2008 CHEVROLET CORVETTE brake

SHIFT TO PARK
If your vehicle has an automatic transmission, this
message displays if the vehicle is not in PARK (P) when
the engine is being turned off. The vehicle will be in
ACCESSORY Once the shift lever is moved to
PARK (P), the vehicle will turn off.
The vehicle will remain in ACCESSORY, without the
20 minute time-out period, until the shift lever is moved
to PARK (P) or until the driver presses the pushbutton
to restart the vehicle. SeeIgnition Positions on
page 2-22for more information.
SHIFT TO PARK OR SET PARK BRAKE
FOR TOP
If your vehicle has an automatic transmission, this
message displays and a chime sounds if you try to
operate the power convertible top without rst shifting
into PARK (P) or setting the parking brake. Either
shift the vehicle into PARK (P) or set the parking brake
before trying to operate the power convertible top.
SeeConvertible Top (Manual) on page 2-62or
Convertible Top (Power) on page 2-68for more
information.
SHOCKS INOPERATIVE
This message displays when a malfunction is present in
the Selective Ride Control system which is causing
the shocks to be in their full soft mode. This is a warning
to the driver that the vehicle handling may be affected.
Have your vehicle serviced by your dealer/retailer
as soon as possible.
To acknowledge the message, press the RESET button.
The message reappears every 10 minutes until this
condition changes.
TIRE FLAT
{CAUTION:
When the LOW TIRE PRESSURE or TIRE FLAT
message is displayed on the Driver Information
Center, your vehicle’s handling capabilities will
be reduced during severe maneuvers. If you
drive too fast, you could lose control of your
vehicle. You or others could be injured. Do not
drive over 55 mph (90 km/h) when the LOW
TIRE PRESSURE or TIRE FLAT message is
displayed. Drive cautiously and check your tire
pressures as soon as you can.
3-70

TRACTION SYSTEM ACTIVE
This message displays when the Traction Control
System (TCS) is limiting wheel spin. Slippery road
conditions may exist if this message is displayed, so
adjust your driving accordingly. The message stays on
for a few seconds after the TCS stops limiting wheel
spin. SeeTraction Control System (TCS) on page 4-6
for more information.
TRACTION SYSTEM AND ACTIVE
HANDLING – OFF
This message displays, the instrument panel cluster
light turns on, and a chime sounds when the Traction
Control System (TCS) and Active Handling System
are turned off by pressing the Active Handling System
button on the console for ve seconds. The Antilock
Brake System (ABS) remains on with the TCS and
Active Handling System off. Adjust your driving
accordingly. SeeTraction Control System (TCS) on
page 4-6andActive Handling System on page 4-7
for more information.
To acknowledge this message, press the RESET
button.
TRACTION SYSTEM AND ACTIVE
HANDLING – ON
If the Traction Control System (TCS) and Active
Handling System are off, this message displays briey,
the instrument panel cluster light turns off, and a
chime sounds when the TCS and Active Handling
System are turned on by briey pressing the Active
Handling System button on the console. SeeTraction
Control System (TCS) on page 4-6andActive Handling
System on page 4-7for more information.
TRACTION SYSTEM – OFF
This message displays and stays on, a single, quick
tone sounds, and the traction control system (TCS)
warning light on the instrument panel cluster turns on
when the TCS is turned off by pressing the Active
Handling System button on the console. SeeTraction
Control System (TCS) Warning Light on page 3-42.
SeeTraction Control System (TCS) on page 4-6
for more information.
To acknowledge the message, press the RESET button.
3-72

