automatic transmission fluid CHEVROLET CORVETTE 2012 6.G Owners Manual

Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
2012 Chevrolet Corvette Owner ManualM
Driving and Operating. . . . . . . . 9-1
Driving Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Starting and Operating . . . . . . . 9-18
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 9-27
Manual Transmission . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Ride Control Systems . . . . . . . . 9-36
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-45
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-48
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-54
Conversions and Add-Ons . . . 9-54 Vehicle Care
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Vehicle Checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-8
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . 10-48
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-48
Electrical System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-50
Wheels and Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-58
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-82
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-86
Appearance Care . . . . . . . . . . . 10-86
Service and Maintenance . . . 11-1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 11-1
Maintenance Schedule . . . . . . . 11-3
Special Application
Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-8
Additional Maintenance
and Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-8
Recommended Fluids, Lubricants, and Parts . . . . . . 11-12
Maintenance Records . . . . . . . 11-15 Technical Data
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Vehicle Identification . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Vehicle Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Customer Information . . . . . . . 13-1
Customer Information . . . . . . . . 13-1
Reporting Safety Defects . . . . 13-18
Vehicle Data Recording and
Privacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-20
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-1
OnStar Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-1
OnStar Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-2
OnStar Additional Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-5
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i-1

Black plate (20,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
1-20 In Brief
Driver Information
Center (DIC)
The DIC display is located at the
bottom of the instrument panel
cluster. It shows the status of
many vehicle systems and enables
access to the personalization menu.
The DIC buttons are located on the
instrument panel to the right of the
instrument panel cluster.
.4:Press to display fuel
information such as fuel economy
and range.
2: Press 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 to display your total
and trip distance driven, the elapsed
time function, your average speed,
and the engine oil life.
OPTION: Press 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, along with the other
buttons, to reset system functions,
select personal options, and turn off
or acknowledge messages on
the DIC.
For more information, see Driver
Information Center (DIC) on
page 5‑28.Vehicle Personalization
Some vehicle features can
be programmed by using the
DIC buttons located to the right
of the instrument panel cluster.
The features that can be
programmed include:
.Units
.Memory Features
.Lighting Features
.Lock and Unlock Feedback
.Door Lock and Unlock Settings
.Language
.Personalization Name
See Vehicle Personalization on
page 5‑55.

Black plate (28,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
5-28 Instruments and Controls
Information Displays
Driver Information
Center (DIC)
The Driver Information Center (DIC)
display is located on the instrument
panel cluster and shows driver
personalization features and
warning/status messages.
The DIC comes on when the ignition
is turned on. After displaying
CORVETTE BY CHEVROLET, the
DIC shows the information that was
last displayed before the engine
was turned off.
If a problem is detected, a warning
message appears on the DIC
display. SeeVehicle Messages on
page 5‑36 for more information.
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 9‑27
andHead-Up Display
(HUD) on page 5‑32 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 (29,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-29
Fuel Button
The fuel button displays average
fuel economy and instantaneous
fuel economy, calculated for your
specific driving conditions, and
range information.
Average Fuel Economy:The
average fuel economy is viewed as
a long-term approximation of your
overall driving conditions. You
should reset the average fuel
economy display every time you
refuel. If you press the RESET
button in this mode while you are
driving, the system will reset this
display and begin figuring fuel
economy from that point in time.
Press the fuel button to display
average fuel economy, such as:
.AVERAGE FUEL ECONOMY
11.7 L/100 km or
.AVERAGE FUEL ECONOMY
20.1 MPG Instantaneous Fuel Economy:
Instantaneous fuel economy reflects
only the fuel economy that the
vehicle has right now and will
change frequently as driving
conditions change. Unlike average
fuel economy, this menu item
cannot be reset.
Press the fuel button again to
display instantaneous fuel economy,
such as:
.INSTANT FUEL ECONOMY
11.7 L/100 km or
.INSTANT FUEL ECONOMY
20.1 MPG
Fuel Range: The range calculates
the remaining distance you can
drive without refueling. It is based
on fuel economy and the fuel
remaining in the tank.
Press the fuel button again to
display the range, such as:
.RANGE 48 km or
.RANGE 30 MI If the LOW FUEL warning is
displayed or if RANGE is less than
64 km (40 miles), the display will
read RANGE LOW.
The fuel economy data used to
determine fuel range is an average
of recent driving conditions. As your
driving conditions change, this data
is gradually updated automatically.
If the vehicle has been idling for a
long time, the range displayed on
the DIC could be abnormally low.
The vehicle must be driven
8 to 16 km (5 to 10 miles) to get an
accurate reading.
Gauges 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.

