Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
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)
%: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
d:Traction Control/Active
Handling System
M: Windshield Washer Fluid
Black plate (25,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-25
Security Light
The security light should come on
briefly as the engine is started. If the
system is working normally, the
indicator light turns off. If it does not
come on, have the vehicle serviced
by your dealer.
If the light stays on and the engine
does not start, there could be a
problem with the theft-deterrent
system.
This light is also used to indicate the
status of the anti-theft alarm system
when the ignition is turned off. The
light will flash rapidly if the alarm
system is arming and one or more
of the monitored entry points is not
closed. The light will stay on if the
alarm is arming and all entry points
are closed.For information regarding this light
and the vehicle's security system,
see
Anti-theft Alarm System on
page 2‑14.
High-Beam On Light
This light comes on when the
high-beam headlamps are in use.
See Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer on page 6‑2 for more
information.
Front Fog Lamp Light
The fog lamp light comes on when
the fog lamps are in use. The light goes out when the fog
lamps are turned off. See
Fog
Lamps on page 6‑5 for more
information.
Lamps On Reminder
This light comes on whenever the
parking lamps are on.
See Exterior Lamps Off Reminder
on page 6‑2 for more information.
Black plate (31,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-31
Head-Up Display (HUD)
{WARNING
If the HUD image is too bright,
or too high in your field of view, it
may take you more time to see
things you need to see when it is
dark outside. Be sure to keep the
HUD image dim and placed low in
your field of view.
For vehicles with the Head-Up
Display (HUD), you can see some
of the driver information that
appears on the instrument panel
cluster.
The information may be displayed in
English or metric units and appears
as an image focused out toward
the front of the vehicle. The HUD
consists of the following information:
.Speedometer
.Turn Signal Indicators
.High-Beam Indicator Symbol
.Tachometer
.Manual Paddle Shift Gear
Indicator (If Equipped)
These displays on the HUD are
for use when using the manual
paddle shift controls to shift the
transmission. See “Manual
Paddle Shift” inAutomatic
Transmission on page 9‑27.
.Shift Light
This light is used for
performance driving to
indicate that the vehicle's best
performance level has been
reached to shift the transmission
into the next higher gear.
An arrow pointing up will light
up on the display just prior to
reaching the engine fuel cut-off
mode. This cut-off is about
6,500 rpm for the LS3 engine,
6,600 rpm for the LS9 & ZR1
engines, and 7,000 rpm for the
LS7 engine.
.Check Gauges Warning
.Engine Coolant Temperature
Gauge
.Transmission Fluid Temperature
Gauge, (Automatic Transmission
Vehicles Only)
.Engine Oil Temperature Gauge
.Engine Oil Pressure Gauge
.G-Force Gauge
.Boost Gauge (If Equipped)
.Audio Functions, Street
Mode Only
.Navigation, Only with Navigation
Radio, Turn-by-Turn Guidance.
Street Mode Only
Black plate (57,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-57
When the mode you want is
selected, press the OPTION button
to set your choice and advance to
the next personal option.
Approach Lights:This option
briefly turns on the parking lamps,
the high-beam headlamps, and the
back-up lamps during low light
periods when the RKE transmitter is
used to unlock the vehicle.
Press the OPTION button until
APPROACH LIGHTS appears on
the display, then press the RESET
button to scroll through the following
modes:
.OFF
.ON (default)
If you choose OFF, this option will
turn off.
If you choose ON, the parking
lamps, the high-beam headlamps,
and the back-up lamps will come on for 20 seconds during
low light periods when all of the
following occur:
.You press the unlock button on
the RKE transmitter.
.Both of the doors are closed.
.The vehicle is off or in RAP.
The lamps remain on for 20 seconds
or until a door is opened, the lock
button on the RKE transmitter is
pressed, or the vehicle is no longer
off or in RAP.
See Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System on page 2‑3 for more
information.
When the mode you want is
selected, press the OPTION button
to set your choice and advance to
the next personal option.
Twilight Delay: This option allows
you to set the amount of time
you want the parking lamps and
high-beam headlamps to remain
on after you exit the vehicle. This will occur when the vehicle is
off or in RAP and the headlamps
are on due to the automatic
headlamp system. The parking
lamps and high-beam headlamps
will remain on until the driver
selected time expires, the exterior
lamp control is activated, or the
vehicle is no longer off or in RAP.
Press the OPTION button until
TWILIGHT DELAY appears on the
display, then press the RESET
button to scroll through the following
modes:
.OFF
.15 S
.30 S (default)
.90 S
If you choose OFF, this option will
turn off.
If you choose 15 S, the twilight
delay time will be set to 15 seconds.
If you choose 30 S, the twilight
delay time will be set to 30 seconds.
Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Lighting 6-1
Lighting
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lamps OffReminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Twilight Sentinel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . 6-4
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Interior Lighting
Instrument Panel Illumination Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Courtesy Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Lighting Features
Entry/Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Battery Power Protection . . . . . . 6-7
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls
The exterior lamp control is located
to the left of the steering wheel on
the multifunction lever.
