
Black plate (40,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
3-40 Seats and Restraints
A label on the sun visor says,
“Never put a rear-facing child seat in
the front.”This is because the risk to
the rear-facing child is so great,
if the airbag deploys.
{WARNING
A child in a rear-facing child
restraint can be seriously injured
or killed if the right front
passenger airbag inflates.
This is because the back of the
rear-facing child restraint would
be very close to the inflating
airbag. A child in a forward-facing
child restraint can be seriously
injured or killed if the right front
passenger airbag inflates and
the passenger seat is in a
forward position.
Even if the passenger sensing
system has turned off the right
front passenger frontal airbag, no
system is fail-safe. No one can
guarantee that an airbag will not
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
deploy under some unusual
circumstance, even though it is
turned off.
Secure rear-facing child
restraints in a rear seat, even if
the airbag is off. If you secure a
forward-facing child restraint in
the right front seat, always move
the front passenger seat as far
back as it will go. It is better to
secure the child restraint in a
rear seat.
SeePassenger Sensing System
on page 3‑21 for additional
information.
Rear-facing child restraints should
not be installed in the vehicle, even
if the airbag(s) are off.
If the child restraint has the LATCH
system, see Lower Anchors and
Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) (Coupe and Convertible Models Only) on page 3‑35
or
Lower Anchors and Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) (Z06 and
ZR1 Models Only) on page 3‑35 for
how and where to install the child
restraint using LATCH. If a child
restraint is secured using a safety
belt and it uses a top tether, see
Lower Anchors and Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) (Coupe
and Convertible Models Only) on
page 3‑35 orLower Anchors and
Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) (Z06 and ZR1 Models
Only) on page 3‑35 for top tether
anchor locations.
Do not secure a child seat in a
position without a top tether anchor
if a national or local law requires
that the top tether be anchored, or if
the instructions that come with the
child restraint say that the top strap
must be anchored.
In Canada, the law requires that
forward-facing child restraints have
a top tether, and that the tether
be attached.

Black plate (41,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Seats and Restraints 3-41
You will be using the lap-shoulder
belt to secure the child restraint in
this position. Follow the instructions
that came with the child restraint.
1. Move the seat as far back as itwill go before securing the
forward-facing child restraint.
When the passenger sensing
system has turned off the right
front passenger frontal airbag
and seat-mounted side impact
airbag (if equipped), the off
indicator on the passenger
airbag status indicator should
light and stay lit when you start
the vehicle. See Passenger
Airbag Status Indicator on
page 5‑18.
2. Put the child restraint on the seat.
3. Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap and shoulder portions of
the vehicle’ s safety belt through
or around the restraint. The child
restraint instructions will show
you how.
4. Push the latch plate into the
buckle until it clicks.
Position the release button on
the buckle so that the safety belt
could be quickly unbuckled if
necessary.5. Pull the shoulder belt all the wayout of the retractor to set the
lock. When the retractor lock is
set, the belt can be tightened but
not pulled out of the retractor.

Black plate (42,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
3-42 Seats and Restraints
6. To tighten the belt, push downon the child restraint, pull the
shoulder portion of the belt to
tighten the lap portion of the belt,
and feed the shoulder belt back
into the retractor. When installing
a forward-facing child restraint, it
may be helpful to use your knee
to push down on the child
restraint as you tighten the belt.
Try to pull the belt out of the
retractor to make sure the
retractor is locked. If the
retractor is not locked, repeat
Steps 5 and 6. 7. If the child restraint has a top
tether, follow the child restraint
manufacturer's instructions
regarding the use of the top
tether. See Lower Anchors and
Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) (Coupe and Convertible
Models Only) on page 3‑35 or
Lower Anchors and Tethers for
Children (LATCH System)
(Z06 and ZR1 Models Only) on
page 3‑35 for more information.
8. Before placing a child in the child restraint, make sure it is
securely held in place. To check,
grasp the child restraint at the
safety belt path and attempt
to move it side‐to‐side and
back‐and‐forth. When the child
restraint is properly installed,
there should be no more than
2.5 cm (1 in) of movement. If the airbag or airbags are off, the
off indicator in the passenger airbag
status indicator will come on and
stay on when the vehicle is started.
If a child restraint has been installed
and the on indicator is lit, see
“If the On Indicator is Lit for a
Child Restraint
”under Passenger
Sensing System on page 3‑21 for
more information.
To remove the child restraint,
unbuckle the vehicle safety belt and
let it return to the stowed position.
If the top tether is attached to a
top tether anchor, disconnect it.

