2004 CHEVROLET CORVETTE headlamp

Twilight Sentinel®(Optional in United
States, Standard in Canada)
Twilight Sentinel®can turn your lamps on and off for
you. A light sensor on top of the instrument panel makes
the Twilight Sentinel
®work, so be sure it is not covered.
You can customize your vehicle to turn Twilight
Sentinel
®on or off, except for vehicles first sold in
Canada. SeeDriver Information Center (DIC) on
page 3-48to turn this feature on or off.
When Twilight Sentinel
®is turned on, you will see the
following happen:
•When it is dark enough outside, the front turn signal
lamps (DRL) will go off, and the headlamps and
parking lamps will come on. The other lamps
that come on with headlamps will also come on.
•When it is bright enough outside, the headlamps
will go off, and the front turn signal lamps (DRL)
will come on, as long as the exterior lamp switch is
in the OFF position.
If you start your vehicle in a dark garage, the automatic
headlamp system will come on immediately. Once
you leave the garage, it will take about one minute for
the automatic headlamp system to change to DRL if it is
light outside. During that delay, your instrument panel
cluster may not be as bright as usual.Make sure your instrument panel brightness control is in
full bright position. See “Instrument Panel Brightness
Control” underInterior Lamps on page 3-17.
With Twilight Sentinel
®turned on, you can idle the
vehicle with the lamps off, even when it is dark outside.
First set the parking brake while the ignition is in
OFF. Then start the vehicle. The lamps will stay off until
you release the parking brake.
Twilight Sentinel
®also provides exterior illumination as
you leave the vehicle. If Twilight Sentinel®has turned
on the lamps when you turn off the ignition, your lamps
will remain on until:
•The exterior lamp switch is moved from OFF to the
parking lamp position, or
•a delay time that you select has elapsed.
SeeDriver Information Center (DIC) on page 3-48to
select the delay time that you want. You can also select
no delay time.
If you turn off the ignition with the exterior lamp switch
in the parking lamp or headlamp position, the Twilight
Sentinel
®delay will not occur. The lamps will turn off as
soon as the switch is turned off.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when you need it.
3-16

Interior Lamps
Instrument Panel Brightness
The knob for this feature is
located on the left side of
the instrument panel.
Push the knob to release it from the stored position.
Turn the knob clockwise to brighten the lights or
counterclockwise to dim them.
Be sure not to have this knob turned all the way down
with the lamps on during the day. Your Driver
Information Center (DIC) may not be visible.
Parade Mode
The instrument panel brightness knob has an added
feature called parade mode to assist you in seeing
certain instrument panel controls if your headlamps are
on in the daylight. Turn the knob counterclockwise to
dim the instrument panel lights or clockwise to brighten
the lights. This will occur only with the parking lamps
or headlamps on.
Courtesy Lamps
When any door or the hatch/trunk lid is opened, the
interior lamps will go on unless it is bright outside.
You can also turn on the courtesy lamps by turning the
instrument panel brightness knob all the way clockwise.
Exit/Entry Lighting
With entry lighting, the interior lamps will come on when
entering the vehicle. The interior lamps will come on
for about 20 seconds when the key is turned to OFF or
a door is ajar.
You can turn exit and entry lighting off by quickly turning
the headlamps on and off or by quickly turning the
courtesy lamps on and off.
3-17

Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving.
One reason is that some drivers are likely to be
impaired — by alcohol or drugs, with night vision
problems, or by fatigue.Here are some tips on night driving.
•Drive defensively.
•Do not drink and drive.
•Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the
glare from headlamps behind you.
•Since you can not see as well, you may need to
slow down and keep more space between you
and other vehicles.
•Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your
headlamps can light up only so much road ahead.
•In remote areas, watch for animals.
•If you are tired, pull off the road in a safe place
and rest.
No one can see as well at night as in the daytime.
But as we get older these differences increase.
A 50-year-old driver may require at least twice as much
light to see the same thing at night as a 20-year-old.
What you do in the daytime can also affect your
night vision. For example, if you spend the day in bright
sunshine you are wise to wear sunglasses. Your
eyes will have less trouble adjusting to night. But if you
are driving, do not wear sunglasses at night. They
may cut down on glare from headlamps, but they also
make a lot of things invisible.
4-19

