Chevrolet 2003 Corvette User manual

Seats and Restraint Systems ........................... 1-1
Front Seats ............................................... 1-2
Safety Belts .............................................. 1-7
Child Restraints ....................................... 1-21
Air Bag System ....................................... 1-39
Restraint System Check ............................ 1-48
Features and Controls ..................................... 2-1
Keys ........................................................ 2-3
Doors and Locks ....................................... 2-9
Windows ................................................. 2-14
Theft-Deterrent Systems ............................ 2-16
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle ........... 2-19
Mirrors .................................................... 2-37
Storage Areas ......................................... 2-39
Roof Panel .............................................. 2-43
Convertible Top ....................................... 2-49
Vehicle Personalization ............................. 2-55
Instrument Panel ............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview .......................... 3-2
Climate Controls ...................................... 3-22
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators ......... 3-29
Driver Information Center (DIC) .................. 3-44
Audio System(s) ....................................... 3-62
Driving Your Vehicle ....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle ..... 4-2
Towing ................................................... 4-33
Service and Appearance Care .......................... 5-1
Service ..................................................... 5-3
Fuel ......................................................... 5-4
Checking Things Under the Hood ............... 5-10
Rear Axle ............................................... 5-46
Bulb Replacement .................................... 5-47
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement ......... 5-51
Tires ...................................................... 5-54
Appearance Care ..................................... 5-75
Vehicle Identification ................................. 5-83
Electrical System ...................................... 5-84
Capacities and Specifications ..................... 5-92
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts ...... 5-94
Maintenance Schedule ..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule ................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance Information .................... 7-1
Customer Assistance Information .................. 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects ............................ 7-9
INDEX ............................................................... 1
2003 Chevrolet Corvette Owner Manual M

GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem,
CHEVROLET, the CHEVROLET Emblem and the name
CORVETTE and the CORVETTE Emblem are
registered trademarks of General Motors Corporation.
This manual includes the latest information at the time it
was printed. We reserve the right to make changes
after that time without further notice. For vehicles first
sold in Canada, substitute the name “General Motors of
Canada Limited” for Chevrolet Motor Division whenever
it appears in this manual.
Please keep this manual in your vehicle, so it will be
there if you ever need it when you’re on the road. If you
sell the vehicle, please leave this manual in it so the
new owner can use it.
Litho in U.S.A.
Part No. 10323873 A First Edition ©Copyright General Motors Corporation 06/20/02 All Rights Reserved
Canadian Owners
You can obtain a French copy of this manual from your
dealer or from:
Helm, Incorporated
P.O. Box 07130
Detroit, MI 48207
How to Use This Manual
Many people read their owner’s manual from beginning
to end when they first receive their new vehicle. If
you do this, it will help you learn about the features and
controls for your vehicle. In this manual, you’ll find
that pictures and words work together to explain things.
Index
A good place to look for what you need is the Index in
back of the manual. It’s an alphabetical list of what’s
in the manual, and the page number where you’ll find it.
ii

Safety Warnings and Symbols
You will find a number of safety cautions in this book.
We use a box and the word CAUTION to tell you about
things that could hurt you if you were to ignore the
warning.
{CAUTION:
These mean there is something that could hurt
you or other people.
In the caution area, we tell you what the hazard is.
Then we tell you what to do to help avoid or reduce the
hazard. Please read these cautions. If you don’t, you
or others could be hurt.
You will also find a circle
with a slash through it in
this book. This safety
symbol means “Don’t,”
“Don’t do this” or “Don’t let
this happen.”
iii

Vehicle Damage Warnings
Also, in this book you will find these notices:
Notice: These mean there is something that could
damage your vehicle.
A notice will tell you about something that can damage
your vehicle. Many times, this damage would not be
covered by your warranty, and it could be costly. But the
notice will tell you what to do to help avoid the
damage.
When you read other manuals, you might see CAUTION
and NOTICE warnings in different colors or in different
words.
You’ll also see warning labels on your vehicle. They use
the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE.
Vehicle Symbols
Your vehicle has components and labels that use
symbols instead of text. Symbols, used on your vehicle,
are shown along with the text describing the operation
or information relating to a specific component, control,
message, gage or indicator.
If you need help figuring out a specific name of a
component, gage or indicator, reference the following
topics:
•Seats and Restraint Systems in Section 1
•Features and Controls in Section 2
•Instrument Panel Overview in Section 3
•Climate Controls in Section 3
•Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators in Section 3
•Audio System(s) in Section 3
•Engine Compartment Overview in Section 5
iv

