2006 CHEVROLET CORVETTE service

If you put things inside your vehicle — like suitcases,
tools, packages or anything else — they will go as
fast as the vehicle goes. If you have to stop or turn
quickly, or if there is a crash, they will keep going.
{CAUTION:
Things you put inside your vehicle can strike
and injure people in a sudden stop or turn, or
in a crash.
Put things in the rear area of your vehicle.
Try to spread the weight evenly.
Never stack heavier things, like suitcases,
inside the vehicle so that some of them
are above the tops of the seats.
Do not leave an unsecured child restraint
in your vehicle.
When you carry something inside the
vehicle, secure it whenever you can.
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 7-6.
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.
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Service............................................................5-3
Accessories and Modications..........................5-3
California Proposition 65 Warning.....................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 Specications....................................5-5
California Fuel...............................................5-5
Additives.......................................................5-6
Fuels in Foreign Countries...............................5-6
Filling the 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...................................................5-16
Engine Oil Life System..................................5-23
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter................................5-25
Automatic Transmission Fluid.........................5-28
Manual Transmission Fluid.............................5-28
Hydraulic Clutch...........................................5-28
Engine Coolant.............................................5-29
Coolant Surge Tank Pressure Cap..................5-32
Engine Overheating.......................................5-32Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode........................................5-34
Cooling System............................................5-34
Power Steering Fluid.....................................5-40
Windshield Washer Fluid................................5-41
Brakes........................................................5-42
Battery........................................................5-45
Jump Starting...............................................5-46
Rear Axle.......................................................5-51
Bulb Replacement..........................................5-52
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting............5-52
Halogen Bulbs..............................................5-52
Headlamps, Front Turn Signal,
and Parking Lamps....................................5-52
Taillamps, Turn Signal, and Stoplamps............5-54
Replacement Bulbs.......................................5-54
Windshield Replacement.................................5-54
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement..............5-55
Tires..............................................................5-57
Tire Sidewall Labeling...................................5-58
Tire Terminology and Denitions.....................5-60
Extended Mobility Tires..................................5-62
Ination - Tire Pressure.................................5-64
Tire Pressure Monitor System.........................5-67
Tire Rotation................................................5-69
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-1

When It Is Time for New Tires.......................5-69
Buying New Tires.........................................5-70
Different Size Tires and Wheels......................5-71
Uniform Tire Quality Grading..........................5-72
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance..................5-73
Wheel Replacement......................................5-73
Tire Chains..................................................5-76
Lifting Your Vehicle.......................................5-76
If a Tire Goes Flat........................................5-81
Appearance Care............................................5-82
Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle.................5-82
Fabric/Carpet...............................................5-83
Coated Moldings...........................................5-84
Leather.......................................................5-84
Instrument Panel, Vinyl, and Other
Plastic Surfaces........................................5-85
Cargo Cover and Convenience Net.................5-85
Care of Safety Belts......................................5-85
Weatherstrips...............................................5-85
Washing Your Vehicle...................................5-86
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses.....................5-86
Finish Care..................................................5-86Windshield and Wiper Blades.........................5-87
Removable Roof Panel..................................5-88
Convertible Top............................................5-88
Aluminum Wheels.........................................5-89
Tires...........................................................5-89
Finish Damage.............................................5-90
Underbody Maintenance................................5-90
Fiberglass Springs........................................5-90
Chemical Paint Spotting.................................5-90
Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials..................5-91
Vehicle Identication......................................5-92
Vehicle Identication Number (VIN).................5-92
Service Parts Identication Label.....................5-92
Electrical System............................................5-92
Add-On Electrical Equipment..........................5-92
Headlamp Wiring..........................................5-93
Windshield Wiper Fuses................................5-93
Power Windows and Other Power Options.......5-93
Fuses and Circuit Breakers............................5-93
Instrument Panel Fuse Block..........................5-94
Engine Compartment Fuse Block....................5-98
Capacities and Specications........................5-101
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-2

Service
Your dealer knows your vehicle best and wants you to
be happy with it. We hope you will go to your dealer
for all your service needs. You will get genuine GM parts
and GM-trained and supported service people.
We hope you will want to keep your GM vehicle all GM.
Genuine GM parts have one of these marks:
Accessories and Modications
When you add non-GM accessories to your vehicle
they can affect your vehicle’s performance and safety,
including such things as, airbags, braking, stability,
ride and handling, emissions systems, aerodynamics,
durability, and electronic systems like anti-lock brakes,
traction control and stability control. Some of these
accessories may even cause malfunction or damage
not covered by warranty.
GM Accessories are designed to complement and
function with other systems on your vehicle. Your GM
dealer can accessorize your vehicle using genuine
GM Accessories. When you go to your GM dealer and
ask for GM Accessories, you will know that GM-trained
and supported service technicians will perform the
work using genuine GM Accessories.
California Proposition 65 Warning
Most motor vehicles, including this one, contain and/or
emit chemicals known to the State of California to
cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive
harm. Engine exhaust, many parts and systems
(including some inside the vehicle), many uids, and
some component wear by-products contain and/or emit
these chemicals.
5-3

Doing Your Own Service Work
{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.
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.
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 7-14.Your vehicle has an airbag system. Before attempting
to do your own service work, seeServicing Your
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle on page 1-52.
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 6-16.
Adding Equipment to the Outside
of Your Vehicle
Things you might add to the outside of your vehicle
can affect the airow 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
The 8th digit of your vehicle identication number (VIN)
shows the code letter or number that identies your
engine. You will nd the VIN at the top left of the
instrument panel. SeeVehicle Identication Number
(VIN) on page 5-92.
5-4

