Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-1
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . 10-3
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Lifting the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your Own Service Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-8
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-9
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-10
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-16
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . 10-22 Automatic Transmission
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-23
Manual Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24
Hydraulic Clutch . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . 10-25
Cooling System (Engine) . . . 10-28
Cooling System
(Intercooler) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . 10-34
Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
Power Steering Fluid . . . . . . . 10-36
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-42
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-43
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-44
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . 10-45 Automatic Transmission
Shift Lock Control
Function Check . . . . . . . . . . . 10-46
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . 10-46
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-47
Windshield Replacement . . . 10-47
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . 10-48
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-48
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-48
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-48
Headlamps, Front Turn Signal and Parking
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-49
Taillamps, Turn Signal, and Stoplamps . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-50
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . 10-50
Black plate (23,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-23
How to Reset the Engine Oil
Life System
Reset the system whenever the
engine oil is changed so that the
system can calculate the next
engine oil change. To reset the
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.
If the CHANGE ENGINE OIL
message comes back on when the
vehicle is started, the engine oil life
system has not reset. Repeat the
procedure.
Automatic Transmission
Fluid
How to Check Automatic
Transmission Fluid
It is not necessary to check
the transmission fluid level.
A transmission fluid leak is the
only reason for fluid loss. If a leak
occurs, take the vehicle to the
dealer service department and have
it repaired as soon as possible.
The vehicle is not equipped with a
transmission fluid level dipstick.
There is a special procedure for
checking and changing the
transmission fluid. Because this
procedure is difficult, this should
be done at the dealer service
department. Contact the dealer
for additional information or the procedure can be found in the
service manual. To purchase a
service manual, see
Service
Publications Ordering Information
on page 13‑17.
Notice: Use of the incorrect
automatic transmission fluid may
damage the vehicle, and the
damages may not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Always use
the automatic transmission fluid
listed in Recommended Fluids
and Lubricants on page 11‑12.
Change the fluid and filter at the
intervals listed in Maintenance
Schedule on page 11‑3, and be
sure to use the fluid listed in
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants on page 11‑12.
Black plate (45,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-45
If the level is below the bottom of
the fill plug hole, some lubricant will
need to be added. Add enough
lubricant to raise the level to the
bottom of the fill plug hole.
What to Use
To add lubricant when the level is
low or to completely refill after
draining, seeRecommended Fluids
and Lubricants on page 11‑12.
Then fill to the bottom of the fill plug
hole with the required lubricant.
Starter Switch Check
{WARNING
When you are doing this
inspection, the vehicle could
move suddenly. If the vehicle
moves, you or others could be
injured.
1. Before starting this check, be sure there is enough room
around the vehicle.
2. Firmly apply both the parking brake and the regular brake.
See Parking Brake on
page 9‑36.
Do not use the accelerator
pedal, and be ready to turn off
the engine immediately if it
starts. 3. For automatic transmission
vehicles, try to start the engine
in each gear. The vehicle
should start only in P (Park) or
N (Neutral). If the vehicle starts
in any other position, contact
your dealer for service.
For manual transmission
vehicles, put the shift lever in
Neutral, push the clutch pedal
down halfway, and try to start
the engine. The vehicle should
start only when the clutch pedal
is pushed down all the way to
the floor. If the vehicle starts
when the clutch pedal is not
pushed all the way down,
contact your dealer for service.
Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
11-4 Service and Maintenance
.Check tire inflation pressures.
SeeTire Pressure on
page 10‑66.
.Inspect tire wear. See Tire
Inspection on page 10‑72.
.Visually check for fluid leaks.
.Inspect engine air cleaner filter.
See Engine Air Cleaner/Filter on
page 10‑25.
.Inspect brake system.
.Visually inspect steering,
suspension, and chassis
components for damaged, loose,
or missing parts or signs of
wear. See Exterior Care on
page 10‑86.
.Check restraint system
components. See Safety System
Check on page 3‑14.
.Visually inspect fuel system for
damage or leaks.
.Visually inspect exhaust system
and nearby heat shields for
loose or damaged parts.
.Lubricate body components. See
Exterior Care on page 10‑86.
.Check starter switch. See Starter
Switch Check on page 10‑45.
.Check automatic transmission
shift lock control function. See
Automatic Transmission Shift
Lock Control Function Check on
page 10‑46.
.Check parking brake and
automatic transmission park
mechanism. See Park Brake and
P (Park) Mechanism Check on
page 10‑46.
.Check accelerator pedal for
damage, high effort, or binding.
Replace if needed.
.Visually inspect gas strut for
signs of wear, cracks, or other
damage. Check the hold open
ability of the strut. See your
dealer if service is required.
