Black plate (15,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2011
In Brief 1-15
Transmission
Manual Paddle Shift
(Automatic Transmission)
To operate the Manual Paddle Shift
system, the automatic transmission
shifter must be in S (Sport Mode).
The system is activated by pushing
the paddle, above the steeringwheel spokes, to manually up-shift
to the next gear, or pulling on the
paddle, behind the steering wheel
spokes to manually down-shift.
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.
The Manual Paddle Shift system
can be deactivated by moving the
shifter from S (Sport Mode) back to
D (Drive), or by holding the up‐shift
button for more than one second.
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 4 (Fourth) or higher gear
See
Automatic Transmission on
page 9‑28.
One to Four Shift Light
(Manual Transmission)
On vehicles with a manual
transmission, when this light comes
on, you can only shift from 1 (First)
to 4 (Fourth) instead of 1 (First) to
2 (Second).
For more information about shifting
for the best fuel economy, see
Manual Transmission on page 9‑32.
Black plate (22,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2011
1-22 In Brief
Tire Pressure Monitor
This vehicle may have a Tire
Pressure Monitor System (TPMS).
The TPMS warning light alerts you
to a significant loss in pressure of
one of the vehicle's tires. If the
warning light comes on, stop as
soon as possible and inflate the
tires to the recommended pressure
shown on the Tire and Loading
Information label. SeeVehicle Load
Limits on page 9‑14. The warning
light will remain on until the tire
pressure is corrected.
During cooler conditions, the low tire
pressure warning light may appear
when the vehicle is first started and
then turn off. This may be an early indicator that the tire pressures are
getting low and the tires need to be
inflated to the proper pressure.
The TPMS does not replace normal
monthly tire maintenance. It is the
driver
’s responsibility to maintain
correct tire pressures.
See Tire Pressure Monitor System
on page 10‑68.Z06, Z16, and ZR1
Features
Checking Engine Oil
ZO6, ZR1, and manual transmission
Z16 (Grand Sport) coupe models
have a high performance dry sump
lubrication system. This system
operates differently than a standard
engine lubrication system.
See Engine Oil on page 10‑15.
You should check the oil level
only after the engine has been
thoroughly warmed up and then
shut off for at least five minutes.
This ensures that the oil level
reading obtained will be accurate. Jump Starting the Battery
The battery of ZO6, ZR1, and
manual transmission Z16 (Grand
Sport) coupe models is in the rear
of the vehicle. You do not need to
access the battery for jump starting.
There are remote positive (+) and
negative (−) terminals under the
hood for this purpose. See
Battery
on page 10‑43 andJump Starting
on page 10‑82.
Brake Noise
Under certain weather or operating
conditions, occasional brake noise
might be heard with the 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. See Braking
on page 9‑3.
Black plate (24,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2011
1-24 In Brief
.Replace the vehicle's tires with
the same TPC Spec number
molded into the tire's sidewall
near the size.
.Follow recommended scheduled
maintenance.
Premium Fuel
This vehicle's engine was designed
to use premium unleaded gasoline.
See Recommended Fuel on
page 9‑48.
Battery
This vehicle has a maintenance free
battery. See Battery on page 10‑43
and Jump Starting on page 10‑82.
For ZO6, ZR1, and manual
transmission Z16 (Grand Sport)
coupe models the battery is
located in the rear hatch/trunk
area. Access to the battery is
not necessary to jump start the
vehicle. There are positive (+) and
negative (−) terminals in the engine
compartment.
Roadside Assistance
Program
U.S.: 1-800-243-8872
TTY Users: 1-888-889-2438
Canada: 1-800-268-6800
As the owner of a new Chevrolet,
you are automatically enrolled in
the Roadside Assistance program.
This program provides technically
trained advisors who are available
24 hours a day, 365 days a year,
to give minor repair information or
make towing arrangements.
For more information see Roadside
Assistance Program (United States
and Canada) on page 13‑8 or
Roadside Assistance Program
(Mexico) on page 13‑10. Roadside Assistance and OnStar
If you have a current OnStar
subscription, press theQbutton
and the current GPS location will
be sent to an OnStar advisor who
will assess your problem, contact
Roadside Assistance, and relay
your exact location to get the help
you need.
Online Owner Center
The Online Owner Center is a
complimentary service that includes
online service reminders, vehicle
maintenance tips, online owner
manual, special privileges,
and more.
Sign up today at:
www.chevyownercenter.com
(U.S.) or www.gm.ca (Canada).
Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-5
Easy Exit Driver Seat
The easy exit driver seat feature
can move the seat rearward and
the telescopic steering column,
if equipped, out of the way to allow
extra room to exit the vehicle.
B(Easy Exit Driver Seat):Press
to save and recall the easy exit seat
position.
To save into memory:
1. Recall the desired driving
position by pressing “1.”
2. Adjust the seat and the telescopic steering column
to the desired exit position.
3. Press and hold Buntil
two beeps sound.
4. Repeat for a second driver position using “2.” To recall an exit position, press
and release
B. The vehicle must
be in P (Park) for an automatic
transmission or the parking
brake must be set for a manual
transmission. A single beep sounds.
