tow 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 (12,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
1-12 In Brief
Mirror Adjustment
Exterior Mirrors
To adjust mirrors:
1. Press
}or|to select a mirror.
2. Press the control pad to adjust the mirror.
3. Return the switch to the center to deselect the mirror.
See Power Mirrors on page 2‑16. If the vehicle has the memory
feature, a preferred mirror position
can be stored. See
Power Seat
Adjustment on page 3‑3.
To fold, pull the mirror toward the
vehicle. Push the mirror outward, to
return it to the original position.
Interior Mirror
An automatic dimming rearview
mirror will automatically reduce
headlamp glare coming from
vehicles that are traveling
behind you.
See Automatic Dimming Rearview
Mirror on page 2‑17.
Steering Wheel
Adjustment
The lever is located on the left side
of the steering column.
To adjust the steering wheel:
1. Pull the lever toward you.
2. Move the steering wheel up
or down.
3. Release the lever to lock the steering wheel in place.

Black plate (13,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
In Brief 1-13
Telescopic Steering Column
For vehicles with this feature, the
telescopic steering column control is
located on the right side of the
steering column.
To adjust the telescopic steering
column:
1. Push the switch forward to movethe wheel away from you.
2. Pull the switch toward you to move the wheel closer to you. The telescopic steering column
position can be stored with your
memory settings. See
“Memory
Seat, Mirrors, and Steering Wheel”
under Power Seat Adjustment on
page 3‑3 for more information.
Interior Lighting
Courtesy Lamps
When any door or the hatch/trunk lid
is opened, the interior lamps will go
on, unless it is bright outside.
The courtesy lamps can also be
turned on and off by pressing the
instrument panel brightness knob.
Reading Lamps
The inside rearview mirror includes
two reading lamps. The lamps go on
when a door is opened. When the
doors are closed, press the lamp
buttons to turn on each lamp. Interior Light Control
To adjust the brightness of the
interior lights, turn and hold the
instrument panel brightness control
knob located on the left side of the
instrument panel. Push the knob in
to turn the lights on or off.
For more information on interior
lighting, see:
.Instrument Panel Illumination
Control on page 6‑5.
.Entry/Exit Lighting on page 6‑6.

Black plate (21,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
In Brief 1-21
Power Outlets
The accessory power outlet can be
used to plug in electrical equipment,
such as a cell phone or MP3 player.
The accessory power outlet is
located inside the center console
storage compartment, on the
forward left side.
Remove the cover to access and
replace when not in use.
SeePower Outlets on page 5‑6.
Roof Panel
On vehicles with a removable roof
panel, there are three release
latches. Two are located on the front
of the roof panel and the other is
located on the back of the roof
panel. See “Removing the Roof
Panel” underRoof Panel on
page 2‑20. Until you are sure you can remove
the roof panel by yourself, have
someone help you. Once removed,
the roof panel should always be
stored properly in the rear storage
compartment.
For more information:
.See
“Storing the Roof Panel”
under Roof Panel on page 2‑20.
.See“Installing the Roof Panel”
under Roof Panel on page 2‑20.
Convertible
If equipped, the convertible top can
be lowered and stowed under the
tonneau cover behind the rear seat.
For step-by-step instructions, see
Convertible Top on page 2‑24.
Performance and
Maintenance
Traction Control
System (TCS)
The traction control system limits
wheel spin. The system turns on
automatically every time the vehicle
is started.
.To turn off traction control,
press and release the Active
Handling button located on the
console.
iilluminates and the
appropriate DIC message
displays. See Ride Control
System Messages on page 5‑45.
.Press and release the active
handling button again to turn on
traction control.
See Traction Control System (TCS)
on page 9‑36.

Black plate (16,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
2-16 Keys, Doors, and Windows
Exterior Mirrors
Convex Mirrors
{WARNING
A convex mirror can make things,
like other vehicles, look farther
away than they really are. If you
cut too sharply into the right lane,
you could hit a vehicle on the
right. Check the inside mirror or
glance over your shoulder before
changing lanes.
The passenger side mirror is convex
shaped. A convex mirror's surface is
curved so more can be seen from
the driver seat.
Power Mirrors
To adjust the mirrors:
1. Press
}or|to select a mirror.
2. Press the control pad to adjust the mirror.
3. Return the switch to the center to deselect the mirror.
If the vehicle has the memory
feature, a preferred mirror position
can be stored. See Power Seat
Adjustment on page 3‑3.
Folding Mirrors
To fold, pull the mirror toward the
vehicle. Push the mirror outward to
return it to the original position.
Heated Mirrors
For vehicles with heated mirrors:
1(Rear Window Defogger):
Press to heat the mirrors.
See “Rear Window Defogger” under
Dual Automatic Climate Control
System on page 8‑1 for more
information.
Automatic Dimming
Mirror
If the vehicle has this feature, the
driver side outside mirror adjusts for
the glare of headlamps behind you.
This feature is controlled by the on
and off setting on the inside
rearview mirror.

