Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9085364) - 2016 - crc - 9/15/15
198 Driving and Operating
Competitive Driving Mode
If equipped, Competitive Driving
Mode, Performance Traction
Management, and Launch Control
are systems designed to allow
increased performance while
accelerating and/or cornering. This
is accomplished by regulating and
optimizing the engine, brakes, and
suspension performance. These
modes are for use at a closed
course race track and are not
intended for use on public roads.
They will not compensate for driver
inexperience or lack of familiarity
with the race track. Drivers who
prefer to allow the system to have
more control of the engine, brake,
and suspension are advised to turn
the normal traction control and
StabiliTrak systems on.
Caution
Attempting to shift when the drive
wheels are spinning and do not
have traction may cause damage
to the transmission. Damage(Continued)
Caution (Continued)
caused by misuse of the vehicle
is not covered by the vehicle
warranty. Do not attempt to shift
when the drive wheels do not
have traction.
Competitive Driving Mode
(Except Z51 and Z06 with
Magnetic Ride Control)
Competitive Driving Mode allows full
engine power while StabiliTrak
helps maintain directional control of
the vehicle by selective brake
application. In this mode, TCS is off
and Launch Control is available.
Adjust your driving style to account
for the available engine power. See
“Launch Control”later in this
section.
These lights are on when the
vehicle is in the Competitive
Driving Mode.
In order to select this optional
handling mode, the vehicle mode
must be Track. Then quickly press
the TCS/StabiliTrak
gbutton on the
center console two times.
STABILITRAK COMPETITIVE
Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9085364) - 2016 - crc - 9/15/15
Driving and Operating 201
Manual Transmissions
.The clutch is pressed and the
vehicle is in 1 (First) gear.
. The accelerator pedal is rapidly
applied to wide open throttle.
The Launch Control feature will
initially limit engine speed as the
driver rapidly applies the accelerator
pedal to wide open throttle. Allow
the engine rpm to stabilize.
A smooth, quick release of the
clutch, while maintaining the fully
pressed accelerator pedal, will
manage wheel slip. Complete shifts
as described in Manual
Transmission 0187.
Automatic Transmissions
. The brake pedal must be firmly
pressed to the floor, equivalent
to a panic brake event.
. The accelerator pedal is rapidly
applied to wide open throttle. (If
the vehicle rolls due to wide
open throttle, release the
throttle, press the brake pedal
more firmly, and re-apply the
accelerator to wide open
throttle.) The Launch Control feature will
initially limit engine speed as the
driver rapidly applies the accelerator
pedal to wide open throttle. Allow
the engine rpm to stabilize.
A smooth, quick release of the
brake pedal, while maintaining the
fully pressed accelerator pedal, will
manage wheel slip.
After the vehicle is launched, the
system continues in Competitive
Driving Mode (except Z51 and Z06
with Magnetic Ride Control) or
Performance Traction Management
(Z51 and Z06 with Magnetic Ride
Control).
Competitive Driving Mode, PTM,
and Launch Control are systems
designed for a closed course race
track and not intended for use on
public roads. The systems are not
intended to compensate for lack of
driver experience or familiarity with
the race track.Limited-Slip Differential
(Except Z51 and Z06)
If equipped, the mechanical
limited-slip differential can give more
traction on snow, mud, ice, sand,
or gravel. It works like a standard
axle most of the time, but when
traction is low, this feature allows
the drive wheel with the most
traction to move the vehicle. For
vehicles with limited slip differential,
driven under severe conditions, the
rear axle fluid should be changed.
See
Competitive Driving Mode
0 198 andMaintenance
Schedule 0298.
Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9085364) - 2016 - crc - 9/15/15
202 Driving and Operating
Limited-Slip Differential
(Z51 and Z06 Only)
If equipped, the Electronic
Limited-Slip Differential (ELSD) is
automatically activated. ELSD
actively monitors vehicle sensors
and driver inputs to determine the
amount of change for the
conditions. With ELSD, the
vehicle has:
.Enhanced high-speed control.
. Improved traction through
corners, allowing more
acceleration.
. More precise steering.
. Increased vehicle agility.
. Integration with StabiliTrak.
For vehicles with ELSD, driven
under severe conditions, the rear
axle fluid should be changed. See
Competitive Driving Mode 0198
and Maintenance Schedule 0298.
