2004 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Owners Manual

Automatic Transmission Operation
There are several different positions for your shift lever.
PARK (P):This position locks your rear wheels. It is
the best position to use when you start your engine
because your vehicle cannot move easily.
{CAUTION:
It is dangerous to get out of your vehicle if the
shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake rmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
Do not leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to. If you have left the
engine running, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You or others could be injured. To
be sure your vehicle will not move, even when
you are on fairly level ground, always set your
parking brake and move the shift lever to
PARK (P). SeeShifting Into Park (P) on
page 2-32.
Be sure the shift lever is fully in PARK (P) before
starting the engine. Your vehicle has an automatic
transmission shift lock control system.
2-25

You have to fully apply your regular brakes before you
can shift from PARK (P) when the ignition key is in
ON. If you cannot shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure
on the shift lever – push the shift lever all the way
into PARK (P) and release the shift lever button as you
maintain brake application. Then press the shift lever
button and move the shift lever into the gear you wish. If
you do not apply the brake after 15 seconds once the
ignition is turned on, you will receive a PRESS BRAKE
BEFORE SHIFT message in the Driver Information
Center (DIC). SeeShifting Out of Park (P) on page 2-34.
REVERSE (R):Use this gear to back up.
Notice:Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your vehicle
is moving forward could damage the transmission.
The repairs would not be covered by your warranty.
Shift to REVERSE (R) only after your vehicle is
stopped.
To rock your vehicle back and forth to get out of snow,
ice or sand without damaging your transmission,
see If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow on
page 4-32.NEUTRAL (N):In this position, your engine does not
connect with the wheels. To restart when you are
already moving, use NEUTRAL (N) only. Also, use
NEUTRAL (N) when your vehicle is being towed.
{CAUTION:
Shifting into a drive gear while your engine is
running at high speed is dangerous. Unless
your foot is rmly on the brake pedal, your
vehicle could move very rapidly. You could
lose control and hit people or objects. Do not
shift into a drive gear while your engine is
running at high speed.
Notice:Shifting out of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N)
with the engine running at high speed may damage
the transmission. The repairs would not be
covered by your warranty. Be sure the engine is not
running at high speed when shifting your vehicle.
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (
X): This position is
for normal driving.
2-26

THIRD (3):This position is also used for normal driving.
However, it offers more power and lower fuel economy
than AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (
X).
Here are some times you might choose THIRD (3)
instead of AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (
X):
•When driving on hilly, winding roads.
•When going down a steep hill.
SECOND (2):This position gives you more power but
lower fuel economy than THIRD (3). You can use
SECOND (2) on hills. It can help control your speed as
you go down steep mountain roads, but then you
would also want to use your brakes off and on.
If you manually select SECOND (2) when you start the
vehicle, the transmission will drive (and stay) in
second gear. You may use this feature for reducing
torque to the rear wheels when you are trying to start
your vehicle from a stop on slippery road surfaces, or for
preventing the transmission from downshifting into
FIRST (1) in situations where a downshift would
be undesirable.FIRST (1):This position gives you even more power,
but lower fuel economy, than SECOND (2). You can use
it on very steep hills, in deep snow or mud. If the shift
lever is put in FIRST (1), the transmission will not
shift into first gear until the vehicle is going slowly
enough.
Notice:Spinning the tires or holding the vehicle in
one place on a hill using only the accelerator
pedal may damage the transmission. If you are
stuck, do not spin the tires. When stopping on a hill,
use the brakes to hold the vehicle in place.
Maximum engine speed is limited to protect driveline
components from improper operation.
2-27

Manual Transmission Operation
This is the shift pattern for
the six-speed manual
transmission.
Here is how to operate your transmission:
FIRST (1):Press the clutch pedal and shift into
FIRST (1). Then slowly let up on the clutch pedal as
you press the accelerator pedal.
You can shift into FIRST (1) when you are going less
than 40 mph (64 km/h). If you come to a complete stop
and it is hard to shift into FIRST (1), put the shift
lever in NEUTRAL and let up on the clutch. Press the
clutch pedal back down. Then shift into FIRST (1).
SECOND (2):Press the clutch pedal as you let up on
the accelerator pedal and shift into SECOND (2).
Then, slowly let up on the clutch pedal as you press the
accelerator pedal.THIRD (3), FOURTH (4), FIFTH (5) and SIXTH (6):Shift
into THIRD (3), FOURTH (4), FIFTH (5) and SIXTH (6)
the same way you do for SECOND (2). Slowly let up on
the clutch pedal as you press the accelerator pedal.
To stop, let up on the accelerator pedal and press the
brake pedal. Just before the vehicle stops, press
the clutch pedal and the brake pedal, and shift to
NEUTRAL.
NEUTRAL:Use this position when you start or idle
your engine. Your shift lever is in NEUTRAL when it is
centered in the shift pattern, not in any gear.
REVERSE (R):To back up, press down the clutch
pedal and shift into REVERSE (R). Just apply pressure
to get the lever past FIFTH (5) and SIXTH (6) into
REVERSE (R). Let up on the clutch pedal slowly while
pressing the accelerator pedal.
Your six-speed manual transmission has a feature that
allows you to safely shift into REVERSE (R) while
the vehicle is rolling at less than 3 mph (5 km/h). You
will be locked out if you try to shift into REVERSE (R)
while your vehicle is moving faster than 3 mph (5 km/h).
If you have turned your ignition off and wish to park
your vehicle in REVERSE (R), you will have to move the
shift lever quickly to the right, and immediately forward
into gear.
2-28

