park assist CHEVROLET CORVETTE C6 2012 Owners Manual

Black plate (20,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
5-20 Instruments and Controls
If the light continues to flash, stop
and park the vehicle. Turn the
vehicle off, wait at least 10 seconds,
and restart the engine. If the light is
still flashing, follow the previous
steps and see your dealer for
service as soon as possible.
Light On Steady:An emission
control system malfunction has
been detected on the vehicle.
Diagnosis and service might be
required.
The following may correct an
emission system malfunction:
.Check that the fuel cap is fully
installed. See Filling the Tank on
page 9‑51. The diagnostic
system can determine if the
fuel cap has been left off or
improperly installed. A loose or
missing fuel cap allows fuel to
evaporate into the atmosphere.
A few driving trips with the cap
properly installed should turn the
light off.
.Check that good quality fuel is
used. Poor fuel quality causes
the engine not to run as
efficiently as designed and may
cause: stalling after start-up,
stalling when the vehicle is
changed into gear, misfiring,
hesitation on acceleration,
or stumbling on acceleration.
These conditions might go away
once the engine is warmed up.
If one or more of these
conditions occurs, change the
fuel brand used. It will require at
least one full tank of the proper
fuel to turn the light off.
See Recommended Fuel on
page 9‑48.
If none of the above have made
the light turn off, your dealer can
check the vehicle. The dealer has
the proper test equipment and
diagnostic tools to fix any
mechanical or electrical problems
that might have developed.Emissions Inspection and
Maintenance Programs
Some local governments may have
programs to inspect the on-vehicle
emission control equipment.
For the inspection, the emission
system test equipment is
connected to the vehicle’s Data
Link Connector (DLC).
The DLC is under the instrument
panel to the left of the steering
wheel. See your dealer if assistance
is needed.
The vehicle may not pass
inspection if:
.The malfunction indicator lamp is
on with the engine running, or if
the vehicle is placed in Service
Only Mode and the malfunction
indicator lamp does not come

Black plate (21,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-21
on. See your dealer for
assistance in verifying proper
operation of the malfunction
indicator lamp.
.The OBD II (On-Board
Diagnostics) system
determines that critical emission
control systems have not been
completely diagnosed. The
vehicle would be considered not
ready for inspection. This can
happen if the 12-volt battery has
recently been replaced or run
down. The diagnostic system is
designed to evaluate critical
emission control systems during
normal driving. This can take
several days of routine driving.
If this has been done and the
vehicle still does not pass the
inspection for lack of OBD II
system readiness, your dealer
can prepare the vehicle for
inspection.
Brake System Warning
Light
The vehicle brake system consists
of two hydraulic circuits. If one
circuit is not working, the remaining
circuit can still work to stop the
vehicle. For normal braking
performance, both circuits need to
be working.
MetricEnglish
This light comes on briefly while
starting the engine. If it does not
come on, have it fixed so it is ready
to warn if there is a problem.
{WARNING
The brake system might not be
working properly if the brake
system warning light is on.
Driving with the brake system
warning light on can lead to a
crash. If the light is still on after
the vehicle has been pulled off
the road and carefully stopped,
have the vehicle towed for
service.
If this warning light stays on after
the engine is started, the parking
brake may still be set or there could
be a brake problem. Refer to
Parking Brake on page 9‑36 to
see if it is set. If the parking brake
is not set, have the brake system
inspected right away.

Black plate (37,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-37
have ABS. If the regular brake
system warning light is also on,
you do not have ABS and there
is a problem with the brakes.
SeeAntilock Brake System (ABS)
Warning Light on page 5‑22 and
Brake System Warning Light on
page 5‑21.
If this message is displayed, the
Traction Control System (TCS) and
the Active Handling System will also
be disabled. The DIC will scroll
three messages: SERVICE
ANTILOCK BRAKES, SERVICE
TRACTION SYSTEM, and
SERVICE ACTIVE HANDLING, and
the instrument panel cluster lights
will come on along with a sound.
When the service message is
displayed, the computer controlled
systems will not assist the driver.
Have the system repaired by your
dealer as soon as possible. Adjust
your driving accordingly.
To acknowledge these messages,
press the RESET button.Convertible Top
Messages
ATTACH TRUNK PARTITION
If the vehicle has a power
convertible top, this message
displays and a sound will be heard
if the trunk partition is not in place.
Open the hatch/trunk and make
sure the trunk partition is secure
and no objects are on the trunk
partition. See Rear Storage on
page 4‑1 for more information.
CLOSE TRUNK TO MOVE TOP
This message displays and a sound
will be heard if the trunk is open
while you are trying to operate the
convertible top. Make sure the trunk
is closed before operating the
convertible top. See Convertible Top
on page 2‑24.
SET PARK BRAKE TO
MOVE TOP
If the vehicle has a manual
transmission, this message displays
and a sound will be heard if you try
to operate the power convertible top
without first setting the parking
brake. Set the parking brake
before trying to operate the power
convertible top. See Convertible Top
on page 2‑24 for more information.
SHIFT TO PARK OR SET PARK
BRAKE FOR TOP
If the vehicle has an automatic
transmission, this message displays
and a sound will be heard if you try
to operate the power convertible top
without first shifting into P (Park) or
setting the parking brake. Either
shift the vehicle into P (Park) or set
the parking brake before trying to
operate the power convertible top.
SeeConvertible Top on page 2‑24
for more information.

