appear on the display.
To unlock a secured radio, see ªUnlocking the
Theft
-Deterrent Feature After a Power Lossº earlier
in this section.
Understanding Radio Reception
AM
The range for most AM stations is greater than for FM,
especially at night. The longer range, however, can
cause stations to interfere with each other. AM can pick
up noise from things like storms and power lines. Try
reducing the treble to reduce this noise if you ever get it.
FM Stereo
FM stereo will give you the best sound, but FM signals
will reach only about 10 to 40 miles (16 to 65 km).
Tall buildings or hills can interfere with FM signals,
causing the sound to come and go.

4-5
But the ability to drive is affected well below a
BAC of 0.10 percent. Research shows that the
driving skills of many people are impaired at a BAC
approaching 0.05 percent, and that the effects are worse
at night. All drivers are impaired at BAC levels above
0.05 percent. Statistics show that the chance of being
in a collision increases sharply for drivers who have a
BAC of 0.05 percent or above. A driver with a BAC
level of 0.06 percent has doubled his or her chance of
having a collision. At a BAC level of 0.10 percent,
the chance of this driver having a collision is 12 times
greater; at a level of 0.15 percent, the chance is
25 times greater!
The body takes about an hour to rid itself of the alcohol
in one drink. No amount of coffee or number of cold
showers will speed that up. ªI'll be carefulº isn't the
right answer. What if there's an emergency, a need to
take sudden action, as when a child darts into the street?
A person with even a moderate BAC might not be able
to react quickly enough to avoid the collision.There's something else about drinking and driving that
many people don't know. Medical research shows that
alcohol in a person's system can make crash injuries
worse, especially injuries to the brain, spinal cord or
heart. This means that when anyone who has been
drinking
-- driver or passenger -- is in a crash, that
person's chance of being killed or permanently disabled
is higher than if the person had not been drinking.
CAUTION:
Drinking and then driving is very dangerous.
Your reflexes, perceptions, attentiveness and
judgment can be affected by even a small amount
of alcohol. You can have a serious
-- or even
fatal
-- collision if you drive after drinking.
Please don't drink and drive or ride with a
driver who has been drinking. Ride home in a
cab; or if you're with a group, designate a driver
who will not drink.

4-9
Remember: Anti-lock doesn't change the time you need
to get your foot up to the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too close to the vehicle in
front of you, you won't have time to apply your brakes
if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops. Always leave
enough room up ahead to stop, even though you have
anti
-lock brakes.
Using Anti
-Lock
Don't pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down
firmly and let anti
-lock work for you. You may hear a
motor or clicking noise and feel the brake pedal move
a little during a stop, but this is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
With anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the same
time. In many emergencies, steering can help you more
than even the very best braking.
Traction Control System (TCS)
Your vehicle has a traction control system called
TCS that limits wheel spin. This is especially useful in
slippery road conditions. The system operates only if it
senses that the rear wheels are spinning too much or
are beginning to lose traction. When this happens, the
system works the rear brakes and reduces engine power
(by closing the throttle and managing engine spark) to
limit wheel spin.
The TRACTION SYS ACTIVE message will
come on when the TCS system is limiting wheel spin.
See ªTraction Sys Active Messageº in the Index.
You may feel or hear the system working, but this
is normal.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the
TCS system begins to limit wheel spin, the cruise
control will automatically disengage. When road
conditions allow you to safely use it again, you may
re
-engage the cruise control. See ªCruise Controlº
in the Index.

4-10
The SERVICE TRACTION
SYSTEM message and the
TCS warning light will
come on to let you know if
there's a problem with your
TCS system. See ªService
Traction System Messageº
in the Index.
When this light and the SERVICE TRACTION
SYSTEM message are on, the system will not limit
wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly.The TCS system automatically comes on whenever
you start your vehicle. To limit wheel spin, especially in
slippery road conditions, you should always leave the
system on. But you can turn the TCS system off
if you ever need to.
To turn the system off,
press the button located on
the console. You can turn
the system ON or OFF at
any time by pressing the
TCS switch. The DIC will
display the appropriate
message when you push
the button.

4-16

Do not get too close to the vehicle you want
to pass while you're awaiting an opportunity.
For one thing, following too closely reduces your
area of vision, especially if you're following a larger
vehicle. Also, you won't have adequate space if the
vehicle ahead suddenly slows or stops. Keep back a
reasonable distance.

When it looks like a chance to pass is coming up,
start to accelerate but stay in the right lane and
don't get too close. Time your move so you will be
increasing speed as the time comes to move into the
other lane. If the way is clear to pass, you will have
a ªrunning startº that more than makes up for the
distance you would lose by dropping back. And if
something happens to cause you to cancel your pass,
you need only slow down and drop back again and
wait for another opportunity.

