C7 Corvette Tech Tips & Tricks
In car owner’s manual (often overlooked)
1) Cup holder divider is removable
2) USB in instrument panel storage compartment
3) Sun visors extend along the rod
4) Turn signal will chime if left on for more than 3/4 mile
5) "Favorites" can be used to save more than radio presets. For example, you can save Nav Destinations (like Home), contacts, tone settings, artists, songs, etc.
6) Although I love the HUD, some people find it distracting. You can turn the HUD display off by holding down the image brightness 'down' button
7) With your windows rolled down and the alarm set, reaching into the car will trigger the intrusion alarm (enhanced alarm system).
8) Presets located in the favorites bar can be renamed under the Radio/Manage Favorites settings
9) On the navigation screen, tap on the vehicle icon to have the current address of the vehicle overlaid on the map
10) Tune Select - for SiriusXM only, allows you to select an artist, song or program that will alert you when playing. I use this every morning for HLN Headline News. I change the channel during the ridiculous ads and it alerts me when the show comes back on. Even alerts you on the HUD so you don't have to keep looking at the radio.
Misc.
- Black 'dots' on rear window are actually C7 emblems
- Headlight housings have embedded C7 emblems
- If you have the screen down and you shift into reverse, the screen will close so you can see what's behind you
Mode Matters
Corvettes have come with different Mode settings since the C4 with select Ride Suspension. The C7 Corvette includes Modes for diagnostics, different weather conditions and even valet driving.
Diagnostic Mode
If you feel like your Stingray isn’t operating at 100%, check out the Diagnostic Mode. With the car powered off and the keys nearby, to enter Diagnostic Mode, press and hold the start button without your foot on the brake for 8-10 seconds. This mode is used by the service technicians when trouble-shooting electronic issues. This will activate all of the electronics that typically do not come on in accessory mode, such as the heads up display and all of the driver selection screens.
Driving Modes
The Stingray makes that even easier with Driving Modes for everything the open road may bring.
• Weather:
Probably the most self-explanatory of all the modes. It adapts the vehicle to road conditions by distributing the appropriate power to the rear wheels, which promotes more confident driving in rain or snow. Tailored Traction Control is at the heart of this mode. This Mode is great for many of the road conditions you encounter in inclement weather, from US-24 in the heart of the Rocky Mountains to Interstate 75 in Florida’s Everglades.
• Eco: For those environmental (and fuel tank)-conscious Corvette lovers, the C7 features an Eco Mode that lets the LT1 V8 run only four cylinders. Using Active Fuel Management to deactivate a bank of the 6.2-liter, eight-cylinder engine can return more than 30 mpg. Eco Mode is best for flat, open roads like Interstate 15 from Los Angeles to Las Vegas through the Mojave National Preserve.
•Tour: Ideal for everyday driving, this mode offers quiet comfort (by relieving the stiffness from shock damping) during the start and stop of your daily commute. A customizable gauge cluster can display audio, navigation and phone data. This is perfect for your drive to and from work.
• Sport: As the name implies, this Mode works best when aggressive responsiveness and power are needed. Available Magnetic Selective Ride Control is stiffened but tempered (like the steering). The dashboard display changes, easily revealing RPMs, and the throttle note becomes more audible (in other words, LOUDER). Use this mode on the Tail of the Dragon in Deal’s Gap, NC with all of its 318 curves packed into 11 miles.
• Track: Best used in autocross or on lapping days, this Mode is exclusively for driving on a track. With legitimate race settings that provide maximum responsiveness (through available Magnetic Ride damping and Performance Traction Management) and throttle progression, it also displays a lap timer on the dashboard.
Valet Mode
If you have second thoughts about using a valet at hotels and restaurants, this one is for you. Valet Mode protects your car when you hand the keys over to the valet attendant. It automatically records the rear view of the car and engages the PDR. It also disables the audio system, locks the glove box, and locks the center console.
Performance Data Recorder
The 2015 Corvette featured the first-ever in-car Performance Data Recorder, or PDR. Designed to record your country cruise or racetrack records, PDR captures real-time performance data, so you can playback and analyze your technique. It includes:
• A 720p high-definition camera mounted within the windshield header trim, which records the driver’s point-of-view through the windshield, with audio recorded via a dedicated microphone in the cabin.
• A self-contained telemetry recorder. The system uses a dedicated GPS receiver that operates at 5 Hz, five times faster than the in-dash navigation system, for more precise positioning and corner traces. The recorder is also hard-wired into the Stingray’s Controller Area Network (CAN) to access vehicle information, ranging from engine speed and transmission-gear selection to braking force and steering-wheel angle.
• A dedicated SD-card slot in the glove box for recording and transferring video and vehicle data.
The PDR system can record video with three data overlay options, each rendered in real time:
• Track Mode – shows the maximum level of data on the screen, including speed, rpm, g-force, a location-based map, lap time and more.
• Sport Mode – shows fewer details on the overlay, but includes key data including speed and g-force.
• Touring Mode – no data overlay; it simply records and displays video and audio of the drive.
• Performance Mode – records performance metrics, such as 0 to 60 mph acceleration, 1/4-mile speed and elapsed time, and 0-100-0 mph runs. The video can be viewed on the Corvette Stingray’s eight-inch color touchscreen when the car is parked, or downloaded to a computer for further editing, and sharing video via social media sites.
Launch Control
Launch Control assists Corvette drivers in accelerating from a standing start, which can shave seconds off your time at track days. The steps to enabling Launch Control are a little different for automatic and manual Corvette Z51s and non-Z51s.
Non-Z51 Automatics
•Select or switch to TRACK mode.
•Press the button in the middle of the selector dial twice to show “Competitive Mode” on your driver’s display.
•Press the brake down HARD (like a panic stop).
•Press the accelerator all the way to the floor smoothly and quickly. This will stabilize your RPMs between 2200-2500 RPMs. You can hold it there as long as you want, just make sure they are stabilized.
•Release the brake quickly. The computer will compensate for everything and give as little wheel spin as possible.
Non-Z51 Manuals
• Selector switch to TRACK mode.
• Press the button in the middle of the selector dial twice to put it in PTM mode. You can select any of the sub-modes in PTM.
• Press the clutch all the way in and put it in 1st gear.
• Press the accelerator all the way to the floor smoothly and very fast to stabilize your RPMs around 4500 RPMs. Hold it there as long as you want, but make sure they are stabilized.
• Release the clutch quickly but smoothly. You may get a little chirp of tires, but the computer will compensate for everything and give as little wheel spin as possible.
Z51 Automatics
• Select or switch to TRACK mode.
• Press the button in the middle of the selector dial twice to put it in PTM mode. You can select any of the sub-modes in PTM.
• Press the brake down HARD (like a panic stop).
• Press the accelerator all the way to the floor smoothly and quickly. This will stabilize your RPMs between 2200-2500 RPMs. You can hold it there as long as you want, just make sure they are stabilized.
• Release the brake quickly. The computer will compensate for everything and give as little wheel spin as possible.
Z51 Manuals
• Selector switch to TRACK mode.
• Press the button in the middle of the selector dial twice to put it in PTM mode. You can select any of the sub-modes in PTM.
• Press the clutch all the way in and put it in 1st gear.
• Press the accelerator all the way to the floor smoothly and very fast to stabilize your RPMs around 4500 RPMs. Hold it there as long as you want, but make sure they are stabilized.
• Release the clutch quickly but smoothly. You may get a little chirp of tires, but the computer will compensate for everything and give as little wheel spin as possible.