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Old Aug 19, 2005 | 11:26 PM
  #1  
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Default Helllllllllp!

2nd day of owning my Vette and I'm having problems. I've been having problems with the interior lights staying on and had to pull the ccm2 fuse to keep the battery from dying overnight. I went out tonight put the fuse back in and got power to everything again but the car wont even turn over!!! My wife drove it 3 hours ago and had no problems at all with it.

did i screw something up by pulling that fuse? battery guage is reading 12.2 volts but battery and check engine light stay on when all other lights cycle off.

HELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLP! Any ideas out there?
I dont have my Helm's yet.
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Old Aug 19, 2005 | 11:32 PM
  #2  
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i feel your pain!

I had this happen, in my case it was the door switch, the little button that opens and closes with the door. i replaced it, and fixed the problem.

id hook a battery charger up to it to keep the battery alive ... will it start with a jump?

Sorry to hear that you're having trouble so soon. Hang in there!
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Old Aug 19, 2005 | 11:37 PM
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Try flipping both visors down, opening up the cover and making sure that the vanity lights are not on. They have a manual on/off switch. The down position is off. Most newer cars have an automatic switch that will turn em on when the cover is flipped and off when the cover is down.

That drained my battery once after my daughter was busy getting pretty.

If that's it, charge your battery and hope for the best.

Good luck

Last edited by longhorn_C4; Aug 19, 2005 at 11:40 PM.
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Old Aug 19, 2005 | 11:44 PM
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I went back out and was getting ready to throw a jump on her but she fired right up this time. I'm thinking the door switch is a culprit with the lights but the not starting really scared the P**P outta me! I'm going to replace the door switch ASAP and hope it solves the lighting problem and in turn the no start problem.

I'm going to panic every time something goes goofy with her for a while.
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Old Aug 20, 2005 | 12:18 AM
  #5  
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Relax there is nothing that goes wrong that cannot be fixed here. Just make sure you describe your problem well and someone will help. Also include your year and any other info that may help(mods or changes).
For example the no start did it crank over and not start or not crank? How long did it crank?Little details will help.

Sounds like either your door or hatch switch.A quick fix for the door is to tape a nickle or 2 at the spot the switch contacts.

A quick fix for the hatch is to put a piece of rubber hose that extends 1/4 in on to the switch plunger.
Good luck

Last edited by Redeasysport; Aug 20, 2005 at 12:22 AM.
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Old Aug 20, 2005 | 07:20 AM
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If it's teh hatch switch, the quickest fix is to unplug it till you find a new one. If you use a hatch vent or close the hatch too hard you can damage the switch. I'm on my 4th switch.
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Old Aug 20, 2005 | 07:33 AM
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Originally Posted by Mr Mojo
If it's teh hatch switch, the quickest fix is to unplug it till you find a new one. If you use a hatch vent or close the hatch too hard you can damage the switch. I'm on my 4th switch.
Stop bangin' the hell out that hatch! Or one of these days the glass is gonna go whoopdeedoo.
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Old Aug 20, 2005 | 08:34 AM
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According to Chris Petris it is a good idea to fully charge your dead battery with a charger instead of jumping it (if at all possible). The problem is that some C4 alternators are not the best and using the alternatior to charge the battery after a jump is a sure way to drastically shorten its life. Chris even recommends a trickle charger on your C4 if it is driven infrequently.
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Old Aug 20, 2005 | 01:13 PM
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Originally Posted by corvetteronw
According to Chris Petris it is a good idea to fully charge your dead battery with a charger instead of jumping it (if at all possible). The problem is that some C4 alternators are not the best and using the alternatior to charge the battery after a jump is a sure way to drastically shorten its life. Chris even recommends a trickle charger on your C4 if it is driven infrequently.
Good advice, and a C-4 altenator is an off of the shelf item.
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Old Aug 20, 2005 | 01:21 PM
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Besides the door & hatch switches it could be the delay timer that shuts the lights off after you have closed everything. This is up under the dash on the passenger side. It is usually taped up in the wiring harness and is about 1 1/2 inches square. I have heard these are no longer available, if this turns out to be the problem, post back about it and someone can tell you how to bypass the delay, or you can check the Corvette salvage yards for a good used one. I got my '85 in '99 and they were still available then, it was the first repair I had to do to mine too.
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Old Aug 20, 2005 | 02:32 PM
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I drove all day today without any incident including lights staying on. It's not a consistent problem with the same thing happening over and over again. How can i lock down the exact problem?

Oh yeah, did I say without incident? forgot about the nail I found in the LR tire. wasnt planning on tires til next summer. Any thoughts on pluggn a 285/40 17? I dont drive hard. yet.
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Old Aug 20, 2005 | 03:20 PM
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sometimes gremlins can be kept at bay just by running it.
was the car sitting quite a bit before you bought it?
i wouldnt use a plug but i wouldnt be afraid to take the tire to a shop and have it patched.
a pro can analyze the damage and put the stamp of approval on it or not.
unless you happen to have one of them 100 dollar plug guns that push a plug in from the outside that has a bulb on the inside.those babies work great.
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Old Aug 20, 2005 | 03:37 PM
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the car wasnt sitting very long when i got it. The prev owner's had driven it a few times in the last 2weeks. Only driven 3200 miles in the last year though. The tire holds about 30 lbs pressure right now. at least it's not going completely flat. I have some drive time when I fill it to get it somewhere to be looked at.
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Old Aug 20, 2005 | 07:38 PM
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Hate to admit it, when I first bought the Vette i moved the dim switch for the car interior and instruments, and it will make it stay on even when closing the doors,remove the keys, etc.

I left it for the night and the battery drained out. Check that out, maybe that would be the problem.
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