tires CHEVROLET CORVETTE 1998 5.G Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine In 1984, the fourth generation of America’s favorite
sports car anticipated the future with a sleek look and
advanced technology that provided superior handling
and performance. Windshield angle was the sheerest of
any domestic vehicle, cornering ability the tightest of
any production car. In short, the 1984 redesign enhanced
the Corvette’s reputation as a leader in the world sports
car market. After
44 years
of production, Corvette only got better.
The fifth-generation Corvette arrived in 1997, featuring
a completely restyled body and a new, all-aluminum,
5.7 Liter, 345-horsepower LS1 V8 engine. The
structure of the fifth-generation redesign is the stiffest
ever developed in 44 years of Corvette production,
resulting in unparalleled ride quality and outstanding
handling. Also unique to the new Corvette is a
rear-mounted transmission.
Available as a Coupe for 1997, the new Corvette offered
such standard features as extended-mobility tires, a
Bose audio system, and
a new, latch-operated roof
designed for easy removal.
With many design cues inspired by the classic models
of the 1960s, the new fifth-generation Corvette is an
impressive combination of sleek styling and world-class
sports car performance. For 1998, in addition to the
Coupe, a convertible is reintroduced.
vi

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Press the GAGE button again to display the oil
temperature, such as:
OIL TEMP 234 O F or
OILTEMP 112 O C
Press the GAGE button again to display the coolant
temperature, such as:
COOLANT TEMP 123 O F or
COOLANTTEMP51 O C
Press the GAGE button again to display the transmission
fluid temperature (automatics only), such as:
TRANS FLUID 123 O For
TRANS FLUID 51 O C
Press the GAGE button again to display the battery
voltage, such as:
0 BATTERY 13.5 VOLTS
Press the GAGE button again to display the tire pressure
for the front tires (left and right), such as:
FRONT L34 R33 PSI or
FRONT L 234 R228 kPa
Press the
GAGE button again to display the tire pressure
for the rear tires (left and right), such as:
REAR L34 R33 PSI or
0 REAR L234 R228 kPa

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine LOW TIRE PRESSURE - (LF, LR, RF, RR): YOU
will hear two chimes when this message is displayed. To
acknowledge the warning, press RESET. After you press
RESET, a message will reappear and you will hear a
chime every
10 minutes until this condition changes.
This message indicates that the pressure in one of your
tires is less than
25 psi (172 Ea). Next to the LOW
TIRE PRESSURE message, you can see either
LF (left
front), LR (left rear),
RF (right front) or RR (right rear)
to indicate to you which tire is low on pressure.
You can
receive more than one tire pressure message at a time.
To read other messages that may have been sent at the
same time, press RESET. If a tire pressure message
appears on the
DIC, stop as soon as you can. Have the
tire pressures checked and set to those shown on your
Tire Loading Information Label. See “Extended
Mobility Tires” in the Index.
When the LOW TIRE PRESSURE or FLAT
TIRE message is displayed on the Driver
Information Center, your vehicle’s handling
capabilities will be reduced during severe
maneuvers.
If you drive too fast, you could lose
control of your vehicle.
You or others could be
injured. Don’t drive over
55 mph (90 km/h) when
the LOW TIRE PRESSURE or FLAT TIRE
message is displayed. Drive cautiously, and check
your tire pressures as
soon as you can.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine FLAT TIRE - (LF, LR, RF, RR): You will hear two
chimes when this message is displayed followed by the
message MAX SPEED
55 MPH (90 km/h). If this
message appears, do not drive your vehicle above these
limits. The next message to appear is REDUCED
HANDLING. Adjust your driving accordingly. To acknowledge these warnings, press RESET. After you
press RESET, a message will reappear and you will hear
a chime every
10 minutes until this condition changes.
This message indicates that the pressure in one
of your
tires is lower than
5 psi (34 Wa). Next to the FLAT
TIRE message, you can see either LF (left front),
LR
(left rear), RF (right front) or RR (right rear) to indicate
to you which tire is flat. You can receive more than one
tire pressure message at a time. To read other messages
that may have been sent at the same time, press RESET.
