Page 30 of 432

Black plate (24,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
1-24 In Brief
Engine Oil Life System
The engine oil life system calculates
engine oil life based on vehicle use
and displays a DIC message when
it is necessary to change the engine
oil and filter. The oil life system
should be reset to 100% only
following an oil change.
Resetting the Oil Life System
1. Press the TRIP button so theOIL LIFE percentage is
displayed.
2. Press RESET and hold for two seconds. OIL LIFE
REMAINING 100% will appear.
See Engine Oil Life System on
page 10‑19.
Driving for Better Fuel
Economy
Driving habits can affect fuel
mileage. Here are some driving tips
to get the best fuel economy
possible.
.Avoid fast starts and accelerate
smoothly.
.Brake gradually and avoid
abrupt stops.
.Avoid idling the engine for long
periods of time.
.When road and weather
conditions are appropriate,
use cruise control, if equipped.
.Always follow posted speed
limits or drive more slowly when
conditions require.
.Keep vehicle tires properly
inflated.
.Combine several trips into a
single trip.
.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 10‑40
and Jump Starting on page 10‑78.
For Z06, 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.
Page 36 of 432

Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
2-4 Keys, Doors, and Windows
Keyless Unlocking
Press the door handle sensor to
unlock and open the doors if the
RKE transmitter is within range.
SeeDoor Locks on page 2‑8 and
“Passive Door Unlock” under
Vehicle Personalization on
page 5‑54 for additional information.
Keyless Locking
The doors lock after several
seconds if all doors are closed and
at least one RKE 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” underVehicle
Personalization on page 5‑54 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
RKE transmitter is within range.
See
Hatch on page 2‑11 for
additional information.
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 Seats on
page 3‑4 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 N (Neutral) with the parking
brake set.
L(Panic): Press to sound the
horn. Press any other button on the
RKE transmitter to stop it.
Page 39 of 432

Black plate (7,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-7
13. A beep sounds onceprogramming in complete.
The DIC displays READY
FOR FOB #2.
To program additional
transmitters, take transmitter 1
out of the transmitter pocket
and place transmitter 2 in the
pocket. Up to four transmitters
can be programmed. The DIC
then displays MAXIMUM
NUMBER OF FOBS LEARNED
and exits the
programming mode.
Press Acc. on the ignition
switch to complete the process.
14. Press Acc. on the ignition switch if programming is
complete.
15. Press
Kon each newly
programmed transmitter to
complete the process.
Starting the Vehicle with a
Low Transmitter Battery
If the transmitter battery is weak,
the DIC may display NO FOBS
DETECTED when trying to start the
vehicle. To start the vehicle, place
the transmitter in the glove box
transmitter pocket with the buttons
facing the passenger side. Then,
with the vehicle in P (Park) for an
automatic transmission, press the
brake pedal and
/. If the vehicle
has a manual transmission, press
the clutch and
/. Replace the
transmitter battery as soon as
possible. Change the transmitter
battery if the DIC displays FOB
BATTERY LOW.
Battery Replacement
Notice: When replacing the
battery, do not touch any of the
circuitry on the transmitter.
Static from your body could
damage the transmitter.
1. Separate the transmitter with a
flat, thin object inserted into the
slot on the side or back of the
transmitter.
2. Remove the old battery. Do not use a metal object.
3. Insert the new battery, positive side facing down. Replace with a
CR2032 or equivalent battery.
4. Reassemble the transmitter.
Page 42 of 432

Black plate (10,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
2-10 Keys, Doors, and Windows
Power Door Locks
There is an indicator light on the
rear of the door near the window.
K(Unlock):Press to unlock the
doors.
When pressed, a beep sounds.
If the door is closed, the indicator
light flashes twice. If the door is
open, the indicator light flashes.
Q(Lock): Press to lock the doors.
When pressed, a beep sounds.
If the door is closed when pressed,
the indicator light comes on for a
few seconds, then turns off. If the
door is open when pressed, the
indicator light stays on.
Automatic Door Locks
The vehicle is programmed so that
when the doors are closed, the
ignition is on, and the shift lever is
moved out of P (Park) for automatic
transmissions, or when vehicle
speed becomes faster than 13 km/h
(8 mph) for manual transmissions,
both doors will lock.
Use the power door unlock switch
to unlock the door when the
vehicle is not in P (Park). When the
door is closed again, the doors will
lock either when your foot is
removed from the brake or the
vehicle speed becomes faster than
13 km/h (8 mph).
Automatic Door Unlock
The vehicle is programmed so
that when the shift lever is
moved into P (Park) for automatic
transmission vehicles or when
the ignition is turned off or is in
Retained Accessory Power (RAP)
for manual transmission vehicles,
both doors will unlock.
With the vehicle stopped and the
engine running, door unlocking
can be programmed through the
Driver Information Center (DIC).
This allows the driver to
choose various unlock settings.
For programming information,
see Vehicle Personalization on
page 5‑54.
Page 44 of 432
Black plate (12,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
2-12 Keys, Doors, and Windows
Hatch/Trunk Release
The vehicle must be in P (Park) with
an automatic transmission and
Neutral with a manual transmission.
For manual transmission vehicles,
the parking brake must be set
when the engine is running for the
hatch/trunk release to operate.
SeeParking Brake on page 9‑36.
To release the hatch/trunk:
.PressV.
.Press}on the keyless
entry transmitter. See Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) System on
page 2‑3.
.Push the hatch/trunk release
button with the RKE transmitter
within range. See Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) System on
page 2‑3.
.Use the vehicle key. See Keys
on page 2‑2.
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 54 of 432

Black plate (22,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
2-22 Keys, Doors, and Windows
3. Gently place the roof paneldown so that the back pins on
the roof panel drop into the
receivers in the back of the
storage area.
Press down firmly to seat the pins in
the receivers.
Installing the Roof Panel
{WARNING
An improperly attached roof panel
may fall into or fly off the vehicle.
You or others could be injured.
After installing the roof panel,
always check that it is firmly
attached by pushing up on the
underside of the panel. Check
now and then to be sure the roof
panel is firmly in place.
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. In most cases, it makes it easier if
two people install the roof panel.
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. Check that the front release latches and the rear release
latch on the vehicle's roof
opening are in their opened
positions before attempting to
install the roof panel.
3. To remove the roof panel from the rear storage area of the
vehicle, pull up on the rear edge
and remove it from the
storage area.
4. Carefully place the roof panel over the top of the vehicle.
5. Position the rear edge of the roof panel to the weatherstrip on
the back of the roof opening.
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.