Black plate (17,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-17
Interior Mirrors
Automatic Dimming
Rearview Mirror
An automatic dimming inside
rearview mirror will automatically
change to reduce glare from
headlamps behind you. A time
delay feature prevents rapid
changing from the day to night
positions while driving under lights
and through traffic.If the vehicle has OnStar
®, there are
additional control buttons located at
the bottom of the mirror. See OnStar
Overview on page 14‑1.
P(On/Off): The automatic
dimming feature is activated when
the vehicle is started. Press and
hold this button for up to
six seconds to turn this feature
on or off.
T(Indicator Light): This light turns
on when the automatic dimming
feature is active.
Map Lamps
If the mirror has map lamps, they
are located at the bottom of the
mirror. To manually turn the lamps
on or off, press the button next to
each lamp.
Cleaning the Mirror
Do not spray glass cleaner directly
on the mirror. Use a soft towel
dampened with water.

Black plate (19,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-19
Express-Down Window
Press the front of the switch to the
second position to activate the
express-down feature. To stop the
window as it is lowering, press the
switch again.
Window Indexing
This feature automatically lowers
the window a small amount when
the door is opened. When the door
is closed, the window will raise to its
full up position. If either window
does not index properly, it could be
due to loss of power. Before
returning to the dealer for service,
perform the power window initialize
procedure.
Power Window Initialize
After a power reconnect such as
battery replacement, the window
indexing feature and the power
convertible top (if equipped) will
not function until the system is
initialized.
Once power is restored:
1. Close the doors.
2. Raise the window and hold theswitch up for three seconds after
the window is closed.
3. Release the switch, then hold the switch up again for
three seconds and release.
Sun Visors
Pull the visor toward you, or move it
to the side to help reduce glare.
To use the lighted mirror, lift the
cover.

Black plate (20,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
2-20 Keys, Doors, and Windows
Roof
Roof Panel
On vehicles with a removable roof
panel, follow the procedures when
removing or installing it.
Removing the Roof Panel
{WARNING
Do not try to remove a roof panel
while the vehicle is moving.
Trying to remove the roof panel
while the vehicle is moving could
cause an accident. The panel
could fall into the vehicle and
cause you to lose control, or it
could fly off and strike another
vehicle. You or others could be
injured. Remove the roof panel
only when the vehicle is parked.
Until you are sure you can remove
the panel alone, have someone
help you. Notice:
If you drop or rest a roof
panel on its edges, the roof panel,
paint and/or weatherstripping
may be damaged. Always place
the roof panel in the stowage
receivers after removing it from
the vehicle.
1. Park on a level surface and set the parking brake. Shift an
automatic transmission into
P (Park). Shift a manual
transmission into N (Neutral).
2. Make sure the ignition is off.
3. Lower both sun visors.
4. Open the rear hatch and remove any items that may interfere with
proper storage of the roof panel.
5. Lower the windows. There are two release latches on
the front of the roof panel and
one rear release latch on the
back of the roof panel.6. To unlock the release latches onthe front of the roof panel, grasp
each handle and pull it outward.

Black plate (21,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-21
The driver side handle moves
toward the driver door. The
passenger side handle moves
toward the passenger door.7. To unlock the rear of the roofpanel's rear release latch,
press the back of the release
handle (B). Then press the
button on the front of the
release handle (A).
Pull down the latch lever. 8. Stand on one side of the vehicle,
and if necessary, have someone
stand on the other side.
Together, carefully lift the front
edge of the roof panel up and
forward.
9. When the roof panel is loosened from the vehicle, one person
should grasp the roof panel as
close to the center as possible
and lift it away from the vehicle.

Black plate (22,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
2-22 Keys, Doors, and Windows
Storing the Roof Panel
{WARNING
If a roof panel is not stored
properly, it could be thrown about
the vehicle in a crash or sudden
maneuver. People in the vehicle
could be injured. Whenever you
store a roof panel in the vehicle,
always be sure that it is stored
securely in the proper location.
Notice: If you drop or rest a roof
panel on its edges, the roof panel,
paint and/or weatherstripping
may be damaged. Always place
the roof panel in the stowage
receivers after removing it from
the vehicle.
1. Turn the roof panel so that the front edge of the panel is facing
the storage area.
2. Insert the roof panel so that the
outside front edges line up
between the receiver covers.
Push forward on the roof panel
until it stops.3. Gently place the roof paneldown so that the back pins on
the roof panel drop into the
receivers in the back of the
storage area.
Press down firmly to seat the pins in
the receivers.