engine oil CHEVROLET CORVETTE 2002 5.G Owners Manual

2-26
Racing or Other Competitive Driving
See your Warranty Book before using your vehicle for
racing or other competitive driving.
NOTICE:
If you use your vehicle 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 1 quart (1 L)
above the upper mark that shows the proper
operating range on the engine oil dipstick.
For information on how to add oil, see ªAdding
Oilº under ªEngineº in the Index. After the
competitive driving, remove excess oil so that the
level on the dipstick is not above the upper mark
that shows the proper operating range.
Engine Coolant Heater (Canada Only)
The engine coolant heater is located on the driver's side
of the engine under the manifold.
In very cold weather, 0
F (
-18
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. At temperatures above 32
F (0
C),
use of the coolant heater is not required.

2-27 To Use the Engine Coolant Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord.
The electrical cord is attached to the generator
bracket assembly, between the generator and the
windshield washer fluid tank.With the headlamps
closed, route the cord in the opening between the
headlamp door and the fender panel on the driver's
side of the vehicle. Do not pinch the cord when
closing the hood.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 110
-volt AC outlet.
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
11 0
-volt AC outlet. If the cord won't reach,
use a heavy
-duty three-prong extension cord
rated for at least 15 amps.
4. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug
and 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 dealer in the area where you'll be parking your
vehicle. The dealer can give you the best advice for that
particular area.

2-91 Engine Oil Pressure Gage
United States Canada
The engine oil pressure gage shows the engine oil pressure
in psi (pounds per square inch) or kPa (kilopascals) when
the engine is running.
Oil pressure should be 20 to 80 psi (140 to 550 kPa).
In certain situations such as long, extended idles on hot
days, it could read as low as 6 psi (40 kPa) and still
be considered normal. It may vary with engine speed,
outside temperature and oil viscosity, but readings
above the shaded area show the normal operating range.
Readings in the shaded area tell you that the engine is
low on oil, or that you might have some other oil
problem. See ªEngine Oilº in the Index.The engine oil pressure can also be displayed using the
GAGES button on the Driver Information Center (DIC).
See ªDriver Information Centerº in the Index.
CAUTION:
Don't keep driving if the oil pressure is low.
If you do, your engine can become so hot that
it catches fire. You or others could be burned.
Check your oil as soon as possible and have
your vehicle serviced.
NOTICE:
Damage to your engine from neglected oil
problems can be costly and is not covered by
your warranty.

2-92
Security Light
This light comes on to
remind you to arm your
theft
-deterrent system. If it
comes on and stays on when
your ignition is on, there
may be a problem with your
theft
-deterrent system.
See ªTheft
-Deterrent Systemº and ªPASS-Key Systemº
in the Index.
Check Gages Warning Light
This light will come on
briefly when you are
starting the engine. If the
light comes on and stays on
while you are driving, check
your gages to see if they are
in the warning areas.
This light can come on for the following reasons:

Low Oil Pressure

High Coolant Temperature

High or Low Battery Voltage

Low Fuel Level
Fuel Gage
Your fuel gage tells you
about how much fuel
you have left when the
ignition is on.
When the needle approaches the red zone, RESERVE
FUEL will appear on the Driver Information Center
(DIC) display. When the needle approaches the E, LOW
FUEL will appear on the display. At this time, you still
have a little fuel left, but you should get more soon.
Press RESET to acknowledge a DIC message(s).
Pressing RESET will also turn off a DIC message
but the LOW FUEL message will come on again in
10 minutes if you have not added fuel to the vehicle.

2-94
Driver Information Center (DIC)
The Driver Information Center (DIC) will display
information about how your vehicle is functioning,
as well as warning messages if a system problem is
detected. The DIC display area is located in the
instrument panel cluster below the speedometer and
tachometer, directly above the steering column.
The following buttons are located on the DIC control
panel which is located to the right of the instrument
panel cluster.
1 FUEL: Press this button to display fuel information
such as fuel economy and range.
2 GAGES: Use this button to display gage information
like oil pressure and temperature, coolant temperature,
automatic transmission fluid temperature, battery
voltage and front/rear tire pressures.
3 TRIP: Use this button to display your total and trip
miles, the elapsed time function, your average speed and
the engine oil life.
4 OPTIONS: This button allows you to choose personal
options that are available on your vehicle, depending on
the options your vehicle is equipped with, such as
security, door locks, easy entry seats and language.
5 E/M (English/Metric): Use this button to change
the display between English and metric units.
RESET: This button, used along with the other buttons,
will reset system functions and turn off or acknowledge
messages on the Driver Information Center (DIC).
At the top of the DIC control buttons is a light sensor.
Be sure not to block the sensor or your lighting
functions may be disrupted.