You can be temporarily blinded by approaching
headlamps. It can take a second or two, or even several
seconds, for your eyes to readjust to the dark. When
you are faced with severe glare (as from a driver
who does not lower the high beams, or a vehicle with
misaimed headlamps), slow down a little. Avoid
staring directly into the approaching headlamps.
Keep your windshield and all the glass on your vehicle
clean — inside and out. Glare at night is made much
worse by dirt on the glass. Even the inside of the glass
can build up a film caused by dust. Dirty glass makes
lights dazzle and flash more than clean glass would,
making the pupils of your eyes contract repeatedly.
Remember that your headlamps light up far less of a
roadway when you are in a turn or curve. Keep
your eyes moving; that way, it is easier to pick out dimly
lighted objects. Just as your headlamps should be
checked regularly for proper aim, so should your eyes
be examined regularly. Some drivers suffer from
night blindness — the inability to see in dim light — and
are not even aware of it.Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads
Rain and wet roads can mean driving trouble. On a wet
road, you can not stop, accelerate or turn as well
because your tire-to-road traction is not as good as on
dry roads. And, if your tires do not have much tread
left, you will get even less traction. It is always wise to
go slower and be cautious if rain starts to fall while
you are driving. The surface may get wet suddenly when
your reflexes are tuned for driving on dry pavement.
4-20

{CAUTION:
Snow can trap exhaust gases under your
vehicle. This can cause deadly CO (carbon
monoxide) gas to get inside. CO could
overcome you and kill you. You can not see it
or smell it, so you might not know it is in your
vehicle. Clear away snow from around the
base of your vehicle, especially any that is
blocking your exhaust pipe. And check around
again from time to time to be sure snow does
not collect there.
Open a window just a little on the side of the
vehicle that is away from the wind. This will
help keep CO out.Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When you run the engine, make it go a little
faster than just idle. That is, push the accelerator
slightly. This uses less fuel for the heat that you get and
it keeps the battery charged. You will need a
well-charged battery to restart the vehicle, and possibly
for signaling later on with your headlamps. Let the
heater run for a while.
Then, shut the engine off and close the window almost
all the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine
again and repeat this only when you feel really
uncomfortable from the cold. But do it as little as
possible. Preserve the fuel as long as you can. To help
keep warm, you can get out of the vehicle and do
some fairly vigorous exercises every half hour or so until
help comes.
4-31

Service............................................................5-3
Doing Your Own Service Work.........................5-4
Adding Equipment to the Outside of
Your Vehicle..............................................5-4
Fuel................................................................5-4
Gasoline Octane............................................5-5
Gasoline Specifications....................................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.....................5-10
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.............................5-21
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.....................................5-35
Windshield Washer Fluid................................5-36Brakes........................................................5-37
Battery........................................................5-40
Jump Starting...............................................5-41
Rear Axle.......................................................5-47
Bulb Replacement..........................................5-48
Halogen Bulbs..............................................5-48
Headlamps..................................................5-48
Taillamps and Turn Signal Lamps...................5-50
Back-Up Lamps............................................5-52
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement..............5-52
Tires..............................................................5-55
Extended Mobility Tires (Except Z06)...............5-61
Inflation - Tire Pressure.................................5-62
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation
(Except Z06).............................................5-64
Tire Rotation................................................5-65
When It Is Time for New Tires.......................5-65
Buying New Tires.........................................5-66
Uniform Tire Quality Grading..........................5-67
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance..................5-68
Wheel Replacement......................................5-68
Tire Chains..................................................5-71
Lifting Your Vehicle.......................................5-71
If a Tire Goes Flat........................................5-75
Tire Inflator Kit (Z06 Only).............................5-77
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-1

Appearance Care............................................5-82
Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle.................5-83
Care of Safety Belts......................................5-85
Weatherstrips...............................................5-85
Cleaning the Outside of Your Vehicle..............5-85
Finish Damage.............................................5-89
Carbon Fiber Hood (Z06 Commemorative
Edition Model Only)...................................5-89
Magnesium Wheel Finish...............................5-89
Underbody Maintenance................................5-89
Titanium Exhaust System (Z06 Only)...............5-89
Fiberglass Springs........................................5-90
Chemical Paint Spotting.................................5-90
Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials..................5-90Vehicle Identication......................................5-91
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).................5-91
Service Parts Identification Label.....................5-92
Electrical System............................................5-92
Add-On Electrical Equipment..........................5-92
Headlamp Wiring..........................................5-92
Windshield Wiper Fuses................................5-92
Power Windows and Other Power Options.......5-92
Fuses and Circuit Breakers............................5-93
Capacities and Specications..........................5-99
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-2

Hood Release
Notice:If the hood comes into contact with the
headlamp doors when you raise the hood, you could
damage the hood and/or the headlamp doors.
Always close the headlamp doors before opening
the hood.
To open the hood, do the following:
1. Pull the handle located
inside the vehicle below
the instrument panel on
the driver’s side.
2. Go to the side of the vehicle and pull up on the rear
edge of the hood, near the windshield.
Before closing the hood, be sure all the filler caps are
on properly. Then, just pull the hood down and
close it firmly.
5-11