low oil pressure CHEVROLET CORVETTE 2011 6.G Owners Manual

Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2011
Introduction v
Vehicle Symbol Chart
Here are some additional symbols
that may be found on the vehicle
and what they mean. For more
information on the symbol, refer
to the Index.
9:Airbag Readiness Light
#:Air Conditioning
!:Antilock Brake System (ABS)
g:Audio Steering Wheel Controls
or OnStar®
$: Brake System Warning Light
":Charging System
I:Cruise Control
B: Engine Coolant Temperature
O:Exterior Lamps
#:Fog Lamps
.: Fuel Gauge
+:Fuses
3: Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer
j: LATCH System Child
Restraints
*: Malfunction Indicator Lamp
::Oil Pressure
}:Power
/:Remote Vehicle Start
>:Safety Belt Reminders
7:Tire Pressure Monitor
F:Traction Control
M:Windshield Washer Fluid

Black plate (22,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2011
1-22 In Brief
Tire Pressure Monitor
This vehicle may have a Tire
Pressure Monitor System (TPMS).
The TPMS warning light alerts you
to a significant loss in pressure of
one of the vehicle's tires. If the
warning light comes on, stop as
soon as possible and inflate the
tires to the recommended pressure
shown on the Tire and Loading
Information label. SeeVehicle Load
Limits on page 9‑14. The warning
light will remain on until the tire
pressure is corrected.
During cooler conditions, the low tire
pressure warning light may appear
when the vehicle is first started and
then turn off. This may be an early indicator that the tire pressures are
getting low and the tires need to be
inflated to the proper pressure.
The TPMS does not replace normal
monthly tire maintenance. It is the
driver
’s responsibility to maintain
correct tire pressures.
See Tire Pressure Monitor System
on page 10‑68.Z06, Z16, and ZR1
Features
Checking Engine Oil
ZO6, ZR1, and manual transmission
Z16 (Grand Sport) coupe models
have a high performance dry sump
lubrication system. This system
operates differently than a standard
engine lubrication system.
See Engine Oil on page 10‑15.
You should check the oil level
only after the engine has been
thoroughly warmed up and then
shut off for at least five minutes.
This ensures that the oil level
reading obtained will be accurate. Jump Starting the Battery
The battery of ZO6, ZR1, and
manual transmission Z16 (Grand
Sport) coupe models is in the rear
of the vehicle. You do not need to
access the battery for jump starting.
There are remote positive (+) and
negative (−) terminals under the
hood for this purpose. See
Battery
on page 10‑43 andJump Starting
on page 10‑82.
Brake Noise
Under certain weather or operating
conditions, occasional brake noise
might be heard with the vehicle's
performance braking system.
This brake system is designed
for superior fade resistance and
consistent operation using high
performance brake pads. Brake
noise is normal and does not affect
system performance. See Braking
on page 9‑3.

Black plate (14,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2011
5-14 Instruments and Controls
Metric—Z06 and ZR1 Models
{WARNING
Do not keep driving if the oil
pressure is low. The engine can
become so hot that it catches fire.
Someone could be burned. Check
the oil as soon as possible and
have the vehicle serviced.
Notice: Lack of proper engine
oil maintenance can damage the
engine. The repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Always follow the maintenance
schedule for changing engine oil.
The engine oil pressure gauge
shows the engine oil pressure in
psi (pounds per square inch) or
kPa (kilopascals) when the engine
is running. Oil pressure should be 140 to
550 kPa (20 to 80 psi). In certain
situations such as long, extended
idles on hot days, it could read as
low as 40 kPa (6 psi) and still be
considered normal. Oil pressure
may exceed 689 kPa (100 psi)
when first started or when
accelerating. 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
Engine
Oil on page 10‑15.
The engine oil pressure can also
be displayed using the GAGES
button on the Driver Information
Center (DIC). See Driver Information
Center (DIC) on page 5‑25.

Black plate (26,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2011
5-26 Instruments and Controls
DIC Operation and Displays
Depending on the features on the
vehicle, the drive gear may display
on the DIC. See“Manual Paddle
Shift” under Automatic Transmission
on page 9‑28 and“Head-Up
Display (HUD)” in the index of
the Navigation system manual
for more information.
The Driver Information Center (DIC)
has different modes which can be
accessed by pressing the following
buttons located on the instrument
panel, to the right of the instrument
panel cluster.
. 4(Fuel): Press this button to
display fuel information such as fuel
economy and range.
2(Gauges): Press this button
to display gauge information like oil
pressure and temperature, coolant
temperature, automatic transmission
fluid temperature, if equipped,
battery voltage, and front/rear tire
pressures. TRIP:
Press this button to display
your total and trip distance driven,
the elapsed time function, your
average speed, and the engine
oil life.
OPTION: Press this button to
choose personal options that
are available on your vehicle,
depending on the options your
vehicle is equipped with, such
as door locks, easy entry seats,
and language.
RESET: Press this button, used
along with the other buttons, to
reset system functions, select
personal options, and turn off or
acknowledge messages on the DIC.