These are some examples of vehicle symbols you may find on your vehicle:
v

Model Reference
This manual covers these models:
Z06
Coupe
Convertible
vi

Front Seats ......................................................1-2
Manual Seats ................................................1-2
Power Seats ..................................................1-2
Reclining Seatbacks ........................................1-3
Seatback Latches ...........................................1-5
Sport Seat .....................................................1-6
Safety Belts .....................................................1-7
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone .................1-7
Questions and Answers About Safety Belts ......1-11
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly .................1-12
Driver Position ..............................................1-13
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy ..................1-20
Passenger Position .......................................1-20
Safety Belt Extender .....................................1-20
Child Restraints .............................................1-21
Older Children ..............................................1-21
Infants and Young Children ............................1-23
Child Restraint Systems .................................1-26
Top Strap ....................................................1-30
Top Strap Anchor Location .............................1-31
Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) ...........................1-31
Securing a Child Restraint Designed for the
LATCH System .........................................1-33
Securing a Child Restraint in the Passenger
Seat Position ............................................1-34
Air Bag System ..............................................1-39
Where Are the Air Bags? ...............................1-40
When Should an Air Bag Inflate? ....................1-42
What Makes an Air Bag Inflate? .....................1-42
How Does an Air Bag Restrain? .....................1-42
What Will You See After an
Air Bag Inflates? .......................................1-43
Air Bag Off Switch ........................................1-44
Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle .........1-47
Restraint System Check ..................................1-48
Checking Your Restraint Systems ...................1-48
Replacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash ............................................1-48
Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
1-1

Front Seats
Manual Seats
To move a manual seat, pull up on the lever located in
front of the seat to unlock it. Slide the seat to where
you want it and release the lever. Then try to move the
seat with your body to make sure the seat is locked
into place.
Power Seats
If your vehicle has this feature, the control for the power
seats will be located on the outboard side of each
seat, near the base.
1-2

Different parts of the power seat control move different
parts of the seat. To move the seat forward or
rearward, move the control in that direction. Move the
control up to raise the seat and down to lower it.
By tilting the back of the control, it will raise or lower the
back of the seat. Tilting the front of the control will
raise or lower the front of the seat.
Your preferred seat position can be stored and recalled
if you have the memory option. See
Memory on
page 2-55
.
Reclining Seatbacks
The lever for the reclining seatback is located on the
outboard side of each seat, near the base.
To adjust the seatback, lean slightly forward to lift your
weight off the seatback. Pull completely up on the
lever until it stops, and lean back to position the
seatback to where you want it. Release the lever to lock
the seatback into place.
1-3

But don’t have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is
moving.
{CAUTION:
Sitting in a reclined position when your vehicle
is in motion can be dangerous. Even if you
buckle up, your safety belts can’t do their job
when you’re reclined like this.
The shoulder belt can’t do its job because it
won’t be against your body. Instead, it will be
in front of you. In a crash you could go into it,
receiving neck or other injuries.
The lap belt can’t do its job either. In a crash
the belt could go up over your abdomen. The
belt forces would be there, not at your pelvic
bones. This could cause serious internal
injuries.
For proper protection when the vehicle is in
motion, have the seatback upright. Then sit
well back in the seat and wear your safety belt
properly.
1-4

Seatback Latches
Both seatbacks fold forward to give you access to the
rear area. To fold a seatback forward, lift this latch,
which is located on top of the backside of the seat, and
pull the seatback forward. The seatback will lock
down in this position.
To unlock, lift up on the latch and push the seatback
rearward. When you return the seatback to its original
position, make sure the seatback is locked in place.
{CAUTION:
If the seatback isn’t locked, it could move
forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could
cause injury to the person sitting there. Always
press rearward on the seatback to be sure it is
locked.
1-5

Sport Seat If your vehicle has this feature, there are three other
controls that help you change the shape of the seat in
addition to the power seat control. There are two
lumbar supports for the middle (A) and lower (B) back.
There’s also a side bolster control (C) that adjusts
the sides of the seat around you to give you more lateral
support.
For lumbar support, move each control (A) and (B)
forward to inflate or rearward to deflate.
Move the side bolster control (C) up for more side
support and down for less support.
1-6

