brake CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7 2018 Owner's Manual

Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11374030) - 2018 - crc - 3/29/17
136 Lighting
Exterior Lamps Off
Reminder
A warning chime will sound if the
exterior lamp control is left on in
either the headlamp or parking lamp
position and the driver door is
opened with the ignition off.
Headlamp High/
Low-Beam Changer
Push the turn signal lever away
from you and release to turn the
high beams on. To return to low
beams, push the lever again or pull
it toward you and release.
This indicator light turns on in the
instrument cluster when the
high-beam headlamps are on.
Flash-to-Pass
To use the flash-to-pass feature,
briefly pull the turn signal lever
toward you. The high-beam
indicator flashes to indicate to the
other driver that you intend to pass.
Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL)
DRL can make it easier for others to
see the front of your vehicle during
the day. DRL are required on all
vehicles first sold in Canada.
The DRL system makes the
dedicated lamps come on when the
following conditions are met:
.It is still daylight and the ignition
is on.
. The exterior lamp control is in
the AUTO position.
. The transmission is not in
P (Park) or the parking brake
is off.
When DRL are on, only the front
lamps will be on. The parking
lamps, taillamps, instrument panel lights, or other exterior lamps will
not be on when the DRL are
being used.
When it is dark enough outside, the
front lamps dim to parking lamps
and the normal low-beam
headlamps turn on.
When it is bright enough outside,
the regular lamps go off, and the
front DRL will take over. If the
vehicle is started in a dark garage,
the automatic headlamp system
comes on immediately. Once the
vehicle leaves the garage, it takes
approximately one minute for the
automatic headlamp system to
change to DRL if it is light outside.
During that delay, the instrument
cluster may not be as bright as
usual. Make sure the instrument
panel brightness knob is in the full
bright position. See
Instrument
Panel Illumination Control 0139.
If it is dark enough outside and the
exterior lamp control is off, a Driver
Information Center (DIC) message
may display.

Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11374030) - 2018 - crc - 3/29/17
Infotainment System 145
.GPS Tracking Map: Shows the
vehicle’s current position relative
to a known route.
. Engine Rotations Per Minute
(RPMs): The vertical line and
triangle indicate current RPMs.
As the RPMs increase, the
backfill follows.
. Transmission State (Current
Gear): Same as Sport.
. Friction Bubble Graphic: Lateral
and longitudinal G-Forces are
displayed as a dot within a
bubble. A red dot displays when
the vehicle starts braking and
turns green when the vehicle
accelerates. The dot is white
when the vehicle is not moving.
A white dot is the default.
. Brake and Throttle Graphic:
Displays the percentage value of
brake and throttle pedal position
from 0–100%.
. Steering Angle: The graphic fills
from the center to the left or right
depending on the direction of steering. The numerical steering
angle displays below the
graphic.
. Active Handling Active Indicator:
The graphic only displays if the
active handling systems are
activated.
. Performance Traction
Management (PTM) Mode:
Displays the current PTM mode.
The options are Wet, Dry, Sport
1, Sport 2, or Race.
. Current Lap Time: Displays the
elapsed lap time if the finish line
is defined and the vehicle has
crossed the defined finish line at
least once.
. Event Odometer: This displays
the distance driven since the
recording began.
. Drive Mode: Displays the
vehicle’s current drive mode. Performance Timing:
Displays these vehicle metrics:
.
Vehicle Speed: Same as Sport.
. Engine Rotations Per Minute
(RPMs): Same as Sport.
. Transmission State (Current
Gear): Same as Sport.
. 0–100 km/h (0–60 mph), 0–
200 km/h (0–100 mph), 400 m
(1/4 th mi), and 0–200–0 km/h
(0–100–0 mph): The timer starts
recording as soon as the vehicle
accelerates. As the vehicle
passes each speed and distance
milestone, it is displayed on the
overlay.

Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11374030) - 2018 - crc - 4/4/17
Driving and Operating 153
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Track Events and CompetitiveDriving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 167
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 168
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 170
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 174
Front Air Dam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Composite Materials . . . . . . . . . . 174
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178 Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Parking (Manual
Transmission) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Active Fuel Management . . . . . 180
Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 182
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Manual Transmission
Manual Transmission . . . . . . . . . 186
Active Rev Match . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . 190
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . 192
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Driver Mode Control . . . . . . . . . . 194 Competitive Driving Mode . . . . 197
Limited-Slip Differential
(Stingray without
Z51 Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Limited-Slip Differential (Z06,
Grand Sport, and Stingray
with Z51) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Driver Assistance Systems
Assistance Systems forParking or Backing . . . . . . . . . . 204
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
California FuelRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 207
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Trailer Towing
General TowingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On ElectricalEquipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210

Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11374030) - 2018 - crc - 4/4/17
Driving and Operating 155
Drunk Driving
Death and injury associated with
drinking and driving is a global
tragedy.
{Warning
Drinking and then driving is very
dangerous. Your reflexes,
perceptions, attentiveness, and
judgment can be affected by even
a small amount of alcohol. You
can have a serious—or even
fatal —collision if you drive after
drinking.
Do not drink and drive or ride with
a driver who has been drinking.
Ride home in a cab; or if you are
with a group, designate a driver
who will not drink.
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
Electric Power Steering
The vehicle has electric power
steering. It does not have power
steering fluid. Regular maintenance
is not required.
If power steering assist is lost due
to a system malfunction, the vehicle
can be steered, but may require
increased effort.
If the steering assist is used for an
extended period of time while the
vehicle is not moving, power assist
may be reduced.
If the steering wheel is turned until it
reaches the end of its travel and is
held against that position for an
extended period of time, power
steering assist may be reduced.
If the steering assist is used for an
extended period of time, power
assist may be reduced.

Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11374030) - 2018 - crc - 4/4/17
156 Driving and Operating
Normal use of the power steering
assist should return when the
system cools down.
See your dealer if there is a
problem.
Curve Tips
.Take curves at a reasonable
speed.
. Reduce speed before entering a
curve.
. Maintain a reasonable steady
speed through the curve.
. Wait until the vehicle is out of
the curve before accelerating
gently into the straightaway.
Steering in Emergencies
.There are some situations when
steering around a problem may
be more effective than braking.
. Holding both sides of the
steering wheel allows you to turn
180 degrees without removing
a hand.
. The Antilock Brake System
(ABS) allows steering while
braking.
Off-Road Recovery
The vehicle's right wheels can drop
off the edge of a road onto the
shoulder while driving. Follow
these tips:
1. Ease off the accelerator and then, if there is nothing in the
way, steer the vehicle so that it
straddles the edge of the
pavement.
2. Turn the steering wheel about one-eighth of a turn, until the
right front tire contacts the
pavement edge. 3. Turn the steering wheel to go
straight down the roadway.
Loss of Control
Skidding
There are three types of skids that
correspond to the vehicle's three
control systems:
.Braking Skid —wheels are not
rolling.
. Steering or Cornering Skid —
too much speed or steering in a
curve causes tires to slip and
lose cornering force.
. Acceleration Skid —too much
throttle causes the driving
wheels to spin.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids
by taking reasonable care suited to
existing conditions, and by not
overdriving those conditions. But
skids are always possible.
If the vehicle starts to slide, follow
these suggestions:
. Ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and steer the
way you want the vehicle to go.

Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11374030) - 2018 - crc - 4/4/17
Driving and Operating 157
The vehicle may straighten out.
Be ready for a second skid if it
occurs.
. Slow down and adjust your
driving according to weather
conditions. Stopping distance
can be longer and vehicle
control can be affected when
traction is reduced by water,
snow, ice, gravel, or other
material on the road. Learn to
recognize warning clues —such
as enough water, ice, or packed
snow on the road to make a
mirrored surface —and slow
down when you have any doubt.
. Try to avoid sudden steering,
acceleration, or braking,
including reducing vehicle speed
by shifting to a lower gear. Any
sudden changes could cause
the tires to slide.
Remember: Antilock brakes help
avoid only the braking skid.Track Events and
Competitive Driving
{Danger
High-performance features are
intended for use only on closed
tracks by experienced and
qualified drivers and should not
be used on public roads.
High-speed driving, aggressive
cornering, hard braking, and other
high-performance driving can be
dangerous. Improper driver inputs
for the conditions may result in
loss of control of the vehicle,
which could injure or kill you or
others. Always drive safely.
Participating in track events or other
competitive driving without following
the instructions provided may affect
the vehicle warranty. See the
warranty manual before using the
vehicle for racing or other
competitive driving. See Competitive
Driving Mode 0197. A manual transmission is
recommended for extended track
usage at higher ambient
temperatures. Consult the Track
Preparation Guide for additional
information. See your dealer.
Be sure to follow all service
procedures before driving the
vehicle at track events or
competitively.
Engine Sound Management
Setting
Caution
Do not place the vehicle in
Engine Sound Management
–
Stealth mode. Damage could
result to exhaust valve actuators.
Engine Oil
Caution
If the vehicle is used for track
events and competitive driving,
the engine may use more oil than (Continued)

Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11374030) - 2018 - crc - 4/4/17
158 Driving and Operating
Caution (Continued)
it would with normal use. Low oil
levels can damage the engine.
Check the oil level often and
maintain the proper level. See
Engine Oil0222.
Caution
Not changing the engine oil to
15W-50 may cause engine
damage. Engine oil must be
changed to 15W-50 synthetic.
See Capacities and Specifications
0 313.
Z51 Performance Package, Grand
Sport, and Z06 Only: Check the oil
level often during track events and
competitive driving and keep the
level at or near 0.5 L (0.5 qt) above
the upper mark that shows the
proper operating range on the
engine oil dipstick. After the
competitive driving, remove excess oil so that the level on the dipstick is
not above the upper mark that
shows the proper operating range.
Stingray without Z51 Performance
Package: Additional oil fill above the
upper mark on the dipstick is not
recommended for track events or
other competitive driving. Check the
oil level often during racing or other
competitive driving and keep the
level at or near the upper mark that
shows the proper operating range
on the engine oil dipstick. After the
competitive driving, remove excess
oil so that the level on the dipstick is
not above the upper mark that
shows the proper operating range.
After track use, change the oil back
to 5W-30 for street use. See
Engine
Oil 0222.
Automatic Transmission Fluid
Have the transmission fluid set to
the track specific oil level prior to
track usage. Transmission fluid
should be changed after every
15 hours of track usage. Any
transmission level set or change
should be performed at your dealer. Manual Transmission Fluid
Manual transmission fluid should be
changed after every 15 hours of
track usage.
Brake Fluid
Replace existing brake fluid with a
qualified high performance brake
fluid from a sealed container. Brake
fluid with a dry boiling point >279 °C
(534 °F) is qualified. If high
performance brake fluid is used,
replace it with GM approved brake
fluid before driving on public roads.
If high performance brake fluid is in
the vehicle and the age of the brake
fluid is over a month old or
unknown, replace the brake fluid
before track events and competitive
driving. Do not use silicone or
DOT-5 brake fluids.
Load Limit
Z51 Performance Package Only:
Limit vehicle load to the driver only,
with no other cargo. Inflate tires to
180 kPa (26 psi) and drive at a
maximum speed of 280 km/h
(174 mph).

Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11374030) - 2018 - crc - 4/4/17
160 Driving and Operating
competitive driving. See
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants0308.
General Information
If reduced performance is
experienced during track events or
competitive driving, turning off the
A/C will help to improve engine
performance.
Maintain a mixture of 40%
DEX-COOL coolant and 60% clean,
drinkable water to optimize engine
performance.
The front license plate bracket or
aero panel should be removed for
track events and competitive driving
to improve engine performance.
If additional brake cooling is
required, the grille mesh in the lower
corners of the front grille in front of
the brake duct can be removed.
This is not reversible, and a
replacement grille will not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
If this is done, it is recommended
that the gap between the fascia and
the cooling duct be taped over.Brake Burnishing
New brake pads must be burnished
before racing or other competitive
driving.
Caution
Performing the brake burnish
procedure on a base brake
system can result in brake
damage.
Caution
The new vehicle break-in period
should be completed before
performing the brake burnish
procedure, otherwise damage
may occur to the powertrain/
engine. See New Vehicle
Break-In 0174.
Caution
Brake pedal fade will occur during
any track burnish procedure and
can cause brake pedal travel and
force to increase. This could
extend stopping distance until the
brakes are fully burnished.
When this procedure is performed
as instructed, it will not damage the
brakes. The brake pads will smoke
and produce an odor. The braking
force and pedal travel may increase.
After the procedure, the brake pads
may appear white at the rotor
contact.
Perform this procedure only on dry
pavement, in a safe manner, and in
compliance with all local and state
ordinances/laws regarding motor
vehicle operation.

Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11374030) - 2018 - crc - 4/4/17
Driving and Operating 161
Brake Burnishing Procedure
(Grand Sport or Z06 without J57
Ceramic Brakes or Z07
Performance Package)1. Apply the brakes 25 times starting at 100 km/h (60 mph) to
50 km/h (30 mph) while
decelerating at 0.4 g. This is a
medium brake application.
Drive for at least 1 km (0.6 mi)
between applying the brakes.
This first step may be skipped
if there are more than 320 km
(200 mi) on the brake pads.
2. Repeatedly apply the brakes from 100 km/h (60 mph) to
25 km/h (15 mph) while
decelerating at 0.8 g. This is a
hard brake application, without
activating the Antilock Brake
System (ABS). Drive for at
least 1 km (0.6 mi) between
stops. Repeat until the brake
pedal travel starts to increase.
Depending on conditions, this
should take no longer than 25
brake applications. 3. Cool down: Drive at 100 km/h
(60 mph) for approximately
15 km (10 mi) without using the
brakes.
4. Apply the brakes 25 times from 100 km/h (60 mph) to 50 km/h
(30 mph) while decelerating at
0.4 g. This is a medium brake
application. Drive for at least
1 km (0.6 mi) between
applications.
Street High Performance Brake
Burnishing Procedure (Grand
Sport or Z06 with J57 Ceramic
Brakes or Z07 Performance
Package) 1. From a stop, accelerate as rapidly as possible without
activating traction control to a
speed of 100 km/h (60 mph).
2. Use enough pedal force to completely stop the vehicle in
four to five seconds. If ABS
activates, braking is too hard.
3. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 –50
times. This should take about
10 minutes. 4. After completing the 50 stops,
cool the brakes by driving for
8 km (5 mi) at 100 km/h
(60 mph).
As with all high performance brake
systems, some amount of brake
squeal is normal.
Racing/Track Brake Burnishing
Procedure (Grand Sport and Z06
with Z07 Performance Package or
J57 Ceramic Brakes)
This procedure should only be run
on a track and only on dry
pavement.
Caution
Brake pedal fade will occur during
this track burnish procedure and
can cause brake pedal travel and
force to increase. This could
extend stopping distance until the
brakes are fully burnished.
1. Drive a normal first lap, not too aggressively.

Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11374030) - 2018 - crc - 4/4/17
162 Driving and Operating
2. Laps 2 and 3 should begradually driven faster and
more aggressively, while
allowing for reduced brake
output and increased stopping
distance due to brake fade.
3. Drive Lap 4 near full speed, while allowing for reduced
brake output and increased
stopping distance due to
brake fade.
4. Laps 5 and 6 should be cool down laps.
5. Lap 7 should be normal driving or an easy out lap.
Front Compartment Air
Deflector Panel
Prior to the track event, when
ambient temperatures are above
27 °C (80 °F), the panel between
the front fascia extension and the
front cradle can be removed to
maximize cooling air flow to the
steering gear power assist motor. To remove the air deflector:
1. Remove the four front (2) and
three rear (4) front
compartment air deflector
screws.
2. Remove the forward push pin (1).
3. Remove the front compartment air deflector (3) by tipping the
rear down and sliding it out
from under the lower deflector
panel.
When the track events are
complete, re-install this panel.
Z07 Performance Package
Z06 with the Z07 Performance
Package has installed Stage 2 and
Stage 3 Aero Packages, which
consist of a front splitter with short
end caps, rocker panel extensions,
and a rear spoiler.
Stage 3 Aero components are
delivered but not installed on the
vehicle. These are intended to be
installed for track use only. The
components include:
. Front splitter tall end caps that
replace the front splitter short
end caps
. A center transparent wicker bill
for the rear spoiler
{Warning
Changing the following track
settings could reduce tire traction
and could cause a crash. Do not
change the track settings.