Page 50 of 432
Black plate (18,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
2-18 Keys, Doors, and Windows
Windows
{WARNING
Leaving children, helpless adults,
or pets in a vehicle with the
windows closed is dangerous.
They can be overcome by the
extreme heat and suffer
permanent injuries or even death
from heat stroke. Never leave a
child, a helpless adult, or a pet
alone in a vehicle, especially with
the windows closed in warm or
hot weather.
Power Windows
Pull up or press down on the front
of the switch to raise or lower the
window.
Retained Accessory Power (RAP)
allows you to use the power
windows when the ignition is off.
For more information, seeRetained
Accessory Power (RAP) on
page 9‑24.
Page 52 of 432

Black plate (20,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
2-20 Keys, Doors, and Windows
Until you are sure you can remove
the panel alone, have someone
help you.
Notice:If you drop or rest a roof
panel on its edges, the roof panel,
paint and/or weatherstripping
may be damaged. Always place
the roof panel in the stowage
receivers after removing it from
the vehicle.
1. Park on a level surface and set the parking brake. Shift an
automatic transmission into
P (Park). Shift a manual
transmission into N (Neutral).
2. Make sure the ignition is off.
3. Lower both sun visors.
4. Open the rear hatch and remove any items that may interfere with
proper storage of the roof panel. 5. Lower the windows.
There are two release latches on
the front of the roof panel and
one rear release latch on the
back of the roof panel.
6. To unlock the release latches onthe front of the roof panel, grasp
each handle and pull it outward.
The driver side handle moves
toward the driver door. The
passenger side handle moves
toward the passenger door.
Page 57 of 432

Black plate (25,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-25
Notice:If you lower the
convertible top on the vehicle
in cold weather (0°C (32°F) or
lower), you may damage
convertible top components.
Do not lower the top in cold
weather.
Notice: If you raise or lower the
convertible top while the vehicle
is in motion, you could damage
the top or the top mechanism.
The repairs would not be covered
by the warranty. Always put an
automatic transmission in
P (Park) or a manual transmission
in Neutral before raising or
lowering the convertible top. Lowering the Manual
Convertible Top
1. Park on a level surface.
Shift an automatic transmission
into P (Park) and set the
parking brake. Shift a manual
transmission into Neutral and set
the parking brake.
2. Make sure the ignition is off.
3. Make sure the trunk is closed.
4. Release the convertible top front latch, located above the inside
rearview mirror, by pulling and
turning it clockwise.
5. Lift upward on the front edge (A)of the convertible top to remove
it from the windshield frame.
Then lift upward on the rear
edge (B) of the convertible top
so it is vertical to the tonneau
cover (C). The front edge (A) and
rear edge (B) should be
straight up.
6. The convertible top front latch must be turned and closed after
the top has been pushed up.
Failure to close the latch may
prevent the tonneau cover from
completely closing.
Page 59 of 432
Black plate (27,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-27
9. Push forward on the frontedge (A) of the convertible top to
allow the rear edge (B) of the
convertible top to be moved to
its full-down position.10. Then move the convertible top rearward to its fully stored
position.
11. After the convertible top is stored, apply one even push on
the center of the front edge (A)
of the convertible top to ensure
that the convertible top is fully
retracted.
12. Close the tonneau cover (B) by pressing down on it with a
swift, firm motion. Raising the Manual
Convertible Top
1. Park on a level surface.
Shift an automatic transmission
into P (Park) and set the
parking brake. Shift a manual
transmission into Neutral and set
the parking brake.
2. Lower both windows.
3. Make sure the ignition is off.
4. Tilt the driver seat forward and press the tonneau
cover release button.
Page 74 of 432

