2003 CHEVROLET CORVETTE traction control

Buying New Tires
To ®nd out what kind and size of tires you need, look at
the Tire-Loading Information label.
The tires installed on your vehicle when it was new had
a Tire Performance Criteria Speci®cation (TPC Spec)
number on each tire's sidewall. When you get new tires,
get ones with that same TPC Spec number. That way
your vehicle will continue to have tires that are designed
to give proper endurance, handling, speed rating,
traction, ride and other things during normal service on
your vehicle. If your tires have an all-season tread
design, the TPC number will be followed by an ªMSº (for
mud and snow).
If you ever replace your tires with those not having a
TPC Spec number, make sure they are the same size,
load range, speed rating and construction type (bias,
bias-belted or radial) as your original tires.
{CAUTION:
Mixing tires could cause you to lose control
while driving. If you mix tires of different sizes
(other than those originally installed on your
vehicle) or types (radial and bias-belted tires),
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
the vehicle may not handle properly, and you
could have a crash. Using tires of different
sizes (other than those originally installed on
your vehicle) may also cause damage to your
vehicle. Be sure to use the correct size and
type tires on all four wheels.
If your vehicle is equipped with Extended Mobility Tires
and you feel that winter tires are needed, see
Extended Mobility Tires (Except Z06) on page 5-54.
{CAUTION:
If you use bias-ply tires on your vehicle, the
wheel rim ¯anges could develop cracks after
many miles of driving. A tire and/or wheel
could fail suddenly, causing a crash. Use only
radial-ply tires with the wheels on your vehicle.
5-59

Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Quality grades can be found where applicable on the
tire sidewall between tread shoulder and maximum
section width. For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A
The following information relates to the system
developed by the United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, which grades tires by
treadwear, traction and temperature performance. (This
applies only to vehicles sold in the United States.)
The grades are molded on the sidewalls of most
passenger car tires. The Uniform Tire Quality Grading
system does not apply to deep tread, winter-type
snow tires, space-saver or temporary use spare tires,
tires with nominal rim diameters of 10 to 12 inches
(25 to 30 cm), or to some limited-production tires.
While the tires available on General Motors passenger
cars and light trucks may vary with respect to these
grades, they must also conform to federal safety
requirements and additional General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC) standards.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on
the wear rate of the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a speci®ed government test course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and
a half (1.5) times as well on the government course as
a tire graded 100. The relative performance of tires
depends upon the actual conditions of their use,
however, and may depart signi®cantly from the norm
due to variations in driving habits, service practices and
differences in road characteristics and climate.
Traction ± AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A,
B, and C. Those grades represent the tire's ability
to stop on wet pavement as measured under controlled
conditions on speci®ed government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance. Warning: The traction grade
assigned to this tire is based on straight-ahead braking
traction tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak traction characteristics.
5-60

Tire Chains
{CAUTION:
Don't use tire chains. There's not enough
clearance. Tire chains used on a vehicle
without the proper amount of clearance can
cause damage to the brakes, suspension or
other vehicle parts. The area damaged by the
tire chains could cause you to lose control of
your vehicle and you or others may be injured
in a crash. Use another type of traction device
only if its manufacturer recommends it for use
on your vehicle and tire size combination and
road conditions. Follow that manufacturer's
instructions. To help avoid damage to your
vehicle, drive slowly, readjust or remove the
device if it's contacting your vehicle, and don't
spin your wheels. If you do ®nd traction
devices that will ®t, install them on the
rear tires.
Lifting Your Vehicle
{CAUTION:
Lifting a vehicle can cause an injury. The
vehicle can slip off the jack and roll over you
or other people. You and they could be badly
injured. Find a level place to lift your vehicle.
To help prevent the vehicle from moving:
1. Set the parking brake ®rmly.
2. Put an automatic transmission shift lever
in PARK (P), or shift a manual
transmission to FIRST (1) or
REVERSE (R).
3. Turn off the engine.
To be even more certain the vehicle won't
move, you can put blocks in front of and
behind the wheels.
5-64

