2008 CHEVROLET CORVETTE automatic transmission

Raising the Power Convertible Top
Notice:If you raise or lower the convertible top
while the vehicle is in motion, you could damage the
top or the top mechanism. The repairs would not
be covered by your warranty. Always put an
automatic transmission in PARK (P) or a manual
transmission in NEUTRAL before raising or lowering
the convertible top.
1. Park on a level surface. Start the engine. Shift an
automatic transmission into PARK (P) and set the
parking brake. Shift a manual transmission into
NEUTRAL and set the parking brake.
2. Make sure the trunk lid is closed and the rear trunk
partition in the rear storage area is in the fastened
upright position, and that no objects are forward
of the divider. See “Rear Trunk Partition” under
Rear Storage Area on page 2-54.
3. Push and hold the top of the power convertible top
button. The top will raise and the windows will lower
if they were in the raised position. A chime will
sound when the top is raised completely.4. After the convertible top is completely raised,
release the power convertible top button.
5. Pull the convertible front top latch down and turn it
counterclockwise to lock the convertible top.
If the radio is on the sound may be muted for a brief time
due to a new audio system equalization being loaded.
2-70

Instrument Panel Overview...............................3-4
Hazard Warning Flashers................................3-6
Other Warning Devices...................................3-7
Horn .............................................................3-7
Tilt Wheel.....................................................3-7
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever.........................3-8
Turn and Lane-Change Signals (Auto Signal).....3-9
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer..................3-9
Flash-to-Pass...............................................3-10
Windshield Wipers........................................3-10
Windshield Washer.......................................3-11
Cruise Control..............................................3-11
Exterior Lamps.............................................3-15
Wiper Activated Headlamps............................3-16
Headlamps on Reminder................................3-16
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL).......................3-16
Fog Lamps ..................................................3-17
Twilight Sentinel
®..........................................3-18
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver........................3-19
Instrument Panel Brightness...........................3-19
Courtesy Lamps...........................................3-19
Entry/Exit Lighting.........................................3-19
Reading Lamps............................................3-20Battery Run-Down Protection..........................3-20
Head-Up Display (HUD).................................3-20
Accessory Power Outlet(s).............................3-24
Ashtray(s) and Cigarette Lighter......................3-25
Climate Controls............................................3-26
Dual Automatic Climate Control System...........3-26
Outlet Adjustment.........................................3-32
Passenger Compartment Air Filter...................3-32
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators............3-34
Instrument Panel Cluster................................3-35
Speedometer and Odometer...........................3-36
Tachometer.................................................3-36
Safety Belt Reminders...................................3-36
Airbag Readiness Light..................................3-37
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator...................3-38
Voltmeter Gage............................................3-40
One-to-Four Shift Light
(Manual Transmission)...............................3-40
Brake System Warning Light..........................3-41
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light........3-42
Traction Control System (TCS) Warning Light......3-42
Active Handling System Light.........................3-43
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage..................3-44
Section 3 Instrument Panel
3-1

