
Black plate (63,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-63
Tire Designations
Tire Size
The following is an example of
a typical passenger vehicle
tire size.
(A) Passenger (P‐Metric) Tire:
The United States version of a
metric tire sizing system. The
letter P as the first character in
the tire size means a passenger
vehicle tire engineered to
standards set by the U.S. Tire
and Rim Association.
(B) Tire Width
:The three‐digit
number indicates the tire section
width in millimeters from
sidewall to sidewall. (C) Aspect Ratio
:A two‐digit
number that indicates the tire
height‐to‐width measurements.
For example, if the tire size
aspect ratio is 60, as shown in
item C of the illustration, it would
mean that the tire's sidewall is
60 percent as high as it is wide.
(D) Construction Code
:
A letter code is used to indicate
the type of ply construction in
the tire. The letter R means
radial ply construction; the
letter D means diagonal or
bias ply construction; and the
letter B means belted‐bias ply
construction.
(E) Rim Diameter
:Diameter of
the wheel in inches.
(F) Service Description
:
These characters represent the
load index and speed rating
of the tire. The load index
represents the load carrying capacity a tire is certified to
carry. The speed rating is the
maximum speed a tire is
certified to carry a load.
Tire Terminology and
Definitions
Air Pressure:The amount of
air inside the tire pressing
outward on each square inch
of the tire. Air pressure is
expressed in kPa (kilopascal)
or psi (pounds per square inch).
Accessory Weight
:The
combined weight of optional
accessories. Some examples
of optional accessories are
automatic transmission, power
steering, power brakes, power
windows, power seats, and air
conditioning.
Aspect Ratio
:The relationship
of a tire's height to its width.

Black plate (89,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-89
Keep the wheels clean using a soft,
clean cloth with mild soap and
water. Rinse with clean water.
After rinsing thoroughly, dry with a
soft, clean towel. A wax may then
be applied.
Notice:Chrome wheels and other
chrome trim may be damaged if
the vehicle is not washed after
driving on roads that have been
sprayed with magnesium,
calcium, or sodium chloride.
These chlorides are used on
roads for conditions such as ice
and dust. Always wash the
chrome with soap and water after
exposure.
Notice: To avoid surface damage,
do not use strong soaps,
chemicals, abrasive polishes,
cleaners, brushes, or cleaners
that contain acid on aluminum or
chrome-plated wheels. Use only
approved cleaners. Also, never
drive a vehicle with aluminum or
chrome-plated wheels through an automatic car wash that uses
silicone carbide tire cleaning
brushes. Damage could occur
and the repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Steering, Suspension, and
Chassis Components
Visually inspect front and rear
suspension and steering system for
damaged, loose, or missing parts or
signs of wear. Inspect power
steering lines and hoses for proper
hook-up, binding, leaks, cracks,
chafing, etc. Visually check constant
velocity joints, rubber boots, and
axle seals for leaks.
Body Component Lubrication
Lubricate all key lock cylinders,
hood hinges, liftgate hinges, and
steel fuel door hinge unless the
components are plastic. Applying
silicone grease on weatherstrips
with a clean cloth will make them
last longer, seal better, and not stick
or squeak.
Underbody Maintenance
Use plain water to flush dirt and
debris from the vehicle's underbody.
Your dealer or an underbody car
washing system can do this. If not
removed, rust and corrosion can
develop.
Fiberglass Springs
(Composite Springs)
Notice:
Do not use acidic or
corrosive cleaning products,
engine degreasers, or aluminum
cleaning agents on fiberglass
springs as it may cause damage.
The repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle's warranty.
Use only approved cleaners.
Sheet Metal Damage
If the vehicle is damaged and
requires sheet metal repair or
replacement, make sure the body
repair shop applies anti-corrosion
material to parts repaired or
replaced to restore corrosion
protection.

