cooling CHEVROLET CORVETTE 2002 5.G Owners Manual

2-14
Hatch/Trunk
CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to drive with the hatch/trunk
lid open because carbon monoxide (CO) gas can
come into your vehicle. You can't see or smell
CO. It can cause unconsciousness and even death.
If you must drive with the hatch/trunk lid open
or if electrical wiring or other cable connections
must pass through the seal between the body
and the hatch/trunk lid:

Make sure all other windows are shut.

Turn the fan on your heating or cooling
system to its highest speed with the setting
on Bi
-Level or Vent with the outside air
button pressed. That will force outside air
into your vehicle. See ªComfort Controlsº
in the Index.

If you have air outlets on or under the
instrument panel, open them all the way.
See ªEngine Exhaustº in the Index.
NOTICE:
If you put things in the hatch/trunk area, be sure
they won't break the glass when you close it.
Never slam the hatch/trunk lid down. You could
break the glass or damage the defogger grid.
When you close the hatch/trunk lid, make sure
you pull down from the center, not the sides.
If you pull the hatch/trunk lid down from the
side too often, the weatherstrip can be damaged.
NOTICE:
Do not store heavy or sharp objects in the
rear storage compartments located in the
hatch/trunk area. If you do, the objects could
damage the underbody.

3-2
Comfort Controls
This section tells you how to make your air system work
for you.
With these systems, you can control the heating,
cooling and ventilation in your vehicle. Your vehicle
also has a flow
-through ventilation system described
later in this section.
Manual Comfort Controls
Fan Knob
(Fan): The left knob controls the force of air you
want. Turn the knob clockwise to increase fan speed or
counterclockwise to decrease fan speed. The fan must be
turned on for the air conditioning compressor to operate.Temperature Knob
The center knob controls the temperature of the air
coming through the system. Turn it counterclockwise
(toward the blue area) for cooler air. Turn it clockwise
(toward the red area) for warmer air.
Mode Knob
The right knob selects the location of where the air will
enter the vehicle.
(Vent): This setting directs most of the air through
the instrument panel outlets with a very small amount of
air directed to the lower outlets.
(Bi-Level): This setting directs air into the vehicle
in two ways. Cooler air is directed toward your upper
body through the instrument panel outlets, while warmer
air is directed through the lower outlets.
(Floor): This setting directs most of the air through
the lower ducts to the floor area of the vehicle with
some of the air also directed toward the windshield and
side window vents.

3-5
Driver Set Temperature Knob
The DRIVER knob changes the temperature on
the driver's and passenger's side of the vehicle.
Turn the knob clockwise to increase the temperature
and counterclockwise to decrease the temperature.
Whenever you turn this knob, the temperature will be
displayed for approximately five seconds along with
the current fan speed and air delivery mode.
When adjusting the temperature, start with a driver
-set
temperature of 73
F (23
C) until you determine
your comfort zone. If you choose 60
F (16
C),
the system will remain at maximum cooling and will
not automatically adjust fan speed or air delivery.
If you choose 90
F (32
C), the system will remain at
maximum heating and will not automatically adjust fan
speed or air delivery. Choosing either maximum setting
will not cause the system to heat or cool any faster.
Turning the knob past either maximum setting has
no effect on the operation of the system.Passenger Temperature Offset
The PASSENGER knob changes the temperature on the
passenger's side of the vehicle. When the knob is in the
12 o'clock position, the passenger's temperature is the
same as the driver's. Turn the knob clockwise for warmer
air on the passenger's side, counterclockwise for cooler
air. If the driver
-set temperature is set at 60
F (16
C) or
90
F (32
C), turning the passenger knob has no effect
because the system is locked at a maximum setting.
Automatic Operation
Press the AUTO button to place the entire system in
the automatic mode. After a five
-second display of the
current settings, only the word AUTO and the outside
temperature will be shown on the digital display
unless you are in full cold 60
F (16
C) or full hot
90
F (32
C), then the word AUTO will not display.
The system will operate to achieve your comfort set
temperature as quickly as possible. The AUTO control
system works best with the windows up and the
removable roof installed or the convertible top up.

3-6
A Typical Cold Weather Example:
Your vehicle has been parked outside overnight in
cold weather (below 32
F/ 0
C) and you have set the
driver temperature at 73
F (23
C) and have selected
the AUTO mode. The system will automatically adjust
the temperature output to maximum heating. The fan
will start at a low speed. This is to avoid blowing cold
air into the vehicle. The length of the delay depends on
the amount of time since the engine was last started, the
outside temperature and the engine coolant temperature.
As the coolant warms up, the fan speed will gradually
increase. Air will flow to the floor with some air to
the windshield to prevent fogging under most
normal conditions.
As the interior of the vehicle warms up to the set
temperature, the fan speed will decrease and the
temperature output may become cooler. If the interior
temperature continues to warm up due to heating from
the sun or outside temperature increases, the system
may switch to other air delivery modes (typically defog
or bi
-level).A Typical Hot Weather Example:
The vehicle has been parked outside all day in hot
weather (above 80
F/ 27
C) and you have set the
driver temperature at 73
F (23
C) and have selected the
AUTO mode. The system will automatically adjust the
temperature output to maximum cooling. The fan will
start at a low speed momentarily to push the hot air to
the floor of the vehicle and then go to a higher fan speed
with cold airflow out of the instrument panel outlets.
A small amount of airflow will continue through the
lower ducts to cool the floor area.
The air intake may start in the recirculated mode for
maximum cooling performance. As the interior of the
vehicle cools down to the set temperature, the fan speed
will decrease and the temperature output may become
warmer. The air intake may shift from recirculation to
outside air mode. If the interior continues to cool due to a
decrease in the amount of heat the vehicle is absorbing
from the sun or a decrease in the outside temperature, the
system could switch to other air delivery modes (typically
bi-level or defog).