LATCH System (cont.)
Latches, Seatback............................................ 1-5
Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine Running
(Automatic Transmission)..............................2-32
Leaving Your Vehicle.......................................2-10
Lifting From the Front......................................5-66
Lifting From the Rear......................................5-67
Lifting Your Corvette, Tires...............................5-64
Lighted Visor Vanity Mirrors..............................2-15
Light.............................................................3-37
Active Handling System................................3-37
Air Bag Off .................................................3-33
Air Bag Readiness.......................................3-32
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning...................3-36
Brake System Warning.................................3-35
Check Gages Warning.................................3-42
Malfunction Indicator....................................3-38
Safety Belt Reminder...................................3-31
Security.....................................................3-42
TCS Warning Light......................................3-36
Traction Control System (TCS) Warning..........3-36
Limited-Slip Rear Axle.....................................4-11
Loading Your Vehicle.......................................4-33
Lockout Protection..........................................2-10
Locks............................................................. 2-9
Door........................................................... 2-9
Leaving Your Vehicle....................................2-10
Lockout Protection.......................................2-10
Power Door................................................2-10Loss of Control...............................................4-17
Lowering the Convertible Top............................2-50
M
Magnesium Wheel Finish.................................5-81
Magnetic Speed Variable Assist Steering............4-13
Maintenance, Normal Replacement Parts............5-94
Maintenance Schedule...................................... 6-8
At Each Fuel Fill........................................... 6-8
At Least Once a Month.................................. 6-8
At Least Once a Year.................................... 6-9
At Least Twice a Year................................... 6-9
Brake System Inspection..............................6-13
Engine Cooling System Inspection.................6-13
Exhaust System Inspection...........................6-12
Fuel System Inspection................................6-13
How This Section is Organized....................... 6-3
Introduction.................................................. 6-2
Maintenance Requirements............................. 6-2
Part A - Scheduled Maintenance Services......... 6-4
Part B - Owner Checks and Services............... 6-8
Part C - Periodic MaintenanceInspections......6-12
Part D - Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants...............................................6-14
Part E - Maintenance Record........................6-16
Rear Axle Service........................................6-13
Scheduled Maintenance................................. 6-4
Steering and Suspension Inspection...............6-12
8

Tires.............................................................5-54
Buying New Tires........................................5-59
Chains.......................................................5-64
Extended Mobility........................................5-54
If a Tire Goes Flat.......................................5-68
In¯ation -- Tire Pressure...............................5-56
Lifting Your Corvette....................................5-64
Pressure Monitor System..............................5-57
Rotation.....................................................5-58
Tire and Wheel Inspection............................6-12
Tire In¯ator Kit............................................5-70
Uniform Tire Quality Grading.........................5-60
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance.................5-61
Wheel Replacement.....................................5-61
To Use The Engine Coolant Heater...................2-23
Top Strap Anchor Location...............................1-31
Top Strap......................................................1-30
Torque Lock (Automatic Transmission)...............2-33
Towing..........................................................4-33
Recreational Vehicle.....................................4-33
Towing a Trailer..........................................4-35
Your Vehicle...............................................4-33
Traction.........................................................4-10
Active Handling System................................4-10
Control System (TCS).................................... 4-9
Control System Warning Light.......................3-36
Limited-Slip Rear Axle..................................4-11
Selective Ride Control..................................4-12
Transmission Operation, Automatic....................2-24
Transmission Operation, Manual........................2-27Transmission..................................................5-20
Fluid, Automatic...........................................5-20
Fluid, Manual..............................................5-20
Transportation Options...................................... 7-8
Trunk/Hatch...................................................2-11
Trunk-Mounted CD Changer.............................3-71
Turn and Lane-Change Signals.......................... 3-6
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever........................... 3-6
Twilight Sentinel
ž(Optional in United States,
Standard in Canada)....................................3-14
U
Underbody Flushing Service.............................6-11
Understanding Radio Reception........................3-77
Uniform Tire Quality Grading............................5-60
United States ± Customer Assistance.................. 7-4
Unlocking the Theft-Deterrent Feature After a
Power Loss................................................3-76
V
Vehicle Identi®cation........................................5-83
Number (VIN).............................................5-83
Service Parts Identi®cation Label...................5-83
Vehicle Personalization....................................2-55
Memory.....................................................2-55
Vehicle Storage..............................................5-40
13