Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2011
2011 Chevrolet Corvette Owner ManualM
In Brief. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . 1-4
Vehicle Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Performance and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-21
Keys, Doors and Windows . . . 2-1
Keys and Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
Vehicle Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Exterior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Interior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18
Seats and Restraints . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-22
Child Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-37
Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Storage Compartments . . . . . . . . 4-1
Additional Storage Features . . . 4-2 Instruments and Controls
. . . . 5-1
Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Warning Lights, Gauges, and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Information Displays . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-35
Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . . 5-55
Universal Remote System . . . . 5-64
Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Lighting Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-5
Audio Players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-11
Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-18
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . 8-1
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-6
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-7 Driving and Operating
. . . . . . . . 9-1
Driving Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Starting and Operating . . . . . . . 9-18
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 9-28
Manual Transmission . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-34
Ride Control Systems . . . . . . . . 9-36
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-44
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-48
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-54
Conversions and Add-Ons . . . 9-54
Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Vehicle Checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-8
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . 10-48
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-48
Electrical System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-50
Wheels and Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-58
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-82
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-86
Appearance Care . . . . . . . . . . . 10-86
Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2011
Introduction v
Vehicle Symbol Chart
Here are some additional symbols
that may be found on the vehicle
and what they mean. For more
information on the symbol, refer
to the Index.
9:Airbag Readiness Light
#:Air Conditioning
!:Antilock Brake System (ABS)
g:Audio Steering Wheel Controls
or OnStar®
$: Brake System Warning Light
":Charging System
I:Cruise Control
B: Engine Coolant Temperature
O:Exterior Lamps
#:Fog Lamps
.: Fuel Gauge
+:Fuses
3: Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer
j: LATCH System Child
Restraints
*: Malfunction Indicator Lamp
::Oil Pressure
}:Power
/:Remote Vehicle Start
>:Safety Belt Reminders
7:Tire Pressure Monitor
F:Traction Control
M:Windshield Washer Fluid
Black plate (3,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2011
In Brief 1-3
A.Air Vents on page 8‑6.
B. Head-Up Display (HUD) on
page 5‑31 (If Equipped).
C. Turn and Lane‐Change Lever. See Turn and Lane-Change
Signals (Auto Signal) on
page 6‑4.
Cruise Control on page 9‑44.
Fog Lamps on page 6‑5.
Exterior Lamp Controls on
page 6‑1.
D. Manual Shift Paddles (If Equipped). See Automatic
Transmission on page 9‑28.
E. Driver Information Center (DIC)
on page 5‑25.
F. Instrument Cluster on page 5‑9.
G. Windshield Wiper/Washer on
page 5‑4.
H. Driver Information Center (DIC) Buttons. See Driver Information
Center (DIC) on page 5‑25.
I. Hazard Warning Flashers on
page 6‑4. J.
AM-FM Radio on page 7‑5.
K. Dual Automatic Climate Control
System on page 8‑1.
L. Fuel Door Release Button. See Filling the Tank on page 9‑51.
Hatch/Trunk Release Button.
See “Hatch/Trunk Lid Release”
under Hatch on page 2‑10.
M. Instrument Panel Illumination
Control on page 6‑5.
N. Data Link Connector (DLC). See Malfunction Indicator Lamp
on page 5‑18.
O. Power Folding Top Switch (If Equipped). See Convertible
Top on page 2‑22.
P. Bluetooth on page 7‑18
(If Equipped).
Steering Wheel Controls on
page 5‑3 (If Equipped).
Q. Steering Wheel Adjustment on
page 5‑2.
R. Horn on page 5‑4. S. Telescopic Wheel Button
(If Equipped). See Steering
Wheel Adjustment on page 5‑2.
T. Ignition Positions on page 9‑20.
U. Heated Front Seats on page 3‑8
(If Equipped).
V. Shift Lever (Automatic Shown). See Automatic Transmission on
page 9‑28 orManual
Transmission on page 9‑32.
W. Active Handling System on
page 9‑37.
X. Power Outlets on page 5‑6.
Y. Selective Ride Control on
page 9‑42.
Z. Cupholders on page 4‑1.
AA. Ashtrays on page 5‑8.
Cigarette Lighter on page 5‑7.
AB. Parking Brake on page 9‑35.
AC. Glove Box on page 4‑1.
AD. Instrument Panel Fuse Block on
page 10‑55.
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 (4,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2011
2-4 Keys, Doors and Windows
Keyless Locking
The doors lock after
several seconds if all doors
are closed and at least one
keyless access transmitter
has been removed from the
interior of the vehicle. To customize
whether the doors automatically
lock when exiting the vehicle,
see“Passive Door Locking”
under Vehicle Personalization on
page 5‑55 for additional information.
Keyless Trunk Opening
Press the hatch/trunk release
button located on the rear of
the hatch/trunk lid above the
license plate to open the trunk
if the keyless access transmitter
is within range. See Hatch on
page 2‑10 for additional information. There are other conditions that
can affect the performance of the
transmitter. See
Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE) System on page 2‑3.
This vehicle comes with two
transmitters.
Q(Lock): Press once to lock the
doors. When
Qis pressed twice,
the lights flash and the horn sounds
to confirm locking.
K(Unlock): Press once to unlock
only the driver door. Press
Ktwice
within five seconds to unlock both
doors. The interior lamps may
come on.
Pressing
Kalso recalls the memory
settings. See “Memory Seat, Mirrors
and Steering Wheel” underPower
Seat Adjustment on page 3‑3 for
more information.
}(Hatch/Trunk): Press and
hold for about one second to
unlock the hatch/trunk. If the
engine is running, the shift lever
must be in P (Park) for an automatic
transmission. For a manual
transmission, the shift lever must
be in NEUTRAL with the parking
brake set.
Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-1
Instruments and
Controls
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . 5-2
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . 5-3
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . 5-4
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Cigarette Lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Ashtrays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, andIndicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Boost Gauge (ZR1) . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Engine Oil Pressure Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13 Engine Coolant Temperature
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
Voltmeter Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . 5-16
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . 5-16
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
One-to-Four Shift Light (Manual Transmission) . . . . . 5-22
Active Handling System Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Traction Control System (TCS) Warning Light . . . . . . . 5-23
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
High-Beam on Light . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . 5-25
Lamps on Reminder . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Information Displays
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Head-Up Display (HUD) . . . . . 5-31
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . 5-35
Battery Voltage and Charging Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-35
Brake System Messages . . . . 5-36
Convertible Top Messages . . . 5-37
Cruise Control Messages . . . . 5-38
Door Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . 5-39
Engine Cooling System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-39
Engine Oil Messages . . . . . . . . 5-40
Engine Power Messages . . . . 5-41
Fuel System Messages . . . . . . 5-41
Key and Lock Messages . . . . . 5-42
Lamp Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-44
Ride Control System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-44
Safety Belt Messages . . . . . . . 5-49
Anti-Theft Alarm System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-50
Service Vehicle Messages . . . 5-50
Starting the Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-50
Tire Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-51
Transmission Messages . . . . . 5-53
Vehicle Reminder Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-54
Washer Fluid Messages . . . . . 5-54
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.