Fuse #9 (gauges) keeps getting blown. PLEASE HELP!
06-12-2015, 05:44 AM
#1
Fuse #9 (gauges) keeps getting blown. PLEASE HELP!
So I've been having this issue pretty much since I got my 1985 corvette but have been tending to the bigger issues (new engine and braking system) and simply replacing fuse after fuse as if my car is a child with a strong urge for 10 amp candy. Jokes aside I fear this might actually have something to do with the torque converter clutch (TCC) not working properly and overloading the fuse which sets everything else involved out of whack. The reason I think this is the root of the problem is because after a painstaking effort to try to find a list of the things connected to that fuse and then looking up the troubleshooting of each part, I happen upon the TCC troubleshoot which states
"A TCC that does not disengage can cause the car to stall much as leaving the clutch engaged in top gear on a manual transmission can cause the engine to stall if you reduce speed beyond a certain point.
If your car wants to die as you slow down but recovers if you slip it into neutral, the TCC may not be disengaging.
A TCC that does not engage to begin with can result in lower than expected average MPG since the drive train will have more slippage in the path to the rear wheels and therefore a loss of efficiency.
If you suspect the TCC is not engaging, perform this test: warm the car up to more than 149 degrees coolant temperature and hold a constant amount of throttle with a speed above 55 MPH for a minute or so.
Lightly tap the brakes (not enough to appreciably slow the car, just enough to flash the brake lights) and the engine RPM should rise 100 to 200 RPM immediately after you tap the brakes.
If it does, the TCC has disengaged which means it must have engaged to begin with. If you do not see any difference in the engine RPM, you have a problem with the TCC, the solenoid that controls it, one of the sensors that the ECM/PCM monitors, a wiring harness problem or the ECM/PCM itself.
To totally troubleshoot the system, you need a scan tool and then follow the troubleshooting tree in the service manual.
Since few DIY (Do It Yourselfers) have a way to work on the THM 700 automatic transmission, repairs will probably be limited to replacing defective sensors, adjusting or replacing the overdrive or brake switches or adjusting the throttle position sensor.
If all the switches and sensors are working correctly, the problem is either in the ECM/PCM, associated harnesses or the transmission."
So this sounds very close to what my car feels like even before the fuse blows and once it does of course everything else connected goes bad with it and all there is to show for the problem is a code 33 (MAF) which is vague at best when you bring up all the things connected to that one fuse. After a few attempts to find the problem with the engine I've realized that the engine is fine and even the fuel injection seems to work very well. So before I take the plunge and attempt replacing the ECM/PCM I wanted to hear other peoples opinions or share their own experiences with this matter. Anything helps!
Thanks
"A TCC that does not disengage can cause the car to stall much as leaving the clutch engaged in top gear on a manual transmission can cause the engine to stall if you reduce speed beyond a certain point.
If your car wants to die as you slow down but recovers if you slip it into neutral, the TCC may not be disengaging.
A TCC that does not engage to begin with can result in lower than expected average MPG since the drive train will have more slippage in the path to the rear wheels and therefore a loss of efficiency.
If you suspect the TCC is not engaging, perform this test: warm the car up to more than 149 degrees coolant temperature and hold a constant amount of throttle with a speed above 55 MPH for a minute or so.
Lightly tap the brakes (not enough to appreciably slow the car, just enough to flash the brake lights) and the engine RPM should rise 100 to 200 RPM immediately after you tap the brakes.
If it does, the TCC has disengaged which means it must have engaged to begin with. If you do not see any difference in the engine RPM, you have a problem with the TCC, the solenoid that controls it, one of the sensors that the ECM/PCM monitors, a wiring harness problem or the ECM/PCM itself.
To totally troubleshoot the system, you need a scan tool and then follow the troubleshooting tree in the service manual.
Since few DIY (Do It Yourselfers) have a way to work on the THM 700 automatic transmission, repairs will probably be limited to replacing defective sensors, adjusting or replacing the overdrive or brake switches or adjusting the throttle position sensor.
If all the switches and sensors are working correctly, the problem is either in the ECM/PCM, associated harnesses or the transmission."
So this sounds very close to what my car feels like even before the fuse blows and once it does of course everything else connected goes bad with it and all there is to show for the problem is a code 33 (MAF) which is vague at best when you bring up all the things connected to that one fuse. After a few attempts to find the problem with the engine I've realized that the engine is fine and even the fuel injection seems to work very well. So before I take the plunge and attempt replacing the ECM/PCM I wanted to hear other peoples opinions or share their own experiences with this matter. Anything helps!
