light CHEVROLET CORVETTE 1998 5.G Repair Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I
Using a match near a battery can cause battery
gas to explode. People have been hurt doing this,
and some have been blinded. Use a flashlight
if
you need more light.
Be sure the battery has enough water. You don’t
need to add water to the Delco Freedom@ battery
installed in every new
GM vehicle. But if a
battery has filler caps, be sure the right amount
of fluid is there.
If it is low, add water to take
care of that first.
If you don’t, explosive gas could
be present.
Battery fluid contains acid that can burn you.
Don’t get it on you.
If you accidentally get it in
your eyes or on your skin, flush the place with
water and get medical help immediately.
5. Check that the jumper cables don’t have loose or
missing insulation. If they do, you could get a shock.
The vehicles could be damaged,
too.
Before you connect the cables, here are some basic things you should know. Positive
(+) will go to
positive
(+) and negative (-) will go to an unpainted
metal engine part or a body metal surface. Don’t
connect positive
(+) to negative (-) or you will get a
short that would damage the battery and maybe other
parts, too. And don’t connect negative
(-) to
negative
(-) on the dead battery, as this can cause
sparks. Follow Step
9 carefully.
r
I a CAUTION:
I
Fans or other moving engine parts can injure you
badly. Keep your hands away from moving parts
once the engine
is running.
5-5

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Engine Overheating
You will find an engine coolant temperature gage on the
instrument cluster and a COOLANT OVER TEMP
message on the Driver Information Center
(DIC).
Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode
Should a low coolant condition exist and the messages
COOLANT OVERTEMP and REDUCED ENGINE
POWER are displayed, along with the Check Engine
light, an overheat protection mode which alternates
firing groups of four cylinders helps prevent engine
damage. In this mode, you will notice a loss in power
and engine performance. This operating mode allows
your vehicle to be driven to a safe place in an
emergency; you may drive up
to 50 miles (80 km).
1 NOTICE:
After driving in the overheated engine protection
operating mode, to avoid engine damage, allow
the engine to cool before attempting any repair.
The engine oil will be severely degraded. Repair
the cause of coolant loss, change the oil and reset
the oil life monitor. See “Engine Oil, When to
Change” in the Index.
5-13

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I NOTICE:
Spinning your wheels can destroy parts of your
vehicle as well as the tires.
If you spin the wheels
too fast while shifting your transmission back
and forth, you can destroy your transmission.
For information about using tire chains on your vehicle, see “Tire Chains’’ in the Index.
Rocking Your Vehicle To Get It Out
First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That will
clear the area around your front wheels. You should turn
your TCS System
off. (See “Traction Control System’’
in the Index.) Then shift back and forth between
REVERSE (R) and a forward gear, spinning the wheels
as little as possible. For a manual transmission, shift
slowly between either FIRST
(1) or SECOND (2) and
REVERSE (R), allowing the wheels to stop before
shifting into gear. Release the accelerator pedal while
you shift, and press lightly on the accelerator pedal
when the transmission is in gear. If that doesn’t get you
out after a few tries, you may need to be towed out.
If
you do need to be towed out, see “Towing Your Vehicle”
in the Index.
5-23

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine You should look for this on the oil container, and use
only those oils that are identified as meeting GM
Standard 4718M and have the Starburst symbol on the
front of the oil container.
Your Corvette engine is filled at the factory with a
Mobil
l@ synthetic oil, which meets all requirements
for your vehicle.
Substitute Engine Oil: When adding oil to maintain
engine oil level, oil meeting GM Standard GM4718M
may not be available. You can add substitute oil
designated SAE 5W-30 with the “Starburst” symbol at
all temperatures. If temperatures are above
0 OF (- 18 O C),
you may substitute
SAE low-30 with the “Starburst”
symbol. Substitute oil not meeting GM Standard
GM4718M should not be used for an oil change.
Engine Oil Additives
Don’t add anything to your oil. Your dealer is ready to
advise if you think something should be added.
When to Change Engine Oil
Your Corvette has an Engine Oil Life Monitor. This
feature will let you know when to change your oil and
filter
-- usually between 3,000 miles (5 000 km) and
10,000 miles (16
000 km) since your last oil change. Under severe conditions, the indicator may
come on
before
3,000 miles (5 000 km). Never drive your vehicle
more than 10,000 miles (16
000 km) or 12 months
(whichever occurs first) without an oil change. Use
engine oil meeting the GM Standard GM47 18M.
The system won’t detect dust in the
oil. So, if you drive
in a dusty area, be sure to change your oil every
3,000 miles
(5 000 lun) or sooner if the CHANGE OIL
light comes on. Remember to reset the Engine Oil Life
Monitor when the oil has been changed. For more
.information, see “Engine Oil Life Monitor” in the Index.
When Changing the Engine Oil
There is a special procedure for changing engine oil,
contact your dealer for additional information or the
procedure can be found in a Corvette Service Manual.
To purchase a service manual, see “Service and Owner
Publications” in the Index.
How to Reset the Engine Oil Life Monitor
Press RESET to acknowledge the CHANGE OIL SOON
warning. The oil page will then show a message such as
OIL LIFE
0%. To reset the monitor, press and hold
RESET for two seconds. You will then receive a
message such as OIL LIFE
99%.
6-15

