Chevrolet 1996 Corvette Owner's manual

A

n

The

1996

Corvette Owner’s Manual

Seats and Restraint Systems

...............................................................

1-1

This section tells you how to use your seats and safety belts properly. It also explains the air bag system.

Features and Controls

..................................................................

2-1

This section explains how to start and operate your Corvette.

Comfort Controls and Audio Systems

.....................................................

3-1

This section tells you how to adjust the ventilation and comfort controls and how to operate your

audio system.

Here you’ll find helpful information and tips about the road and how to drive under different conditions.

YourDrivingandtheRoad

..............................................................

4-1

ProblemsontheRoad

..................................................................

5-1

This section tells you what to do if you have a problem while driving, such as a flat tire or overheated

engine, etc.

Service and Appearance Care..

..........................................................

6-1

Maintenanceschedule

..................................................................

7-1

Customer Assistance Information

........................................................

8-1

Here the manual tells you how to keep your Corvette running properly and looking good.

This section tells you when to perform vehicle maintenance and what fluids and lubricants to use.

This section tells you how to contact Chevrolet for assistance and how to get service and owner publications.

It also gives you information on “Reporting Safety Defects” on page

8-9.

Index

.................................................................................

9-1

Here’s an alphabetical listing of almost every subject in this manual. You can use it to quickly find

something you want to read.

i

GENERAL MOTORS, GM and the GM Emblem,

CHEVROLET, the CHEVROLET Emblem,

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 in the

product 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 Corvette,

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.

10261

162

B

First Edition

ii

WE

SUPPORT

VOLUNTARY TECHNICIAN

CERTIFICATION

THROUGH

National

Institute

for

AUTOMOTIVE

SERVICE

EXCELLENCE

We support voluntary

technician certification.

For Canadian Owners

Who

Prefer a

French Language Manual:

Aux

propri6taires canadiens:

Vous pouvez vous

procurer un exemplaire de ce guide en fraqais chez

votre concessionaire

ou

au:

DGN

Marketing Services Ltd.

1500

Bonhill Rd.

Mississauga, Ontario L5T lC7

@Copyright General Motors Corporation 1995

CORVETTE: THE

AMERICAN

DREAM

MACHINE

In

the early

OS,

it was only a designer’s dream. Today

the Corvette stands alone as America’s dream car

--

a

testament to its unmistakable charisma and the

excitement it inspires. Unique styling, powerful

performance and an undeniable panache have made

Corvette one of the most celebrated sports cars in

the world.

In

1953,

Corvette produced

300

new lightweight

fiberglass roadsters.

A

handful went

to

project

engineers, General Motors managers, and a select group

of

movie stars and celebrities. With a two-speed

Powerglide automatic transmission, Blue Flame

six-cylinder engine, and gleaming Polo White exterior,

the Corvette began its drive into the heart of America.

Designers freshened up the ’Vette in

1956

by adding a

removable hardtop and the famous Corvette “coves.”

The sculptured body enhanced its sporty look, and a

standard

2

1

0-horsepower Chevy

V8

engine solidified

Corvette’s reputation as

a

production race car.

iii

L;

In

1963,

Corvette hit the road with an eye-catching new

look

--

the Sting Ray coupe. An instant success, the

now-classic Sting Ray featured concealed headlamps

and

a

unique split rear window. The split window would

only be offered in

1963,

making this model among the

most prized Corvettes ever built.

Restyled inside and out for

1968,

this 'Vette sported

a

lean and hungry shape, creating a sense

of

motion even

when standing still. And for the first time, Corvette

offered removable roof panels.

iv

For its 25th anniversary,

the 1978

Corvette received

a

new fastback roofline with

a

wide expanse

of

glass

that

wrapped around

the

sides. Emblenx front and rear identified the

'78

'Vette

as

a Silver Anniversary model.

V

Now in its 44th year

of

production, Corvette only gets

better. From the Grand Sport 330-horsepower

LT4

engine

to state-of-the-art refinements standard on all Corvettes,

today’s Corvette is a premier driving machine.

In 1984, the fourth generation

of

America’s favorite

sports car anticipated the future with a sleek look and

advanced technology that provided superior handling

and performance. Windshield angle was the sheerest of

any domestic vehicle, cornering ability the tightest of

any production car. In short, the 1984 redesign enhanced

the Corvette’s reputation as a leader in the world sports

car market.

i

vi

CORVETTE

ASSEMBLY

PLANT

The Corvette Assembly Plant in Bowling Green,

Kentucky is one of the most sophisticated and

computerized automobile assembly facilities in the

world.

To

build your 1996 Corvette, over 1,200 employes

teamed up with the 70 high-tech robots that assist in

a

variety

of

processes, from welding to painting.