Thanks
06-12-2015, 01:56 PM
#2
Melting Slicks
Member Since: Aug 1999
Location: Baltimore, MD USA
Posts: 2,240
Likes: 0
Received 34 Likes
on
30 Posts
You need to look at the 85 service manual and verify what devices the gages fuse supplies power to via a Pink/Black wire.
For a 86
1)Defogger controller.
2)Canister Purge Solenoid (Disconnect connector with a Pink/Black wire).
3)Courtesy lamp delay timer (Unplug connector)
4) Anti Lock brake module
5)Header mirror map light (Could be wire shorting out at header area)
6)Low coolant module
7)Chime module
8)Torque converter clutch solenoid (Perform test below)
9)Vanity mirrors (Could be shorting wires at header area)
10)Overdrive relay for 4+3 transmission
11)Air Switch Solenoid
12)Air Diverter Solenoid
13) EGR Solenoid (Unplug connector)
If the problem is intermittent most likely the Pink/Black wire
is shorting out to something and not a failing module/device. Good luck in finding that.
To eliminate the TCC Solenoid.
At the diagnostic connector located above the drivers right knee
use a piece of wire and connect pin A top pin F.
Turn the ignition On no need to start the engine.
The TCC solenoid should now engage.
Leave it like this for 10 minutes and see if the fuse blows.
The Courtesy Lamp delay timer does fail. Best way to eliminate it is to unplug the connector going to it. A picture of what it looks like is below. It's taped to wiring harness above the passenger side foot well area.
Courtesy Lamp Delay Timer Module
For a 86
1)Defogger controller.
2)Canister Purge Solenoid (Disconnect connector with a Pink/Black wire).
3)Courtesy lamp delay timer (Unplug connector)
4) Anti Lock brake module
5)Header mirror map light (Could be wire shorting out at header area)
6)Low coolant module
7)Chime module
8)Torque converter clutch solenoid (Perform test below)
9)Vanity mirrors (Could be shorting wires at header area)
10)Overdrive relay for 4+3 transmission
11)Air Switch Solenoid
12)Air Diverter Solenoid
13) EGR Solenoid (Unplug connector)
If the problem is intermittent most likely the Pink/Black wire
is shorting out to something and not a failing module/device. Good luck in finding that.
To eliminate the TCC Solenoid.
At the diagnostic connector located above the drivers right knee
use a piece of wire and connect pin A top pin F.
Turn the ignition On no need to start the engine.
The TCC solenoid should now engage.
Leave it like this for 10 minutes and see if the fuse blows.
The Courtesy Lamp delay timer does fail. Best way to eliminate it is to unplug the connector going to it. A picture of what it looks like is below. It's taped to wiring harness above the passenger side foot well area.
Courtesy Lamp Delay Timer Module
Last edited by Hooked on Vettes; 06-12-2015 at 02:03 PM.
06-12-2015, 06:02 PM
#3
Thanks for the reply. I'm a little bit busy with work over the weekend but when I find the time I'll try looking through the wiring and see what I can find. There are also 2 other small issues that I hope to get sorted out soon.
1. windshield wipers don't work (I hear its usually caused by a bad switch??)
2. fuel gauge always reads full (supposedly sanding the contacts in the sending unit fixes this??)
3 (extra). A/C not working (saving for new compressor unless someone believes the original one can be brought back to life)
I'll come back with an update on the fuse problem and diagnosis as soon as I get the chance and hopefully posting a solution will greatly help anyone in the future with a similar problem.
OH! and I felt I should give a little insight on a recent thing that happened. Recently I had to get my rear sway bar end link (and also bushings) replaced. On 2 occasions now after getting a new bushing ordered, I've received the wrong size bushing (nothing major but its about 2-3mm smaller than the one I currently have and simply doesn't fit snugly in its place. They're looking into this now and I've tossed up the idea that it could be a base vs. z51 thing that just hasn't been taken into account (I'm not a genius or anything and I'm not even sure if my corvette has z51 parts or not but the steering definitely only has 2 turns lock to lock which leads me to believe its possible). This is still being taken care of and hopefully I can give some news about the issue once it gets sorted out.
