Seats and Restraint Systems........................... 1-1
Front Seats
............................................... 1-2
Safety Belts
.............................................. 1-7
Child Restraints
.......................................1-21
Airbag System
.........................................1-40
Restraint System Check
............................1-51
Features and Controls..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-3
Doors and Locks
......................................2-10
Windows
.................................................2-16
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................2-18
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
...........2-20
Mirrors
....................................................2-35
OnStar
®System
......................................2-41
HomeLink®Wireless Control System
...........2-42
Storage Areas
.........................................2-46
Roof Panel
..............................................2-52
Convertible Top
.......................................2-57
Vehicle Personalization
.............................2-68
Instrument Panel............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-4
Climate Controls
......................................3-25
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators
........3-32Driver Information Center (DIC)
..................3-49
Audio System(s)
.......................................3-78
Driving Your Vehicle....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle
..... 4-2
Towing
...................................................4-36
Service and Appearance Care.......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-5
Checking Things Under the Hood
...............5-10
Rear Axle
...............................................5-43
Bulb Replacement
....................................5-44
Windshield Replacement
...........................5-48
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.........5-49
Tires
......................................................5-51
Appearance Care
.....................................5-74
Vehicle Identi cation
.................................5-84
Electrical System
......................................5-85
Capacities and Speci cations
.....................5-92
Maintenance Schedule..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance and Information.............. 7-1
Customer Assistance and Information
........... 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
...........................7-10
Index................................................................ 1
2005 Chevrolet Corvette Owner ManualM
Front Seats......................................................1-2
Manual Seats................................................1-2
Six-Way Power Seats.....................................1-2
Power Lumbar and Side Bolsters......................1-3
Heated Seats.................................................1-4
Reclining Seatbacks........................................1-4
Seatback Latches...........................................1-6
Safety Belts.....................................................1-7
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone.................1-7
Questions and Answers About Safety Belts......1-11
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly.................1-12
Driver Position..............................................1-13
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy..................1-19
Passenger Position.......................................1-20
Safety Belt Pretensioners...............................1-20
Safety Belt Extender.....................................1-20
Child Restraints.............................................1-21
Older Children..............................................1-21
Infants and Young Children............................1-24
Child Restraint Systems.................................1-27
Top Strap....................................................1-31Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH System)...........................1-31
Securing a Child Restraint Designed for the
LATCH System.........................................1-33
Securing a Child Restraint in the Passenger
Seat Position............................................1-35
Airbag System...............................................1-40
Where Are the Airbags?................................1-42
When Should an Airbag In ate?.....................1-45
What Makes an Airbag In ate?.......................1-46
How Does an Airbag Restrain?.......................1-46
What Will You See After an Airbag In ates?.....1-46
Airbag Off Switch..........................................1-48
Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle...........1-51
Restraint System Check..................................1-51
Checking the Restraint Systems......................1-51
Replacing Restraint System Parts After
a Crash...................................................1-52
Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
1-1
Passenger Position
The passenger’s safety belt works the same way as the
driver’s safety belt. SeeDriver Position on page 1-13.
Safety Belt Pretensioners
Your vehicle has safety belt pretensioners for the driver
and right front passenger. Although you can not see
them, they are located on the buckle end of the safety
belts. They help the safety belts reduce a person’s
forward movement in a moderate to severe frontal and
near frontal crash.
Pretensioners work only once. If they activate in a
crash, you will need to get new ones, and probably other
new parts for your safety belt system. SeeReplacing
Restraint System Parts After a Crash on page 1-52.
Safety Belt Extender
If the vehicle’s safety belt will fasten around you, you
should use it.
But if a safety belt is not long enough, your dealer will
order you an extender. It is free. When you go in to
order it, take the heaviest coat you will wear, so
the extender will be long enough for you. To help avoid
personal injury, do not let someone else use it, and
use it only for the seat it is made to t. The extender has
been designed for adults. Never use it for securing
child seats. To wear it, just attach it to the regular safety
belt. For more information, see the instruction sheet
that comes with the extender.
1-20
Child Restraints
Older Children
Older children who have outgrown booster seats should
wear the vehicle’s safety belts.
Q:What is the proper way to wear safety belts?
A:If possible, an older child should wear a
lap-shoulder belt and get the additional restraint a
shoulder belt can provide. The shoulder belt
should not cross the face or neck. The lap belt
should t snugly below the hips, just touching the
top of the thighs. It should never be worn over
the abdomen, which could cause severe or even
fatal internal injuries in a crash.
In a crash, children who are not buckled up can strike
other people who are buckled up, or can be thrown
out of the vehicle. Older children need to use safety
belts properly.
1-21
{CAUTION:
Never do this.
Here a child is sitting in a seat that has a
lap-shoulder belt, but the shoulder part is
behind the child. If the child wears the belt in
this way, in a crash the child might slide under
the belt. The belt’s force would then be applied
right on the child’s abdomen. That could cause
serious or fatal injuries.
The lap portion of the belt should be worn low and snug
on the hips, just touching the child’s thighs. This
applies belt force to the child’s pelvic bones in a crash.
1-23
Q:What are the different types of add-on child
restraints?
A:Add-on child restraints, which are purchased by the
vehicle’s owner, are available in four basic types.
Selection of a particular restraint should take
into consideration not only the child’s weight, height
and age but also whether or not the restraint will
be compatible with the motor vehicle in which it will
be used.
For most basic types of child restraints, there are
many different models available. When purchasing a
child restraint, be sure it is designed to be used
in a motor vehicle. If it is, the restraint will have a
label saying that it meets federal motor vehicle
safety standards.
The restraint manufacturer’s instructions that come
with the restraint state the weight and height
limitations for a particular child restraint. In addition,
there are many kinds of restraints available for
children with special needs.
{CAUTION:
Newborn infants need complete support,
including support for the head and neck. This
is necessary because a newborn infant’s neck
is weak and its head weighs so much
compared with the rest of its body. In a crash,
an infant in a rear-facing seat settles into the
restraint, so the crash forces can be
distributed across the strongest part of an
infant’s body, the back and shoulders. Infants
always should be secured in appropriate infant
restraints.
1-26
A rear-facing infant seat (B) provides restraint with the
seating surface against the back of the infant. The
harness system holds the infant in place and, in a crash,
acts to keep the infant positioned in the restraint.A forward-facing child seat (C-E) provides restraint for
the child’s body with the harness and also sometimes
with surfaces such as T-shaped or shelf-like shields.
1-28