stop start CHEVROLET CORVETTE C6 2012 Owners Manual

Black plate (16,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
1-16 In Brief
Transmission
Manual Paddle Shift
(Automatic Transmission)
The Manual Paddle Shift system
can be used in D (Drive) or
S (Sport Mode). The system is
activated by pushing the paddle,
above the steering wheel spokes,
to manually up-shift to the next
gear, or pulling on the paddle,
behind the steering wheel
spokes to manually down-shift.The current gear will be displayed
in the Driver Information (DIC),
or the Head-Up Display (HUD),
if the vehicle has either of these
features.
The Manual Paddle Shift system
can be deactivated by moving the
shift lever from S (Sport Mode)
back to D (Drive), or by holding
the up‐shift paddle for more than
one second. If the shift lever was in
D (Drive) when the system was
activated, the transmission will
return to automatic shifting after
10 seconds of cruising at a steady
speed and no manual shifts,
or when the vehicle comes to
a stop.
The Manual Paddle Shift system
will not allow either an up-shift or a
down-shift, if the vehicle speed is
too fast or too slow, nor will it
allow a start from 4 (Fourth) or
higher gear.
See
Manual Mode on page 9‑29.
One to Four Shift Light
(Manual Transmission)
On vehicles with a manual
transmission, when this light
comes on, you can only shift
from 1 (First) to 4 (Fourth) instead
of 1 (First) to 2 (Second).
For more information about shifting
for the best fuel economy, see
Manual Transmission on page 9‑32.

Black plate (22,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
1-22 In Brief
Performance and
Maintenance
Traction Control
System (TCS)
The traction control system limits
wheel spin. The system turns on
automatically every time the vehicle
is started.
.To turn off traction control, press
and release the Active Handling
button located on the center
console.
iilluminates and the
appropriate DIC message
displays. See Ride Control
System Messages on page 5‑44.
.Press and release the active
handling button again to turn on
traction control.
See Traction Control System (TCS)
on page 9‑36.
The vehicle has an Active Handling
System that helps maintain
directional control of the vehicle in difficult driving conditions.
See
Active Handling System on
page 9‑38.
The vehicle may have
Competitive Driving Mode
(except ZR1), Performance
Traction Management (Z06, ZR1),
and Launch Control systems
designed to allow increased
performance while accelerating
and cornering. See Competitive
Driving Mode on page 9‑39.
Tire Pressure Monitor
This vehicle may have a Tire
Pressure Monitor System (TPMS).
The TPMS warning light alerts you
to a significant loss in pressure
of one of the vehicle's tires. If the warning light comes on, stop
as soon as possible and inflate the
tires to the recommended pressure
shown on the Tire and Loading
Information label. See
Vehicle Load
Limits on page 9‑14. The warning
light will remain on until the tire
pressure is corrected.
During cooler conditions, the low tire
pressure warning light may appear
when the vehicle is first started and
then turn off. This may be an early
indicator that the tire pressures are
getting low and the tires need to be
inflated to the proper pressure.
The TPMS does not replace normal
monthly tire maintenance. It is the
driver ’s responsibility to maintain
correct tire pressures.
See Tire Pressure Monitor System
on page 10‑64.

Black plate (24,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
1-24 In Brief
Engine Oil Life System
The engine oil life system calculates
engine oil life based on vehicle use
and displays a DIC message when
it is necessary to change the engine
oil and filter. The oil life system
should be reset to 100% only
following an oil change.
Resetting the Oil Life System
1. Press the TRIP button so theOIL LIFE percentage is
displayed.
2. Press RESET and hold for two seconds. OIL LIFE
REMAINING 100% will appear.
See Engine Oil Life System on
page 10‑19.
Driving for Better Fuel
Economy
Driving habits can affect fuel
mileage. Here are some driving tips
to get the best fuel economy
possible.
.Avoid fast starts and accelerate
smoothly.
.Brake gradually and avoid
abrupt stops.
.Avoid idling the engine for long
periods of time.
.When road and weather
conditions are appropriate,
use cruise control, if equipped.
.Always follow posted speed
limits or drive more slowly when
conditions require.
.Keep vehicle tires properly
inflated.
.Combine several trips into a
single trip.
.Replace the vehicle's tires with
the same TPC Spec number
molded into the tire's sidewall
near the size.
.Follow recommended scheduled
maintenance.
Premium Fuel
This vehicle's engine was designed
to use premium unleaded gasoline.
See Recommended Fuel on
page 9‑48.
Battery
This vehicle has a maintenance free
battery. See Battery on page 10‑40
and Jump Starting on page 10‑78.
For Z06, ZR1, and manual
transmission Z16 (Grand Sport)
coupe models the battery is
located in the rear hatch/trunk
area. Access to the battery is
not necessary to jump start the
vehicle. There are positive (+) and
negative (−) terminals in the engine
compartment.

