
Black plate (6,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
6-6 Lighting
Be sure not to have this knob turned
all the way down with the lamps on
during the day. The Driver
Information Center (DIC) may
not be visible.
Courtesy Lamps
When any door or the hatch/trunk lid
is opened, the interior lamps will go
on unless it is bright outside.
You can also turn the courtesy
lamps on and off by pressing the
instrument panel brightness knob.
Reading Lamps
The inside rearview mirror includes
two reading lamps. The lamps will
go on when a door is opened. When
the doors are closed, press each
lamp switch to turn them on
individually.
Lighting Features
Entry/Exit Lighting
With entry lighting, the interior
lamps will come on when entering
the vehicle. To illuminate your exit,
the interior lamps come on for about
20 seconds when the engine is
turned off.
To turn the entry and exit lighting off,
quickly turn the courtesy lamps on
and off by pressing the instrument
panel brightness knob.
Battery Power Protection
This vehicle has a feature to help
prevent the battery from being
drained in case any of the following
lamps are left on: the underhood
lamp, if your vehicle has this
feature, vanity mirror lamps, cargo
lamps, reading lamps, console,
or glove box lamps. If any of these
lamps are left on, they will
automatically time-out after about10 minutes. To reset it, all of the
above lamps must be turned off or
the ignition key on.
Exterior Lighting Battery
Saver
If the manual parking lamps or
headlamps have been left on, the
exterior lamps will turn off as soon
as the ignition is turned off or
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) is
active. This protects against
draining the battery in case you
have accidentally left the headlamps
or parking lamps on. The battery
saver does not work if the
headlamps are turned on after the
ignition switch is turned to off.
If you need to leave the lamps on,
use the exterior lamp control to turn
the lamps back on.

Black plate (49,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-49
If the vehicle has the 6.2L V8 engine
(VIN Code T) or the 7.0L V8 engine
(VIN Code E), use premium
unleaded gasoline with a posted
octane rating of 91 or higher. For
best performance, use premium
unleaded gasoline with a posted
octane rating of 93. In an
emergency, you can use regular
unleaded gasoline with an octane
rating of 87 or higher. If 87 octane
fuel is used, do not perform any
aggressive driving maneuvers such
as wide open throttle applications.
You might also hear audible spark
knock during acceleration. Refill the
tank with premium fuel as soon as
possible to avoid damaging the
engine. If heavy knocking is heard
when using gasoline rated at
91 octane or higher, the engine
needs service.Gasoline Specifications
(U.S. and Canada Only)
At a minimum, gasoline should
meet ASTM specification D 4814in the United States or
CAN/CGSB‐3.5 or 3.511 in
Canada. Some gasolines contain
an octane-enhancing additive called
methylcyclopentadienyl manganese
tricarbonyl (MMT). We recommend
against the use of gasolines
containing MMT. See Fuel Additives
on page 9‑50 for additional
information.
California Fuel
Requirements
If the vehicle is certified to meet
California Emissions Standards, it is
designed to operate on fuels that
meet California specifications. See
the underhood emission control
label. If this fuel is not available in
states adopting California Emissions
Standards, the vehicle will operate satisfactorily on fuels meeting
federal specifications, but emission
control system performance might
be affected. The malfunction
indicator lamp could turn on and the
vehicle might fail a smog‐check test.
See
Malfunction Indicator Lamp on
page 5‑19. If this occurs, return to
your authorized dealer for diagnosis.
If it is determined that the condition
is caused by the type of fuel used,
repairs might not be covered by
the vehicle warranty.
Fuels in Foreign
Countries
Never use leaded gasoline or any
other fuel not recommended in the
previous text on fuel. Costly repairs
caused by use of improper fuel
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty.
To check the fuel availability, ask an
auto club, or contact a major oil
company that does business in the
country where you will be driving.

Black plate (9,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-9
Hood
To open the hood:
1. Pull the hood release lever withthis symbol on it. It is located
inside the vehicle below the
instrument panel on the
driver side.
2. Go to the side of the vehicle andpull up on the rear edge of the
hood, near the windshield.
Before closing the hood, be sure
all the filler caps are on properly.
Then, just pull the hood down and
close it firmly.

Black plate (25,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-25
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter
SeeEngine Compartment Overview
on page 10‑10 for the location of the
engine air cleaner/filter.
Notice: If you spray water into
the engine air cleaner/filter intake
and water enters the engine air
cleaner/filter housing, you could
damage your vehicle's engine.
The repairs would not be covered
by your warranty. Do not spray
water into the engine air cleaner/
filter intake and/or housing.
If cleaning the vehicle with the hood
open, take care not to spray water
directly near the filter opening of
the air cleaner, as shown in the
illustration, as this could damage
the vehicle's engine. When to Inspect the Engine
Air Cleaner/Filter
Inspect the air cleaner/filter at
the scheduled maintenance
intervals and replace them at
the first oil change after each
80 000 km (50,000 mi) interval.
See
Maintenance Schedule on
page 11‑3 for more information.
If driving in dusty/dirty conditions,
inspect the filter at each engine oil
change.
How to Inspect the Engine
Air Cleaner/Filter
To inspect the air cleaner/filter,
remove the filter from the vehicle
and lightly shake the filter to release
loose dust and dirt. If the filter
remains covered with dirt, a new
filter is required. To inspect or replace the engine air
cleaner/filter:
1. Open the hood. See
Hood on
page 10‑9.
6.2 L V8 Engine LS3 Shown,
6.2 L V8 Engine LS9 and
7.0 L V8 Engine LS7 Similar
A. Tube
B. Clamp
C. Duct
2. Remove the tube (A) from the air cleaner assembly.
3. Loosen the clamp (B) at the throttle body and remove the
duct (C).