The Bowling Green facility is Corvette’s third home

since 1953. Since beginning production in June

of

1981,

it has become one of Kentucky’s most popular tourist

attractions.

Corvette Assembly Plant tours are conducted Monday

through Friday. Reservations are required for groups

of

10

or more. For more information, call (502) 745-8228.

The new National Corvette Museum, located near the

assembly plant, opened its doors in September

of

1994.

It is also attracting tourists to the area.

vii

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 quickly.

Index

A

good place to look for what you need is the Index in

the back of the manual. It’s an alphabetical list

of

all

that’s in the manual, and the page number where you’ll

find it.

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.

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.”

L

Vehicle Damage Warnings

Also, in this

book

you will find these notices:

I

NOTICE:

These mean there is something that could

damage your vehicle.

In the notice area, we 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.

ix

Vehicle Symbols

These are some

of

the symbols you may

find

on

your vehicle.

For example,

these symbols

are used on an

original battery:

POSSIBLE

A

CAUTION

INJURY

PROTECT

EYES BY

SHIELDING

Q

CAUSTIC

ACID COULD

BATTERY

CAUSE

BURNS

AVOID

SPARKS

OR

FLAMES

SPARK

OR

,\I/,

COULD

FLAME

EXPLODE

BAllERY

These symbols

are important

for you and

your passengers

whenever your

vehicle is

driven:

UNLOCK

El

FASTEN

SEAT

BELTS

POWER

WINDOW

These symbols

have to

do

with

your lights:

SIGNALS

e

TURN

RUNNING

*

0

DAYTIME

*

LAMPS

-**

FOG LAMPS

$0

These symbols

are

on some

of.

your controls:

WINDSHIELD

DEFROSTER

VENTILATING

FAN

These symbols

are used on

warning and

indicator lights:

COOLANT

-,F-

TEMP

-

ENGINE

BRAKE

(0)

ENGINE OIL

w,

PRESSURE

ANTI-LOCK

(a)

BRAKES

1

Here are some

other symbols

you may see:

FUSE

+

LIGHTER

-

HORN

)cr

SPEAKER

b

FUEL

p3

X

e

Section

1

Seats

and

Restraint

Systems

Here you’ll find information about the seats in your

Corvette and how to use your safety belts properly. You

can also learn about some things you should

not

do with

air bags and safety belts.

Seats and Seat

Controls

This part tells you about the seats

--

how to adjust them,

and also about reclining seatbacks and seatback latches.

Manual

Seat

/d

CAUTION:

I

You can lose control

of

the vehicle

if

you

try

to

adjust

a

manual driver’s seat while the vehicle is

moving. The sudden movement could startle and

confuse you,

or

make you push

a

pedal when you

don’t want to. Adjust the driver’s seat only when

the vehicle is not moving.

Move the lever under the front of the seat to unlock it.

Slide the seat to where you want it. Then release the

lever and try to move the seat with your body, to make

sure the seat is locked into place.

1-1

Power

Seat

(Option)

SEAT

A

4D

RIDE

CONT

SPORT

If ,you have the Sport Seat, you must move the switch

next to the lumbar controls to

DR

(driver) or

PS

(passenger) before adjusting your power seat.

Different parts

of

the power seat control move different

parts

of

your seat.

If

you move the whole control, the

whole seat will move. The back

of

the control will move

the back of the seat, and the front of the control will

move the front

of

the seat.

Move the control to the front or to the back to move the

seat forward or backward. Move the control toward the

center of the vehicle to raise the seat and away from the

center of the vehicle to lower it.

1-2

Sport Seat (Option)

Reclining Seatbacks

RIDE

CONTROL

SPORT

These switches let you change the shape of your seat.

There are three lumbar supports for the upper, middle

and lower back. There’s also a side bolster that adjusts

the sides

of

the seat around

you

to give you more

lateral support.

First move the selector switch to

DR

(driver)

or

PS

(passenger). Then move the shaping switches until your

seat is comfortable. For lumbar support, move each

switch left to inflate or right

to

deflate.

To

adjust

the

seatback, push the lever back and move the

seatback to where you want it. Release the lever to lock

the seatback in place.

1-3

But don’t have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is moving.

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 and

push

the seatback forward. When

you

return the seatback to its

original position, make sure the seatback is locked.

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

Safety Belts: They’re 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.

And it explains

the

air bag system.

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.

1

Your vehicle has a light that

comes on as

a

reminder to

buckle up. (See “Safety Belt

Reminder Light” in the

Index.)

In most states and 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

25

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.

Put someone on it.

1-7

Get it up

to

speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider

doesn't stop.

J

Y

The person keeps going until stopped by something.

In a real vehicle,

it

could be the windshield

...

1-8

or the instrument panel

...

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.

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