
Black plate (53,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-53
To acknowledge the message,
press the RESET button.
The message reappears every
10 minutes until this condition
changes. If you do not press the
RESET button, the message
remains on the display until the
condition changes.
UPSHIFT NOW
SeeManual Transmission on
page 9‑32.
Vehicle Reminder
Messages
ACCESSORY MODE ON
This message displays when the
vehicle is in accessory mode.
ICE POSSIBLE
This message displays when the
outside air temperature is cold
enough to create icy road
conditions. Adjust your driving
accordingly.
OPTIONS UNAVAILABLE
This message displays for a few
seconds if a RKE transmitter that is
not labeled 1 or 2 is used and you
try to personalize the features on
the vehicle by pressing the OPTION
button. The personalization system
will not recognize the transmitter
and the DIC will not display the
current driver number or the menus
used to set personalizations.
The personalization features will
then be set to the default states.
See Vehicle Personalization on
page 5‑54 for more information.
SET PARK BRAKE FOR
SEAT RECALL
If the vehicle has a manual
transmission, this message displays
if you try to recall the memory
positions when the ignition is on
and the parking brake is not set.
If the vehicle is on, you must set
the parking brake in order for the
memory positions to recall.
SeeMemory Seats on page 3‑4 for
more information.
Washer Fluid Messages
CHECK WASHER FLUID
See Washer Fluid on page 10‑34.

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Climate Controls 8-1
Climate Controls
Climate Control Systems
Dual Automatic ClimateControl System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Air Vents
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-6
Maintenance
Passenger CompartmentAir Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-7
Climate Control Systems
Dual Automatic Climate Control System
With this system the heating, cooling, and ventilation can be controlled.
A. Driver Temperature Controls
B. Display
C. Passenger Temperature Control
D. AUTO
E. Recirculation F. Air Conditioning
G. Fan Control
H. Air Delivery Mode Control
I. Defrost
J. Rear Window Defogger

Black plate (3,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Climate Controls 8-3
Manual Operation
Driver Power/Temperature:Press
the driver temperature knob to turn
the climate control system off. This
is the only setting that completely
shuts off the fan. The digital display
shows only the outside temperature.
The driver and the passenger set
temperature and the air intake mode
can still be adjusted when the
climate control is off.
Passenger Power/Temperature:
Press the passenger temperature
knob to turn the passenger's climate
control system on or off. Turn the
knob to increase or decrease the
temperature for the passenger. If the
passenger's climate control system
is off, the driver's temperature knob
will control the temperature for the
entire vehicle.
x 9 w(Fan): Press to increase
or decrease the fan speed. The fan
speed setting will appear in the
display. Pressing the arrows will delete
AUTO from the digital display.
The fan graphics with the fan speed
bars will be shown. The AUTO
button must be pressed to return
to the automatic fan control.
If the airflow seems low when the
fan speed is at the highest setting,
the passenger compartment air filter
may need to be replaced. For more
information, see
Passenger
Compartment Air Filter on page 8‑7.
N(Air Delivery Mode Control):
Press this button to manually lock in
the current air delivery setting and
to stop the automatic mode control.
Pressing
Ndeletes AUTO from
the digital display and the mode
graphics will be shown. To change
the setting, press
Nagain.
The AUTO button must be pressed
to return to the automatic mode
selection. To change the current mode, select
one of the following:
H(Vent):
Air is directed to the
instrument panel outlets, with some
air directed to the floor outlets.
%(Bi-Level): Air is divided
between the instrument panel and
floor outlets.
6(Floor): Air is directed to the
floor outlets, with some air directed
to the windshield and side window
defogger outlets.
-(Floor/Defog): This mode clears
the windows of fog or moisture.
Air is directed to the windshield
and the floor outlets, with a small
amount to the side window
outlets. In this mode, the system
automatically turns off the
recirculation and runs the air
conditioning compressor unless the
outside temperature is at or below
freezing. The recirculation mode
cannot be selected while in the
defog mode.

Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
8-4 Climate Controls
1(Defrost):This mode clears the
windows of fog or frost more quickly.
Air is directed to the windshield, with
a small amount directed to the side
window outlets. The indicator light
comes on and the digital display will
show the defrost mode symbol and
fan speed when the front defrost
mode is being used. In this mode,
the system automatically turns off
the recirculation and runs the air
conditioning compressor, unless the
outside temperature is at or below
freezing. Recirculation cannot be
selected while in the defrost mode.
Pressing
1again will return the
system to the last operating mode.
For severe ice conditions, turn the
driver's temperature knob to 32°C
(90°F) while in defrost mode.
Do not drive the vehicle until all the
windows are clear.
^(Air Conditioning Off): Press to
turn the air conditioning compressor
off. Press AUTO to return to
automatic operation. When in
AUTO, the air conditioning
compressor comes on automatically,
as needed.
Air conditioning does not operate
at temperatures below about
2°C to 4°C (35°F to 40°F).
In temperatures above 4°C (40°F),
the air conditioning cannot be
turned off in defrost and defog,
as it helps to remove moisture from
the vehicle. It also helps to keep the
windows clear.
You may notice a slight change in
engine performance when the air
conditioning compressor shuts off
and turns on again. This is normal.
The system is designed to make
adjustments to help with fuel
economy while still maintaining the
selected temperature. On hot days, open the windows to
let hot inside air escape; then close
them. This helps to reduce the time
it takes for the vehicle to cool down.
It also helps the system to operate
more efficiently.
For quick cool down on hot days
press the AUTO button and
adjust the temperature to a cool,
comfortable setting. To achieve
maximum cool down, do the
following:
1. Select
Hmode.
2. Press
?.
3. Select the a/c on.
4. Select the coolest temperature.
5. Select the highest fan speed.
Using these settings together for
long periods of time may cause
the air inside of your vehicle to
become too dry. To prevent this

Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Climate Controls 8-5
from happening, after the air in
the vehicle has cooled, turn the
recirculation mode off.
The air conditioning system
removes moisture from the air, so a
small amount of water might drip
under the vehicle while idling or
after turning off the engine. This is
normal.
?(Recirculation):Press to turn
the recirculation mode on or off.
An indicator light comes on to show
that recirculation is on. This mode
prevents outside air from entering
your vehicle. It can be used to
prevent outside air and odors from
entering your vehicle and to help
cool the air inside your vehicle more
quickly. Recirculation mode is not
available in defrost or defog mode.
Sensors
The solar sensor on the vehicle
monitors the solar heat and uses
the information to maintain the
selected temperature when
operating in AUTO mode by
automatically adjusting the
temperature, fan speed, and air
delivery system. The system may
also supply cooler air to the side
of the vehicle facing the sun.
The recirculation mode will also be
activated, as necessary. Do not
cover the solar sensor located on
the top of the instrument panel near
the windshield or the system will not
work properly.
There is also a sensor located
behind the front bumper. This
sensor reads the outside air
temperature and helps to maintain
the temperature inside the vehicle.
Any cover on the front of the vehicle
could give a false reading in the
temperature. If the outside temperature goes up,
the displayed temperature will not
change until:
.The vehicle's speed is above
19 km/h (12 mph) for
five minutes.
.The vehicle's speed is above
52 km/h (32 mph) for two and
one‐half minutes.
These delays prevent false
readings. If the temperature goes
down, the outside temperature
will be shown when you start the
vehicle. If it has been turned off
for less than three hours, the
temperature will be recalled from the
previous vehicle operation.
There is also an inside temperature
sensor located to the left of the
ignition switch. The automatic
climate control system uses this
sensor to receive information, so if
you block or cover it, the system will
not function properly.

Black plate (12,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
9-12 Driving and Operating
Blizzard Conditions
Being stuck in snow can be a
serious situation. Stay with the
vehicle unless there is help nearby.
If possible, use theRoadside
Assistance Program (U.S. and
Canada) on page 13‑8 orRoadside
Assistance Program (Mexico) on
page 13‑10. To get help and keep
everyone in the vehicle safe:
.Turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
.Tie a red cloth to an outside
mirror.
{WARNING
Snow can trap engine exhaust
under the vehicle. This may
cause exhaust gases to get
inside. Engine exhaust contains
Carbon Monoxide (CO) which
cannot be seen or smelled. It can
cause unconsciousness and even
death.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
If the vehicle is stuck in the snow:
.Clear away snow from around
the base of your vehicle,
especially any that is blocking
the exhaust pipe.
.Check again from time to
time to be sure snow does
not collect there.
.Open a window about
5 cm (2 in) on the side of the
vehicle that is away from the
wind to bring in fresh air.
.Fully open the air outlets on
or under the instrument
panel.
.Adjust the climate control
system to a setting that
circulates the air inside the
vehicle and set the fan
speed to the highest setting.
See Climate Control System
in the Index.(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
For more information about
carbon monoxide, see Engine
Exhaust on page 9‑26.
Snow can trap exhaust gases
under your vehicle. This can
cause deadly CO (Carbon
Monoxide) gas to get inside.
CO could overcome you and kill
you. You cannot see it or smell it,
so you might not know it is in your
vehicle. Clear away snow from
around the base of your vehicle,
especially any that is blocking the
exhaust.
Run the engine for short periods
only as needed to keep warm,
but be careful.

