service indicator CHEVROLET CORVETTE 2012 6.G User Guide

Black plate (43,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-43
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.
SeeMalfunction Indicator Lamp on
page 5‑19 for more information.
LOW FUEL
This message displays when the
fuel tank is less than 10 percent full
and the display is turned off.
A sound will be heard when this
message is displayed. Refill the fuel
tank as soon as possible. See Fuel
Gauge on page 5‑13.
SERVICE FUEL SYSTEM
This message displays if the
Powertrain Control Module (PCM)
has detected a problem within the
fuel system. Have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer. This
message also displays when the
cluster is not getting fuel information
from the PCM.
Key and Lock Messages
FOB AUTOLEARN WAIT
XX MINUTES
See “Matching Transmitter(s) to
Your Vehicle” underRemote
Keyless Entry (RKE) System
Operation on page 2‑3.
FOB BATTERY LOW
See “Battery Replacement” under
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System Operation on page 2‑3.
KNOWN FOB
See “Matching Transmitter(s) to
Your Vehicle” underRemote
Keyless Entry (RKE) System
Operation on page 2‑3.
MAXIMUM NUMBER OF FOBS
LEARNED
See “Matching Transmitter(s) to
Your Vehicle” underRemote
Keyless Entry (RKE) System
Operation on page 2‑3.
NO FOBS DETECTED
This message displays if the vehicle
does not detect the presence of a
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter when you have
attempted to start the vehicle or a
vehicle door has just closed.

Black plate (20,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
9-20 Driving and Operating
3. Come to a complete stop. Shiftto P (Park) with an automatic
transmission, or Neutral with a
manual transmission. Turn the
ignition to OFF.
4. Set the parking brake. See Parking Brake on page 9‑36
{WARNING
Turning off the vehicle while
moving may cause loss of power
assist in the brake and steering
systems and disable the airbags.
While driving, only shut the
vehicle off in an emergency.
If the vehicle cannot be pulled over,
and must be shut off while driving,
turn the ignition to ACC/
ACCESSORY. When the engine is on or the
vehicle is in accessory power mode,
it is recommended that a manual
transmission be placed in
R (Reverse). An automatic
transmission must be placed in
P (Park). Then press the Acc. button
to turn the engine off and place the
vehicle in RAP. See
Retained
Accessory Power (RAP) on
page 9‑23 for more information.
If an automatic vehicle is not
correctly placed in P (Park) a SHIFT
TO PARK message will display on
the Driver Information Center (DIC).
For more information, see
Transmission Messages on
page 5‑53.
When the engine is off, press this
button to place the vehicle in
accessory mode. ACCESSORY
MODE ON will display on the Driver
Information Center (DIC). This mode
allows you to use things like the
radio and the power windows while
the engine is off. Use accessory
mode if you must have the vehicle in motion while the engine is off, for
example, if the vehicle is being
pushed or towed.
After being in accessory mode for
about 10 minutes, the vehicle will
automatically enter RAP or OFF,
depending on if the doors are
opened or closed.
Service Only Mode
This power mode is available for
service and diagnostics, and to
verify the proper operation of the
malfunction indicator lamp as may
be required for emission inspection
purposes. With the vehicle off,
pressing and holding the bottom of
the button for more than
five seconds will place the vehicle in
Service Only Mode. The instruments
and audio systems will operate as
they do when the engine is running,
but the vehicle will not be able to be
driven. The engine will not start in
Service Only Mode. Push the button
again to turn the vehicle off.

