2012 CHEVROLET CORVETTE battery

Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
4-2 Storage
Rear Storage
Convertible Shown, CoupeSimilar
There are two storage
compartments in the floor of the
hatch/trunk area; pull up to open
the cover. For the Z06 and ZR1, the right
compartment stores the battery and
cannot be used for storage.
Notice:
Do not store heavy or
sharp objects in the rear storage
compartments located in the
hatch/trunk area. The objects
could damage the underbody.
Rear Trunk Partition
For vehicles with the power
convertible top option only, there is
a trunk partition to keep cargo from
getting in the way of the convertible
top. The trunk partition must be in
place for the convertible top to
move. If the trunk partition is not
properly in place, a message will
display. See Convertible Top
Messages on page 5‑38 for
more information. The trunk partition is a flat carpeted
board with a horizontal flap that can
be attached to the top of the trunk
to divide the storage compartment.
It can be stored flat when not in use.
Pull the divider up and snap it onto
place on both sides of the trunk.

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-1
Instruments and
Controls
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . 5-2
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . 5-3
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . 5-4
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Cigarette Lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Ashtrays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, andIndicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Boost Gauge (ZR1) . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Engine Oil Pressure Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14 Engine Coolant Temperature
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Voltmeter Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . 5-17
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . 5-18
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
One-to-Four Shift Light (Manual Transmission) . . . . . 5-23
Traction Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
StabiliTrak
®OFF Light . . . . . . . 5-24
Active Handling System Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . 5-27
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Information Displays
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Head-Up Display (HUD) . . . . . 5-32
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . 5-36
Battery Voltage and Charging Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-37
Brake System Messages . . . . 5-37
Convertible Top Messages . . . 5-38
Cruise Control Messages . . . . 5-39
Door Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . 5-40
Engine Cooling System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-40
Engine Oil Messages . . . . . . . . 5-41
Engine Power Messages . . . . 5-42
Fuel System Messages . . . . . . 5-43
Key and Lock Messages . . . . . 5-43
Lamp Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-45
Ride Control System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-45
Safety Belt Messages . . . . . . . 5-49
Anti-theft Alarm System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-50
Service Vehicle Messages . . . 5-50
Starting the Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-50
Tire Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-51
Transmission Messages . . . . . 5-53
Vehicle Reminder Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-54
Washer Fluid Messages . . . . . 5-54

Black plate (7,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-7
Notice:Leaving electrical
equipment plugged in for an
extended period of time while
the vehicle is off will drain the
battery. Always unplug electrical
equipment when not in use and
do not plug in equipment that
exceeds the maximum 20 ampere
rating.
Certain electrical accessories
may not be compatible with the
accessory power outlet and could
overload vehicle or adapter fuses.
If a problem is experienced, see
your dealer.
When adding electrical equipment,
be sure to follow the proper
installation instructions included
with the equipment. See Add-On
Electrical Equipment on page 9‑54. It is recommended that a qualified
technician or dealer be seen for the
proper installation of your
equipment.
Notice:
Hanging heavy
equipment from the power outlet
can cause damage not covered
by the vehicle warranty. The
power outlets are designed for
accessory power plugs only, such
as cell phone charge cords.
Cigarette Lighter
To use the cigarette lighter, push it
in all the way and let go. When it is
ready, it will pop back out by itself.
Notice: Holding a cigarette lighter
in while it is heating does not let
the lighter back away from the
heating element when it is hot.
Damage from overheating can
occur to the lighter or heating
element, or a fuse could be
blown. Do not hold a cigarette
lighter in while it is heating.
Ashtrays
The ashtray and cigarette lighter are
located on the instrument panel, in
front of the shift lever. To use the
ashtray, press on the indentation
at the top of the door.
Notice: If papers, pins, or other
flammable items are put in the
ashtray, hot cigarettes or other
smoking materials could ignite
them and possibly damage the
vehicle. Never put flammable
items in the ashtray.
Loose objects, such as paper clips,
can lodge behind and beneath the
ashtray lid and prevent movement of
the lid. You should avoid putting
small, loose objects near the
ashtray.

