2011 CHEVROLET CORVETTE engine

Black plate (17,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-17
The airbag readiness light flashes
for a few seconds when the engine
is started. If the light does not come
on then, have it fixed immediately.
{WARNING
If the airbag readiness light stays
on after the vehicle is started or
comes on while driving, it means
the airbag system might not be
working properly. The airbags in
the vehicle might not inflate in a
crash, or they could even inflate
without a crash. To help avoid
injury, have the vehicle serviced
right away.If there is a problem with the airbag
system, an airbag Driver Information
Center (DIC) message can also
come on. See
Vehicle Messages on
page 5‑35 for more information.
Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator
The vehicle has the passenger
sensing system. See Passenger
Sensing System on page 3‑30
for important safety information.
The rearview mirror has a
passenger airbag status indicator.
United States
Canada and Mexico
When the vehicle is started, the
passenger airbag status indicator
will light ON and OFF, or the symbol
for on and off, for several seconds
as a system check. Then, after
several more seconds, the status
indicator will light either ON or
OFF, or either the on or off symbol,
to let you know the status to let you
know the status of the right front
passenger frontal and seat-mounted
side impact airbags (if equipped).
If the word ON or the on symbol is
lit on the passenger airbag status
indicator, it means that the right
front passenger frontal airbag and
seat-mounted side impact airbag
(if equipped) are enabled (may
inflate).

Black plate (18,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2011
5-18 Instruments and Controls
If the word OFF or the off symbol
is lit on the passenger airbag
status indicator, it means that
the passenger sensing system
has turned off the right front
passenger frontal airbag and
seat-mounted side impact airbag
(if equipped). SeePassenger
Sensing System on page 3‑30 for
more on this, including important
safety information.
If, after several seconds, both status
indicator lights remain on, or if there
are no lights at all, there may be
a problem with the lights or the
passenger sensing system.
See your dealer for service.{WARNING
If the airbag readiness light ever
comes on and stays on, it means
that something may be wrong
with the airbag system. To help
avoid injury to yourself or others,
have the vehicle serviced right
away. See Airbag Readiness
Light on page 5‑16 for more
information, including important
safety information.
Malfunction
Indicator Lamp
A computer system called OBD II
(On-Board Diagnostics-Second
Generation) monitors operation
of the fuel, ignition, and emission
control systems. It makes sure that
emissions are at acceptable levels
for the life of the vehicle, helping to
produce a cleaner environment.
This comes on briefly while starting
the engine. If it does not come on,
have the vehicle serviced by your
dealer.
If the Malfunction Indicator Lamp
comes on and stays on, while the
engine is running, this indicates that
there is an OBD II problem and
service is required.
Malfunctions often are indicated by
the system before any problem is
apparent. Being aware of the light
can prevent more serious damage
to the vehicle. This system assists
the service technician in correctly
diagnosing any malfunction.

Black plate (19,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-19
Notice:If the vehicle is
continually driven with this
light on, after a while, the
emission controls might not
work as well, the vehicle fuel
economy might not be as good,
and the engine might not run
as smoothly. This could lead to
costly repairs that might not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Notice: Modifications made to
the engine, transmission,
exhaust, intake, or fuel system
of the vehicle or the replacement
of the original tires with other
than those of the same Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC) can
affect the vehicle's emission
controls and can cause this light
to come on. Modifications to
these systems could lead to
costly repairs not covered by
the vehicle warranty. This
could also result in a failure
to pass a required Emission
Inspection/Maintenance test.
See Accessories and
Modifications on page 10‑4. This light comes on during a
malfunction in one of two ways:
Light Flashing:
A misfire condition
has been detected. A misfire
increases vehicle emissions and
could damage the emission control
system on the vehicle. Diagnosis
and service might be required.
The following can prevent more
serious damage to the vehicle:
.Reduce vehicle speed.
.Avoid hard accelerations.
.Avoid steep uphill grades.
If the light continues to flash, when
it is safe to do so, stop the vehicle.
Find a safe place to park the
vehicle. Turn off the vehicle, wait at
least 10 seconds, and restart the
engine. If the light is still flashing,
follow the previous steps and see
your dealer for service as soon as
possible. Light On Steady:
An emission
control system malfunction has
been detected on the vehicle.
Diagnosis and service might be
required.
An emission system malfunction
might be corrected by doing the
following:
.Make sure the fuel cap is fully
installed. See Filling the Tank on
page 9‑51. The diagnostic
system can determine if the
fuel cap has been left off or
improperly installed. A loose or
missing fuel cap allows fuel to
evaporate into the atmosphere.
A few driving trips with the cap
properly installed should turn
the light off.
.If the vehicle has been driven
through a deep puddle of water,
the vehicle's electrical system
might be wet. The condition
is usually corrected when the
electrical system dries out.
A few driving trips should turn
the light off.

