“Speed costs money. How fast do you want to go?” I heard that quote decades ago when I was rebuilding my first small block Chevy. Back then, I calculated dollars per horsepower to see if I really wanted to pay for the part. That still works for me today. I showed you free power in your C5 Corvette, This article is about cheap power.

The air intake is the easiest place to start. Regular maintenance to the air filter can add horsepower, but replacing the whole system can add a great amount of horsepower. According to my research, replacing the air intake system with a cold air system, 24 horsepower can be added. All this is done with a ‘bolt-on’ system that costs $275 at this time. That comes to that comes to about .09 Horsepower per Dollar. But there is one more issue to address, Mileage. If you look at the amount of horsepower gained, that comes to about a 6.9% increase. Extrapolating a 6.9% mileage increase comes to increasing it from 28 MPG to 30 MPG. But, there is even a better justification.

The air intake system on the C5 is made of plastic and can brake over time. If it does, the economics become more enraging. If you have to replace the C5 Corvette Intake system, a GM used air intake can cost $70 on EBay, new is closer to $100. That $275 just dropped to $175 or a .32 Horsepower per dollar AND a 2 MPG improvement. Not a bad deal.

So get more speed and spend less. We also forgot to mention the cold air intake comes with a reusable air filter  which means it saves $20 per replacement. That means more to spend on other things on you C5 Corvette, Like a new exhaust system. Let’s see how long we can keep this going. And to get any information on the C5 Corvette, go to the C5 Corvette Intelligent Owners Manual.

Recently I posted an article on free performance tips for the C5 Corvette that received a huge response. This post will focus on a video showing how to increase horsepower and increasing fuel efficiency by concentrating on the most important of the Corvette C5 Parts, the air filter. The reason the air filter is one of the most important parts on your Corvette is because it can reduce the horsepower, or gas mileage, by 10%

How to change air filter

Changing the air filter is also one of the easiest of all parts to change on the C5 Corvette. It is so easy, no tools are needed and you can literally do it with one hand tied behind your back. There are only two bands locked into place by two clips. To show how easy it is, I have included a link within the C5 Corvette Intelligent Owner’s Manual which includes images on the operation at http://www.corvettesc5.com/service.php#Air_Filter_Replacement  . The C5 Corvette air duct instructions can be found in the Owners Manual, but if you are like me, watching it done will make it much easier which is why I included a “how to” video.

How To Replace the Air Filter on a C5 Corvette Video

How to View the Fuel Average Economy

Once you have changed the air filter, it is time see what your performance gains are. First, you need to check the Average Fuel Economy. The Manual has an explanation on how to display the Average fuel economy. If you don’t have the manual, you can always reference the Intelligent Owner’s Manual http://www.corvettesc5.com/driver_information_center.php#Fuel_Average  . To make it even easier, we have included a video of the procedure

Display Average Fuel Economy Video

 Then you need to reset the Average Fuel Economy.

After you have seen the Average Fuel Economy, you may want to copy it down and reset the DIC to get an accurate value to reference. Again the procedure is simple and can be found in written form in the C5 Corvette Owner’s Manual. If you want a quick and easy link, go to the Intelligent Owner’s Manual at http://www.corvettesc5.com/driver_information_center.php#EM_Reset  If seeing the procedure makes it easier for you to comprehend (like me,) go to the video of the C5 Corvette Reset the Average Fuel.

Reset Average Fuel Economy Video

 Of the thousands of parts on the C5 Corvette, the easiest one to increase your horsepower as well as you gas mileage is the Air Filter. Taking care of this part is very easy and well worth paying attention to. Of all of the other parts, there is none on the C5 Corvette that instantly give a 10 percent increase for 2 minutes of simple work. To see more service issues you do yourself, go to the C5 Corvette Intelligent Owner’s Manual .

