2003 CHEVROLET CORVETTE oil

Service............................................................5-3
Doing Your Own Service Work.........................5-3
Adding Equipment to the Outside of Your
Vehicle......................................................5-4
Fuel................................................................5-4
Gasoline Octane............................................5-4
Gasoline Speci®cations....................................5-5
California Fuel...............................................5-5
Additives.......................................................5-6
Fuels in Foreign Countries...............................5-6
Filling Your Tank............................................5-7
Filling a Portable Fuel Container.......................5-9
Checking Things Under
the Hood....................................................5-10
Hood Release..............................................5-11
Engine Compartment Overview.......................5-12
Engine Oil...................................................5-13
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter................................5-18
Automatic Transmission Fluid.........................5-20
Manual Transmission Fluid.............................5-20
Hydraulic Clutch...........................................5-22
Engine Coolant.............................................5-23
Coolant Surge Tank Pressure Cap..................5-26
Engine Overheating.......................................5-26
Cooling System............................................5-29
Power Steering Fluid.....................................5-35Windshield Washer Fluid................................5-36
Brakes........................................................5-37
Battery........................................................5-40
Jump Starting...............................................5-41
Rear Axle.......................................................5-46
Bulb Replacement..........................................5-47
Halogen Bulbs..............................................5-47
Headlamps..................................................5-47
Taillamps and Turn Signal Lamps...................5-49
Back-Up Lamps............................................5-51
Replacement Bulbs.......................................5-51
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement..............5-51
Tires..............................................................5-54
Extended Mobility Tires (Except Z06)...............5-54
In¯ation -- Tire Pressure................................5-56
Tire Pressure Monitor System (Except Z06)......5-57
Tire Rotation................................................5-58
Buying New Tires.........................................5-59
Uniform Tire Quality Grading..........................5-60
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance..................5-61
Wheel Replacement......................................5-61
Tire Chains..................................................5-64
Lifting Your Vehicle.......................................5-64
If a Tire Goes Flat........................................5-68
Tire In¯ator Kit (Z06 Only).............................5-70
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-1

Additives
To provide cleaner air, all gasolines in the United States
are now required to contain additives that will help
prevent engine and fuel system deposits from forming,
allowing your emission control system to work
properly. You should not have to add anything to your
fuel. Gasolines containing oxygenates, such as
ethers and ethanol, and reformulated gasolines may be
available in your area to contribute to clean air.
General Motors recommends that you use these
gasolines, particularly if they comply with the
speci®cations described earlier.
Notice:Your vehicle was not designed for fuel that
contains methanol. Don't use fuel containing
methanol. It can corrode metal parts in your fuel
system and also damage the plastic and rubber
parts. That damage wouldn't be covered under your
warranty.
Some gasolines that are not reformulated for low
emissions may contain an octane-enhancing additive
called methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl(MMT); ask the attendant where you buy gasoline
whether the fuel contains MMT. General Motors does
not recommend the use of such gasolines. Fuels
containing MMT can reduce the life of spark plugs and
the performance of the emission control system may
be affected. The malfunction indicator lamp may turn on.
If this occurs, return to your authorized GM dealer for
service.
Fuels in Foreign Countries
If you plan on driving in another country outside the
United States or Canada, the proper fuel may be hard
to ®nd. Never use leaded gasoline or any other fuel
not recommended in the previous text on fuel. Costly
repairs caused by use of improper fuel wouldn't be
covered by your warranty.
To check the fuel availability, ask an auto club, or
contact a major oil company that does business in the
country where you'll be driving.
5-6

Checking Things Under
the Hood
{CAUTION:
An electric fan under the hood can start up
and injure you even when the engine is not
running. Keep hands, clothing and tools away
from any underhood electric fan.
{CAUTION:
Things that burn can get on hot engine parts
and start a ®re. These include liquids like fuel,
oil, coolant, brake ¯uid, windshield washer and
other ¯uids, and plastic or rubber. You or
others could be burned. Be careful not to drop
or spill things that will burn onto a hot engine.
5-10

A. Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap
B. Battery
C. Engine Oil Dipstick
D. Engine Oil Fill Cap
E. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter
F. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir
G. Brake Fluid Reservoir
H. Clutch Master Cylinder Reservoir
I. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir
Engine Oil
If the LOW OIL LEVEL message on the Driver
Information Center comes on, it means you need to
check your engine oil level right away. For more
information, see
Driver Information Center (DIC) on
page 3-44.
You should check your engine oil level regularly; this is
an added reminder.
Checking Engine Oil
It's a good idea to check your engine oil level every
time you get fuel. In order to get an accurate reading,
the oil must be warm and the vehicle must be on
level ground.
The engine oil dipstick
handle is a yellow ring
located near the coolant
surge tank. See
Engine
Compartment Overview on
page 5-12
for more
information on location.
Turn off the engine and give the oil a few minutes to
drain back into the oil pan. If you don't, the oil dipstick
might not show the actual level.
Pull out the dipstick and clean it with a paper towel or a
cloth, then push it back in all the way. Remove it
again, keeping the tip down.
5-13

