Tech tips for Vette owners

***BlownC5*** · 08-24-2006, 01:53 AM

Lets try and get a list together of some good tech tips. I'll start

Lowering the C5 Corvette

Rear: Lowering your C5 Corvette with longer leaf spring bolts for the rear. Use two 1/2 inch dia. X 7 inch long Grade 8 bolts, 2 flat washers and 2 nylon locking nuts. Jack up the rear of the car and support the rear crossmember with jackstands on each side. Locate the rear leaf spring, it should not be under pressure. Each side is attached with one bolt and a top and bottom rubber bushing. Simply remove each bolt and nut and replace with the longer one. You don't even need to cut the bushings with longer bolts! Tighten the nuts to desired height.

Front:

Make sure the car is in gear and chock the rear tires to prevent it from rolling. Raise the car with the jack positioned in the center of the front cross member. Place the two jack stands under the cross member, and SLOWLY lower the car onto them. Remove the front wheels. It may be necessary to slightly loosen the lug nuts before the wheels are completely off the ground. Find the front leaf spring, and with a 10mm wrench or socket, turn the bolt as if you were loosening it (It is reverse threaded so you are actually tightening it). Turn the bolt until there is no longer a gap between the bushing and the bolt. If you still want to lower it further, you can cut the bushing to gain some extra drop. Measure the exposed threads to insure the other side is done the same. Put the wheels back on and lower the car. NOTE- It may be necessary to place a board under the tires so you will be able to remove the floor jack once the car is lowered.

**I AM AN ARMY VETTE 2** · 06-12-2007, 12:09 PM

What are the troubles with the C-6? After reading all that, I wish I had got an SRT Charger. NOT!

**craig9132** · 06-13-2007, 06:41 PM

Here is the link to the all knowing and all wise.... Enjoy

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/showthread.php?t=984927

**ArcticZ06** · 10-29-2008, 10:11 PM

How much rake are you supposed to have when lowering a C5?? I plan on lowering mine this winter while its stuck in the garage.

**02C5Rocket** · 07-01-2009, 02:58 PM

Here are a few items of interest all C5 owners may not be aware of. Enjoy.
Bill

C5 Corvette Interesting Details
C5 Repair Secrets
1 The little yellow "helper light" on the bottom of the rear-view mirror that illuminates the shifter area

2 That you can put your key in the driver's door and turn it twice towards the front to unlock the passenger door and a third time to pop the trunk.

3 That you can pop the trunk and also pop the gas cap cover by pulling on metal lines hidden in the back.

4 The little slotted cover on the dash behind the steering wheel is where the inside air temperature sensor is located.

5 All of the option codes are in the glove box.

6 Tire inflation recommended pressures are on the driver's door

7 The thing that looks like a little LED near the DIC buttons is a light sensor

8 The thing that looks like a little LED near the defroster vent is a UV sensor for determining A/C usage to compensate for the heating effect of the sun

9 The build sheet is in the front re-bar

10 If you leave your turn signal on, in about 1 minute it will start to ding (loud enough to hear over the stereo) to let you know you have old timers disease.

11 You can reset the oil life by pumping the gas pedal 3 times (but not with the engine running)

12 Hold down the reset button while on one of the trip odometers and it changes that reading to the miles you've traveled since last starting the engine.

13 Hold down the Active Handling button for 5 sec. to engage "Competitive Driving" on cars equipped with active handling (2000 and previous years must be stopped.)

14 If you pull the seatbelts all the way out while you're buckled in, they ratchet back in to hold you tighter into the seat.

15 Simply remove fuse #2 under the hood and your DRLs will be out permanently. Only thing affected is that when you unlock at night using the key fob your front turn signal lights and back up lights will not will not flash. Your front turn signals will operate normally, however.

16 The side-view mirrors can twist both forward and backward, decreasing the chance of damage if struck.

17 There is a release opening with a flap to let air out of the car when the hatch is closed. It is located just above the driver side rear compartment, behind the carpet and on the side of the car. Not that it really works well.

18 Also you can ground your amp to a screw/bolt that holds the rear middle compartment to the frame.

19 If you have a 6-speed car you can pop the trunk when the car is running by lifting the e-brake.

20 There is a spot on the driver side just out of the middle compartment under the carpet for the lug nut key. You should have a compartment on the drivers & passenger‚'s side (in the trunk) and a center compartment. On the left (drivers) side of the center compartment, on the left side where the center cover fits, there is an 'indent' that holds the wheel lock key.

21 If you turn on the headlights, then go to parking light position, the lamps remain up but the headlights are not left on.

22 If you have the passive entry feature: If you lock your keys in the car, wait a few minutes and then shake the car. That will unlock the car.

23 HUD has a shift light for manuals.

24 You can easily shift the M6 trans up or down without the clutch if you match revs. (Not great for longevity, however.)

25 You can eject the cd from the in-dash player without turning on any power. Don't even need key in the ignition.

26 The cruise will disengage if you purposely make sharp side to side turns while cruising at say 60-80 mph.

27 When the engine is shut off, you can get the odometer reading by turning on the parking lights.

28 You can program setting #3 (both memory buttons at once) in the seat memory to run the seat back and steering wheel forward for getting in/out of the car with the engine running.

29 If you hate DRLs you can pull the e-brake ONE click and they go off