The main components of your instrument panel are the following:
A. Air Outlet. SeeOutlet Adjustment on page 3-32.
B. Head-Up Display Controls (If Equipped).
SeeHead-Up Display (HUD) on page 3-20.
C. Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever. SeeTurn
Signal/Multifunction Lever on page 3-8. Cruise
Control. SeeCruise Control on page 3-11. Fog
Lamps. SeeFog Lamps on page 3-17. Headlamp
Controls. SeeExterior Lamps on page 3-15.
D. Manual Shift Paddles (If Equipped). SeeAutomatic
Transmission Operation on page 2-26.
E. Driver Information Center (DIC). SeeDriver
Information Center (DIC) on page 3-51.
F. Instrument Panel Cluster. SeeInstrument Panel
Cluster on page 3-35.
G. Audio Steering Wheel Controls (If Equipped).
SeeAudio Steering Wheel Controls on page 3-103.
H. Windshield Wiper/Washer Lever. SeeWindshield
Wipers on page 3-10andWindshield Washer
on page 3-11.
I. Driver Information Center (DIC) Controls.
SeeDIC Operation and Displays on page 3-52.J. Center Air Outlets. SeeOutlet Adjustment on
page 3-32.
K. Hazard Warning Flasher Button. SeeHazard
Warning Flashers on page 3-6.
L. Audio System. SeeAudio System(s) on page 3-84.
M. Climate Controls. SeeDual Automatic Climate
Control System on page 3-26.
N. Fuel Door Release Button. SeeFilling the Tank
on page 5-8. Hatch/Trunk Release Button.
See “Hatch/Trunk Lid Release” underHatch on
page 2-13.
O. Instrument Panel Brightness Control. SeeInstrument
Panel Brightness on page 3-19.
P. Power Folding Top Switch (If Equipped).
SeeConvertible Top (Manual) on page 2-62or
Convertible Top (Power) on page 2-68.
Q. Tilt Wheel Lever. SeeTilt Wheel on page 3-7.
R. Telescopic Wheel Button (If Equipped). SeeTilt
Wheel on page 3-7.
S. Ignition Switch. SeeIgnition Positions on page 2-22.
3-5

T. Heated Seat Controls (If Equipped). SeeHeated
Seats on page 1-4.
U. Shift Lever (Automatic Shown). SeeAutomatic
Transmission Operation on page 2-26orManual
Transmission Operation on page 2-30.
V. Active Handling Button. SeeActive Handling System
on page 4-7.
W. Accessory Power Outlet. SeeAccessory Power
Outlet(s) on page 3-24.
X. Selective Ride Control. SeeSelective Ride Control
on page 4-10.
Y. Center Console Cupholder. SeeCupholders on
page 2-53.
Z. Ashtray and Cigarette Lighter. SeeAshtray(s) and
Cigarette Lighter on page 3-25.
AA. Parking Brake. SeeParking Brake on page 2-32.
AB. Glove Box. SeeGlove Box on page 2-53.
AC. Instrument Panel Fuse Block. SeeInstrument Panel
Fuse Block on page 5-100.Hazard Warning Flashers
Your hazard warning ashers let you warn others.
They also let police know you have a problem. Your
front and rear turn signal lamps will ash on and off.
The hazard warning
asher button is located
near the center of the
instrument panel.
Your hazard warning ashers work no matter what
mode the ignition is in, even if the ignition is turned off.
Press the button to make the front and rear turn
signal lamps ash on and off. Press the button again to
turn the ashers off.
When the hazard warning ashers are on, your turn
signals will not work.
3-6

Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well your cruise control will work on hills depends
upon your speed, load, and the steepness of the
hills. When going up steep hills, you might want to step
on the accelerator pedal to maintain the vehicle’s
speed. When going downhill, you might have to brake
or shift to a lower gear to keep the vehicle’s speed
down. Of course, applying the brake turns off the cruise
control. Many drivers nd this to be too much trouble
and do not use cruise control on steep hills.
Cruise Control in Sport (S) and Manual
Paddle Shift Gear Selection
When your vehicle is in Sport (S) and the manual
paddle shift controls are not being used, cruise control
operates in the same manner as Drive (D).
When your vehicle is in Sport (S) and the manual
paddle shift controls are being used, cruise control
operates as follows:
If cruise control is active and a gear is selected
with the manual paddle shift controls, the vehicle
maintains vehicle speed in the driver selected gear
and will not automatically up-shift or down-shift
the transmission while the driver’s gear selection
is active.
If driving in hilly terrain, cruise control may not
be able to maintain vehicle speed if an up-shift
or down-shift is not selected by the driver.
While driving on hilly terrain and cruise control is
active with a manual paddle shift gear selection,
the driver must select the proper gear for the terrain
or select Drive (D) on the gear range selector for
full automatic transmission operation.
Ending Cruise Control
To end a cruise control session, step lightly on the
brake pedal. If your vehicle has a manual transmission,
lightly tapping the clutch will also end a cruise control
session.
Move the cruise control switch to off to turn the system
completely off.
When cruise control is disengaged, the CRUISE
DISENGAGED message displays on the Driver
Information Center (DIC). SeeDIC Warnings and
Messages on page 3-57.
Erasing Speed Memory
When you turn off the cruise control or the ignition,
the cruise control set speed memory is erased.
3-14

