Hey guys! Thanks for letting me join your forum.

I recently purchased my first Vette. It's a 92 Coupe LT1 Automatic. It has 62k miles on it. I've noticed that when the car is cold it starts as soon as I bump the key over, but when it is warm it makes a clicking noise like the starter is clicking in and out and then it starts. The warmer it is, the longer it clicks before it starts. Most of the people I asked told me it was a starter issue, so I replaced the starter with a brand new one. Same problem. I would sure appreciate some advice from you experts out there.

Also, directly behind the battery and in front of the firewall there is a solenoid with a bunch of orange wires and the battery cable. What are these orange wires? One was broken so I fixed it. As soon as I started it, the same wire burnt in two.


Thanks!


Mickey
1992 Coupe LT1 Automatic

 

Oh, dear God.

Mickey... I am so glad you are here... You are literally flirting with disaster.

That connector is NOT a solenoid. It is a junction box. Those orange wires are fusible links. If you are blowing one up, something is truly amiss in the electrics.

You will need the Factory Service Manual to sort this out. This is a go to www.helminc.com, order accordingly.

You are dealing with a problem that could, literally, blow your car up. A past forum member lost is 96 LT4 and garage when his junction box shorted... this is serious business.

If it was my car, I would disconnect the battery and get the book. If you can go without driving it for a few days, I would.

I am not sugar coating this because this has the potential for being a very serious problem.

Otherwise, congrats on the 92. They are a good vintage... I am sure this is a fixable problem, just need to debug it.

 

Oh man, I just spent about 3 years savings to buy this thing. I guess it will have to sit for a few months before I can get it fixed

 

why must it sit for months?

a service manual is about $100.00.

From there, it's time...

 

I'm not much of a mechanic, but I've been trying to troubleshoot. The junction box is powered all the time, so the wire that is burning has to be connected to something that is keyed power correct?(since it burns when I start the car) From the diagrams I have found on the forums(can't find one for a 92), it seems these wires connected to the junction box control headlight doors, cooling fans, heat & A/C, etc... Everything on the car seems to work, so is there a way to determine what this wire controls via process of elimination? My wife and I were planning a fall trip next weekend, maybe a total of 400 miles, I could probably afford a service manual but I wouldn't know anything about what I was reading.

I really appreciate the help.

Mickey

 

The FSM isn't that hard to follow, and yes, a process of elimination is your best bet.

But it would be easier once knowing what all they do. I will check my FSM tonite (I also have a 92) and see what suggestions I can offer.

 

I hope this helps.







Good luck

 

if we could figure out which broke... it will help a lot.

92LRC - great job in posting those pages!!!

 

Wow, thanks for the pages! I know most of these things are working fine. If this wire is burnt completely in two, then whatever recieves power through it should not be working, correct?

Once again, thanks again for the pages. I was always told that the corvette community was a family. Now I believe it!


Mickey

 

My pleasure. Everyone on the forum has always been helpful when I've needed it so it was my turn to pay back a little.

I hope you find the problem.

 

Okay took it to my local chevrolet dealer today. They said I have a right hand cooling fan motor that is bad and is shorting out. Wanted to charge me $400 for the fan motor and $200 to install it...... So I bought one at Autozone for $25 bucks.

Second, they told me that my starter was clicking because I needed a new starter. I find that odd, seeing as I just put a brand new starter on it Sunday. Oh and they wanted to charge me $500 for a starter and $250 to install it..... I told them to bill me for the diagnostics fee and I'd pick up my car.

 

wow... your local dealer sure does charge some gold plated prices... 250 to swap a starter??? what do they charge? 250 and hour? That's smoking crack.

I would check the wires on the starter, make sure they are CLEAN.

 

Smart move pulling the car out of that dealership, seriously overpriced even considering the Corvette tax. If you fill out your profile you might find a Corvette brother close by who can help, just a suggestion, welcome

 

These two problems are not related. Tou have obviously found the broblem of the fan burning out the fusable link.
The other problem sure sounds like heat soak on the starter selenoid as this will cause the problem even with a new starter. Is there hot exhaust gas blowing onto the starter selanoid from the exhaust?
If there is no hot exhaust gas blowing on the selanoid then your problem may be a bad battery to engine ground that gets worst when the engine is hot. This can be caused by a slightly lose engine ground or an oily engine ground that gets a bad connection when the engine is hot.
The engine to chassis battery ground is located on the side of the block that the battery is on and close to the bellhousing or it may be on one of the bellhousing bolts.
There are several ground wires on this one bolt so take the bolt out and clean them all to see if this helps. Also trace the neg battery cable to where it grounds on the chassis and clean this too.
On these 92 it is a good idea to clean all chassis grounds and reinstall with some dielectric grease, there are 2 on top to the chassis by the firewall ( one each side) Two on either side of the radiator support up front, two more on the halo behind the seats close to where the sholder belts bolt up and two in the rear under the wheelwells. remember these carry all ofthe electrical current for all circuits on a C4 as the body is plastis so there are often the source of electrical grimlins on a car this age however once you clean them up good they are good for another 15 years.

Hope this helps.

Oh yea and don't worry your car wont BLOW UP. This is the reason they have these safty fusable links.

 

Took it to another shop. Turns out there was a Tech bulletin about a wire in the console rubbing and causing a "starter click or failure to start" ?? The shop did this tech bulletin and since then it hasn't made the clicking noise. They didn't charge me for it so I'm not going to complain too much.

Thanks for the grounding points info. I have heard from several people about ground issues on this car. These tips should help me a ton! Also, is a little lifter noise at idle tick normal at idle?



Thanks!

Mickey

 

I am glad you got the car fixed!!! That's great!!!

The tick is actually caused by the injectors.

 

I disagree. This point has caused a couple of fires I am aware of.

 

So, we want to hear if this story has a happy ending! Are you and the Wifey going on your Fall Cruise in the new Vette?

Welcome!!

 

Yes! We will be driving the Ozarks next weekend. I've made a few calls to that area and people are saying that the leaves are just beginning to turn red and yellow. Next weekend they should fully turned.

Thanks to everyone for the help. I'm sure I'll be annoying you more at a later date!


Mickey