tow CHEVROLET CORVETTE 2001 5.G Owners Manual

Table of Contents (cont'd)
Defensive Driving
Drunken Driving
Control of a Vehicle
Braking
SteeringDriving Tips for Various Road Conditions
Recreational Vehicle Towing
Loading Your Vehicle
Towing a Trailer Heating and Air Conditioning
Setting the Radio ClockRadio/Cassette Player/CD Player (Option)
Radio Theft-Deterrent Feature
Hazard Warning Flashers
Jump Starting
Towing Your VehicleEngine Overheating
Changing a Flat Tire
If You're Stuck
Problems on the Road
Section
3
Section
4
Section
5
iii
Your Driving and the Road Comfort Controls and Audio Systems

1-23
How does an air bag restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or near
-frontal collisions,
even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel or
the instrument panel. Air bags supplement the protection
provided by safety belts. Air bags distribute the force of
the impact more evenly over the occupant's upper body,
stopping the occupant more gradually. But air bags
would not help you in many types of collisions,
including rollovers, rear impacts and side impacts,
primarily because an occupant's motion is not toward
those air bags. Air bags should never be regarded as
anything more than a supplement to safety belts,
and then only in moderate to severe frontal or
near
-frontal collisions.
What will you see after an air bag inflates?
After an air bag inflates, it quickly deflates, so quickly
that some people may not even realize the air bag
inflated. Some components of the air bag module
-- the
steering wheel hub for the driver's air bag, or the
instrument panel for the passenger's bag
-- will be hot
for a short time. The parts of the bag that come into
contact with you may be warm, but not too hot to touch.
There will be some smoke and dust coming from vents
in the deflated air bags. Air bag inflation doesn't prevent
the driver from seeing or from being able to steer the
vehicle, nor does it stop people from leaving the vehicle.
CAUTION:
When an air bag inflates, there is dust in the air.
This dust could cause breathing problems for
people with a history of asthma or other
breathing trouble. To avoid this, everyone in the
vehicle should get out as soon as it is safe to do so.
If you have breathing problems but can't get out
of the vehicle after an air bag inflates, then get
fresh air by opening a window or door.
In many crashes severe enough to inflate an air bag,
windshields are broken by vehicle deformation.
Additional windshield breakage may also occur from the
passenger air bag.

Air bags are designed to inflate only once. After they
inflate, you'll need some new parts for your air bag
system. If you don't get them, the air bag system
won't be there to help protect you in another crash.
A new system will include air bag modules and
possibly other parts. The service manual for your
vehicle covers the need to replace other parts.

1-31
Restraint Systems for Children
An infant car bed (A), a special bed made for use in a
motor vehicle, is an infant restraint system designed to
restrain or position a child on a continuous flat surface.
Make sure that the infant's head rests toward the center
of the vehicle.
A rear-facing infant seat (B) provides restraint with the
seating surface against the back of the infant. The
harness system holds the infant in place and, in a crash,
acts to keep the infant positioned in the restraint.

1-42
Q:What if a child is wearing a lap-shoulder belt,
but the child is so small that the shoulder belt is
very close to the child's face or neck?
A:Move the child toward the center of the vehicle, but
be sure that the shoulder belt still is on the child's
shoulder, so that in a crash the child's upper body
would have the restraint that belts provide.
CAUTION:
Never do this.
Here a child is sitting in a seat that has a
lap
-shoulder belt, but the shoulder part is behind
the child. If the child wears the belt in this way, in
a crash the child might slide under the belt. The
belt's force would then be applied right on the
child's abdomen. That could cause serious or
fatal injuries.
The lap portion of the belt should be worn low and snug
on the hips, just touching the child's thighs. This applies
belt force to the child's pelvic bones in a crash.

2-29
Be sure the shift lever is fully in PARK (P) before starting
the engine. Your vehicle has an automatic transmission
shift lock control system. You have to fully apply your
regular brakes before you can shift from PARK (P) when
the ignition key is in ON. 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 maintain brake application. Then press
the shift lever button and move the shift lever into the gear
you wish. If you do not apply the brake after 15 seconds
once the ignition is turned on, you will receive a PRESS
BRAKE BEFORE SHIFT message in the Driver
Information Center (DIC). See ªShifting Out of
PARK (P)º 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
ªStuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snowº 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.
CAUTION:
Shifting out of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) while
your engine is ªracingº (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.

