leet13

Hi all... this is a shame for my 2nd post on here, but I just got a 2000 on Saturday... Sunday my fiance and I were going to NJ to show the car off to my family and we stopped at a store to get new key fob batteries... we only got one battery because that is all they had in stock.

So we get into the car and put in the new battery- i found the section in the owners manual on how to program it again by holding lock and unlock. The horn sounded and it worked- the doors were able to be unlocked by the key fob.

My fiance gets in and starts the car with the dead key fob (maybe this was the problem because it was dead and one was just reprogrammed????) and the car did not start or turn over. it was just dead. no interior lights or anything...

We had no idea what happened and called our dealer (btw we were in NJ by this time- we live in MD). They said no ones in the service dept and that they would call around. Finally they called back and said to go and stick the fob in the glove box holder and try to start the car. There is nothing on the left side and i want to send a pic when i get the car back to ask where the key fob goes. We never found a spot for the key fob and we tried everything. We then called someone else who said try the center console and that didnt work.

Being sunday, we ended up calling AAA and had them take us to a local GM dealer that I knew of in the area-- luckily i was near my parents house and they were able to pick us up at the dealership after the tow truck guy dropped us off then i was able to take my dad's car back to MD where I am now...

So far the news today was that they had everything there and are able to work on the car- hope to get it back today so now tonight it will be another run to NJ to get my Vette and back again... sheesh.

My fiance and I would like to know-- did we screw up the car because he tried to start it with the dead key fob/passkey when I had just programmed the working one??

Why in the world did the dealership we bought it from sell us two non working fobs? I realized the car is 10 years old and all but geeze- we didnt realize they didnt work til we got home and the thought on our minds was- hey, its only a battery.

Anyone else have a similar story? Sorry if this is a repost...

lucky131969

For as long as those cars sit on the lot, the car battery probably went dead, in which case, you need to press and hold the top two buttons on the FOB(until the horn sounds) to resynch. No telling why the car did not start, could just be a dead battery....guess you'll find out....since it's at the dealer.

No, trying to start the car with a dead FOB will not cause a no start condition.

BigGun

[/QUOTE].guess you'll find out....since it's at the dealer.

You will quickly learn to keep your Vette away from dealers. Most know little about the car and will cost you a small fortune trying to fix something they know nothing about. Your fobs are a prime example, they had absolutely nothing to do with the car not starting.

Mark C5

Your dealer is a moron. This is for a C6, there is no FOB holder in a C5. Get the car away from them as soon as possible and do not go back.

leet13

Yes, thank you! I knew there was no spot in the C5 after searching online with my cellphone while trapped in NJ on my way to my parents. When we called (sunday) they had no one in the service dept so the guy there had to call around some more- which gave us the answer key fob holder-- we kept calling back saying that there are two adults here and we are still trying to figure out where it goes. GRRRRRR! (Car was bought in MD at criswell chevrolet and is now at a gm certified dealer in NJ near my parents)-- dont know if i said that. So yeah... its kind of sitting there a few states away......

Battery volt meter had read 14 when I cycled through last time before the car just died...

Oh my car isnt at the dealer we purchased at... I just got a call from them saying they have yet to look at it and they believe there is something more here. I had bought an extended warranty for 36 months so i am not worried about that part.

So... guys... if the battery just happened to DIE after synching with the key fob we had put the battery in, then wouldnt it had made a clicking noise trying to start? I mean when we turned the key to start up there was NO sound or anything. Nothing on the HUD or gauges.

Anyways, i will find out more later today. My car has to be at the dealer its at right now because there is no way for me to get it away from them and its dead.

Perhaps the car has just crapped out finally due to have 19k original miles from the previous owner not really driving it???

Thanks for replying though!!!

leet13

one more thing... well two!!!!

1- I did manage to resynch the fob (when we replaced the battery) and the horn chirped and i was able to use it- so i know at least up til then everything was still ok.

2- the battery looked brand spanking new as if it had been replaced before we bought it. That is why i was not suspecting the battery.

Bill Curlee

With NO lights or dash indications, I would have to say that there was NO power getting out of the battery. Three things come to mind:

1- Battery cables were NOT properly torques (11 ft/lbs)
2- Battery died due to bad post or a bad cell.
3- Battery cable is bad. (seldom happens but something to check)

BC

leet13

So the car can just die or quit just like that? Thats scary! I did pop the hood and checked the cables running to the battery- they seemed fine and the positive had what looked like some kind of paper stuck to the cable which was turned a color almost like it was stained brown or corroded-- but NOT on the terminals.

oh i really hope its just a battery issue... im waiting to hear some more news.