Black plate (30,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
5-30 Instruments and Controls
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.
Battery Voltage:
This display
shows the current battery voltage.
Press the gauges button again to
display the battery voltage, such as:
.BATTERY VOLTAGE
13.5 VOLTS
Tire Pressure: This display shows
the tire pressure for each tire.
Press the gauges button again to
display the tire pressure for the
front tires, such as:
.FRONT TIRE PRESSURES
L 234 kPa R 228 kPa or
.FRONT TIRE PRESSURES
L 34 PSI R 33 PSI

Black plate (33,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-33
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 9‑27.
.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.
Street Mode Only
There are three HUD modes that
can be viewed in the HUD display.
Press the MODE button to scroll
through these modes in the
following order:
English
Metric
Street Mode supports audio and
navigation functions with your
choice of tachometer settings.

Black plate (53,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-53
This message is followed by the
MAXIMUM SPEED 90 km/h
(55 MPH) message, and then by the
REDUCED HANDLING message.
The Active Handling System will
intervene more quickly when a flat
tire has been detected. Adjust your
driving accordingly.
You can receive more than one tire
pressure message at a time. To
read other messages that may have
been sent at the same time, press
the RESET button. If a tire pressure
message appears on the DIC, stop
as soon as you can. Have the tire
pressures checked and set to those
shown on the Tire and Loading
Information label. SeeRun-Flat
Tires on page 10‑59, Vehicle Load
Limits on page 9‑14, Tire Pressure
on page 10‑66, and Tire Pressure
Monitor System on page 10‑68. The
DIC also shows the tire pressure
values. See Driver Information
Center (DIC) on page 5‑28. To acknowledge the message, press
the RESET button. A message
reappears every 10 minutes until
the condition is corrected.
Transmission Messages
SERVICE TRANSMISSION
This message displays when there
is a problem with the transmission.
See your dealer for service.
SHIFT TO PARK
If the vehicle has an automatic
transmission, this message displays
if the vehicle is not in P (Park) when
the engine is being turned off. The
vehicle will be in ACCESSORY.
Once the shift lever is moved to
P (Park), the vehicle will turn off.
The vehicle will remain in
ACCESSORY, without the 20 minute
time-out period, until the shift lever
is moved to P (Park) or until the
driver presses the pushbutton to
restart the vehicle. See
Ignition
Positions on page 9‑19 for more
information.
TRANSMISSION HOT IDLE
ENGINE
This message displays and
four chimes sound if the
transmission fluid temperature
rises above 132°C (270°F) or rises
rapidly. The transmission may
shift gears or apply the torque
converter clutch to reduce the fluid
temperature. Driving aggressively or
driving on long hills can cause the
transmission fluid temperature to be
higher than normal. If this message
appears, you may continue to drive
at a slower speed. Monitor the
transmission fluid temperature and
allow it to cool to at least 110°C
(230°F). The transmission fluid
temperature can be monitored with
the gauges button on the DIC. See
“DIC Operation and Displays” under
Driver Information Center (DIC) on
page 5‑28 andAutomatic
Transmission Fluid on page 10‑23.
Also check the engine coolant
temperature. If it is also hot, see
Engine Overheating on page 10‑34.

