Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
10-2 Vehicle Care
Sport Cup Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-57
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . 10-58
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . 10-59
Tire Terminology andDefinitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-59
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-62
Tire Pressure for High-Speed Operation . . . . 10-64
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-64
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-66
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-68
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-68
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-69
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-70
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-72
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-72 Wheel Alignment and Tire
Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-74
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . 10-74
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-76
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . 10-77
Jump Starting
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-78
Towing
Towing the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . 10-82
Recreational Vehicle Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-82
Appearance Care
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-82
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-86
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-89
General Information
For service and parts needs,
visit your dealer. You will receive
genuine GM parts and GM-trained
and supported service people.
Genuine GM parts have one of
these marks:
Black plate (68,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
10-68 Vehicle Care
Tire Inspection
We recommend that the tires,
including the spare tire, if the
vehicle has one, be inspected
for signs of wear or damage at
least once a month.
Replace the tire if:
.The indicators at three or
more places around the tire
can be seen.
.There is cord or fabric
showing through the tire's
rubber.
.The tread or sidewall is
cracked, cut, or snagged
deep enough to show cord or
fabric.
.The tire has a bump, bulge,
or split.
.The tire has a puncture, cut,
or other damage that cannot
be repaired well because of
the size or location of the
damage.
Tire Rotation
If the vehicle has non-directional
tires, they should be rotated
every 12 000 km/7,500 mi.
SeeMaintenance Schedule on
page 11‑3.
Tires are rotated to achieve
uniform wear for all tires.
The first rotation is the most
important.
Any time unusual wear is
noticed, rotate the tires as soon
as possible and check the
wheel alignment. Also check
for damaged tires or wheels.
See When It Is Time for New
Tires on page 10‑69 andWheel
Replacement on page 10‑74.
Directional tires should not be
rotated. Each tire and wheel
should be used only in the
position it is in. Directional tires
will have an arrow on the tire indicating the proper direction of
rotation or will have“left”
or“right”
molded on the sidewall.
Different tire sizes should not be
rotated front to rear.
Use this rotation pattern if the
vehicle has different size tires
on the front and rear and they
are non-directional.
Black plate (74,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
10-74 Vehicle Care
Temperature–A, B, C
The temperature grades are A
(the highest), B, and C,
representing the tire's resistance
to the generation of heat and its
ability to dissipate heat when
tested under controlled
conditions on a specified indoor
laboratory test wheel. Sustained
high temperature can cause
the material of the tire to
degenerate and reduce tire life,
and excessive temperature can
lead to sudden tire failure.
The grade C corresponds to a
level of performance which all
passenger car tires must meet
under the Federal Motor Safety
Standard No. 109. Grades B
and A represent higher levels of performance on the laboratory
test wheel than the minimum
required by law. Warning: The
temperature grade for this tire
is established for a tire that is
properly inflated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed,
underinflation, or excessive
loading, either separately or in
combination, can cause heat
buildup and possible tire failure.
Wheel Alignment and Tire
Balance
The tires and wheels were aligned
and balanced at the factory to
provide the longest tire life and best
overall performance. Adjustments to
wheel alignment and tire balancing
will not be necessary on a regular basis. However, check the
alignment if there is unusual tire
wear or if the vehicle is pulling to
one side or the other. If the vehicle
vibrates when driving on a smooth
road, the tires and wheels might
need to be rebalanced. See your
dealer for proper diagnosis.
Wheel Replacement
Replace any wheel that is bent,
cracked, or badly rusted or
corroded. If wheel nuts keep coming
loose, the wheel, wheel bolts, and
wheel nuts should be replaced.
If the wheel leaks air, replace it.
Some aluminum wheels can be
repaired. See your dealer if any of
these conditions exist.
Your dealer will know the kind of
wheel that is needed.
Black plate (10,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
11-10 Service and Maintenance
Shocks and Struts
Shocks and struts help aid in control
for a smoother ride.
.Signs of wear may include
steering wheel vibration,
bounce/sway while braking,
longer stopping distance,
or uneven tire wear.
.As part of the multi‐point
inspection, trained dealer
technicians can visually inspect
the shocks and struts for signs
of leaking, blown seals,
or damage, and can advise
when service is needed.Tires
Tires need to be properly inflated,
rotated, and balanced. Maintaining
the tires can save money, fuel, and
can reduce the risk of tire failure.
.Signs that the tires need to be
replaced include three or more
visible treadwear indicators; cord
or fabric showing through the
rubber; cracks or cuts in the
tread or sidewall; or a bulge or
split in the tire.
.Trained dealer technicians can
inspect and recommend the right
tires. Your dealer can also
provide tire/wheel balancing
services to ensure smooth
vehicle operation at all speeds.
Your dealer sells and services
name brand tires.Vehicle Care
To help keep the vehicle looking
like new, vehicle care products
are available from your dealer.
For information on how to clean and
protect the vehicle’s interior and
exterior, see
Interior Care on
page 10‑86 andExterior Care on
page 10‑82.
Wheel Alignment
Wheel alignment is critical for
ensuring that the tires deliver
optimal wear and performance.
.Signs that the alignment may
need to be adjusted include
pulling, improper vehicle
handling, or unusual tire wear.
.Your dealer has the required
equipment to ensure proper
wheel alignment.
Black plate (11,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
INDEX i-11
Theft-Deterrent Systems . . . . . . . 2-15Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Tires Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-70
Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-76
Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-59
Different Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-72
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . 10-77
Inflation Monitor System . . . . 10-66
Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-68
Lifting the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Low Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-57
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-49
Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-64
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Pressure MonitorSystem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-64
Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-68
Run-Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-56
Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . 10-58
Sport Cup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-57 Tires (cont'd)
Terminology and
Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-59
Uniform Tire Quality
Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-72
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-74
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . 10-74
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-69
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-55
Towing General Information . . . . . . . . . . 9-54
Recreational Vehicle . . . . . . . . 10-82
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-82
Traction Active Handling System . . . . . . 9-38
Control System (TCS) . . . . . . . . 9-36
Limited-Slip Rear Axle . . . . . . . . 9-43
Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Selective Ride Control . . . . . . . . 9-43 Transmission
Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Fluid, Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-20
Fluid, Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-21
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-52
One-to-Four Shift Light . . . . . . . 5-22
Transportation Program,
Courtesy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-14
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Twilight Sentinel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
U
Uniform Tire Quality
Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-72
Universal Remote System . . . . . 5-62 Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-68
Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-63
Using This Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
Black plate (12,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
i-12 INDEX
V
VehicleCanadian Owners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
IdentificationNumber (VIN) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-14
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-35
Personalization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-54
Reminder Messages . . . . . . . . . . 5-53
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-82
Vehicle Care Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-62
Ventilation, Air . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-6
Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19
Voltmeter Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
W
Warning Brake System Light . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Warning Lights, Gauges, and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv Cautions and Danger . . . . . . . . . . . .iv
Hazard Flashers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-34 Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-53
Wheels
Alignment and TireBalance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-74
Different Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-72
Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-74
When It Is Time for
New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-69 Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18
Windshield Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-43
Wiper/Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-11
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-55
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . 10-43