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Old Aug 13, 2008 | 01:58 PM
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Default Won't start

Hello everyone. This is my first thread, so here goes. I have an 1988
35th anniv. edition corvette. It has been sitting for a while in a garage. I went to start it the other day, and no luck. It would turn over great, just no ignition or fuel. When turning on the key, I do not hear the familiar whine of the fuel pump pressurising the system, it just clicks twice and does nothing. Is the fuel pump located in the cargo box behind the drivers seat. This is what is clicking. Thanks for your help.
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Old Aug 13, 2008 | 05:52 PM
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Do your lights work? Maybe just a dead battery.
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Old Aug 13, 2008 | 06:58 PM
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Yes, my lights work. The battery has been on a trickle charger since it has been sitting for a few months.
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Old Aug 13, 2008 | 07:51 PM
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Originally Posted by casonjac
Hello everyone. This is my first thread, so here goes. I have an 1988
35th anniv. edition corvette. It has been sitting for a while in a garage. I went to start it the other day, and no luck. It would turn over great, just no ignition or fuel. When turning on the key, I do not hear the familiar whine of the fuel pump pressurising the system, it just clicks twice and does nothing. Is the fuel pump located in the cargo box behind the drivers seat. This is what is clicking. Thanks for your help.
The fuel pump is in the gas tank. Ur hearing the ABS controller, which goes through a self diagnostic when u start the car. U can confirm the fuel pump is out by attaching a fuel pressure guage to the shrader valve on the r/s intake fuel rail and turning the key to "on"., Don't forget to check the fuze.
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Old Aug 13, 2008 | 11:34 PM
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I got ya, thanks for filling me in on what that was. I will hook it up to a pressure guage. What kind of pressure should I be getting at ignition turned on, and then when started?
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Old Aug 13, 2008 | 11:58 PM
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Don't count the battery out. My tender was on for several months and said my battery was full but It cooked my battery. Battery was only about 6 months old.
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Old Aug 14, 2008 | 08:50 AM
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Originally Posted by casonjac
I got ya, thanks for filling me in on what that was. I will hook it up to a pressure guage. What kind of pressure should I be getting at ignition turned on, and then when started?
I don't know the exact spec, off hand, it should be in the high 30's to mid 40's lbs pressure. U also said ignition isn't working, does that mean it doesn't turn over at all, or is it turning over, but not starting? It may be an electrical and not a fuel problem. Any codes?
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Old Aug 14, 2008 | 08:58 AM
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Originally Posted by DIRK D
Don't count the battery out. My tender was on for several months and said my battery was full but It cooked my battery. Battery was only about 6 months old.
I had a conversation in a car show with a vendor concerning your experience. He said "it will never happen" I guess, maybe, I was right. Did you contact them regarding your battery?
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Old Aug 14, 2008 | 09:03 AM
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"I went to start it the other day, and no luck. It would turn over great, just no ignition or fuel."


If it turned over great it would not be a battery issue.

How did you determine you had no ignition or fuel? It's not very likely that you would lose both at the same time. Probably just one or the other. If you don't have a fuel pressure guage, you can just poke the core of the schraeder (spelling??) valve with a small screwdriver to see if there is fuel at the rail. It should spray out, not just trickle - 30+ psi...

If you determine that the pump is not running I would check out the relay next, I've had problems with mine in the past.
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Old Aug 14, 2008 | 09:20 AM
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http://members.shaw.ca/corvette86/En...ButWontRun.pdf
http://members.shaw.ca/corvette86/Fu...mDiagnosis.pdf
http://members.shaw.ca/corvette86/Ig...System-EST.pdf
http://members.shaw.ca/corvette86/Co...0View%2086.pdf
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Old Aug 14, 2008 | 10:26 PM
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Originally Posted by PLRX
I had a conversation in a car show with a vendor concerning your experience. He said "it will never happen" I guess, maybe, I was right. Did you contact them regarding your battery?
I ran over my "Battery Tender" brand charger pulling out of my garage and bought the cheapest one to replace it. It's a Duracell $17. The battery had a warranty and I exchanged it. I Bought another "Battery Tender" and the Duracell has been sitting on the shelf ever since. You get what you pay for, I just thought A big name like Duracell would be ok.

Vendor is just a nice word for salesman
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