Renfield

I'm officially past the first month with my '96, and trying to get ahead of all the little gremlins in this car. Headlight motors, Cruise control, headliner, trim molding, CEL, PKE, etc. I'm afraid to look at my Visa bill. But it seems like every time I fix one thing, another pops up.

Now, just in time for winter, the TEMP UP button is dead. Very frustrating.

I'm starting to remember why I haven't bought an American made car for so long.

Not that my new garage ornament isn't pretty. Sitting there.

I guess I could sell everything but the shell and have a nice corvette statue. A tribute to the pride of Bowling Green.

If the '96 represents the best of the C4's, I pity all the others.

Grrrrrr.

PatternDayTrader

Where are you going with this ???

It sounds like whining.

antfarmer2

you do know this is a 20 year old car with unkown mantiance? how many of your loved imports did you buy this old?

Renfield

Yep. Going by the Urban Dictionary definition, it is most definitely a whine.

I am frustrated, running out of patience, and find myself regretting the purchase.

Maintenance is one thing. But this car is too young (86K) to be such a basket case. Mind you, I am comparing it to a '94 Miata with 220K miles and power everything. In the 16 years I've owned it all it has ever required is maintenance. That's oil changes, brakes, routine stuff. NOT HVAC control replacement. Or even headlamp motor rebuilds.

So pardon me while I vent about my experience with this beautiful POS.

TorchTarga94

Not all Corvettes are created nor treated equally. Obviously it led somewhat of a neglected life until you came along. Eventually it will start to take care of you just like you are taking care of it.

PatternDayTrader

Theres only one thing to do. Take a slow motion ride to yawn city and buy another Miata..

RollaMo-LT4

Perhaps its time you moved on then.

Honestly, you buy a 20 year old car your going to experience these things.
Very possible you are just very lucky with you Miata.
If you don't want to or can't work on old cars, they can be money pits.
Your Miata (or any other car) isn't immune to issues either.

For your climate control issue, read this thread.
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...on-repair.html

The contact behind those buttons getting dirty and acting up is a rather common issue, and easy to fix.

Renfield

I bought the '94 Miata in '99 with 74k on the ODO. It's now old enough to buy liquor and it has been trouble free. Not even an A/C recharge. The soft top is a little rough, but it's original.

The PO of the vette kept meticulous records of maintenance. Better than I ever have. Lack of maintenance does NOT kill HVAC controls.

Now I'll go be the laughing stock of the Miata forum. They're going to love this one.

antfarmer2

your control most likely just needs to be cleaned. did the PO document the kid with a pop when he hit a bump.

so your miata was just out of warrenty when you bought it not 20 years old with unknowen treatment.

and looking at your list looks like under a $100 of fixes if you did it yourself. if you can not fix simple things yourself then by all mean sell it to someone that can.

you will spend alot in corvette tax when they figure out how little you know and how much you are willing to pay.

free info here to help but if your afraid to open your visa bill thanks for the free entertainment here as well!!!!!!

mike100

The facts of the matter are:
-The C4 has more (unnecessary) complicated luxury items that will fail because they were made to a cheap price point by GM.
-The last owner didn't didn't fix much so you bought it from the wrong person
-The C4 was actually made quite a bit better than many other GM cars of the era, although the 94-96 interior is more fragile than earlier models.

You need to work on it yourself as much as possible and after this period of 'break-in', the car will become reliable. Perhaps you are driving much more frequently than the previous owner and pressing it into daily service has aggravated the failures. It is true that these cars are not Toyotas.

Renfield

Thank you all for letting me vent. TorchTarga, RollaMo you are both probably right. It just stings a bit that the honeymoon is over so soon.

Working on cars is no problem. I've changed the timing belt/water pump twice on the MX-5. Replaced shocks, added a supercharger, removed and sold supercharger, etc. And I've replaced the head gasket on my '83 F100. But taking apart dashes and replacing cheap junk with remanufactured cheap junk is not what I was looking for in a new hobby.

The Ford is a good example of nothing to fail. It's a base 6/4 speed. It will outlive me.

I know you are proud of your ride. It is a beautiful example of great '80's design. The white on red '84 I bought in '83 was a blast, though I didn't own it long. But how do known issues like junk headlamp motors last the entire 12 year run of a car? Headlamp pop-ups are how Miata owners wave to each other.

Yea Amotoxracer, Miatas are not quick. Well, the supercharged ones can be. But that's not their reason for being. And because I don't race, I can really only go as fast as the person texting in the Prius ahead of me.

