Are 84 Electrical Problems Common
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 242
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From: BURTON MI
Are 84 Electrical Problems Common
I had a good one that cost me over $800.00 to fix. My mechanic had to relapce my antennea for the 3rd time last month.( HE TOLD ME THEY WERE BEING MADE IN CHINA, AND HE HAD A LOT OF THEM FAIL). Several weeks after it was in my wife and I went for a ride last weekend and the radio died and the antenna would not retract. When I got home I found the # 15 breaker blown so i went out got a new one and when I tried to put it in I got a flash.
I called my Mecahnic on Monday and dropped the Car off the next day.
He had it for a whole week. He said the new antenna was fried, nothing worked on that circuit. He said there were 3 ground shorts and my
heating/AC unit was not wroking properly.
I found a used Heat/AC unit on Ebay had it shipped over night and it was installed; it works great.
But here is my main concern after one week and $800.00 later he told me he did not know where the shorts were but the problem was fixed except that he has to get another antenna. Now I am not an electrician but how the heck can you not find 3 ground shorts, but yet the system is back up and working?
Any thoughts,
Thanks,
Hugh
I called my Mecahnic on Monday and dropped the Car off the next day.
He had it for a whole week. He said the new antenna was fried, nothing worked on that circuit. He said there were 3 ground shorts and my
heating/AC unit was not wroking properly.I found a used Heat/AC unit on Ebay had it shipped over night and it was installed; it works great.
But here is my main concern after one week and $800.00 later he told me he did not know where the shorts were but the problem was fixed except that he has to get another antenna. Now I am not an electrician but how the heck can you not find 3 ground shorts, but yet the system is back up and working?
Any thoughts,
Thanks,
Hugh
Last edited by hmcquade; Sep 26, 2007 at 11:37 AM.
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2000
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From: The Top of Utah
Originally Posted by hmcquade
Now I am not an electrician but how the heck can you not find 3 ground shorts, but yet the system is back up and working?
Any thoughts,
Thanks,
Hugh
Any thoughts,
Thanks,
Hugh
To the best on my knowledge, I have never experienced a "ground short". In the 21 years I have owned my '84, the only electrical problem I recall is trouble with the digi dash.
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Drifting
Joined: Aug 2004
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My question is, what the heck is a ground short? A bare spot in a ground wire that shorts to 12 volts???
To the best on my knowledge, I have never experienced a "ground short". In the 21 years I have owned my '84, the only electrical problem I recall is trouble with the digi dash.
RACE ON!!!
To the best on my knowledge, I have never experienced a "ground short". In the 21 years I have owned my '84, the only electrical problem I recall is trouble with the digi dash.
RACE ON!!!
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 242
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From: BURTON MI
If I knew what a ground short was I sure as Hell would not be asking for help here. Just wanted some serious input from experienced Vet owners.
Most likley was a bad plug or a bare wire. But when a Vet Mecahnic with over 20 years expereince tell me he did not find where the sort were and took my $800.00 I get a lillte pissed.
Hugh
Most likley was a bad plug or a bare wire. But when a Vet Mecahnic with over 20 years expereince tell me he did not find where the sort were and took my $800.00 I get a lillte pissed.
Hugh
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Brett Foote
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From: The Top of Utah
"Ground shorts" is term, I'd not heard in this part of the country, nor the Midwest, either. hmcquade (OP) sounds like he may be a little green. When he relays something like, "He said there were 3 ground shorts and...", the hair on the back of my neck stands up. The purpose of going after the unusual term is to hopefully make hmcquade question what is going on, and maybe make the guy charging $800.00 to fix an antenna to explain himself in real word terms. I smell a rat and it isn't coming from hmcquade.
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Advanced
Joined: Jun 2007
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From: Tucson Az
"Ground shorts" is term, I'd not heard in this part of the country, nor the Midwest, either. hmcquade (OP) sounds like he may be a little green. When he relays something like, "He said there were 3 ground shorts and...", the hair on the back of my neck stands up. The purpose of going after the unusual term is to hopefully make hmcquade question what is going on, and maybe make the guy charging $800.00 to fix an antenna to explain himself in real word terms. I smell a rat and it isn't coming from hmcquade.
RACE ON!!!
RACE ON!!!
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 242
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From: BURTON MI
The owner at Drago Corvette in Flint MI actually said to me there were 3 shorts to ground. I am green and this is my fisrt Vet. I do knowI am not going back to him again after he puts in the new antenna in.
Thanks,
Hugh
Thanks,
Hugh
Last edited by hmcquade; Sep 27, 2007 at 10:24 AM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 6,130
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From: seattle WA
Most of our early C4s have experienced problems with insulation shrinking back and exposing bare wires. Several of us have found this in the engine compartment where the wires go into the fuel pump relay.
A good mechanic shouldn't have much difficulty in finding a short.
To your knowledge is everything stock as far as radio, alarm etc.? And $800. is way out of line!
A good mechanic shouldn't have much difficulty in finding a short.
To your knowledge is everything stock as far as radio, alarm etc.? And $800. is way out of line!
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: May 2006
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From: BURTON MI
Rick,
To the best of my knowledge the car is stock. I did have to send the radio out in the spring to be fixed, it was crackling, alot of static noise, and I did replace some of the bose speakers. The car supposedly only had 28,000 miles on it wehn I purchased it. Drago was reccomended to me as he has been in business for many years.
The power antenna did not work when I bought the Vet and Drago replaced it, so far every antenna he put in failed within a few months. He stated there were alot of these antennas failing. He got them through a distributor who was buying them out of China. Drago told me no one in the US was making them for the 84.
Other than that the car was running great. I have a 4 speed Doug Nash Transmission that works.
Thanks,
Hugh
To the best of my knowledge the car is stock. I did have to send the radio out in the spring to be fixed, it was crackling, alot of static noise, and I did replace some of the bose speakers. The car supposedly only had 28,000 miles on it wehn I purchased it. Drago was reccomended to me as he has been in business for many years.
The power antenna did not work when I bought the Vet and Drago replaced it, so far every antenna he put in failed within a few months. He stated there were alot of these antennas failing. He got them through a distributor who was buying them out of China. Drago told me no one in the US was making them for the 84.
Other than that the car was running great. I have a 4 speed Doug Nash Transmission that works.
Thanks,
Hugh
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From: The Top of Utah
Originally Posted by hmcquade
The owner at Drago Corvette in Flint MI actually said to me there were 3 shorts to ground.
Never mind!
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Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 242
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From: BURTON MI
OK So I changed the wording he still did not find where they came from and charged me $800.00 in shop labor.
Rick
I did not replace the speakers Drago did they were all Bose, he even rebuilt one for a Bose speaker that I got on Ebay It was right after I bought the Vet I had him go through it, yes the amps were with them.
Hugh
Rick
I did not replace the speakers Drago did they were all Bose, he even rebuilt one for a Bose speaker that I got on Ebay It was right after I bought the Vet I had him go through it, yes the amps were with them.
Hugh
Last edited by hmcquade; Sep 27, 2007 at 12:35 PM.