2-99
Elapsed Time
Press the TRIP button until ELAP. TIME is displayed,
such as ELAP. TIME 00:00:00.00.
When the ignition is in ON, the Driver Information
Center (DIC) can be used as a stopwatch. The display
can show hours, minutes, seconds and hundredths of
a second. The elapsed time indicator will record up to
99 hours, 59 minutes and 59 seconds, then it will reset
to zero and continue counting. (Hundredths are shown
up to 59 minutes, 59 seconds and 99 hundredths).
The display appears as ELAP. TIME 00:00:00.00 in
the elapsed time function.
You can start or stop the elapsed time by pressing
RESET. To reset the elapsed time to zero, stop the
timer by pressing RESET. Then press and hold RESET
until ELAP. TIME 00:00:00.00 appears in the DIC.
Average Speed
Press the TRIP button until the average speed is
displayed, such as:

AVERAGE SPEED 62 MPH or

AVERAGE SPEED 100 km/h
Press reset in this mode to start calculating the average
speed. Press and hold RESET to clear.Engine Oil Life
Press the TRIP button until the engine oil life is
displayed, such as OIL LIFE REMAIN 89%.
This is an estimate of the engine oil's remaining useful
life. It will show 99% when the system is reset after
an oil change. It will alert you to change your oil on
a schedule consistent with your driving conditions.
When the remaining oil life is low, the system will alert
you with the message CHANGE OIL SOON.
When the oil life is down to zero, you will receive the
message CHANGE OIL NOW.
Remember, you must reset the OIL LIFE yourself
after each oil change. It will not reset itself. Also, be
careful not to reset the OIL LIFE accidentally at any
time other than when the oil has just been changed.
It can't be reset accurately until the next oil change.
To reset the system, see ªHow to Reset the Change
Oil Soon Messageº in the Index.
Also, see ªEngine Oil, When to Changeº and
ªMaintenance Scheduleº in the Index.

2-106
SERVICE COLUMN LOCK (Manual Transmission
Only): If the system that controls the locking and
unlocking of the steering column does not work
properly, have the vehicle towed to a dealer for service.
PULL KEY
- WAIT 10 SEC (Manual Transmission
Only): If this message comes on, the steering column
lock system has detected a problem while engaging the
steering column lock. This message may occur when
the ignition key is removed and reinserted before the
steering column lock system fully locks or unlocks the
steering column. To acknowledge that you have read
this message, and to clear it from the display, remove
the ignition key and wait 10 seconds before reinserting
the key into the ignition. If you attempt to operate
your vehicle without removing the key for 10 seconds,
the vehicle's fuel system will shut off when you reach
1.5 mph (2.4 km/h). If the message stays on after
removing the key and waiting 10 seconds, have your
vehicle taken to an authorized dealer as soon as possible
for diagnosis and repair.LOW OIL PRESSURE: You will hear four chimes
and the CHECK GAGES telltale will come on when
this message is displayed. To acknowledge the warning,
press the RESET button. After you press the RESET
button, a message will be displayed and you will hear a
chime every minute until the vehicle is serviced. If you
do not press RESET, the message will remain on the
digital display until the vehicle is serviced.
Low oil pressure may be the result of a combination
of low oil level and abrupt changes in the vehicle's
direction. When this warning is displayed, you should
not operate the engine at high rpm or make fast abrupt
moves. As soon as possible, you should check the oil
level. See ªEngine Oilº in the Index.
LOW OIL LEVEL: Press RESET to acknowledge
that you have read the message and to remove it from
the display. The message will reappear every 10 minutes
until this condition changes. Once the vehicle senses
a temperature change in the engine oil, the light will
remain off.
You will hear two chimes when this message is
displayed. If this message appears after starting your
engine, your engine oil level may be too low. You may
need to add oil. See ªEngine Overheatingº in the Index.