BrandensBeast

Can't really compare a corvette to a miata (in my opinion) Look how much more advanced the c4's were compared to everything else electronically, without being properly taken care of a lot of stuff will fail, for instance the 171k+ mile 84 vette I bought, wasn't taken care of thing's practically falling apart, wires cut just completely neglected and harder to workon compared to a miata, and more expensive!

antfarmer2

so how much did you pay for fixing your headlights and what were they doing?

Renfield

They were doing the same crap every other C4 headlamp does, from what I read here. I have had the driver side out about a dozen times. Installed delron bushings. Nylon gear is perfect. Motor itself works fine. Bind is in the actuator. The kit was maybe $12, plus a crazy $10 s/h.

Now the reman. units are enroute from Eckler's on a 20% off deal. Still will be a couple bills after the cores go back.

I bought the fob for a dead PKE. $129. Horns for about $35. OBDII code reader, because I DO the work, and because it's always throwing a code. $100. As they say, it's the little things. Shall I go on?

And I'm sorry but I don't get your meaning here: "did the PO document the kid with a pop when he hit a bump."

RollaMo-LT4

Obviously you only read about the ones with issues here.
So, I have to correct you when you say "every other C4 headlamp".

My '96 with over 120,000 miles has never had any headlamp issues.
They work just fine every time I use them.

FASTAZU

I think most the issues on older low mileage cars are from lack of use. When not used corrosion starts to build up on everything that moves or has an electric contact.

One thing I do is try my best to get them out once every month or at least start and let them warm completely, while running I push every button and move every switch.

Good Luck

antfarmer2

controlers don't like pop.

no best to ask first you could have saved some money.

73n95

I can feel your pain. You did your research, searched the market and followed the recommendations. Now the realities are setting in and you have some surprises. Let me point out a few things.
The Corvette is a unique animal built with components that are not truly designed for longevity. Its designed and built to perform on a race track or driven in a spirited, sporty manner. Many of the systems on the Vette are cutting edge, or experimental. GM tries out new things using us a lab rats. Things like fully independent suspensions, the lT and LS engines, fuel injection, and many other features now common were pioneered on the Corvette. You might say its a sort of "beta" car. Perhaps they know we will put up with the problems in exchange for the exclusivity. Every car maker who installs pop up headlights has problems and soon abandons them, except Corvette. But then what other car consistently draws stares from its off-the page clean styling?
Your Miata is based on sedan parts produced for the masses, just like your pickup truck. Those who drive old Ferrari's and Jaguars have way above average problems as well. Remember the Delorean? Putting the Corvette in that category it becomes relatively trouble free.
As I see it, an older Corvette has it all; power, speed, comfort, driving pleasure, exclusivity, personality, all at an affordable price. Everything is correctable, parts are available and once properly corrected it holds up for a reasonable time.
If you decide to move on, keep these things in perspective. There is something out there for everyone. Perhaps a C4 just isn't right for you.

Hot Rod Roy

My '84 has about 240,000 miles on it. I disassembled, cleaned, and lubed my headlight motor assemblies about 9 years ago. ZERO new parts! They work just fine, thank you!
Sorry, but if you've had one apart a dozen times, you're doing something wrong.
Be careful about what you read on any forum. The only things you'll hear about are problems! That's why people post! You won't hear from those who aren't having problems!
Enjoy!!

hcbph

My Vette was 28 yrs old when I bought it, it's now 30. This is not the first older car I've bought or owned. My T-Bird is over 20 but I bought it when it was a year old, it's caused a lot less issues mainly because I've kept it up over the years. Maintenance is the key here, if it was deferred then you need to catch it up.

First thing I'd suggest is you start reading up on Bryan's website about the electronics: http://www.batee.com. He has a wealth of info and parts on it plus does repairs. I sent my instrument cluster to him to be repaired when I felt less than confident doing it myself. I used info from his site to determine what the likely cause was then determined I didn't want to do it myself.

If you haven't gotten a FSM, make that a top priority as it has most of the info you'll be needing.

As has been stated, many of the systems on a 20+ year old car were not designed to last that long, especially when electronics are involved. Most can be brought back but you'll need to do some cleaning and/or replacing/repair to get them working again. That's one of the very reasons I like to look at a car with the KISS (keep it simple stupid) principal in mind, less complicated parts to go wrong. The less electronics and computers in there, much less likely to go wrong or break if present and less things to go bump in the dark if not there. Some times mechanical things last longer than electronic units.

Also as has been noted, a car that's parked it can have parts fail purely due to aging, not due to wear. Get things fixed and start driving it is my opinion. Make your list of issues, then start working your list. It may take a while but if you want to get it done, you will.

My 2 cents.