Black plate (63,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-63
Universal Remote System
Programming
This system provides a way to
replace up to three remote control
transmitters used to activate
devices such as garage door
openers, security systems, and
home automation devices.
Do not use this system with any
garage door opener that does not
have the stop and reverse feature.
This includes any garage door
opener model manufactured before
April 1, 1982.Read the instructions completely
before attempting to program the
transmitter. Because of the steps
involved, it may be helpful to have
another person assist with
programming the transmitter.
Be sure to keep the original remote
control transmitter for use in other
vehicles, as well as for future
programming. Only the original
remote control transmitter is needed
for Fixed Code programming.
The programmed buttons should be
erased when the vehicle is sold or
the lease ends. See
“Erasing
Universal Home Remote Buttons”
in this section.
Park the vehicle outside of the
garage when programming a
garage door. Be sure that people
and objects are clear of the garage
door or gate being programmed.
Programming Universal Home
Remote —Rolling Code
For questions or help programming
the Universal Home Remote
System, call 1-866-572-2728 or
go to www.learcar2u.com.
Most garage door openers sold
after 1996 are Rolling Code units.
Programming a garage door opener
involves time-sensitive actions, so
read the entire procedure before
starting. Otherwise, the device will
time out and the procedure will have
to be repeated.
To program up to three devices:
1. Press START or put the vehicle
in accessory mode. See Ignition
Positions on page 9‑20 for
additional information.
Programming can only occur
when the vehicle is running or in
accessory mode.

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-1
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Racing or Other CompetitiveDriving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . 9-9
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . 9-10
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 9-10
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-11
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 9-13
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . 9-14
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . 9-18
Front Air Dam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-19
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-20
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . 9-22
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Shifting Into Park (Automatic
Transmission) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Parking (Manual Transmission) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . 9-27
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-29
Manual Transmission
Manual Transmission . . . . . . . . 9-32
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-36
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-36
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control System (TCS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-36
Active Handling System . . . . . 9-38
Competitive Driving Mode . . . 9-39
Limited-Slip Rear Axle . . . . . . . 9-43
Selective Ride Control . . . . . . . 9-43
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-45

Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
9-4 Driving and Operating
Control of a Vehicle
Braking, steering, and accelerating
are important factors in helping to
control a vehicle while driving.
Braking
Braking action involves perception
time and reaction time. Deciding to
push the brake pedal is perception
time. Actually doing it is
reaction time.
Average driver reaction time is
about three-quarters of a second.
In that time, a vehicle moving at
100 km/h (60 mph) travels 20 m
(66 ft), which could be a lot of
distance in an emergency.Helpful braking tips to keep in mind
include:
.Keep enough distance between
you and the vehicle in front
of you.
.Avoid needless heavy braking.
.Keep pace with traffic.
If the engine ever stops while the
vehicle is being driven, brake
normally but do not pump the
brakes. Doing so could make the
pedal harder to push down. If the
engine stops, there will be some
power brake assist but it will be
used when the brake is applied.
Once the power assist is used up,
it can take longer to stop and the
brake pedal will be harder to push.
Steering
Magnetic Effort Steering
This system continuously adjusts
the effort felt when steering at all
vehicle speeds. It provides ease
when parking, yet a firm, solid feel
at highway speeds.
Hydraulic Power Steering
Your vehicle has hydraulic
power steering. It may require
maintenance. See Power Steering
Fluid Power Steering Fluid on
page 10‑32.
If power steering assist is lost
because the engine stops or the
power steering system is not
functioning, the vehicle can be
steered but may required increased
effort. See your dealer if there is a
problem.