Black plate (14,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
2-14 Keys, Doors, and Windows
Vehicle Security
This vehicle has theft-deterrent
features; however, they do not make
it impossible to steal.
Anti-theft Alarm System
This vehicle has a theft-deterrent
alarm system.
The security light flashes if a door is
open and locked with the power
door lock switch.
If this light stays on while the engine
is running, the vehicle needs
service.
Arming the System
To arm the system, pressQon the
RKE transmitter, or open the door
and lock the door with the power
door lock switch. The security light
should flash. Remove the RKE
transmitter from inside the vehicle
and close the door. The security
light stops flashing and stays on.
After 30 seconds, the light should
turn off.
The vehicle can be programmed to
automatically lock the doors and
arm the theft-deterrent system when
you exit the vehicle. See Vehicle
Personalization on page 5‑54.
If a door or the hatch/trunk is
opened without using the RKE
transmitter, the alarm goes off.
The horn sounds for two minutes,
then goes off to save battery power.
The vehicle will not start without a
RKE transmitter present. The theft-deterrent system does not
arm if the driver door is locked with
the power door lock switch after the
doors are closed.
If the RKE transmitter is removed
from the vehicle while a passenger
is in it, have them lock the doors
after they are closed. The alarm will
not arm, so the passenger will not
set it off.
Testing the Alarm
To test the system use the following
procedure.
1. Make sure the trunk lid/hatch is
latched.
2. Lower the window on the driver door.
3. Manually arm the system.
4. Close the doors and wait 30 seconds.

Black plate (3,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Seats and Restraints 3-3
Reclining Seatbacks
{WARNING
You can lose control of the
vehicle if you try to adjust a
manual driver seat while the
vehicle is moving. The sudden
movement could startle and
confuse you, or make you push a
pedal when you do not want to.
Adjust the driver seat only when
the vehicle is not moving.
{WARNING
If either seatback is not locked, it
could move forward in a sudden
stop or crash. That could cause
injury to the person sitting there.
Always push and pull on the
seatbacks to be sure they are
locked.
To recline the seatback:
1. Lift the lever.
2. Move the seatback to thedesired position, and then
release the lever to lock the
seatback in place.
3. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is locked. To return the seatback to the upright
position:
1. Lift the lever fully without
applying pressure to the
seatback, and the seatback will
return to the upright position.
2. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is locked.

Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Seats and Restraints 3-5
Storing Memory Positions
To save into memory:
1. Adjust the driver seat, bothoutside mirrors, and the
telescopic steering column,
if equipped.
2. Press and hold “1”until
two beeps sound.
3. Repeat for a second driver position using “2.”
To recall a memory position:
.On vehicles with an automatic
transmission, press and release
“1” or“2.”
If the vehicle is in P (Park), a
single beep sounds and the
memory position is recalled after
a brief delay.
If the vehicle is not in P (Park),
three beeps sound and the
memory position is not recalled.
.On vehicles with a manual
transmission, when the vehicle
is on, the parking brake must be
set to recall a memory position.
Press and release “1”or“2.”
A single beep sounds and the
memory position is recalled after
a brief delay.
If the vehicle is on and the
parking brake is not set,
three beeps sound and the
memory position is not recalled.
Memory Remote Recall
(Automatic Transmission)
This feature can recall the driver
seat, outside mirrors, and telescopic
steering column, if equipped, to
stored positions when entering the
vehicle.
To activate, enter the vehicle and
start the engine. The driver seat,
outside mirrors, and telescopic
steering column will move to the memory position associated with
the transmitter used to unlock the
vehicle.
This feature is turned on or off using
the vehicle personalization menu.
See
Vehicle Personalization on
page 5‑54.
To stop recall movement, press one
of the power seat controls, power
mirror or memory buttons, or the
telescopic steering column switch.
If something has blocked the driver
seat while recalling a memory
position, the recall may stop.
Remove the obstruction; then press
and hold the appropriate manual
control for the memory item that is
not recalling for two seconds.
Try recalling the memory position
again by pressing the appropriate
memory button. If the memory
position is still not recalling, see
your dealer for service.

Black plate (11,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Seats and Restraints 3-11
Lap-Shoulder Belt
All seating positions in the vehicle
have a lap-shoulder belt.
The following instructions explain
how to wear a lap-shoulder belt
properly.
1. Adjust the seat, if the seat isadjustable, so you can sit up
straight. To see how, see “Seats”
in the Index.
2. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you. Do not let it
get twisted. The lap-shoulder belt may lock if
you pull the belt across you very
quickly. If this happens, let the
belt go back slightly to unlock it.
Then pull the belt across you
more slowly.
If the shoulder portion of a
passenger belt is pulled out all
the way, the child restraint
locking feature may be engaged.
If this happens, let the belt go
back all the way and start again.
Engaging the child restraint
locking feature in the right front
seating position may affect the
passenger sensing system. See
Passenger Sensing System on
page 3‑22
for more information.
3. If the belt stops before it reaches
the buckle, tilt the latch plate and
keep pulling the safety belt until
it can be buckled.

Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-5
Windshield Washer
Press and hold the button at the end
of the lever to spray washer fluid on
the windshield. The washer will
spray until the button is released.
The wipers will continue to clear the
window for about six seconds after
the button is released and then stop
or return to your preset speed.
{WARNING
In freezing weather, do not use
the washer until the windshield is
warmed. Otherwise the washer
fluid can form ice on the
windshield, blocking your vision.
If the fluid in the windshield washer
fluid reservoir is low a message may
appear on the Driver Information
Center (DIC) display, see Washer
Fluid Messages on page 5‑53. It will
take 15 seconds after the bottle is
refilled for this message to turn off. For information on the correct
washer fluid to use, see
Washer
Fluid on page 10‑34 and
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants on page 11‑12.
Compass
Compass Operation
With the compass feature on, each
time the vehicle is started, the
compass will take a few seconds to
adjust and display the current
compass heading. For example,
NE is displayed for north-east.
Compass Calibration
PressPonce to turn the compass
display on or off.
If after several seconds the display
does not show a compass heading,
there may be a strong magnetic
field interfering with the compass.
Interference can be caused by a
magnetic antenna mount, note pad
holder, or similar object. If the letter C or CAL appears in the
compass window, the compass
needs calibration.
Depending on the mirror, in order to
calibrate, CAL must be displayed
in the mirror compass windows.
If CAL is not displayed, press
Pfor
several seconds or until CAL is
displayed.
If the compass has map lamps, it
can be placed in calibration mode
by pressing and holding the left map
light button until a C appears on the
compass display.
The mirror compass can be
calibrated by driving the vehicle in
circles at 8 km/h (5 mph) or less until
the display reads a direction.
Compass Variance
The mirror is set to zone eight.
If you do not live in zone eight or
drive out of the area, the compass
variance needs to be changed to
the appropriate zone.

Black plate (20,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
5-20 Instruments and Controls
If the light continues to flash, stop
and park the vehicle. Turn the
vehicle off, wait at least 10 seconds,
and restart the engine. If the light is
still flashing, follow the previous
steps and see your dealer for
service as soon as possible.
Light On Steady:An emission
control system malfunction has
been detected on the vehicle.
Diagnosis and service might be
required.
The following may correct an
emission system malfunction:
.Check that the fuel cap is fully
installed. See Filling the Tank on
page 9‑51. The diagnostic
system can determine if the
fuel cap has been left off or
improperly installed. A loose or
missing fuel cap allows fuel to
evaporate into the atmosphere.
A few driving trips with the cap
properly installed should turn the
light off.
.Check that good quality fuel is
used. Poor fuel quality causes
the engine not to run as
efficiently as designed and may
cause: stalling after start-up,
stalling when the vehicle is
changed into gear, misfiring,
hesitation on acceleration,
or stumbling on acceleration.
These conditions might go away
once the engine is warmed up.
If one or more of these
conditions occurs, change the
fuel brand used. It will require at
least one full tank of the proper
fuel to turn the light off.
See Recommended Fuel on
page 9‑48.
If none of the above have made
the light turn off, your dealer can
check the vehicle. The dealer has
the proper test equipment and
diagnostic tools to fix any
mechanical or electrical problems
that might have developed.Emissions Inspection and
Maintenance Programs
Some local governments may have
programs to inspect the on-vehicle
emission control equipment.
For the inspection, the emission
system test equipment is
connected to the vehicle’s Data
Link Connector (DLC).
The DLC is under the instrument
panel to the left of the steering
wheel. See your dealer if assistance
is needed.
The vehicle may not pass
inspection if:
.The malfunction indicator lamp is
on with the engine running, or if
the vehicle is placed in Service
Only Mode and the malfunction
indicator lamp does not come

Black plate (21,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-21
on. See your dealer for
assistance in verifying proper
operation of the malfunction
indicator lamp.
.The OBD II (On-Board
Diagnostics) system
determines that critical emission
control systems have not been
completely diagnosed. The
vehicle would be considered not
ready for inspection. This can
happen if the 12-volt battery has
recently been replaced or run
down. The diagnostic system is
designed to evaluate critical
emission control systems during
normal driving. This can take
several days of routine driving.
If this has been done and the
vehicle still does not pass the
inspection for lack of OBD II
system readiness, your dealer
can prepare the vehicle for
inspection.
Brake System Warning
Light
The vehicle brake system consists
of two hydraulic circuits. If one
circuit is not working, the remaining
circuit can still work to stop the
vehicle. For normal braking
performance, both circuits need to
be working.
MetricEnglish
This light comes on briefly while
starting the engine. If it does not
come on, have it fixed so it is ready
to warn if there is a problem.
{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.
If this warning light stays on after
the engine is started, the parking
brake may still be set or there could
be a brake problem. Refer to
Parking Brake on page 9‑36 to
see if it is set. If the parking brake
is not set, have the brake system
inspected right away.