How to change the oil on the Corvette Z06 and ZR1
Changing Engine Oil and Filter (ZO6, ZR1, and Grand Sport)
These vehicles have a racetrack‐ready dry sump engine lubrication system. This high‐performance system operates differently than a standard engine
lubrication system and requires a special procedure when changing the engine oil and filter. Follow this procedure closely when changing the engine oil
and filter.
ZO6 Shown, ZR1 and Grand Sport Similar
A. Engine Oil Drain Plugs
B. Seals
1. Remove the two engine oil drain plugs from the bottom of the engine oil pan. One drain plug drains the external oil tank via the oil transfer supply line.
The other drain plug drains residual oil from the crankcase sump. Allow the oil to drain.
2. Once the oil has been drained from the engine, remove the engine oil filter and allow the oil to drain.
3. Re‐install both drain plugs and tighten them to 25Y (18 lb ft).
4. Replace the oil filter and tighten it to 30Y (22 lb ft).
5. Oil is filled through the opening in the top of the external engine oil tank. Remove the oil fill cap.
6. Add 9.9 L (10.5 quarts) of oil to the oil tank.
7. Install the oil fill cap and insert the dipstick, if removed.
8. Start the engine and let it run at idle for at least 15 seconds. This will circulate the fresh engine oil through the lubrication system.
9. Shut off the engine and check the oil level as described under "Checking Engine Oil (ZO6, ZR1, and Grand Sport)."
What Kind of Engine Oil to Use
SAE 5W-30
SAE 5W-30 is best for the vehicle. These numbers on an oil container show its viscosity, or thickness.
Do not use other viscosity oils such as SAE 20W-50.
How to Reset the Engine Oil Life
System
The Engine Oil Life System calculates when to change the engine oil and filter based on vehicle use. Whenever the oil is changed, reset the system so it
can calculate when the next oil change is required. If a situation occurs where the oil is changed prior to a CHANGE ENGINE OIL message being turned on,
reset the system.
To reset the CHANGE ENGINE OIL message after an oil change:
1. Press the TRIP button so the OIL LIFE percentage is displayed.
2. Press RESET and hold for two seconds. OIL LIFE REMAINING 100% will appear.
If the CHANGE ENGINE OIL message comes back on when the vehicle is started, the engine oil life system
has not reset. Repeat the procedure.
How to Program your Corvette Car2u or Homelink Garage Door Opener
I know it seems simple, but you would be surprised how many times we get this question…"How do you program your Car2u or Homelink Corvette visor garage door openers?". Really simple follow the steps below and you will be done in 30 seconds flat.
First we will show you how to do the Car2U Corvette Garage door opener (Corvette produced after 2006 have this system).
Programming a Rolling Code Garage Door Opener (Majority of units sold after 1996)
1 Press the outer two Universal Home Remote (UHR) buttons simultaneously and release them after they both light up.
2 Place you garage door opener into "learn" mode by pressing the small colored button on the back of the opener in the garage. This may require the use of a ladder; follow all safety precautions.
3 The LED on the garage door opener will go on immediately.
4 Press and hold the button on the Car2U Visor buttons that you want to use for operation of the garage door opener.
5 Watch for the garage door to activate.
6 When the garage door activates, release the button and depress again the selected button to lock in the program.
7 Programming of Rolling Code garage door opener is now complete
Programming a Fixed Code Device (Majority of units made prior to 1996)
1 Open your Garage door remote control and look at the dip switches in the battery compartment. Your remote control your remote may have 8–12 DIP switches.
2 Record the transmitter's DIP switch settings on the chart above (Figure 3), starting with the first switch position. If the switch is in the up, + or on position, circle "left." If the switch is in the middle, 0 or neutral position, circle "middle." If
the switch is in the down, - or off position, circle "right."
3 Press all three Car2U Visor buttons simultaneously and release.
4 Enter your corresponding DIP switch settings into your Car2U by pressing and releasing the buttons corresponding to the settings you circled in chart. If "left" is circled on your chart, press the left button. If "right" is circled, press the right button.
5 When you are done entering all the DIP switch settings, press all three UHR buttons simultaneously and release.
6 Press and hold the button that you want to use for operation. Watch for the garage door to activate.
7 When the garage door activates, release the button and depress again the selected button to lock in the program.
6 Programming of the Fixed Code device is now complete
Now here is how to do the HomeLink Corvette Garage Door Opener (prior to 2006 Corvettes).
For first time programming, press and hold the two outer HomeLink buttons, releasing only when the HomeLink indicator light begins to flash after 20 seconds. (Do not perform this step when programming the additional HomeLink buttons.)
Position the hand-held transmitter 1-3 inches away from the HomeLink surface (located on your visor), keeping the HomeLink indicator light in view. Using both hands, simultaneously press and hold both the desired HomeLink button and hand held transmitter button. DO NOT release until the HomeLink indicator light flashes slowly and then rapidly. When the indicator light flashes rapidly, both buttons may be released. (The rapid flashing indicates successful training.)
Note: Some garage door openers may require you to replace step 3 with the "cycling" procedure noted in the "View Canadian Instructions" section. Press and hold the trained HomeLink button and observe the indicator light. If the indicator light is solid/continuous, training is complete and your device should activate when the HomeLink button is pressed and released.
