2013 CHEVROLET CORVETTE ignition

Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2013 - crc2 - 11/8/12
Climate Controls 8-5
cover the solar sensor located on
the top of the instrument panel near
the windshield or the system will not
work properly.
There is also a sensor located
behind the front bumper. This
sensor reads the outside air
temperature and helps to maintain
the temperature inside the vehicle.
Any cover on the front of the vehicle
could give a false reading in the
temperature.
If the outside temperature goes up,
the displayed temperature will not
change until:
.The vehicle's speed is above
19 km/h (12 mph) for
five minutes.
.The vehicle's speed is above
52 km/h (32 mph) for two and
one‐half minutes.
These delays prevent false
readings. If the temperature goes
down, the outside temperature will
be shown when you start the
vehicle. If it has been turned off for less than three hours, the
temperature will be recalled from the
previous vehicle operation.
There is also an inside temperature
sensor located to the left of the
ignition switch. The automatic
climate control system uses this
sensor to receive information, so if
you block or cover it, the system will
not function properly.
Rear Window Defogger
The rear window defogger uses a
warming grid to remove fog or frost
from the rear window.
The rear window defogger only
works when the engine is running.
=(Rear Window Defogger):
Press to turn the rear window
defogger on or off. Be sure to clear
as much snow from the rear window
as possible. An indicator light
comes on to show that the rear
window defogger is on.
The rear window defogger turns off
about 10 minutes after the button is
pressed when traveling less than 48 km/h (30 mph). If turned on
again, the defogger only runs for
about five minutes before turning
off. The defogger can also be turned
off by turning off the engine.
The vehicle has heated outside
rearview mirrors. The mirrors will
heat to help clear fog or frost from
the surface of the mirrors when the
rear window defogger button is
pressed.
For vehicles with a power
convertible top, the rear window
defogger and heated mirrors are
automatically disabled when the
power convertible top is moving
or down.
Notice:
Do not use anything
sharp on the inside of the rear
window. If you do, you could cut
or damage the warming grid, and
the repairs would not be covered
by the vehicle warranty. Do not
attach a temporary vehicle
license, tape, a decal, or anything
similar to the defogger grid.

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2013 - crc2 - 11/8/12
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 . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Racing or Other CompetitiveDriving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . 9-8
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-9
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . 9-9
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-10
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 9-12
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . 9-12
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . 9-17
Front Air Dam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-17
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-18
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . 9-20 Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Shifting Into Park (Automatic Transmission) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-22
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Parking (Manual
Transmission) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . 9-25
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Manual Transmission
Manual Transmission . . . . . . . . 9-29
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control System (TCS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-34
Active Handling System . . . . . 9-35
Competitive Driving Mode . . . 9-36
Limited-Slip Rear Axle . . . . . . . 9-40
Selective Ride Control . . . . . . . 9-40
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-42
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-45
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . 9-45
Gasoline Specifications . . . . . . 9-46
California Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-46
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 9-46
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-46
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-47
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-49
Towing
General TowingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-50
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On ElectricalEquipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-50

