2003 CHEVROLET CORVETTE towing

Seats and Restraint Systems........................... 1-1
Front Seats
............................................... 1-2
Safety Belts
.............................................. 1-7
Child Restraints
.......................................1-21
Air Bag System
.......................................1-39
Restraint System Check
............................1-48
Features and Controls..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-3
Doors and Locks
....................................... 2-9
Windows
.................................................2-14
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................2-16
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
...........2-19
Mirrors
....................................................2-37
Storage Areas
.........................................2-39
Roof Panel
..............................................2-43
Convertible Top
.......................................2-49
Vehicle Personalization
.............................2-55
Instrument Panel............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-2
Climate Controls
......................................3-22
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
.........3-29
Driver Information Center (DIC)
..................3-44
Audio System(s)
.......................................3-62Driving Your Vehicle....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle
..... 4-2
Towing
...................................................4-33
Service and Appearance Care.......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-4
Checking Things Under the Hood
...............5-10
Rear Axle
...............................................5-46
Bulb Replacement
....................................5-47
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.........5-51
Tires
......................................................5-54
Appearance Care
.....................................5-75
Vehicle Identi®cation
.................................5-83
Electrical System
......................................5-84
Capacities and Speci®cations
.....................5-92
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts
......5-94
Maintenance Schedule..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance Information.................... 7-1
Customer Assistance Information
.................. 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
............................ 7-9
INDEX............................................................... 1
2003 Chevrolet Corvette Owner ManualM

Brake System Warning Light
Your vehicle's hydraulic brake system is divided into two
parts. If one part isn't working, the other part can still
work and stop you. For good braking, though, you need
both parts working well.
This light should come on
when you turn the ignition
key to START. If it
doesn't come on then,
have it ®xed so it will be
ready to warn you if there's
a problem.
If this warning light stays on after you start the engine,
the parking brake may still be set or there could be
a brake problem. Refer to
Parking Brake on page 2-30to see if it is set. If the parking brake is not set, have
your brake system inspected right away.If the light comes on while you are driving and you have
a LOW BRAKE FLUID message showing on the DIC,
pull off the road and stop carefully. You may notice that
the pedal is harder to push. Or, the pedal may go
closer to the ¯oor. It may take longer to stop. If the light
is still on, have the vehicle towed for service. See
Towing Your Vehicle on page 4-33.
{CAUTION:
Your brake system may not be working
properly if the brake system warning light is
on. Driving with the brake system warning light
on can lead to an accident. If the light is still
on after you've pulled off the road and stopped
carefully, have the vehicle towed for service.
3-35

Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle..........4-2
Defensive Driving...........................................4-2
Drunken Driving.............................................4-2
Control of a Vehicle........................................4-5
Braking.........................................................4-6
Traction Control System (TCS).........................4-9
Active Handling System.................................4-10
Limited-Slip Rear Axle...................................4-11
Selective Ride Control...................................4-12
Steering......................................................4-13
Off-Road Recovery.......................................4-15
Passing.......................................................4-15
Loss of Control.............................................4-17
Driving at Night............................................4-18Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads..................4-19
City Driving..................................................4-22
Freeway Driving...........................................4-23
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.......................4-24
Highway Hypnosis........................................4-25
Hill and Mountain Roads................................4-25
Winter Driving..............................................4-27
If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud,
Ice or Snow..............................................4-32
Towing..........................................................4-33
Towing Your Vehicle.....................................4-33
Recreational Vehicle Towing...........................4-33
Loading Your Vehicle....................................4-33
Towing a Trailer...........................................4-35
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
4-1

If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud,
Ice or Snow
In order to free your vehicle when it is stuck, you will
need to spin the wheels, but you don't want to spin your
wheels too fast. The method known as ªrockingº can
help you get out when you're stuck, but you must
use caution.
{CAUTION:
If you let your tires spin at high speed, they
can explode, and you or others could be
injured. And, the transmission or other parts of
the vehicle can overheat. That could cause an
engine compartment ®re or other damage.
When you're stuck, spin the wheels as little as
possible. Don't spin the wheels above 35 mph
(55 km/h) as shown on the speedometer.
Notice:Spinning your wheels can destroy parts of
your vehicle as well as the tires. If you spin the
wheels too fast while shifting your transmission
back and forth, you can destroy your transmission.
For information about using tire chains on your
vehicle, see
Tire Chains on page 5-64.
Rocking Your Vehicle To Get It Out
First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That will
clear the area around your front wheels. You should turn
your TCS System off. See
Traction Control
System (TCS) on page 4-9. Then shift back and forth
between REVERSE (R) and a forward gear, spinning the
wheels as little as possible. For a manual transmission,
shift slowly between either FIRST (1) or SECOND (2)
and REVERSE (R), allowing the wheels to stop
before shifting into gear. Release the accelerator pedal
while you shift, and press lightly on the accelerator
pedal when the transmission is in gear. By slowly
spinning your wheels in the forward and reverse
directions, you will cause a rocking motion that may free
your vehicle. If that doesn't get you out after a few
tries, you may need to be towed out. If you do need to
be towed out, see ªTowing Your Vehicleº following.
4-32

