coolant CHEVROLET CORVETTE C6 2012 Owners Manual

Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
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)
%: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
d:Traction Control/Active
Handling System
M: Windshield Washer Fluid

Black plate (20,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
1-20 In Brief
Navigation System
If the vehicle has a navigation
system, there is a separate
navigation system manual that
includes information on the radio,
audio players, and navigation
system.
The navigation system provides
detailed maps of most major
freeways and roads. After a
destination has been set, the
system provides turn-by-turn
instructions for reaching the
destination. In addition, the system
can help locate a variety of points of
interest (POIs), such as banks,
airports, restaurants, and more.
See the navigation system manual
for more information.
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 5‑26.

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-1
Instruments and
Controls
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . 5-2
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . 5-3
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . 5-4
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Cigarette Lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Ashtrays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, andIndicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12 Boost Gauge (ZR1) . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Engine Oil Pressure
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Engine Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Voltmeter Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . 5-17
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . 5-17
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
One-to-Four Shift Light (Manual Transmission) . . . . . 5-22
Traction Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
StabiliTrak®OFF Light . . . . . . . 5-23
Active Handling System Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . 5-25
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Information Displays
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Head-Up Display (HUD) . . . . . 5-31
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . 5-35
Battery Voltage and Charging Messages . . . . . . . . 5-35
Brake System Messages . . . . 5-36
Convertible Top Messages . . . 5-37
Cruise Control Messages . . . . 5-38
Door Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . 5-38
Engine Cooling System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-39
Engine Oil Messages . . . . . . . . 5-40
Engine Power Messages . . . . 5-41
Fuel System Messages . . . . . . 5-41
Key and Lock Messages . . . . . 5-42
Lamp Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-43
Ride Control System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-44
Safety Belt Messages . . . . . . . 5-48
Anti-theft Alarm System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-49

Black plate (16,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
5-16 Instruments and Controls
Engine Coolant
Temperature Gauge
Metric
English
This gauge shows the engine
coolant temperature. If the gauge
pointer moves into the shaded area,
the engine is too hot.
This means that the engine coolant
has overheated. If the vehicle has
been operating under normal driving
conditions, pull off the road, stop the
vehicle and turn off the engine as
soon as possible.
See Engine Overheating on
page 10‑30 for more information.
Voltmeter Gauge
Base and Z06
The voltmeter shows the voltage
output of the battery. It shows the
voltage output of the charging
system while the engine is running.
The reading changes as the rate of
charge changes (with engine speed,
for example), but if the voltmeter
reads at 9 volts or below, the
instrument panel cluster and other
systems may shut down. The Driver
Information Center (DIC) reads
BATTERY VOLTAGE LOW when
the vehicle is at 10 volts or below.

Black plate (23,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-23
This light comes on when:
.The engine coolant temperature
is higher than 76°C (169°F).
.The vehicle is going 24 to
31 km/h (15 to 19 mph).
.The vehicle is at 21 percent
throttle or less.
Traction Off Light
This light comes on briefly while
starting the engine. If it does not,
have the vehicle serviced by your
dealer. If the system is working
normally, the indicator light then
turns off.
The traction off light comes on when
the Traction Control System (TCS)
has been turned off by pressing and
releasing the traction control button.This light and the Active Handling
light come on when Active Handling
is turned off.
If the TCS is off, wheelspin is not
limited. Adjust driving accordingly.
See
Active Handling System on
page 9‑38 andTraction Control
System (TCS) on page 9‑36 for
more information.
StabiliTrak®OFF Light
This light comes on briefly as the
engine is started. If the light does
not, have the vehicle serviced by
your dealer. If the system is working
normally the light goes off. This light also comes on while the
vehicle is in the Competitive
Driving Mode.
For the ZR1 this light comes on
when Performance Traction mode is
activated, along with DIC messages
for the five traction modes.
This light comes on when the
Active Handling system is turned
off. If Active Handling is off, the
Traction Control System (TCS) is
also off.
If the TCS is off, the system does
not assist in controlling the vehicle.
Turn on the TCS and the Active
Handling systems and the warning
light turns off.
See
Active Handling System on
page 9‑38 andTraction Control
System (TCS) on page 9‑36 for
more information.

Black plate (26,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
5-26 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 5‑35 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 5‑31 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 - 2012
5-28 Instruments and Controls
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.
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

Black plate (31,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
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 9‑27.
.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

Black plate (33,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
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 (Automatic
Transmission only), 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 (39,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-39
HATCH AJAR (Coupe)
This message displays when the
hatch is not closed completely.
Make sure that the hatch is closed
completely. SeeHatch on page 2‑11
for more information.
PASSENGER DOOR AJAR
This message displays if the
passenger door is not closed
properly. Make sure that the door is
closed completely.
TONNEAU AJAR (Convertible)
This message displays when the
convertible top is not closed
completely. Make sure that the
top is closed completely. See
Convertible Top on page 2‑24 for
more information.
TRUNK AJAR (Convertible)
This message displays when the
trunk is not closed completely.
Make sure that the trunk is closed
completely. See Hatch on page 2‑11
for more information.
Engine Cooling System
Messages
CHECK COOLANT LEVEL
This message displays when
the engine coolant level is low.
Have the cooling system serviced
by your dealer as soon as possible.
See Engine Coolant on page 10‑26.
COOLANT OVER
TEMPERATURE
This message displays and a sound
will be heard if the engine coolant
exceeds 124°C (255°F). If you have
been operating the vehicle under
normal driving conditions, pull off
the road, stop the vehicle, and turn
off the engine as soon as possible.
You can monitor the coolant
temperature with the gauges
button on the DIC or the engine
coolant temperature gauge on
the instrument panel cluster. See
Engine Overheating on
page 10‑30, Driver Information
Center (DIC) on page 5‑26, and
Engine Coolant Temperature Gauge
on page 5‑16.
To acknowledge the message, press
the RESET button. The message
and sound will come back on until
this condition changes. If you do not
press the RESET button, the
message remains on until the
condition changes.ENGINE OVERHEATED –
STOP ENGINE
This message displays and a sound
will be heard when the engine has
overheated. Stop and turn the
engine off immediately to avoid
severe engine damage. See Engine
Overheating on page 10‑30.