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine How to Check Lubricant
If the level is below the bottom of the filler plug hole,
you’ll need to add some lubricant. Add enough lubricant
to raise
the level to the bottom of the filler plug hole.
What to Use
To add lubricant when the level is low, use Axle
Lubricant (GM Part
No. 12345977) or SAE 8OW-90
GL-5 gear lubricant. To completely refill after draining,
add
4 ounces (1 18 ml) of Limited-Slip Differential
Lubricant Additive (GM Part
No. 1052358). Then fill to the bottom
of the filler plug hole with Axle Lubricant
(GM Part No. 12345977) or SAE 8OW-90 GL-5
gear lubricant.
Engine Coolant
The cooling s stem in your vehicle is filled with
DEX-COOL engine coolant. This coolant is designed
to remain in your vehicle for
5 years or 150,000 miles
(240 000 km) whichever occurs first, if you add only
DEX-COOL’ extended life coolant.
The following explains your cooling system and how
to add coolant when it is low. If you have a problem
with engine overheating, see “Engine Overheating” in
the Index.
A
50/50 mixture of water and DEX-COOL@
coolant will:
0 Give freezing protection down to -34°F (-37°C).
8
0 Give boiling protection up to 265 “F (129” C).
Protect against rust and corrosion.
0 Help keep the proper engine temperature.
Let the warning lights and gauges work as
they should.
6-22

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Brake Wear
Your vehicle has four-wheel disc brakes.
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 may come and
go or
be heard
all the time your vehicle is moving (except when
you are pushing on the brake pedal firmly).
The brake wear warning sound means that soon
your brakes won’t work well. That could lead to
an accident. When you hear the brake wear warning sound, have your vehicle serviced.
I NOTICE:
Continuing to drive with worn-out brake pads
could result
in costly brake repair.
Some driving conditions or climates may cause a brake
squeal when the brakes are first applied or lightly
applied. This does not mean something
is wrong with
your brakes.
Brake linings should always be replaced as complete
axle sets.
See “Brake System Inspection” in Section
7 of this
manual under Part
C “Periodic Maintenance
Inspections.”
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal does not return to
normal height, or if there is a rapid increase in pedal
travel.
This could be a sign of brake trouble.
Brake Adjustment
As you make brake stops, your disc brakes
automatically adjust for wear.
6-31

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 6
3. Remove the screws on each side of the
headlamp bezel.
4. Open the hood.
5. To remove the bezel, pull the sides slightly outward
and tilt the bezel forward. Pull the clip centered
above the lens outward. Be careful not to scratch
the paint.
6. Reach behind the lamp and turn the bulb to the left
(counterclockwise) to remove it. Don’t touch the
halogen bulbs. The inner bulb is the high beam and
the outer bulb is the low beam.
7. Disconnect the desired bulb from the wiring harness.
8. Reverse the steps with a new bulb.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Uniform Tire Quality Grading
The following information relates to the system
developed by the United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, which grades tires by
treadwear, traction and temperature performance. (This
applies only to vehicles sold in the United States.) The
grades are molded on the sidewalls of most passenger
car tires. The Uniform Tire Quality Grading system does
not apply to deep tread, winter-type snow tires,
space-saver or temporary use spare tires, tires with
nominal rim diameters of 10 to 12 inches (25 to
30 cm),
or to some limited-production tires.
While the tires available on General Motors passenger
cars and light trucks may vary with respect to these
grades, they must also conform to Federal safety
requirements and additional General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC) standards.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on
the wear rate of the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified government test course. For
example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and a half
(1 1/2) times as well on the government course as a tire
graded
100. The relative performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of their use, however, and
may depart significantly from the norm due to variations
in driving habits, service practices and differences in
road characteristics and climate.
Traction -- A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are A, B, and
C, and they represent the tire’s ability to stop on wet
pavement as measured under controlled conditions on
specified government test surfaces of asphalt and concrete.
A tire marked C may have poor traction performance.
Warning: The traction grade assigned to this tire is based
on braking (straight ahead) traction tests and does not
include cornering (turning) traction.
6-47