If a tire pressure message appears on the
DIC, stop as
soon as you can. Have the tire pressures checked and set
to those shown on your Tire Loading Information Label.
See “Extended Mobility Tires” and “Tire Inflation” in
the Index.
When the LOW TIRE PRESSURE or FLAT
TIRE message
is displayed on the Driver
Information Center, your vehicle’s handling
capabilities will be reduced during severe
maneuvers.
If you drive too fast, you could lose
control of your vehicle. You or others could be
injured. Don’t drive over
55 mph (90 kmh) when
the
LOW TIRE PRESSURE or FLAT TIRE
message
is displayed. Drive cautiously, and check
your tire pressures as soon as you can.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine HIGH TIRE PRESSURE - (LF, LR, RF, RR): YOU
will hear two chimes when this message is displayed. To
acknowledge the warning, press RESET. After you press
RESET, a message
will reappear and you will hear a
chime every
10 minutes until this condition changes. This
message indicates that the pressure in one of your tires is higher than
42 psi (290 Pa). Next to the HIGH TIRE
PRESSURE message,
you can see either LF (left front),
LR (left rear), RF (right front) or RR (right rear) to
indicate to you which tire is higher than
42 psi (290 Wa).
You can receive more than one tire pressure message at a
time. To read other messages that may have been sent at
the same time, press RESET.
If a tire pressure message
appears
on the DX, stop as soon as you can. Have the tire
pressures checked and set to those shown on your Tire
Loading Information Label. See “Extended
Mobility
Tires” and “Tire Inflation” in the Index.
SERVICE TIRE MON SYS: If this message comes on,
a part on the Tire Pressure Monitor (TPM) is not
working properly. If you drive your vehicle while any of
the four sensors are missing or hoperable, the warning
will come on in approximately
10 minutes. If all four
sensors are missing, the warning will come on in
approximately
15 to 20 minutes. (All the sensors would
be missing, for example, if you put different wheels on
your vehicle without transferring the sensors.) If the
warning comes
on and stays on, there may be a problem
with the TPM. See your dealer.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Drinking and then driving is very dangerous.
Your reflexes, perceptions, attentiveness and
judgment can be affected
by even a small amount
of alcohol. You can have a serious -- or even
fatal
-- collision if you drive after drinking.
Please don’t drink and drive or ride with
a driver
who has been drinking. Ride home in a cab; or if
you’re with a group, designate a driver who will
not drink.
Control of a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your vehicle go where
you want it to
go. They are the brakes, the steering and
the accelerator. All three systems have to do their work
at the places where the tires meet the road. Sometimes, as when you’re driving
on snow or ice, it’s
easy to ask more of those control systems than the tires
and road can provide. That means you can lose control
of your vehicle.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops or the system
is not functioning, you can steer
but it will take much more effort.
Steering Tips
Driving on Curves
It’s important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned on
the news happen on curves. Here’s why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each of us is subject to
the same laws of physics when driving on curves. The
traction
of the tires against the road surface makes it
possible for the vehicle to change its path when you turn
the front wheels.
If there’s no traction, inertia will keep
the vehicle going in the same direction. If you’ve ever
tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you’ll understand this.
The traction you can get
in a curve depends on the
condition of your tires and the road surface, the angle at
which
the curve is banked, and your speed. While you’re
in a curve, speed is the one factor you can control. Suppose you’re steering through a sharp curve.
Then you suddenly accelerate. Both control
systems
-- steering and acceleration -- have to do
their work where the tires meet the road. Adding the
sudden acceleration can demand too much of those
places.
You can lose control. Refer to “Traction Control
System’’ in the Index.
What should you do if this ever happens? Ease up on the
accelerator pedal, steer the vehicle the
way you want it
to go, and slow down.
Speed limit signs near curves warn that you should
adjust your speed. Of course, the posted speeds are
based on good weather and road conditions. Under less
favorable conditions you’ll want to go slower.
If you need to reduce your speed as you approach a
curve, do it before
you enter the curve, while your front
wheels are straight ahead.