At SEMA, Chrysler announced it created an Owners Manual App for phones. It is designed to help the owners of Chrysler vehicles to use their phones to get information faster than using their paper owners manual. C5 Corvette owners also have this great ability to access information on their cars through a website designed to be used on their smart phones. It is called the C5 Corvette Intelligent owners manual and is designed for users to get answers to questions on their corvette in 3 clicks or less.
It is broken down into 3 sections. These sections are;

• Seats and Restraints; How to correctly secure people and things within the C5 Corvette
• Features and Controls; List and description of equipment in the C5 Corvette
• Comfort Controls and Audio; Description of the environmental and entertainment systems in the C5 Corvette
• Driver Information Center; Detailed description on the features of the on board computer in the C5 Corvette
• Driving and the Road; Correct driving technique for the safe operation of your C5 Corvette
• Service; How to correctly take care of your C5 Corvette to get the maximum performance and keep it running, and looking, like new
• Maintenance Schedule; A list of the proper time and the actions that need to be taken to get the most out of the C5 Corvette.
• Index; An alphabetical list of all the information on the C5 Corvette.

To make it even easier to find the information you need on your C5 Corvette, there is a column titled “Popular Sections.” These topics include;

• Changing the High/Low Beams
• Fog Lamps
• Power Door Locks
• Power/Heated Remote Control Mirrors
• Power Windows
• Tilt Signal Lever
• Turning on Headlights and Other Lights
• Warning Lights, Gauges, and Messages
• Windshield Wipers and Washer

If you cannot find the information that what you want, there is always the index which gives an alphabetical list of all information on the C5 Corvette.

Not only Chrysler but Hyundai has an electronic version of their Owners Manual to increase the driving experience. Now owners of the C5 Corvette can have the an improved driving experience by being able to find any answer on their car in 3 clicks. By using the C5 Corvette Intelligent Owners manual, C5 Corvette owners can turn their smart phones, or even their IPads, into Corvette encyclopidias.

The C5 Corvette is a high performance race car with complicated systems. Because of the complicated systems, it can reach speeds of over 170 MPH but these systems are expensive to maintain. Even so, there are things a C5 owner can do to service their Corvette without taking it to a dealer’s service department and save a great deal of money. Here are three.

The first service issue C5 Corvette owners can handle themselves and save a great deal of money is changing a front turn signal or front side marker bulb. The turn signal bulbs are so easy to replace that Chevrolet has put the procedure in its owner’s manual. Within 6 steps, you can replace the bulb yourself saving yourself a great deal of money.

The second service issue C5 Corvette owners can perform by themselves is changing a rear turn signal and brake light bulb. Again, the c5 was designed to so that the procedure could be handled by owners themselves and the instructions are right in the Manual.

The final service issue we will discuss for the C5 is the replacing a headlight bulb. Although this procedure is a little more complicated, you should not feel any pressure to give up and take it to a service department. The only big difference in changing a headlight as compared to the other bulbs is getting the c5 corvette headlights up with battery disconnected. Once more the procedure is in the manual so it is not hard to do.

One final thing. You may want to check the fuse for the bulb first. This is much easier than the bulb replacement procedure and you guessed it, the procedure is in the owners manual.

All the instructions can be downloaded to you phone be going to The C5 Corvette Intelligent Owners Manual. Having the C5 Owners manual on your phone makes it easy to change the bulb right in the part’s store parking lot. Now if you get the wrong bulb, it is easier to replace it with the correct one. This way you are sure to save time as well as money.

The C5 Corvette has a very helpful piece of equipment which, if misunderstood, could be very distracting to the driver. It’s called the Driver Information Center or DIC. When looking at a C5 Corvette Owner’s Manual, you can see the logic behind the DIC making it incredibly easy to use.

Looking at the DIC, you see 6 buttons. Each button selects a menu with sub-menus that can be selected by repeatedly pressing the button. Each button relates to a specific system. These systems fit right into each heading of each button.

Take the tire pressure indicator as an example. It is buried in the DIC but using the design philosophy, it is easy to find.

Normally to check the C5 Corvette recommended tire pressure manually you would use a tire gauge. If you look on the C5 Corvette DIC, you see the term ‘Gauge” which is the button you need to select in order to look at each tire’s pressure. Just keep pushing the “Gauge” button until the tire pressure is displayed.

This logic works for all the C5 DIC buttons. If you want to find something related to distance, select trip. Anything related to fuel like average use, instant average, or range is found by pressing the fuel button. Switching between English and Metric is found on the E/M button. All other electric functions fall under options.

To better see the menus and sub-menus, go to the C5 Corvette Intelligent Owner’s manual. It will display philosophy behind the DIC as well as answer any general C5 Corvette question in 3 clicks or less. Once you visualize the process, the DIC will become an invaluable tool for your corvette.