I'm sure a lot of people are thinking this car is just hopeless with all these problems (and many friends have said the same) but its a super fast and fun car when it works and cleaner and more sorted out than any other corvette I've ever seen for $2000. I went into this purchase knowing it needed immediate attention (old engine was knocking and I happened to find a built motor from another corvette so I put that one in (also got new hoses all around because why not) and it ran amazingly for almost a month until the fuse blew for the first time. At that point since it was just my extra toy and not my only car I just took it to a shop and asked if they could find out what the issue could be which they of course replied with the code 33 thing and said my MAF was bad... but it wasn't. So I got the car back and after having it parked in front of my house for a couple hours some kind fellow decided to give my car a little nudge into my yard and bent my rear sway bar end link (no other damage besides minor cosmetics that I really don't feel the need to spend money on right now). THEN my brakes failed so I got a new master cylinder. THEN my booster failed so I reluctantly drove it to the nearest shop (the brakes were dragging the entire time.. it felt horrible) and got the new booster. Now the brakes work and all other major issues have been addressed so I can get back to the fuse thing which started to come back once I was able to actually drive it around. So that just about sums up the last 2 years of this cars life. More updates coming soon. Thanks again!
1. windshield wipers don't work (I hear its usually caused by a bad switch??)
2. fuel gauge always reads full (supposedly sanding the contacts in the sending unit fixes this??)
3 (extra). A/C not working (saving for new compressor unless someone believes the original one can be brought back to life)
I'll come back with an update on the fuse problem and diagnosis as soon as I get the chance and hopefully posting a solution will greatly help anyone in the future with a similar problem.
OH! and I felt I should give a little insight on a recent thing that happened. Recently I had to get my rear sway bar end link (and also bushings) replaced. On 2 occasions now after getting a new bushing ordered, I've received the wrong size bushing (nothing major but its about 2-3mm smaller than the one I currently have and simply doesn't fit snugly in its place. They're looking into this now and I've tossed up the idea that it could be a base vs. z51 thing that just hasn't been taken into account (I'm not a genius or anything and I'm not even sure if my corvette has z51 parts or not but the steering definitely only has 2 turns lock to lock which leads me to believe its possible). This is still being taken care of and hopefully I can give some news about the issue once it gets sorted out.
I'm sure a lot of people are thinking this car is just hopeless with all these problems (and many friends have said the same) but its a super fast and fun car when it works and cleaner and more sorted out than any other corvette I've ever seen for $2000. I went into this purchase knowing it needed immediate attention (old engine was knocking and I happened to find a built motor from another corvette so I put that one in (also got new hoses all around because why not) and it ran amazingly for almost a month until the fuse blew for the first time. At that point since it was just my extra toy and not my only car I just took it to a shop and asked if they could find out what the issue could be which they of course replied with the code 33 thing and said my MAF was bad... but it wasn't. So I got the car back and after having it parked in front of my house for a couple hours some kind fellow decided to give my car a little nudge into my yard and bent my rear sway bar end link (no other damage besides minor cosmetics that I really don't feel the need to spend money on right now). THEN my brakes failed so I got a new master cylinder. THEN my booster failed so I reluctantly drove it to the nearest shop (the brakes were dragging the entire time.. it felt horrible) and got the new booster. Now the brakes work and all other major issues have been addressed so I can get back to the fuse thing which started to come back once I was able to actually drive it around. So that just about sums up the last 2 years of this cars life. More updates coming soon. Thanks again!
06-17-2015, 01:59 AM
#5
Safety Car
You're having more than your share of problems! Sorry to hear about your difficulties.
Have you been able to identify what is happening just before the fuse blows? Which of the listed functions work fine without blowing the fuse? You may have an intermittent short circuit that's not related to any of the functions on this circuit. To help find the problem without burning up a bucket of fuses, make yourself this tester:
1. Solder two wires to an old headlight.
2. Solder the other end of these wires to the two terminals on the top of a burned out fuse. You may have to trim the plastic a little to expose the terminals.
3. Plug this thing into the offending fuse location.
If there's no overload, everything will work normally, but if there's an overload or a short circuit, the headlight will shine! Nothing will smoke or be damaged when the overload takes place. This should help you chase down the offending circuit.