If the indicator light blinks rapidly for 2 seconds and then turns a solid/continuous light, proceed with the following training instructions for a rolling code device. A second person may make the following steps quicker and easier. Please use a ladder or other device. Do not stand on your vehicle to perform the next steps. At the garage door opener receiver (motorhead unit), locate the "learn" or "smart" button (usually near where the hanging antenna wire is attached to the unit). If there is difficulty locating the training button, reference the garage door openers manual or Homelink.
Press and release the "learn" or "smart" button (the name and color of the button may vary by manufacturer). NOTE: Once the button is pressed, there are 30 seconds in which to initiate the next step.Return to the vehicle and firmly press and hold the trained HomeLink button for two seconds and release. Repeat the "press/hold/release" sequence up to 3 times to complete the training process. Retain the original hand-held transmitter of the RF device you are programming for use in other vehicles, as well as for future HomeLink® programming. It is also suggested that upon the sale of the vehicle, the programmed HomeLink buttons be erased for security purposes. To erase the programmed buttons, perform the procedure shown in step number 1.
How do you check the Engine Codes on a C5 Corvette?
If you have not experienced it yet, one day you will. You will go to start the Corvette or you may be enroute your destination when it happens:
So there you are, trying not to panic. The thing is, that sucker is annoying! It's like having a piece of lettuce stuck in your teeth on a blind date with Daisy Fuentes. It feels like it depreciates your Vette's value by at least $10,000. It screams, "I am a piece of crap!"
Well, never fear boys and girls, the Junkman is gonna help you work it out. Here's what you need to do.
1. Pull the codes! This is such a no brainer and yet, I'll see someone start a thread with the question, "Hey, my check engine light came on. What do you all think the problem is?" Answer... we don't have a clue without knowing what code is illuminating the MIL, or malfunction indicator lamp as it is technically called. How do you pull the codes? See step 2.
2. To pull the codes, turn the ignition key to the on position but DO NOT start the car. Make sure that your doors and trunk are closed so that the DIC (digital information center) doesn't start nagging you about a bunch of stuff.
Next, hit the reset button to clear any nag messages that may be on the DIC.
Then, while holding the Options button down, press the fuel button 4 times within a 10 second period.
3. At that point, the DIC will automatically start displaying all of the various modules and any codes that may be present in each module. You can stop this automatic mode and send the DIC into manual mode by pressing any button except the E/M button (that button causes the DIC to exit the diagnostic mode). You can then scroll through the codes using the Gauges button to go forward, and the Fuel button to go backwards. Here's an example of a code notification problem:
As you can see by the picture above, the Power Control Module (PCM) is displaying that it contains 2 codes. Because I have the service manual for my car, I know that the PCM is designed to maintain exhaust emission levels while maintaining excellent drivability and fuel efficiency. I also know that the PCM controls the following operations:
Fuel control
Ignition Control (IC)
Knock Sensor (KS) system
Automatic transmission shift functions
Manual Transmission: 1-4 Upshift and Reverse Inhibit
Cruise Control Enable (if so equipped)
Generator
Evaporative Emission (EVAP) Purge
A/C Clutch Control
Cooling Fan Control
Secondary Air Injection (AIR)
Armed with this information, I now have a clue as to what area of the car to start looking at, but there's more. While in the manual mode I can look at the actual codes that exist. By hitting the Options button again while the DIC is displaying the screen above, it will show me the actual codes. Doing so resulted in the following:
The first picture shows a PCM code of P0300 H. When writing this information down (which is what you should be doing while looking at it), you MUST be sure and include the module (PCM in this case), the code (P0300) and whether or not the set code is history (H) or current (C). This is detrimental information in trouble-shooting your codes. So many times, people will just write down the numbers. You need to write down everything.
The first picture is showing a code that is history, meaning it happened in the past and is no longer a issue.
The second picture is another story. It shows a code (PCM P0440 H C) that is not only history, but is also current. That means the situation existed in the past and is now a present issue. As it turns out, when this situation happens, it will illuminate the check engine light (or MIL).
The rest of my modules contained no codes so as I scrolled through them, they all read "no codes".
Now that I am armed with a detailed error code, I can check it against a data base of all the codes that can be possibly thrown by my car. That data base is located here. Locate the year of your car and then find the code that is being thrown. That will give you a basic description of the code being thrown. However, if you have the service manual for your car, you can look up the code and get a more thorough description of the code being thrown. Here's an example using the code that I was experiencing of what you will find in the service manual. Advantage: service manual.
4. At this point, I can do a detailed check into why my car threw this code. As you can see by looking at the page with my code, it even walks me through how to resolve my issue. The description is thorough and detailed. With the right tools and the service manual, I can save myself thousands of dollars in repairs. This is why no one touches the Junkman's ride but the Junkman. I have armed myself with the tools to remedy my own issues.
5. After you pull your codes and have wrote them down, you can then clear them. Any code that sets the MIL must be cleared before the MIL will go out. In order to clear a code, you must have it displayed first and then, hold the reset button down until the code clears. It will disappear and you will hear a beep. Again, you can scroll through the codes by pressing either the Gages button to go forward, or the Fuel button to go back.
Some codes a just a fluke. Sometimes, I tell people to reset all of their codes and see if they come back. If they immediately return, then you have an issue. If it returns a year later, then it was obviously a fluke. Still, you need to keep an eye on these things because not all codes will illuminate the MIL.
Right now my cluster looks like this:
