2008 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Owners Manual

Your vehicle has a Computer-Controlled Cranking
System. This feature assists in starting the engine and
protects components. Once cranking has been
initiated, the engine continues cranking for a few
seconds or until the vehicle starts. If the engine does
not start, cranking automatically stops after 15 seconds
to prevent cranking motor damage. To prevent gear
damage, this system also prevents cranking if the
engine is already running.
Notice:The engine is designed to work with the
electronics in the vehicle. If electrical parts or
accessories are added, you could change the way
the engine operates. Before adding electrical
equipment, check with your dealer/retailer. If you
do not, the engine might not perform properly.
Any resulting damage would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty.Stopping Your Engine
If your vehicle has an automatic transmission, move the
shift lever to PARK (P) and press and hold the Acc.
(Off/Accessory) button, located on the instrument panel,
until the engine shuts off. If the shift lever is not in
PARK (P), the engine shuts off and the vehicle goes
into the Accessory Mode. The DIC displays SHIFT TO
PARK. Once the shifter is moved to PARK (P), the
vehicle turns off. If your vehicle has a manual
transmission, it is recommended that you move the
shift lever to REVERSE (R) and set the parking
brake after you turn off the engine by pressing the
Acc. (Off/Accessory) button.
If the keyless access transmitter is not detected inside
the vehicle when it is turned to off, the DIC displays
NO FOB – OFF OR RUN?.
SeeDIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-57for
more information.
2-25

Automatic Transmission Operation
There are several different
positions for your shift
lever.
PARK (P):This position locks your rear wheels. It is
the best position to use when you start your engine
because your vehicle cannot move easily.
{CAUTION:
It is dangerous to get out of your vehicle if the
shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake rmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
Do not leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to. If you have left
the engine running, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You or others could be injured.
To be sure your vehicle will not move, even
when you are on fairly level ground, always set
your parking brake and move the shift lever to
PARK (P). SeeShifting Into Park (Automatic
Transmission) on page 2-33.
Be sure the shift lever is fully in PARK (P) before
starting the engine. Your vehicle has an automatic
transmission shift lock control system.
You have to fully apply your regular brakes rst and
then press the shift lever button before you can
shift from PARK (P) when the vehicle is running. If you
cannot shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure on the
shift lever and push the shift lever all the way into
PARK (P) as you maintain brake application. Then press
the shift lever button and move the shift lever into
another gear. SeeShifting Out of Park on page 2-34.
2-26

REVERSE (R):Use this gear to back up.
Notice:Shifting to R (Reverse) while the vehicle is
moving forward could damage the transmission.
The repairs would not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Shift to R (Reverse) only after the vehicle
is stopped.
To rock your vehicle back and forth to get out of snow,
ice, or sand without damaging your transmission,
seeIf Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow
on page 4-23.
NEUTRAL (N):In this position, your engine does not
connect with the wheels. To restart when you are
already moving, use NEUTRAL (N) only. If your vehicle
needs towing, seeTowing Your Vehicle on page 4-29.
{CAUTION:
Shifting into a drive gear while the engine is
running at high speed is dangerous. Unless
your foot is rmly on the brake pedal, the
vehicle could move very rapidly. You could
lose control and hit people or objects. Do not
shift into a drive gear while the engine is
running at high speed.Notice:Shifting out of P (Park) or N (Neutral) with
the engine running at high speed may damage
the transmission. The repairs would not be covered
by the vehicle warranty. Be sure the engine is
not running at high speed when shifting the vehicle.
DRIVE (D):This position is for normal driving.
It provides the best fuel economy for your vehicle.
If you need more power for passing, and you are:
Going less than about 35 mph (56 km/h), push the
accelerator pedal about halfway down.
Going about 35 mph (56 km/h) or more, push the
accelerator all the way down.
Downshifting the transmission in slippery road conditions
could result in skidding, see “Skidding” underLoss of
Control on page 4-13.
SPORT MODE (S):When in SPORT MODE (S), the
transmission will work as an automatic until you use the
Manual Paddle Shift Controls, which activates the
driver manual gear selection. See Manual Paddle Shift
later in this section. While in automatic SPORT
MODE (S), the transmission computer determines when
the vehicle is being driven in a competitive manner
and will select and hold the transmission in lower gears
and have more noticeable upshifts for sportier vehicle
performance.
2-27

