2007 CHEVROLET CORVETTE brake

Driving too fast through large water puddles or
even going through some car washes can cause
problems, too. The water may affect your
brakes. Try to avoid puddles. But if you cannot,
try to slow down before you hit them.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much water can
build up under your tires that they can actually ride
on the water. This can happen if the road is wet
enough and you are going fast enough. When your
vehicle is hydroplaning, it has little or no contact
with the road.
Hydroplaning does not happen often. But it can
if your tires do not have much tread or if the
pressure in one or more is low. It can happen if
a lot of water is standing on the road. If you
can see reections from trees, telephone poles,
or other vehicles, and raindrops dimple the
water’s surface, there could be hydroplaning.
Hydroplaning usually happens at higher speeds.
There just is not a hard and fast rule about
hydroplaning. The best advice is to slow down
when it is raining.
Driving Through Deep Standing Water
Notice:If you drive too quickly through deep
puddles or standing water, water can come
in through the engine’s air intake and badly
damage the engine. Never drive through water
that is slightly lower than the underbody of your
vehicle. If you cannot avoid deep puddles or
standing water, drive through them very slowly.
Driving Through Flowing Water
{CAUTION:
Flowing or rushing water creates strong
forces. If you try to drive through owing
water, as you might at a low water
crossing, your vehicle can be carried away.
As little as six inches of owing water
can carry away a smaller vehicle. If this
happens, you and other vehicle occupants
could drown. Do not ignore police warning
signs, and otherwise be very cautious
about trying to drive through owing water.
296

Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or mountains is different
from driving in at or rolling terrain.If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you are
planning to visit there, here are some tips that
can make your trips safer and more enjoyable.
Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check
all uid levels and also the brakes, tires,
cooling system, and transmission. These parts
can work hard on mountain roads.
{CAUTION:
If you do not shift down, the brakes could
get so hot that they would not work well.
You would then have poor braking or
even none going down a hill. You could
crash. Shift down to let the engine assist
the brakes on a steep downhill slope.
302

{CAUTION:
Coasting downhill in NEUTRAL (N) or with
the ignition off is dangerous. The brakes
will have to do all the work of slowing
down. They could get so hot that they
would not work well. You would then have
poor braking or even none going down a
hill. You could crash. Always have the
engine running and your vehicle in gear
when you go downhill.
Know how to go down hills. The most important
thing to know is this: let the engine do some of
the slowing down. Shift to a lower gear when
you go down a steep or long hill.
Know how to go uphill. You may want to shift
down to a lower gear. The lower gears help
cool the engine and transmission, and you can
climb the hill better.
Stay in your own lane when driving on two-lane
roads in hills or mountains. Do not swing wide
or cut across the center of the road. Drive at
speeds that let you stay in your own lane.
As you go over the top of a hill, be alert. There
could be something in your lane, like a stalled
car or an accident.
You may see highway signs on mountains that
warn of special problems. Examples are long
grades, passing or no-passing zones, a falling
rocks area, or winding roads. Be alert to these
and take appropriate action.
303

The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) improves your
vehicle’s stability when you make a hard stop
on a slippery road. Even though you have ABS,
you will want to begin stopping sooner than
you would on dry pavement. SeeAnti-Lock Brake
System (ABS) on page 279.
Allow greater following distance on any
slippery road.
Watch for slippery spots. The road might be
ne until you hit a spot that is covered with
ice. On an otherwise clear road, ice patches
may appear in shaded areas where the
sun cannot reach, such as around clumps
of trees, behind buildings, or under bridges.
Sometimes the surface of a curve or an
overpass may remain icy when the
surrounding roads are clear. If you see a
patch of ice ahead of you, brake before
you are on it. Try not to brake while you
are actually on the ice, and avoid sudden
steering maneuvers.
If You Are Caught in a Blizzard
If you are stopped by heavy snow, you could be
in a serious situation. You should probably stay
with your vehicle unless you know for sure that you
are near help and you can hike through the snow.
Here are some things to do to summon help and
keep yourself and your passengers safe:
Turn on your hazard ashers.
Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police
that you have been stopped by the snow.
Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket
around you. If you do not have blankets or
extra clothing, make body insulators from
newspapers, burlap bags, rags, oor
mats — anything you can wrap around
yourself or tuck under your clothing to
keep warm.
306

Service........................................................ 319
Accessories and Modications................... 319
California Proposition 65 Warning.............. 320
Doing Your Own Service Work.................. 320
Adding Equipment to the Outside
of Your Vehicle...................................... 321
Fuel............................................................. 321
Gasoline Octane........................................ 321
Gasoline Specications.............................. 322
California Fuel........................................... 322
Additives................................................... 323
Fuels in Foreign Countries........................ 324
Filling the Tank......................................... 324
Filling a Portable Fuel Container............... 327
Checking Things Under the Hood.............. 328
Hood Release........................................... 329
Engine Compartment Overview.................. 330
Engine Oil................................................. 333
Engine Oil Life System.............................. 340
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter............................ 342
Automatic Transmission Fluid.................... 345
Manual Transmission Fluid........................ 345
Hydraulic Clutch........................................ 346
Engine Coolant.......................................... 347
Coolant Surge Tank Pressure Cap............ 350Engine Overheating................................... 350
Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode..................................... 352
Cooling System......................................... 353
Power Steering Fluid................................. 358
Windshield Washer Fluid........................... 360
Brakes...................................................... 361
Battery...................................................... 364
Jump Starting............................................ 365
Rear Axle.................................................... 370
Bulb Replacement....................................... 371
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting..... 371
Halogen Bulbs........................................... 372
Headlamps, Front Turn Signal, and
Parking Lamps....................................... 372
Taillamps, Turn Signal, and Stoplamps...... 374
Replacement Bulbs................................... 374
Windshield Replacement............................ 375
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement....... 375
Tires............................................................ 378
Winter Tires.............................................. 379
Tire Sidewall Labeling............................... 380
Tire Terminology and Denitions............... 382
Extended Mobility Tires............................. 384
Ination - Tire Pressure............................. 386
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
317

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/retailer can accessorize your
vehicle using genuine GM Accessories. When
you go to your GM dealer/retailer and ask for
GM Accessories, you will know that GM-trained
and supported service technicians will perform
the work using genuine GM Accessories.
319

Checking Things Under
the Hood
{CAUTION:
An electric fan under the hood can start
up and injure you even when the engine
is not running. Keep hands, clothing,
and tools away from any underhood
electric fan.
{CAUTION:
Things that burn can get on hot engine
parts and start a re. These include
liquids like fuel, oil, coolant, brake uid,
windshield washer and other uids, and
plastic or rubber. You or others could be
burned. Be careful not to drop or spill
things that will burn onto a hot engine.
328

A. Clutch Master Cylinder Reservoir
(If Equipped). SeeHydraulic Clutch
on page 346.
B. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir.
See “Adding Washer Fluid” under
Windshield Washer Fluid on page 360.
C. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See “Brake Fluid”
underBrakes on page 361.
D. Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap.
SeeEngine Coolant on page 347.
E. Engine Air Cleaner/Filters. SeeEngine
Air Cleaner/Filter on page 342.F. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir.
SeePower Steering Fluid on page 358.
G. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See “When to Add Engine
Oil” underEngine Oil on page 333.
H. Engine Oil Dipstick. See “Checking Engine Oil”
underEngine Oil on page 333.
I. Engine Compartment Fuse Block. SeeEngine
Compartment Fuse Block on page 422.
J. Passenger Compartment Air Filter (Out of View).
SeePassenger Compartment Air Filter on
page 186.
K. Battery. SeeBattery on page 364.
331