The C8 Corvette Convertible is a car designed for warmer climates, but the Corvette is a mass-market sports car that is built in fairly large numbers, so a few will inevitably go to areas with cold winters and owners that don’t mind driving them during those months.
Those owners interested in driving their C8 Corvette Convertible during the winter should know the vehicle may not always be able to lower its hardtop roof. The owner’s manual indicates the Corvette can lower its top at temperatures going down to zero degrees Celsius or 32 degrees Fahrenheit, and raise the top at temperatures down to -10 degrees Celsius or 14 degrees Fahrenheit. A warning icon and message will appear on the Driver Information Center (DIC) if the vehicle detects the outside temperature is too low for the convertible top to operate.
The owner’s manual also instructs the owner to, if necessary, move the vehicle inside a heated building in order to operate the convertible top. Being unable to operate the convertible top prevents the user from being able to access the engine compartment, so this tip might come in handy to owners that find their convertible top is too cold to be raised or lowered.
The C7 Corvette Convertible and the sixth-generation Chevy Camaro Convertible cannot lower their top in cold weather either, however their tonneau covers do not give the owner access to the engine compartment, so it doesn’t present quite the same problem as the mid-engine C8 Corvette.
Chevy built 20,368 examples of the 2020 Corvette, but production of the drop-top model began later in the year, so only 3,581 of those vehicles were convertibles. The production numbers for the Corvette Convertible should be higher for the 2021 model year, which entered production on December 11th of last year.
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Comments
Do you think other convertible sports car manufacturers from Europe doesn’t even bother to tell you about this extreme case , or even bother to anticipate these kind of scenarios ? Because they know none of their sheep consumers will complain about it and nobody pursue a class-action lawsuit.
I get it, but why limit the temperature at which it closes??? If the car is better with the top up then putting the top up should not be limited EVER so I can put the top up if it gets too cold. If you need access to engine compartment and the top wont move thats seems like a problem, having to move the vehicle to a warmer location to work the top seems kind of lame. What if I l have the top down and a cold front moves in ? Recently that happened in my area, we had beautiful warm weather for a week, then a cold front moved in over night and we woke up to frost and really cold temps. So if I had left the car in the garage with the top down maybe it won’t close now??? lame, restrict the opening but not the closing IMO
Must be a reason. Elastomer seals too stiff for the motors and latches to compress? Oils and grease too thick for the motors? Plastic gears brittle?
Certainly an odd limitation for a car. Space shuttle perhaps, but your car?
If ice forms in and around the body parts, the mechanism and seals can be damaged as it is actuated. Same effect as opening a door when it’s freezing, you can hear the ice break, except the motors can’t feel the resistance and back off the force/gently tug. The motors will just power through it and cause damage.
Can you tell me why my top would not close at 42 a sunny 42 degrees and there was no alert saying move to warmer area! This has been going on way too long with no answer! Any help would be greatly appreciated! I will post my phone number or any information that will get me an answer!!
I wrote to GM Authority last week about this very problem with my C8 HTC and I wanted an answer as to, what happens if you drive your Corvette year round and in cold temperatures and you want to check the engine oil? You cant! And what if you have a problem in the engine compartment…say a FIRE? And you can’t open the engine compartment to put it out? You lose the car.
Well, I still don’t have a remedy for this problem.
WHAT IF YOU DON’T HAVE A WARM BUILDING TO PUT THE CAR IN?
Good luck getting an answer! I have been trying that for a few weeks! It is 42 in my garage right now. I should’ve able to lower and raise my top. It was 42 the last time I tried and it would not close. There also was no alert to move to a warmer area! I am thinking GM just wants me to just shut up and go away! No answer from the dealership. No answer from the only customer service number I have. I wrote a letter to Kai Spande the manger at the Corvette Plant. I thought if it even got to him he could check with the engineer and give me or the dealership some information on the HTC. Is it damaged from the screwdriver? Is it fixed right? What temperature can I open and close it? Seems like I asking a lot of my $98,500 car!!
I have no problem with the temperature the manual says! I do not know if anyone has read about the trouble I have had that started the day after I received my 2021 HTC! 55 degrees the top went down and when I attempted to close it the latches deployed before the top was closed. This caused a jamb. I tried a couple of times. I finally pushed the top down so I could drive it home 75 miles. An alert was on the info center saying top not secure and limited me to 58 MPH. Took it back to the dealer on day 3. They contacted GM tech and ordered a part. When Eric’s Chevrolet attempted to fix it they found a screwdriver had been left in the latch assembly area from an assembly line worker! It did more damage than first thought. Ordered more parts then ordered more parts. 22 days later I get my car back. Next day 42 degrees outside I want to test the top and it went down and would NOT go back up! There was no alert to move to warm area! A quick flash was on the info center “service convertible top” Sunshine and 42!! Called the dealer and they sent a flatbed to haul the car 50 miles. They hooked up the diagnostic computer to the car and it did not show a code. The top worked in their shop. They let it set in a showroom over night (unheated) and the top when up really slow one time and then it would not move. I am concerned that that screwdriver did more damage! Why didn’t the info center tell me to move to warmer area? Why did it not operate at 42 degrees? What temperature can I safely put the down and have it close? Nobody will answer me. GM customer service has offered me GM credit for my trouble. I just want me $98,500 car to operate as is should! My name is Mike Furnivall and I would appreciate any help from anyone. This is my first corvette for my retirement and it has turned into a nightmare.