2-34
Downshifting (Manual Transmission)
Do not downshift into the gear shown below at a speed
greater than shown in the table:
FIRST (1) 50 mph (80 km/h). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SECOND (2) 74 mph (119 km/h). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
THIRD (3) 101 mph (163 km/h). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
FOURTH (4) 130 mph (209 km/h). . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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, driveshaft
or transmission.
The six-speed transmission has a spring that centers the
gearshift 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 spring will try to pull the gearshift lever
toward FOURTH (4) and THIRD (3). Make sure you
move the lever into SECOND (2) or FIFTH (5). If you
let the gearshift 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).

2-36
Shifting Into PARK (P)
(Automatic Transmission Only)
CAUTION:
It can be 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.
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, use the steps
that follow.
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake.
2. Move the shift lever into PARK (P) by holding in the
button on the lever and pushing the lever all the way
toward the front of the vehicle.
3. Turn the ignition key to OFF.
4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can
remove the key from the ignition, the vehicle is
in PARK (P).

2-37 Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine
Running (Automatic Transmission Only)
CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle with
the engine running. Your vehicle could move
suddenly if the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P)
with the parking brake firmly set. And, if you
leave the vehicle with the engine running, it could
overheat and even catch fire. You or others could
be injured. Don't leave your vehicle with the
engine running unless you have to.
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be sure your vehicle is in PARK (P) and your
parking brake is firmly set before you leave it. After
you've moved the shift lever into PARK (P), hold down
the regular brake pedal. See if you can move the shift
lever away from PARK (P) without first pulling it
toward you. If you can, it means that the shift lever
wasn't fully locked into PARK (P).
Torque Lock (Automatic Transmission)
If you are parking on a hill and you don't shift your
transmission into PARK (P) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put too much force on the parking pawl in
the transmission. You may find it difficult to pull the
shift lever out of PARK (P). This is called ªtorque lock.º
To prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and then
shift into PARK (P) properly before you leave the
driver's seat. To find out how, see ªShifting Into
PARK (P)º in the Index.
When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out of
PARK (P) before you release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may need to have another
vehicle push yours a little uphill to take some of the
pressure from the parking pawl in the transmission, so
you can pull the shift lever out of PARK (P).

2-42
Tilt Wheel
A tilt wheel allows you to adjust the steering wheel.
You can also raise it to the highest level to give your
legs more room when you exit and enter the vehicle.
The lever is located on the left side of the steering
column. To tilt the wheel, hold the steering wheel and
pull the lever toward you. Move the steering wheel to a
comfortable level, then release the lever to lock the
steering wheel into place.
Telescopic Steering Wheel (If Equipped)
The telescopic steering wheel switch is located on the
right side of the steering column.
To operate the telescopic
steering wheel, push the
switch forward and the
wheel will move away from
you. Pull the switch
rearward and the wheel will
move toward you.
The telescopic steering wheel position can be stored
with your memory settings. See ªMemoryº in the
Index for more information.

2-45
You can open the doors manually using the knob next to
the headlamp assembly. Turn the knob counterclockwise
until the doors are open. Turn the knob clockwise to
close the doors manually.
The headlamp doors should be open when driving in
icy or snowy conditions to prevent the doors from
freezing closed and when washing the vehicle to help
clean the headlamps.
NOTICE:
In order to avoid possible contact of the hood to
the headlamp doors, either take care in raising
the hood with the headlamps up, or turn off the
headlamps prior to opening the hood.
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer
To change the headlamps from low beam to high or high
to low, push the turn signal lever all the way forward.
When the high beams
are on, this light on the
instrument panel cluster
also will be on. To change
the headlamps from high to
low, pull the lever rearward.
Lamps on Reminder
If you turn the ignition off and leave the headlamps or
parking lamps on and open a door, you will hear a chime
reminding you to turn off the lamps.
Flash-to-Pass Feature
To use the flash-to-pass feature, momentarily pull the
turn signal lever toward you. The high
-beam indicator
will flash to indicate to the other driver that you intend
to pass. If the low
-beam headlamps are off and you have
the optional fog lamps on, the fog lamps will flash.