Cruise Control
With cruise control, a speed of
about 40 km/h (25 mph) or more
can be maintained without keeping
your foot on the accelerator. Cruise
control does not work at speeds
below about 40 km/h (25 mph).
{Warning
Cruise control can be dangerous
where you cannot drive safely at
a steady speed. Do not use
cruise control on winding roads or
in heavy traffic.
Cruise control can be dangerous
on slippery roads. On such roads,
fast changes in tire traction can
cause excessive wheel slip, and
you could lose control. Do not use
cruise control on slippery roads.
If equipped with a manual
transmission, the cruise control will
remain active when the gears are
shifted. The cruise is disengaged if
the clutch is pressed for several
seconds. If the Traction Control System (TCS)
begins to limit wheel spin while you
are using cruise control, the cruise
control automatically disengages.
See
Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control 0192. When road
conditions allow for using safely
again, cruise control can be turned
back on.
If the brakes are applied, cruise
control disengages.
1(On/Off) : Press to turn cruise
control on or off. A white indicator
comes on in the instrument cluster
when cruise is turned on.
Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Driving and Operating 203
RES/+ (Resume/Accelerate) :If
there is a set speed in memory,
press briefly to resume to that
speed or press and hold to
accelerate. If cruise control is
already active, use to increase
vehicle speed.
SET/– (Set/Coast) : Press briefly to
set the speed and activate cruise
control. If cruise control is already
active, use to decrease vehicle
speed.
*(Cancel) : Press to disengage
cruise control without erasing the
set speed from memory.
Setting Cruise Control
If
1is on when not in use, SET/– or
RES/+ could get pressed and go
into cruise when not desired. Keep
1off when cruise is not
being used.
1. Press
1to turn the cruise
system on.
2. Get up to the desired speed.
3. Press and release SET/– on
the steering wheel. 4. Remove foot from the
accelerator.
The cruise control indicator on the
instrument cluster turns green after
cruise control has been set to the
desired speed. See Instrument
Cluster 096.
Resuming a Set Speed
If the cruise control is set at a
desired speed and then the brakes
are applied or
*is pressed, the
cruise control is disengaged without
erasing the set speed from memory.
Once the vehicle reaches about
40 km/h (25 mph) or more, briefly
press RES/+. The vehicle returns to
the previous set speed.
Increasing Speed While Using
Cruise Control
If the cruise control system is
already activated,
. Press and hold RES/+ until the
desired speed is reached, then
release it. .
To increase vehicle speed in
small increments, briefly press
RES/+. For each press, the
vehicle goes about 1.6 km/h
(1 mph) faster.
The speedometer reading can be
displayed in either English or metric
units. See Instrument Cluster 096.
The increment value used depends
on the units displayed.
Reducing Speed While Using
Cruise Control
If the cruise control system is
already activated:
. Press and hold SET/– until the
desired lower speed is reached,
then release it.
. To decrease the vehicle speed in
small increments, briefly press
SET/–. For each press, the
vehicle goes about 1.6 km/h
(1 mph) slower.
The speedometer reading can be
displayed in either English or metric
units. See Instrument Cluster 096.
The increment value used depends
on the units displayed.
Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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204 Driving and Operating
Passing Another Vehicle While
Using Cruise Control
Use the accelerator pedal to
increase the vehicle speed. When
you take your foot off the pedal, the
vehicle will slow down to the
previously set cruise speed.
While pressing the accelerator pedal
or shortly following the release to
override cruise control, briefly
pressing SET/–will result in cruise
set to the current vehicle speed.
Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well the cruise control works
on hills depends upon the vehicle
speed, load, and the steepness of
the hills. When going up steep hills,
you might have to step on the
accelerator pedal to maintain your
speed. When going downhill, you
might have to brake or shift to a
lower gear to keep your speed
down. If the brake pedal is applied,
cruise control will disengage. Cruise Control in Manual Paddle
Shift Gear Selection
When the vehicle is in M (Manual
Mode) and the manual paddle shift
controls are not being used, cruise
control operates in the same
manner as D (Drive).
When the vehicle is in M (Manual
Mode) and the manual paddle shift
controls are being used, cruise
control operates as follows:
.