2-109
MAXIMUM SPEED 80 MPH (129 km/h): You will
hear four chimes when this message is displayed.
To acknowledge the warning, press RESET. After you
press RESET, a message will reappear every 10 minutes
until this condition changes.
This message indicates that a malfunction is present
in the selective real time damping system. The vehicle
speed will be limited to 80 mph (129 km/h) when the
shock absorber system has failed and the shocks are in
their full soft mode. Have your vehicle serviced as soon
as possible.
COOLANT OVER TEMP: You will hear four chimes
and the CHECK GAGES telltale will come on when
this message is displayed. To acknowledge the warning,
press the RESET button. After you press the RESET
button, a message will be displayed and you will hear a
chime every minute until this condition changes. If you
do not press RESET, the message will remain on the
digital display until the condition changes.If the engine coolant exceeds 255
F (124
C), this
message is displayed. If you have been operating your
vehicle under normal driving conditions, you should
pull off from the road, stop your vehicle and turn off the
engine as soon as possible. You can monitor the coolant
temperature with the GAGES button on the DIC or the
engine coolant gage on the instrument panel cluster.
See ªEngine Overheatingº in the Index.
REDUCE ENGINE RPM: You will hear four chimes
when this message is displayed. To acknowledge the
warning, press the RESET button. After you press the
RESET button, a message will be displayed and you
will hear a chime every minute until this condition
changes. If you do not press RESET, the message will
remain on the digital display until the condition changes.
If the engine oil temperature exceeds 320
F (160
C),
this message is displayed. You should check the engine
coolant temperature and engine oil level. If your engine
is too hot, see ªEngine Overheatingº in the Index.
Your vehicle may need service, so see your dealer.
You can monitor the oil temperature with the GAGES
button on the DIC.

2-114
Other Messages
Here are more messages that you can receive on your
Driver Information Center (DIC). To acknowledge a
message and read another message that may have
come on at the same time, press the RESET button.

BRAKE BEFORE SHIFT
(Automatic Transmissions Only)

CHANGE OIL NOW
(See ªGM Oil Life Systemº in the Index.)

CHANGE OIL SOON
(See ªGM Oil Life Systemº in the Index.)

CRUISE DISENGAGED
(See ªCruise Controlº in the Index.)

CRUISE SET __ MPH (__ km/h)
(See ªCruise Controlº in the Index.)

DOOR AJAR
ENGINE PROTECTION REDUCE ENGINE RPM

HATCH AJAR (Coupe)

HIGH VOLTAGE (See ªVoltmeterº in the Index.)

LOW BRAKE FLUID
(See ªBrake Fluidº in the Index.)

LOW FUEL (See ªFuel Gageº in the Index.)

LOW VOLTAGE (See ªVoltmeterº in the Index.)

LOW WASHER FLUID
(See ªWindshield Washer Fluidº in the Index.)

RESERVE FUEL (See ªFuel Gageº in the Index.)

TONNEAU AJAR (Convertible)

TRUNK AJAR (Convertible/Z06)

UPSHIFT NOW
(See ªManual Transmissionº in the Index.)

2-115
Head-Up Display (HUD) (If Equipped)
CAUTION:
If the HUD image is too bright, or too high in
your field of view, it may take you more time to
see things you need to see when it's dark outside.
Be sure to keep the HUD image dim and placed
low in your field of view.
If your vehicle is equipped with the Head-Up Display
(HUD), you can see some of the driver information that
appears on your instrument panel cluster.The information may be displayed in English or metric
units and appears as an image focused out toward
the front of your vehicle. The HUD consists of the
following information:

Speedometer

Turn Signal Indicators

High
-Beam Indicator Symbol

Tachometer

Oil, Temperature and Fuel Gages

Shift Light (Performance SHIFT Light)
This light is used for performance driving to indicate
that the vehicle's best performance level has been
reached to shift the transmission into the next
higher gear. The SHIFT light will display at an
engine speed of about 5,750 rpm (6,250 rpm
on Z06), just prior to reaching the engine fuel
cut
-off mode. To better understand the vehicle's
power curves, see ªCapacities and Specificationsº
in the Index.

Check Gages Icon