Towing
Towing Your Vehicle
Consult your dealer or a professional towing service
if you need to have your disabled vehicle towed.
See
Roadside Assistance Program on page 7-6.
Recreational Vehicle Towing
Recreational vehicle towing means towing your vehicle
behind another vehicle Ð such as behind a motorhome.
The two most common types of recreational vehicle
towing are known as ªdinghy towingº (towing your
vehicle with all four wheels on the ground) and ªdolly
towingº (towing your vehicle with two wheels on
the ground and two wheels up on a device known as
a ªdollyº).
Your vehicle was not designed to be towed with any of
its wheels on the ground. If your vehicle must be
towed, see ªTowing Your Vehicleº earlier in this section.
Loading Your Vehicle
Two labels on your vehicle show how much weight it
may properly carry. The Tire-Loading Information
label found on the rear edge of the driver's door tells
you the proper size, speed rating and recommended
in¯ation pressures for the tires on your vehicle. It also
gives you important information about the number
of people that can be in your vehicle and the total weight
that you can carry. This weight is called the vehicle
capacity weight and includes the weight of all occupants,
cargo and all nonfactory-installed options.
4-33

{CAUTION:
Things you put inside your vehicle can strike
and injure people in a sudden stop or turn, or
in a crash.
·Put things in the rear area of your vehicle.
Try to spread the weight evenly.
·Never stack heavier things, like suitcases,
inside the vehicle so that some of them
are above the tops of the seats.
·Don't leave an unsecured child restraint in
your vehicle.
·When you carry something inside the
vehicle, secure it whenever you can.
Towing a Trailer
Your Corvette is neither designed nor intended to tow a
trailer.
4-35

Roadside Assistance Program
To enhance Chevrolet's strong commitment to customer
satisfaction, Chevrolet is excited to announce the
establishment of the Chevrolet Roadside Assistance
Center. As the owner of a 2003 Chevrolet, membership
in Roadside Assistance is free.
Roadside Assistance is available 24 hours a day,
365 days a year, by calling 1-800-CHEV-USA
(243-8872). This toll-free number will provide you
over-the-phone roadside assistance with minor
mechanical problems. If your problem cannot be
resolved over the phone, our advisors have access to a
nationwide network of dealer recommended service
providers. Roadside membership is free; however some
services may incur costs.
Roadside offers two levels of service to the customer,
Basic CareandCourtesy Care:
RoadsideBasic Careprovides:
·Toll-free number, 1-800-CHEV-USA (243-8872),
text telephone (TTY) users, call 1-888-889-2438
·Free towing for warranty repairs
·Basic over-the-phone technical advice
·Available dealer services at reasonable costs (i.e.,
wrecker services, locksmith/key service, glass
repair, etc.)Roadside
Courtesy Careprovides:
·RoadsideBasic Careservices (as outlined
previously)
Plus:
·FREE Non-Warranty Towing (to the closest dealer
from a legal roadway)
·FREE Locksmith/Key Service (when keys are lost
on the road or locked inside)
·FREE Flat Tire Service (spare installed on the road)
·FREE Jump Start (at home or on the road)
·FREE Fuel Delivery ($5 of fuel delivered on
the road)
Chevrolet offers Courtesy Transportation for customers
needing warranty service. Courtesy Transportation
will be offered in conjunction with the coverage provided
by the Bumper-to-Bumper New Vehicle Limited
Warranty to eligible purchasers of 2003 Chevrolet
passenger cars and light duty trucks. (See your selling
dealer for details.)
Courtesy Careis available to retail and retail lease
customers operating 2003 and newer Chevrolet vehicles
for a period of 3 years/36,000 miles (60 000 km),
whichever occurs ®rst. All
Courtesy Careservices must
be pre-arranged by Chevrolet Roadside or dealer
service management.
7-6

Rearview Mirror, Automatic Dimming..................2-37
Rearview Mirrors.............................................2-37
Reclining Seatbacks.......................................... 1-3
Recreational Vehicle Towing.............................4-33
Remote Keyless Entry System, Operation............ 2-5
Remote Keyless Entry System............................ 2-4
Removing the Roof Panel................................2-43
Replacement Bulbs.........................................5-51
Replacing Brake System Parts..........................5-40
Replacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash..............................................1-48
Reporting Safety Defects.................................7-10
Canadian Government..................................7-10
General Motors...........................................7-10
United States Government.............................. 7-9
Restraint System Check.................................... 6-9
Checking Your Restraint Systems...................1-48
Replacing Restraint System Parts After a
Crash.....................................................1-48
Restraint Systems...........................................1-48
Checking....................................................1-48
Replacing Parts...........................................1-48
Retained Accessory Power (RAP)......................2-21
Roadside......................................................... 7-6
Assistance Program....................................... 7-6
Rocking Your Vehicle To Get It Out...................4-32
Roof Panel....................................................2-43
Installing the Roof Panel...............................2-47
Removing the Roof Panel.............................2-43Roof Panel (cont.)
Storing the Roof Panel.................................2-46
Running Your Engine While You Are Parked.......2-36
S
Safety Belt.....................................................3-31
Reminder Light............................................3-31
Safety Belts...................................................5-77
Care of......................................................5-77
Driver Position............................................1-13
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly................1-12
Passenger Position......................................1-20
Questions and Answers About Safety Belts.....1-11
Safety Belt Extender....................................1-20
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy.................1-20
Safety Belts Are for Everyone......................... 1-7
Safety Warnings and Symbols.............................. iii
Scheduled Maintenance..................................... 6-4
Seatback Latches............................................. 1-5
Seats.............................................................. 1-2
Manual........................................................ 1-2
Power Seats................................................. 1-2
Reclining Seatbacks...................................... 1-3
Seatback Latches.......................................... 1-5
Sport Seat................................................... 1-6
11