Black plate (23,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
In Brief 1-23
Jump Starting the Battery
The battery of Z06, ZR1, and
manual transmission Z16 (Grand
Sport) coupe models is in the rear of
the vehicle. You do not need to
access the battery for jump starting.
There are remote positive (+) and
negative (−) terminals under the
hood for this purpose. SeeBattery
on page 10‑43 andJump Starting
on page 10‑82.
Brake Noise
Under certain weather or operating
conditions, occasional brake noise
might be heard with the vehicle's
performance braking system. This
brake system is designed for
superior fade resistance and
consistent operation using high
performance brake pads. Brake
noise is normal and does not affect
system performance. See Braking
on page 9‑4. Car Wash Guidelines
Automatic car washes are not
recommended for this vehicle.
Some car washes cause damage to
the vehicle, the wheels, and the
convertible top, if the vehicle is
so equipped.
If you drive the vehicle through an
automatic car wash that does not
have enough clearance for the
undercarriage and/or wide rear tires
and wheels, you could damage the
vehicle. Verify with the manager of
the car wash that the vehicle will fit
before entering the car wash or use
a touchless car wash. See
“Washing
Your Vehicle” underExterior Care
on page 10‑86.Engine Oil Life System
The engine oil life system calculates
engine oil life based on vehicle use
and displays a DIC message when
it is necessary to change the engine
oil and filter. The oil life system
should be reset to 100% only
following an oil change.
Resetting the Oil Life System
1. Press the TRIP button so the OIL LIFE percentage is
displayed.
2. Press RESET and hold for two seconds. OIL LIFE
REMAINING 100% will appear.
See Engine Oil Life System on
page 10‑22.
Black plate (24,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
1-24 In Brief
Driving for Better Fuel
Economy
Driving habits can affect fuel
mileage. Here are some driving tips
to get the best fuel economy
possible.
.Avoid fast starts and accelerate
smoothly.
.Brake gradually and avoid
abrupt stops.
.Avoid idling the engine for long
periods of time.
.When road and weather
conditions are appropriate, use
cruise control, if equipped.
.Always follow posted speed
limits or drive more slowly when
conditions require.
.Keep vehicle tires properly
inflated.
.Combine several trips into a
single trip.
.Replace the vehicle's tires with
the same TPC Spec number
molded into the tire's sidewall
near the size.
.Follow recommended scheduled
maintenance.
Premium Fuel
This vehicle's engine was designed
to use premium unleaded gasoline.
See Recommended Fuel on
page 9‑48.
Battery
This vehicle has a maintenance free
battery. See Battery on page 10‑43
and Jump Starting on page 10‑82.
For Z06, ZR1, and manual
transmission Z16 (Grand Sport)
coupe models the battery is located
in the rear hatch/trunk area. Access
to the battery is not necessary to
jump start the vehicle. There are
positive (+) and negative (−)
terminals in the engine
compartment.
Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
2-4 Keys, Doors, and Windows
Keyless Trunk Opening
Press the hatch/trunk release button
located on the rear of the hatch/
trunk lid above the license plate
to open the trunk if the RKE
transmitter is within range.
SeeHatch on page 2‑11 for
additional information.
There are other conditions that can
affect the performance of the
transmitter. See Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE) System on page 2‑3.
This vehicle comes with two
transmitters.
Q(Lock): Press once to lock the
doors. When
Qis pressed twice,
the lights flash and the horn sounds
to confirm locking.
K(Unlock): Press once to unlock
only the driver door. Press
Ktwice
within five seconds to unlock both
doors. The interior lamps may
come on.
Pressing
Kalso recalls the
memory settings. See “Memory
Seat, Mirrors, and Steering Wheel”
under Power Seat Adjustment on
page 3‑3 for more information.
}(Hatch/Trunk): Press and
hold for about one second to unlock
the hatch/trunk. If the engine is
running, the shift lever must be
in P (Park) for an automatic
transmission. For a manual
transmission, the shift lever must
be in N (Neutral) with the parking
brake set.
