2012 CHEVROLET CORVETTE parking brake

Black plate (56,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
5-56 Instruments and Controls
Entering the Personal
Options Menu
To enter the personal options menu,
use the following steps:
1. If you have an automatictransmission vehicle, turn the
vehicle on with the shift lever
in P (Park).
If you have a manual
transmission vehicle, turn the
vehicle on with the parking
brake set.
To avoid excessive drain on the
battery, it is recommended that
the headlamps are turned off. 2. Press the OPTION button and
you will enter the PERSONAL
OPTIONS menu.
The DIC will display the
current driver number (1 or 2) for
a few seconds and then will
display instructions on which
buttons to use for setting the
personalizations. The RESET
button is used to select a setting
for a particular feature. The
OPTION button is used to move
to the next feature.
3. Press the OPTION button while the instruction screen is
displayed to enter the first
personalization menu item.
4. Once you have cycled through all of the personal options,
pressing the OPTION button a
final time exits the personal
options menu. In addition, if no
button is pressed within
45 seconds, the DIC will exit the
personal options menu. Personal Options
The following options are available
for programming:
Display Units:
This option allows
you to choose the measurement
units.
Press the OPTION button until
DISPLAY UNITS appears on the
display, then press the RESET
button to scroll through the following
modes:
.ENGLISH (default)
.METRIC
If you choose ENGLISH, all
information will be displayed in
English units.
If you choose METRIC, all
information will be displayed in
metric units.
When the mode you want is
selected, press the OPTION button
to set your choice and advance to
the next personal option.

Black plate (57,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-57
Auto Memory Recall (Automatic
Transmission only):If your
automatic transmission vehicle has
the memory package, you may have
this option. This option allows the
driver seat, the telescopic steering
column, if your vehicle has this
feature, and the outside rearview
mirrors to automatically move to the
current driver's set position when
the engine starts.
Press the OPTION button until
AUTO MEMORY RECALL appears
on the display, then press the
RESET button to scroll through the
following modes:
.YES
.NO (default)
If you choose YES, the driver seat,
the outside rearview mirrors and the
telescopic steering column, if your
vehicle has this feature, positions
are recalled when you turn the
ignition on.
If you choose NO, this option will
turn off. When the mode you want is
selected, press the OPTION button
to set your choice and advance to
the next personal option.
Auto Exit Recall:
If your vehicle
has the memory package, you may
have this option. This option allows
the driver seat and telescopic
steering column, if your vehicle has
this feature, to automatically move
to the current driver's exit position
when one of the following occurs:
.The vehicle is turned off or in
Retained Accessory Power
(RAP) or accessory mode and
the driver door is opened.
.The vehicle is turned off or in
RAP and the unlock button on
the RKE transmitter is pressed.
In order for the Auto Exit Recall
feature to work on an automatic
transmission vehicle, the vehicle
must be in P (Park). On a manual
transmission vehicle, the parking
brake must be set. Press the OPTION button until
AUTO EXIT RECALL appears on
the display, then press the RESET
button to scroll through the following
modes:
.YES
.NO (default)
If you choose YES, when you turn
the ignition off and open the driver
door or press the unlock button on
the RKE transmitter, the seat and
the telescopic steering wheel, if your
vehicle has this feature, will return
to their stored exit positions for an
easy exit or an easy entrance when
returning to the vehicle.
The seat and steering wheel will
only return to the stored driving
position if you press the appropriate
memory button or activate the Auto
Memory Recall feature.
If you choose NO, this option will
turn off.

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Lighting 6-1
Lighting
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lamps OffReminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Twilight Sentinel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . 6-4
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Interior Lighting
Instrument Panel Illumination Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Courtesy Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Lighting Features
Entry/Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Battery Power Protection . . . . . . 6-6
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls
The exterior lamp control is located
to the left of the steering wheel on
the multifunction lever.
O(Exterior Lamp Control):
Turn the band with this symbol on it
to operate the exterior lamps.
The exterior lamp band has
four positions:
O(Off): Turns off all lamps.
AUTO (Automatic): Sets the
exterior lamps to automatic mode.
AUTO mode turns the exterior
lamps on and off depending on
how much light is available outside
the vehicle. To override AUTO mode, turn the
control to off.
To reset to AUTO mode, turn the
control to exterior lamps and then
back to AUTO. Automatic mode also
resets when the vehicle is turned off
and then back on again if the control
is left in the AUTO position.
;(Parking Lamps):
Turns on the
parking lamps together with the
following:
.Sidemarker Lamps
.Taillamps
.License Plate Lamps
.Instrument Panel Lights
The parking brake indicator light
comes on and stays on when the
parking lamps are on with the
engine off and the ignition to
ACC/ACCESSORY.
5(Headlamps): Turns on the
headlamps, together with the
previously listed lamps and lights.

Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
6-2 Lighting
Exterior Lamps Off
Reminder
A warning chime will sound if the
exterior lamp control is left on in
either the headlamp or parking lamp
position and the driver door is
opened with the ignition off.
Headlamp High/
Low-Beam Changer
To change the headlamps from low
beam to high, push the turn signal
lever all the way forward. To change
from high to low beam, pull the lever
rearward.
While the high beams are on, this
light on the instrument cluster will
also be lit.
Flash-to-Pass
To use the flash-to-pass feature,
briefly pull the turn signal lever
toward you. The high-beam
indicator flashes to indicate to the
other driver that you intend to pass.
If the low-beam headlamps are off
and the fog lamps are on, the
fog lamps flash.
Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL)
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can
make it easier for others to see the
front of your vehicle during the day.
Fully functional daytime running
lamps are required on all vehicles
first sold in Canada.
The DRL system makes the front
turn signal lamps come on when the
following conditions are met:
.It is still daylight and the ignition
is on.
.The exterior lamp control is in
the AUTO position.
.The transmission is not in
P (Park) or the parking brake
is off.
.The parking brake is off or the
vehicle speed is greater than
13 km/h (8 mph).
When DRL are on, only the front
turn signal lamps will be on. The
parking lamps, taillamps, instrument
panel lights, or other exterior lamps
will not be on when the DRL are
being used.
When it is dark enough outside, the
front turn signal lamps turn off and
the normal low-beam headlamps
turn on.
When it is bright enough outside,
the regular lamps go off, and the
front turn signal lamps will take over.
If the vehicle is started in a dark
garage, the automatic headlamp
system comes on immediately.
Once the vehicle leaves the garage,
it takes approximately one minute
for the automatic headlamp system
to change to DRL if it is light
outside.

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-1
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Racing or Other CompetitiveDriving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . 9-9
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . 9-10
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 9-10
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-11
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 9-13
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . 9-14
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . 9-18
Front Air Dam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-18
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-19
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Shifting Into Park (Automatic Transmission) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Parking (Manual Transmission) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . 9-27
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-29
Manual Transmission
Manual Transmission . . . . . . . . 9-32
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-36
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-36
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control System (TCS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-36
Active Handling System . . . . . 9-38
Competitive Driving Mode . . . 9-39
Limited-Slip Rear Axle . . . . . . . 9-42
Selective Ride Control . . . . . . . 9-43

Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
9-4 Driving and Operating
Control of a Vehicle
Braking, steering, and accelerating
are important factors in helping to
control a vehicle while driving.
Braking
Braking action involves perception
time and reaction time. Deciding to
push the brake pedal is perception
time. Actually doing it is
reaction time.
Average driver reaction time is
about three‐fourths of a second.
In that time, a vehicle moving at
100 km/h (60 mph) travels 20 m
(66 ft), which could be a lot of
distance in an emergency.Helpful braking tips to keep in
mind include:
.Keep enough distance between
you and the vehicle in front
of you.
.Avoid needless heavy braking.
.Keep pace with traffic.
If the engine ever stops while the
vehicle is being driven, brake
normally but do not pump the
brakes. Doing so could make the
pedal harder to push down. If the
engine stops, there will be some
power brake assist but it will be
used when the brake is applied.
Once the power assist is used up,
it can take longer to stop and the
brake pedal will be harder to push.
Steering
Magnetic Effort Steering
This system continuously adjusts
the effort felt when steering at all
vehicle speeds. It provides ease
when parking, yet a firm, solid feel
at highway speeds.
Hydraulic Power Steering
Your vehicle has hydraulic
power steering. It may require
maintenance. See Power Steering
Fluid Power Steering Fluid on
page 10‑36.
If power steering assist is lost
because the engine stops or the
power steering system is not
functioning, the vehicle can be
steered but may required increased
effort. See your dealer if there is
a problem.