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 0
0
0
0
Clean up stains as soon as you can -- before they set.
Carefully scrape
off any excess stain.
Use a clean cloth or sponge, and change to a
clean area often.
A soft brush may be used if
stains
are stubborn.
If a ring forms after spot cleaning, clean the entire
area immediately or it will set.
Fabric Protection
Your Corvette has carpet that has been treated with
Scotchgard" Fabric Protector, a 3M product. It protects
fabrics by repelling oil and water, which are the carriers
of most stains. Even with this protection, you still need
to clean your carpet often to keep it looking new.
Further information on cleaning is available by calling
1-800-433-3296 (in Minnesota, 1-800-642-6167).
Cleaning Vinyl
Use warm water and a clean cloth.
0 Rub with a clean, damp cloth to remove dirt. You
may have to do it more than once.
Things like tar, asphalt and shoe polish will stain if you
don't get them
off quickly. Use a clean cloth and a
vinyVleather cleaner. See your dealer for this product.
Cleaning Coated Moldings
These moldings are around the hatch opening in your
Corvette's rear area.
When lightly soiled, wipe with a sponge or soft
0 When heavily soiled, use warm soapy water.
Cleaning Leather
Use a soft cloth with lukewarm water and a mild soap or
saddle soap and wipe dry with
a soft cloth. Then, let the
leather dry naturally.
Do not use heat to dry.
lint-free cloth dampened
with water.
0
0
0
For stubborn stains, use a leather cleaner. See your
dealer for this product.
Never use oils, varnishes, solvent-based or abrasive
cleaners, furniture polish or shoe polish on leather.
Soiled or stained leather should be cleaned
immediately.
If dirt is allowed to work into the
finish, it can harm the leather.
6-53

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your Corvette has a “basecoatlclearcoat” paint finish.
The clearcoat gives more depth and gloss to the colored
basecoat. Always use waxes and polishes that
are
non-abrasive and made for a basecoatklearcoat
paint finish.
NOTICE: I
Machine compounding or aggressive polishing on
a basecoat/clearcoat paint finish may dull the
finish or leave swirl marks.
1
Foreign materials such as calcium chloride and other
salts, ice melting agents, road oil and tar, tree sap, bird
droppings, chemicals from industrial chimneys, etc., can
damage your vehicle’s finish if they remain on painted
surfaces. Wash the vehicle as soon as possible.
If
necessary, use non-abrasive cleaners that are marked
safe for painted surfaces to remove foreign matter.
Exterior painted surfaces are subject to aging, weather
and chemical fallout that can take their toll over a period
of years.
You can help to keep the paint finish looking
new by keeping your vehicle garaged or covered
whenever possible.
Cleaning Your Convertible Top
Your convertible top should be cleaned often. If you use
an automatic car wash, use one with water jets and
hanging cloths. High pressure car washes may cause
water to enter your vehicle.
When you hand wash the top, do it in partial shade. Use
a mild soap, lukewarm water and a soft sponge.
A
chamois or cloth may leave lint on the top, and a brush
can chafe the threads in the top fabric. Don’t use
detergents, harsh cleaners, solvents or bleaching agents.
Wet the entire vehicle and wash the top evenly to avoid
spots or rings. Let the soap remain on the fabric for a
few minutes. When the top is really dirty, use a mild
foam-type cleaner. Thoroughly rinse the entire vehicle,
then let the top dry in direct sunlight.
To protect the convertible top:
After you wash the vehicle, make sure the top is
completely dry before you lower it.
Don’t get any cleaner on the vehicle’s painted finish;
If you decide to go through an automatic car wash,
ask the manager if the equipment could damage
your top. it could leave streaks.
6-57