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 (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 (37,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-37
Battery Voltage and
Charging Messages
BATTERY SAVER ACTIVE
This message displays when the
vehicle has detected that the battery
voltage is dropping beyond a
reasonable point. The battery saver
system starts reducing certain
features of the vehicle that you may
be able to notice. At the point that
features are disabled, this message
is displayed. It means that the
vehicle is trying to save the charge
in the battery. Turn off unnecessary
accessories to allow the battery to
recharge.
BATTERY VOLTAGE HIGH
SeeVoltmeter Gauge on page 5‑17.
BATTERY VOLTAGE LOW
SeeVoltmeter Gauge on page 5‑17.
SERVICE CHARGING SYSTEM
If this message displays while you
are driving, there may be a problem
with the electrical charging system. It could mean that there is a loose
or broken drive belt or that there is
another electrical problem. Have the
vehicle checked right away by your
dealer. Driving while this message is
on could drain the battery.
If you must drive a short distance
with the message on, be certain to
turn off the vehicle's accessories,
such as the radio and air
conditioner.
Multiple chimes sound when this
message is displayed.
To acknowledge the message, press
the RESET button. The message
reappears every 10 minutes until
this condition changes.
Brake System Messages
ABS (Antilock Brake System)
ACTIVE
This message displays when the
Antilock Brake System (ABS) is
adjusting brake pressure to help
avoid a braking skid.
Slippery road conditions may exist if
this message is displayed, so adjust
your driving accordingly. The
message stays on for a few
seconds after the system stops
adjusting brake pressure. See
Antilock Brake System (ABS) on
page 9‑35
for more information.
CHANGE BRAKE PADS
On vehicles with electronic brake
pad wear sensors, this message will
be displayed when the pads are
worn. See your dealer for service.
CHECK BRAKE FLUID
This message displays, a sound will
be heard, and the brake system
warning light on the instrument
panel cluster turns on if the ignition
is on to inform the driver that the
brake fluid level is low. See Brake
System Warning Light on
page 5‑22. Have the brake system
serviced by your dealer as soon as
possible. See Brakes on
page 10‑38.

Black plate (49,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-49
TRACTION SYSTEM AND
ACTIVE HANDLING–ON
If the Traction Control System (TCS)
and Active Handling System are off,
this message displays briefly, the
instrument panel cluster light turns
off, and a sound will be heard when
the TCS and Active Handling
System are turned on by briefly
pressing the Active Handling
System button on the console.
See Traction Control System (TCS)
on page 9‑36 andActive Handling
System on page 9‑38 for more
information.
TRACTION SYSTEM –OFF
This message displays and stays
on, a sound will be heard, when the
TCS is turned off by pressing the
Active Handling System button on
the console. See Traction Control
System (TCS) on page 9‑36 for
more information.
To acknowledge the message,
press the RESET button.
TRACTION SYSTEM –ON
This message displays and a sound
will be heard when the Traction
Control System (TCS) is turned on
by pressing the Active Handling
System button on the console. This
message automatically clears from
the DIC display on its own. See
Traction Control System (TCS) on
page 9‑36 for more information.
Safety Belt Messages
BUCKLE PASSENGER
This message reminds you to
buckle the passenger's safety belt.
This message displays and a sound
will be heard when the ignition is on,
the driver's safety belt is buckled,
the passenger's safety belt is
unbuckled with the passenger
airbag enabled, and the vehicle
is in motion. You should have the
passenger buckle their safety belt.
The reminder will be repeated if the
ignition is on, the vehicle is in
motion, the driver is buckled, the
passenger is still unbuckled, and the
passenger airbag is enabled. If the
passenger's safety belt is already
buckled, this message will not
come on.

Black plate (50,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
5-50 Instruments and Controls
BUCKLE SEATBELT
This message reminds you to
buckle the driver's safety belt.
This message displays and a sound
will be heard when the ignition is on,
the driver's safety belt is unbuckled,
and the vehicle is in motion. You
should buckle your safety belt.
If the driver remains unbuckled
when the ignition is on and the
vehicle is in motion, the reminder
will be repeated. If the driver's
safety belt is already buckled, this
message will not come on.
This message is an additional
reminder to the safety belt reminder
light in the instrument panel cluster.
SeeSafety Belt Reminders on
page 5‑17 for more information.
Anti-theft Alarm System
Messages
INTRUSION SENSOR OFF
This message may display when the
anti-theft alarm has been disarmed.
INTRUSION SENSOR ON
This message may display when the
anti-theft alarm has been armed.
Service Vehicle Messages
SERVICE AIR CONDITIONING
This message displays when the
electronic sensors that control
the air conditioning and heating
systems are no longer working.
Have the climate control system
serviced by your dealer if you
notice a drop in heating and air
conditioning efficiency.
SERVICE ELECTRICAL
SYSTEM
This message displays if an
electrical problem has occurred
within the Powertrain Control
Module (PCM). Have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer.
SERVICE VEHICLE SOON
This message displays and a sound
will be heard when there may be an
electrical or another system problem
with the vehicle. Have your vehicle
checked by your dealer if this
message keeps appearing.
Starting the Vehicle
Messages
PRESS BRAKE TO START
ENGINE (Automatic
Transmission Only)
This message displays if you try to
start the engine by pressing the
keyless ignition start button without
having the brake pressed. The
brake needs to be pressed when
starting the engine. See Ignition
Positions on page 9‑19 for more
information.