Manual Paddle Shift Gear Indicator (If Equipped)
These displays on the HUD are for use when
using the manual paddle shift controls to shift
the transmission. See “Manual Paddle Shift” in
Automatic Transmission Operation on page 2-26.
Shift Light
This light is used for performance driving to indicate
that the vehicle’s best performance level has
been reached to shift the transmission into the next
higher gear. An arrow pointing up will light up on
the display just prior to reaching the engine fuel
cut-off mode. This cut-off is about 6,500 RPM for
the LS3 engine and 7,000 RPM for the LS7 engine.
Check Gages Warning
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
Transmission Fluid Temperature Gage,
(Automatic Transmission Vehicles Only)
Engine Oil Temperature Gage
Engine Oil Pressure Gage
G-Force Gage
Audio Functions, Street Mode Only
Navigation, Only with Navigation Radio,
Turn-by-Turn GuidanceThere are three HUD modes that you can choose to view
in the HUD display. By pressing the MODE button, you
can scroll through these modes in the following order:
Street Mode supports
audio and navigation
functions with your choice
of tachometer settings.
Track Mode 1 supports the
G-Force gage and minor
gages with a circular
tachometer.
Track Mode 2 supports
G-Force gages and minor
gages with a linear
tachometer.
3-21

Instrument Panel Cluster
Your instrument panel cluster and Driver Information Center (DIC) are designed to let you know at a glance how the
vehicle is running. You will know how fast you are going, about how much fuel you have left and many other
things you will need to know to drive safely and economically. The instrument panel cluster indicator warning lights,
gages and DIC messages are explained on the following pages.
United States Manual Transmission shown, Canada, Automatic Transmission and Z06 Model similar
3-35

Here are ve things that some owners ask about.
All these things are normal and do not indicate that
anything is wrong with the fuel gage.
At the gas station, the gas pump shuts off before
the gage reads the full symbol.
It takes more (or less) fuel to ll up than the gage
reads. For example, the gage reads half full,
but it took more (or less) than half of the tank’s
capacity to t it.
The gage pointer may move while cornering,
braking or speeding up.
The gage may not indicate the tank is empty when
the ignition is turned off.
The gage reading may change slightly within the
rst several minutes after starting the vehicle.
SeeDIC Operation and Displays on page 3-52for more
information.
Driver Information Center (DIC)
The Driver Information Center (DIC) gives you the
status of many of your vehicle’s systems. It is also
used to display driver personalization features and
warning/status messages. The DIC display is located on
the instrument panel cluster below the speedometer
and tachometer, directly above the steering column.
The DIC buttons are located on the instrument panel,
to the right of the instrument panel cluster.
The DIC comes on when the ignition is turned on. After
displaying CORVETTE BY CHEVROLET, the DIC
will display the current driver and the information that
was last displayed before the engine was turned off.
If a problem is detected, a warning message will appear
on the DIC display. Be sure to take any message that
appears on the display seriously and remember that
clearing the message will only make the message
disappear, not correct the problem.
If your vehicle has the Head-Up Display (HUD) and you
use the Manual Paddle Shift feature, the gear will
display in the HUD, except if your vehicle has the
Navigation system and the HUD is displaying
turn-by-turn guidance information. If the HUD is
displaying turn-by-turn guidance information, the gear
instead displays in the DIC. See “Manual Paddle
Shift” underAutomatic Transmission Operation on
page 2-26and “Head-Up Display (HUD)” in the index of
the Navigation system manual for more information.
3-51