Black plate (13,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Service and Maintenance 11-13
UsageFluid/Lubricant
Manual Transmission Manual Transmission Fluid (GM Part No. 88861800, in Canada 88861801).
Automatic Transmission DEXRON
®-VI Automatic Transmission Fluid.
Key Lock Cylinders Multi-Purpose Lubricant, Superlube (GM Part No. 12346241, in
Canada 10953474).
Rear Axle (Limited-Slip Differential) DEXRON
®LS Gear Oil. See Rear Axle on page 10‑44.
Hood Latch Assembly,
Secondary Latch, Pivots, Spring Anchor, and Release Pawl Lubriplate Lubricant Aerosol (GM Part No. 12346293, in Canada 992723)
or lubricant meeting requirements of NLGI #2, Category LB or GC-LB.
Hood and Door Hinges Multi-Purpose Lubricant, Superlube (GM Part No. 12346241, in
Canada 10953474).
Weatherstrip Conditioning Weatherstrip Lubricant (GM Part No. 3634770, in Canada 10953518) or
Dielectric Silicone Grease (GM Part No. 12345579, in Canada 992887).
Black plate (3,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Technical Data 12-3
ApplicationCapacities
Metric English
6.2L LS9 V8 Supercharged Engine 9.9 L 10.5 qt
7.0L LS7 V8 Engine 9.9 L 10.5 qt
Fuel Tank 68.0 L 18.0 gal
Transmission Fluid Automatic Transmission
(Pan Removal and Filter Replacement) 6.2 L 6.5 qt
Manual Transmission –Base 3.5 L 3.6 qt
Manual Transmission –Z16 4.0 L 4.2 qt
Manual Transmission –Z06 4.3 L 4.5 qt
Manual Transmission –ZR1 4.3 L 4.5 qt
Wheel Nut Torque 140 Y100 lb ft
All capacities are approximate. When adding, be sure to fill to the approximate level, as recommended in
this manual. Recheck fluid level after filling
Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
INDEX i-1
A
Accessories andModifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Accessory Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Active Handling System . . . . . . . 9-38 Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Add-On Electrical
Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-54
Additional Information, OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-5
Adjustments
Lumbar, Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Air Cleaner/Filter, Engine . . . . . 10-25
Air Dam, Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-18
Air Filter, Passenger Compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-6
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-6
Airbag Adding Equipment to theVehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-26
Airbag System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-27
How Does an AirbagRestrain? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-19
Passenger Sensing
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-21 Airbag System (cont.)
What Makes an Airbag
Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-19
What Will You See after an
Airbag Inflates? . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-20
When Should an Airbag Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-18
Where Are the Airbags? . . . . . . 3-17
Airbags
Passenger Status Indicator . . . 5-18
Readiness Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Servicing Airbag-EquippedVehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-25
System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-15
Alarm System Anti-theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
AM-FM Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-5
Antenna Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-11
Anti-theft Alarm System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Alarm System Messages . . . . . 5-50
Antilock Brake
System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22 Appearance Care
Exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-86
Interior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-90
Ashtrays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Assistance Program, Roadside . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-8, 13-10
Audio Players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-12
CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-12
Audio System Diversity Antenna System . . . . 7-11
Radio Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-10
Theft-Deterrent Feature . . . . . . . . 7-2
Automatic Dimming Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . 9-27
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-23
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-29
Shift Lock ControlFunction Check . . . . . . . . . . . 10-46
Auxiliary Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-17
Axle, Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-44
Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
i-4 INDEX
E
Electrical Equipment,Add-On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-54
Electrical System Engine CompartmentFuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-52
Fuses and Circuit
Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-51
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-55
Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-50
Emergency, OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . 14-2
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Check and Service EngineSoon Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Compartment Overview . . . . . 10-10
Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Cooling System . . . . . . 10-28, 10-29
Cooling System Messages . . . 5-40
Drive Belt Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-5
Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Oil Pressure Gauge . . . . . . . . . . 5-14 Engine (cont.)
Overheated Protection
Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-34
Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-42
Running While Parked . . . . . . . . 9-26
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-41
Entry/Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Event Data Recorders . . . . . . . . 13-20
Extender, Safety Belt . . . . . . . . . . 3-14
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lamps Off Reminder . . . 6-2
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
F
FeaturesMemory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Filter, Engine Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Flashers, Hazard Warning . . . . . . 6-4
Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-81 Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-93
Fluid
Automatic Transmission . . . . 10-23
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-42
Power Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Fog Lamps
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Folding Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Front Air Dam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-18
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Front Seats Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Heated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-48
Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-50
Filling a Portable FuelContainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-53
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-51
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . . 9-49
Gasoline Specifications . . . . . . . 9-49
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Recommended . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-48
Requirements, California . . . . . 9-49
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-43