2003 CHEVROLET CORVETTE oil level

When starting your engine in very cold weather (below
0ÉF or-18ÉC), do this:
1. With your foot off the accelerator pedal, turn the
ignition key to START and hold it there up to
15 seconds. When the engine starts, let go of
the key.
2. If your engine still won't start (or starts but then
stops), it could be ¯ooded with too much gasoline.
Try pushing your accelerator pedal all the way to the
¯oor and holding it there as you hold the key in
START for about three seconds. When the engine
starts, let go of the key and accelerator. If the
vehicle starts brie¯y but then stops again, do the
same thing, but this time keep the pedal down
for ®ve or six seconds. This clears the extra
gasoline from the engine.
Notice:Your engine is designed to work with the
electronics in your vehicle. If you add electrical
parts or accessories, you could change the way the
engine operates. Before adding electrical equipment,
check with your dealer. If you don't, your engine
might not perform properly.
Starter Interlock Feature
For your convenience and to avoid damage to your
starter, your vehicle is equipped with a starter interlock
feature. This feature will not allow you to crank the
engine while the vehicle is already running.
Racing or Other Competitive Driving
See your warranty book before using your vehicle
for racing or other competitive driving.
Notice:If you use your vehicle for racing or other
competitive driving, your engine may use more
oil than it would with normal use. Low oil levels can
damage the engine. Be sure to check the oil level
often during racing or other competitive driving and
keep the level at or near 1 quart (1 L) above the
upper mark that shows the proper operating range
on the engine oil dipstick. For information on
how to add oil, see ªEngine Oilº in the Index. After
the competitive driving, remove excess oil so
that the level on the dipstick is not above the upper
mark that shows the proper operating range.
2-22

Battery Run-Down Protection
Your vehicle has a feature to help prevent you from
draining the battery in case the underhood lamp, vanity
mirror lamps, cargo lamps, reading lamps, console
or glove box lamps are accidentally left on. If you leave
any of these lamps on, they will automatically timeout
after about 15 minutes. To reset it, all of the above
lamps must be turned off or the ignition key must be
in ON.
Head-Up Display (HUD)
{CAUTION:
If the HUD image is too bright, or too high in
your ®eld of view, it may take you more time to
see things you need to see when it's dark
outside. Be sure to keep the HUD image dim
and placed low in your ®eld of view.
If your vehicle is equipped with the Head-Up Display
(HUD), you can see some of the driver information that
appears on your instrument panel cluster.The information may be displayed in English or metric
units and appears as an image focused out toward
the front of your vehicle. The HUD consists of the
following information:
·Speedometer
·Turn Signal Indicators
·High-Beam Indicator Symbol
·Tachometer
·Oil, Temperature and Fuel Gages
·Shift Light (Performance SHIFT Light)
This light is used for performance driving to indicate
that the vehicle's best performance level has
been reached to shift the transmission into the next
higher gear. The SHIFT light will display at an
engine speed of about 5,750 rpm (6,250 rpm on
Z06), just prior to reaching the engine fuel
cut-off mode.
·Check Gages Icon
3-17

There are ®ve HUD selections that you can choose to
view in the HUD display. By pressing and holding
the PAGE button, you can scroll through these pages in
the following order:
·Speed Only
·Speed and Gage
·Speed, Tachometer and Gage
·Speed and Tachometer
·Tachometer Only
When you have chosen the desired HUD display,
release the PAGE button.
Gages can be scrolled through by tapping the PAGE
button (only when a gage is displayed). The gages
shown are the following:
·Oil Pressure
·Coolant Temperature
·Fuel LevelThe selections that you choose will remain in the HUD
display until they are changed.
Be sure to continue scanning your displays, controls
and driving environment just as you would in a vehicle
without HUD. If you never look at your instrument
panel cluster, you may not see something important,
such as a warning light. Under important warning
conditions, the CHECK GAGES icon will illuminate in
the HUD. View your Driver Information Center (DIC) for
more information.
3-18

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
Theft-Deterrent System on page 2-16andPASS-Keyžon page 2-17.
Check Gages Warning Light
This light will come on
brie¯y 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.
3-42