Have you been able to identify what is happening just before the fuse blows? Which of the listed functions work fine without blowing the fuse? You may have an intermittent short circuit that's not related to any of the functions on this circuit. To help find the problem without burning up a bucket of fuses, make yourself this tester:
1. Solder two wires to an old headlight.
2. Solder the other end of these wires to the two terminals on the top of a burned out fuse. You may have to trim the plastic a little to expose the terminals.
3. Plug this thing into the offending fuse location.
If there's no overload, everything will work normally, but if there's an overload or a short circuit, the headlight will shine! Nothing will smoke or be damaged when the overload takes place. This should help you chase down the offending circuit.
06-17-2015, 01:53 PM
#6
Thanks for the advice, I'll be sure to give that a try once I get a chance to install a new window. I did run the car for a good half hour to see what would happen and once it got warmed up it died (idling at 500 and being a bit awkward so it just sort of shut off) but didn't blow a fuse and when I started it again it was fine (idled around 600-800). I tried revving it up to around 2500 (didn't think more would be necessary and also have neighbors) and held it there for like 10 seconds to see if anything would happen and it was still fine. So my guess is still a trans issue and hopefully I'll pinpoint the problem soon.
06-27-2015, 05:59 PM
#7
I've sort of come up with a possible cause of my window being broken that doesn't have to do with someone randomly bashing it in. Has anyone experienced the window motor slowly pushing the window up after the car has been turned off? I'm thinking whats possible is that even though my window was all the way up (I was expecting rain so I made sure it was all the way closed) it may have gone up even more and put too much pressure on the window as it was resting in place and eventually couldn't handle the stress and just shattered all over the place. A few things I noticed to support this idea is there's glass both inside and outside the car (usually when someone breaks a window the majority goes in the direction they hit it) but assuming they would've hit it from outside there's a pretty even amount of glass inside and outside (and none of the glass flew over to the drivers side). There is also little bits of glass jammed into the window seals which is what led me to believe the car did this to itself (corvettes just love getting their owners attention in the weirdest ways). Any thoughts?
Also small update: Been running the car every so often to get up to temps and let all the juices flow. Still no fuse blowouts. I'm pretty sure it only happens when I'm driving. I've tried putting it in gear for a few minutes (without moving). It kinda struggles when idling in gear but doesn't die and still no fuse issues when doing that. I've also tried putting as much load on the car (put it in gear with the radio and air on with lights on and cooling fans doing their thing and shifting randomly into gear and back to neutral or reverse) and still it struggles but doesn't die completely (no blown fuses still). I've revved the engine slowly up to 4000 rpm to listen very carefully for any odd sounds but still nothing crazy (a little lope here and there but thats it). When the fuse blows it misfires and dies randomly but can still run if you turn it back on again without changing the fuse (it runs horribly though and can still die randomly).
Another reason all these problems take a while to get to is because I'm not super rich (I'm currently unable to work since my delivery car also got in an accident the day before the corvettes window broke and is just sitting at a shop waiting for parts). So I just sit at home fiddling around with what I can. I'm still 23 years old as well so I don't have much happening career wise (currently studying for my CDL) but when I first saw this corvette for sale at a low price considering the overall condition I did all I could to scrape all my money together and am still giving it all the attention I can whilst settling other issues that go on in the meantime. The way I see it being young doesn't last forever (at least not physically) so I try to live my dreams as I see fit. Each problem leaves a story to tell and I wouldn't have it any other way (thats where the real growth happens).
Thats all for now! Thanks again and enjoy your day!!
(kudos to anyone that read everything)
Also small update: Been running the car every so often to get up to temps and let all the juices flow. Still no fuse blowouts. I'm pretty sure it only happens when I'm driving. I've tried putting it in gear for a few minutes (without moving). It kinda struggles when idling in gear but doesn't die and still no fuse issues when doing that. I've also tried putting as much load on the car (put it in gear with the radio and air on with lights on and cooling fans doing their thing and shifting randomly into gear and back to neutral or reverse) and still it struggles but doesn't die completely (no blown fuses still). I've revved the engine slowly up to 4000 rpm to listen very carefully for any odd sounds but still nothing crazy (a little lope here and there but thats it). When the fuse blows it misfires and dies randomly but can still run if you turn it back on again without changing the fuse (it runs horribly though and can still die randomly).