Entering the Personal Options Menu
To enter the personal options menu, use the following
steps:
1. If you have an automatic transmission vehicle,
turn the vehicle on with the shift lever in PARK (P).
If you have a manual transmission vehicle, turn
the vehicle on with the parking brake set.
To avoid excessive drain on the battery, it is
recommended that the headlamps are turned off.
2. Press the OPTION button and you will enter the
PERSONAL OPTIONS menu.
The DIC will display the current driver
number (1 or 2) for a few seconds and then will
display instructions on which buttons to use
for setting the personalizations. The RESET button
is used to select a setting for a particular feature.
The OPTION button is used to move to the
next feature.
3. Press the OPTION button while the instruction
screen is displayed to enter the rst personalization
menu item.
4. Once you have cycled through all of the personal
options, pressing the OPTION button a nal time
exits the personal options menu. In addition,
if no button is pressed within 45 seconds, the DIC
will exit the personal options menu.
Personal Options
The following options are available for programming:
Display Units:This option allows you to choose
the measurement units.
Press the OPTION button until DISPLAY UNITS appears
on the display, then press the RESET button to scroll
through the following modes:
ENGLISH (default)
METRIC
If you choose ENGLISH, all information will be displayed
in English units.
If you choose METRIC, all information will be displayed
in metric units.
When the mode you want is selected, press the
OPTION button to set your choice and advance to the
next personal option.
Auto Memory Recall (Automatic Transmission only):
If your automatic transmission vehicle has the memory
package, you may have this option. This option
allows the driver’s seat, the telescopic steering column,
if your vehicle has this feature, and the outside
rearview mirrors to automatically move to the current
driver’s set position when the engine starts.
3-76

Press the OPTION button until AUTO MEMORY
RECALL appears on the display, then press the RESET
button to scroll through the following modes:
YES
NO (default)
If you choose YES, the driver’s seat, the outside
rearview mirrors and the telescopic steering column, if
your vehicle has this feature, positions are recalled when
you turn the ignition on.
If you choose NO, this option will turn off.
When the mode you want is selected, press the
OPTION button to set your choice and advance to the
next personal option.
Auto Exit Recall:If your vehicle has the memory
package, you may have this option. This option allows
the driver’s seat and telescopic steering column, if
your vehicle has this feature, to automatically move to
the current driver’s exit position when one of the
following occurs:
The vehicle is turned off or in Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) or accessory mode and the driver’s
door is opened.
The vehicle is turned off or in RAP and the unlock
button on the keyless access transmitter is
pressed.In order for the Auto Exit Recall feature to work on an
automatic transmission vehicle, the vehicle must be
in PARK (P). On a manual transmission vehicle,
the parking brake must be set.
Press the OPTION button until AUTO EXIT RECALL
appears on the display, then press the RESET button to
scroll through the following modes:
YES
NO (default)
If you choose YES, when you turn the ignition off and
open the driver’s door or press the unlock button on the
keyless access transmitter, the seat and the telescopic
steering wheel, if your vehicle has this feature, will return
to their stored exit positions for an easy exit or an
easy entrance when returning to the vehicle.
The seat and steering wheel will only return to the
stored driving position if you press the appropriate
memory button or activate the auto memory recall
feature.
If you choose NO, this option will turn off.
When the mode you want is selected, press the
OPTION button to set your choice and advance to the
next personal option.
3-77

Your Driving, the Road, and the Vehicle............4-2
Defensive Driving...........................................4-2
Drunk Driving.................................................4-2
Control of a Vehicle........................................4-3
Braking.........................................................4-4
Antilock Brake System (ABS)...........................4-5
Braking in Emergencies...................................4-5
Traction Control System (TCS).........................4-6
Active Handling System...................................4-7
Limited-Slip Rear Axle.....................................4-9
Selective Ride Control...................................4-10
Steering......................................................4-11
Off-Road Recovery.......................................4-13
Passing.......................................................4-13
Loss of Control.............................................4-13Racing or Other Competitive Driving................4-15
Driving at Night............................................4-16
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads..................4-16
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.......................4-18
Highway Hypnosis........................................4-18
Hill and Mountain Roads................................4-18
Winter Driving..............................................4-19
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice,
or Snow...................................................4-23
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out.................4-24
Loading the Vehicle......................................4-24
Towing..........................................................4-29
Towing Your Vehicle.....................................4-29
Recreational Vehicle Towing...........................4-29
Towing a Trailer...........................................4-29
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
4-1