Thanks for the reply

lucky131969

Ok.....this is beginning to sound like a joke....

leet13

Like I said- there were no problems ever starting it so i guess after parking the car, getting a new battery in the fob and sitting back in the car must have instantly killed the battery.

I am posting because i dont understand. Sorry maybe its cause im a GIRL and i never had a car just DIE without any explanation or existing problem... and i never had a car this expensive before so im assuming with all of the regular maintenance and checks it would last more than 24 hrs.

lucky131969

Okay. The reality is, it can happen on any car..period. Regular maintenance and checks? ....I thought you just purchased the car? I know this is hindsight, but did you have the vehicle checked out before purchasing? Pull a vehicle history, service history, etc?

BigGun

[QUOTE=leet13;1575311187]Oh my car isnt at the dealer we purchased at... I just got a call from them saying they have yet to look at it and they believe there is something more here. I had bought an extended warranty for 36 months so i am not worried about that part.

It would be interesting to know what the dealer had to say about the problem. Please post.

bighank

Ask me how I know. Also a bad spot on the starter or a bad solenoid can cause no start but you should still have horn and lights. Nothing, I repeat NOTHING about a key fob can cause anything like you described.
I would suspect ozidation on at the battery terminals. If everything is DEAD that is probably the problem.

Goody

I had that happen to me once, but that was because I had disconnected the battery and removed the BCM to look for corrosion. The very first time I tried to start the car.....nothing, nadda, no electron flow at all. (I think this is part of the password relearn process). Waited 5 seconds and then it started right up. Never had a no start from a fob on a C5 though, not even required on my 2001. But then I don't have passive keyless entry.

00Corvette

To the OP...

Check for codes

On the right side of your gauge cluster where you have the 1-6 buttons...

PRESS AND HOLD NUMBER 4, SIMULTANEOUSLY PRESS NUMBER 1 FOUR TIMES WHILE STILL HOLDING NUMBER 4

You will enter diagnostic mode and your codes will start popping up. Once your in diagnostic mode the 1, 2, 3 and 4 buttons will navigate you around back and forth through the codes and different "modules".

See if have any codes..might be something for low battery voltage like lucky was saying, I've worked for a few dealerships...those cars sit for a couple years sometimes and don't get started very much. Even if the battery is dead, they'll a lot of times just use a jumper box so you can take your test drive with out you knowing and then just stick it on a charger after you make the deal while they're cleaning your car up in the back.

A battery is a non-service contract item on a used car and they know it.

bighanks post or the dead battery is my bet.

Check for codes as that would point you in the right direction if it's due to the key resistor pellet.

The fact that your key fob battery happened to be dead and the car did not start is purely a coincidence. The key FOB has nothing to do with the starting of the vehicle. The KEY itself and resistor pellet/vats system are another story.

How many miles on the car?


and a service history report from a GM dealer other than the one that worked on the car is a good thing to get a hold of even if you have to pay them for it. Try and pull a tech aside on his smoke break or something and make friends, that's what I did after I bought mine and got him to print me out all kinds of info on my car.

It may show something about 5 batteries replaced in your car in the last 6 years you never know

edit: and I can see how you would assume that a dealership would perform routine maintenance/checks before legally selling a vehicle because they do. Your car should last more than 24 hours, lol

The reality is this can happen to any car and if it is the battery or resistor chip AND YOU'RE NOT A C5 EXPERT, you wouldn't see it coming as these things don't give much warning. They could have checked that battery 2 weeks ago and it was fine and now it's dead and it wouldn't be odd at all.

How many miles on the car?

00Corvette

I just found another post of yours...with only 19K miles or whatever, I doubt it's the key resistor or ignition switch. Still best to just check the codes cause it's free and so is cleaning the ignition switch contacts.

Did the car ever start again once it was dead?

If not, have the battery tested and swapped when it comes back dead

mrlmd

I just saw this post and I know it's 5 years old, but was there any resolution to this? I doubt there will be any response, but I'm just curious as to the outcome of this.

I'm confused here. One of the key fobs worked fine (Good battery or not, car ran fine) and with the second key fob the car is totally dead? Did anyone try the first fob again? Maybe the second key fob they were given was not for that car, it had a different resistance in the pellet on the key so it doesn't match the car. That's real simple to "fix" and should cost nothing if they were not given the correct key. I hope the dealer who had the car checked the resistance of each key and that they match, and match the car. And did the AAA guy check the battery voltage or do anything to get ther car started or all he did was to tow it to a dealer? (That's how he makes his money).
Inquiring minds need to know.