The seat and telescopic steering
column will move to the position
previously stored for the identified
driver.
If the easy exit seat feature is
programmed on in the vehicle
personalization menu, automatic
recall occurs when one of the
following conditions is met:
.The vehicle is turned off,
in Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) or accessory
mode, and the driver door is
opened.
.The vehicle is turned off, or in
RAP, and the unlock button on
the keyless access transmitter
is pressed. If something has blocked the driver
seat while recalling the exit position,
the recall may stop. Remove the
obstruction; then press and hold
the power seat control rearward for
two seconds. Try recalling the exit
position again. If the exit position is
still not recalling, see your dealer for
service.
See
“Auto Exit Recall” underVehicle
Personalization on page 5‑55 for
more information.
Black plate (29,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-29
You can lock the doors, turn the
interior lamps off, and turn the
hazard warning flashers off by using
the controls for those features.
{WARNING
A crash severe enough to inflate
the airbags may have also
damaged important functions
in the vehicle, such as the fuel
system, brake and steering
systems, etc. Even if the vehicle
appears to be drivable after a
moderate crash, there may be
concealed damage that could
make it difficult to safely operate
the vehicle.
Use caution if you should attempt
to restart the engine after a crash
has occurred.In many crashes severe enough to
inflate the airbag, windshields are
broken by vehicle deformation.
Additional windshield breakage
may also occur from the right front
passenger airbag..Airbags are designed to inflate
only once. After an airbag
inflates, you will need some
new parts for the airbag system.
If you do not get them, the
airbag system will not be there
to help protect you in another
crash. A new system will include
airbag modules and possibly
other parts. The service manual
for your vehicle covers the need
to replace other parts.
.The vehicle has a crash sensing
and diagnostic module which
records information after a
crash. See
Vehicle Data
Recording and Privacy on
page 13‑17 andEvent Data
Recorders on page 13‑17.
.Let only qualified technicians
work on the airbag system.
Improper service can mean that
the airbag system will not work
properly. See your dealer for
service.
Black plate (6,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2011
5-6 Instruments and Controls
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 8 km/h (5 mph) 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
Prepeatedly until you
reach the correct zone number.
Stop pressing
Pand the mirror
returns to normal operation.
Clock
To set the clock:
1. Press and hold H until the correct hour displays.
2. Press and hold M until the correct minute displays.
The clock mode automatically times
out with the changed display format
set as the current default setting.
Power Outlets
The accessory power outlet can be
used to plug in electrical equipment,
such as a cell phone or MP3 player.
The accessory power outlet is
located inside the center console
storage compartment, on the
forward left side.
Remove the cover to access and
replace when not in use.
Black plate (14,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2011
5-14 Instruments and Controls
Metric—Z06 and ZR1 Models
{WARNING
Do not keep driving if the oil
pressure is low. The engine can
become so hot that it catches fire.
Someone could be burned. Check
the oil as soon as possible and
have the vehicle serviced.
Notice: Lack of proper engine
oil maintenance can damage the
engine. The repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Always follow the maintenance
schedule for changing engine oil.
The engine oil pressure gauge
shows the engine oil pressure in
psi (pounds per square inch) or
kPa (kilopascals) when the engine
is running. Oil pressure should be 140 to
550 kPa (20 to 80 psi). In certain
situations such as long, extended
idles on hot days, it could read as
low as 40 kPa (6 psi) and still be
considered normal. Oil pressure
may exceed 689 kPa (100 psi)
when first started or when
accelerating. It may vary with
engine speed, outside temperature
and oil viscosity, but readings above
the shaded area show the normal
operating range. Readings in the
shaded area tell you that the engine
is low on oil, or that you might have
some other oil problem. See
Engine
Oil on page 10‑15.
The engine oil pressure can also
be displayed using the GAGES
button on the Driver Information
Center (DIC). See Driver Information
Center (DIC) on page 5‑25.
Black plate (26,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2011
5-26 Instruments and Controls
DIC Operation and Displays
Depending on the features on the
vehicle, the drive gear may display
on the DIC. See“Manual Paddle
Shift” under Automatic Transmission
on page 9‑28 and“Head-Up
Display (HUD)” in the index of
the Navigation system manual
for more information.
The Driver Information Center (DIC)
has different modes which can be
accessed by pressing the following
buttons located on the instrument
panel, to the right of the instrument
panel cluster.
. 4(Fuel): Press this button to
display fuel information such as fuel
economy and range.
2(Gauges): Press this button
to display gauge information like oil
pressure and temperature, coolant
temperature, automatic transmission
fluid temperature, if equipped,
battery voltage, and front/rear tire
pressures. TRIP:
Press this button to display
your total and trip distance driven,
the elapsed time function, your
average speed, and the engine
oil life.
OPTION: Press this button to
choose personal options that
are available on your vehicle,
depending on the options your
vehicle is equipped with, such
as door locks, easy entry seats,
and language.
RESET: Press this button, used
along with the other buttons, to
reset system functions, select
personal options, and turn off or
acknowledge messages on the DIC.