If the SERVICE ABS message is being displayed, your
Traction Control System and the Active Handling
System will also be disabled. The Driver Information
Center will scroll three messages: SERVICE ABS,
SERVICE TRACTION SYS and SERVICE ACTIVE
HNDLG, and the instrument cluster car icon will
be illuminated. The driver can acknowledge these
messages by pressing the reset button three times.
When the service message is displayed the computer
controlled systems will not assist the driver and you
should have the system repaired as soon as possible.
Adjust your driving accordingly.
SERVICE COLUMN LOCK (Manual Transmission
Only):If the system that controls the locking and
unlocking of the steering column does not work properly,
have the vehicle towed to a dealer for service.
PULL KEY ± WAIT 10 SEC (Manual Transmission
Only):If this message comes on, the steering column
lock system has detected a problem while disengaging
the steering column lock. This message may occur when
the ignition key is removed and reinserted before the
steering column lock system fully locks or unlocks
the steering column. To acknowledge that you have read
this message, and to clear it from the display, remove
the ignition key and wait 10 seconds before reinserting
the key into the ignition. If you attempt to operate
your vehicle without removing the key for 10 seconds,
the vehicle's fuel system will shut off when you
reach 1.5 mph (2.4 km/h). If the message stays on afterremoving the key and waiting 10 seconds, have your
vehicle taken to an authorized dealer as soon as
possible for diagnosis and repair.
LOW OIL PRESSURE:You will hear four chimes and
the CHECK GAGES telltale will come on when this
message is displayed. To acknowledge the warning,
press the RESET button. After you press the RESET
button, a message will be displayed and you will hear a
chime every minute until the vehicle is serviced. If
you do not press RESET, the message will remain on
the digital display until the vehicle is serviced.
Low oil pressure may be the result of a combination of
low oil level and abrupt changes in the vehicle's
direction. When this warning is displayed, you should
not operate the engine at high rpm or make fast abrupt
moves. As soon as possible, you should check the
oil level. See
Engine Oil on page 5-13.
LOW OIL LEVEL:Press RESET to acknowledge that
you have read the message and to remove it from
the display. The message will reappear every
10 minutes until this condition changes. Once the
vehicle senses a temperature change in the engine oil,
the light will remain off.
You will hear two chimes when this message is
displayed. If this message appears after starting your
engine, your engine oil level may be too low. You
may need to add oil. See
Engine Overheating on
page 5-26.
3-55

COOLANT OVER TEMP:You will hear four chimes
and the CHECK GAGES telltale will come on when this
message is displayed. To acknowledge the warning,
press the RESET button. After you press the RESET
button, a message will be displayed and you will hear a
chime every minute until this condition changes. If
you do not press RESET, the message will remain on
the digital display until the condition changes.
If the engine coolant exceeds 255ÉF (124ÉC), this
message is displayed. 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. You can monitor the coolant
temperature with the GAGES button on the DIC or
the engine coolant gage on the instrument panel cluster.
See
Engine Overheating on page 5-26.
REDUCE ENGINE RPM:You will hear four chimes
when this message is displayed. To acknowledge
the warning, press the RESET button. After you press
the RESET button, a message will be displayed and you
will hear a chime every minute until this condition
changes. If you do not press RESET, the message will
remain on the digital display until the condition
changes.
If the engine oil temperature exceeds 320ÉF (160ÉC),
this message is displayed. You should check the engine
coolant temperature and engine oil level. If your
engine is too hot, see
Engine Overheating on page 5-26.Your vehicle may need service, so see your dealer. You
can monitor the oil temperature with the GAGES
button on the DIC.
HIGH TRANS TEMP (Automatic Transmission
Only):You will hear four chimes when this message is
displayed. To acknowledge this warning, press the
RESET button. After you press the RESET button, the
message will be displayed every 10 minutes until
the condition changes. If you do not press RESET, the
message remains on the display until the condition
changes.
If the transmission ¯uid temperature rises above 270ÉF
(132ÉC) or rises rapidly, this message is displayed.
The transmission may shift gears or apply the torque
converter clutch to reduce the ¯uid temperature. Driving
aggressively or driving on long hills can cause the
transmission ¯uid temperature to be higher than normal.
If this message appears, you may continue to drive at
a slower speed. You should also monitor the
transmission ¯uid temperature and allow it to cool to at
least 230ÉF (110ÉC). The transmission ¯uid temperature
can be monitored with the GAGES button on the
DIC. See
Automatic Transmission Fluid on page 5-20.
You should also check the engine coolant temperature.
If it is also hot, see
Engine Overheating on page 5-26.
If the HIGH TRANS TEMP message is displayed during
normal vehicle operation on ¯at roads, your vehicle
may need service. See your dealer for an inspection.
3-58

Once you are moving on the freeway, make certain you
allow a reasonable following distance.
Expect to move slightly slower at night.
When you want to leave the freeway, move to the
proper lane well in advance. If you miss your exit, do
not, under any circumstances, stop and back up. Drive
on to the next exit.
The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply.
The exit speed is usually posted. Reduce your speed
according to your speedometer, not to your sense
of motion. After driving for any distance at higher
speeds, you may tend to think you are going slower
than you actually are.
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
Make sure you're ready. Try to be well rested. If you
must start when you're not fresh Ð such as after a day's
work Ð don't plan to make too many miles that ®rst
part of the journey. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes
you can easily drive in.Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep it
serviced and maintained, it's ready to go. If it needs
service, have it done before starting out. Of course,
you'll ®nd experienced and able service experts in GM
dealerships all across North America. They'll be
ready and willing to help if you need it.
Here are some things you can check before a trip:
·Windshield Washer Fluid:Is the reservoir full? Are
all windows clean inside and outside?
·Wiper Blades:Are they in good shape?
·Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids:Have you checked
all levels?
·Lamps:Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?
·Tires:They are vitally important to a safe,
trouble-free trip. Is the tread good enough for
long-distance driving? Are the tires all in¯ated to the
recommended pressure?
·Weather Forecasts:What's the weather outlook
along your route? Should you delay your trip a
short time to avoid a major storm system?
·Maps:Do you have up-to-date maps?
4-24

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