2005 CHEVROLET CORVETTE tow

If the light comes on while you are driving and you have
a CHECK 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.
SeeTowing Your Vehicle on page 4-36.
{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 have pulled off the road and
stopped carefully, have the vehicle towed for
service.
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning
Light
With the anti-lock brake
system, the light will come
on when your engine is
started and may stay on for
several seconds. That is
normal.
If the light stays on, turn the ignition off. Or, if the light
comes on when you are driving, stop as soon as
possible and turn the ignition off. Then start the engine
again to reset the system. If the light still stays on,
or comes on again while you are driving, your vehicle
needs service. If the regular brake system warning light
is not on, you still have brakes, but you do not have
anti-lock brakes. If the regular brake system warning
light is also on, you do not have anti-lock brakes
and there is a problem with your regular brakes. See
“SERVICE ANTILOCK BRAKES” underDIC Warnings
and Messages on page 3-54.
The anti-lock brake system warning light will come on
briey when you turn the ignition on. This is normal.
If the light does not come on then, have it xed so it will
be ready to warn you if there is a problem.
3-39

If the SERVICE ANTILOCK BRAKES 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
ANTILOCK BRAKES, SERVICE TRACTION SYSTEM
and SERVICE ACTIVE HANDLING, and the instrument
cluster lights will be illuminated along with a chime.
The driver can acknowledge these messages by
pressing the RESET button. When the service message
is displayed the computer controlled systems will not
assist the driver and you should have the system
repaired by your GM dealer as soon as possible. Adjust
your driving accordingly.
SERVICE CHARGING SYSTEM:Press the RESET
button 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.
You will hear multiple chimes when this message is
displayed.
If this message comes on while you are driving, you
may have a problem with the electrical charging system.
It could indicate that you have a loose or broken drive
belt or another electrical problem. Have it checked
right away by your GM dealer. Driving while this warning
message is on could drain your battery.
If you must drive a short distance with the message on,
be certain to turn off your accessories, such as the
radio and air conditioner.SERVICE COLUMN LOCK (Manual Transmission
Only):This message may display if the system
that controls the locking and unlocking of the steering
column does not work properly. Have the vehicle towed
to your GM dealer for service.
SERVICE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:This message
displays if an electrical problem has occurred within the
Powertrain Control Module (PCM). Have your vehicle
serviced by your GM dealer.
SERVICE FUEL SYSTEM:This message displays if
the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) has detected
a problem within the fuel system. Have your vehicle
serviced by your GM dealer. This message will also be
displayed when the cluster is not getting fuel
information from the PCM.
SERVICE RIDE CONTROL:This message is used to
indicate to the driver that the Selective Ride Control
system has detected a malfunction and that the system
must be serviced. See your GM dealer. The SERVICE
RIDE CONTROL message will always come on when a
failure is detected by the Selective Ride Control
system. If a fault is present in the Selective Ride Control
system which causes the shocks to be in their full soft
condition, the SERVICE RIDE CONTROL, SHOCKS
INOPERATIVE and MAXIMUM SPEED 80 MPH
(129 km/h) will display together.
3-62

5. Press and hold one of the six numbered
pushbuttons until you hear a beep. Whenever that
numbered pushbutton is pressed, the station
that was set will return and the equalization that
was selected will be stored for that pushbutton.
6. Repeat the steps for each pushbutton.
Setting the Tone (Bass/Treble)
e
(Bass/Treble/Midrange):Press this knob to select
BASS, MIDRANGE, or TREBLE. Turn the knob to
increase or to decrease. If a station is weak or noisy,
decrease the treble.
To adjust the bass, midrange, and treble to the middle
position, press and hold this knob when the tone
control is on the display. The level will change to the
middle position.
To adjust all tone and speaker controls to the middle
position, press and hold this knob when no tone
or speaker control is displayed. AUDIO SETTINGS
CENTERED will appear on the display.
AUTO EQ (Automatic Equalization):Press this button
to select customized equalization settings designed
for country/western, jazz, talk, pop, rock, and classical.
Selecting CUSTOM or changing bass or treble,
returns the EQ to the manual bass and treble settings.The radio will save separate AUTO EQ settings for each
preset and source.
If the radio is equipped with the Bose
®audio system,
the equalization settings are EQ1 through EQ7 and
CUSTOM.
Adjusting the Speakers (Balance/Fade)
e
(Balance/Fade):To adjust the balance between
the right and the left speakers, press this knob until
BALANCE appears on the display. Turn the knob
to move the sound toward the right or the left speakers.
To adjust the fade between the front and the rear
speakers, press this knob until FADE appears on the
display. Turn the knob to move the sound toward
the front or the rear speakers.
To adjust the balance and fade to the middle position,
press and hold this knob when the speaker control is on
the display. The level will change to the middle
position.
To adjust all tone and speaker controls to the middle
position, press and hold this knob when no tone
or speaker control is displayed. AUDIO SETTINGS
CENTERED will appear on the display.
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Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle..........4-2
Defensive Driving...........................................4-2
Drunken Driving.............................................4-2
Control of a Vehicle........................................4-5
Braking.........................................................4-5
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS).........................4-6
Braking in Emergencies...................................4-8
Traction Control System (TCS).........................4-8
Active Handling System.................................4-10
Limited-Slip Rear Axle...................................4-11
Selective Ride Control...................................4-12
Steering......................................................4-12
Off-Road Recovery.......................................4-14
Passing.......................................................4-15
Loss of Control.............................................4-16
Driving at Night............................................4-17Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads..................4-19
City Driving..................................................4-21
Freeway Driving...........................................4-22
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.......................4-23
Highway Hypnosis........................................4-24
Hill and Mountain Roads................................4-24
Winter Driving..............................................4-26
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud,
Ice or Snow..............................................4-30
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out.................4-31
Loading Your Vehicle....................................4-31
Towing..........................................................4-36
Towing Your Vehicle.....................................4-36
Recreational Vehicle Towing...........................4-36
Towing a Trailer...........................................4-36
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
4-1

