CHEVROLET CORVETTE 2021 Owner's Manual

Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14622938) - 2021 - CRC - 2/10/21
230 Vehicle Care
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
California Proposition 65 Warning . . . . . 231
California Perchlorate MaterialsRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . 231
Lifting the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your Own Service Work . . . . . . . . . 233
Underhood Compartment Overview . . . 234
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . 235
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Dual Clutch Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . 241
Dual Clutch Transmission Fluid Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Engine Air Filter Life System . . . . . . . . . . 242
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Battery - North America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253 Windshield Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Gas Strut(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Headlamp Aiming
Front Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Bulb Replacement
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . 256
Rear Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . 258
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Run-Flat Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Low-Profile Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Summer Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Tire Terminology and Definitions . . . . . . 265
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Tire Pressure for High-Speed
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . 269
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . 270
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272 When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . 273
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . 275
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . 275
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . 277
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Jump Starting
Jump Starting - North America . . . . . . . . 278
Towing the Vehicle
Towing the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Recreational Vehicle Towing . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Appearance Care
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290

Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14622938) - 2021 - CRC - 2/10/21
Vehicle Care 231
General Information
For service and parts needs, visit your
dealer. You will receive genuine GM parts
and GM-trained and supported service
people.
Genuine GM parts have one of these marks:
California Proposition 65 Warning
{Warning
Most motor vehicles, including this one,
as well as many of its service parts and
fluids, contain and/or emit chemicals
known to the State of California to cause(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
cancer and birth defects or other
reproductive harm. Engine exhaust, many
parts and systems, many fluids, and
some component wear by-products
contain and/or emit these chemicals. For
more information go to
www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/
passenger-vehicle.
See Battery - North America 0251 and
Jump Starting - North America 0278 and
the back cover.
California Perchlorate Materials
Requirements
Certain types of automotive applications,
such as airbag initiators, seat belt
pretensioners, and lithium batteries
contained in electronic keys, may contain
perchlorate materials. Perchlorate Material –
special handling may apply. See
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/
perchlorate.
Accessories and Modifications
Adding non-dealer accessories or making
modifications to the vehicle can affect
vehicle performance and safety, including
such things as airbags, braking, stability,
ride and handling, emissions systems,
aerodynamics, durability, and electronic
systems like antilock brakes, traction control,
and stability control. These accessories or
modifications could even cause malfunction
or damage not covered by the vehicle
warranty.
Damage to suspension components caused
by modifying vehicle height outside of
factory settings will not be covered by the
vehicle warranty.
Damage to vehicle components resulting
from modifications or the installation or use
of non-GM certified parts, including control
module or software modifications, is not
covered under the terms of the vehicle
warranty and may affect remaining
warranty coverage for affected parts.
GM Accessories are designed to complement
and function with other systems on the
vehicle. See your dealer to accessorize the
vehicle using genuine GM Accessories
installed by a dealer technician.

Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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232 Vehicle Care
Also, seeAdding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 060.
Lifting the Vehicle
{Warning
Lifting a vehicle can cause an injury. The
vehicle can slip off the jack and roll over
you or other people. You and they could
be badly injured. Find a level place to lift
your vehicle. To help prevent the vehicle
from moving:
1. Set the parking brake firmly.
2. Put the transmission in P (Park).
3. Turn off the engine.
To be even more certain the vehicle will
not move, put blocks in front of and
behind the wheels.
{Warning
Getting under a vehicle when it is lifted
on a jack is dangerous. If the vehicle slips
off the jack, you could be badly injured
or killed. Never get under a vehicle when
it is supported only by a jack.
{Warning
Raising the vehicle with the jack
improperly positioned can damage the
vehicle or the vehicle may fall and cause
injury to you or others.
If a jack is used to lift the vehicle, follow the
instructions that came with the jack, and be
sure to use the correct lifting points to
avoid damaging the vehicle.
Caution
Lifting the vehicle improperly can damage
it and result in costly repairs not covered
by the vehicle warranty. To lift the
vehicle properly and prevent vehicle
damage:
.Be sure to place a block or pad
between the jack and the vehicle.
.Lift only in the areas shown in the
following illustrations.
For additional information, see your
dealer and the service manual.
Caution
The front jack pads must not contact the
rocker panels, the front fenders, or the
floor pan. If they do, damage may occur.
Lifting from the Front –Frame
Use only a service jack with a lifting pad
diameter of 64 mm (2.5 in) or smaller, and
thick enough to make sure the jack does not
contact the vehicle body.
Position the service jack and lifting pad
under the frame rail shipping slot
reinforcement.

Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14622938) - 2021 - CRC - 2/10/21
Vehicle Care 233
Lifting from the Rear–Frame
Use only a service jack with a lifting pad
diameter of 64 mm (2.5 in) or smaller, and
thick enough to make sure the jack does not
contact the vehicle body.
Position the service jack and lifting pad
under the frame rail shipping slot
reinforcement.
For more information, see Doing Your Own
Service Work 0233.
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your Own Service Work
{Warning
It can be dangerous to work on your
vehicle if you do not have the proper
knowledge, service manual, tools,
or parts. Always follow owner’s manual
procedures and consult the service
manual for your vehicle before doing any
service work.
If doing some of your own service work, use
the proper service manual. It tells you much
more about how to service the vehicle than
this manual can. To order the proper service
manual, see Publication Ordering
Information 0315.
This vehicle has an airbag system. Before
attempting to do your own service work,
see Servicing the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
0 60. If equipped with remote vehicle start, open
the hatch/trunk before performing any
service work to prevent remote starting the
vehicle accidentally. See
Remote Vehicle
Start 012.
Keep a record with all parts receipts and list
the mileage and the date of any service
work performed. See Maintenance Records
0 303.
Caution
Even small amounts of contamination can
cause damage to vehicle systems. Do not
allow contaminants to contact the fluids,
reservoir caps, or dipsticks.

Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14622938) - 2021 - CRC - 2/10/21
234 Vehicle Care
Underhood Compartment
Overview
1. Front Lift System Reservoir (Under Cover,if equipped). See Front Lift System 0214.
2. Battery (Under Cover). See Battery -
North America 0251.
3. Brake Fluid Reservoir (Under Cover). See Brake Fluid 0251.
4. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See Washer Fluid 0249.

Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Vehicle Care 235
Engine Compartment Overview
6.2L V8 Engine (Coupe)

Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14622938) - 2021 - CRC - 2/10/21
236 Vehicle Care
1. Engine Cooling Fan (Out of View). SeeCooling System 0245.
2. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter (Under Access Panel). See Engine Air Cleaner/Filter
0 243.
3. Dry Sump Engine Oil Tank and Fill Cap. See Engine Oil 0237.
4. Engine Oil Dipstick. See Engine Oil0237.
5. Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap. See Cooling System 0245.

Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14622938) - 2021 - CRC - 2/10/21
Vehicle Care 237
6.2L V8 Engine (Convertible)
1. Engine Cooling Fan (Out of View). See Cooling System 0245.
2. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter (Under Access Panel). See Engine Air Cleaner/Filter
0 243. 3. Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap.
See Cooling System 0245.
4. Dry Sump Engine Oil Tank and Fill Cap. See Engine Oil 0237.
5. Engine Oil Dipstick. See Engine Oil0237.
Engine Oil
To ensure proper engine performance and
long life, pay careful attention to engine oil.
Follow these important steps:

Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14622938) - 2021 - CRC - 2/10/21
238 Vehicle Care
.Use engine oil approved to the proper
specification and of the proper viscosity
grade. See“Selecting the Right Engine
Oil” later in this section.
.Check the engine oil level regularly and
maintain the proper oil level. See
“Checking Engine Oil” and“When to Add
Engine Oil” later in this section.
.Change the engine oil at the appropriate
time. SeeEngine Oil Life System 0241.
.Always dispose of engine oil properly. See
“What to Do with Used Oil” in this
section.
Checking the Engine Oil
1. Engine Oil Dipstick
2. Engine Oil Fill Cap
Check the engine oil level regularly, every
650 km (400 mi), especially prior to a long
trip. To get an accurate reading, the vehicle
must be parked on a level ground.
The engine oil dipstick handle is a loop. See
Engine Compartment Overview 0235 for the
location.
The vehicle has a racetrack-ready dry sump
engine lubrication system. This high
performance system operates differently
than a standard engine lubrication system
and requires a special procedure when
checking the engine oil level. Follow this
procedure closely.
The engine oil level must be checked when
the engine is warm. Cold oil level in the dry
sump tank may not indicate the actual
amount of oil in the system. Engine oil is
contained in an external tank, separate from
the engine. Under normal operating
conditions, the oil pan under the engine
does not store any oil. If the vehicle has
been parked for an extended period without
the engine being started, some oil will seep
back into the oil pan. This will reduce the
amount of oil held in the dry sump tank
and there could be no engine oil on the
dipstick. This is normal since the dipstick is
designed to read the engine oil level only after the engine has run long enough to
reach normal operating temperature. Do not
add engine oil based on cold engine dipstick
readings. The engine oil level on the dipstick
must be checked while the engine is running
at idle.
To check the engine oil:
1. Turn the engine on and let it warm up to at least 80 °C (175 °F).
2. Once the engine is warm, check the oil while the engine is running at idle.
{Warning
The engine oil dipstick handle may be
hot; it could burn you. Use a towel or
glove to touch the dipstick handle.
3. Remove the dipstick and wipe it with a clean lint-free paper towel or a cloth.
Re-insert the dipstick and push it all the
way in until it stops.
4. Remove the dipstick again and read the level on the cross-hatched area. Re-insert
the dipstick and push it all the way in
until it stops.
5. Turn the engine off.

Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Vehicle Care 239
When to Add Engine Oil
If the oil is below the cross-hatched area at
the tip of the dipstick, add 1 L (1 qt) of the
recommended oil through the oil fill cap
opening in the oil tank fill tube and then
recheck the level. See“Selecting the Right
Engine Oil” later in this section for the type
of oil to use. For engine oil crankcase
capacity, see Capacities and Specifications
0 305.
Caution
Do not add too much oil. Oil levels above
or below the acceptable operating range
shown on the dipstick are harmful to the
engine. If the oil level is above the
operating range (i.e., the engine has so
much oil that the oil level gets above the
cross-hatched area that shows the proper
operating range), the engine could be
(Continued)
Caution (Continued)
damaged. Drain the excess oil or limit
driving of the vehicle, and seek a service
professional to remove the excess oil.
See Engine Compartment Overview 0235 for
the location of the external engine oil tank
dipstick and fill cap.
Add enough oil to put the level somewhere
in the proper operating range. Push the
dipstick all the way back into the oil tank
tube when finished.
Changing the Engine Oil and Filter
The vehicle requires a special procedure
when changing the engine oil and filter.
Follow this procedure closely.
1. Engine Oil Drain Plug
2. O-ring Seal
3. Engine Oil Filter
To change the engine oil and filter:
1. Run the engine at idle for about 20 seconds to return all of the oil back
into the dry sump oil tank.
2. Turn the engine off prior to draining the oil.
3. Remove the engine oil drain plug from the bottom of the engine oil pan. Drain
plug removal will let the oil drain from
the external oil tank and residual oil
from the crankcase sump. Allow the oil
to drain.