Shift Speeds (Manual Transmission)
{CAUTION:
If you skip a gear when you downshift, you
could lose control of your vehicle. You could
injure yourself or others. Don’t shift down
more than one gear at a time when you
downshift.
This chart shows when to shift to the next higher gear
for the best fuel economy.
Manual Transmission Recommended
Shift Speeds in mph (km/h)
EngineAcceleration Shift Speed
1to2 2to3 3to4 4to5 5to6
All
Engines15
(24)25
(40)40
(64)45
(72)50
(80)
If your engine speed drops below 900 rpm, or if the
engine is not running smoothly, you should downshift to
the next lower gear. You may have to downshift two
or more gears to keep the engine running smoothly or
for good engine performance.
Notice:When shifting gears, do not move the shift
lever around unnecessarily. This may damage
the transmission. Shift directly into the next gear.
2-29

One to Four Shift Light
(Manual Transmission)
When this light comes on,
you can only shift from
FIRST (1) to FOURTH (4)
instead of FIRST (1) to
SECOND (2).
You must complete the shift into FOURTH (4) to turn off
this feature. This helps you get the best possible fuel
economy.
After shifting to FOURTH (4), you may downshift to a
lower gear if you prefer.
Notice:Forcing the shift lever into any gear except
FOURTH (4) when the 1 TO 4 SHIFT light comes
on may damage the transmission. Shift only from
FIRST (1) to FOURTH (4) when the light comes on.
This light will come on when:
•The engine coolant temperature is higher than
169°F (76°C),
•you are going 15 to 19 mph (24 to 31 km/h) and
•you are 21 percent throttle or less.
Downshifting (Manual Transmission)
If your vehicle is a coupe or convertible, do not downshift
into the gear shown below at a speed greater than
shown in the table:
FIRST (1) 50 mph (80 km/h)
SECOND (2) 74 mph (119 km/h)
THIRD (3) 101 mph (163 km/h)
FOURTH (4) 130 mph (209 km/h)
If your vehicle is a Z06, do not downshift into a gear
shown below at a speed greater than shown in the table:
FIRST (1) 48 mph (77 km/h)
SECOND (2) 69 mph (111 km/h)
THIRD (3) 100 mph (161 km/h)
FOURTH (4) 143 mph (230 km/h)
2-30

Notice:If you skip more than one gear when you
downshift, or if you race the engine when you
release the clutch pedal while downshifting, you
could damage the engine, clutch, driveshaft or the
transmission. Do not skip gears or race the
engine when downshifting.
The six-speed transmission has a spring that centers
the shift lever near THIRD (3) and FOURTH (4).
This spring helps you know which gear you are in when
you are shifting. Be careful when shifting from
FIRST (1) to SECOND (2) or downshifting from
SIXTH (6) to FIFTH (5). The spring will try to pull the
shift lever toward FOURTH (4) and THIRD (3).
Make sure you move the lever into SECOND (2) or
FIFTH (5). If you let the shift lever move in the direction
of the pulling, you may end up shifting from FIRST (1)
to FOURTH (4) or from SIXTH (6) to THIRD (3).Parking Brake
To set the parking brake, hold the brake pedal down.
Pull the parking brake lever up. If the ignition is on, the
brake system warning light will come on.
2-31

To release the parking brake, hold the brake pedal
down. Then push the release button in as you move the
parking brake lever all the way down.
Notice:Driving with the parking brake on can
overheat the brake system and cause premature
wear or damage to brake system parts. Verify that
the parking brake is fully released and the brake
warning light is off before driving.
Shifting Into Park (P)
{CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle
if the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with
the parking brake rmly set. Your vehicle can
roll. If you have left the engine running, the
vehicle can move suddenly. You or others
could be injured. To be sure your vehicle will
not move, even when you are on fairly level
ground, use the steps that follow.
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake.
2-32