Another reason all these problems take a while to get to is because I'm not super rich (I'm currently unable to work since my delivery car also got in an accident the day before the corvettes window broke and is just sitting at a shop waiting for parts). So I just sit at home fiddling around with what I can. I'm still 23 years old as well so I don't have much happening career wise (currently studying for my CDL) but when I first saw this corvette for sale at a low price considering the overall condition I did all I could to scrape all my money together and am still giving it all the attention I can whilst settling other issues that go on in the meantime. The way I see it being young doesn't last forever (at least not physically) so I try to live my dreams as I see fit. Each problem leaves a story to tell and I wouldn't have it any other way (thats where the real growth happens).
Thats all for now! Thanks again and enjoy your day!!
(kudos to anyone that read everything)
06-30-2015, 04:22 AM
#8
QUESTION!!
The other day I started my car and let it run and warm up for a while. I noticed a little drop in the rpms (sometimes going down to 450 then blipping up to 800). I thought to myself hmm.. lemme try revving it and see what happens.. So I very slowly rev it all the way up to 4200 rpm and let it settle back down (I think it settled around 5-600). After that I tried putting it in gear (by the way it's an automatic) and it immediately stalled.. Now I thought huh.. Am I running too lean?.. Turned it back on again and it was fine and took the rest of the warmup (all the way until the fans turn on then off again then one more time for good measure) like a trooper before I decided my neighbors would probably complain if I kept it on any longer. Now my question is could this be an injector issue (possibly dirty?) or maybe its just set to idle too low? (don't really know what controls that) or is the trans grabbing too hard? (what I've posted about before with the possiblity of the trans clutch solenoid blah blah issue..) I have video of this whole process (or most of it at least) if anyone wants to see what I mean.
Hoping for a response! Thanks again.
The other day I started my car and let it run and warm up for a while. I noticed a little drop in the rpms (sometimes going down to 450 then blipping up to 800). I thought to myself hmm.. lemme try revving it and see what happens.. So I very slowly rev it all the way up to 4200 rpm and let it settle back down (I think it settled around 5-600). After that I tried putting it in gear (by the way it's an automatic) and it immediately stalled.. Now I thought huh.. Am I running too lean?.. Turned it back on again and it was fine and took the rest of the warmup (all the way until the fans turn on then off again then one more time for good measure) like a trooper before I decided my neighbors would probably complain if I kept it on any longer. Now my question is could this be an injector issue (possibly dirty?) or maybe its just set to idle too low? (don't really know what controls that) or is the trans grabbing too hard? (what I've posted about before with the possiblity of the trans clutch solenoid blah blah issue..) I have video of this whole process (or most of it at least) if anyone wants to see what I mean.
Hoping for a response! Thanks again.
07-26-2015, 09:46 PM
#9
Update:
New window is installed and the car is back on the road.. HOWEVER!! I'm still blowing through fuses every 10 minutes or so. What seems to be happening is that when the car is more warmed up it idles around 4-500 rpm (in drive) which I don't think is right. I try turning on the fan to get the revs up a bit and keep it from stalling (if the fan is not on it will stall depsite being an automatic) which works, but the fuse still blows after about 10 minutes of driving regardless of how carefully I drive.
Is my idle just out of adjustment and could this be fixed by hand? Or is there something going on electronically that I need to get checked. I'm hoping for the first since I've already put so much into this car I'm just looking for a simple fix for once. Also could this be affecting the charging system? When it idles after its warmed up I notice the volts struggle to stay above 13. This battery is brand new and my mechanic says the alternator works fine. I've considered switching to a 120amp alternator which I will do once I decide it needs to be done but if not; could my current alternator be too weak to hold a solid charge? Its the stock 108 amp and all I really have added to the car is the aftermarket cd player which is almost never turned on.
Any help or advice is appreciated!
Edit: Just drove the car for almost 2 hours and noticed the fuse is most likely to blow after hitting a bump in the road so my guess is I have a loose wire somewhere. When I put in a new fuse sometimes it runs better than other times so I'm guessing that also has to do with said wire being well connected vs. not.
Also quick shoutout to the guy with the 89' I happened upon during my test cruise. Great looking vette!!
New window is installed and the car is back on the road.. HOWEVER!! I'm still blowing through fuses every 10 minutes or so. What seems to be happening is that when the car is more warmed up it idles around 4-500 rpm (in drive) which I don't think is right. I try turning on the fan to get the revs up a bit and keep it from stalling (if the fan is not on it will stall depsite being an automatic) which works, but the fuse still blows after about 10 minutes of driving regardless of how carefully I drive.