If other cars are lined up to pass a slow vehicle, wait
your turn. But take care that someone isn't trying
to pass you as you pull out to pass the slow vehicle.
Remember to glance over your shoulder and check
the blind spot.
Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder, and
start your left lane change signal before moving out
of the right lane to pass. When you are far enough
ahead of the passed vehicle to see its front in your
inside mirror, activate your right lane change signal
and move back into the right lane. (Remember that
your right outside mirror is convex. The vehicle you
just passed may seem to be farther away from you
than it really is.)

Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time
on two
-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the
next vehicle.

Don't overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly.
Even though the brake lamps are not flashing,
it may be slowing down or starting to turn.

If you're being passed, make it easy for the
following driver to get ahead of you. Perhaps
you can ease a little to the right.

4-17
Loss of Control
Let's review what driving experts say about what happens
when the three control systems (brakes, steering and
acceleration) don't have enough friction where the tires
meet the road to do what the driver has asked.
In any emergency, don't give up. Keep trying to steer and
constantly seek an escape route or area of less danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking
reasonable care suited to existing conditions, and
by not ªoverdrivingº those conditions. But skids
are always possible.
The three types of skids correspond to your vehicle's
three control systems. In the braking skid, your wheels
aren't rolling. In the steering or cornering skid, too
much speed or steering in a curve causes tires to slip
and lose cornering force. And in the acceleration skid,
too much throttle causes the driving wheels to spin.
A cornering skid is best handled by easing your foot
off the accelerator pedal.
Remember: Any traction control system helps avoid
only the acceleration skid.If your TCS system is off, then an acceleration
skid is also best handled by easing your foot off
the accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want
the vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly enough,
your vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready for a
second skid if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel or other material is on the road. For safety,
you'll want to slow down and adjust your driving to
these conditions. It is important to slow down on
slippery surfaces because stopping distance will be
longer and vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration or
braking (including engine braking by shifting to a
lower gear). Any sudden changes could cause the tires
to slide. You may not realize the surface is slippery
until your vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize
warning clues
-- such as enough water, ice or packed
snow on the road to make a ªmirrored surfaceº
-- and
slow down when you have any doubt.
Remember: Any anti
-lock brake system (ABS) helps
avoid only the braking skid.

4-18
Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving.
One reason is that some drivers are likely to be
impaired
-- by alcohol or drugs, with night vision
problems, or by fatigue.Here are some tips on night driving.

Drive defensively.

Don't drink and drive.

Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the
glare from headlamps behind you.

Since you can't see as well, you may need to
slow down and keep more space between you
and other vehicles.

Slow down, especially on higher speed roads.
Your headlamps can light up only so much
road ahead.

In remote areas, watch for animals.

If you're tired, pull off the road in a safe place
and rest.
No one can see as well at night as in the daytime. But as
we get older these differences increase. A 50
-year-old
driver may require at least twice as much light to see the
same thing at night as a 20
-year-old.
What you do in the daytime can also affect your night
vision. For example, if you spend the day in bright
sunshine you are wise to wear sunglasses. Your eyes
will have less trouble adjusting to night. But if you're
driving, don't wear sunglasses at night. They may cut
down on glare from headlamps, but they also make a lot
of things invisible.

4-21
Hydroplaning doesn't happen often. But it can if your
tires do not have much tread or if the pressure in one or
more is low. It can happen if a lot of water is standing on
the road. If you can see reflections from trees, telephone
poles or other vehicles, and raindrops ªdimpleº the
water's surface, there could be hydroplaning.
Hydroplaning usually happens at higher speeds.
There just isn't a hard and fast rule about hydroplaning.
The best advice is to slow down when it is raining.
Driving Through Deep Standing Water
NOTICE:
If you drive too quickly through deep puddles
or standing water, water can come in through
your engine's air intake and badly damage your
engine. Never drive through water that is slightly
lower than the underbody of your vehicle.
If you can't avoid deep puddles or standing
water, drive through them very slowly.
Driving Through Flowing Water
CAUTION:
Flowing or rushing water creates strong forces.
If you try to drive through flowing water, as you
might at a low water crossing, your vehicle can
be carried away. As little as six inches of flowing
water can carry away a smaller vehicle. If this
happens, you and other vehicle occupants could
drown. Don't ignore police warning signs, and
otherwise be very cautious about trying to drive
through flowing water.
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips

Besides slowing down, allow some extra following
distance. And be especially careful when you pass
another vehicle. Allow yourself more clear room
ahead, and be prepared to have your view restricted
by road spray.

Have good tires with proper tread depth.
See ªTiresº in the Index.