Black plate (29,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-29
The repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Be sure the engine is not running
at high speed when shifting the
vehicle.
D (Drive):This position is for
normal driving. It provides the best
fuel economy. If you need more
power for passing, push the pedal
down to achieve the desired level of
acceleration.
Downshifting the transmission in
slippery road conditions could result
in skidding. See “Skidding”under
Loss of Control on page 9‑5.
S (Sport Mode): When in
S (Sport Mode), the transmission will
work as an automatic until you use
the Manual Paddle Shift Controls,
which activates driver manual gear
selection. See Manual Mode on
page 9‑29. While in S (Sport Mode),
the transmission will have more
noticeable upshifts for sportier
vehicle performance.Manual Mode
Manual Paddle Shift
While in S (Sport Mode), the paddles
located on the steering wheel can
be used to manually up-shift or
down-shift the transmission.
The Manual Paddle Shift system is
activated from S (Sport Mode) by
pushing the paddle, above the
steering wheel spokes, to up-shift
to the next gear, or pulling on the
paddle, behind the steering wheel
spokes, to down-shift to the
next gear. When accelerating the vehicle from
a stop in snowy and icy conditions,
you may want to shift to 2 (Second)
or 3 (Third) gear. A higher gear
allows you to gain more traction on
slippery surfaces. If traction control
is active, upshifts are delayed to
increase your control of the vehicle.
See
Traction Control System (TCS)
on page 9‑36 Traction Control
System (TCS).
The Manual Paddle Shift system
can be deactivated by moving the
shift lever from S (Sport Mode)
back to D (Drive), or by holding
either up‐shift paddle for more than
one second.
The driver may choose to briefly
activate the Manual Paddle Shift
system while in D (Drive). Tapping
either the upshift or downshift
controls will place the transmission
in Manual Paddle Shift mode.

Black plate (49,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-49
For best performance, use premium
unleaded gasoline with a posted
octane rating of 93. In an
emergency, you can use regular
unleaded gasoline with an octane
rating of 87 or higher. If 87 octane
fuel is used, do not perform any
aggressive driving maneuvers such
as wide open throttle applications.
You might also hear audible spark
knock during acceleration. Refill the
tank with premium fuel as soon as
possible to avoid damaging the
engine. If heavy knocking is heard
when using gasoline rated at
91 octane or higher, the engine
needs service.
Gasoline Specifications
(U.S. and Canada Only)
At a minimum, gasoline should
meet ASTM specification D 4814
in the United States or CAN/
CGSB‐3.5 or 3.511 in Canada.Some gasolines contain an
octane-enhancing additive called
methylcyclopentadienyl manganese
tricarbonyl (MMT). We recommend
against the use of gasolines
containing MMT. See
Fuel Additives
on page 9‑50 for additional
information.
California Fuel
Requirements
If the vehicle is certified to meet
California Emissions Standards,
it is designed to operate on fuels
that meet California specifications.
See the underhood emission control
label. If this fuel is not available in
states adopting California Emissions
Standards, the vehicle will operate
satisfactorily on fuels meeting
federal specifications, but emission
control system performance might
be affected. The malfunction
indicator lamp could turn on and the
vehicle might fail a smog‐check test. See
Malfunction Indicator Lamp on
page 5‑19. If this occurs, return to
your authorized dealer for diagnosis.
If it is determined that the condition
is caused by the type of fuel used,
repairs might not be covered by the
vehicle warranty.
Fuels in Foreign
Countries
Never use leaded gasoline or any
other fuel not recommended in the
previous text on fuel. Costly repairs
caused by use of improper fuel
would not be covered by the vehicle
warranty.
To check the fuel availability, ask an
auto club, or contact a major oil
company that does business in the
country where you will be driving.