When to Add Engine Oil
If the oil is at or below the cross-hatched area at the tip
of the dipstick, you'll need to add at least one quart
of oil. But you must use the right kind. This part explains
what kind of oil to use. For engine oil crankcase
capacity, see
Capacities and Speci®cations on
page 5-92.
See ªRacing or Other Competitive Drivingº under
Starting Your Engine on page 2-21for additional
information on engine oil.
Notice:Don't add too much oil. If your engine has
so much oil that the oil level gets above the
cross-hatched area that shows the proper operating
range, your engine could be damaged.The engine oil ®ll cap is
located in the engine
compartment on top of the
valve cover on the
passenger's side of the
vehicle. See
Engine
Compartment Overview on
page 5-12
for more
information on location.
Be sure to ®ll it enough to put the level somewhere in
the proper operating range. Push the dipstick all the way
back in when you're through.
What Kind of Engine Oil to Use
Look for two things:
·GM4718M
Your vehicle's engine requires a special oil meeting
GM Standard GM4718M. Oils meeting this
standard may be identi®ed as synthetic. However,
not all
syntheticoils will meet this GM standard.
You should look for and use only an oil that meets
GM Standard GM4718M.
Notice:If you use oils that don't have the GM4718M
Standard designation, you can cause engine
damage not covered by your warranty.
5-14

·SAE 5W-30
As shown in the viscosity chart, SAE 5W-30 is best
for your vehicle. However, you can use SAE
10W-30 if it's going to be 0ÉF (-18ÉC) or above.
These numbers on an oil container show its
viscosity, or thickness. Do not use other viscosity
oils such as SAE 20W-50.
Oils meeting these
requirements should also
have the starburst
symbol on the container.
This symbol indicates
that the oil has been
certi®ed by the American
Petroleum Institute (API).
You should look for this on the oil container, and use
onlythose oils that are identi®ed as meeting GM
Standard 4718M and have the starburst symbol on the
front of the oil container.
Your vehicle's engine is ®lled at the factory with a
Mobil 1
žsynthetic oil, which meets all requirements for
your vehicle.
5-15

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 0ÉF (-18ÉC),
you may substitute SAE 10W-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. The recommended oils
with the starburst symbol are all you will need for
good performance and engine protection.
When to Change Engine Oil
(GM Oil Life System)
Your vehicle has a computer that lets you know when to
change your engine oil and ®lter. This is based on
engine revolutions and engine temperature, and not on
mileage. Based on driving conditions, the mileage at
which an oil change will be indicated can vary
considerably. For the oil life system to work properly,
you must reset the system every time the oil is changed.When the system has calculated that oil life has been
diminished, it will indicate that an oil change is
necessary. A CHANGE OIL SOON message will come
on. Change your oil as soon as possible within the
next two times you stop for fuel. It is possible that, if you
are driving under the best conditions, the oil life
system may not indicate that an oil change is necessary
for over a year. However, your engine oil and ®lter
must be changed at least once a year and at this time
the system must be reset. Your dealer has GM-trained
service people who will perform this work using
genuine GM parts and reset the system. It is also
important to check your oil regularly and keep it at the
proper level.
If the system is ever reset accidentally, you must
change your oil at 3,000 miles (5 000 km) since your
last oil change. Remember to reset the oil life system
whenever the oil is changed.
5-16

How to Reset the Change Oil
Soon Message
The GM Oil Life System calculates when to change
your engine oil and ®lter based on vehicle use. Anytime
your oil is changed, reset the system so it can
calculate when the next oil change is required. If a
situation occurs where you change your oil prior to a
CHANGE OIL SOON message being turned on,
reset the system.
To reset the CHANGE OIL SOON message after an oil
change, do the following:
1. Turn the ignition to ON, with the engine off.
2. Press the TRIP button so the OIL LIFE percentage
is displayed.
3. Press RESET and hold for two seconds. OIL LIFE
REMAIN 100% will appear.
What to Do with Used Oil
Used engine oil contains certain elements that may be
unhealthy for your skin and could even cause cancer.
Don't let used oil stay on your skin for very long. Clean
your skin and nails with soap and water, or a good
hand cleaner. Wash or properly dispose of clothing or
rags containing used engine oil. See the manufacturer's
warnings about the use and disposal of oil products.
Used oil can be a threat to the environment. If you
change your own oil, be sure to drain all the oil from the
®lter before disposal. Never dispose of oil by putting it
in the trash, pouring it on the ground, into sewers, or into
streams or bodies of water. Instead, recycle it by
taking it to a place that collects used oil. If you have a
problem properly disposing of your used oil, ask
your dealer, a service station or a local recycling center
for help.
5-17