2004 CHEVROLET CORVETTE maintenance

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

Doing Your Own Service Work
If you want to do some of your own service work, you
will want to use the proper service manual. It tells
you much more about how to service your vehicle than
this manual can. To order the proper service manual,
seeService Publications Ordering Information on
page 7-11.
Your vehicle may have an air bag system. If it does, see
Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle on page 1-49
before attempting to do your own service work.
You should keep a record with all parts receipts and list
the mileage and the date of any service work you
perform. SeeMaintenance Record on page 6-15.
{CAUTION:
You can be injured and your vehicle could be
damaged if you try to do service work on a
vehicle without knowing enough about it.
Be sure you have sufficient knowledge,
experience, the proper replacement parts
and tools before you attempt any vehicle
maintenance task.
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)

Be sure to use the proper nuts, bolts and
other fasteners. “English” and “metric”
fasteners can be easily confused. If you
use the wrong fasteners, parts can later
break or fall off. You could be hurt.
Adding Equipment to the Outside of
Your Vehicle
Things you might add to the outside of your vehicle can
affect the airflow around it. This may cause wind
noise and affect windshield washer performance. Check
with your dealer before adding equipment to the
outside of your vehicle.
Fuel
Use of the recommended fuel is an important part of the
proper maintenance of your vehicle.
5-4

2. Pull the assembly out.
3. Replace the filter. SeeNormal Maintenance
Replacement Parts on page 6-13.
4. Push the assembly back into place.
5. Fasten the clips.
{CAUTION:
Operating the engine with the air cleaner/lter
off can cause you or others to be burned. The
air cleaner not only cleans the air, it helps to
stop ame if the engine backres. If it is not
there and the engine backres, you could be
burned. Do not drive with it off, and be careful
working on the engine with the air cleaner/
lter off.
Notice:If the air cleaner/lter is off, a backre can
cause a damaging engine re. And, dirt can
easily get into your engine, which will damage it.
Always have the air cleaner/lter in place when you
are driving.
5-19

Automatic Transmission Fluid
How to Check
It is not necessary to check the transmission fluid level.
A transmission fluid leak is the only reason for fluid
loss. If a leak occurs, take the vehicle to your dealer
service department and have it repaired as soon
as possible.
There is a special procedure for checking and changing
the transmission fluid. Because this procedure is
difficult, you should have this done at your dealer service
department. Contact your dealer for additional
information or the procedure can be found in the service
manual. To purchase a service manual, seeService
Publications Ordering Information on page 7-11.
Notice:We recommend you use only uid labeled
DEXRON
®-III, because uid with that label is
made especially for your automatic transmission.
Damage caused by uid other than DEXRON
®-III is
not covered by your new vehicle warranty.Change both the fluid and filter every 50,000 miles
(80 000 km) if the vehicle is mainly driven under one of
these conditions:
•In heavy city traffic where the outside temperature
regularly reaches 90°F (32°C) or higher.
•In hilly or mountainous terrain.
•High performance operation.
If you do not use your vehicle under one of these
conditions, change the fluid and filter every
100,000 miles (166 000 km).
SeeScheduled Maintenance on page 6-4for the proper
service intervals for the transmission fluid and filter.
5-20

How to Add Fluid
Here’s how to add fluid. Refer to the Maintenance
Schedule to determine what kind of fluid to use. See
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants on page 6-11.
1. Remove the filler plug.
2. Add fluid at the filler plug hole. Add only enough
fluid to bring the fluid level up to the bottom of the
filler plug hole.
3. Install the filler plug. Be sure the plug is fully
seated.
4. Tighten the plug to 20 lb ft (27Y).
Hydraulic Clutch
The hydraulic clutch linkage in your vehicle is
self-adjusting. The master cylinder reservoir is filled with
hydraulic fluid.
It is not necessary to regularly check the fluid unless
you suspect there is a leak in the system. Adding fluid
won’t correct a leak.
A fluid loss in this system could indicate a problem.
Have the system inspected and repaired.
When to Check and What to Use
The clutch master cylinder reservoir is located at the
rear of the engine compartment on the driver’s side. See
Engine Compartment Overview on page 5-12for
more information on location.
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine how
often you should check the fluid level in your master
cylinder reservoir and for the proper fluid. SeeOwner
Checks and Services on page 6-8andRecommended
Fluids and Lubricants on page 6-11.
5-22