Black plate (28,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2011
5-28 Instruments and Controls
GAGES Button
The gauges button displays
oil pressure, oil temperature,
coolant temperature, transmission
fluid temperature for automatic
transmission vehicles only, battery
voltage, and tire pressure
information.
Oil Pressure:This display shows
the oil pressure.
Press the gauges button to display
the oil pressure, such as:
.OIL PRESSURE 276 kPa or
.OIL PRESSURE 40 PSI
Oil Temperature: This display
shows the oil temperature.
Press the gauges button again to
display the oil temperature, such as:
.OIL TEMPERATURE 112°C or
.OIL TEMPERATURE 234°F If the oil temperature is low,
the display will show OIL
TEMPERATURE LOW. If the oil
temperature is high, the display will
show OIL TEMPERATURE HIGH.
Coolant Temperature:
This
display shows the engine coolant
temperature.
Press the gauges button again to
display the coolant temperature,
such as:
.COOLANT
TEMPERATURE 51°C or
.COOLANT
TEMPERATURE 123°F
If the coolant temperature is low,
the display will show COOLANT
TEMPERATURE LOW. If the
coolant temperature is high, the
display will show COOLANT
TEMPERATURE HIGH. Transmission Fluid
Temperature:
If you have an
automatic transmission vehicle,
this display shows the automatic
transmission fluid temperature.
Press the gauges button again to
display the automatic transmission
fluid temperature, such as:
.TRANS FLUID TEMP 51°C or
.TRANS FLUID TEMP 123°F
If the transmission fluid temperature
is low, the display will show
TRANS FLUID TEMP LOW. If the
transmission fluid temperature is
high, the display will show TRANS
FLUID TEMP HIGH.

Black plate (31,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-31
Head-Up Display (HUD)
{WARNING
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 is
dark outside. Be sure to keep the
HUD image dim and placed low in
your field of view.
For vehicles with the Head-Up
Display (HUD), you can see some
of the driver information that
appears on the instrument panel
cluster. The information may be displayed
in English or metric units and
appears as an image focused
out toward the front of the vehicle.
The HUD consists of the following
information:
.Speedometer
.Turn Signal Indicators
.High-Beam Indicator Symbol
.Tachometer
.Manual Paddle Shift Gear
Indicator (If Equipped)
These displays on the HUD are
for use when using the manual
paddle shift controls to shift the
transmission. See
“Manual
Paddle Shift” inAutomatic
Transmission on page 9‑28.
.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. An arrow pointing up will
light up on the display just prior
to reaching the engine fuel
cut-off mode. This cut-off is
about 6,500 RPM for the
LS3 engine, 6,600 RPM for
the LS9 & ZR1 engines and
7,000 RPM for the LS7 engine.
.Check Gauges Warning
.Engine Coolant Temperature
Gauge
.Transmission Fluid Temperature
Gauge, (Automatic Transmission
Vehicles Only)
.Engine Oil Temperature Gauge
.Engine Oil Pressure Gauge
.G-Force Gauge
.Boost Gauge (If Equipped)
.Audio Functions, Street
Mode Only
.Navigation, Only with Navigation
Radio, Turn-by-Turn Guidance

Black plate (33,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-33
Within each mode, the display, can
be further customized by pressing
the PAGE button. Pressing this
button in each mode will turn off
and on the following:
.Street Mode—No tachometer,
circular tachometer, and linear
tachometer.
.Track Modes 1 and 2 —No
minor gauge, coolant
temperature, transmission
oil temperature, engine oil
temperature, engine oil
pressure, and boost gauge.
While in Track Mode 1 or 2, the
maximum G value achieved
during the current ignition cycle
can be displayed by pressing
and holding the PAGE button.
The maximum G display will be
shown until the PAGE button is
released. The maximum G value
display will be identical to the
normal G value display, except
the maximum G gauge digits (X.XX G) and corresponding
G gauge bar will overwrite the
current G value.English
Metric
Be sure to continue scanning the
displays, controls and driving
environment just as you would in a
vehicle without HUD. If you never
look at the instrument panel cluster, you may miss something important,
such as a warning light. Under
important warning conditions,
the CHECK GAGES warning will
illuminate in the HUD. View your
Driver Information Center (DIC)
for more information.
The HUD controls are located to the
left of the steering wheel.

