2018 CHEVROLET CORVETTE engine

Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11374030) - 2018 - CRC - 11/8/17
Driving and Operating 155
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Track Events and CompetitiveDriving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 170
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 171
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 173
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 177
Front Air Dam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Composite Materials . . . . . . . . . . 178
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182 Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Parking (Manual
Transmission) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Parking over Things
That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Active Fuel Management . . . . . 184
Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 185
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Manual Transmission
Manual Transmission . . . . . . . . . 190
Active Rev Match . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . 193
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . 195
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Driver Mode Control . . . . . . . . . . 198
Competitive Driving Mode . . . . 201
Limited-Slip Differential (Stingray without
Z51 Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Limited-Slip Differential (Z06, Grand Sport, and Stingray
with Z51) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Driver Assistance Systems
Assistance Systems forParking or Backing . . . . . . . . . . 208
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
California FuelRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . . 211
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213

Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11374030) - 2018 - CRC - 11/8/17
Driving and Operating 157
{Warning
Taking your eyes off the road too
long or too often could cause a
crash resulting in injury or death.
Focus your attention on driving.
Refer to the infotainment manual for
more information on using that
system and the navigation system,
if equipped, including pairing and
using a cell phone.
Defensive Driving
Defensive driving means “always
expect the unexpected.” The first
step in driving defensively is to wear
the seat belt. See Seat Belts066.
. Assume that other road users
(pedestrians, bicyclists, and
other drivers) are going to be
careless and make mistakes.
Anticipate what they might do
and be ready.
. Allow enough following distance
between you and the driver in
front of you. .
Focus on the task of driving.
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.

Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11374030) - 2018 - CRC - 11/8/17
160 Driving and Operating
vehicle for racing or other
competitive driving. SeeCompetitive
Driving Mode 0201.
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
it would with normal use. Low oil
levels can damage the engine.
Check the oil level often and
maintain the proper level. See
Engine Oil
0226.
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
0 318.
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 0226.
Automatic Transmission Fluid
Have the transmission fluid set to
the track specific oil level prior to
track usage. Transmission fluid

Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11374030) - 2018 - CRC - 11/8/17
162 Driving and Operating
Proceed by adjusting the lower
control arm cam bolts until
alignment is within specifications.
Alignment values are targets. See
your dealer for tolerances.
Front (per corner)
.Caster: +7.0 degrees
. Camber: -2.0 degrees
. Toe: 0.05 degrees toe in
Rear (per corner)
. Caster: 0 degrees
. Camber: -2.0 degrees
. Toe: 0.05 degrees toe in
Thrust Angle: 0 degrees
Rear Axle Fluid
Caution
During a first time track or racing
event, high rear axle
temperatures can occur. Damage
could be caused to the rear axle
and would not be covered by the (Continued)
Caution (Continued)
vehicle warranty. Do not drive as
long or as fast the first time the
vehicle is driven on the track or
raced.
Axles must have 885 km (500 mi)
before being used in track driving.
The rear axle fluid temperatures
may be higher than when driving in
severe conditions. Drain and refill
with new fluid after the first racing or
competitive driving event, and then
after every 24 hours of racing or
competitive driving. See
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants 0313.
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.

Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11374030) - 2018 - CRC - 11/8/17
Driving and Operating 163
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. SeeNew Vehicle
Break-In 0177.
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.
Brake Burnishing Procedure
(Grand Sport or Z06 without J57
Ceramic Brakes or Z07
Performance Package)
1. Apply the brakes 25 times starting at 100 km/h (60 mph) to
50 km/h (30 mph) while
decelerating at 0.4 g. This is a
medium brake application.
Drive for at least 1 km (0.6 mi)
between applying the brakes.
This first step may be skipped
if there are more than 320 km
(200 mi) on the brake pads. 2. Repeatedly apply the brakes
from 100 km/h (60 mph) to
25 km/h (15 mph) while
decelerating at 0.8 g. This is a
hard brake application, without
activating the Antilock Brake
System (ABS). Drive for at
least 1 km (0.6 mi) between
stops. Repeat until the brake
pedal travel starts to increase.
Depending on conditions, this
should take no longer than 25
brake applications.
3. Cool down: Drive at 100 km/h (60 mph) for approximately
15 km (10 mi) without using the
brakes.
4. Apply the brakes 25 times from 100 km/h (60 mph) to 50 km/h
(30 mph) while decelerating at
0.4 g. This is a medium brake
application. Drive for at least
1 km (0.6 mi) between
applications.

Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11374030) - 2018 - CRC - 11/8/17
Driving and Operating 171
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. See Tires0257.
. Turn off cruise control.
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 assist. 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.

Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11374030) - 2018 - CRC - 11/8/17
172 Driving and Operating
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 0196.
. 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) 0193. .
Allow greater following distance
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.
Blizzard Conditions
Stop the vehicle in a safe place and
signal for help. Stay with the vehicle
unless there is help nearby.
If possible, use Roadside
Assistance. See Roadside
Assistance Program 0325. To get
help and keep everyone in the
vehicle safe:
. Turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
. Tie a red cloth to an outside
mirror.
{Warning
Snow can trap engine exhaust
under the vehicle. This may
cause exhaust gases to get
inside. Engine exhaust contains
carbon monoxide (CO), which
cannot be seen or smelled. It can
cause unconsciousness and even
death.
If the vehicle is stuck in snow:
. Clear snow from the base of
the vehicle, especially any
blocking the exhaust pipe.
. Open a window about 5 cm
(2 in) on the vehicle side
that is away from the wind,
to bring in fresh air.
. Fully open the air outlets on
or under the instrument
panel.
. Adjust the climate control
system to circulate the air
inside the vehicle and set
(Continued)

Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11374030) - 2018 - CRC - 11/8/17
Driving and Operating 173
Warning (Continued)
the fan speed to the highest
setting. See“Climate
Control Systems.”
For more information about CO,
see Engine Exhaust 0184.
To save fuel, run the engine for
short periods to warm the vehicle
and then shut the engine off and
partially close the window. Moving
about to keep warm also helps.
If it takes time for help to arrive,
when running the engine, push the
accelerator pedal slightly so the
engine runs faster than the idle
speed. This keeps the battery
charged to restart the vehicle and to
signal for help with the headlamps.
Do this as little as possible, to
save fuel.
If the Vehicle Is Stuck
Slowly and cautiously spin the
wheels to free the vehicle when
stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow. If stuck too severely for the traction
system to free the vehicle, turn the
traction system off and use the
rocking method. See
Traction
Control/Electronic Stability Control
0 196.
{Warning
If the vehicle's tires spin at high
speed, they can explode, and you
or others could be injured. The
vehicle can overheat, causing an
engine compartment fire or other
damage. Spin the wheels as little
as possible and avoid going
above 56 km/h (35 mph).
Rocking the Vehicle to Get
it Out
Turn the steering wheel left and
right to clear the area around the
front wheels. Turn off any traction
system. Shift back and forth
between R (Reverse) and a low
forward gear, spinning the wheels
as little as possible. To prevent
transmission wear, wait until the wheels stop spinning before shifting
gears. Release the accelerator
pedal while shifting, and press
lightly on the accelerator pedal
when the transmission is in gear.
Slowly spinning the wheels in the
forward and reverse directions
causes a rocking motion that could
free the vehicle. If that does not get
the vehicle out after a few tries, it
might need to be towed out. If the
vehicle does need to be towed out,
see
Towing the Vehicle 0290.
Vehicle Load Limits
It is very important to know how
much weight the vehicle can
carry. This weight is called the
vehicle capacity weight and
includes the weight of all
occupants, cargo, and all
nonfactory-installed options.
Two labels on the vehicle may
show how much weight it may
properly carry: the Tire and
Loading Information label and
the Certification label.