Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12470550) - 2020 - CRC - 4/23/20
72 Seats and Restraints
{Warning
Stowing articles under the
passenger seat or between the
passenger seat cushion and
seatback may interfere with the
proper operation of the passenger
sensing system.
Servicing the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Airbags affect how the vehicle
should be serviced. There are parts
of the airbag system in several
places around the vehicle. Your
dealer and the service manual have
information about servicing the
vehicle and the airbag system. To
purchase a service manual, see
Publication Ordering Information
0311.
{Warning
For up to 10 seconds after the
vehicle is turned off and the
battery is disconnected, an airbag
can still inflate during improper
service. You can be injured if you
are close to an airbag when it
inflates. Avoid yellow connectors.
They are probably part of the
airbag system. Be sure to follow
proper service procedures, and
make sure the person performing
work for you is qualified to do so.
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Adding accessories that change the
vehicle's frame, bumper system,
height, front end, or side sheet
metal may keep the airbag system
from working properly.
The operation of the airbag system
can also be affected by changing,
including improperly repairing or
replacing, any parts of the following: .
Airbag system, including airbag
modules, front or side impact
sensors, sensing and diagnostic
module, or airbag wiring
. Front seats, including stitching,
seams or zippers
. Seat belts
. Steering wheel, instrument
panel, ceiling trim, or pillar
garnish trim
. Inner door seals, including
speakers
Your dealer and the service manual
have information about the location
of the airbag modules and sensors,
sensing and diagnostic module, and
airbag wiring along with the proper
replacement procedures.
In addition, the vehicle has a
passenger sensing system for the
front outboard passenger position,
which includes sensors that are part
of the passenger seat. The
passenger sensing system may not
operate properly if the original seat
trim is replaced with non-GM
covers, upholstery or trim, or with
GM covers, upholstery or trim
Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12470550) - 2020 - CRC - 4/23/20
104 Instruments and Controls
If equipped, this light will flash to
indicate when the front of the
vehicle is being raised or lowered.
An up or down arrow in the light will
display, depending on the direction
of movement. The light will stay lit
while the front is fully raised.
Brake System Warning
Light
MetricEnglish
This light should come on briefly
when the vehicle is turned on. If it
does not come on then, have it fixed
so it will be ready to warn you if
there is a problem.
If the light comes on and stays on at
start up, there is a brake problem.
Have the brake system inspected
right away. If the light comes on while driving,
pull off the road and stop carefully.
The brake pedal might be harder to
push, or the brake pedal may go
closer to the floor. It could take
longer to stop. If the light is still on,
have the vehicle towed for service.
See
Towing the Vehicle 0271.
{Warning
The brake system might not be
working properly if the brake
system warning light is on.
Driving with the brake system
warning light on can lead to a
crash. If the light is still on after
the vehicle has been pulled off
the road and carefully stopped,
have the vehicle towed for
service.
Electric Parking Brake
Light
MetricEnglish
This light comes on when the
parking brake is applied. If the light
continues flashing after the parking
brake is released, or while driving,
there is a problem with the Electric
Parking Brake system. A message
may also display in the Driver
Information Center (DIC).
If the light does not come on,
or remains flashing, see your dealer.
Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12470550) - 2020 - CRC - 4/23/20
Driving and Operating 145
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Driving for Better FuelEconomy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Track Events and Competitive Driving (Z51 Only) . . . . . . . . . . 150
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 156
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 157
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 159
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 163
Front Air Dam (and Splitter) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Composite Materials . . . . . . . . . . 164
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165 Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Active Fuel Management . . . . . 169
Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Dual Clutch Transmission
Dual Clutch Transmission . . . . 171
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Brakes
Electric Brake Boost . . . . . . . . . . 179
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . 179
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . 181
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Hill Rollback Control . . . . . . . . . . 184
Driver Mode Control . . . . . . . . . . 184 Front Lift System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Competitive Driving Mode . . . . 192
Limited-Slip Differential
(without Z51) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Limited-Slip Differential
(with Z51) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . 199
Assistance Systems forParking or Backing . . . . . . . . . . 200
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Fuel
Top Tier Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . . 204
Prohibited Fuels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 205
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Filling a Portable FuelContainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Trailer Towing
General TowingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12470550) - 2020 - CRC - 4/23/20
160 Driving and Operating
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
may need to be towed out. If the
vehicle does need to be towed out,
seeTowing the Vehicle 0271.
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.
{Warning
Do not load the vehicle any
heavier than the Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating
(GVWR), or either the
maximum front or rear Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR).
This can cause systems to
break and change the way the
vehicle handles. This could
cause loss of control and a
crash. Overloading can also
reduce stopping distance,
damage the tires, and shorten
the life of the vehicle.
Tire and Loading Information
Label
Label Example
A vehicle-specific Tire and
Loading Information label is
attached to the center pillar
(B-pillar). This label shows the
number of occupant seating
positions (1), and the maximum
vehicle capacity weight (2) in
kilograms and pounds.
The Tire and Loading
Information label also shows the
size of the original equipment
tires (3) and the recommended
Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12470550) - 2020 - CRC - 4/23/20
Driving and Operating 161
cold tire inflation pressures (4).