Black plate (12,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
11-12 Service and Maintenance
Recommended Fluids, Lubricants, and Parts
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants
Fluids and lubricants identified below by name, part number, or specification can be obtained from your dealer.Usage Fluid/Lubricant
Engine Oil Use only engine oil licensed to the dexos1 specfication, or equivalent, of
the proper SAE viscosity grade. ACDelco dexos1 Synthetic Blend is
recommended. See
Engine Oil on page 10‑16.
Engine Coolant 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water and use only DEX-COOL Coolant.
See
Engine Coolant on page 10‑30.
ZR1 Only: Intercooler System 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water and use only DEX-COOL Coolant.
See
Engine Coolant on page 10‑30.
Hydraulic Brake System DOT 3 Hydraulic Brake Fluid (GM Part No. 88862806,
in Canada 88862807).
Windshield Washer Optikleen
®Washer Solvent.
Hydraulic Clutch System Hydraulic Clutch Fluid. Use only GM Part No. 88958860,
in Canada 88901244, Super DOT-4 brake fluid.
Power Steering System GM Power Steering Fluid (GM Part No. 89021184, in Canada 89021186). Chassis Lubrication
(Rear Toe‐Link Outer Ends with Z06, ZR1, or Z51 Option) Chassis Lubricant (GM Part No. 12377985, in Canada 88901242) or
lubricant meeting requirements of NLGI #2, Category LB or GC-LB.

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

Black plate (8,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
i-8 INDEX
O
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Off-RoadRecovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Oil Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-16
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . 10-22
Engine Oil PressureGauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-41
Older Children, Restraints . . . . . 3-28
One-to-Four Shift Light . . . . . . . . 5-23
Online Owner Center . . . . . . . . . . 13-6
OnStar
®
Additional Information . . . . . . . . 14-5
Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-4
Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-5
Emergency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-2
Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-2
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-1
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-2
OnStar
®System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-25
Operation, Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2
Ordering
Service Publications . . . . . . . . 13-17 Outlets
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
Overheating, Engine . . . . . . . . . . 10-34
Overview, OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . 14-1
P
Panel, Roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-20
Park Shifting into . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Shifting out of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25 Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-36
Brake and P (Park)Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . 10-46
Over Things That Burn . . . . . . . 9-25
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Passenger Compartment Air Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-6
Passenger Sensing System . . . 3-21
Perchlorate Materials
Requirements, California . . . . . 10-3 Personalization
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-55
Phone Bluetooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-18
Power Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Protection, Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Retained Accessory (RAP) . . . 9-23
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Steering Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18
Pregnancy, Using Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-13
Privacy
Radio FrequencyIdentification (RFID) . . . . . . . 13-21
Program Courtesy Transportation . . . . 13-14
Proposition 65 Warning,
California . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3

Black plate (10,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
i-10 INDEX
Scheduling Appointments . . . . . 13-13
Seatback Latches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7
SeatsAdjustment, Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Heated Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8
Lumbar Adjustment, Front . . . . . 3-3
Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5
Power Adjustment, Front . . . . . . 3-3
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Securing Child Restraints . . . . . . 3-39
Security
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Security, OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-2
Selective Ride Control . . . . . . . . . 9-43
Service
Accessories andModifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Doing Your Own Work . . . . . . . . 10-8
Engine Soon Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Maintenance Records . . . . . . .11-15
Maintenance, General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-1
Parts Identification Label . . . . . 12-1 Service (cont.)
Publications Ordering
Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-17
Scheduling Appointments . . . 13-13
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-50
Servicing the Airbag . . . . . . . . . . . 3-25
Shift Lock Control Function Check, Automatic
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-46
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Signals, Turn and Lane-Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Specifications and Capacities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Sport Cup Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-61
StabiliTrak OFF Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . 10-45
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Starting the Vehicle Messsages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-50 Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Fluid, Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
Wheel Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Wheel Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
Storage Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Storage Areas
Cargo Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Center Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Convenience Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Stuck Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-13
Sun Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19
Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
System Infotainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1