Jake5670

Hello folks, I bought my 2011 Carbon edition less than a month ago and now I am not able to get it started. I will give you the run down on what I am experiencing and what I have done so far to troubleshoot.

The car has 1,700 miles on it. I bought it with 936 miles on it and drove it all the way home... 750 miles without a hitch. The Chevy dealer before hand put a brand new battery in it as they said they had trouble starting it. I, after hearing this, bought another battery from their parts department as a spare to use on the trip home so we would not be stranded. We made it all the way home and the next day I drove the car and washed it getting ready to detail it... no problems starting the car. I set up a vacation day for Friday that week to get the car registered with the DMV. I put the car on a trickle charger on Thursday and the battery was fully charged up ready to go. Friday morning I drove it to the inspection area where the highway patrol checks the out of state cars before registration. I drove it into their garage fine for the inspection and had to leave the lights on so they could read the miles on the odometer. The inspector did his check and was reaching under the hood at the front on the passenger side moving wires away from the frame. I asked him what he was doing and he said he was looking for the frame number. After he was done I drove the car to the parking lot and came back in to pay them for their service. In hindsight I believe I left the lights on while it was in the parking lot. I was gone 10 to 15 mins waiting in line to pay and came back to the car pushing the FOB unlock button... the door did not unlock. The light flashed on top of the door sill and the window came down part way but the door did not unlock. I went ahead and pulled the standard key out of the FOB and unlocked the trunk and pulled the door release. I got in the car and tried to start it but no go.

When I try to start the car I hear a single fairly loud click sound which I think is the starter solenoid and the sound of actuators/relays clicking. No dash lights come on at all. The start button light comes on and I can still move the electric seats forward and roll the windows down but no accessories come on when the switch is in the accessory position. No radio etc...

I called my dad to see if I could jump start it but when we tried no go there either. I then got the spare battery and put that in to no avail. I looked at the area where the inspector was pulling the cables and could not find any loose connections. I did tighten them with a 10 mil and one was a 13 mil socket. I also tightened the positive connection from the batter cable to the fuse box. I tried to start again but no go. I then had the car towed home... it took a tow truck where the bed splits in two to allow for low clearance.

At home I pulled out the multimeter and checked the batteries. They both measured over 12.6. I also did a parasitic draw test to see if there was something still on that could be drawing amps and it read .6 amps on a 10 amp scale. I checked all the fuses under the hood and in the foot well passenger side and could not find one that was busted. I tried switching relays separately for the ignition and crank with the same part number relay used for the wipers and no difference when I tried to start. I really tightened the cables to the battery because I did notice the negative cable was able to be moved by hand with some force which is not good. I charged the battery up again that night and tried to start it but no go. The multimeter read 13.09 volts this time.

I have a feeling it could be the starter solenoid or a loose cable. Keep in mind this car has only 1,700 miles so I kind of doubt the starter is the culprit but I have read where a long trip like I took home can crack the end cap of the solenoid because it is near the exhaust manifold and heats up.

My next step is to get the car in the air to check the starter and the connections to it. Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you

Jake5670

I also changed the battery on the FOB and this did not help. I also tried to start the car with the FOB in the slot behind the glove box with the buttons facing out and no go.

Jake5670

I also used my spare FOB key... no go.

erick_e

I have read quite a few threads where one of the nuts on the starter have backed off and become loose causing an intermittent connection. It's quite possible that is your problem, but I'm betting on the starter going out.

Jake5670

I appreciate it! That is my next step to get the car in the air and check the starter and starter solenoid plus the connections there.

I did wonder if it was something to do with the security system not allowing me to start the car as the door would not unlock as normal. One time the alarm did go off when I inadvertently opened the door with the door release pull inside the trunk and I was able to turn the alarm off with my unlock button so the car does recognizes my FOB as a valid key I would think.

Thank you

RicK T

Kudos on your troubleshooting process so far.

You weren't clear on "when" you measured that .6 amps. Since that is the only thing that concerns me so far I just want to make sure you are clear.

After a complete shutdown of the car's systems, usually around 3-4 minutes but it could take up to 20 minutes for the OnStar module to shut down, the resting current draw should be in the range of 13 - 30 milliamps (.013A - .030A).

Other than that, I think the others are on the next right track, check the starter.

Let us know what you find.

xBoostx

Check out at the starter a 3rd wire to the push start switch if is lose broken or burn if not follow it inspect and test for cotinuity.

Jake5670

I appreciate it. I measured .6 amps after it sat for two hours... after sitting at the DMV to register the car and getting a bite to eat. I bet the .6A is from having the hatch open to take the reading from the battery in the rear. If I am to measure the voltage from the fuse box under the hood do I want to put the multimeter positive on the 13mil nut from the battery cable where it meets the fuse box and then where do I put the ground? I tried putting it on a header nut but no reading. Never tried this on a Z06 fuse box before. This could tell me if the battery positive cable has a problem from the battery to the fuse box.

Right on... starter is next. I will be sure to post what I find. Thank you!

Jake5670

Many thanks!!! Will do!

jamestronix

Check your ground connections. Especially the one on the passenger side of the engine block close to the starter and the one on the passenger inner fender wall down below the fuse block. You might have to move some wires or hoses out of the way to see this ground, but trust me, it is worth checking.

jamestronix

Check out this post. Ground G104 is the one under the fuse block that came loose on a 2012 Z06 I had. It will cause starting problems as you have described.

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...locations.html

Jake5670

I appreciate it!!! Thank you for the link! I will check that out for sure.

Jake5670

Good and bad news today! My dad came over to help tow the car onto my ramps to get the car up onto jack stands and low and behold the car interior lights came on when I hit the unlock button on my fob and she started right up when I pushed in the clutch and hit the start button. I was able to drive it onto the ramps. Once I got it onto the ramps and shut it down it would not start again.

I will now check the wires on the starter and solenoid and the grounds...especially the ones noted earlier. I will let everyone know what I find.

jamestronix

Exact same issue I had with my 2012 z06 and it was a loose ground. When the car refuses to start, does it do anything at all? Does the starter click?

Jake5670

When the car refuses to start there are no interior lights but the starter button is lit up and my seat can move forward or back and windows can go up and down. No accessories come on like the radio if I switch it over to accessory.

Once I push in the clutch and hit the start button I hear a fairly loud click that I believe is the starter and less loud relay noises coming from behind the dash/engine compartment.

Once I can get free and take a look at it while it is in the air I will find out more. I bet it is the ground you told me about or a loose cable/ connection.

Thank you!

jamestronix

Either the ground or the positive post on the starter solenoid has broken loose inside the plastic housing of the solenoid. Make sure your battery cables are tight too.

Jake5670

I checked the starter and it looks brand spankin' new. Seems like I will need to pull the starter then to check the positive post connection on the starter solenoid. Can I check that positive post while the starter is on there? Doesn't appear to be room to check that from the bottom or the top unless I had the passenger exhaust manifold off.

Just disconnect the battery and unbolt those two bolts right? And gently lower it down on something to support it while I check the connections.

ATC399

Good luck op....

jamestronix

Easiest way to get to the solenoid is to take out the passenger exhaust manifold bolts, remove the bolts that connect the cat pipe to the x-pipe, then you can move the exhaust manifold out of the way enough to get to the top of the starter which is where the solenoid resides.

Did you check that ground on the passenger side under the fuse block?

jamestronix

I honestly think you have a ground issue. As low as your mileage is, I doubt that the starter has already died.