Black plate (20,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2011
5-20 Instruments and Controls
.Make sure to fuel the vehicle
with quality fuel. Poor fuel quality
causes the engine not to run as
efficiently as designed and may
cause: stalling after start-up,
stalling when the vehicle is
changed into gear, misfiring,
hesitation on acceleration,
or stumbling on acceleration.
These conditions might go away
once the engine is warmed up.
If one or more of these
conditions occurs, change
the fuel brand used. It will
require at least one full tank
of the proper fuel to turn the
light off.
SeeRecommended Fuel on
page 9‑48.
If none of the above have made
the light turn off, your dealer can
check the vehicle. The dealer
has the proper test equipment
and diagnostic tools to fix any
mechanical or electrical problems
that might have developed.Emissions Inspection and
Maintenance Programs
Some state/provincial and
local governments may have
programs to inspect the on-vehicle
emission control equipment For
the inspection, the emission
system test equipment is connected
to the vehicle’s Data Link
Connector (DLC).
The DLC is under the instrument
panel to the left of the steering
wheel. See your dealer if assistance
is needed. The vehicle may not pass
inspection if:
.the check engine light is on with
the engine running, or if the light
does not come on when the
ignition is in ON/RUN while
the engine is off.
.the critical emission control
systems have not been
completely diagnosed by
the system. This can happen
if the battery has recently
been replaced or if the battery
has run down. The diagnostic
system evaluates critical
emission control systems during
normal driving. This can take
several days of routine driving.
If this has been done and the
vehicle still does not pass the
inspection, your dealer can
prepare the vehicle for
inspection.

Black plate (21,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-21
Brake System Warning
Light
The vehicle brake system
consists of two hydraulic circuits.
If one circuit is not working, the
remaining circuit can still work to
stop the vehicle. For normal braking
performance, both circuits need to
be working.
EnglishMetric
This light comes on briefly while
starting the engine. If it does not
come on, have it fixed so it is ready
to warn if there is a problem.
{WARNING
The brake system might not be
working properly if the brake
system warning light is on.
Driving with the brake system
warning light on can lead to a
crash. If the light is still on after
the vehicle has been pulled off
the road and carefully stopped,
have the vehicle towed for
service.
If this warning light stays on after
the engine is started, the parking
brake may still be set or there
could be a brake problem. Refer
to Parking Brake on page 9‑35 to
see if it is set. If the parking brake
is not set, have the brake system
inspected right away. If the light comes on while driving
and a CHECK BRAKE FLUID
message shows on the DIC, pull
off the road and stop carefully.
The pedal may be harder to push
or the pedal may go closer to the
floor. It may take longer to stop.
If the light is still on, have the
vehicle towed for service. See
Towing the Vehicle on page 10‑86
and
Brake System Messages on
page 5‑36 for more information.

