CHEVROLET CORVETTE 1996 4.G Repair Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Starting Your Engine
Automatic Transmission
Move your shift lever to PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N).
Your engine won’t start in any other position
-- that’s a
safety feature. To restart when you’re already moving,
use NEUTRAL (N) only.
NOTICE:
Don’t try to shift to PARK (P) if your Corvette is
moving. If you do, you could damage the
transmission. Shift to PARK
(P) only when your
vehicle is stopped.
Manual Transmission
The gear selector should be in NEUTRAL. (N). Hold the
clutch pedal to
the floor and start the engine. Your
vehicle won’t start if the clutch pedal is not all the way
down
-- that’s a safety feature.
Starting Your Engine
1. Without pushing the accelerator pedal, turn the
ignition key to START. When the engine starts, let
go of the key. The idle speed will go down as your
engine gets warm.
NOTICE:
Holding your key in START for longer than
15 seconds at a time will cause your battery to be
drained much sooner. And the excessive heat can
damage your starter motor.
2. If it doesn’t start within 10 seconds, push the
accelerator pedal all the way to the floor, while you
hold the ignition key in START. When the engine
starts, let
go of the key and let up on the accelerator
pedal. Wait about
15 seconds between each try to
help avoid draining your battery.
When starting your engine in very cold weather (below
0°F or -18”C), do this:
1. With your foot
off the accelerator pedal, turn the
ignition key to START and hold it there. When the
engine starts, let
go of the key. Use the accelerator
pedal to maintain engine speed, if you have to, until
your engine has run for a while.
stops), it could be flooded with too much gasoline.
Try pushing your accelerator pedal all the way to the
floor and holding it there as you hold the key in
2. If your engine still won’t start (or starts but then
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine START for about three seconds. If the vehicle starts
briefly but then stops again, do the same thing, but
this time keep the pedal down for five or six seconds.
This clears the extra gasoline from the engine.
I NOTICE:
Your engine is designed to work with the
electronics in your vehicle.
If you add electrical
parts or accessories, you could change the
way
the engine operates. Before adding electrical
equipment, check with your dealer.
If you don’t,
your engine might not perform properly.
If you ever have to have your vehicle towed, see
the part of this manual that tells how to do it
without damaging your vehicle. See “Towing
Your Vehicle” in the Index.
Racing or Other Competitive Driving
See your Warranty Book before using your Corvette for
racing or other competitive driving.
NOTICE:
If you use your Corvette for racing or other
competitive driving, your engine may use more
oil than it would with normal use. Low oil levels
can damage the engine. Be sure to check the oil
level often during racing or other competitive
driving and keep the level at or near the upper
mark on the engine oil dipstick.
You may need to
add oil. See “Engine Oil” in the Index.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Engine Coolant Heater (Canada Only)
In very cold weather, 0°F (- 18 O C) or colder, the engine
coolant heater can help. You’ll get easier starting and
better fuel economy during engine warm-up. Usually,
the coolant heater should be plugged in a minimum of
four hours prior to starting your vehicle.
To Use the Coolant Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 110-volt AC outlet.
A CAUTION:
Plugging the cord into an ungrounded outlet
could cause an electrical shock. Also, the wrong
kind of extension cord could overheat and cause
a fire. You could be seriously injured. Plug the
cord into
a properly grounded three-prong
110-volt
AC outlet. If the cord won’t reach, use a
heavy-duty three-prong extension cord rated for
at least
15 amps.
4. After you’ve used the coolant heater, be sure to store
the cord as it was before to keep
it away from
moving engine parts. If you don’t, it could be
damaged.
How long should you keep the coolant heater plugged
in? The answer depends on the outside temperature, the
kind of
oil you have, and some other things. Instead of
trying to list everything here, we ask that you contact
your Chevrolet dealer in the area where you’ll be
parking your vehicle. The dealer can give you the best
advice for that particular area.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Automatic Transmission Operation
a
R
There are several different positions for your shift lever.
PARK (P): This locks your rear wheels. It’s the best
position to use when you start your engine because your
vehicle can’t move easily.