Manual Paddle Shift
While in the SPORT MODE (S) position, the paddles
located on the steering wheel, can be used to manually
up-shift or down-shift the transmission.
While in the SPORT MODE (S) mode, push the paddle
above the steering wheel spokes to up-shift to the
next gear, or pull on the paddle behind the steering
wheel spokes to down-shift to the next gear.
To use the system, shift from PARK (P) position to
SPORT MODE (S) while stopped and with the engine
running, or from DRIVE (D) with the vehicle moving.
When accelerating your vehicle from a stop in snowy andicy conditions, you may want to shift to second (2) or
third (3) gear. A higher gear allows you to gain more
traction on slippery surfaces. If the traction control is
active, upshifts are delayed to increase your control of the
vehicle. SeeTraction Control System (TCS) on page 4-6.
While the Manual Paddle Shift gear selection system is
active, the transmission will automatically downshift
through the gears as the vehicle slows. The transmission
will select second gear as the vehicle stops. From a stop,
the vehicle will start from and hold second (2) gear unless
the driver manually paddle shifts into a different gear or
selects DRIVE (D). The driver can select rst (1) gear for
maximum acceleration from a stop.
When using the Manual
Paddle Shift Feature while
in the SPORT MODE (S),
the current gear will be
displayed in the Driver
Information (DIC), or the
Head-Up Display (HUD), if
the vehicle has either of
these features.
If your vehicle has a Navigation system, see “Head-Up
Display (HUD)” in the Index of the navigation manual.
2-28

The Manual Paddle Shift system will not allow either an
up-shift or a down-shift if the vehicle speed is too
fast or too slow, nor will it allow a start from Fourth (4)
or higher gear
If up-shifting does not occur when needed, the vehicle
speed will be limited to protect the engine.
The transmission will also automatically down-shift as
the vehicle slows down and comes to a stop.
When the transmission gear does not respond to a shift
change, the DIC will show an X over the gear display.
When a requested shift is
denied due to the speed
restrictions shown, the DIC
will momentarily show
an X over the gear display
and a chime will sound.
If the vehicle has a HUD, and the transmission gear
does not respond to a shift change, then a chime
will sound and the HUD will momentarily show an X
over the gear display.Manual Paddle Shift operation is available for use with
Cruise Control, seeCruise Control on page 3-11for
more information.
The vehicle speeds required for Manual Paddle Shift
up-shifts depend on several vehicle inputs, which
will vary the allowed up-shift speed by a few mph (km/h).
Up-shifts to Fourth (4) gear require approximately
22 mph (35 km/h).
Up-shifts to Fifth (5) gear require approximately
28 mph (45 km/h).
Up-shifts to Sixth (6) gear require approximately
41 mph (65 km/h).
To prevent damage to the powertrain, Manual Paddle
downshifts to a lower gear cannot be done above certain
speeds. The maximum speed allowed for downshifting
of gears one (1) through fourth (4) are:
Into Fourth (4) gear over 168 mph (270 km/h)
Into Third (3) gear over 124 mph (200 km/h)
Into Second (2) gear over 81 mph (130 km/h)
Into First (1) gear over 45 mph (72 km/h).
If the driver does not request an upshift as the engine
speed approaches fuel shut off RPM, the engine
speed will be limited to protect the engine. See
Tachometer on page 3-36for more information.
2-29

