brake fluid CHEVROLET CORVETTE 2019 Owner's Manual

Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12032182) - 2019 - crc - 5/8/18
160 Driving and Operating
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.
Normal use of the power steering
assist should return when the
system cools down.See your dealer if there is a
problem.
Curve Tips
.
Take curves at a reasonable
speed.
. Reduce speed before entering a
curve.
. Maintain a reasonable steady
speed through the curve.
. Wait until the vehicle is out of
the curve before accelerating
gently into the straightaway.
Steering in Emergencies
.There are some situations when
steering around a problem may
be more effective than braking.
. Holding both sides of the
steering wheel allows you to turn
180 degrees without removing
a hand.
. The Antilock Brake System
(ABS) allows steering while
braking.
Off-Road Recovery
The vehicle's right wheels can drop
off the edge of a road onto the
shoulder while driving. Follow
these tips:
1. Ease off the accelerator and then, if there is nothing in the
way, steer the vehicle so that it
straddles the edge of the
pavement.
2. Turn the steering wheel about one-eighth of a turn, until the
right front tire contacts the
pavement edge.

Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12032182) - 2019 - crc - 5/8/18
Driving and Operating 165
after every 24 hours of racing or
competitive driving. See
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants0321.
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.
Brakes
{Warning
Braking above 200 mph:
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
Applying and sustaining full force
braking at speeds exceeding
200 mph (322 km/h) can cause
serious damage to the braking
system. At any speed, braking
must be performed in a smooth
and controlled manner, but at
these speeds specifically, lower
initial brake pedal efforts are
recommended.
Brake Cooling
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 Fluid
Replace existing brake fluid with a
qualified high performance brake
fluid from a sealed container. Brake
fluid with a dry boiling point >310 °C
(590 °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.
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.

Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12032182) - 2019 - crc - 5/8/18
Driving and Operating 173
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 Tires0265.
. 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, crash).
. 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 0198.

Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12032182) - 2019 - crc - 5/8/18
192 Driving and Operating
Manual Transmission
To operate:
1 :Press the clutch pedal and shift
into 1 (First). Then slowly let up on
the clutch pedal as the accelerator
pedal is pressed.
This can be done if the vehicle is
going less than 64 km/h (40 mph).
If the vehicle is at a complete stop
and it is hard to shift into 1 (First),
put the shift lever in Neutral and let
up on the clutch. Then press the
clutch pedal back down and shift
into 1 (First). 2 :
Press the clutch pedal while
letting up on the accelerator pedal
and shift into 2 (Second). Then,
slowly let up on the clutch pedal as
the accelerator pedal is pressed.
3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 : Shift into
3 (Third), 4 (Fourth), 5 (Fifth),
6 (Sixth), and 7 (Seventh) the same
way as for 2 (Second).
To stop, let up on the accelerator
pedal and press the brake pedal.
Just before the vehicle stops, press
the clutch pedal and the brake
pedal, and shift to Neutral.
Neutral : Use to start or idle the
engine. Neutral is the center
position of the shift pattern.
R : To back up, push the clutch
pedal and shift into R (Reverse).
Additional pressure may be needed
to move the lever past 5 (Fifth) and
6 (Sixth) into R (Reverse). Let up on
the clutch pedal slowly while
pressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle can be safely shifted
into R (Reverse) while the vehicle is
moving less than 5 km/h (3 mph).
If the vehicle is going faster than
that, R (Reverse) is locked out.
Caution
A transmission hot message may
display if the manual transmission
fluid is too hot. Driving at high
speed under this condition can
damage the vehicle. Drive at a
slower speed, or stop and idle the
engine to cool the manual
transmission fluid. The message
clears when the vehicle has
slowed and the transmission fluid
has cooled sufficiently.

Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12032182) - 2019 - crc - 5/8/18
218 Vehicle Care
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 219
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . 220
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Lifting the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your Own Service Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . 237
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Manual Transmission Fluid . . . 239
Hydraulic Clutch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . 239
Cooling System (Engine) . . . . . 242
Cooling System (Aero Panel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246 Cooling System (Intercooler on
LT4 and LT5 Engines) . . . . . . . 247
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . 247
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Battery - North America . . . . . . 251
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . 253
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . 254
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . 254
Windshield Replacement . . . . . 255
Gas Strut(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . 257
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . 258
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259 Rear Compartment Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Run-Flat Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Low-Profile Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Competition Oriented Tires . . . 268
Summer Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . 269
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Tire Terminology andDefinitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Tire Pressure for High-Speed Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282

Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12032182) - 2019 - crc - 5/8/18
226 Vehicle Care
1.Passenger Compartment Air
Filter 0155 (Out of View).
2. Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap.
See Cooling System (Engine)
0 242 orCooling System (Aero
Panel) 0246 orCooling
System (Intercooler on LT4 and
LT5 Engines) 0247.
3. Engine Compartment Fuse
Block 0259.
4. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter 0239.
5. Engine Cooling Fan (Out of View).
See Cooling System (Engine)
0 242 orCooling System (Aero
Panel) 0246 orCooling
System (Intercooler on LT4 and
LT5 Engines) 0247.
6. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See “When
to Add Engine Oil” under
Engine Oil 0232.
7. Engine Oil Dipstick. See “Checking Engine Oil” under
Engine Oil 0232.
8. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See Brake Fluid 0250. 9. Clutch Master Cylinder
Reservoir (If Equipped). See
Hydraulic Clutch 0239.
10. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See “Adding Washer
Fluid” under Washer Fluid
0 248.

Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12032182) - 2019 - crc - 5/8/18
228 Vehicle Care
1. Engine Oil Dipstick. See“Checking Engine Oil” under
Engine Oil 0232.
2. Dry Sump Engine Oil Tank Fill Cap. See “Changing Engine Oil
and Filter” Engine Oil 0232.
3. Passenger Compartment Air
Filter 0155 (Out of View).
4. Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap.
See Cooling System (Engine)
0 242 orCooling System (Aero
Panel) 0246 orCooling
System (Intercooler on LT4 and
LT5 Engines) 0247.
5. Engine Compartment Fuse
Block 0259.
6. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter 0239.
7. Engine Cooling Fan (Out of View).
See Cooling System (Engine)
0 242 orCooling System (Aero
Panel) 0246 orCooling
System (Intercooler on LT4 and
LT5 Engines) 0247.
8. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See Brake Fluid 0250. 9. Clutch Master Cylinder
Reservoir (If Equipped). See
Hydraulic Clutch 0239.
10. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See “Adding Washer
Fluid” under Washer Fluid
0 248.

Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12032182) - 2019 - crc - 5/8/18
230 Vehicle Care
1. Engine Oil Dipstick. See“Checking Engine Oil” under
Engine Oil 0232.
2. Dry Sump Engine Oil Tank Fill Cap. See “Changing Engine Oil
and Filter” Engine Oil 0232.
3. Passenger Compartment Air
Filter 0155 (Out of View).
4. Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap.
See Cooling System (Engine)
0 242 orCooling System (Aero
Panel) 0246 orCooling
System (Intercooler on LT4 and
LT5 Engines) 0247.
5. Engine Compartment Fuse
Block 0259.
6. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter 0239.
7. Engine Cooling Fan (Out of View).
See Cooling System (Engine)
0 242 orCooling System (Aero
Panel) 0246 orCooling
System (Intercooler on LT4 and
LT5 Engines) 0247.
8. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See Brake Fluid 0250. 9. Clutch Master Cylinder
Reservoir (If Equipped). See
Hydraulic Clutch 0239.
10. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See “Adding Washer
Fluid” under Washer Fluid
0 248.

Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12032182) - 2019 - crc - 5/8/18
232 Vehicle Care
1. Engine Oil Dipstick. See“Checking Engine Oil” under
Engine Oil 0232.
2. Dry Sump Engine Oil Tank Fill Cap. See “Changing Engine Oil
and Filter” Engine Oil 0232.
3. Passenger Compartment Air
Filter 0155 (Out of View).
4. Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap.
See Cooling System (Engine)
0 242 orCooling System (Aero
Panel) 0246 orCooling
System (Intercooler on LT4 and
LT5 Engines) 0247.
5. Engine Compartment Fuse
Block 0259.
6. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter 0239.
7. Engine Cooling Fan (Out of View).
See Cooling System (Engine)
0 242 orCooling System (Aero
Panel) 0246 orCooling
System (Intercooler on LT4 and
LT5 Engines) 0247.
8. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See Brake Fluid 0250. 9. Clutch Master Cylinder
Reservoir (If Equipped). See
Hydraulic Clutch 0239.
10. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See “Adding Washer
Fluid” under Washer Fluid
0 248.
Engine Oil
To ensure proper engine
performance and long life, careful
attention must be paid to engine oil.
Following these simple, but
important steps will help protect
your investment:
.
Use engine oil approved to the
proper specification and of the
proper viscosity grade. See
“Selecting the Right Engine Oil”
in this section.
. Check the engine oil level
regularly and maintain the
proper oil level. See “Checking
Engine Oil” and“When to Add
Engine Oil” in this section.
. Change the engine oil at the
appropriate time. See Engine Oil
Life System 0237. .
Always dispose of engine oil
properly. See “What to Do with
Used Oil” in this section.
Checking Engine Oil (Except
ZR1, Z06, Grand Sport, and
Stingray with Z51)
If the ENGINE OIL LOW–ADD OIL
message displays on the Driver
Information Center (DIC), check the
engine oil level right away.
Check the engine oil level regularly,
every 650 km (400 mi), especially
prior to a long trip. The engine oil
dipstick handle is a loop. See
Engine Compartment Overview
0225 for the location.
{Warning
The engine oil dipstick handle
may be hot; it could burn you.
Use a towel or glove to touch the
dipstick handle.

Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12032182) - 2019 - crc - 5/8/18
Vehicle Care 249
Caution (Continued)
.Do not mix water with
ready-to-use washer fluid.
Water can cause the
solution to freeze and
damage the washer fluid
tank and other parts of the
washer system.
. When using concentrated
washer fluid, follow the
manufacturer instructions for
adding water.
. Fill the washer fluid tank
only three-quarters full when
it is very cold. This allows
for fluid expansion if
freezing occurs, which could
damage the tank if it is
completely full.
Brakes
Brake Wear
Disc brake pads have built-in wear
indicators that make a high-pitched
warning sound when the brake pads
are worn and new pads are needed. The sound can come and go or be
heard all the time the vehicle is
moving, except when applying the
brake pedal firmly.
{Warning
The brake wear warning sound
means that soon the brakes will
not work well. That could lead to
a crash. When the brake wear
warning sound is heard, have the
vehicle serviced.
Caution
Continuing to drive with worn-out
brake pads could result in costly
brake repair.
Under certain weather or operating
conditions, occasional brake squeal
might be heard with the vehicle's
performance braking system. This
brake system is designed for
superior fade resistance and
consistent operation using high performance brake pads. Brake
squeal is normal and does not affect
system performance.
If equipped with high performance
brake linings, there could be an
increased build-up of brake dust as
well as minor noises as compared
to standard brake linings.
Brake linings should always be
replaced as complete axle sets.
Brake Wear (ZR1, Z06, and Grand
Sport with J57 Ceramic Brakes)
This vehicle does not have built-in
brake pad wear indicators. Periodic
visual inspection is required to
determine when to replace the
brake pads.
The ZR1, Z06, and Grand Sport
Coupe with J57 models also have
an electronic brake pad wear sensor
system. When pads are worn, the
CHANGE BRAKE PADS message
displays in the Driver Information
Center. Some driving conditions or
climates can cause a brake squeal
when the brakes are first applied or