So you’ve been told to keep up with your Corvette’s Factory Service Intervals… But what does that actually mean? Seriously, your new 2002 Z06 only has 7,000 original miles on it. How bad can all of those fluids really be?
Pretty bad. Seriously.
Most Corvettes (not all, but the majority) don’t actually see the amount of miles that keep a car on what can be considered a “regular” service interval. Time gets to most things long before mileage does, so being knowledgeable on what fluids and when to replace them can mean the difference between a mid-mileage driver that’s in perfect health, and the low-mileage garage queen that needs a bit of everything.
Here’s the list of fluids and filters on MOST generations of Corvettes:
- Oil And Oil Filter
- Tranmission Fluid and Transmission Filter (Automatic Transmissions)
- Manual Transmission & Clutch Slave Cylinder (Manual Transmissions)
- Brake Fluid
- Coolant
- Power Steering Fluid
- Rear End Gear Oil
These fluids and filters need to be changed based on the age of fluid, as well as mileage on fluid, and also need to consider the severity of use on the fluids. GM considers track use to be classed as “severe use” and it significantly changes the service interval on these timelines, as you can surely imagine.
Additional items that I would strongly suggest you evaluate based on age are also:
- Shocks & Suspension bushings
- Tires
- Hoses and Belts
- Brake Rotors
While these items aren’t on most people’s seasonal checklist, if the car has been stored for any length of time, or the car sees little use, these systems tend to “age out”… dry rotting or flat-spotted tires, leaking shock bodies, and rusted our brake rotors are all commonplace on the garage queen that hasn’t been driven for months at a time.
So why haven’t we given any specific timelines, mileage, or details? Well, it’s because each car is a little different. We’ve never been the shop to blanket prescribe a remedy, we evaluate and suggest based on the unique history and planned use of each Corvette that comes through our walls.
Have questions? Drop us a note. We’re always happy to help.