Brakes
Brake Fluid
Your brake master cylinder reservoir is filled with DOT-3
brake fluid. SeeEngine Compartment Overview on
page 5-12for the location of the reservoir.
There are only two reasons why the brake fluid level in
the reservoir might go down. The first is that the
brake fluid goes down to an acceptable level during
normal brake lining wear. When new linings are put in,
the fluid level goes back up. The other reason isthat fluid is leaking out of the brake system. If it is, you
should have your brake system fixed, since a leak
means that sooner or later your brakes will not work
well, or will not work at all.
So, it is not a good idea to “top off” your brake fluid.
Adding brake fluid will not correct a leak. If you add fluid
when your linings are worn, then you will have too
much fluid when you get new brake linings. You should
add (or remove) brake fluid, as necessary, only when
work is done on the brake hydraulic system.
{CAUTION:
If you have too much brake uid, it can spill on
the engine. The uid will burn if the engine is
hot enough. You or others could be burned,
and your vehicle could be damaged. Add brake
uid only when work is done on the brake
hydraulic system. See “Checking Brake Fluid”
in this section.
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine when
to check your brake fluid. SeeScheduled Maintenance
on page 6-4.
5-37

Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a vehicle is complex. Its many
parts have to be of top quality and work well together if
the vehicle is to have really good braking. Your
vehicle was designed and tested with top-quality GM
brake parts. When you replace parts of your braking
system — for example, when your brake linings
wear down and you need new ones put in — be sure
you get new approved GM replacement parts. If you do
not, your brakes may no longer work properly. For
example, if someone puts in brake linings that are wrong
for your vehicle, the balance between your front and
rear brakes can change — for the worse. The braking
performance you have come to expect can change
in many other ways if someone puts in the wrong
replacement brake parts.
Battery
Your new vehicle comes with a maintenance free
ACDelco®battery. When it is time for a new battery, get
one that has the replacement number shown on the
original battery’s label. We recommend an ACDelco
®
battery.
For battery replacement, see your dealer or the service
manual. To purchase a service manual, seeService
and Owner PublicationsinService Publications Ordering
Information on page 7-11.
Warning:Battery posts, terminals and related
accessories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of California to cause
cancer and reproductive harm. Wash hands after
handling.
5-40

Back-Up Lamps
You can access the back-up lamps through the inboard
taillamp opening. SeeTaillamps and Turn Signal
Lamps on page 5-50.
1. Squeeze the tab on the socket while turning it
counterclockwise to remove it from the assembly.
2. Remove the bulb from the socket.
3. Reverse the steps listed previously with a new bulb.
Replacement Bulbs
Exterior Lamp Bulb Number
High-Beam Headlamp 9005
Low-Beam Headlamp 9006
Back-Up 2057
Rear Stop/Tail and Turn Signal 3057
For any bulb replacements or procedures not listed
here, please consult your dealer.
Windshield Wiper Blade
Replacement
Windshield wiper blades should be inspected each time
maintenance is performed. See “Wiper Blade Check”
underScheduled Maintenance on page 6-4for
more information.
Replacement blades come in different types and are
removed in different ways. For the proper type and
length, seeNormal Maintenance Replacement Parts on
page 6-13.
It is a good idea to clean or replace the wiper blade
assembly every six months.
Notice:Allowing the wiper blade arm to touch the
windshield when no wiper blade is installed
could damage the windshield. Any damage that
occurs would not be covered by your warranty. Do
not allow the wiper blade arm to touch the
windshield.
5-52