2013 CHEVROLET CORVETTE brakes

Black plate (9,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2013 - crc2 - 11/8/12
Driving and Operating 9-9
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. Water
can build up under the vehicle's
tires so they actually ride on the
water. This can happen if the road is
wet enough and you are going fast
enough. When the vehicle is
hydroplaning, it has little or no
contact with the road.
There is no hard and fast rule about
hydroplaning. The best advice is to
slow down when the road is wet.
Other Rainy Weather Tips
Besides slowing down, other wet
weather driving tips include:
.Allow extra following distance.
.Pass with caution.
.Keep windshield wiping
equipment in good shape.
.Keep the windshield washer fluid
reservoir filled.
.Have good tires with proper
tread depth. SeeTires on
page 10‑52.
.Turn off cruise control.
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 (10,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2013 - crc2 - 11/8/12
9-10 Driving and Operating
{WARNING
Coasting downhill in N (Neutral)
or with the ignition off is
dangerous. The brakes will have
to do all the work of slowing down
and they could get so hot that
they would not work well. You
would then have poor braking or
even none going down a hill.
Steering may also be affected
when ignition is off. You could
crash. Always have the engine
running and the vehicle in gear
when going downhill.
.Stay in your own lane. Do not
swing wide or cut across the
center of the road. Drive at
speeds that let you stay in your
own lane.
.Be alert on top of hills;
something could be in your lane
(stalled car, accident).
.Pay attention to special road
signs (falling rocks area, winding
roads, long grades, passing or
no-passing zones) and take
appropriate action.
Winter Driving
Driving on Snow or Ice
Drive carefully when there is snow
or ice between the tires and the
road, creating less traction or grip.
Wet ice can occur at about 0°C (32°
F) when freezing rain begins to fall,
resulting in even less traction. Avoid
driving on wet ice or in freezing rain
until roads can be treated with salt
or sand.
Drive with caution, whatever the
condition. Accelerate gently so
traction is not lost. Accelerating too
quickly causes the wheels to spin
and makes the surface under the
tires slick, so there is even less
traction.Try not to break the fragile traction.
If you accelerate too fast, the drive
wheels will spin and polish the
surface under the tires even more.
The Antilock Brake System (ABS)
improves vehicle stability during
hard stops on slippery roads, but
apply the brakes sooner than when
on dry pavement. See
Antilock
Brake System (ABS) on page 9‑32.
Allow greater following distance on
any slippery road and watch for
slippery spots. Icy patches can
occur on otherwise clear roads in
shaded areas. The surface of a
curve or an overpass can remain icy
when the surrounding roads are
clear. Avoid sudden steering
maneuvers and braking while
on ice.
Turn off cruise control on slippery
surfaces.

Black plate (18,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2013 - crc2 - 11/8/12
9-18 Driving and Operating
{WARNING
ZR1s, 427 convertibles 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 (25,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2013 - crc2 - 11/8/12
Driving and Operating 9-25
Automatic
Transmission
There are several different positions
for the shift lever.
P (Park):This position locks the
rear wheels. It is the best position to
use when starting the engine
because the vehicle cannot move
easily.
{WARNING
It is dangerous to get out of the
vehicle if the shift lever is not fully
in P (Park) with the parking brake
firmly set. The vehicle can roll.
Do not leave the vehicle when the
engine is running. If you have left
the engine running, the vehicle
can move suddenly. You or others
could be injured. To be sure the
vehicle will not move, even when
you are on fairly level ground,
always set the parking brake and
move the shift lever to P (Park).
See Shifting Into Park (Automatic
Transmission) on page 9‑22.
Be sure the shift lever is fully in
P (Park) before starting the engine.
The vehicle has an automatic
transmission shift lock control
system. You have to fully apply the
brakes and then press the shift lever
button before you can shift from
P (Park) when the vehicle is running. If you cannot shift out of
P (Park), ease pressure on the shift
lever and push the shift lever all the
way into P (Park) as you maintain
brake application. Then press the
shift lever button and move the shift
lever into another gear. See
Shifting
out of Park on page 9‑23.
R (Reverse): Use this gear to
back up.
Notice: Shifting to R (Reverse)
while the vehicle is moving
forward could damage the
transmission. The repairs would
not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Shift to R (Reverse) only
after the vehicle is stopped.
To rock the vehicle back and forth to
get out of snow, ice, or sand without
damaging the transmission, see If
the Vehicle Is Stuck on page 9‑12.

Black plate (32,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2013 - crc2 - 11/8/12
9-32 Driving and Operating
Be careful when shifting from
1 (First) to 2 (Second) or
downshifting from 6 (Sixth) to
5 (Fifth). The spring will try to pull
the shift lever toward 4 (Fourth) and
3 (Third). Make sure you move the
lever into 2 (Second) or 5 (Fifth).
If you let the shift lever move in the
direction of the pulling, you may end
up shifting from 1 (First) to 4 (Fourth)
or from 6 (Sixth) to 3 (Third).
If the driver does not upshift as the
engine speed approaches fuel shut
off RPM, the engine speed will be
limited to protect the engine. See
Tachometer on page 5‑12for more
information.Brakes
Antilock Brake
System (ABS)
This vehicle has the Antilock Brake
System (ABS), an advanced
electronic braking system that helps
prevent a braking skid.
When the vehicle begins to drive
away, ABS checks itself.
A momentary motor or clicking noise
might be heard while this test is
going on, and it might even be
noticed that the brake pedal moves
a little. This is normal.
If there is a problem with ABS, this
warning light stays on. See Antilock
Brake System (ABS) Warning Light
on page 5‑21. If driving safely on a wet road and it
becomes necessary to slam on the
brakes and continue braking to
avoid a sudden obstacle, a
computer senses that the wheels
are slowing down. If one of the
wheels is about to stop rolling, the
computer will separately work the
brakes at each wheel.
ABS can change the brake pressure
to each wheel, as required, faster
than any driver could. This can help
you steer around the obstacle while
braking hard.
As the brakes are applied, the
computer keeps receiving updates
on wheel speed and controls
braking pressure accordingly.