Safety Belts
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone
This part of the manual tells you how to use safety
belts properly. It also tells you some things you should
not do with safety belts.
{CAUTION:
Don’t let anyone ride where he or she can’t
wear a safety belt properly. If you are in a
crash and you’re not wearing a safety belt,
your injuries can be much worse. You can hit
things inside the vehicle or be ejected from it.
You can be seriously injured or killed. In the
same crash, you might not be if you are
buckled up. Always fasten your safety belt,
and check that your passenger’s belt is
fastened properly too.
{CAUTION:
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo
area, inside or outside of a vehicle. In a
collision, people riding in these areas are more
likely to be seriously injured or killed. Do not
allow people to ride in any area of your vehicle
that is not equipped with seats and safety
belts. Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a
seat and using a safety belt properly.
Your vehicle has a light
that comes on as a
reminder to buckle up. See
Safety Belt Reminder
Light on page 3-31
.
1-7

In most states and all Canadian provinces, the law says
to wear safety belts. Here’s why:
They work .
You never know if you’ll be in a crash. If you do have a
crash, you don’t know if it will be a bad one.
A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so
serious that even buckled up a person wouldn’t survive.
But most crashes are in between. In many of them,
people who buckle up can survive and sometimes walk
away. Without belts they could have been badly hurt
or killed.
After more than 30 years of safety belts in vehicles, the
facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does
matter... a lot!
Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as
it goes.
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it’s just a seat on
wheels.
1-8

Put someone on it. Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider
doesn’t stop.
1-9

The person keeps going until stopped by something. In
a real vehicle, it could be the windshield... or the instrument panel...
1-10

or the safety belts!
With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle does.
You get more time to stop. You stop over more distance,
and your strongest bones take the forces. That’s why
safety belts make such good sense.
Questions and Answers About
Safety Belts
Q: Won’t I be trapped in the vehicle after an
accident if I’m wearing a safety belt?
A: You could be — whether you’re wearing a safety
belt or not. But you can unbuckle a safety belt,
even if you’re upside down. And your chance
of being conscious during and after an accident,
so you
can unbuckle and get out, is much greater if
you are belted.
Q: If my vehicle has air bags, why should I have to
wear safety belts?
A: Air bags are in many vehicles today and will be in
most of them in the future. But they are
supplemental systems only; so they work
with
safety belts — not instead of them. Every air bag
system ever offered for sale has required the
use of safety belts. Even if you’re in a vehicle that
has air bags, you still have to buckle up to get
the most protection. That’s true not only in frontal
collisions, but especially in side and other
collisions.
1-11

Q: If I’m a good driver, and I never drive far from
home, why should I wear safety belts?
A: You may be an excellent driver, but if you’re in an
accident — even one that isn’t your fault — you
and your passenger can be hurt. Being a good
driver doesn’t protect you from things beyond your
control, such as bad drivers.
Most accidents occur within 25 miles (40 km) of
home. And the greatest number of serious injuries
and deaths occur at speeds of less than 40 mph
(65 km/h).
Safety belts are for everyone.
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
This part is only for people of adult size.
Be aware that there are special things to know about
safety belts and children. And there are different
rules for smaller children and babies. If a child will be
riding in your vehicle, see
Older Children on page 1-21
or Infants and Young Children on page 1-23 . Follow
those rules for everyone’s protection.
First, you’ll want to know which restraint systems your
vehicle has.
We’ll start with the driver position.
1-12

Driver Position
This part describes the driver’s restraint system.
Lap-Shoulder Belt
The driver has a lap-shoulder belt. Here’s how to wear it
properly.
1. Close and lock the door.
2. Adjust the seat so you can sit up straight. To see
how, see “Seats” in the Index.
3. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Don’t let it get twisted.
The lap-shoulder belt may lock if you pull the belt
across you very quickly. If this happens, let the belt
go back slightly to unlock it. Then pull the belt
across you more slowly.
When the lap portion of the belt is pulled out all the
way, it will lock. If it does, let it go back all the
way and start again. See “Lap Belt Cinch Feature”
later in this section.
4. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure.
If the belt isn’t long enough, see
Safety Belt
Extender on page 1-20
.
Make sure the release button on the buckle is
positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the
safety belt quickly if you ever had to.
1-13

The lap part of the belt should be worn low and snug on
the hips, just touching the thighs. In a crash, this
applies force to the strong pelvic bones. And you’d be
less likely to slide under the lap belt. If you slid under it,
the belt would apply force at your abdomen. This
could cause serious or even fatal injuries. The shoulder
belt should go over the shoulder and across the
chest. These parts of the body are best able to take belt
restraining forces.
The safety belt locks if there’s a sudden stop or crash,
or if you pull the belt very quickly out of the retractor.
Lap Belt Cinch Feature
If you do not want the lap belt to move freely, pull the
lap belt out all the way to set the lock. To permit the lap
belt to move freely again, unbuckle the belt, let it
retract all the way, and buckle up again.
1-14