Is my idle just out of adjustment and could this be fixed by hand? Or is there something going on electronically that I need to get checked. I'm hoping for the first since I've already put so much into this car I'm just looking for a simple fix for once. Also could this be affecting the charging system? When it idles after its warmed up I notice the volts struggle to stay above 13. This battery is brand new and my mechanic says the alternator works fine. I've considered switching to a 120amp alternator which I will do once I decide it needs to be done but if not; could my current alternator be too weak to hold a solid charge? Its the stock 108 amp and all I really have added to the car is the aftermarket cd player which is almost never turned on.
Any help or advice is appreciated!
Edit: Just drove the car for almost 2 hours and noticed the fuse is most likely to blow after hitting a bump in the road so my guess is I have a loose wire somewhere. When I put in a new fuse sometimes it runs better than other times so I'm guessing that also has to do with said wire being well connected vs. not.
Also quick shoutout to the guy with the 89' I happened upon during my test cruise. Great looking vette!!
Last edited by cvette85; 07-26-2015 at 11:24 PM.
07-27-2015, 01:16 AM
#10
Race Director
07-27-2015, 04:26 AM
#11
Any ideas as to why sometimes it runs better than other times?
Not only with idling but some moments ill get smoother shifts and consistent performance and other times it'll idle low and shift late and the idle has a different rhythm to it. Note that these are changes that happen within minutes in identical conditions.
Ex. Car runs fine but suddenly blows fuse so I shut off the car and replace the fuse with a new one and turn it back on. Car starts fine and idles around 7-800 before calming down after a couple minutes (warmed up) but when driving it has a sluggish feel almost like the transmission doesn't know when to shift (I'm aware the TCC is connected to my problem fuse). After a while it may feel a bit better or the fuse may blow again and I'll do the same shut off and replace process and start it up again, however this time it'll run fine right off the bat and will only cause a problem if the car gets jostled the wrong way (again why I believe I have a loose wire somewhere that shorts the whole thing).
A great signifier to my fuse about to blow is when my headlights are on the dome light chime will go off giving me enough time to get somewhere safe and shut the car off. As soon as the fuse blows there's a chance the engine might just stall (not safe in traffic..) since modulating the throttle only makes it bog and misfire and act all kinds of crazy
.Overall I know this car has the potential to run perfectly fine as it has for me on several occasions. Just sometimes that fuse problem comes back to haunt me and I'm about ready to send it to my mechanic and have him look through every wire associated with that fuse and check all connections.
08-30-2015, 09:32 AM
#12
Been a while since I've updated.
News: I recently found out my corvette has a front radiator fan and the fan motor was frying the wires. I got that all sorted out and ever since then the car runs like a champ and I haven't blown a single fuse since then after extensive driving and a little fun/abuse (however the check engine light comes on sometimes then turns off after a bit). She's still not idling too well and struggles to stay above 500 at idle when warmed up and the idle rhythm keeps changing every few seconds which leads me to believe its time for a tune up and possibly new ECM. I hope that really is the end of the fuse problem and if so maybe you guys can learn from it.
In other news me and my mechanic have been having trouble getting in touch with his parts provider about them giving us the wrong size sway bar end link bushings. I ended up just asking him to measure them and looking myself to see what I could find. He said they're about 22mm (is this specific for certain suspensions? since again I believe this might be a variation between base model and z51 suspension setups) and I found a set of polyurethane bushings on ecklers that are the same size so I'll eventually get those installed.
As for the rest of the work still to be done the list is as follows:
- Engine tune up
- Fuel gauge always reads full
- Windshield wipers don't work
- Drivers side window needs to be realigned
- Front bumper and hood need to be realigned
- A/C needs to be charged
- Need new tires (any suggestions since I had goodyear eagle GS-C and they're pricey and hard to find)
The extras that I would like to add in the future:
- Lower it (1 1/2 - 2 inches in the rear and 1/2 - 1 inch in the front)
- Friend wants to trade my 8.5s with his 9.5s (same style wheels as mine they just don't fit on his volvo)
- New head unit
- Exhaust cut out
Oh and one more thing. Whenever I accelerate hard in third/fourth/OD I get this really loud rumble that vibrates the whole car. Could this be the trans struggling to hold the power? My car is definitely not stock and I've seen in the cars history that it had a trans rebuild a few years ago. If I drive casually its fine just under full power it vibrates and rumbles like crazy. This doesn't happen in first or second either. Any ideas?
