2003 CHEVROLET CORVETTE transmission oil

4. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug and
store the cord as it was before to keep it away
from moving engine parts. If you don't it could be
damaged.
How long should you keep the coolant heater plugged
in? The answer depends on the outside temperature, the
kind of oil you have, and some other things. Instead
of trying to list everything here, we ask that you contact
your dealer in the area where you'll be parking your
vehicle. The dealer can give you the best advice for that
particular area.Automatic Transmission Operation
There are several different positions for your shift lever.
PARK (P):This position locks your rear wheels. It's
the best position to use when you start your engine
because your vehicle can't move easily.
2-24

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

Driver Information Center (DIC)
The Driver Information Center (DIC) will display
information about how your vehicle is functioning, as
well as warning messages if a system problem is
detected. The DIC display area is located in the
instrument panel cluster below the speedometer and
tachometer, directly above the steering column.
The following buttons are located on the DIC control
panel which is located to the right of the instrument
panel cluster.1 FUEL:Press this button to display fuel information
such as fuel economy and range.
2 GAGES:Press this button to display gage information
like oil pressure and temperature, coolant temperature,
automatic transmission ¯uid temperature, battery
voltage and front/rear tire pressures.
3 TRIP:Press this button to display your total and trip
miles, the elapsed time function, your average speed
and the engine oil life.
4 OPTIONS:This button allows you to choose personal
options that are available on your vehicle, depending
on the options your vehicle is equipped with, such
as security, door locks, easy entry seats and language.
5 E/M (English/Metric):Press this button to change
the display between English and metric units.
RESET:This button, used along with the other buttons,
will reset system functions and turn off or acknowledge
messages on the Driver Information Center (DIC).
At the top of the DIC control buttons is a light sensor.
Be sure not to block the sensor or your lighting functions
may be disrupted.
3-44

Press the GAGE button again to display the oil
temperature, such as:
·OIL TEMP 234ÉF or
·OIL TEMP 112ÉC
Press the GAGE button again to display the coolant
temperature, such as:
·COOLANT TEMP 123ÉF or
·COOLANT TEMP 51ÉC
Press the GAGE button again to display the automatic
transmission ¯uid temperature, such as:
·TRANS FLUID 123ÉF or
·TRANS FLUID 51ÉC
Press the GAGE button again to display the battery
voltage, such as:
·BATTERY VOLTS 13.5
Press the GAGE button again to display the tire
pressure for the front tires (except Z06), such as:
·FRONT L34 R33 PSI or
·FRONT L234 R228 kPaPress the GAGE button again to display the tire
pressure for the rear tires (except Z06), such as:
·REAR L34 R33 PSI or
·REAR L234 R228 kPa
Tire pressure is not available until the vehicle has
reached a speed of 15 mph (24 km/h) or more.
3 TRIP
The TRIP button allows you to scroll through the
functions listed below when you press it.
3-47

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

Other Messages
Here are more messages that you can receive on your
Driver Information Center (DIC). To acknowledge a
message and read another message that may have
come on at the same time, press the RESET button.
·BRAKE BEFORE SHIFT
(See ªAutomatic Transmissions Onlyº under
Automatic Transmission Operation on page 2-24.)
·CHANGE OIL NOW
(See ªGM Oil Life SystemŸº under
Engine Oil on
page 5-13.)
·CHANGE OIL SOON
(See ªGM Oil Life SystemŸº under
Engine Oil on
page 5-13.)
·CRUISE DISENGAGED
(See ªCruise Controlº under
Turn
Signal/Multifunction Lever on page 3-6.)
·CRUISE SET_MPH (_km/h)
(See ªCruise Controlº under
Turn
Signal/Multifunction Lever on page 3-6.)
·DOOR AJAR
·ENGINE PROTECTION REDUCE ENGINE RPM
·HATCH AJAR (Coupe)
·HIGH VOLTAGE
(See
Voltmeter Gage on page 3-34.)
·LOW BRAKE FLUID
(See ªBrake Fluidº under
Brakes on page 5-37.)
·LOW FUEL
(See
Fuel Gage on page 3-42.)
·LOW VOLTAGE
(See
Voltmeter Gage on page 3-34.)
·LOW WASHER FLUID
(See
Windshield Washer Fluid on page 5-36.)
·RESERVE FUEL
(See
Fuel Gage on page 3-42.)
·TONNEAU AJAR (Convertible)
·TRUNK AJAR (Convertible/Z06)
·UPSHIFT NOW
(See
Manual Transmission Operation on
page 2-27.)
3-61

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