Black plate (54,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
5-54 Instruments and Controls
If this message is displayed during
normal vehicle operation on flat
roads, the vehicle may need
service. See your dealer for an
inspection.
If driving in a performance or
competitive manner, the use of
(S) Sport Automatic Mode or
(S) Sport Manual Paddle Shift gear
selection is recommended. See
Automatic Transmission on
page 9‑27for more information.
To acknowledge the message, press
the RESET button. The message
reappears every 10 minutes until
this condition changes. If you do not
press the RESET button, the
message remains on the display
until the condition changes.
UPSHIFT NOW
See Manual Transmission on
page 9‑32.
Vehicle Reminder
Messages
ACCESSORY MODE ON
This message displays when the
vehicle is in accessory mode.
ICE POSSIBLE
This message displays when the
outside air temperature is cold
enough to create icy road
conditions. Adjust your driving
accordingly.
OPTIONS UNAVAILABLE
This message displays for a few
seconds if a RKE transmitter that is
not labeled 1 or 2 is used and you
try to personalize the features on
the vehicle by pressing the OPTION
button. The personalization system
will not recognize the transmitter
and the DIC will not display the
current driver number or the menus
used to set personalizations. The personalization features will
then be set to the default states.
See
Vehicle Personalization on
page 5‑55 for more information.
SET PARK BRAKE FOR SEAT
RECALL
If the vehicle has a manual
transmission, this message displays
if you try to recall the memory
positions when the ignition is on and
the parking brake is not set. If the
vehicle is on, you must set the
parking brake in order for the
memory positions to recall.
See“Memory Seat, Mirrors and
Steering Wheel” underPower Seat
Adjustment on page 3‑3 for more
information.
Washer Fluid Messages
CHECK WASHER FLUID
See Washer Fluid on page 10‑38.

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-1
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . 10-3
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Lifting the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your Own Service Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-8
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-9
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-10
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-16
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . 10-22 Automatic Transmission
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-23
Manual Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24
Hydraulic Clutch . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . 10-25
Cooling System (Engine) . . . 10-28
Cooling System
(Intercooler) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . 10-34
Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
Power Steering Fluid . . . . . . . 10-36
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-42
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-43
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-44
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . 10-45 Automatic Transmission
Shift Lock Control
Function Check . . . . . . . . . . . 10-46
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . 10-46
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-47
Windshield Replacement . . . 10-47
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . 10-48
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-48
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-48
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-48
Headlamps, Front Turn Signal and Parking
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-49
Taillamps, Turn Signal, and Stoplamps . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-50
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . 10-50

Black plate (23,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-23
How to Reset the Engine Oil
Life System
Reset the system whenever the
engine oil is changed so that the
system can calculate the next
engine oil change. To reset the
system:
1. Press the TRIP button so theOIL LIFE percentage is
displayed.
2. Press RESET and hold for two seconds. OIL LIFE
REMAINING 100% will appear.
If the CHANGE ENGINE OIL
message comes back on when the
vehicle is started, the engine oil life
system has not reset. Repeat the
procedure.
Automatic Transmission
Fluid
How to Check Automatic
Transmission Fluid
It is not necessary to check
the transmission fluid level.
A transmission fluid leak is the
only reason for fluid loss. If a leak
occurs, take the vehicle to the
dealer service department and have
it repaired as soon as possible.
The vehicle is not equipped with a
transmission fluid level dipstick.
There is a special procedure for
checking and changing the
transmission fluid. Because this
procedure is difficult, this should
be done at the dealer service
department. Contact the dealer
for additional information or the procedure can be found in the
service manual. To purchase a
service manual, see
Service
Publications Ordering Information
on page 13‑17.
Notice: Use of the incorrect
automatic transmission fluid may
damage the vehicle, and the
damages may not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Always use
the automatic transmission fluid
listed in Recommended Fluids
and Lubricants on page 11‑12.
Change the fluid and filter at the
intervals listed in Maintenance
Schedule on page 11‑3, and be
sure to use the fluid listed in
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants on page 11‑12.