Gasoline Octane
If your vehicle has the 6.0L V8 engine (VIN Code U), use
premium unleaded gasoline with a posted octane rating
of 91 or higher. You may also use regular unleaded
gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher, but your vehicle’s
acceleration may be slightly reduced, and you may notice
a slight audible knocking noise, commonly referred to as
spark knock. If the octane is less than 87, you may notice
a heavy knocking noise when you drive. If this occurs,
use a gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher as soon as
possible. Otherwise, you might damage your engine. If
you are using gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher and
you hear heavy knocking, your engine needs service.
If your vehicle has the 7.0L V8 engine (VIN Code E),
use premium unleaded gasoline with a posted octane
rating of 91 or higher. For best performance, use
premium unleaded gasoline with a posted octane rating
of 93. In an emergency, you can use regular unleaded
gasoline with an octane rating of 87 or higher. If
87 octane fuel is used, do not perform any aggressive
driving maneuvers such as wide open throttle
applications. You may also hear audible spark knock
during acceleration. Rell your tank with premium fuel as
soon as possible to avoid damaging your engine. If you
are using gasoline rated at 91 octane or higher and you
hear heavy knocking, your engine needs service.
Gasoline Specications
At a minimum, gasoline should meet ASTM
specication D 4814 in the United States or
CAN/CGSB-3.5 in Canada. Some gasolines may
contain an octane-enhancing additive called
methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl (MMT).
General Motors recommends against the use of
gasolines containing MMT. SeeAdditives on page 5-6
for additional information.
California Fuel
If your vehicle is certied to meet California Emissions
Standards, it is designed to operate on fuels that
meet California specications. See the underhood
emission control label. If this fuel is not available
in states adopting California emissions standards,
your vehicle will operate satisfactorily on fuels meeting
federal specications, but emission control system
performance may be affected. The malfunction indicator
lamp may turn on and your vehicle may fail a
smog-check test. SeeMalfunction Indicator Lamp
on page 3-42. If this occurs, return to your authorized
GM dealer for diagnosis. If it is determined that the
condition is caused by the type of fuel used, repairs may
not be covered by your warranty.
5-5

Additives
To provide cleaner air, all gasolines in the United States
are now required to contain additives that will help
prevent engine and fuel system deposits from forming,
allowing your emission control system to work properly.
In most cases, you should not have to add anything to
your fuel. However, some gasolines contain only the
minimum amount of additive required to meet
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations.
To help keep fuel injectors and intake valves clean,
or if your vehicle experiences problems due to dirty
injectors or valves, look for gasoline that is advertised as
TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline. Also, your GM dealer has
additives that will help correct and prevent most
deposit-related problems.
Gasolines containing oxygenates, such as ethers and
ethanol, and reformulated gasolines may be available in
your area. General Motors recommends that you use
these gasolines if they comply with the specications
described earlier. However, E85 (85% ethanol) and other
fuels containing more than 10% ethanol must not be used
in vehicles that were not designed for those fuels.
Notice:Your vehicle was not designed for fuel that
contains methanol. Do not use fuel containing
methanol. It can corrode metal parts in your fuel
system and also damage the plastic and rubber
parts. That damage would not be covered under
your warranty.Some gasolines that are not reformulated for low
emissions may contain an octane-enhancing additive
called methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl
(MMT); ask the attendant where you buy gasoline
whether the fuel contains MMT. General Motors
recommends against the use of such gasolines.
Fuels containing MMT can reduce the life of spark plugs
and the performance of the emission control system
may be affected. The malfunction indicator lamp
may turn on. If this occurs, return to your authorized
GM dealer for service.
Fuels in Foreign Countries
If you plan on driving in another country outside the
United States or Canada, the proper fuel may be hard
to nd. Never use leaded gasoline or any other fuel
not recommended in the previous text on fuel.
Costly repairs caused by use of improper fuel would
not be covered by your warranty.
To check the fuel availability, ask an auto club, or
contact a major oil company that does business in the
country where you will be driving.
5-6

When the system has calculated that oil life has been
diminished, it will indicate that an oil change is
necessary. A CHANGE ENGINE OIL message will
come on. Change your oil as soon as possible within
the next 600 miles (1 000 km). It is possible that, if you
are driving under the best conditions, the oil life
system may not indicate that an oil change is necessary
for over a year. However, your engine oil and lter
must be changed at least once a year and at this time
the system must be reset. Your dealer has GM-trained
service people who will perform this work using
genuine GM parts and reset the system. It is also
important to check your oil regularly and keep it at the
proper level.
If the system is ever reset accidentally, you must
change your oil at 3,000 miles (5 000 km) since your
last oil change. Remember to reset the oil life system
whenever the oil is changed.How to Reset the Engine Oil Life
System
The Engine Oil Life System calculates when to change
your engine oil and lter based on vehicle use.
Anytime your oil is changed, reset the system so it can
calculate when the next oil change is required. If a
situation occurs where you change your oil prior to a
CHANGE ENGINE OIL message being turned on, reset
the system.
To reset the CHANGE ENGINE OIL message after an
oil change, do the following:
1. Press the TRIP button so the OIL LIFE percentage
is displayed.
2. Press RESET and hold for two seconds. OIL LIFE
REMAINING 100% will appear.
If the CHANGE ENGINE OIL message comes back on
when you start your vehicle, the engine oil life system
has not reset. Repeat the procedure.
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