L(Panic): Press to sound the
horn. Press any other button on the
RKE transmitter to stop it. The vehicle comes with
two transmitters. Each transmitter
will have a number on top of
it,
“1” or“2.” These numbers
correspond to the driver of the
vehicle. For example, the memory
seat position for driver 1 will be
recalled when using the transmitter
labeled “1,”if enabled through the
DIC. See “Memory Seat, Mirrors,
and Steering Wheel” underPower
Seat Adjustment on page 3‑3 and
Vehicle Personalization on
page 5‑55 for more information.
Programming Transmitters to
the Vehicle
Only RKE transmitters programmed
to this vehicle will work. If a
transmitter is lost or stolen, a
replacement can be purchased and
programmed through your dealer.
The vehicle can be reprogrammed
so that lost or stolen transmitters
no longer work. Each vehicle can
have up to four transmitters
programmed to it.
Black plate (7,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-7
13. A beep sounds onceprogramming in complete.
The DIC displays READY
FOR FOB #2.
To program additional
transmitters, take transmitter 1
out of the transmitter pocket
and place transmitter 2 in the
pocket. Up to four transmitters
can be programmed. The DIC
then displays MAXIMUM
NUMBER OF FOBS
LEARNED and exits the
programming mode.
Press Acc. on the ignition
switch to complete the process.
14. Press Acc. on the ignition switch if programming is
complete.
15. Press
Kon each newly
programmed transmitter to
complete the process.
Starting the Vehicle with a Low
Transmitter Battery
If the transmitter battery is weak,
the DIC may display NO FOBS
DETECTED when trying to start the
vehicle. To start the vehicle, place
the transmitter in the glove box
transmitter pocket with the buttons
facing the passenger side. Then,
with the vehicle in P (Park) for an
automatic transmission, press the
brake pedal and
/. If the vehicle
has a manual transmission, press
the clutch and
/. Replace the
transmitter battery as soon as
possible. Change the transmitter
battery if the DIC displays FOB
BATTERY LOW.
Battery Replacement
Notice: When replacing the
battery, do not touch any of the
circuitry on the transmitter. Static
from your body could damage the
transmitter.
1. Separate the transmitter with a
flat, thin object inserted into the
slot on the side or back of the
transmitter.
2. Remove the old battery. Do not use a metal object.
3. Insert the new battery, positive side facing down. Replace with a
CR2032 or equivalent battery.
4. Reassemble the transmitter.
Black plate (10,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
2-10 Keys, Doors, and Windows
Power Door Locks
There is an indicator light on the
rear of the door near the window.
K(Unlock):Press to unlock
the doors.
When pressed, a beep sounds.
If the door is closed, the indicator
light flashes twice. If the door is
open, the indicator light flashes.
Q(Lock): Press to lock the doors.
When pressed, a beep sounds.
If the door is closed when pressed,
the indicator light comes on for a few seconds, then turns off. If the
door is open when pressed, the
indicator light stays on.
Automatic Door Locks
The vehicle is programmed so that
when the doors are closed, the
ignition is on, and the shift lever is
moved out of P (Park) for automatic
transmissions, or when vehicle
speed becomes faster than 13 km/h
(8 mph) for manual transmissions,
both doors will lock.
Use the power door unlock switch to
unlock the door when the vehicle is
not in P (Park). When the door is
closed again, the doors will lock
either when your foot is removed
from the brake or the vehicle
speed becomes faster than
13 km/h (8 mph).
Automatic Door Unlock
The vehicle is programmed so that
when the shift lever is moved into
P (Park) for automatic transmission
vehicles or when the ignition is
turned off or is in Retained
Accessory Power (RAP) for manual
transmission vehicles, both doors
will unlock.
With the vehicle stopped and the
engine running, door unlocking can
be programmed through the Driver
Information Center (DIC). This
allows the driver to choose various
unlock settings. For programming
information, see
Vehicle
Personalization on page 5‑55.
Lockout Protection
Your vehicle can be programmed to
sound the horn three times and
unlock the driver door when both
doors are closed and there is a
keyless access transmitter inside
the vehicle. When the driver door is
opened, a reminder chime will
sound continuously. The vehicle will
remain locked only when at least
one transmitter has been removed
from the vehicle and both doors are
closed. See Vehicle Personalization
on page 5‑55.