It is dangerous to get out of your vehicle if the
shift lever is not fully in
PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
Don’t leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to.
If you have left the
engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You
or others could be injured. To be sure your
vehicle won’t move, even when you’re on fairly
level ground, always set your parking brake and
move the shift lever to
PARK (P).
See “Shifting Into PARK (P)” in the Index.
Ensure the shift lever is fully in PARK (P) range before
starting the engine. Your Corvette has
a
brake-transmission shift interlock. You have to fully
apply your regular brakes before you can shift from
PARK (P) when the ignition key is in the RUN position.
If you cannot shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure on
the shift lever -- push the shift lever all the way into
PARK (P) and release the shift lever button as you
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine maintain brake application. Then press the shift lever
button and move the shift lever into the gear you wish.
See “Shifting Out
of PARK (P)” in the Index.
REVERSE (R): Use this gear to back up.
NOTICE:
Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your vehicle is
moving forward could damage your
transmission. Shift to REVERSE (R) only after
your vehicle
is stopped.
To rock your vehicle back and forth to get out of snow,
ice or sand without damaging your transmission, see
“Stuck:
In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow” in the Index.
NEUTRAL (N): In this position, your engine doesn’t
connect with the wheels.
To restart when you’re already
moving, use NEUTRAL
(N) only. Also, use
NEUTRAL (N) when your vehicle is being towed.
Shifting out’of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) while
your engine
is “racing” (running at high speed) is
dangerous. Unless your foot is firmly on the
brake pedal, your vehicle could move very
rapidly. You could lose control and hit people or
objects. Don’t shift out of PARK
(P) or
NEUTRAL
(N) while your engine is racing.
I NOTICE:
I
~~~ ~
Damage to your transmission caused by shifting
out of PARK
(P) or NEUTRAL (N) with the
engine racing isn’t covered
by your warranty.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (0): This position is for
normal driving.
If you need more power for passing, and
you’re:
Going less than about 35 mph (56 km/h), push your
accelerator pedal about halfway down.
Going about 35 mph (56 km/h) or more, push the
accelerator all the way down.
You’ll shift down to the next gear and have more power.
DRIVE (D): This position is also used for normal
driving, however, it offers more power and lower fuel
economy than AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE
(0).
Here are some times you might choose DRIVE (D)
instead
of AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (0):
0 When driving on hilly, winding roads
When going down a steep hill
SECOND (2): This position gives you more power but
lower fuel economy. You can use SECOND
(2) on hills.
It can help control your speed as you go down steep
mountain roads, but then you would also want to use
your brakes off and on.
FIRST (1): This position gives you even more power
(but lower fuel economy) than SECOND
(2). You can
use it on very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud. If the
selector lever is put in
FIRST (I), the transmission
won’t shift into first gear until the vehicle is going
slowly enough.
I NOTICE:
If your rear wheels can’t rotate, don’t try to
drive. This might happen
if you were stuck in
very deep sand or mud or were up against a solid
object.
You could damage your transmission.
Also, if you stop when going uphill, don’t hold
your vehicle there with only the accelerator
pedal. This could overheat and damage the
transmission. Use your brakes or shift into
PARK (P) to hold your vehicle in position
on a hill.
Maximum engine speed is limited to protect driveline
components from improper operation.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Manual Transmission
6-Speed
This is your shift pattern.
Here’s how to operate your
transmission:
5 3
FIRST (1): Press the clutch pedal and shift into
FIRST (1). Then slowly let up on the clutch pedal as
you press the accelerator pedal.
You can shift into FIRST
(1) when you’re going less
than
40 mph (64 km/h). If you’ve come to a complete
stop and it’s hard to shift into HRST
(I), put the shift
lever in NEUTRAL (N) and let up on the clutch. Press
the clutch pedal back down. Then shift into FIRST (1).
SECOND (2): Press the clutch pedal as you let up on
the accelerator pedal and shift into
SECOND (2). Then,
slowly let up on the clutch pedal as you press the
accelerator pedal.
