2012 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Owners Manual

Black plate (25,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-25
Notice:Lowering the convertible
top when there are objects in the
storage area could damage it or
break the glass rear window.
Always verify that no objects are
in the storage area before
lowering the convertible top.
Notice: Lowering the convertible
top if it is damp, wet, or dirty can
cause stains, mildew, and
damage to the inside of the
vehicle. Dry off the convertible
top before lowering it.
Notice: If you lower the
convertible top on the vehicle
in cold weather (0°C (32°F) or
lower), you may damage
convertible top components. Do
not lower the top in cold weather.
Notice: If you raise or lower the
convertible top while the vehicle
is in motion, you could damage
the top or the top mechanism.
The repairs would not be covered
by the warranty. Always put an
automatic transmission in P (Park) or a manual transmission
in Neutral before raising or
lowering the convertible top.
Lowering the Manual
Convertible Top
1. Park on a level surface. Shift an
automatic transmission into
P (Park) and set the parking
brake. Shift a manual
transmission into Neutral and set
the parking brake.
2. Make sure the ignition is off.
3. Make sure the trunk is closed.
4. Release the convertible top front latch, located above the inside
rearview mirror, by pulling and
turning it clockwise.
5. Lift upward on the front edge (A)of the convertible top to remove
it from the windshield frame.
Then lift upward on the rear
edge (B) of the convertible top
so it is vertical to the tonneau
cover (C). The front edge (A) and
rear edge (B) should be
straight up.
6. The convertible top front latch must be turned and closed after
the top has been pushed up.
Failure to close the latch may
prevent the tonneau cover from
completely closing.

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2-26 Keys, Doors, and Windows
7. Tilt the driver seatback forwardand press the tonneau cover
release button located on the
underside of the tonneau
cover (C) behind the driver seat.
After pressing the release
button, the driver and passenger
door glass will retract to the
full-down position. Then raise
the tonneau cover (C).
If the tonneau cover does not
release and three chimes are
heard, check to make sure the
trunk lid is closed. Also, the
tonneau cover will not release if
the vehicle alarm is armed. If battery power has not been
lost, continue to Step 9.
If battery power has been lost,
the tonneau cover (C) can be
opened using the manual
release cable.
The tonneau cover manual
release cable is located
underneath the carpeting behind
the passenger seat head
restraint, on the underside
forward edge of the tonneau
cover. To access the cable, lift
and pull back the carpeting.
Notice: If you lower the
convertible top into the storage
compartment and the rear edge of
the top is not in the full-down position, you could damage the
top. Always verify that the rear
edge of the convertible top is in
the full-down position before
lowering the top into the storage
compartment.
8. Pull the cable to release the
tonneau cover, continue with
Step 9.
9. Push forward on the frontedge (A) of the convertible top to
allow the rear edge (B) of the
convertible top to be moved to
its full-down position.

Black plate (27,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-27
10. Then move the convertible toprearward to its fully stored
position.
11. After the convertible top is stored, apply one even push on
the center of the front edge (A)
of the convertible top to ensure
that the convertible top is fully
retracted.
12. Close the tonneau cover (B) by pressing down on it with a
swift, firm motion. Raising the Manual
Convertible Top
1. Park on a level surface. Shift an
automatic transmission into
P (Park) and set the parking
brake. Shift a manual
transmission into Neutral and
set the parking brake.
2. Lower both windows.
3. Make sure the ignition is off.4. Tilt the driver seat forward and press the tonneau cover release
button. After pressing the
release button, the driver and
passenger door glass will
retract to the full-down position.
If battery power has been lost,
see Step 7 under “Lowering the
Manual Convertible Top” in
this section.
After pressing the release
button, the driver and passenger
door glass should retract to the
full-down position, if they have
not already been lowered.

Black plate (28,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
2-28 Keys, Doors, and Windows
5. Lift the tonneau cover.
6. Pull the convertible top up byfirmly gripping the front edge (A)
near the center and applying a
brisk upward and forward motion
to get the top in the full-up
position.
7. Lift the rear edge (B) of theconvertible top to its full-up
position by first raising the front
edge (A).
8. Close the tonneau cover (C) by pushing it down with a swift,
firm motion.
9. Lower the rear edge (B) of the convertible top by first slightly
pushing the front edge (A) of the
convertible top forward. 10. Push the front edge (A) of the
convertible top down from the
outside of the vehicle, or pull
the front edge (A) of the
convertible top down from the
center pull-down handle
located in the inside of the
vehicle.
11. Pull the convertible top front latch down and turn it
counterclockwise to lock the
convertible top.Power Operation
For care and cleaning of the
convertible top see “Cleaning the
Convertible Top” in this section.
High pressure car washes may
cause water to enter the vehicle.
To operate the convertible top use
the following steps.
Notice: Leaving the convertible
top down and exposing the
interior of the vehicle to outdoor
conditions may cause damage.
Always close the convertible top
if leaving the vehicle outdoors.