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 traction control system off. SeeTraction
Control System (TCS) on page 4-8. 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 does not get you out
after a few tries, you may need to be towed out. If you
do need to be towed out, seeTowing Your Vehicle
on page 4-36.
Loading Your Vehicle
It is very important to know how much weight your
vehicle can carry. This weight is called the vehicle
capacity weight and includes the weight of all occupants,
cargo and all nonfactory-installed options. Two labels
on your vehicle show how much weight it may properly
carry, the Tire and Loading Information label and the
Certication label.
{CAUTION:
Do not load your vehicle any heavier than the
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), or either
the maximum front or rear Gross Axle Weight
Rating (GAWR). If you do, parts on your
vehicle can break, and it can change the way
your vehicle handles. These could cause you
to lose control and crash. Also, overloading
can shorten the life of your vehicle.
4-31

6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, the load from
your trailer will be transferred to your vehicle.
Consult this manual to determine how this reduces
the available cargo and luggage load capacity of
your vehicle.
Your vehicle is neither designed nor intended to tow
a trailer.
Item Description Total
AVehicle Capacity Weight
for Example 1=400 lbs (181 kg)
BSubtract Occupant
Weight @ 150 lbs
(68kg)x1=150 lbs (68 kg)
CAvailable Occupant and
Cargo Weight =250 lbs (113 kg)
Item Description Total
AVehicle Capacity Weight
for Example 2=400 lbs (181 kg)
BSubtract Occupant
Weight @ 150 lbs
(68kg)x2=300 lbs (136 kg)
CAvailable Cargo
Weight =100 lbs (45 kg) Example 1
Example 2
4-33

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 7-5.
Recreational Vehicle Towing
Recreational vehicle towing means towing your vehicle
behind another vehicle — such as behind a motorhome.
The two most common types of recreational vehicle
towing are known as “dinghy towing” (towing your
vehicle with all four wheels on the ground) and “dolly
towing” (towing your vehicle with two wheels on
the ground and two wheels up on a device known
as a “dolly”).Your vehicle was not designed to be towed with any of
its wheels on the ground. If your vehicle must be
towed, see “Towing Your Vehicle” earlier in this section.
Towing a Trailer
Your Corvette is neither designed nor intended to tow
a trailer.
4-36

A. Clutch Master Cylinder Reservoir (If Equipped). See
Hydraulic Clutch on page 5-20.
B. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See “Adding
Washer Fluid” underWindshield Washer Fluid
on page 5-33.
C. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See “Brake Fluid” under
Brakes on page 5-34.
D. Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap. SeeEngine
Coolant on page 5-21.
E. Engine Air Cleaner/Filters. SeeEngine Air
Cleaner/Filter on page 5-18.
F. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir. SeePower Steering
Fluid on page 5-31.
G. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See “When to Add Engine Oil”
underEngine Oil on page 5-13.
H. Engine Oil Dipstick. See “Checking Engine Oil”
underEngine Oil on page 5-13.
I. Engine Compartment Fuse Block. SeeEngine
Compartment Fuse Block on page 5-89.
J. Passenger Compartment Air Filter (Out of View).
SeePassenger Compartment Air Filter on page 3-31.
K. Battery. SeeBattery on page 5-37.Engine Oil
If the LOW OIL LEVEL message on the Driver
Information Center (DIC) comes on, it means you need
to check your engine oil level right away. For more
information, seeDriver Information Center (DIC)
on page 3-49.
You should check your engine oil level regularly; this is
an added reminder.
Checking Engine Oil
It is a good idea to check your engine oil level every
time you get fuel. In order to get an accurate reading,
the oil must be warm and the vehicle must be on
level ground.
The engine oil dipstick handle is a yellow loop. See
Engine Compartment Overview on page 5-12for
the location of the engine oil dipstick.
1. Turn off the engine and give the oil a few minutes
to drain back into the oil pan. If you do not do this,
the oil dipstick might not show the actual level.
2. Pull out the dipstick and clean it with a paper towel
or a cloth, then push it back in all the way. Remove
it again, keeping the tip down.
5-13