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 (19,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2013 - crc2 - 11/8/12
Driving and Operating 9-19
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 9‑33
{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 9‑21 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 5‑50.
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 (20,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2013 - crc2 - 11/8/12
9-20 Driving and Operating
Starting the Engine
Move the shift lever to P (Park) or
N (Neutral) for an automatic
transmission. For a manual
transmission the vehicle can be
started in Neutral or any other gear
as long as the clutch pedal is
pressed. To restart a vehicle with a
manual transmission when you are
already moving, use the Neutral
position only. To restart a vehicle
with an automatic transmission
when you are already moving, use
N (Neutral).
Notice:Do not try to shift to
P (Park) if the vehicle is moving.
If you do, you could damage the
transmission. Shift to P (Park)
only when the vehicle is stopped.
The RKE transmitter must be inside
the vehicle for the ignition to work.
Cell phone chargers can interfere
with the operation of the Keyless
Access System. Battery chargers
should not be plugged in when
starting or turning off the engine. To start the vehicle, do the following:
1. For vehicles with an automatic
transmission, with your foot on
the brake pedal, press the
START button located on the
instrument panel. For vehicles
with a manual transmission, you
must also press in the clutch
pedal while pressing the START
button.
If there is not an RKE transmitter
in the vehicle or if there is
something causing interference
with it, the DIC will display
NO FOBS DETECTED. See Key
and Lock Messages on
page 5‑40 for more information.
2. When the engine begins cranking, let go of the button and
the engine cranks automatically
until it starts. If the battery in the
RKE transmitter is weak, the
DIC displays FOB BATTERY
LOW. You can still drive the
vehicle. See
“Battery Replacement”
under Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System Operation on
page 2‑3 for more information.
If the fob battery is dead, you
need to insert the fob into the
fob slot to enable engine
starting. See “NO FOBS
DETECTED” underKey and
Lock Messages on page 5‑40.
3. Do not race the engine immediately after starting it.
Operate the engine and
transmission gently until the oil
warms up and lubricates all
moving parts.
4. If the engine does not start and no DIC message is displayed,
wait 15 seconds before trying
again to let the cranking motor
cool down.
If the engine does not start after
five to 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

Black plate (22,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2013 - crc2 - 11/8/12
9-22 Driving and Operating
Shifting Into Park
(Automatic Transmission)
1. Hold the brake pedal down andset the parking brake. See
Parking Brake on page 9‑33 for
more information.
2. Move the shift lever into P (Park) by holding in the button on the
lever and pushing the lever all
the way toward the front of the
vehicle.
3. Press the Acc. button (ignition switch) to turn the engine off.
Leaving the Vehicle with the
Engine Running (Automatic
Transmission)
{WARNING
It can be dangerous to leave the
vehicle with the engine running.
It could overheat and catch fire.
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. If you have to leave the vehicle with
the engine running, be sure the
vehicle is in P (Park) and the
parking brake is firmly set before
you leave it. After you have moved
the shift lever into P (Park), hold
down the regular brake pedal. See if
you can move the shift lever away
from P (Park) without first pushing
the button on the lever. If you can, it
means that the shift lever was not
fully locked into P (Park).
Torque Lock (Automatic
Transmission)
If you are parking on a hill and you
do not shift the transmission into
P (Park) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put too much force on
the parking pawl in the
transmission. You may find it difficult
to pull the shift lever out of P (Park).
This is called
“torque lock.”
To prevent torque lock, set the
parking brake and then shift into
P (Park) properly before you leave

Black plate (23,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2013 - crc2 - 11/8/12
Driving and Operating 9-23
the driver seat. To find out how, see
“Shifting Into P (Park)”previously in
this section.
When you are ready to drive, move
the shift lever out of P (Park) before
you release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may
need to have another vehicle push
yours a little uphill to take some of
the pressure from the transmission
parking pawl, so you can pull the
shift lever out of P (Park).
Shifting out of Park
Shift lock release prevents shifting
out of P (Park) unless the vehicle is
running or in accessory mode and
the brake pedal is applied.
The shift lock release is always
functional except in the case of an
uncharged or low voltage (less than
9‐volt) battery. See Jump Starting
on page 10‑75 for more information. To shift out of P (Park) use the
following:
1. Apply the brake pedal.
2. Release the parking brake. See
Parking Brake on page 9‑33.
3. Press the shift lever button.
4. Move the shift lever to the desired position.
If you still are unable to shift out of
P (Park):
1. Fully release the shift lever button.
2. While holding down the brake pedal, press the shift lever
button again.
3. Move the shift lever to the desired position.
If you still cannot move the shift
lever from P (Park), consult your
dealer or a professional towing
service.
Parking (Manual
Transmission)
Before you get out of the vehicle,
move the shift lever into R (Reverse)
and firmly apply the parking brake.
Once the shift lever has been
placed into R (Reverse) with the
clutch pedal pressed in, you can
turn the ignition off and release the
clutch.
Parking over Things
That Burn
{WARNING
Things that can burn could touch
hot exhaust parts under the
vehicle and ignite. Do not park
over papers, leaves, dry grass,
or other things that can burn.