Black plate (29,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-29
Notice:Lowering the convertible
top when there are objects in the
storage area could damage it or
break the glass rear window.
Always verify that no objects are
in the storage area before
lowering the convertible top.
Notice: Lowering the convertible
top if it is damp, wet, or dirty can
cause stains, mildew, and
damage to the inside of the
vehicle. Dry off the convertible
top before lowering it.
Notice: If you lower the
convertible top on the vehicle
in cold weather (0°C (32°F) or
lower), you may damage
convertible top components.
Do not lower the top in cold
weather. Notice:
If you raise or lower the
convertible top while the vehicle
is in motion, you could damage
the top or the top mechanism.
The repairs would not be covered
by the warranty. Always put an
automatic transmission in
P (Park) or a manual transmission
in Neutral before raising or
lowering the convertible top.
Lowering the Power
Convertible Top
1. Park on a level surface.
Start the engine. Shift an
automatic transmission into
P (Park) and set the parking
brake. Shift a manual
transmission into Neutral, and
set the parking brake. 2. Make sure the trunk is closed,
the rear trunk partition in the rear
storage area is in the fastened
upright position, and no objects
are forward of the divider. See
“Rear Trunk Partition” under
Rear Storage on page 4‑2.
3. Release the convertible top front latch, located above the inside
rearview mirror, by pulling and
turning it clockwise. Push
upward on the front edge. The
windows will automatically lower.
4. Return the convertible top front latch to the closed position.

Black plate (30,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
2-30 Keys, Doors, and Windows
5. Push and holdªon the
convertible top switch.
The convertible top will lower into
the rear of the vehicle. A chime will
sound when the convertible top has
lowered completely. If the radio is
on, the sound may be muted for a
brief time due to a new audio
system equalization being loaded.
If the convertible top is operated
multiple times, the engine should be
running to prevent drain on the
vehicle's battery. Under certain
conditions, the Driver Information
Center (DIC) may display a message regarding the convertible
top. See
Convertible Top Messages
on page 5‑38 for more information.
Raising the Power Convertible Top
Notice: If you raise or lower the
convertible top while the vehicle
is in motion, you could damage
the top or the top mechanism.
The repairs would not be covered
by the warranty. Always put an
automatic transmission in
P (Park) or a manual transmission
in Neutral before raising or
lowering the convertible top.
1. Park on a level surface. Start the engine. Shift an automatic
transmission into P (Park) and
set the parking brake. Shift a
manual transmission into Neutral
and set the parking brake.
2. Make sure the trunk lid is closed, the rear trunk partition in the rear
storage area is in the fastened
upright position, and no objects
are forward of the divider. See
“Rear Trunk Partition” under
Rear Storage on page 4‑2.3. Push and hold«on the
convertible top switch. The
convertible top will raise and the
windows will lower if they were
in the raised position. A chime
will sound when the convertible
top is raised completely.
4. After the convertible top is completely raised, release the
convertible top switch.
5. Pull the convertible top front latch down and turn it
counterclockwise to lock the
convertible top.

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Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-31
If the radio is on, the sound may be
muted for a brief time due to a new
audio system equalization being
loaded.
If the vehicle has lost power, the
convertible top can still be raised by
releasing pressure on the hydraulic
pump, located under the passenger
side of the tonneau cover, using the
following steps. The carpet liner on
the passenger side must be pulled
back to access the hydraulic pump.
Never attempt to open or close the
convertible top manually without
releasing pressure first.
Manual operation of the convertible
top cannot be attempted for
five minutes after the last time the
convertible top switch was pressed
if the convertible top was not
opened completely and the tonneau
cover latched or closed completely
with the front latch locked in place
at the time the convertible top
switch was released.
1. Open the tonneau cover bypulling the manual release
cable.
The tonneau cover manual
release cable is located behind
the passenger seat head
restraint, on the underside
forward edge of the tonneau
cover.
Be careful when opening the
tonneau cover by hand. If the
tonneau cover is opened quickly,
damage can occur to the hinging
mechanism, which can prevent
proper operation of the
convertible top. 2. Pull back the carpet liner on the
passenger side to access the
hydraulic pump.
3. Locate the pressure release
bolt on the front side of the
hydraulic pump.
4. Use the wrench, located in the console, and turn the pressure
release bolt counterclockwise
one revolution, to relieve
pressure to the hydraulic pump.
This will allow the manual raising
of the convertible top.

Black plate (32,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
2-32 Keys, Doors, and Windows
5. Then follow the steps underraising the manual convertible
top. See “Manual Operation” or
“Power Operation” in this
section.
When power is restored to the
vehicle, the hydraulic bolt must be
tightened, by turning it clockwise.
The convertible top switch can then
be used to lower or raise the
convertible top.
If the convertible top is operated
multiple times, the engine should
be running to prevent drain on the
vehicle's battery. Under certain
conditions, the Driver Information
Center (DIC) may display a
message regarding the convertible
top. See Convertible Top Messages
on page 5‑38 for more information. If the battery has been
disconnected, the power windows
must be initialized for the power
convertible top to operate. See
Power Windows on page 2‑18
for
more information.
Cleaning the Convertible Top
The convertible top should be
cleaned often. However, high
pressure car washes may cause
water to enter the vehicle.
When hand washing the convertible
top, do it in partial shade. Use a
mild soap, lukewarm water, and a
soft sponge. A chamois or cloth may
leave lint on the top, and a brush
can chafe the threads in the top
fabric. Do not use detergents,
harsh cleaners, solvents,
or bleaching agents. Wet the entire vehicle and wash the
top evenly to avoid spots or rings.
Let the soap remain on the fabric
for a few minutes. When the top is
really dirty, use a mild foam-type
cleaner. Thoroughly rinse the
entire vehicle, then let the top dry
in direct sunlight.
To protect the convertible top:
.After washing the vehicle, make
sure the convertible top is
completely dry before lowering it.
.Do not get any cleaner on the
vehicle's painted finish; it could
leave streaks.