So what the hell will I do when I want to take a leisurely cruise in Winnipeg Canada at a fresh -40 degrees? The best part of -40 is no bugs or mosquitoes in sight. Perfect for a convertible with a steaming hot Canadian women at my side.
So what if my hot flashes kick in?
I have 2019 Camaro 1SS convertible and I found this information in the owner’s manual. It does read the DCI will give a warning.
This is something I never knew about but since I live in Central Florida, the coldest we ever get is in the high 30’s overnight. The top is operated by two at least two hydraulic pumps. The fluid must get too thick where seals can burst under pressure. When it gets real chilly, it’s beautiful to have the top down, windows up with the heater on. Sure beats 95 degrees and 90% humidity with the top up and the AC on.
“At cooler outside temperatures, the convertible top may not open. It is possible to close the top down to temperatures of about 0 °C (32 °F). A DIC message will display if the top will not open due to low temperature. If necessary, move the vehicle to a heated indoor area to operate the top.”
I was really considering purchasing the new C8 but I should wait for all the bugs to be worked out.
My HTC was delivered in late October here in cold Canada. I had the roof up and down multiple times per day right down to freezing weather, I have had absolutely no hiccups or glitches whatsoever.
you wont have to worry about the dumbass that left his craftsman screwdriver in my convertible top. I have his screwdriver at my house and nobody at GM wants to talk about it! $98,500 car and I still don’t know at what temperature I can open and close my top!!
MikeF, please do not take your frustration out on this forum. It’s no doubt there is a mechanical problem with your top. You should only be dealing with the dealer since they will be the ones to repair it. Other than the dealer and the so call customer service phone lines, no one is allowed to talk to any customer. This is true for all industries. You may already dealt with the dealer and it’s still not fixed but being all new there probably isn’t any mechanic that is familiar with the new system so it may take time. What you need to do is make an appointment with the Service Manager or with one of another dealer and calmly explain the problem and then put them on the spot to come up with a timeline and solution.
Opened convertible in a snow storm is wonderful while driving slowly. Turn up the heat and enjoy.
Shouldn’t they tell you this before you buy the car up North?
I would say to do your research before one buys the car.
As for problems developing, if I were Chevrolet I would be getting this fixed ASAP if they care about their reputation.
Guy’s, I think Chevrolet embedded temperature operation code in the programming to keep the convertible top from opening under certain conditions (as indicated by the DIC). This leaves me to believe that a fix is not required or needed. The Convertible top mechanism is functioning as designed.
Ron, good point but as stated by another member, it is more likely because of icing that could occur. My Camaro top the way it operates the rear window section lifts off the rear deck, the rear deck then lifts, the top unlatches and folds down into the trunk area, lastly, the rear deck drops down for a beautiful smooth look. In icing conditions it is possible that the top could be frozen onto the rear deck seal and it would get torn up if it did. The rear deck seals like a trunk lid and water could accumulate from the gaps. The Corvette is all hard top and if a layer of ice and snow is on the top you wouldn’t want the top to operate.
And how do you check the engine oil if you can’t get the back of the Convertible open? What if you have a fire in the engine compartment and you can’t get it open?
My top would not close at a sunny 42 degrees and there was no alert saying move to warmer area! There was a quick flash of a message saying “service convertible top I understand why the top would have limits to keep it from damaging the motors. My concern is the top is not fixed right after all the damage from the screwdriver.
Hi Mike F
What makes you so sure that the screwdriver was left in the car by the gm assembly line worker? In all likely hood your car was subjected to a pre-delivery inspection by the dealer and any number of technicians at the dealership could have left a screwdriver in the car. Further, what makes you think that the gm line worker uses hand screwdrivers? or was it an air driven screwdriver that would have been disconnected from the air supply and left in the car?
I’m not criticizing you or your judgment or your conclusion that the problem is a result of a gm assembly line worker, but the problem may just be the result of the dealership and them not willing to own up to their mistake?
Automobile assembly line workers would never be issued a Craftsman tool. Shop mechanics must buy there own tools and Craftsman tools would more common though not exclusive.
Craftsman is all Chinese junk now.