3-11 Air Conditioning
On very hot days, the vehicle will cool down more
quickly and economically if you open the windows
long enough to let hot inside air escape. Then keep the
windows closed in order to allow the air conditioning
to work best. Maximum cooling will occur when the
recirculate setting is operating, airflow direction is in the
upper mode, and the temperature control knob (on a
manual climate control system) is turned all the way to
the blue area. These settings will be selected by the
automatic electronic dual climate control system if
operating in AUTO when maximum cooling is required.
When the air conditioning is on, you may sometimes
notice slight changes in the vehicle's engine performance
and power. This is normal. The system is designed to
help fuel economy while maintaining the desired
cooling level.
The air conditioning removes moisture from the air,
so you may notice water dripping from under the
vehicle when it is idling or after it has been turned off.
This is normal.
Heating
The heater works best if you keep the windows closed.
Maximum heating will occur when airflow direction is
in the lower mode and the temperature control knob
(on a manual climate control system) is all the way in
the red area. These settings will be selected by the
automatic electronic dual climate control system if
operating in AUTO when maximum heating is required.
The bi
-level setting is designed for use on sunny days
when the air is only moderately warm or cool. On days
like these, the sun may adequately warm your upper
body, but your lower body may not be warm enough.
The bi
-level setting will direct cooler airflow to your
upper body and warmer air to the floor area.
If you have the optional engine coolant heater and use it
during cold weather 0
F (
-18
C) or lower, the heating
system will provide heat more quickly because the
coolant is already warmed. See ªEngine Coolant Heaterº
in the Index.

4-26
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from
driving in flat or rolling terrain.If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you're
planning to visit there, here are some tips that can
make your trips safer and more enjoyable.

Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all fluid
levels and also the brakes, tires, cooling system
and transmission. These parts can work hard on
mountain roads.

Know how to go down hills. The most important
thing to know is this: let your engine do some of
the slowing down. Shift to a lower gear when you
go down a steep or long hill.
CAUTION:
If you don't shift down, your brakes could get so
hot that they wouldn't work well. You would then
have poor braking or even none going down a hill.
You could crash. Shift down to let your engine
assist your brakes on a steep downhill slope.

5-
5-1
Section 5 Problems on the Road
Here you'll find what to do about some problems that can occur on the road.
5
-2 Hazard Warning Flashers
5
-2 Other Warning Devices
5
-3 Jump Starting
5
-8 Towing Your Vehicle5
-9 Engine Overheating
5
-12 Cooling System
5
-19 If a Tire Goes Flat
5
-21 Tire Inflator Kit (Z06 Models Only)
5
-27 If You're Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow

5-12
Cooling System
When you decide it's safe to lift the hood, here's what
you'll see:
A. Electric Engine Cooling Fans
B. Coolant Surge Tank
CAUTION:
An electric engine cooling fan under the hood can
start up even when the engine is not running and
can injure you. Keep hands, clothing and tools
away from any underhood electric fan.
If the coolant inside the coolant surge tank is boiling,
don't do anything else until it cools down. The vehicle
should be parked on a level surface.

5-13
The coolant level should be at or above the FULL COLD
mark. If it isn't, you may have a leak at the pressure cap
or in the radiator hoses, heater hoses, radiator, water
pump or somewhere else in the cooling system.
CAUTION:
Heater and radiator hoses, and other engine
parts, can be very hot. Don't touch them.
If you do, you can be burned.
Don't run the engine if there is a leak. If you run
the engine, it could lose all coolant. That could
cause an engine fire, and you could be burned.
Get any leak fixed before you drive the vehicle.
If there seems to be no leak, with the engine on,
check to see if the electric engine cooling fans are
running. If the engine is overheating, both fans should
be running. If they aren't, your vehicle needs service.
NOTICE:
Engine damage from running your engine
without coolant isn't covered by your warranty.
See ªOverheated Engine Protection Operating
Modeº in the Index for information on driving to
a safe place in an emergency.

5-14
NOTICE:
When adding coolant, it is important that you
use only DEX
-COOL
(silicate-free) coolant.
If coolant other than DEX-COOL is added to
the system, premature engine, heater core or
radiator corrosion may result. In addition, the
engine coolant will require change sooner
-- at
30,000 miles (50 000 km) or 24 months,
whichever occurs first. Damage caused by the
use of coolant other than DEX
-COOL
is not
covered by your new vehicle warranty.
How to Add Coolant to the Coolant
Surge Tank
If you haven't found a problem yet, check to see if
coolant is visible in the surge tank. If coolant is visible
but the coolant level isn't at the FULL COLD mark on
the coolant surge tank, add a 50/50 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and DEX
-COOL
coolant at the
coolant surge tank, but be sure the cooling system,
including the coolant surge tank pressure cap, is cool
before you do it. See ªEngine Coolantº in the Index
for more information.