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 (15,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
In Brief 1-15
9:Use to turn off the windshield
wipers.
8: Use for a for a single wiping
cycle. For more wipes, hold the
band longer.
Windshield Washer: Press and
hold the button at the end of the
lever to spray washer fluid on the
windshield.
See Windshield Wiper/Washer on
page 5‑4.
Climate Controls
With this system, the heating, cooling, and ventilation can be controlled.
A. Driver Temperature Control
B. Display
C. Passenger Temperature Control
D. AUTO
E. Air Recirculation
F. Air Conditioning G. Fan Control
H. Air Delivery Mode Control
I. Defrost
J. Rear Window Defogger
See
Dual Automatic Climate Control
System on page 8‑1.
Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
5-2 Instruments and Controls
Service Vehicle Messages . . . 5-49
Starting the VehicleMessages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-49
Tire Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-49
Transmission Messages . . . . . 5-52
Vehicle Reminder Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-53
Washer Fluid Messages . . . . . 5-53
Vehicle Personalization
Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . 5-54
Universal Remote System
Universal Remote System . . . 5-62
Universal Remote System Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-63
Universal Remote System Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-68
Controls
Steering Wheel
Adjustment
The lever is located on the left side
of the steering column.
To adjust the steering wheel:
1. Pull the lever toward you.
2. Move the steering wheel up
or down.
3. Release the lever to lock the steering wheel in place.
Telescopic Steering Column
For vehicles with this feature, the
telescopic steering column control
is located on the right side of the
steering column.
To adjust the telescopic steering
column:
1. Push the switch forward to movethe wheel away from you.
2. Pull the switch toward you to move the wheel closer to you.
Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-5
Windshield Washer
Press and hold the button at the end
of the lever to spray washer fluid on
the windshield. The washer will
spray until the button is released.
The wipers will continue to clear the
window for about six seconds after
the button is released and then stop
or return to your preset speed.
{WARNING
In freezing weather, do not use
the washer until the windshield is
warmed. Otherwise the washer
fluid can form ice on the
windshield, blocking your vision.
If the fluid in the windshield washer
fluid reservoir is low a message may
appear on the Driver Information
Center (DIC) display, see Washer
Fluid Messages on page 5‑53. It will
take 15 seconds after the bottle is
refilled for this message to turn off. For information on the correct
washer fluid to use, see
Washer
Fluid on page 10‑34 and
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants on page 11‑12.
Compass
Compass Operation
With the compass feature on, each
time the vehicle is started, the
compass will take a few seconds to
adjust and display the current
compass heading. For example,
NE is displayed for north-east.
Compass Calibration
PressPonce to turn the compass
display on or off.
If after several seconds the display
does not show a compass heading,
there may be a strong magnetic
field interfering with the compass.
Interference can be caused by a
magnetic antenna mount, note pad
holder, or similar object. If the letter C or CAL appears in the
compass window, the compass
needs calibration.
Depending on the mirror, in order to
calibrate, CAL must be displayed
in the mirror compass windows.
If CAL is not displayed, press
Pfor
several seconds or until CAL is
displayed.
If the compass has map lamps, it
can be placed in calibration mode
by pressing and holding the left map
light button until a C appears on the
compass display.
The mirror compass can be
calibrated by driving the vehicle in
circles at 8 km/h (5 mph) or less until
the display reads a direction.
Compass Variance
The mirror is set to zone eight.
If you do not live in zone eight or
drive out of the area, the compass
variance needs to be changed to
the appropriate zone.
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 (10,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
9-10 Driving and Operating
Other Rainy Weather Tips
Besides slowing down, other wet
weather driving tips include:
.Allow extra following distance.
.Pass with caution.
.Keep windshield wiping
equipment in good shape.
.Keep the windshield washer fluid
reservoir filled.
.Have good tires with proper
tread depth. SeeTires on
page 10‑54.
.Turn off cruise control.
Highway Hypnosis
Always be alert and pay attention to
your surroundings while driving.
If you become tired or sleepy, find a
safe place to park the vehicle
and rest.
Other driving tips include:
.Keep the vehicle well ventilated.
.Keep the interior
temperature cool.
.Keep your eyes moving —scan
the road ahead and to the sides.
.Check the rearview mirror and
vehicle instruments often.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or through
mountains is different than driving
on flat or rolling terrain. Tips for
driving in these conditions include:
.Keep the vehicle serviced and in
good shape.
.Check all fluid levels and brakes,
tires, cooling system, and
transmission.
.Shift to a lower gear when going
down steep or long hills.
{WARNING
If you do not shift down, the
brakes could get so hot that they
would not work well. You would
then have poor braking or even
none going down a hill. You could
crash. Shift down to let the engine
assist the brakes on a steep
downhill slope.
Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-1
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . 10-3
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Lifting the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your Own Service Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-7
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-7
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-8
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-14
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . 10-19
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-20
Manual Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-21
Hydraulic Clutch . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-21 Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . 10-22
Cooling System (Engine) . . . 10-25
Cooling System
(Intercooler) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-26
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-26
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . 10-30
Overheated Engine
Protection
Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . 10-32
Power Steering Fluid . . . . . . . 10-32
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-34
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-34
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-40
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-40
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . 10-41
Automatic Transmission Shift Lock Control
Function Check . . . . . . . . . . . 10-42
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . 10-42
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-43
Windshield Replacement . . . 10-43
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . 10-44
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-44
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-44
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-44
Headlamps, Front Turn
Signal and Parking
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-45
Taillamps, Turn Signal, and Stoplamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-46
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . 10-46
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-46
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-47
Engine Compartment
Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-48
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-51
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-54
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-55
Run-Flat Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-56
Low-Profile Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-57
Black plate (9,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-9
A. Clutch Master CylinderReservoir (If Equipped).
See Hydraulic Clutch on
page 10‑21.
B. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See “Adding Washer
Fluid” under Washer Fluid on
page 10‑34.
C. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See “Brake Fluid” underBrakes on
page 10‑34.
D. Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap. See Engine
Coolant on page 10‑26. E.
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter on
page 10‑22.
F. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir. See Power Steering Fluid on
page 10‑32.
G. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See “When
to Add Engine Oil” underBrake
Fluid on page 10‑38.
H. Engine Oil Dipstick. See “Checking Engine Oil” under
Engine Oil on page 10‑14.
I. Engine Compartment Fuse
Block on page 10‑48. J. Passenger Compartment
Air Filter (Out of View).
See Passenger Compartment
Air Filter on page 8‑7.
K. Battery on page 10‑40.
If the vehicle has the 6.2L LS3
V8 engine (without the dry sump
engine oil tank) and you are facing
the front of the vehicle.