2010 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Owners Manual

Shift Speeds (Manual Transmission)
{WARNING:
If you skip a gear when you downshift, you could
lose control of the 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)
Engine Acceleration Shift Speed
1 to 2 2 to 3 3 to 4 4 to 5 5 to 6
All
Engines 15 (24) 25 (40) 40 (64) 45 (72) 50 (80)
If the 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
1 (First) to 4 (Fourth)
instead of 1 (First) to
2 (Second).
See One-to-Four Shift Light (Manual Transmission)
on
page 4‑36for more information.
3-33

Downshifting (Manual Transmission)
Do not downshift into the gear shown below at a speed
greater than shown in the table:
1 (First)50 mph (80 km/h)
2 (Second) 74 mph (119 km/h)
3 (Third) 101 mph (163 km/h)
4 (Fourth) 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 3 (Third) and 4 (Fourth). This
spring helps you know which gear you are in when
you are shifting. Be careful when shifting from 1 (First)
to 2 (Second) or downshifting from 6 (Sixth) to 5 (Fifth).
The spring will try to pull the shift lever toward 4 (Fourth)
and 3 (Third). Make sure you move the lever into
2 (Second) or 5 (Fifth). If you let the shift lever move
in the direction of the pulling, you may end up shifting
from 1 (First) to 4 (Fourth) or from 6 (Sixth) to 3 (Third).
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.
3-34

Shifting Into Park
(Automatic Transmission)
{WARNING:
It can be dangerous to get out of the vehicle if the
shift lever is not fully in P (Park) with the parking
brake firmly set. The vehicle can roll. If you have
left the engine running, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You or others could be injured. To be
sure the vehicle will not move, even when you are
on fairly level ground, use the steps that follow.
1. Hold the brake pedal set the parking brake. See Parking Brake
on page 3‑34for more
information.
2. Move the shift lever into P (Park) by holding in the button on the lever and pushing the lever all the
way toward the front of the vehicle.
3. Press the Acc. button (ignition switch) to turn the engine off.
Leaving the Vehicle With the Engine
Running (Automatic Transmission)
{WARNING:
It can be dangerous to leave the vehicle with the
engine running. The vehicle could move suddenly
if the shift lever is not fully in P (Park) with the
parking brake firmly set. And, if you leave the
vehicle with the engine running, it could overheat
and even catch fire. You or others could be
injured. Do not leave the vehicle with the engine
running.
If you have to leave the vehicle with the engine running,
be sure the vehicle is in P (Park) and the parking brake
is firmly set before you leave it. After you have moved
the shift lever into P (Park), hold down the regular brake
pedal. See if you can move the shift lever away from
P (Park) without first pushing the button on the lever.
If you can, it means that the shift lever was not fully
locked into P (Park).
3-35

Torque Lock (Automatic Transmission)
If you are parking on a hill and you do not shift the
transmission into P (Park) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put too much force on the parking pawl
in the transmission. You may find it difficult to pull the
shift lever out of P (Park). This is called “torque lock.”
To prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and then
shift into P (Park) properly before you leave the driver
seat. To find out how, see “Shifting Into P (Park)”listed
previously in this section.
When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out
of P (Park) before you release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may need to have
another vehicle push yours a little uphill to take some
of the pressure from the transmission parking pawl, so
you can pull the shift lever out of P (Park).
Shifting Out of Park
Shift lock release prevents shifting out of P (Park)
unless the vehicle is running or in Accessory mode and
the brake pedal is applied.
The shift lock release is always functional except in the
case of an uncharged or low voltage (less than 9‐volt)
battery. See Jump Starting
on page 6‑50for more
information. To shift out of P (Park) use the following:
1. Apply the brake pedal.
2. Press the shift lever button.
3. Move the shift lever to the desired position.
If you still are unable to shift out of P (Park): 1. Fully release the shift lever button.
2. While holding down the brake pedal, press the shift lever button again.
3. Move the shift lever to the desired position.
If you still cannot move the shift lever from P (Park),
consult your dealer/retailer or a professional towing
service.
Parking the Vehicle
(Manual Transmission)
Before you get out of the vehicle, move the shift lever
into R (Reverse) and firmly apply the parking brake.
Once the shift lever has been placed into R (Reverse)
with the clutch pedal pressed in, you can turn the
ignition off and release the clutch.
3-36