THIRD(3),FOURTH(4),FIFTH(S)ANDSIXTH(6):
Shift into THIRD (3)’ FOURTH (4), F’IFTH (5) and
SIXTH (6) the same way you do for SECOND (2). Slowly
let up on the clutch pedal as you press the accelerator pedal.
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
(N).
NEUTRAL (N): Use this position when you start or
idle your engine. Your shift lever is in NEUTRAL (N)
when it is centered in the shift pattern, not in any other
gear.
REVERSE (R): To back up, press down the clutch
pedal and shift into REVERSE (R). Just apply pressure
to get the lever past FIFTH
(5) and SIXTH (6) into
REVERSE
(R). Let up on the clutch pedal slowly while
pressing the accelerator pedal.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Shift Speeds (Manual Transmission)
This chart shows when to shift to the next higher gear
for best fuel economy.
Manual Transmission Recommended
Shift Speeds in mph (km/h)
Acceleration Shift Speed
lto212to313to414to515to6
Engine -
All
(80) (72) (64) (40) (24) Engines
50 45 40 25 15
I NOTICE:
When you are shifting gears, don’t move the gear
shift lever around needlessly. This can damage
parts of the transmission and may require costly repair. Shift directly into the next appropriate
I gear.
One to Four Light (Manual Transmission)
If your engine speed drops below 900 rpm, or if the
engine is not running smoothly, you should downshift to
the next lower gear.
You may have to downshift two or
more gears to keep the engine running smoothly or for
good performance.
ONE TO
FOUR
When this light comes on,
you can only shift from
FIRST
(1) to FOURTH (4)
instead of FIRST (1) to
SECOND (2). You must
complete the shift into
FOURTH
(4) to deactivate
this feature. This helps you
get the best possible fuel
economy.
After shifting to FOURTH
(4), you may shift down to a
lower gear if you prefer.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine NOTICE:
Do not try to force the shift lever into
SECOND (2) or THIRD (3) when the ONE TO
FOUR light comes on. Do not try to re-engage
FIRST (1) after starting to shift into FOURTH (4).
You will damage your transmission. Shift only
from FIRST
(1) to FOURTH (4) when the light
comes on.
This light will come on when:
The engine coolant temperature is higher than 120 OF
(49 O C).
0 You are going 15 to 19 mph (24 to 3 1 km/h), and
You are at 21 percent throttle or less.
Downshifting (Manual Transmission)
Do not downshift into the gear shown below at a speed
greater than shown in the table:
FIRST
(1) .......... :. ........ 44 mph (71 km/h)
SECOND (2) ................ 64 mph (103 km/h)
THIRD (3) .................. 90 mph (145 km/h)
FOURTH (4) ............... 116 mph (187 kmk)
If you skip more than one gear when you
downshift, you could lose control of your vehicle.
And you could injure yourself or others. Don’t
shift from SIXTH
(6) to THIRD (3), FIFTH (5) to
SECOND (2) or FOURTH (4) to FIRST (1).

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine NOTICE:
If you skip more than one gear when you
downshift, or if you race the engine when you
downshift, you can damage the clutch or
transmission.
The six-speed transmission has a spring that centers the
shift lever near THIRD
(3) and FOURTH (4). This
spring helps you know which gear you
are in when you
are shifting. Be careful when shifting from FIRST
(1) to
SECOND
(2) or downshifting from SIXTH (6) to
FIFTH
(5). The springs will try to pull the gear shift
lever toward FOURTH
(4) and THIRD (3). Make sure
you move the lever into SECOND
(2) or FIFTH (5). If
you let the lever move in the direction of the pulling,
you may end up shifting from FIRST
(1) to
FOURTH
(4) or from SIXTH (6) to THIRD (3).
Ride Control (Option)
You may have a ride control system on your Corvette
called Real Time Damping (RTD). The system provides
the following performance benefits:
Reduced impact harshness
0 Improved road isolation
0 Improved high-speed stability
0 Improved handling response
RIDE CONTROL
SPORT
This knob is on the center console. Turn it to select the
ride control
of your choice.
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