Black plate (49,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-49
If the vehicle has the 6.2L V8 engine
(VIN Code T) or the 7.0L V8 engine
(VIN Code E), use premium
unleaded gasoline with a posted
octane rating of 91 or higher. For
best performance, use premium
unleaded gasoline with a posted
octane rating of 93. In an
emergency, you can use regular
unleaded gasoline with an octane
rating of 87 or higher. If 87 octane
fuel is used, do not perform any
aggressive driving maneuvers such
as wide open throttle applications.
You might also hear audible spark
knock during acceleration. Refill the
tank with premium fuel as soon as
possible to avoid damaging the
engine. If heavy knocking is heard
when using gasoline rated at
91 octane or higher, the engine
needs service.Gasoline Specifications
(U.S. and Canada Only)
At a minimum, gasoline should
meet ASTM specification D 4814in the United States or
CAN/CGSB‐3.5 or 3.511 in
Canada. Some gasolines contain
an octane-enhancing additive called
methylcyclopentadienyl manganese
tricarbonyl (MMT). We recommend
against the use of gasolines
containing MMT. See Fuel Additives
on page 9‑50 for additional
information.
California Fuel
Requirements
If the vehicle is certified to meet
California Emissions Standards, it is
designed to operate on fuels that
meet California specifications. See
the underhood emission control
label. If this fuel is not available in
states adopting California Emissions
Standards, the vehicle will operate satisfactorily on fuels meeting
federal specifications, but emission
control system performance might
be affected. The malfunction
indicator lamp could turn on and the
vehicle might fail a smog‐check test.
See
Malfunction Indicator Lamp on
page 5‑19. If this occurs, return to
your authorized dealer for diagnosis.
If it is determined that the condition
is caused by the type of fuel used,
repairs might not be covered by
the vehicle warranty.
Fuels in Foreign
Countries
Never use leaded gasoline or any
other fuel not recommended in the
previous text on fuel. Costly repairs
caused by use of improper fuel
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty.
To check the fuel availability, ask an
auto club, or contact a major oil
company that does business in the
country where you will be driving.

Black plate (50,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
9-50 Driving and Operating
Fuel Additives
To provide cleaner air, all gasolines
in the United States are now
required to contain additives that
help prevent engine and fuel system
deposits from forming, allowing the
emission control system to work
properly. In most cases, nothing
should have to be added to the fuel.
However, some gasolines contain
only the minimum amount of
additive required to meet U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency
regulations. To help keep fuel
injectors and intake valves clean
and avoid problems due to dirty
injectors or valves, look for gasoline
that is advertised as TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline. Look for the
TOP TIER label on the fuel pump to
ensure gasoline meets enhanced
detergency standards developed by
the auto companies. A list of
marketers providing TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline can be found at
www.toptiergas.com.For customers who do not use
TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline
regularly, one bottle of GM Fuel
System Treatment PLUS, added to
the fuel tank at every engine oil
change, can help clean deposits
from fuel injectors and intake
valves. GM Fuel System Treatment
PLUS is the only gasoline additive
recommended by General Motors.
It is available at your dealer.
Gasolines containing oxygenates,
such as ethers and ethanol, and
reformulated gasolines might be
available in your area. We
recommend that you use these
gasolines, if they comply with the
specifications described earlier.
However, E85 (85% ethanol) and
other fuels containing more than
15% ethanol must not be used in
vehicles that were not designed for
those fuels.
Notice:
This vehicle was not
designed for fuel that contains
methanol. Do not use fuel
containing methanol. It can
corrode metal parts in the fuel
system and also damage plastic
and rubber parts. That damage
would not be covered under the
vehicle warranty.
Some gasolines that are
not reformulated for low
emissions can contain an
octane-enhancing additive called
methylcyclopentadienyl manganese
tricarbonyl (MMT); ask the attendant
where you buy gasoline whether the
fuel contains MMT. We recommend
against the use of such gasolines.
Fuels containing MMT can reduce
spark plug life and affect emission
control system performance. The
malfunction indicator lamp might
turn on. If this occurs, return to
your dealer for service.