Black plate (10,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
9-10 Driving and Operating
Other Rainy Weather Tips
Besides slowing down, other wet
weather driving tips include:
.Allow extra following distance.
.Pass with caution.
.Keep windshield wiping
equipment in good shape.
.Keep the windshield washer fluid
reservoir filled.
.Have good tires with proper
tread depth. SeeTires on
page 10‑54.
.Turn off cruise control.
Highway Hypnosis
Always be alert and pay attention to
your surroundings while driving.
If you become tired or sleepy, find a
safe place to park the vehicle
and rest.
Other driving tips include:
.Keep the vehicle well ventilated.
.Keep the interior
temperature cool.
.Keep your eyes moving —scan
the road ahead and to the sides.
.Check the rearview mirror and
vehicle instruments often.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or through
mountains is different than driving
on flat or rolling terrain. Tips for
driving in these conditions include:
.Keep the vehicle serviced and in
good shape.
.Check all fluid levels and brakes,
tires, cooling system, and
transmission.
.Shift to a lower gear when going
down steep or long hills.
{WARNING
If you do not shift down, the
brakes could get so hot that they
would not work well. You would
then have poor braking or even
none going down a hill. You could
crash. Shift down to let the engine
assist the brakes on a steep
downhill slope.

Black plate (20,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
9-20 Driving and Operating
Ignition Positions
The vehicle has an electronic
keyless ignition with a push-button
start.
In order to shift out of P (Park),
the vehicle must be running or in
Acc. mode and the regular brake
pedal must be applied.
/(START):Press this button
while your foot is on the brake for
an automatic transmission, or while
pressing in the clutch for a manual
transmission, to start the engine.
If the vehicle is in OFF or Retained
Accessory Power (RAP) mode, the
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter must be inside the
vehicle to start the engine.
9Acc. (STOPPING THE
ENGINE/OFF/ACCESSORY):
When the vehicle is stopped with
the engine on, press the button
once to turn the engine off.
Do not turn the engine off when the
vehicle is moving. This will cause a
loss of power assist in the brake
and steering systems and disable
the airbags. If the vehicle must be shut off in an
emergency:
1. Brake using a firm and steady
pressure. Do not pump the
brakes repeatedly. This may
deplete power assist, requiring
increased brake pedal force.
2. Shift the vehicle to neutral. This can be done while the
vehicle is moving. After shifting
to neutral, firmly apply the
brakes and steer the vehicle to
a safe location.
3. Come to a complete stop. Shift to 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

Black plate (21,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-21
{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 9‑24 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 5‑52.
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 (23,1)Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-23
too much gasoline. Try pushing
the accelerator pedal all the way
to the floor while cranking for up
to 15 seconds maximum. Wait at
least 15 seconds between each
try, to allow the cranking motor
to cool down. When the engine
starts, let go of the accelerator.
If the vehicle starts briefly but
then stops again, repeat these
steps. This clears the extra
gasoline from the engine.
Notice: Cranking the engine for
long periods of time, by pressing
the START button immediately
after cranking has ended, can
overheat and damage the
cranking motor, and drain the
battery. Wait at least 15 seconds
between each try, to allow the
cranking motor to cool down. The vehicle has a Computer-
Controlled Cranking System.
This feature assists in starting the
engine and protects components.
Once cranking has been initiated,
the engine continues cranking for a
few seconds or until the vehicle
starts. If the engine does not start,
cranking automatically stops after
15 seconds to prevent cranking
motor damage. To prevent gear
damage, this system also prevents
cranking if the engine is already
running.
Notice:
The engine is designed
to work with the electronics in
the vehicle. If electrical parts or
accessories are added, you
could change the way the engine
operates. Before adding electrical
equipment, check with your
dealer. If you do not, the engine
might not perform properly.
Any resulting damage would
not be covered by the vehicle
warranty.Stopping the Engine
If the vehicle has an automatic
transmission, move the shift lever
to P (Park) and press and hold the
Acc. (Off/Accessory) button, located
on the instrument panel, until the
engine shuts off. If the shift lever is
not in P (Park), the engine shuts off
and the vehicle goes into the
accessory mode. The DIC displays
SHIFT TO PARK. Once the shifter is
moved to P (Park), the vehicle turns
off. If the vehicle has a manual
transmission, it is recommended
that you move the shift lever to
R (Reverse) and set the parking
brake after you turn off the engine
by pressing and holding the Acc.
(Off/Accessory) button.
If the RKE transmitter is not
detected inside the vehicle when it
is turned to off, the DIC displays
NO FOB –OFF OR RUN?.
See Key and Lock Messages on
page 5‑42 for more information.