Black plate (17,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-17
Voltmeter Gauge
Base and Z06, Metric and English
The voltmeter shows the voltage
output of the battery. It shows the
voltage output of the charging
system while the engine is running. The reading changes as the rate of
charge changes (with engine speed,
for example), but if the voltmeter
reads at 9 volts or below, the
instrument panel cluster and other
systems may shut down. The Driver
Information Center (DIC) reads
BATTERY VOLTAGE LOW when
the vehicle is at 10 volts or below.
Have it checked right away. Driving
with the voltmeter reading at
10 volts or below could drain the
battery and disable the vehicle.
Safety Belt Reminders
When the engine is started, this light
flashes and a chime may come on
to remind the driver to fasten their
safety belt. Then the light stays on
solid until the belt is buckled.
This cycle may continue several
times if the driver remains or
becomes unbuckled while the
vehicle is moving.
If the driver safety belt is buckled,
neither the light nor the chime
comes on.

Black plate (21,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-21
.Check that good quality fuel is
used. Poor fuel quality causes
the engine not to run as
efficiently as designed and may
cause: stalling after start-up,
stalling when the vehicle is
changed into gear, misfiring,
hesitation on acceleration,
or stumbling on acceleration.
These conditions might go away
once the engine is warmed up.
If one or more of these
conditions occurs, change the
fuel brand used. It will require at
least one full tank of the proper
fuel to turn the light off.See Recommended Fuel on
page 9‑48.
If none of the above have made the
light turn off, your dealer can check
the vehicle. The dealer has the
proper test equipment and
diagnostic tools to fix any
mechanical or electrical problems
that might have developed.Emissions Inspection and
Maintenance Programs
Some local governments may have
programs to inspect the on-vehicle
emission control equipment. For the
inspection, the emission system test
equipment is connected to the
vehicle’s Data Link
Connector (DLC).
The DLC is under the instrument
panel to the left of the steering
wheel. See your dealer if assistance
is needed.
The vehicle may not pass
inspection if:
.The malfunction indicator lamp is
on with the engine running, or if
the vehicle is placed in Service
Only Mode and the malfunction indicator lamp does not come
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.

Black plate (28,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
5-28 Instruments and Controls
Information Displays
Driver Information
Center (DIC)
The Driver Information Center (DIC)
display is located on the instrument
panel cluster and shows driver
personalization features and
warning/status messages.
The DIC comes on when the ignition
is turned on. After displaying
CORVETTE BY CHEVROLET, the
DIC shows the information that was
last displayed before the engine
was turned off.
If a problem is detected, a warning
message appears on the DIC
display. SeeVehicle Messages on
page 5‑36 for more information.
DIC Operation and Displays
Depending on the features on the
vehicle, the drive gear may display
on the DIC. See “Manual Paddle
Shift” under Automatic Transmission on page 9‑27
andHead-Up Display
(HUD) on page 5‑32 for more
information.
The Driver Information Center (DIC)
has different modes which can be
accessed by pressing the following
buttons located on the instrument
panel, to the right of the instrument
panel cluster.. 4(Fuel): Press this button to
display fuel information such as fuel
economy and range.
2(Gauges): Press this button to
display gauge information like oil
pressure and temperature, coolant
temperature, automatic transmission
fluid temperature, if equipped,
battery voltage, and front/rear tire
pressures.
TRIP: Press this button to display
your total and trip distance driven,
the elapsed time function, your
average speed, and the engine
oil life.
OPTION: Press this button to
choose personal options that are
available on your vehicle,
depending on the options your
vehicle is equipped with, such as
door locks, easy entry seats, and
language.
RESET: Press this button, used
along with the other buttons, to
reset system functions, select
personal options, and turn off or
acknowledge messages on the DIC.

