2012 CHEVROLET CORVETTE park assist

Black plate (20,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
5-20 Instruments and Controls
Malfunctions often are indicated by
the system before any problem is
apparent. Being aware of the light
can prevent more serious damage
to the vehicle. This system assists
the service technician in correctly
diagnosing any malfunction.
Notice:If the vehicle is
continually driven with this light
on, the emission controls might
not work as well, the vehicle fuel
economy might not be as good,
and the engine might not run as
smoothly. This could lead to
costly repairs that might not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Notice: Modifications made to the
engine, transmission, exhaust,
intake, or fuel system of the
vehicle or the replacement of the
original tires with other than
those of the same Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC) can
affect the vehicle's emission
controls and can cause this light
to come on. Modifications to
these systems could lead to
costly repairs not covered by the vehicle warranty. This could
also result in a failure to pass a
required Emission Inspection/
Maintenance test. See
Accessories and Modifications on
page 10‑4.
This light comes on during a
malfunction in one of two ways:
Light Flashing:
A misfire condition
has been detected. A misfire
increases vehicle emissions and
could damage the emission control
system on the vehicle. Diagnosis
and service might be required.
The following can prevent more
serious damage to the vehicle:
.Reduce vehicle speed.
.Avoid hard accelerations.
.Avoid steep uphill grades.
If the light continues to flash,
stop and park the vehicle.
Turn the vehicle off , wait at least
10 seconds, and restart the engine.
If the light is still flashing, follow the
previous steps and see your dealer
for service as soon as possible. Light On Steady:
An emission
control system malfunction has
been detected on the vehicle.
Diagnosis and service might
be required.
The following may correct an
emission system malfunction:
.Check that the fuel cap is fully
installed. See Filling the Tank on
page 9‑51. The diagnostic
system can determine if the
fuel cap has been left off or
improperly installed. A loose or
missing fuel cap allows fuel to
evaporate into the atmosphere.
A few driving trips with the cap
properly installed should turn
the light off.

Black plate (65,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-65
Read the instructions completely
before attempting to program the
transmitter. Because of the steps
involved, it may be helpful to have
another person assist with
programming the transmitter.
Be sure to keep the original remote
control transmitter for use in other
vehicles, as well as for future
programming. Only the original
remote control transmitter is needed
for Fixed Code programming. The
programmed buttons should be
erased when the vehicle is sold or
the lease ends. See“Erasing
Universal Home Remote Buttons” in
this section.
Park the vehicle outside of the
garage when programming a garage
door. Be sure that people and
objects are clear of the garage door
or gate being programmed.Programming Universal Home
Remote —Rolling Code
For questions or help programming
the Universal Home Remote
System, call 1-866-572-2728 or go
to www.learcar2u.com.
Most garage door openers sold
after 1996 are Rolling Code units.
Programming a garage door opener
involves time-sensitive actions, so
read the entire procedure before
starting. Otherwise, the device will
time out and the procedure will have
to be repeated.
To program up to three devices:
1. Press START or put the vehicle
in accessory mode. See Ignition
Positions on page 9‑19 for
additional information.
Programming can only occur
when the vehicle is running or in
accessory mode.
2. From inside the vehicle, press the two outside buttons at the
same time for one to
two seconds, and immediately
release them.

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 (10,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
9-10 Driving and Operating
Highway Hypnosis
Always be alert and pay attention to
your surroundings while driving.
If you become tired or sleepy, find a
safe place to park the vehicle
and rest.
Other driving tips include:
.Keep the vehicle well ventilated.
.Keep the interior
temperature cool.
.Keep your eyes moving—scan
the road ahead and to the sides.
.Check the rearview mirror and
vehicle instruments often.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or through
mountains is different than driving
on flat or rolling terrain. Tips for
driving in these conditions include:
.Keep the vehicle serviced and in
good shape.
.Check all fluid levels and brakes,
tires, cooling system, and
transmission.
.Shift to a lower gear when going
down steep or long hills.
{WARNING
If you do not shift down, the
brakes could get so hot that they
would not work well. You would
then have poor braking or even
none going down a hill. You could
crash. Shift down to let the engine
assist the brakes on a steep
downhill slope.

Black plate (19,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-19
{WARNING
ZR1s, and Z06s with RPO CFZ,
contain parts made from carbon
fiber.
When damaged, the exposed
edges can be very sharp.
A person could be injured by
these sharp edges. Use caution
when washing the vehicle,
coming in contact with,
or removing damaged carbon
fiber parts. See your dealer for
replacement.
Under normal operation, these
components will occasionally
contact some road surfaces
(speed bumps, driveway
ramps, etc.). This can be heard
inside the vehicle as a scraping
noise. This is normal and does not
indicate a problem.
Use care when approaching bumps
or objects on road surfaces and
avoid them when possible.
Ignition Positions
The vehicle has an electronic
keyless ignition with a push-button
start.
In order to shift out of P (Park),
the vehicle must be running or in
Acc. mode and the regular brake
pedal must be applied.
/(START): Press this button
while your foot is on the brake for
an automatic transmission, or while
pressing in the clutch for a manual
transmission, to start the engine.
If the vehicle is in OFF or Retained Accessory Power (RAP) mode, the
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter must be inside the
vehicle to start the engine.
9Acc. (STOPPING THE ENGINE/
OFF/ACCESSORY): When the
vehicle is stopped with the engine
on, press the button once to turn
the engine off.
Do not turn the engine off when the
vehicle is moving. This will cause a
loss of power assist in the brake
and steering systems and disable
the airbags.
If the vehicle must be shut off in
an emergency:
1. Brake using a firm and steady pressure. Do not pump the
brakes repeatedly. This may
deplete power assist, requiring
increased brake pedal force.
2. Shift the vehicle to neutral. This can be done while the vehicle is
moving. After shifting to neutral,
firmly apply the brakes and steer
the vehicle to a safe location.

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.