2018 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7 engine

Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11374030) - 2018 - crc - 3/29/17
Climate Controls 149
Y:Air is directed to the instrument
panel outlets.
[: Air is directed to the floor
outlets.
\: Air is directed to the instrument
panel outlets and the floor outlets.
-: Air is directed to the windshield
and floor outlets to clear the
windows of fog or moisture. The
recirculation mode cannot be
selected while in the defog mode.
0: Press to clear the windshield
of fog or frost more quickly. Air is
directed to the windshield and side
window outlets. The recirculation
mode cannot be selected while in
defrost mode.
For best results, clear all snow and
ice from the windshield before
defrosting.
Do not drive the vehicle until all the
windows are clear.
A/C : Press to turn the air
conditioning on or off. If the fan is
turned off, the air conditioner will not
run and the indicator light may
turn off. Press AUTO to return to automatic
operation and the air conditioner
runs as needed. When the indicator
light is on, the air conditioner runs
automatically to cool the air inside
the vehicle or to dry the air as
needed to defog the windshield
faster.
Depending on the engine speed, the
air conditioning compressor may
shut off and turn on again and a
slight change in A/C cooling and
engine performance may be
noticed. This is normal. The system
is designed to make adjustments to
help with fuel economy while still
maintaining the selected
temperature.
If the A/C is turned off, automatic
operation is canceled.
/:
Press to turn on
recirculation. An indicator light
comes on. Air is recirculated to
quickly cool the inside of the vehicle
or reduce the entry of outside air
and odors. Recirculation mode is
not available in defrost or
defog mode.
Rear Window Defogger
=: Press to turn the rear window
defogger on or off. An indicator light
on the button comes on to show that
the rear window defogger is on.
The defogger only works when the
ignition is on. The defogger turns off
if the ignition is off or in ACC/
ACCESSORY.
The rear window defogger can be
set to automatic operation. See
“Climate and Air Quality” under
Vehicle Personalization 0124.
When auto rear defog is selected,
the rear window defogger turns on
automatically when the interior
temperature is cold and the outside
temperature is about 4 °C (40 °F)
and below. The auto rear defogger
turns off automatically after about
10 minutes.
The heated outside mirrors turn on
with the rear window defogger and
help to clear fog or frost from the
surface of the mirror. See Heated
Mirrors 043.

Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11374030) - 2018 - crc - 3/29/17
Climate Controls 151
Air Vents
Use the tab on the air outlets to
change the direction of the airflow.
Operation Tips
.Clear away any ice, snow,
or leaves from the air inlets at
the base of the windshield that
may block the flow of air into the
vehicle.
. Clear snow off the hood to
improve visibility and help
decrease moisture drawn into
the vehicle.
. Use of non-GM approved hood
deflectors may adversely affect
the performance of the system.
. Keep the area around the base
of the instrument panel console
and air path under the seats
clear of objects to help circulate
the air inside of the vehicle more
effectively.
Maintenance
Passenger Compartment
Air Filter
The passenger compartment air
filter reduces dust, pollen, and other
airborne irritants from outside air
that is pulled into the vehicle.
Reductions in airflow, which may
occur more often in dusty areas,
indicate that the filter may need to
be replaced. See Maintenance
Schedule 0299.
Caution
Driving without a passenger
compartment air filter in place can
cause water and small particles,
like paper and leaves, to be
pulled into your climate control
system which may cause damage
to it. Make sure you always
replace the old filter with a
new one. The passenger compartment air
filter is on the passenger side of the
engine compartment near the
coolant surge tank. See
Engine
Compartment Overview 0217.
To check or replace the air filter:
1. Release the retainer clips from the passenger compartment air
filter cover. The PVC hoses
may need to be held out of the
way briefly to access the air
filter cover.
2. Remove the cover.

Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11374030) - 2018 - crc - 4/4/17
Driving and Operating 153
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Track Events and CompetitiveDriving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 167
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 168
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 170
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 174
Front Air Dam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Composite Materials . . . . . . . . . . 174
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178 Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Parking (Manual
Transmission) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Active Fuel Management . . . . . 180
Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 182
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Manual Transmission
Manual Transmission . . . . . . . . . 186
Active Rev Match . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . 190
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . 192
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Driver Mode Control . . . . . . . . . . 194 Competitive Driving Mode . . . . 197
Limited-Slip Differential
(Stingray without
Z51 Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Limited-Slip Differential (Z06,
Grand Sport, and Stingray
with Z51) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Driver Assistance Systems
Assistance Systems forParking or Backing . . . . . . . . . . 204
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
California FuelRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 207
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Trailer Towing
General TowingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On ElectricalEquipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210

Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11374030) - 2018 - crc - 4/4/17
Driving and Operating 155
Drunk Driving
Death and injury associated with
drinking and driving is a global
tragedy.
{Warning
Drinking and then driving is very
dangerous. Your reflexes,
perceptions, attentiveness, and
judgment can be affected by even
a small amount of alcohol. You
can have a serious—or even
fatal —collision if you drive after
drinking.
Do not drink and drive or ride with
a driver who has been drinking.
Ride home in a cab; or if you are
with a group, designate a driver
who will not drink.
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-quarters 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
Electric Power Steering
The vehicle has electric power
steering. It does not have power
steering fluid. Regular maintenance
is not required.
If power steering assist is lost due
to a system malfunction, the vehicle
can be steered, but may require
increased effort.
If the steering assist is used for an
extended period of time while the
vehicle is not moving, power assist
may be reduced.
If the steering wheel is turned until it
reaches the end of its travel and is
held against that position for an
extended period of time, power
steering assist may be reduced.
If the steering assist is used for an
extended period of time, power
assist may be reduced.

Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11374030) - 2018 - crc - 4/4/17
Driving and Operating 157
The vehicle may straighten out.
Be ready for a second skid if it
occurs.
. Slow down and adjust your
driving according to weather
conditions. Stopping distance
can be longer and vehicle
control can be affected when
traction is reduced by water,
snow, ice, gravel, or other
material on the road. Learn to
recognize warning clues —such
as enough water, ice, or packed
snow on the road to make a
mirrored surface —and slow
down when you have any doubt.
. Try to avoid sudden steering,
acceleration, or braking,
including reducing vehicle speed
by shifting to a lower gear. Any
sudden changes could cause
the tires to slide.
Remember: Antilock brakes help
avoid only the braking skid.Track Events and
Competitive Driving
{Danger
High-performance features are
intended for use only on closed
tracks by experienced and
qualified drivers and should not
be used on public roads.
High-speed driving, aggressive
cornering, hard braking, and other
high-performance driving can be
dangerous. Improper driver inputs
for the conditions may result in
loss of control of the vehicle,
which could injure or kill you or
others. Always drive safely.
Participating in track events or other
competitive driving without following
the instructions provided may affect
the vehicle warranty. See the
warranty manual before using the
vehicle for racing or other
competitive driving. See Competitive
Driving Mode 0197. A manual transmission is
recommended for extended track
usage at higher ambient
temperatures. Consult the Track
Preparation Guide for additional
information. See your dealer.
Be sure to follow all service
procedures before driving the
vehicle at track events or
competitively.
Engine Sound Management
Setting
Caution
Do not place the vehicle in
Engine Sound Management
–
Stealth mode. Damage could
result to exhaust valve actuators.
Engine Oil
Caution
If the vehicle is used for track
events and competitive driving,
the engine may use more oil than (Continued)

Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11374030) - 2018 - crc - 4/4/17
158 Driving and Operating
Caution (Continued)
it would with normal use. Low oil
levels can damage the engine.
Check the oil level often and
maintain the proper level. See
Engine Oil0222.
Caution
Not changing the engine oil to
15W-50 may cause engine
damage. Engine oil must be
changed to 15W-50 synthetic.
See Capacities and Specifications
0 313.
Z51 Performance Package, Grand
Sport, and Z06 Only: Check the oil
level often during track events and
competitive driving and keep the
level at or near 0.5 L (0.5 qt) above
the upper mark that shows the
proper operating range on the
engine oil dipstick. After the
competitive driving, remove excess oil so that the level on the dipstick is
not above the upper mark that
shows the proper operating range.
Stingray without Z51 Performance
Package: Additional oil fill above the
upper mark on the dipstick is not
recommended for track events or
other competitive driving. Check the
oil level often during racing or other
competitive driving and keep the
level at or near the upper mark that
shows the proper operating range
on the engine oil dipstick. After the
competitive driving, remove excess
oil so that the level on the dipstick is
not above the upper mark that
shows the proper operating range.
After track use, change the oil back
to 5W-30 for street use. See
Engine
Oil 0222.
Automatic Transmission Fluid
Have the transmission fluid set to
the track specific oil level prior to
track usage. Transmission fluid
should be changed after every
15 hours of track usage. Any
transmission level set or change
should be performed at your dealer. Manual Transmission Fluid
Manual transmission fluid should be
changed after every 15 hours of
track usage.
Brake Fluid
Replace existing brake fluid with a
qualified high performance brake
fluid from a sealed container. Brake
fluid with a dry boiling point >279 °C
(534 °F) is qualified. If high
performance brake fluid is used,
replace it with GM approved brake
fluid before driving on public roads.
If high performance brake fluid is in
the vehicle and the age of the brake
fluid is over a month old or
unknown, replace the brake fluid
before track events and competitive
driving. Do not use silicone or
DOT-5 brake fluids.
Load Limit
Z51 Performance Package Only:
Limit vehicle load to the driver only,
with no other cargo. Inflate tires to
180 kPa (26 psi) and drive at a
maximum speed of 280 km/h
(174 mph).

Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11374030) - 2018 - crc - 4/4/17
160 Driving and Operating
competitive driving. See
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants0308.
General Information
If reduced performance is
experienced during track events or
competitive driving, turning off the
A/C will help to improve engine
performance.
Maintain a mixture of 40%
DEX-COOL coolant and 60% clean,
drinkable water to optimize engine
performance.
The front license plate bracket or
aero panel should be removed for
track events and competitive driving
to improve engine performance.
If additional brake cooling is
required, the grille mesh in the lower
corners of the front grille in front of
the brake duct can be removed.
This is not reversible, and a
replacement grille will not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
If this is done, it is recommended
that the gap between the fascia and
the cooling duct be taped over.Brake Burnishing
New brake pads must be burnished
before racing or other competitive
driving.
Caution
Performing the brake burnish
procedure on a base brake
system can result in brake
damage.
Caution
The new vehicle break-in period
should be completed before
performing the brake burnish
procedure, otherwise damage
may occur to the powertrain/
engine. See New Vehicle
Break-In 0174.
Caution
Brake pedal fade will occur during
any track burnish procedure and
can cause brake pedal travel and
force to increase. This could
extend stopping distance until the
brakes are fully burnished.
When this procedure is performed
as instructed, it will not damage the
brakes. The brake pads will smoke
and produce an odor. The braking
force and pedal travel may increase.
After the procedure, the brake pads
may appear white at the rotor
contact.
Perform this procedure only on dry
pavement, in a safe manner, and in
compliance with all local and state
ordinances/laws regarding motor
vehicle operation.

Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11374030) - 2018 - crc - 4/4/17
168 Driving and Operating
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or through
mountains is different than driving
on flat or rolling terrain. Tips 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
Using the brakes to slow the
vehicle on a long downhill slope
can cause brake overheating, can
reduce brake performance, and
could result in a loss of braking.
Shift the transmission to a lower
gear to let the engine assist the
brakes on a steep downhill slope.
{Warning
Coasting downhill in N (Neutral)
or with the ignition off is
dangerous. This can cause
overheating of the brakes and
loss of steering. Always have the
engine running and the vehicle
in gear.
. Drive at speeds that keep the
vehicle in its own lane. Do not
swing wide or cross the
center line.
. Be alert on top of hills;
something could be in your lane
(e.g., stalled car, accident).
. Pay attention to special road
signs (e.g., falling rocks area,
winding roads, long grades,
passing or no-passing zones)
and take appropriate action.
Winter Driving
Driving on Snow or Ice
Snow or ice between the tires and
the road creates less traction or
grip, so drive carefully. Wet ice can
occur at about 0 °C (32 °F) when
freezing rain begins to fall. Avoid
driving on wet ice or in freezing rain
until roads can be treated.
For Slippery Road Driving:
.Accelerate gently. Accelerating
too quickly causes the wheels to
spin and makes the surface
under the tires slick.
. Turn on Traction Control. See
Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control 0192.
. The Antilock Brake System
(ABS) improves vehicle stability
during hard stops, but the
brakes should be applied sooner
than when on dry pavement.
See Antilock Brake System
(ABS) 0189.
. Allow greater following distance
and watch for slippery spots. Icy
patches can occur on otherwise