Alcohol affects four things that anyone needs to drive a
vehicle: judgment, muscular coordination, vision, and
attentiveness.
Police records show that almost 40 percent of all motor
vehicle-related deaths involve alcohol. In most cases,
these deaths are the result of someone who was
drinking and driving. In recent years, more than
17,000 annual motor vehicle-related deaths have been
associated with the use of alcohol, with about
250,000 people injured.
For persons under 21, it is against the law in every
U.S. state to drink alcohol. There are good medical,
psychological, and developmental reasons for
these laws.
The obvious way to eliminate the leading highway
safety problem is for people never to drink alcohol and
then drive.Medical research shows that alcohol in a person’s
system can make crash injuries worse, especially
injuries to the brain, spinal cord, or heart. This means
that when anyone who has been drinking — driver
or passenger — is in a crash, that person’s chance of
being killed or permanently disabled is higher than if the
person had not been drinking.
Control of a Vehicle
The following three systems help to control your vehicle
while driving — brakes, steering, and accelerator.
At times, as when driving on snow or ice, it is easy to
ask more of those control systems than the tires
and road can provide. Meaning, you can lose control of
your vehicle. SeeTraction Control System (TCS) on
page 4-6andActive Handling System on page 4-7.
Adding non-dealer/non-retailer accessories can
affect your vehicle’s performance. SeeAccessories
and Modifications on page 5-3.
4-3

Braking
SeeBrake System Warning Light on page 3-41.
Braking action involves perception time and reaction
time. First, you have to decide to push on the brake
pedal. That is perception time. Then you have to bring
up your foot and do it. That is reaction time.
Average reaction time is about three-fourths of a
second. But that is only an average. It might be less
with one driver and as long as two or three seconds or
more with another. Age, physical condition, alertness,
coordination, and eyesight all play a part. So do alcohol,
drugs, and frustration. But even in three-fourths of a
second, a vehicle moving at 60 mph (100 km/h) travels
66 feet (20 m). That could be a lot of distance in an
emergency, so keeping enough space between
your vehicle and others is important.
And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly
with the surface of the road, whether it is pavement or
gravel; the condition of the road, whether it is wet, dry, or
icy; tire tread; the condition of the brakes; the weight of
the vehicle; and the amount of brake force applied.Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive
in spurts — heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking — rather than keeping pace with traffic. This is a
mistake. The brakes might not have time to cool between
hard stops. The brakes will wear out much faster if you do
a lot of heavy braking. If you keep pace with the traffic
and allow realistic following distances, you will eliminate a
lot of unnecessary braking. That means better braking
and longer brake life.
If your vehicle’s engine ever stops while you are driving,
brake normally but do not pump the brakes. If you do,
the pedal could get harder to push down. If the
engine stops, you will still have some power brake
assist. But you will use it when you brake. Once the
power assist is used up, it can take longer to stop and
the brake pedal will be harder to push.
Under certain weather or operating conditions,
occasional brake squeak, squeal, or other noise might
be heard with your vehicle’s performance braking
system. This brake system is designed for superior fade
resistance and consistent operation using high
performance brake pads. Brake noise is normal and
does not affect system performance.
Adding non-dealer/non-retailer accessories can affect
your vehicle’s performance. SeeAccessories and
Modifications on page 5-3.
4-4

Antilock Brake System (ABS)
Your vehicle has the Antilock Brake System (ABS), an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent a braking skid.
When you start the engine and begin to drive away,
ABS will check itself. You might hear a momentary
motor or clicking noise while this test is going on, and
you might even notice that the brake pedal moves
a little. This is normal.
If there is a problem with
ABS, this warning light will
stay on. SeeAntilock Brake
System (ABS) Warning
Light on page 3-42.
Let us say the road is wet and you are driving safely.
Suddenly, an animal jumps out in front of you. You slam
on the brakes and continue braking. Here is what
happens with ABS:
A computer senses that wheels are slowing down. If
one of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the computer
will separately work the brakes at each wheel.ABS can change the brake pressure faster than any
driver could. The computer is programmed to make the
most of available tire and road conditions. This can
help you steer around the obstacle while braking hard.
As you brake, the computer keeps receiving updates
on wheel speed and controls braking pressure
accordingly.
Remember: ABS does not change the time you need to
get your foot up to the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too close to the vehicle in
front of you, you will not have time to apply the brakes if
that vehicle suddenly slows or stops. Always leave
enough room up ahead to stop, even though you
have ABS.
Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal
down rmly and let antilock work for you. You might hear
a motor or clicking noise and feel the brake pedal
move a little during a stop, but this is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
With ABS, you can steer and brake at the same time.
In many emergencies, steering can help you more than
even the very best braking.
4-5