Parking Over Things That Burn
{WARNING:
Things that can burn could touch hot exhaust
parts under the vehicle and ignite. Do not park
over papers, leaves, dry grass, or other things that
can burn.
Engine Exhaust
{WARNING:
Engine exhaust contains Carbon Monoxide (CO)
which cannot be seen or smelled. Exposure to CO
can cause unconsciousness and even death.
Exhaust may enter the vehicle if:
.The vehicle idles in areas with poor ventilation
(parking garages, tunnels, deep snow that
may block underbody airflow or tail pipes).
.The exhaust smells or sounds strange or
different. (Continued)
WARNING: (Continued)
.The exhaust system leaks due to corrosion or
damage.
.The vehicle’s exhaust system has been
modified, damaged or improperly repaired.
.There are holes or openings in the
vehicle body from damage or after-market
modifications that are not completely sealed.
If unusual fumes are detected or if it is suspected
that exhaust is coming into the vehicle:
.Drive it only with the windows
completely down.
.Have the vehicle repaired immediately.
Never park the vehicle with the engine running in
an enclosed area such as a garage or a building
that has no fresh air ventilation.
3-37

Running the Vehicle While Parked
It is better not to park with the engine running. But if you
ever have to, here are some things to know.
{WARNING:
Idling a vehicle in an enclosed area with poor
ventilation is dangerous. Engine exhaust may
enter the vehicle. Engine exhaust contains
Carbon Monoxide (CO) which cannot be seen
or smelled. It can cause unconsciousness and
even death. Never run the engine in an enclosed
area that has no fresh air ventilation. For more
information, see Engine Exhaust on page 3‑37.
{WARNING:
It can be dangerous to get out of the vehicle if the
automatic transmission shift lever is not fully in
P (Park) with the parking brake firmly set. The
vehicle can roll. Do not leave the 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 the vehicle will not move, even when you are
on fairly level ground, always set the parking
brake and move the shift lever to P (Park).
Follow the proper steps to be sure the vehicle will not
move. See Shifting Into Park (Automatic Transmission)
on page 3‑35.
3-38

Mirrors
Automatic Dimming Rearview Mirror
The vehicle may have an automatic dimming inside
rearview mirror with a compass display and/or map
lamps, and OnStar
®. The mirror automatically changes
to reduce glare from headlamps behind you. A time
delay feature prevents rapid changing from the day to
night positions while driving under lights and through
traffic.
If the vehicle has OnStar, there are three control buttons
located at the bottom of the mirror. See the OnStar
®
owner's guide for more information on the services
OnStar®provides.
P(On/Off): The automatic dimming feature is
activated when the vehicle is started. Press and hold
this button for up to six seconds to turn this feature on
or off.
T(Indicator Light): This light turns on when the
automatic dimming feature is active.
Map Lamps
If the mirror has map lamps, they are located at the
bottom of the mirror. To manually turn the lamps on
or off, press the button next to each lamp.
Cleaning the Mirror
Do not spray glass cleaner directly on the mirror.
Use a soft towel dampened with water.
Compass
Compass Operation
With the compass feature on, each time the vehicle is
started, the compass will take a few seconds to adjust
and display the current compass heading. For example,
NE is displayed for north-east.
3-39

Compass Calibration
PressPonce to turn the compass display on or off.
If after several seconds the display does not show a
compass heading, there may be a strong magnetic
field interfering with the compass. Interference can be
caused by a magnetic antenna mount, note pad holder
or similar object. If the letter C or CAL appears in the
compass window, the compass needs calibration.
Depending on the mirror, in order to calibrate, CAL must
be displayed in the mirror compass windows. If CAL is
not displayed, press
Pfor several seconds or until
CAL is displayed.
If the compass has map lamps, it can be placed in
calibration mode by pressing and holding the left map
light button until a C appears on the compass display.
The mirror compass can be calibrated by driving the
vehicle in circles at 5 mph (8 km/h) or less until the
display reads a direction.
Compass Variance
The mirror is set to zone eight. If you do not live in zone
eight or drive out of the area, the compass variance
needs to be changed to the appropriate zone. To adjust for compass variance:
1. Find your current location and variance zone number on the zone map that follows. 2. Press and holdPuntil a Z and a zone number
displays. The compass is now in zone mode.
3. Once the zone number displays, press
P
repeatedly until you reach the correct zone
number. Stop pressing
Pand the mirror returns
to normal operation.
3-40