Try to adjust your speed
so you can “drive” through the
curve. Maintain a reasonable, steady speed. Wait to
accelerate until you are out of the curve, and then
accelerate gently into the straightaway.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 0
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Do not get too close to the vehicle you want to
pass while you’re awaiting an opportunity. For one
thmg, following too closely reduces your area of
vision, especially if you’re following a larger
vehicle. Also, you won’t have adequate space if the
vehicle ahead suddenly slows or stops. Keep back a
reasonable distance.
When it looks like a chance to pass is coming up,
start to accelerate but stay in the right lane and don’t
get too close. Time your move
so you will be
increasing speed
as the time comes to move into the
other lane. If the way is clear to pass, you will have a
“running start” that more than makes up for the
distance you would lose by dropping back. And if
something happens
to cause you to cancel your pass,
you need only slow down and drop back again and
wait for another opportunity.
If other cars are lined up to pass a slow vehicle, wait
your turn. But take care that someone isn’t trying to
pass you as you pull out to pass the slow vehicle.
Remember to glance over your shoulder and check
the blind spot.
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Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder, and start your left lane change signal before moving out
of the right lane to pass. When you are far enough
ahead of the passed vehicle to see its front in your
inside mirror, activate your right lane change signal
and move back intu the right lane. (Remember that
your right outside mirror is convex. The vehicle you
just passed may seem to be farther away from you
than it really is.)
Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time
on two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the
next vehicle.
Don’t overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly.
Even though the brake lamps are not flashing, it may
be slowing down or starting to turn.
If you’re being passed, make it easy for the
following driver to get ahead of you. Perhaps you
can ease a little to the right.
Loss of Control
Let’s review what driving experts say about what
happens when the three control systems (brakes, steering
and acceleration) don’t have enough friction where the
tires meet the road to do what the driver has asked.
In any emergency, don’t give up. Keep trying to steer and
constantly seek an escape route or area of less danger.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking reasonable care suited to existing conditions, and by not “overdriving”\

those conditions. But skids are always possible.
The three types of skids correspond to your vehicle’s
three control systems. In the braking skid, your wheels
aren’t rolling. In the steering or cornering skid, too
much speed or steering in a curve causes tires to slip and
lose cornering force. And in the acceleration skid, too
much throttle causes the driving wheels to spin.
A cornering skid is best handled by easing your foot
off
the accelerator pedal.
Remember: Any traction control system helps avoid
only the acceleration skid.
If your TCS system is off, then an acceleration slud
is also best handled by easing your foot
off the
accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot
off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want the
vehicle to
go. If you start steering quickly enough, your
vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready for a
second skid if it occurs. Of
course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel or other material is on the road. For safety, you’ll\

want to slow down and adjust your driving to these
conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration or braking (including engine braking by shifting to a lower
gear). Any sudden changes could cause the tires to slide.
You may not realize the surface is slippery until your
vehicle
is skidding. Learn to recognize warning clues --
such as enough water, ice or packed snow on the road to
make a “mirrored surface”
-- and slow down when you
have any doubt.
Remember: Any anti-lock brake system
(ABS) helps
avoid only the braking skid.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Rain and wet roads can mean driving trouble. On a wet
road, you can’t stop, accelerate
or turn as well because
your tire-to-road traction isn’t as good as on
dry roads.
And,
if your tires don’t have much tread left, you’ll get
even less traction. It’s always wise to go slower and be
cautious
if rain starts to fall while you are driving. The
surface may get wet suddenly when your reflexes
are
tuned for driving on dry pavement.
The heavier the rain, the harder it is to see. Even if your
windshield wiper blades are in good shape, a heavy rain
can make it harder to see road signs and traffic signals,
pavement markings, the edge of the road and even
people walking.
It’s wise to keep your windshield wiping equipment in
good shape and keep your windshield washer tank filled
with washer fluid. Replace your windshield wiper
inserts when they show signs of streaking or missing
areas on the windshield, or when strips of rubber start to
separate from the inserts. Driving too fast
through large water puddles or even
going through some car washes can cause problems, too.
The water may affect your brakes. Try to avoid puddles.
But if you can’t, try
to slow down before you hit them.
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