2012 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C6 tow

Black plate (21,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-21
on. See your dealer for
assistance in verifying proper
operation of the malfunction
indicator lamp.
.The OBD II (On-Board
Diagnostics) system
determines that critical emission
control systems have not been
completely diagnosed. The
vehicle would be considered not
ready for inspection. This can
happen if the 12-volt battery has
recently been replaced or run
down. The diagnostic system is
designed to evaluate critical
emission control systems during
normal driving. This can take
several days of routine driving.
If this has been done and the
vehicle still does not pass the
inspection for lack of OBD II
system readiness, your dealer
can prepare the vehicle for
inspection.
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.
MetricEnglish
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 9‑36 to
see if it is set. If the parking brake
is not set, have the brake system
inspected right away.

Black plate (22,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
5-22 Instruments and Controls
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. SeeTowing the
Vehicle on page 10‑82 andBrake
System Messages on page 5‑36 for
more information.
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.

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 (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 (3,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Infotainment System 7-3
Playing the Radio
Top Knob (Power/Volume):
Press to turn the system on and off.
Turn to increase or decrease the
volume.
MUTE:Press to silence the
system. Press again to turn the
sound on.
This button is not available on the
Six-Disc CD Radio.
V(Information): Press until the
desired display is shown, then hold
for two seconds until the radio
beeps once to change the default
display. The selected display is
now the default.
For RDS:
Press
Vto change the display.
The display options are station
name, RDS station frequency,
PTY, and the name of the program
(if available).
Audio Settings
Press and holdO/ewhen no
tone or speaker control is displayed
to adjust all tone and speaker
controls to the middle position.
AUDIO SETTINGS CENTERED
displays.
Adjusting the Tone
(Bass/Treble)
O/e(Bass/Treble): To adjust
the bass or treble:
Press and release
O/euntil
BASS or TREBLE displays.
.Turn theO/eknob to
increase or to decrease the
level.
.Press and hold theO/eknob
until the level changes to the
middle position.
Adjusting the Speakers
(Balance/Fade)
O/e(Balance/Fade): To adjust
the Balance:
Press and release
O/euntil
BALANCE displays.
.Turn theO/eknob to move
the sound toward the right or the
left speakers.
.Press and hold theO/eknob
until the level changes to the
middle position.
To adjust the Fade:
Press and release
O/euntil
FADE displays
.Turn theO/eknob to move
the sound toward the front or the
rear speakers.
.Press and hold theO/eknob
until the level changes to the
middle position.

Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
9-2 Driving and Operating
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-48
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . 9-48
Gasoline Specifications(U.S. and Canada Only) . . . . 9-49
California Fuel
Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-49
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 9-49
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-50
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-51
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-53
Towing
General TowingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-54
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On ElectricalEquipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-54
Driving Information
Distracted Driving
Distraction comes in many forms
and can take your focus from the
task of driving. Exercise good
judgment and do not let other
activities divert your attention
away from the road. Many local
governments have enacted laws
regarding driver distraction.
Become familiar with the local laws
in your area.
To avoid distracted driving, always
keep your eyes on the road, hands
on the wheel, and mind on the drive.
.Do not use a phone in
demanding driving situations.
Use a hands-free method to
place or receive necessary
phone calls.
.Watch the road. Do not read,
take notes, or look up
information on phones or other
electronic devices.
.Designate a front seat
passenger to handle potential
distractions.
.Become familiar with vehicle
features before driving, such as
programming favorite radio
stations and adjusting climate
control and seat settings.
Program all trip information into
any navigation device prior to
driving.
.Wait until the vehicle is parked
to retrieve items that have fallen
to the floor.
.Stop or park the vehicle to tend
to children.
.Keep pets in an appropriate
carrier or restraint.
.Avoid stressful conversations
while driving, whether with a
passenger or on a cell phone.

Black plate (13,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-13
To save fuel, run the engine for only
short periods as needed to warm
the vehicle and then shut the engine
off and close the window most of
the way to save heat. Repeat this
until help arrives but only when you
feel really uncomfortable from the
cold. Moving about to keep warm
also helps.
If it takes some time for help to
arrive, now and then when you run
the engine, push the accelerator
pedal slightly so the engine runs
faster than the idle speed. This
keeps the battery charged to restart
the vehicle and to signal for help
with the headlamps. Do this as little
as possible to save fuel.If the Vehicle Is Stuck
Slowly and cautiously spin the
wheels to free the vehicle when
stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow.
If stuck too severely for the traction
system to free the vehicle, turn the
traction system off and use the
rocking method.
{WARNING
If the vehicle's tires spin at high
speed, they can explode, and
you or others could be injured.
The vehicle can overheat,
causing an engine compartment
fire or other damage. Spin the
wheels as little as possible and
avoid going above 55 km/h
(35 mph).
For information about using tire
chains on the vehicle, see Tire
Chains on page 10‑76.
Rocking the Vehicle to
Get it Out
Turn the steering wheel left and
right to clear the area around the
front wheels. Turn off any traction
system. Shift back and forth
between R (Reverse) and a forward
gear, or with a manual transmission,
between 1 (First) or 2 (Second) and
R (Reverse), spinning the wheels
as little as possible. To prevent
transmission wear, wait until the
wheels stop spinning before shifting
gears. Release the accelerator
pedal while shifting, and press
lightly on the accelerator pedal
when the transmission is in gear.
Slowly spinning the wheels in the
forward and reverse directions
causes a rocking motion that could
free the vehicle. If that does not
get the vehicle out after a few tries,
it might need to be towed out.
If the vehicle does need to be towed
out, see Towing the Vehicle on
page 10‑82.

Black plate (15,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-15
There is also important loading
information on the vehicle
Certification label. It tells you
the Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating (GVWR) and the Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for
the front and rear axle. See
“Certification Label”later in this
section.
Steps for Determining Correct
Load Limit
1.
Locate the statement
“The combined weight of
occupants and cargo should
never exceed XXX kg or
XXX lbs” on your vehicle's
placard.
2.Determine the combined
weight of the driver and
passengers that will be riding
in your vehicle.
3.Subtract the combined
weight of the driver and
passengers from XXX kg or
XXX lbs.
4.The resulting figure equals
the available amount of cargo
and luggage load capacity.
For example, if the “XXX”
amount equals 1400 lbs and
there will be five 150 lb
passengers in your vehicle,
the amount of available cargo
and luggage load capacity is
650 lbs (1400 −750 (5 x 150)
= 650 lbs).
5.Determine the combined
weight of luggage and cargo
being loaded on the vehicle.
That weight may not safely
exceed the available cargo
and luggage load capacity
calculated in Step 4.
6.If your vehicle will be towing
a trailer, the load from your
trailer will be transferred to
your vehicle. Consult this
manual to determine how this
reduces the available cargo
and luggage load capacity of
your vehicle.
Your vehicle is neither
designed nor intended to
tow a trailer.