For more information on tires
and inflation seeTires0245
and
Tire Pressure 0253.
There is also important loading
information on the vehicle
Certification label. It may show
the Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating (GVWR) and the Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for
the front and rear axle. See
“Certification Label” later in this
section.
Steps for Determining Correct
Load Limit–
1.
Locate the statement "The
combined weight of
occupants and cargo should
never exceed XXX kg or
XXX lbs." on your vehicle’s
placard.
2.Determine the combined
weight of the driver and
passengers that will be
riding in your vehicle.
3.Subtract the combined
weight of the driver and
passengers from XXX kg or
XXX lbs.
4.The resulting figure equals
the available amount of
cargo and luggage load
capacity. For example, if the
"XXX" amount equals
1400 lbs. and there will be
five 150 lb passengers in
your vehicle, the amount of
available cargo and luggage
load capacity is 650 lbs.
(1400-750 (5 x 150) =
650 lbs.)
5.Determine the combined
weight of luggage and cargo
being loaded on the vehicle.
That weight may not safely
exceed the available cargo
and luggage load capacity
calculated in Step 4.
6.If your vehicle will be towing
a trailer, load from your
trailer will be transferred to your vehicle. Consult this
manual to determine how
this reduces the available
cargo and luggage load
capacity of your vehicle.”
This vehicle is neither designed
nor intended to tow a trailer.
Example 1
1. Vehicle Capacity Weight for Example 1 = 181 kg
(400 lbs)
2. Subtract Occupant Weight @ 68 kg (150 lbs) × 1 =
68 kg (150 lbs)
Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12470550) - 2020 - CRC - 4/23/20
Driving and Operating 173
Caution
Shifting out of P (Park) or
N (Neutral) with the engine
running at high speed may
damage the transmission. The
repairs would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Be sure the
engine is not running at high
speed when shifting the vehicle.
Caution
The vehicle is not designed to
stay in N (Neutral) for extended
periods of time. It will
automatically shift into P (Park).
To shift into N (Neutral), press and
hold the N (Neutral) switch until the
N indicator is red.
To shift out of N (Neutral): 1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. Shift into the desired gear. Maintaining N (Neutral) with
Engine Off
This vehicle includes a method of
keeping the vehicle in N (Neutral)
while the engine is off.
This method is not to be used for
vehicle towing. If the vehicle needs
to be towed, see
Towing the Vehicle
0 271.
Driver Remains in Vehicle : To
place the vehicle in N (Neutral) with
the engine off and the vehicle
occupied:
1. Ensure the vehicle is on level ground, the engine is running
and the vehicle is in P (Park).
2. Apply the brake pedal.
3. Shift to N (Neutral).
4. Turn off the engine and release the brake pedal.
5. The indicator should continue to show N. If it does not, start
the engine and repeat
Steps 2–4.
6. The vehicle will now remain in N (Neutral). Driver Leaves Vehicle :
To place
the vehicle in N (Neutral) with the
engine off and the vehicle
unoccupied:
1. Ensure the vehicle is on level ground, the engine is running
and the vehicle is in P (Park).
2. Apply the brake pedal.
3. Open the door.
4. Shift to N (Neutral).
5. Turn off the engine and release the brake pedal.
6. The indicator should continue to show N. If it does not, start
the engine and repeat
Steps 2–5.
7. Exit the vehicle and close the door.
8. The vehicle may automatically shift to P (Park) upon re-entry.
Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12470550) - 2020 - CRC - 4/23/20
208 Driving and Operating
Trailer Towing
General Towing
Information
{Warning
Never tow a trailer with your
vehicle. It was not designed or
intended to tow a trailer.
Conversions and
Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical
Equipment
{Warning
The Data Link Connector (DLC) is
used for vehicle service and
Emission Inspection/Maintenance
testing. SeeMalfunction Indicator
Lamp (Check Engine Light) 0102
. A device connected to the DLC
— such as an aftermarket fleet or
driver-behavior tracking device —
may interfere with vehicle
systems. This could affect vehicle
operation and cause a crash.
Such devices may also access
information stored in the vehicle’s
systems.
Caution
Some electrical equipment can
damage the vehicle or cause
components to not work and
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty. Always check
with your dealer before adding
electrical equipment.
Add-on equipment can drain the
vehicle's 12-volt battery, even if the
vehicle is not operating.
The vehicle has an airbag system.
Before attempting to add anything
electrical to the vehicle, see
Servicing the Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle 072 and
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 072.
Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12470550) - 2020 - CRC - 4/23/20
210 Vehicle Care
Towing the Vehicle
Towing the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Recreational VehicleTowing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Appearance Care
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
General Information
For service and parts needs, visit
your dealer. You will receive
genuine GM parts and GM-trained
and supported service people.
Genuine GM parts have one of
these marks:
California Proposition
65 Warning
{Warning
Most motor vehicles, including
this one, as well as many of its
service parts and fluids, contain
and/or emit chemicals known to
the State of California to cause
cancer and birth defects or other
reproductive harm. Engine
exhaust, many parts and
systems, many fluids, and some
component wear by-products
contain and/or emit these
chemicals. For more information
go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/
passenger-vehicle.
See Battery - North America 0234
and
Jump Starting - North America
0 267 and the back cover.