If cruise control is active and a
gear is selected with the manual
paddle shift controls, the vehicle
speed is maintained in the driver
selected gear and will not
automatically upshift or
downshift the transmission while
the driver ’s gear selection is
active.
. If driving in hilly terrain, cruise
control may not be able to
maintain vehicle speed if an
upshift or downshift is not
selected by the driver. While
driving on hilly terrain and cruise
control is active with a manual
paddle shift gear selection, the
driver must select the proper gear for the terrain or select D
(Drive) on the shift lever for full
automatic transmission
operation.
Ending Cruise Control
. Step lightly on the brake pedal.
. Press the clutch pedal for
several seconds or shift to
N (Neutral) (manual
transmissions).
. Shift the transmission to
N (Neutral) (automatic
transmissions).
. Press
*.
. To turn off cruise control,
press
1.
Erasing Speed Memory
The cruise control set speed is
erased from memory if
1is pressed
or if the ignition is turned off.
Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9085364) - 2016 - crc - 9/15/15
212 Vehicle Care
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 213
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . 213
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Lifting the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your Own Service Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . 228
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Manual Transmission Fluid . . . 229
Hydraulic Clutch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . 230
Cooling System (Engine) . . . . . 232
Cooling System (Aero Panel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . 237 Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Battery - North America . . . . . . 241
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . 243
Automatic Transmission Shift
Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . 244
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . 244
Windshield Replacement . . . . . 245Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . 246
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . 247
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Rear Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Run-Flat Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Low-Profile Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Competition Oriented Tires . . . 257
Summer Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . 258
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Tire Terminology andDefinitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Tire Pressure for High-Speed Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 273
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9085364) - 2016 - crc - 9/15/15
214 Vehicle Care
airbags, braking, stability, ride and
handling, emissions systems,
aerodynamics, durability, and
electronic systems like antilock
brakes, traction control, and stability
control. These accessories or
modifications could even cause
malfunction or damage not covered
by the vehicle warranty.
Damage to suspension components
caused by modifying vehicle height
outside of factory settings will not be
covered by the warranty.
Damage to vehicle components
resulting from modifications or the
installation or use of non-GM
certified parts, including control
module or software modifications, is
not covered under the terms of the
vehicle warranty and may affect
remaining warranty coverage for
affected parts.
GM Accessories are designed to
complement and function with other
systems on the vehicle. See your
dealer to accessorize the vehicle
using genuine GM Accessories
installed by a dealer technician.Also, see
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 076.
Lifting the Vehicle
{Warning
Lifting a vehicle can cause an
injury. The vehicle can slip off the
jack and roll over you or other
people. You and they could be
badly injured. Find a level place
to lift your vehicle. To help
prevent the vehicle from moving:
1. Set the parking brake firmly.
2. Put an automatictransmission in P (Park) or a
manual transmission in
1 (First) or R (Reverse).
3. Turn off the engine.
To be even more certain the
vehicle will not move, put blocks
in front of and behind the wheels.
{Warning
Getting under a vehicle when it is
lifted on a jack is dangerous.
If the vehicle slips off the jack,
you could be badly injured or
killed. Never get under a vehicle
when it is supported only by
a jack.
{Warning
Raising the vehicle with the jack
improperly positioned can
damage the vehicle or the vehicle
may fall and cause injury to you
or others.
If a jack is used to lift the vehicle,
follow the instructions that came
with the jack, and be sure to use the
correct lifting points to avoid
damaging the vehicle.
Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Vehicle Care 219
1.Passenger Compartment Air
Filter 0156 (Out of View). See
Passenger Compartment Air
Filter 0156.
2. Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap. See Engine
Coolant 0235.
3. Engine Compartment Fuse
Block 0247.
4. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter 0230.
5. Engine Cooling Fan (Out of View). See Cooling System
(Engine) 0232 orCooling
System (Aero Panel) 0234.
6. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See “When
to Add Engine Oil” under
Engine Oil 0223. 7. Engine Oil Dipstick. See
“Checking Engine Oil” under
Engine Oil 0223.
8. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See Brake Fluid 0240.
9. Clutch Master Cylinder Reservoir (If Equipped). See
Hydraulic Clutch 0230.
10. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See “Adding Washer
Fluid” under Washer
Fluid 0238.