Black plate (34,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
10-34 Vehicle Care
Engine Overheating
The vehicle has several indicators
to warn of engine overheating.
There is an engine coolant
temperature gauge on the
instrument panel cluster. See
Engine Coolant Temperature
Gauge on page 5‑16. The vehicle
may also display a COOLANT
OVER TEMPERATURE message
on the Driver Information
Center (DIC). SeeEngine Cooling
System Messages on page 5‑40
for more information.
If the decision is made not to lift the
hood but to get service help right
away. See Roadside Assistance
Program (U.S. and Canada) on
page 13‑8 orRoadside Assistance
Program (Mexico) on page 13‑10.
If the decision is made to lift the
hood, make sure the vehicle is
parked on a level surface. Then check to see if the engine
cooling fan is running. If the engine
is overheating, the fan should be
running. If it is not, do not continue
to run the engine and have the
vehicle serviced.
Notice:
Engine damage from
running your engine without
coolant is not covered by the
vehicle warranty. See Overheated
Engine Protection Operating
Mode for information on driving
to a safe place in an emergency.
Notice: If the engine catches fire
while driving with no coolant, the
vehicle can be badly damaged.
The costly repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
See Overheated Engine
Protection Operating Mode on
page 10‑36 for information on
driving to a safe place in an
emergency.
If Steam is Coming from the
Engine
{WARNING
Steam from an overheated engine
can burn you badly, even if you
just open the hood. Stay away
from the engine if you see or hear
steam coming from it. Turn it off
and get everyone away from
the vehicle until it cools down.
Wait until there is no sign of
steam or coolant before you
open the hood.
If you keep driving when the
vehicles engine is overheated,
the liquids in it can catch fire.
You or others could be badly
burned. Stop the engine if it
overheats, and get out of the
vehicle until the engine is cool.
(Continued)

Black plate (38,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
10-38 Vehicle Care
Washer Fluid
What to Use
When the vehicle needs windshield
washer fluid, be sure to read the
manufacturer's instructions before
use. If the vehicle will be operating
in an area where the temperature
may fall below freezing, use a fluid
that has sufficient protection against
freezing.
Adding Washer Fluid
Open the cap with the washer
symbol on it. Add washer fluid
until the tank is full. SeeEngine
Compartment Overview on
page 10‑10 for reservoir location. Notice
.When using concentrated
washer fluid, follow the
manufacturer's instructions
for adding water.
.Do not mix water with
ready-to-use washer fluid.
Water can cause the solution
to freeze and damage the
washer fluid tank and other
parts of the washer system.
Also, water does not clean as
well as washer fluid.
.Fill the washer fluid tank only
three-quarters full when it is
very cold. This allows for
fluid expansion if freezing
occurs, which could damage
the tank if it is
completely full.
.Do not use engine coolant
(antifreeze) in the windshield
washer. It can damage the
windshield washer system
and paint.
Brakes
Brake Wear (Except ZR1, Z06,
and Grand Sport)
This vehicle has disc brakes.
Disc brake pads have built-in wear
indicators that make a high-pitched
warning sound when the brake pads
are worn and new pads are needed.
The sound can come and go or be
heard all the time the vehicle is
moving, except when applying the
brake pedal firmly.
{WARNING
The brake wear warning sound
means that soon the brakes will
not work well. That could lead to
a crash. When the brake wear
warning sound is heard, have the
vehicle serviced.
Notice: Continuing to drive with
worn-out brake pads could result
in costly brake repair.

Black plate (10,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
11-10 Service and Maintenance
Shocks and Struts
Shocks and struts help aid in control
for a smoother ride.
.Signs of wear may include
steering wheel vibration, bounce/
sway while braking, longer
stopping distance, or uneven
tire wear.
.As part of the multi‐point
inspection, trained dealer
technicians can visually inspect
the shocks and struts for signs
of leaking, blown seals,
or damage, and can advise
when service is needed.Tires
Tires need to be properly inflated,
rotated, and balanced. Maintaining
the tires can save money, fuel, and
can reduce the risk of tire failure.
.Signs that the tires need to be
replaced include three or more
visible treadwear indicators; cord
or fabric showing through the
rubber; cracks or cuts in the
tread or sidewall; or a bulge or
split in the tire.
.Trained dealer technicians can
inspect and recommend the
right tires. Your dealer can also
provide tire/wheel balancing
services to ensure smooth
vehicle operation at all speeds.
Your dealer sells and services
name brand tires.Vehicle Care
To help keep the vehicle looking
like new, vehicle care products are
available from your dealer. For
information on how to clean and
protect the vehicle’s interior and
exterior, see
Interior Care on
page 10‑90 andExterior Care on
page 10‑86.

Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
INDEX i-5
Fuel EconomyDriving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-24
Fuses Engine CompartmentFuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-52
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-51
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-55
G
Garage Door Opener . . . . . . . . . . 5-64Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-64
Gasoline Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-49
Gauges Boost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Engine CoolantTemperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Engine Oil Pressure . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12 Gauges (cont.)
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Voltmeter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Warning Lights and
Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
General Information Service and Maintenance . . . . . 11-1
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-54
Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
GM Mobility Reimbursement Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-8
H
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-48
Hatch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . . . 6-4
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Head-up Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-32
HeadlampsAiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-48
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-48
Daytime RunningLamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2 Headlamps (cont.)
High Intensity Discharge
(HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-48
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . . 6-2
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Twilight Sentinel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Heated Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8
Heated Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
High-Speed Operation . . . . . . . . 10-68
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-10
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . 9-10
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-9
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10
Hydraulic Clutch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24

Black plate (7,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
INDEX i-7
LocksAutomatic Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Lockout Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
Power Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Low-Profile Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-60
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-35
Lumbar Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
M
MaintenanceRecords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11-15
Maintenance Schedule Recommended Fluids
and Lubricants . . . . . . . . . . . . .11-12
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . 5-19
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-29
Manual Transmission . . . . . . . . . . 9-32 Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24
Memory Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Memory Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5 Messages
Anti-theft Alarm System . . . . . . . 5-50
Battery Voltage and
Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-37
Brake System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-37
Convertible Top . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-38
Door Ajar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-40
Engine Cooling System . . . . . . . 5-40
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-41
Engine Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-42
Fuel System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-43
Key and Lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-43
Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-45
Ride Control System . . . . . . . . . . 5-45
Safety Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-49
Service Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-50
Starting the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 5-50
Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-51
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-53
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-36
Vehicle Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-54
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-54 Mirrors
Automatic Dimming . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Automatic Dimming
Rearview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Convex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Folding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Heated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Monitor System, Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-68
N
NavigationVehicle Data Recordingand Privacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-21
Navigation, OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . 14-2
Net, Convenience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . . 9-18

Black plate (8,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
i-8 INDEX
O
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Off-RoadRecovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Oil Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-16
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . 10-22
Engine Oil PressureGauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-41
Older Children, Restraints . . . . . 3-28
One-to-Four Shift Light . . . . . . . . 5-23
Online Owner Center . . . . . . . . . . 13-6
OnStar
®
Additional Information . . . . . . . . 14-5
Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-4
Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-5
Emergency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-2
Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-2
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-1
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-2
OnStar
®System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-25
Operation, Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2
Ordering
Service Publications . . . . . . . . 13-17 Outlets
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
Overheating, Engine . . . . . . . . . . 10-34
Overview, OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . 14-1
P
Panel, Roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-20
Park Shifting into . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Shifting out of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25 Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-36
Brake and P (Park)Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . 10-46
Over Things That Burn . . . . . . . 9-25
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Passenger Compartment Air Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-6
Passenger Sensing System . . . 3-21
Perchlorate Materials
Requirements, California . . . . . 10-3 Personalization
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-55
Phone Bluetooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-18
Power Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Protection, Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Retained Accessory (RAP) . . . 9-23
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Steering Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18
Pregnancy, Using Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-13
Privacy
Radio FrequencyIdentification (RFID) . . . . . . . 13-21
Program Courtesy Transportation . . . . 13-14
Proposition 65 Warning,
California . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3