Black plate (8,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
3-8 Seats and Restraints
Heated Front Seats
{WARNING
If you cannot feel temperature
change or pain to the skin, the
seat heater may cause burns
even at low temperatures.
To reduce the risk of burns,
people with such a condition
should use care when using the
seat heater, especially for long
periods of time. Do not place
anything on the seat that
insulates against heat, such as
a blanket, cushion, cover,
or similar item. This may cause
the seat heater to overheat.
An overheated seat heater may
cause a burn or may damage
the seat.
If available, the buttons are on the
center stack.
The ignition must be on for this
feature to work.
L(Heated Seat):Press to turn the
heated seat on at the high setting.
Press again to switch to the low
setting.
9(Off): Press to turn the heated
seat off.
Safety Belts
This section of the manual
describes how to use safety belts
properly. It also describes some
things not to do with safety belts.
{WARNING
Do not let anyone ride where a
safety belt cannot be worn
properly. In a crash, if you or your
passenger(s) are not wearing
safety belts, injuries can be much
worse than if you are wearing
safety belts. You can be seriously
injured or killed by hitting things
inside the vehicle harder or by
being ejected from the vehicle.
In addition, anyone who is not
buckled up can strike other
passengers in the vehicle.
(Continued)
Page 126 of 432

Black plate (12,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
5-12 Instruments and Controls
Speedometer
The speedometer shows the speed
in either kilometers per hour (km/h)
or miles per hour (mph). For more
information see“Personal Options”
under Vehicle Personalization on
page 5‑54.
Odometer
To read the odometer with the
ignition off, turn on the parking
lamps.
If the vehicle needs a new odometer
installed, the mileage total of the
new odometer will be set to the
original kilometers (miles) of the old
odometer. See your dealer if the
odometer must be replaced in the
vehicle.
Tachometer
The tachometer displays the engine
speed in thousands of revolutions
per minute (rpm). Notice:
Fuel shuts off at about
6500 rpm for the base model,
7000 rpm for the Z06 model, and
6600 rpm for the ZR1 model. If the
vehicle continues to be driven at
the fuel shut off rpm, the engine
could be damaged. Be sure to
operate the vehicle below the fuel
shut off rpm or reduce the
vehicle's rpm quickly when the
fuel shuts off.
Fuel Gauge
The fuel gauge shows how much
fuel the vehicle has left while the
engine is on. An arrow on the fuel gauge
indicates the side of the vehicle the
fuel door is on.
When the needle approaches the
low fuel symbol, a chime sounds
and LOW FUEL appears on the
Driver Information Center (DIC)
display. There is still a little fuel left,
but the vehicle's fuel tank should be
filled soon.
Press the RESET button to
acknowledge a DIC message(s).
Pressing the RESET button also
turns off a DIC message but the
LOW FUEL message comes on
again in 10 minutes if fuel is not
added to the vehicle.
Page 127 of 432

Black plate (13,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-13
Here are five things that some
owners ask about. All these things
are normal and do not indicate that
anything is wrong with the fuel
gauge.
.At the service station, the gas
pump shuts off before the gauge
reads the full.
.It takes a little more or less
fuel to fill up than the gauge
indicated. For example, the
gauge may have indicated half
full, but it took a little more or
less than half of the tank's
capacity to fill the tank.
.The gauge pointer may move
while cornering, braking or
speeding up.
.The gauge may not indicate the
tank is empty when the ignition
is turned off.
.The gauge reading may change
slightly within the first several
minutes after starting the
vehicle.See
“DIC Operation and Displays”
in Driver Information Center (DIC)
on page 5‑26 for more information.
Boost Gauge (ZR1)
Metric
English
This gauge indicates vacuum during
light to moderate throttle and boost
under heavier throttle.
It displays the air pressure level in
the intake manifold before it enters
the engine's combustion chamber.
The gauge is automatically centered
at zero every time the engine is
started. Actual vacuum or boost is
displayed from this zero point.
Changes in ambient pressure,
such as driving in mountains and
changing weather, will slightly
change the zero reading.
Page 133 of 432

Black plate (19,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-19
Malfunction
Indicator Lamp
A computer system called OBD II
(On-Board Diagnostics-Second
Generation) monitors the operation
of the vehicle to ensure emissions
are at acceptable levels, to produce
a cleaner environment. This light
comes on when the vehicle is
placed in Service Only Mode, as a
check to show it is working. If it
does not, have the vehicle serviced
by your dealer. SeeIgnition
Positions on page 9‑20 for more
information.
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.
Notice:
If the vehicle is
continually driven with this light
on, 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 10‑3.
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.