Black plate (33,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2013 - crc2 - 11/8/12
Driving and Operating 9-33
Remember: ABS does not change
the time needed to get a foot up to
the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too
close to the vehicle in front of you,
there will not be enough time to
apply the brakes if that vehicle
suddenly slows or stops. Always
leave enough room up ahead to
stop, even with ABS.
Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold
the brake pedal down firmly and let
ABS work. You might hear the ABS
pump or motor operating and feel
the brake pedal pulsate, but this is
normal.
Braking in Emergencies
ABS allows you to steer and brake
at the same time. In many
emergencies, steering can help
more than even the very best
braking.
Parking Brake
The parking brake lever is located to
the right of the center console.
To set the parking brake, hold the
brake pedal down. Pull the parking
brake lever up. If the ignition is on,
the brake system warning light will
come on.
To release the parking brake, hold
the brake pedal down. Then push
the release button in as you move
the parking brake lever all the
way down.
Notice:Driving with the parking
brake on can overheat the brake
system and cause premature
wear or damage to brake system
parts. Make sure that the parking
brake is fully released and the
brake warning light is off before
driving.
Brake Assist
This vehicle has a brake assist
feature designed to assist the driver
in stopping or decreasing vehicle
speed in emergency driving
conditions. This feature uses the
stability system hydraulic brake
control module to supplement the
power brake system under
conditions where the driver has
quickly and forcefully applied the
brake pedal in an attempt to quickly
stop or slow down the vehicle. The
stability system hydraulic brake
control module increases brake
pressure at each corner of the
vehicle until the ABS activates.
Minor brake pedal pulsation or
pedal movement during this time is
normal and the driver should
continue to apply the brake pedal as
the driving situation dictates. The
brake assist feature will
automatically disengage when the
brake pedal is released or brake
pedal pressure is quickly
decreased.

Black plate (34,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2013 - crc2 - 11/8/12
9-34 Driving and Operating
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control
System (TCS)
The vehicle has a Traction Control
System (TCS) that limits wheel spin.
This is especially useful in slippery
road conditions. The system
operates only if it senses that the
rear wheels are spinning too much
or are beginning to lose traction.
When this happens, the system
works the rear brakes and reduces
engine power (by closing the throttle
and managing engine spark) to limit
wheel spin.
The TRACTION SYSTEM ACTIVE
message displays on the Driver
Information Center (DIC) when TCS
is limiting wheel spin. SeeRide
Control System Messages on
page 5‑42. The system may be
heard or felt while it is working, but
this is normal. If cruise control is being used when
TCS begins to limit wheel spin, the
cruise control will automatically
disengage. Cruise control may be
reengaged when road conditions
allow. See
Cruise Control on
page 9‑42.
The SERVICE TRACTION SYSTEM
message and the Active Handling
System light will come on if there is
a problem with TCS. See Ride
Control System Messages on
page 5‑42.
When this light and the SERVICE
TRACTION SYSTEM message are
on, the system will not limit wheel
spin. Adjust your driving
accordingly. TCS automatically comes on
whenever the vehicle is started. To
limit wheel spin, especially in
slippery road conditions, the system
should always be left on. TCS can
be turned off if needed.To turn the system off, press the
Active Handling button located on
the center console.
The Traction Off light comes on.

Black plate (35,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2013 - crc2 - 11/8/12
Driving and Operating 9-35
The system can be turned on or off
at any time by pressing the Active
Handling button. The DIC will
display the appropriate message
when the button is pushed.
Notice:When traction control is
turned off, or Competitive Driving
Mode is active, it is possible to
lose traction. If you attempt to
shift with the drive wheels
spinning with a loss of traction, it
is possible to cause damage to
the transmission. Do not attempt
to shift when the drive wheels do
not have traction. Damage caused
by misuse of the vehicle is not
covered. See the warranty book
for additional information.
Adding non-dealer accessories can
affect the vehicle's performance.
See Accessories and Modifications
on page 10‑3 for more information.Active Handling System
The Active Handling System is a
computer controlled system that
helps the driver maintain directional
control of the vehicle in difficult
driving conditions. This is
accomplished by selectively
applying any one of the vehicle's
brakes.
The ACTIVE HANDLING message
will come on when the system is
operating. See Ride Control System
Messages on page 5‑42 for more
information. The system may be
heard or felt while it is working. This
is normal.
The SERVICE ACTIVE HANDLING
SYSTEM message is displayed on
the DIC, the Active Handling System light comes on, and a sound
is heard if there is a problem with
the system.
See
Ride Control System Messages
on page 5‑42 for more information.
When this light and the SERVICE
ACTIVE HANDLING SYSTEM
message are on, the system is not
operational. Adjust your driving
accordingly.
The Active Handling System comes
on automatically whenever the
vehicle is started. To help maintain
directional control of the vehicle, the
system should always be left on.
The system can be turned off if
needed. If the Active Handling
System is turned off, the Traction
Control System will also be turned
off. Adjust your driving accordingly.