Black plate (22,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2011
5-22 Instruments and Controls
Antilock Brake System
(ABS) Warning Light
For vehicles with the Antilock Brake
System (ABS), this light comes on
briefly when the engine is started.
If it does not, have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer. If the
system is working normally the
indicator light then goes off.
If the ABS light stays on, turn the
ignition off. If the light comes on
while driving, stop as soon as it is
safely possible and turn the ignition
off. Then start the engine again to
reset the system. If the ABS light
stays on, or comes on again while
driving, the vehicle needs service.If the regular brake system warning
light is not on, the vehicle still has
brakes, but not antilock brakes.
If the regular brake system warning
light is also on, the vehicle does not
have antilock brakes and there is a
problem with the regular brakes.
See
Brake System Warning Light on
page 5‑21.One-to-Four Shift Light
(Manual Transmission)
When this light comes on, the
vehicle can only be shifted from
1 (First) to 4 (Fourth) instead of
1 (First) to 2 (Second). The shift must be completed into
4 (Fourth) to turn off this feature.
This helps the vehicle get the best
possible fuel economy.
After shifting to 4 (Fourth), the
vehicle can be downshifted to a
lower gear.
Notice:
Forcing the shift lever
into any gear except 4 (Fourth)
when the 1 TO 4 SHIFT light
comes on may damage the
transmission. Shift only from
1 (First) to 4 (Fourth) when the
light comes on.
This light comes on when:
.The engine coolant temperature
is higher than 76°C (169°F),
.The vehicle is going 24 to
31 km/h (15 to 19 mph) and
.The vehicle 21 percent throttle
or less.

Black plate (23,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-23
Active Handling System
Light
The Active Handling System light
comes on briefly as the engine is
started. If the light does not, have
the vehicle serviced by your dealer.
If the system is working normally the
light goes off.
If the light stays on or comes on
while driving, a chime sounds and
a SERVICE ACTIVE HANDLING
SYSTEM message appears on the
DIC and the vehicle need service.
This light also comes on while
the vehicle is in the Competitive
Driving Mode.For the ZR1 this light comes on
when Performance Traction mode is
activated, along with DIC messages
for the five traction modes.
When the Active Handling System
is turned off, the light comes on,
a chime sounds, and the
TRACTION SYSTEM AND
ACTIVE HANDLING
–OFF
message displays in the DIC.
The Traction Control System
is off and the Active Handling
System does not assist with
controlling the vehicle.
When the Active Handling System
is turned back on, the light turns
off, a chime sounds and the
TRACTION SYSTEM AND
ACTIVE HANDLING –ON
message displays in the DIC.
See Ride Control System Messages
on page 5‑44 for more information.
Traction Control System
(TCS) Warning Light
The Traction Control System (TCS)
Warning light comes on briefly when
the engine is started.
If the light does not, have the
vehicle serviced by your dealer.
If the system is working normally
the light then goes off.
If the light stays on, or comes on
while driving and a SERVICE
TRACTION SYSTEM message
displays in the Driver Information
Center (DIC), the vehicle needs
service.

Black plate (24,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2011
5-24 Instruments and Controls
When the TCS is turned off, this
light comes on and a TRACTION
SYSTEM OFF message displays
on the DIC. When this light is on,
the TCS system does not limit
wheel spin.
When the TCS is turned back on,
this light turns off and a TRACTION
SYSTEM ON message displays on
the DIC
This light also comes on while
the vehicle is in the Competitive
Driving Mode.
SeeTraction Control System (TCS)
on page 9‑36 andRide Control
System Messages on page 5‑44
for more information.
See Active Handling System on
page 9‑37 for more information on
Competitive Driving Mode and
Performance Traction Mode.Tire Pressure Light
For vehicles with a Tire Pressure
Monitor System, this light comes on
briefly when the engine is started.
It provides information about tire
pressures and the Tire Pressure
Monitor System.
When the Light is On Steady
This indicates that one or more
of the tires are significantly
underinflated.
A tire pressure message can
accompany the light. See Tire
Messages on page 5‑51 for more
information. Stop as soon as
possible, and inflate the tires to
the pressure value shown on the
Tire and Loading Information Label.
See Tire Pressure on page 10‑66
for more information. When the Light Flashes First and
Then is On Steady
This indicates that there may be
a problem with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System. The light flashes
for about a minute and stays on
steady for the remainder of the
ignition cycle. This sequence
repeats with every ignition cycle.
See
Tire Pressure Monitor
Operation on page 10‑69 for
more information.
Security Light
For information regarding this light
and the vehicle's security system,
see Anti-Theft Alarm System on
page 2‑12.