None of these things are likely to be done until next year since tomorrow I'm taking it to storage while I go out of town for a while. Once I come back I'll be hard at work to save up and do everything at once and get this car in better shape than its been in a long time (it spent 5 years sitting in a garage with a blown engine before I bought it and its really come a long way from what you can see in this thread).
News: I recently found out my corvette has a front radiator fan and the fan motor was frying the wires. I got that all sorted out and ever since then the car runs like a champ and I haven't blown a single fuse since then after extensive driving and a little fun/abuse (however the check engine light comes on sometimes then turns off after a bit). She's still not idling too well and struggles to stay above 500 at idle when warmed up and the idle rhythm keeps changing every few seconds which leads me to believe its time for a tune up and possibly new ECM. I hope that really is the end of the fuse problem and if so maybe you guys can learn from it.
In other news me and my mechanic have been having trouble getting in touch with his parts provider about them giving us the wrong size sway bar end link bushings. I ended up just asking him to measure them and looking myself to see what I could find. He said they're about 22mm (is this specific for certain suspensions? since again I believe this might be a variation between base model and z51 suspension setups) and I found a set of polyurethane bushings on ecklers that are the same size so I'll eventually get those installed.
As for the rest of the work still to be done the list is as follows:
- Engine tune up
- Fuel gauge always reads full
- Windshield wipers don't work
- Drivers side window needs to be realigned
- Front bumper and hood need to be realigned
- A/C needs to be charged
- Need new tires (any suggestions since I had goodyear eagle GS-C and they're pricey and hard to find)
The extras that I would like to add in the future:
- Lower it (1 1/2 - 2 inches in the rear and 1/2 - 1 inch in the front)
- Friend wants to trade my 8.5s with his 9.5s (same style wheels as mine they just don't fit on his volvo)
- New head unit
- Exhaust cut out
Oh and one more thing. Whenever I accelerate hard in third/fourth/OD I get this really loud rumble that vibrates the whole car. Could this be the trans struggling to hold the power? My car is definitely not stock and I've seen in the cars history that it had a trans rebuild a few years ago. If I drive casually its fine just under full power it vibrates and rumbles like crazy. This doesn't happen in first or second either. Any ideas?
None of these things are likely to be done until next year since tomorrow I'm taking it to storage while I go out of town for a while. Once I come back I'll be hard at work to save up and do everything at once and get this car in better shape than its been in a long time (it spent 5 years sitting in a garage with a blown engine before I bought it and its really come a long way from what you can see in this thread).
09-09-2015, 11:33 AM
#13
Instructor
Been a while since I've updated.
News: I recently found out my corvette has a front radiator fan and the fan motor was frying the wires. I got that all sorted out and ever since then the car runs like a champ and I haven't blown a single fuse since then after extensive driving and a little fun/abuse (however the check engine light comes on sometimes then turns off after a bit). She's still not idling too well and struggles to stay above 500 at idle when warmed up and the idle rhythm keeps changing every few seconds which leads me to believe its time for a tune up and possibly new ECM. I hope that really is the end of the fuse problem and if so maybe you guys can learn from it.
News: I recently found out my corvette has a front radiator fan and the fan motor was frying the wires. I got that all sorted out and ever since then the car runs like a champ and I haven't blown a single fuse since then after extensive driving and a little fun/abuse (however the check engine light comes on sometimes then turns off after a bit). She's still not idling too well and struggles to stay above 500 at idle when warmed up and the idle rhythm keeps changing every few seconds which leads me to believe its time for a tune up and possibly new ECM. I hope that really is the end of the fuse problem and if so maybe you guys can learn from it.
I checked the fan area in front of the radiator, as you described it. My car is a 1988 and it has the same fan setup you mention. However, all the wiring is neat and tidy and nothing appears broken or frayed. I have wiggled around the harnesses, wiring, etc .. in hope of blowing the fuse but nothing did. Was there a more specific area in the wiring where you found the short? Any additional info you may recall will be appreciated. I recognize that there are a ton of places where a short can occur; since the symptoms you described sound a lot like the ones on my car, I was hoping to gain some additional insights. Thank you in advance for your help and for the follow up post.