Black plate (34,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
10-34 Vehicle Care
Engine Overheating
The vehicle has several indicators
to warn of engine overheating.
There is an engine coolant
temperature gauge on the
instrument panel cluster. See
Engine Coolant Temperature
Gauge on page 5‑16. The vehicle
may also display a COOLANT
OVER TEMPERATURE message
on the Driver Information
Center (DIC). SeeEngine Cooling
System Messages on page 5‑40
for more information.
If the decision is made not to lift the
hood but to get service help right
away. See Roadside Assistance
Program (U.S. and Canada) on
page 13‑8 orRoadside Assistance
Program (Mexico) on page 13‑10.
If the decision is made to lift the
hood, make sure the vehicle is
parked on a level surface. Then check to see if the engine
cooling fan is running. If the engine
is overheating, the fan should be
running. If it is not, do not continue
to run the engine and have the
vehicle serviced.
Notice:
Engine damage from
running your engine without
coolant is not covered by the
vehicle warranty. See Overheated
Engine Protection Operating
Mode for information on driving
to a safe place in an emergency.
Notice: If the engine catches fire
while driving with no coolant, the
vehicle can be badly damaged.
The costly repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
See Overheated Engine
Protection Operating Mode on
page 10‑36 for information on
driving to a safe place in an
emergency.
If Steam is Coming from the
Engine
{WARNING
Steam from an overheated engine
can burn you badly, even if you
just open the hood. Stay away
from the engine if you see or hear
steam coming from it. Turn it off
and get everyone away from
the vehicle until it cools down.
Wait until there is no sign of
steam or coolant before you
open the hood.
If you keep driving when the
vehicles engine is overheated,
the liquids in it can catch fire.
You or others could be badly
burned. Stop the engine if it
overheats, and get out of the
vehicle until the engine is cool.
(Continued)

Black plate (83,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-83
4. Open the hoods and locate thepositive (+) and negative (−)
terminal locations on each
vehicle.
6.2 L LS3 shown, 7.0 L LS7 and
6.2 L LS9 similar
Your vehicle has a remote
positive (+) terminal (A) and a
remote negative (−) terminal (B),
as shown in the illustration,
which should be used to jump
start your vehicle. The remote positive (+)
terminal (A) can be accessed by
opening the cover of the engine
compartment fuse block.
The remote negative (−)
terminal (B) is located
underneath the engine cover,
below the engine oil fill cap.
See
Engine Compartment
Overview on page 10‑10 for
the location of the engine
compartment fuse block and
engine oil fill cap.
You will not need to access
the battery for jump starting.
The remote terminals are for
that purpose.
{WARNING
An electric fan can start up even
when the engine is not running
and can injure you. Keep hands,
clothing and tools away from any
underhood electric fan.
{WARNING
Using an open flame near a
battery can cause battery gas to
explode. People have been hurt
doing this, and some have been
blinded. Use a flashlight if you
need more light.
Be sure the battery has enough
water. You do not need to add
water to the battery installed in
your new vehicle. But if a battery
has filler caps, be sure the right
amount of fluid is there. If it is low,
add water to take care of that
first. If you do not, explosive gas
could be present.
Battery fluid contains acid that
can burn you. Do not get it on
you. If you accidentally get it in
your eyes or on your skin, flush
the place with water and get
medical help immediately.

Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
INDEX i-5
Fuel EconomyDriving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-24
Fuses Engine CompartmentFuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-52
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-51
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-55
G
Garage Door Opener . . . . . . . . . . 5-64Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-64
Gasoline Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-49
Gauges Boost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Engine CoolantTemperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Engine Oil Pressure . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12 Gauges (cont.)
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Voltmeter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Warning Lights and
Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
General Information Service and Maintenance . . . . . 11-1
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-54
Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
GM Mobility Reimbursement Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-8
H
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-48
Hatch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . . . 6-4
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Head-up Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-32
HeadlampsAiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-48
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-48
Daytime RunningLamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2 Headlamps (cont.)
High Intensity Discharge
(HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-48
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . . 6-2
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Twilight Sentinel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Heated Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8
Heated Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
High-Speed Operation . . . . . . . . 10-68
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-10
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . 9-10
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-9
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10
Hydraulic Clutch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24