When you are racing a C5 Corvette, you look for any advantage you can get. There are several overlooked things you can do for free that can give you that edge. Here are the top three.

1) 10% Performance Improvement; Make sure the Air Filter is clean. You should replace your air filter when it is dirty, but you may not need to replace it. Just that is not restricted. If you have a reusable air filter, wash it before you race.

2) 3% Performance Improvement; Reduce Weight. You can get a 3% performance increase per 100 lbs. reduction. Besides removing the things that are easy, objects in trunk, glove box, center consol, floor mats, think about reducing the amount of gas. Having 4 gallons of gas in your tank instead of it being full saves close to 100 Pounds. You can us the Driver Information Center on the C5 Corvette to help get to the race with least amount of fuel needed.

3) 3% Performance Improvement; Tire Pressure. There is a 0.4% performance drop for every 1 PSI drop in All tires. Tires drop about 1 PSI per month. But you can eliminate the performance degradation by using the C5 Corvette’s Driver Information Center here too. It will tell you exactly what the pressure is in each tire.

To see how to do all these tips as described by Chevrolet, you can use the C5 Intelligent Owner’s Manual. It is designed to find answers to questions you may have on your C5 Corvette in three clicks.

There is another benefit to these tips, they increase gas mileage also. How new? The guy you are racing your C5 Corvette, that’s who

You Just purchased the C5 Corvette, the car of your dreams, and it looks perfect. How do you keep it looking perfect? You have to wash it with the correctly. Here are the Top 5 ways to protect your finish on the C5 Corvette.

#5) Remove Salt and Tar from your Vehicle ASAP. This is not for the people who drive their Corvettes in the snow, it is for those who drive their corvettes close to salt water. It is not the number 1 ways to protect your finish, but it is the primary way to stop corrosion of your Vet.

#4) Use a Wax or Polish to put a protective barrier between the paint and the elements. Salt is the number one way your car corrodes, Waxes and Polishes help in the prevention of corrosion.

#3) Using a strong or an abrasive cleaner on your C5 Corvette’s finish. This causes scratches on your Corvette’s finish.

#2) Using a Petroleum based or acidic cleaner on your Corvette. This will eat your paint away

#1) If you haven’t guessed by now, the Number one way to Protect the Finish on a C5 Corvette is to wash it. Taking it to a car wash is fine, as long as you don’t forget to these two important things. First, check the clearances to protect the air dam and undercarriage. Second, make sure the pressure is not too high to force water through the seals and ruen the interior.

The Top 5 Ways to protect the finish of your C5 Corvette was compiled from the C5 Corvette Intelligent Owner’s Manual. It was created to give Corvette Enthusiasts a way to find answers to there Corvette questions in 3 clicks or less. You may also find manufacturer approved products at the C5 Corvette Intelligent Owner’s Manual.

So who reads the C5 Corvette Owners Manual? According to the Internet, many people do, but why? We found the Top 4 reasons and listed the for you.

Number 4 is Tires. From best tire size C5 Corvette to how to measure tire ware on the C5 Corvette, to the recommended pressure, the owner’s manual is the number one resource to reference. If you are going to spend all that money for tires on a C5 Corvette, you want to make sure they are correct.

Number 3, Fluids. People who work on C5 Corvettes referenced the owners manual from issues like C% power steering fluid to brake fluid reservoir max and min levels, oil, and coolant service. Upkeep of these fluids is a cheap insurance policy to keep a corvette running as well as the day it was made.

Number 2, Fuses. Blinker fuses as well as C5 Corvette fuse identification were referenced in the C5 Corvette owners manual. With the amount of complex electrical equipment on a C5 Corvette, it makes sense that fuses will burnout. The C5 Corvette owner’s manual not only describes the fuse you need, but the proper procedure to replace it.

The Number One Service reason to use the C5 Corvette Owner’s Manual is how to change bulbs. Top searches are comfort controls, a turn signal bulb, a bulb chart, as well as front and rear turn signals and headlight replacement.

The results of this web search were found with the help of the Corvette C5 Intelligent Owner’s Manual. It is the world’s first C5 Corvette  Owner’s Manual to find answers to corvette, made between1997 and 2004 in three clicks or less. Visit them to solve your C5 problems.