Manual Transmission Operation
This is the shift pattern for
the six-speed manual
transmission.
Here is how to operate your transmission:
FIRST (1):Press the clutch pedal and shift into
FIRST (1). Then slowly let up on the clutch pedal as
you press the accelerator pedal.
You can shift into FIRST (1) when you are going less
than 40 mph (64 km/h). If you come to a complete stop
and it is hard to shift into FIRST (1), put the shift
lever in NEUTRAL and let up on the clutch. Press the
clutch pedal back down. Then shift into FIRST (1).SECOND (2):Press the clutch pedal as you let up on
the accelerator pedal and shift into SECOND (2).
Then, slowly let up on the clutch pedal as you press the
accelerator pedal.
THIRD (3), FOURTH (4), FIFTH (5) and SIXTH (6):Shift
into THIRD (3), FOURTH (4), FIFTH (5) and SIXTH (6)
the same way you do for SECOND (2). Slowly let up on
the clutch pedal as you press the accelerator pedal.
To stop, let up on the accelerator pedal and press the
brake pedal. Just before the vehicle stops, press the
clutch pedal and the brake pedal, and shift to NEUTRAL.
NEUTRAL:Use this position when you start or idle
your engine. Your shift lever is in NEUTRAL when it is
centered in the shift pattern, not in any gear.
REVERSE (R):To back up, press down the clutch
pedal and shift into REVERSE (R). Just apply pressure
to get the lever past FIFTH (5) and SIXTH (6) into
REVERSE (R). Let up on the clutch pedal slowly while
pressing the accelerator pedal.
Your six-speed manual transmission has a feature that
allows you to safely shift into REVERSE (R) while
the vehicle is rolling at less than 3 mph (5 km/h). You
will be locked out if you try to shift into REVERSE (R)
while your vehicle is moving faster than 3 mph (5 km/h).
2-30

Shift Speeds (Manual Transmission)
{CAUTION:
If you skip a gear when you downshift, you
could lose control of your vehicle. You could
injure yourself or others. Do not shift down
more than one gear at a time when you
downshift.
This chart shows when to shift to the next higher gear
for the best fuel economy.
Manual Transmission Recommended
Shift Speeds in mph (km/h)
EngineAcceleration Shift Speed
1to2 2to3 3to4 4to5 5to6
All
Engines15 (24) 25 (40) 40 (64) 45 (72) 50 (80)If your engine speed drops below 900 rpm, or if the
engine is not running smoothly, you should downshift to
the next lower gear. You may have to downshift two
or more gears to keep the engine running smoothly or
for good engine performance.
Notice:When shifting gears, do not move the shift
lever around unnecessarily. This may damage
the transmission. Shift directly into the next gear.
One to Four Shift Light
(Manual Transmission)
When this light comes on,
you can only shift from
FIRST (1) to FOURTH (4)
instead of FIRST (1) to
SECOND (2).
SeeOne-to-Four Shift Light (Manual Transmission) on
page 3-40for more information.
2-31

Downshifting (Manual Transmission)
Do not downshift into the gear shown below at a speed
greater than shown in the table:
FIRST (1) 50 mph (80 km/h)
SECOND (2) 74 mph (119 km/h)
THIRD (3) 101 mph (163 km/h)
FOURTH (4) 130 mph (209 km/h)
Notice:If you skip more than one gear when you
downshift, or if you race the engine when you
release the clutch pedal while downshifting, you
could damage the engine, clutch, driveshaft or the
transmission. Do not skip gears or race the
engine when downshifting.
The six-speed transmission has a spring that centers
the shift lever near THIRD (3) and FOURTH (4).
This spring helps you know which gear you are in when
you are shifting. Be careful when shifting from
FIRST (1) to SECOND (2) or downshifting from
SIXTH (6) to FIFTH (5). The spring will try to pull the
shift lever toward FOURTH (4) and THIRD (3).
Make sure you move the lever into SECOND (2) or
FIFTH (5). If you let the shift lever move in the direction
of the pulling, you may end up shifting from FIRST (1)
to FOURTH (4) or from SIXTH (6) to THIRD (3).
Parking Brake
The parking brake lever is located to the right of the
center console.
To set the parking brake, hold the brake pedal down.
Pull the parking brake lever up. If the ignition is on, the
brake system warning light will come on.
To release the parking brake, hold the brake pedal
down. Then push the release button in as you move the
parking brake lever all the way down.
Notice:Driving with the parking brake on can
overheat the brake system and cause premature
wear or damage to brake system parts. Make sure
that the parking brake is fully released and the brake
warning light is off before driving.
2-32