09-17-2015, 01:58 PM
#14
Hey Labpuppy! I wasn't the one who worked on the car but from what my mechnanic told me he said where the wire connects to the front fan motor since the motor itself was bad it was burning up the connecting wire so whenever it would try to get power the system would overload itself trying to get front fan running. From what I imagine hitting a bump would contact the fan motor and after enough jitters it was enough to blow the fuse. Again I can't say for sure that my solution is final or that it is the cause of everyone elses fuse problem but it definitely had a noticeable affect when I fixed the fans and since then I haven't blown a single fuse. Bottom line is you just have to chase those wires around looking for any little thing that might seem odd or damaged.
In other news. While I'm away for my vacation my dad just gave me the bad news that my starter finally gave out. So of course its back to sitting around waiting for me to come back home and give it a new starter. Other than that I just got a set of 2 9.5 inch wheels for the rear and would like to hear some tire recommendations (size/brand/etc.). Since these will be an extra set for me I'm kinda looking to get tires that are a bit more race oriented but since I'm new to the track day/autocross life any bit of info helps.
Updated to-do list:
- Need new starter
- Engine tune up
- Fuel gauge always reads full
- Windshield wipers don't work
- Drivers side window needs to be realigned
- Front bumper and hood need to be realigned
- A/C needs to be charged
- Need new tires (any suggestions since I had goodyear eagle GS-C and they're pricey and hard to find)
The extras that I would like to add in the future:
- Lower it (1 1/2 - 2 inches in the rear and 1/2 - 1 inch in the front)
- Tires for 9.5 inch wheels
- New head unit
- Exhaust cut out
In other news. While I'm away for my vacation my dad just gave me the bad news that my starter finally gave out. So of course its back to sitting around waiting for me to come back home and give it a new starter. Other than that I just got a set of 2 9.5 inch wheels for the rear and would like to hear some tire recommendations (size/brand/etc.). Since these will be an extra set for me I'm kinda looking to get tires that are a bit more race oriented but since I'm new to the track day/autocross life any bit of info helps.
Updated to-do list:
- Need new starter
- Engine tune up
- Fuel gauge always reads full
- Windshield wipers don't work
- Drivers side window needs to be realigned
- Front bumper and hood need to be realigned
- A/C needs to be charged
- Need new tires (any suggestions since I had goodyear eagle GS-C and they're pricey and hard to find)
The extras that I would like to add in the future:
- Lower it (1 1/2 - 2 inches in the rear and 1/2 - 1 inch in the front)
- Tires for 9.5 inch wheels
- New head unit
- Exhaust cut out
11-24-2015, 09:56 AM
#15
Been a while since I've made a post about how my car is doing, and.. lets just say things could be better.
I got my new starter installed yesterday and had the wiring and charging system checked since I keep going through batteries like nobodies business. Everything appears to be okay now but I can't really test it because of the new problem that has arisen as of last night. The rear main seal is leaking now which means I have to take some time and save up to get that fixed and at that point I might as well get all the gaskets replaced and do the tune up. I'm quickly approaching my third year of ownership with this car and I'm really hoping to have a strong running car to drive when the weather gets nice again.
Here's to hoping
EDIT: GOOD NEWS EVERYONE!! It's not the rear main that was leaking. However it still is a leak that must be tended to for the sake of being able to drive my car at some point. The leak is coming from somewhere above the oil filter. I wasn't able to get the best view since I haven't had the time to check during the day but I'll give another update when I find out what it is.
I got my new starter installed yesterday and had the wiring and charging system checked since I keep going through batteries like nobodies business. Everything appears to be okay now but I can't really test it because of the new problem that has arisen as of last night. The rear main seal is leaking now which means I have to take some time and save up to get that fixed and at that point I might as well get all the gaskets replaced and do the tune up. I'm quickly approaching my third year of ownership with this car and I'm really hoping to have a strong running car to drive when the weather gets nice again.
Here's to hoping
EDIT: GOOD NEWS EVERYONE!! It's not the rear main that was leaking. However it still is a leak that must be tended to for the sake of being able to drive my car at some point. The leak is coming from somewhere above the oil filter. I wasn't able to get the best view since I haven't had the time to check during the day but I'll give another update when I find out what it is.
Last edited by cvette85; 11-28-2015 at 09:11 PM.
12-12-2015, 06:38 PM
#16
Back with another update. Turns out my oil sending unit went bad (things could've been much worse). So while I get that fixed I've also decided to go ahead and realign the drivers side window, fix my wipers and fix the fuel gauge. Also still no blown fuses which is great! 