Black plate (11,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-11
Doors
Hatch
{WARNING
Exhaust gases can enter the
vehicle if it is driven with the
liftgate, trunk/hatch open, or with
any objects that pass through the
seal between the body and the
trunk/hatch or liftgate. Engine
exhaust contains carbon
monoxide (CO) which cannot be
seen or smelled. It can cause
unconsciousness and even death.
If the vehicle must be driven with
the liftgate, or trunk/hatch open:
.Close all of the windows.
.Fully open the air outlets on
or under the instrument
panel.(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
.Adjust the Climate Control
System to a setting that
brings in only outside air and
set the fan speed to the
highest setting. See “Climate
Control Systems” in the
Index.
.If the vehicle is equipped with
a power liftgate, disable the
power liftgate function.
For more information about
carbon monoxide, see Engine
Exhaust on page 9‑26.
Hatch/Trunk Release
The vehicle must be in P (Park)
with an automatic transmission and
Neutral with a manual transmission.
For manual transmission vehicles,
the parking brake must be set when
the engine is running for the hatch/
trunk release to operate. See
Parking Brake on page 9‑36. To release the hatch/trunk:
.PressV
.Press}on the keyless entry
transmitter. See Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE) System on
page 2‑3.
Black plate (20,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
2-20 Keys, Doors, and Windows
Roof
Roof Panel
On vehicles with a removable roof
panel, follow the procedures when
removing or installing it.
Removing the Roof Panel
{WARNING
Do not try to remove a roof panel
while the vehicle is moving.
Trying to remove the roof panel
while the vehicle is moving could
cause an accident. The panel
could fall into the vehicle and
cause you to lose control, or it
could fly off and strike another
vehicle. You or others could be
injured. Remove the roof panel
only when the vehicle is parked.
Until you are sure you can remove
the panel alone, have someone
help you. Notice:
If you drop or rest a roof
panel on its edges, the roof panel,
paint and/or weatherstripping
may be damaged. Always place
the roof panel in the stowage
receivers after removing it from
the vehicle.
1. Park on a level surface and set the parking brake. Shift an
automatic transmission into
P (Park). Shift a manual
transmission into N (Neutral).
2. Make sure the ignition is off.
3. Lower both sun visors.
4. Open the rear hatch and remove any items that may interfere with
proper storage of the roof panel.
5. Lower the windows. There are two release latches on
the front of the roof panel and
one rear release latch on the
back of the roof panel.6. To unlock the release latches onthe front of the roof panel, grasp
each handle and pull it outward.
Black plate (23,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-23
Installing the Roof Panel
{WARNING
An improperly attached roof panel
may fall into or fly off the vehicle.
You or others could be injured.
After installing the roof panel,
always check that it is firmly
attached by pushing up on the
underside of the panel. Check
now and then to be sure the roof
panel is firmly in place.
Notice: If you drop or rest a roof
panel on its edges, the roof panel,
paint and/or weatherstripping
may be damaged. Always place
the roof panel in the stowage
receivers after removing it from
the vehicle. In most cases, it makes it easier if
two people install the roof panel.
1. Park on a level surface and set
the parking brake. Shift an
automatic transmission into
P (Park). Shift a manual
transmission into N (Neutral).
2. Check that the front release latches and the rear release
latch on the vehicle's roof
opening are in their opened
positions before attempting to
install the roof panel.
3. To remove the roof panel from the rear storage area of the
vehicle, pull up on the rear
edge and remove it from the
storage area.
4. Carefully place the roof panel over the top of the vehicle.
5. Position the rear edge of the roof panel to the weatherstrip on the
back of the roof opening. Then
align and fit the pins at the rear
of the roof panel inside the
openings in the rear overhead weatherstrip. Gently lower the
front edge of the roof panel to
the front of the roof opening.
6. Turn the front release handles
inward so that they latch to the
closed position.
7. Push up on the handle of the rear roof release handle to latch
its hook in the closed position.
8. Push and pull the roof panel up and down and side to side to
ensure the roof panel is securely
installed.