Black plate (20,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
9-20 Driving and Operating
3. Come to a complete stop. Shiftto P (Park) with an automatic
transmission, or Neutral with a
manual transmission. Turn the
ignition to OFF.
4. Set the parking brake. See Parking Brake on page 9‑36
{WARNING
Turning off the vehicle while
moving may cause loss of power
assist in the brake and steering
systems and disable the airbags.
While driving, only shut the
vehicle off in an emergency.
If the vehicle cannot be pulled over,
and must be shut off while driving,
turn the ignition to ACC/
ACCESSORY. When the engine is on or the
vehicle is in accessory power mode,
it is recommended that a manual
transmission be placed in
R (Reverse). An automatic
transmission must be placed in
P (Park). Then press the Acc. button
to turn the engine off and place the
vehicle in RAP. See
Retained
Accessory Power (RAP) on
page 9‑23 for more information.
If an automatic vehicle is not
correctly placed in P (Park) a SHIFT
TO PARK message will display on
the Driver Information Center (DIC).
For more information, see
Transmission Messages on
page 5‑53.
When the engine is off, press this
button to place the vehicle in
accessory mode. ACCESSORY
MODE ON will display on the Driver
Information Center (DIC). This mode
allows you to use things like the
radio and the power windows while
the engine is off. Use accessory
mode if you must have the vehicle in motion while the engine is off, for
example, if the vehicle is being
pushed or towed.
After being in accessory mode for
about 10 minutes, the vehicle will
automatically enter RAP or OFF,
depending on if the doors are
opened or closed.
Service Only Mode
This power mode is available for
service and diagnostics, and to
verify the proper operation of the
malfunction indicator lamp as may
be required for emission inspection
purposes. With the vehicle off,
pressing and holding the bottom of
the button for more than
five seconds will place the vehicle in
Service Only Mode. The instruments
and audio systems will operate as
they do when the engine is running,
but the vehicle will not be able to be
driven. The engine will not start in
Service Only Mode. Push the button
again to turn the vehicle off.

Black plate (22,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
9-22 Driving and Operating
4. If the engine does not start andno DIC message is displayed,
wait 15 seconds before trying
again to let the cranking motor
cool down.
If the engine does not start after
5-10 seconds, especially in very
cold weather (below −18°C
or 0°F), it could be flooded with
too much gasoline. Try pushing
the accelerator pedal all the way
to the floor while cranking for up
to 15 seconds maximum. Wait at
least 15 seconds between each
try, to allow the cranking motor
to cool down. When the engine
starts, let go of the accelerator.
If the vehicle starts briefly but
then stops again, repeat these
steps. This clears the extra
gasoline from the engine.
Notice: Cranking the engine for
long periods of time, by pressing
the START button immediately
after cranking has ended, can
overheat and damage the
cranking motor, and drain the battery. Wait at least 15 seconds
between each try, to allow the
cranking motor to cool down.
The vehicle has a
Computer-Controlled Cranking
System. This feature assists in
starting the engine and protects
components. Once cranking has
been initiated, the engine continues
cranking for a few seconds or until
the vehicle starts. If the engine does
not start, cranking automatically
stops after 15 seconds to prevent
cranking motor damage. To prevent
gear damage, this system also
prevents cranking if the engine is
already running.
Notice:
The engine is designed to
work with the electronics in the
vehicle. If electrical parts or
accessories are added, you could
change the way the engine
operates. Before adding electrical
equipment, check with your
dealer. If you do not, the engine
might not perform properly. Any
resulting damage would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.Stopping the Engine
If the vehicle has an automatic
transmission, move the shift lever to
P (Park) and press and hold the
Acc. (Off/Accessory) button, located
on the instrument panel, until the
engine shuts off. If the shift lever is
not in P (Park), the engine shuts off
and the vehicle goes into the
accessory mode. The DIC displays
SHIFT TO PARK. Once the shifter is
moved to P (Park), the vehicle turns
off. If the vehicle has a manual
transmission, it is recommended
that you move the shift lever to
R (Reverse) and set the parking
brake after you turn off the
engine by pressing and holding
the Acc. (Off/Accessory) button.
If the RKE transmitter is not
detected inside the vehicle when it
is turned to off, the DIC displays
NO FOB –OFF OR RUN?.
See Key and Lock Messages on
page 5‑43 for more information.