2003 CHEVROLET CORVETTE service

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

{CAUTION:
Getting under a vehicle when it is jacked up is
dangerous. If the vehicle slips off the jack, you
could be badly injured or killed. Never get
under a vehicle when it is supported only by
a jack.
{CAUTION:
Raising your vehicle with the jack improperly
positioned can damage the vehicle and even
make the vehicle fall. To help avoid personal
injury and vehicle damage, be sure to place
the jack in the proper location before raising
the vehicle.If you ever use a jack to lift your Corvette, such as to
display it at a show, follow the instructions that
came with the jack, and be sure to use the correct lifting
points to avoid damaging your vehicle.
Notice:Lifting your vehicle improperly can damage
your vehicle and result in costly repairs not
covered by your warranty. To lift your vehicle
properly, follow the advice in this part.
To help prevent vehicle damage:
·Be sure to place a block or pad between the
jack and the vehicle.
·Make sure the jack you're using spans at least
two crossmember ribs.
·Lift only in the areas shown in the following
pictures.
For additional information, see your dealer and the
Chevrolet Corvette service manual.
5-65

Lifting From the Rear
The rear lifting point can be accessed from the rear of
the vehicle, on either the driver's or passenger's side.
1. Locate the lifting point to jack your vehicle according
to the illustration shown.
2. Be sure to place a block or pad between the jack
and the vehicle.
3. Lift the vehicle with the jack, making sure the jack
spans at least two of the crossmember ribs.
For more information, see
Doing Your Own Service
Work on page 5-3.
5-67

If a Tire Goes Flat
Your Corvette has no spare tire, no tire changing
equipment and no place to store a tire.
It's unusual for a tire to ªblow outº while you're driving,
especially if you maintain your tires properly. See
Tires on page 5-54. If air goes out of a tire, it's much
more likely to leak out slowly.
If your vehicle has Extended Mobility Tires (EMT), you
won't need to stop on the side of the road to change
a ¯at tire. EMT tires can operate effectively with no air
pressure. If you drive on a de¯ated EMT for 50 miles
(80 km) or less and at speeds of 55 mph (90 km/h) or
less, there is a good chance that the tire can be
repaired. Contact the nearest authorized Chevrolet or
Goodyear EMT servicing facility, as soon as possible, to
have the ¯at tire inspected and repaired or replaced.
For more information, see
Extended Mobility Tires
(Except Z06) on page 5-54.
{CAUTION:
Special tools and procedures are required to
service an Extended Mobility Tire (EMT). If
these special tools and procedures aren't used
you or others could be injured and your
vehicle could be damaged. Always be sure the
proper tools and procedures, as described in
the service manual, are used.
To order a service manual, see
Service Publications
Ordering Information on page 7-10.
5-68

Finish Damage
Any stone chips, fractures or deep scratches in the
®nish should be repaired right away.
Minor chips and scratches can be repaired with touch-up
materials avaliable from your dealer or other service
outlets. Larger areas of ®nish damage can be corrected
in your dealer's body and paint shop.
Magnesium Wheel Finish
Notice:Improper paint repair or re®nishing can
cause corrosion damage to a magnesium wheel. See
your dealer if a magnesium wheel needs paint
repair or re®nishing.
Underbody Maintenance
Chemicals used for ice and snow removal and dust
control can collect on the underbody. If these are not
removed, accelerated corrosion (rust) can occur on
the underbody parts such as fuel lines, frame, ¯oor pan
and exhaust system even though they have corrosion
protection.
At least every spring, ¯ush these materials from the
underbody with plain water. Clean any areas where mud
and debris can collect. Dirt packed in close areas of
the frame should be loosened before being ¯ushed.
Your dealer or an underbody car washing system can
do this for you.
Titanium Exhaust System
(Z06 Only)
Time and high performance driving conditions can
cause a color change in titanium exhaust system parts.
This is normal for a titanium surface.
Fiberglass Springs
Notice:Don't use corrosive or acidic cleaning
agents, engine degreasers, aluminum cleaning
agents or other harsh solvents to clean ®berglass
springs; they'll damage the springs.
Chemical Paint Spotting
Some weather and atmospheric conditions can create a
chemical fallout. Airborne pollutants can fall upon and
attack painted surfaces on your vehicle. This damage
can take two forms: blotchy, ring-shaped discolorations,
and small, irregular dark spots etched into the paint
surface.
Although no defect in the paint job causes this, GM will
repair, at no charge to the owner, the surfaces of
new vehicles damaged by this fallout condition within
12 months or 12,000 miles (20 000 km) of purchase,
whichever occurs ®rst.
5-81

Vehicle Identi®cation
Vehicle Identi®cation Number (VIN)
This is the legal identi®er for your vehicle. It appears on
a plate in the front corner of the instrument panel, on
the driver's side. You can see it if you look through the
windshield from outside your vehicle. The VIN also
appears on the Vehicle Certi®cation and Service Parts
labels and the certi®cates of title and registration.
Engine Identi®cation
The 8th character in your VIN is the engine code. This
code will help you identify your engine, speci®cations
and replacement parts.
Service Parts Identi®cation Label
You'll ®nd this label located inside the glovebox. It's
very helpful if you ever need to order parts. On this
label is:
·your VIN,
·the model designation,
·paint information and
·a list of all production options and special equipment
Be sure that this label is not removed from the
vehicle.
5-83

Maintenance Schedule......................................6-2
Introduction...................................................6-2
Your Vehicle and the Environment....................6-2
Maintenance Requirements..............................6-2
How This Section is Organized.........................6-3
Part A: Scheduled Maintenance Services...........6-4
Using Your Maintenance Schedule....................6-4
Scheduled Maintenance...................................6-4
Part B: Owner Checks and Services.................6-8
At Each Fuel Fill............................................6-8
At Least Once a Month...................................6-8
At Least Twice a Year....................................6-9At Least Once a Year.....................................6-9
Part C: Periodic MaintenanceInspections.........6-12
Steering and Suspension Inspection................6-12
Tire and Wheel Inspection.............................6-12
Exhaust System Inspection............................6-12
Fuel System Inspection..................................6-13
Engine Cooling System Inspection...................6-13
Rear Axle Service.........................................6-13
Brake System Inspection................................6-13
Part D: Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants................................................6-14
Part E: Maintenance Record...........................6-16
Section 6 Maintenance Schedule
6-1