Black plate (29,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-29
Fuel Button
The fuel button displays average
fuel economy and instantaneous
fuel economy, calculated for your
specific driving conditions, and
range information.
Average Fuel Economy:The
average fuel economy is viewed as
a long-term approximation of your
overall driving conditions. You
should reset the average fuel
economy display every time you
refuel. If you press the RESET
button in this mode while you are
driving, the system will reset this
display and begin figuring fuel
economy from that point in time.
Press the fuel button to display
average fuel economy, such as:
.AVERAGE FUEL ECONOMY
11.7 L/100 km or
.AVERAGE FUEL ECONOMY
20.1 MPG Instantaneous Fuel Economy:
Instantaneous fuel economy reflects
only the fuel economy that the
vehicle has right now and will
change frequently as driving
conditions change. Unlike average
fuel economy, this menu item
cannot be reset.
Press the fuel button again to
display instantaneous fuel economy,
such as:
.INSTANT FUEL ECONOMY
11.7 L/100 km or
.INSTANT FUEL ECONOMY
20.1 MPG
Fuel Range: The range calculates
the remaining distance you can
drive without refueling. It is based
on fuel economy and the fuel
remaining in the tank.
Press the fuel button again to
display the range, such as:
.RANGE 48 km or
.RANGE 30 MI If the LOW FUEL warning is
displayed or if RANGE is less than
64 km (40 miles), the display will
read RANGE LOW.
The fuel economy data used to
determine fuel range is an average
of recent driving conditions. As your
driving conditions change, this data
is gradually updated automatically.
If the vehicle has been idling for a
long time, the range displayed on
the DIC could be abnormally low.
The vehicle must be driven
8 to 16 km (5 to 10 miles) to get an
accurate reading.
Gauges Button
The gauges button displays oil
pressure, oil temperature, coolant
temperature, transmission fluid
temperature for automatic
transmission vehicles only,
battery voltage, and tire pressure
information.

Black plate (30,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
5-30 Instruments and Controls
Oil Pressure:This display shows
the oil pressure.
Press the gauges button to display
the oil pressure, such as:
.OIL PRESSURE 276 kPa or
.OIL PRESSURE 40 PSI
Oil Temperature: This display
shows the oil temperature.
Press the gauges button again to
display the oil temperature, such as:
.OIL TEMPERATURE 112°C or
.OIL TEMPERATURE 234°F
If the oil temperature is low,
the display will show OIL
TEMPERATURE LOW. If the oil
temperature is high, the display will
show OIL TEMPERATURE HIGH.
Coolant Temperature:
This display shows the engine
coolant temperature. Press the gauges button again to
display the coolant temperature,
such as:
.COOLANT
TEMPERATURE 51°C or
.COOLANT
TEMPERATURE 123°F
If the coolant temperature is low, the
display will show COOLANT
TEMPERATURE LOW. If the
coolant temperature is high, the
display will show COOLANT
TEMPERATURE HIGH.
Transmission Fluid
Temperature: If you have an
automatic transmission vehicle,
this display shows the automatic
transmission fluid temperature.
Press the gauges button again to
display the automatic transmission
fluid temperature, such as:
.TRANS FLUID TEMP 51°C or
.TRANS FLUID TEMP 123°F If the transmission fluid temperature
is low, the display will show TRANS
FLUID TEMP LOW. If the
transmission fluid temperature is
high, the display will show TRANS
FLUID TEMP HIGH.
Battery Voltage:
This display
shows the current battery voltage.
Press the gauges button again to
display the battery voltage, such as:
.BATTERY VOLTAGE
13.5 VOLTS
Tire Pressure: This display shows
the tire pressure for each tire.
Press the gauges button again to
display the tire pressure for the
front tires, such as:
.FRONT TIRE PRESSURES
L 234 kPa R 228 kPa or
.FRONT TIRE PRESSURES
L 34 PSI R 33 PSI