CHEVROLET CORVETTE 2003 5.G Owners Manual

Seats and Restraint Systems........................... 1-1
Front Seats
............................................... 1-2
Safety Belts
.............................................. 1-7
Child Restraints
.......................................1-21
Air Bag System
.......................................1-39
Restraint System Check
............................1-48
Features and Controls..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-3
Doors and Locks
....................................... 2-9
Windows
.................................................2-14
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................2-16
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
...........2-19
Mirrors
....................................................2-37
Storage Areas
.........................................2-39
Roof Panel
..............................................2-43
Convertible Top
.......................................2-49
Vehicle Personalization
.............................2-55
Instrument Panel............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-2
Climate Controls
......................................3-22
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
.........3-29
Driver Information Center (DIC)
..................3-44
Audio System(s)
.......................................3-62Driving Your Vehicle....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle
..... 4-2
Towing
...................................................4-33
Service and Appearance Care.......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-4
Checking Things Under the Hood
...............5-10
Rear Axle
...............................................5-46
Bulb Replacement
....................................5-47
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.........5-51
Tires
......................................................5-54
Appearance Care
.....................................5-75
Vehicle Identi®cation
.................................5-83
Electrical System
......................................5-84
Capacities and Speci®cations
.....................5-92
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts
......5-94
Maintenance Schedule..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance Information.................... 7-1
Customer Assistance Information
.................. 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
............................ 7-9
INDEX............................................................... 1
2003 Chevrolet Corvette Owner ManualM

GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem,
CHEVROLET, the CHEVROLET Emblem and the name
CORVETTE and the CORVETTE Emblem are
registered trademarks of General Motors Corporation.
This manual includes the latest information at the time it
was printed. We reserve the right to make changes
after that time without further notice. For vehicles ®rst
sold in Canada, substitute the name ªGeneral Motors of
Canada Limitedº for Chevrolet Motor Division whenever
it appears in this manual.
Please keep this manual in your vehicle, so it will be
there if you ever need it when you're on the road. If you
sell the vehicle, please leave this manual in it so the
new owner can use it.
Litho in U.S.A.
Part No. 10323873 A First Edition
Copyright General Motors Corporation 06/20/02
All Rights Reserved
Canadian Owners
You can obtain a French copy of this manual from your
dealer or from:
Helm, Incorporated
P.O. Box 07130
Detroit, MI 48207
How to Use This Manual
Many people read their owner's manual from beginning
to end when they ®rst receive their new vehicle. If
you do this, it will help you learn about the features and
controls for your vehicle. In this manual, you'll ®nd
that pictures and words work together to explain things.
Index
A good place to look for what you need is the Index in
back of the manual. It's an alphabetical list of what's
in the manual, and the page number where you'll ®nd it.
ii

Safety Warnings and Symbols
You will ®nd a number of safety cautions in this book.
We use a box and the word CAUTION to tell you about
things that could hurt you if you were to ignore the
warning.
{CAUTION:
These mean there is something that could hurt
you or other people.
In the caution area, we tell you what the hazard is.
Then we tell you what to do to help avoid or reduce the
hazard. Please read these cautions. If you don't, you
or others could be hurt.You will also ®nd a circle
with a slash through it in
this book. This safety
symbol means ªDon't,º
ªDon't do thisº or ªDon't let
this happen.º
iii

Vehicle Damage Warnings
Also, in this book you will ®nd these notices:
Notice:These mean there is something that could
damage your vehicle.
A notice will tell you about something that can damage
your vehicle. Many times, this damage would not be
covered by your warranty, and it could be costly. But the
notice will tell you what to do to help avoid the
damage.
When you read other manuals, you might see CAUTION
and NOTICE warnings in different colors or in different
words.
You'll also see warning labels on your vehicle. They use
the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE.
Vehicle Symbols
Your vehicle has components and labels that use
symbols instead of text. Symbols, used on your vehicle,
are shown along with the text describing the operation
or information relating to a speci®c component, control,
message, gage or indicator.
If you need help ®guring out a speci®c name of a
component, gage or indicator, reference the following
topics:
·Seats and Restraint Systems in Section 1
·Features and Controls in Section 2
·Instrument Panel Overview in Section 3
·Climate Controls in Section 3
·Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators in Section 3
·Audio System(s) in Section 3
·Engine Compartment Overview in Section 5
iv

These are some examples of vehicle symbols you may ®nd on your vehicle:
v

Model Reference
This manual covers these models:
Z06
Coupe
Convertible
vi

Front Seats......................................................1-2
Manual Seats................................................1-2
Power Seats..................................................1-2
Reclining Seatbacks........................................1-3
Seatback Latches...........................................1-5
Sport Seat.....................................................1-6
Safety Belts.....................................................1-7
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone.................1-7
Questions and Answers About Safety Belts......1-11
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly.................1-12
Driver Position..............................................1-13
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy..................1-20
Passenger Position.......................................1-20
Safety Belt Extender.....................................1-20
Child Restraints.............................................1-21
Older Children..............................................1-21
Infants and Young Children............................1-23
Child Restraint Systems.................................1-26
Top Strap....................................................1-30
Top Strap Anchor Location.............................1-31Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH System)...........................1-31
Securing a Child Restraint Designed for the
LATCH System.........................................1-33
Securing a Child Restraint in the Passenger
Seat Position............................................1-34
Air Bag System..............................................1-39
Where Are the Air Bags?...............................1-40
When Should an Air Bag In¯ate?....................1-42
What Makes an Air Bag In¯ate?.....................1-42
How Does an Air Bag Restrain?.....................1-42
What Will You See After an
Air Bag In¯ates?.......................................1-43
Air Bag Off Switch........................................1-44
Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle.........1-47
Restraint System Check..................................1-48
Checking Your Restraint Systems...................1-48
Replacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash............................................1-48
Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
1-1

Front Seats
Manual Seats
To move a manual seat, pull up on the lever located in
front of the seat to unlock it. Slide the seat to where
you want it and release the lever. Then try to move the
seat with your body to make sure the seat is locked
into place.
Power Seats
If your vehicle has this feature, the control for the power
seats will be located on the outboard side of each
seat, near the base.
1-2

Different parts of the power seat control move different
parts of the seat. To move the seat forward or
rearward, move the control in that direction. Move the
control up to raise the seat and down to lower it.
By tilting the back of the control, it will raise or lower the
back of the seat. Tilting the front of the control will
raise or lower the front of the seat.
Your preferred seat position can be stored and recalled
if you have the memory option. See
Memory on
page 2-55.
Reclining Seatbacks
The lever for the reclining seatback is located on the
outboard side of each seat, near the base.
To adjust the seatback, lean slightly forward to lift your
weight off the seatback. Pull completely up on the
lever until it stops, and lean back to position the
seatback to where you want it. Release the lever to lock
the seatback into place.
1-3

But don't have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is
moving.
{CAUTION:
Sitting in a reclined position when your vehicle
is in motion can be dangerous. Even if you
buckle up, your safety belts can't do their job
when you're reclined like this.
The shoulder belt can't do its job because it
won't be against your body. Instead, it will be
in front of you. In a crash you could go into it,
receiving neck or other injuries.
The lap belt can't do its job either. In a crash
the belt could go up over your abdomen. The
belt forces would be there, not at your pelvic
bones. This could cause serious internal
injuries.
For proper protection when the vehicle is in
motion, have the seatback upright. Then sit
well back in the seat and wear your safety belt
properly.
1-4