O(Exterior Lamp Control):
Turn the band with this symbol on it
to operate the exterior lamps.
The exterior lamp band has four
positions:
O(Off): Turns off all lamps.
AUTO (Automatic): Sets the
exterior lamps to automatic mode.
AUTO mode turns the exterior
lamps on and off depending on how
much light is available outside the
vehicle. To override AUTO mode, turn the
control to off.
To reset to AUTO mode, turn the
control to exterior lamps and then
back to AUTO. Automatic mode also
resets when the vehicle is turned off
and then back on again if the control
is left in the AUTO position.
;(Parking Lamps):
Turns on
the parking lamps together with the
following:
.Sidemarker Lamps
.Taillamps
.License Plate Lamps
.Instrument Panel Lights
The parking brake indicator light
comes on and stays on when the
parking lamps are on with the
engine off and the ignition to
ACC/ACCESSORY.
5(Headlamps): Turns on the
headlamps, together with the
previously listed lamps and lights.
Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
6-2 Lighting
Exterior Lamps Off
Reminder
A warning chime will sound if the
exterior lamp control is left on in
either the headlamp or parking lamp
position and the driver door is
opened with the ignition off.
Headlamp High/
Low-Beam Changer
To change the headlamps from low
beam to high, push the turn signal
lever all the way forward. To change
from high to low beam, pull the lever
rearward.
While the high beams are on, this
light on the instrument cluster will
also be lit.
Flash-to-Pass
To use the flash-to-pass feature,
briefly pull the turn signal lever
toward you. The high-beam
indicator flashes to indicate to the
other driver that you intend to pass.
If the low-beam headlamps are off
and the fog lamps are on, the fog
lamps flash.
Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL)
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can
make it easier for others to see the
front of your vehicle during the day.
Fully functional daytime running
lamps are required on all vehicles
first sold in Canada.
The DRL system makes the front
turn signal lamps come on when the
following conditions are met:
.It is still daylight and the ignition
is on.
.The exterior lamp control is in
the AUTO position.
.The transmission is not in
P (Park) or the parking brake
is off.
.The parking brake is off or the
vehicle speed is greater than
13 km/h (8 mph).
When DRL are on, only the front
turn signal lamps will be on.
The parking lamps, taillamps,
instrument panel lights, or other
exterior lamps will not be on when
the DRL are being used.
When it is dark enough outside, the
front turn signal lamps turn off and
the normal low-beam headlamps
turn on.
When it is bright enough outside,
the regular lamps go off, and the
front turn signal lamps will take over.
If the vehicle is started in a dark
garage, the automatic headlamp
system comes on immediately.
Once the vehicle leaves the garage,
it takes approximately one minute
for the automatic headlamp system
to change to DRL if it is light
Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Lighting 6-5
The lever returns to its starting
position when it is released.
If after signaling a turn or lane
change the arrows flash rapidly or
do not come on, a signal bulb may
be burned out.
Have the bulbs replaced. If the bulb
is not burned out, check the fuse.
SeeFuses and Circuit Breakers on
page 10‑47.
Turn Signal on Chime
A chime sounds if the turn signal
has been on for more than 1.2 km
(0.75 miles) of driving.
If you need to leave the turn
signal on for more than 1.2 km
(0.75 miles), turn off the signal and
then turn it back on.Fog Lamps
Use fog lamps for better vision in
foggy or misty conditions.
The fog lamps control is located on
the multifunction lever next to the
exterior lamp control.
#(Fog Lamps): Turning the band
to this position will turn the fog
lamps on.
When you turn the fog lamps on,
the fog lamp light will appear on the
instrument panel cluster to indicate
that the fog lamps and the parking
lamps are on. If you turn the high-beam
headlamps on, the fog lamps will
turn off. They will turn on again
when you switch to low-beam
headlamps.
The ignition must be on for the
fog lamps to operate.
Some localities have laws that
require the headlamps to be on
along with the fog lamps.
Black plate (44,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
10-44 Vehicle Care
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp aim has been preset at
the factory and should need no
further adjustment.
However, if the vehicle is damaged
in a crash, the headlamp aim may
be affected. Aim adjustment to the
low-beam headlamps may be
necessary if oncoming drivers flash
their high-beam headlamps at you
(for vertical aim).
If the headlamps need to be
re-aimed, it is recommended that
the vehicle be taken to the dealer
for service.
Bulb Replacement
For the proper type of replacement
bulbs, seeReplacement Bulbs on
page 10‑46.
For any bulb‐changing procedure
not listed in this section, contact
your dealer.
Halogen Bulbs
{WARNING
Halogen bulbs have pressurized
gas inside and can burst if you
drop or scratch the bulb. You or
others could be injured. Be sure
to read and follow the instructions
on the bulb package.
High Intensity Discharge
(HID) Lighting
{WARNING
The low beam high intensity
discharge lighting system
operates at a very high voltage.
If you try to service any of the
system components, you could be
seriously injured. Have your
dealer or a qualified technician
service them.
The vehicle may have HID
headlamps. After an HID headlamp
bulb has been replaced, you may
notice that the beam is a slightly
different shade than it was originally.
This is normal.