Black plate (41,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-41
LOW OIL PRESSURE
This message displays if low
oil pressure levels occur. If this
message appears while the engine
is running, stop the engine and do
not operate it until the cause of low
oil pressure is corrected. Severe
damage to the engine can result.
A sound will be heard when this
message is displayed. SeeEngine
Oil on page 10‑15.
Engine Power Messages
ENGINE DRAG CONTROL
ACTIVE
This message displays when
engine drag control is active.
When driving in a lower gear in
rainy, snowy, or icy conditions and
then letting up on the accelerator
or downshifting, the rear wheels
may begin to slip and this message
displays. This message stays on for
a few seconds following the engine
drag control event.
REDUCED ENGINE POWER
If this message displays and the
check engine light comes on,
a noticeable reduction in the
vehicle's performance may occur.
If the REDUCED ENGINE POWER
message is displayed, but there
is no reduction in performance,
proceed to your destination. The
performance may be reduced the
next time the vehicle is driven.
The vehicle may be driven at a
reduced speed while the REDUCED
ENGINE POWER message is
displayed, but acceleration and
speed may be reduced. Anytime
the check engine light stays on,
the vehicle should be taken to
your dealer as soon as possible
for diagnosis and repair. See
Malfunction Indicator Lamp on
page 5‑18 for more information.
Multiple chimes sound when this
message is displayed. To acknowledge the message, press
the RESET button. The message
reappears every five minutes until
this condition changes.
If the REDUCED ENGINE
POWER message is displayed in
combination with the COOLANT
OVER TEMPERATURE message,
see
Engine Overheating on
page 10‑34.
Fuel System Messages
CHECK GAS CAP
This message displays if the fuel
cap has not been fully tightened.
Check the fuel cap to make
sure that it is on properly. Once
tightened, it takes at least one
overnight park to reset or clear this
message. If both the CHECK GAS
CAP message and the malfunction
indicator lamp in the instrument
panel cluster are on, you may need
to see your dealer for service.
See Malfunction Indicator Lamp on
page 5‑18 for more information.

Black plate (15,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-15
A.Engine Air Cleaner/Filter on
page 10‑24.
B. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir. See Power Steering Fluid on
page 10‑36.
C. Engine Compartment Fuse
Block on page 10‑52.
D. Remote Positive (+) Terminal (Out of View). See Jump
Starting on page 10‑82.
E. Engine Oil Dipstick. See “Checking Engine Oil” under
Engine Oil on page 10‑15.
F. Dry Sump Engine Oil Tank. See “Changing Engine Oil and Filter”
Engine Oil on page 10‑15.
G. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See “When
to Add Engine Oil” under
Engine Oil on page 10‑15. H. Coolant Surge Tank and
Pressure Cap. See Engine
Coolant on page 10‑29.
I. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See “Adding Washer
Fluid” under Washer Fluid on
page 10‑37.
J. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See “Brake Fluid” under
Brake Fluid on page 10‑41.
K. Clutch Master Cylinder Reservoir. See Hydraulic
Clutch on page 10‑24.
If the vehicle has the 6.2 L LS3
V8 engine with the manual
transmission (with the dry sump
engine oil tank) or the 7.0 L LS7
V8 engine and you are facing the
driver side of the vehicle.Engine Oil
To ensure proper engine
performance and long life,
careful attention must be paid
to engine oil. Following these
simple, but important steps will
help protect your investment:
.Always use engine oil approved
to the proper specification and
of the proper viscosity grade.
See “Selecting the Right
Engine Oil.”
.Check the engine oil level
regularly and maintain the
proper oil level. See “Checking
Engine Oil” and“When to Add
Engine Oil.”
.Change the engine oil at the
appropriate time. See Engine Oil
Life System on page 10‑22.
.Always dispose of engine oil
properly. See “What to Do With
Used Oil.”

Black plate (87,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-87
Do not wash the vehicle in direct
sunlight. Use a car washing soap.
Do not use cleaning agents that
are petroleum based or that contain
acid or abrasives, as they can
damage the paint, metal or plastic
on the vehicle. Approved cleaning
products can be obtained from your
dealer. Follow all manufacturers'
directions regarding correct
product usage, necessary safety
precautions and appropriate
disposal of any vehicle care
product.
Rinse the vehicle well, before
washing and after to remove all
cleaning agents completely. If they
are allowed to dry on the surface,
they could stain.
Dry the finish with a soft, clean
chamois or an all-cotton towel to
avoid surface scratches and water
spotting.Notice:
If you drive the vehicle
through an automatic car wash
that does not have enough
clearance for the wide rear tires
and wheels, you could damage
the vehicle. Verify with the
manager of the car wash that the
vehicle will fit before entering the
car wash or use a touchless
car wash.
High pressure car washes may
cause water to enter the vehicle.
Avoid using high pressure washes
closer than 12 inches (30 cm) to
the surface of the vehicle. Use of
power washers exceeding 1,200 psi
(8 274 kPa) can result in damage or
removal of paint and decals.
Cleaning Exterior
Lamps/Lenses
Use only lukewarm or cold water, a
soft cloth and a car washing soap
to clean exterior lamps and lenses.
Follow instructions under “Washing
the Vehicle”.
Finish Care
Occasional waxing or mild polishing
of the vehicle by hand may be
necessary to remove residue from
the paint finish. Approved cleaning
products can be obtained from your
dealer.
If the vehicle has a basecoat/
clearcoat paint finish, the clearcoat
gives more depth and gloss to the
colored basecoat. Always use
waxes and polishes that are
non-abrasive and made for a
basecoat/clearcoat paint finish.
Notice: Machine compounding
or aggressive polishing on a
basecoat/clearcoat paint finish
may damage it. Use only
non-abrasive waxes and polishes
that are made for a basecoat/
clearcoat paint finish on the
vehicle.
Foreign materials such as calcium
chloride and other salts, ice melting
agents, road oil and tar, tree sap,
bird droppings, chemicals from
industrial chimneys, etc., can