hard starting c4
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 1,590
Likes: 60
From: ft myers FL/Munising MI
hard starting c4
thanks to all the good advice on this forum, I have fixed my problem...my 85 is running sweet as sugar...listened to the exprts...cleaned my throttle body...unbelievably dirty, installed a new Iac valve....learned how to adjust the idle and tps and read the codes..
jumping a &b showed 54 fuel voltage and 34...maf....cleaned the maf and installed a new fuel pump....starts in a instant now...and runs alot smoother....the experts on this forum are great....now to figure out why my antenna doesn't go up or down....thanks again.....
jumping a &b showed 54 fuel voltage and 34...maf....cleaned the maf and installed a new fuel pump....starts in a instant now...and runs alot smoother....the experts on this forum are great....now to figure out why my antenna doesn't go up or down....thanks again.....
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 3,660
Likes: 22
antenna...easy. Its probably toast. Maybe the relay...maybe.
These Do wear out eventually. If you CAN hear the antenna motor run but no lifting...its the ribbon.
Many guys install a switch to stop the antenna from rising when the tape or cd player is used. That helps extend the life a bit. The OEM antenna is fairly costly...the generic aftermarket replacements are about $50 but there is a little fabricating to be done. Sometimes you can get away with a new ribbon if you feel ok about doing a rebuild yourself.
These Do wear out eventually. If you CAN hear the antenna motor run but no lifting...its the ribbon.
Many guys install a switch to stop the antenna from rising when the tape or cd player is used. That helps extend the life a bit. The OEM antenna is fairly costly...the generic aftermarket replacements are about $50 but there is a little fabricating to be done. Sometimes you can get away with a new ribbon if you feel ok about doing a rebuild yourself.
Intermediate
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 26
Likes: 0
Replacement Antenna
I changed out the original antenna on my C4 about 10 years ago with a generic antenna. IIRC it was around $29.00 back then.
That 'cheap' antenna has worked perfectly since the day I installed it.
It's quiet also. Can just detect it going up and down.
I'd replace with the aftermarket antenna with no hesitation.
Think I had to find a thin piece of metal and use some metal shears to make a bracket to hold it in position solidly.
All Lowe's or HD stuff. Cost me about $4 or $5 bucks to buy a flat piece of sheet metal.
The ribbon is made out of nylon (I think) and after a few years it gets brittle and breaks.
The motor will still run however.
Have someone get in your Vette, turn the key to the power up position (you don't have to start the engine) or the ACC position.
Have them turn the radio on/off while you go back and listen for the antenna motor running.
If it is running then the ribbon is broke but all other parts are functional.
If it doesn't run that relay mentioned above is under the carpet/side panel in the rear, on the driver side.
First make sure the radio is working (coming on, lights up, you can at least hear static or the CD will play.)
The radio activates the relay which activates the antenna.
Good luck with getting the tunes back !
That 'cheap' antenna has worked perfectly since the day I installed it.
It's quiet also. Can just detect it going up and down.
I'd replace with the aftermarket antenna with no hesitation.
Think I had to find a thin piece of metal and use some metal shears to make a bracket to hold it in position solidly.
All Lowe's or HD stuff. Cost me about $4 or $5 bucks to buy a flat piece of sheet metal.
The ribbon is made out of nylon (I think) and after a few years it gets brittle and breaks.
The motor will still run however.
Have someone get in your Vette, turn the key to the power up position (you don't have to start the engine) or the ACC position.
Have them turn the radio on/off while you go back and listen for the antenna motor running.
If it is running then the ribbon is broke but all other parts are functional.
If it doesn't run that relay mentioned above is under the carpet/side panel in the rear, on the driver side.
First make sure the radio is working (coming on, lights up, you can at least hear static or the CD will play.)
The radio activates the relay which activates the antenna.
Good luck with getting the tunes back !
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 20,179
Likes: 673
From: Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.
St. Jude '03 thru '24
Just curious. Did you get your copy of the FSM?
With your enthusiasm, you'll have a lot more info to share with when the next problem pops up.
With your enthusiasm, you'll have a lot more info to share with when the next problem pops up.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 1,590
Likes: 60
From: ft myers FL/Munising MI
also, when I jump a b in the aldl, only the main fan came on..shouldn't both fans come on...I have a aux fan......how to you force it on?? I know it takes 288 degrees normally but I never even come close with the theremo hyperchip....main fan comes on at 175 but haven't seen the aux fan on yet....how do I force it on? nothing inthe fsm regarding aux fan
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 10,036
Likes: 346
From: Anaheim CA
also, when I jump a b in the aldl, only the main fan came on..shouldn't both fans come on...I have a aux fan......how to you force it on?? I know it takes 288 degrees normally but I never even come close with the theremo hyperchip....main fan comes on at 175 but haven't seen the aux fan on yet....how do I force it on? nothing inthe fsm regarding aux fan
The auxiliary fan is controlled by the coolant temperature switch in the head. Passenger side on early cars, switched to driver's side in 1986. You could have a bad relay or the fan motor could be bad. Wiring and connectors are involved too...
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 1,590
Likes: 60
From: ft myers FL/Munising MI
get this, installed a manual fan switch...supposed to turn one or both on, after installation...just splicing into the green/white wire out of each relay, now both fans operating together...coming on at 175 due to my chip I suppose, but the switch doesn't control them...pretty weird, i[[m thinking the switch is bad__pretty cheesey....could have gotten a better one at ace for less...after getting into it, don't know why I just didn't put a grounded switch to the aux fan switch in the head....now that both fans are working, i'm happy, keeps the temps down in s fl....but don't know what I did to fix it.....i did unplug the aux fan relay to check daignostics so maybe there was a bad connection....just weird that now both come on together and off..
keeps the vette between 175=185 in traffiic or at idle... it just has to be a bad switch...relays must be working if fans are coming off/on??
I/m going to jump a/b today again to see if both fans come on now..before, only the main fan did.. I've been reading that these fan relays can be bad...thinking the aux relay is bad and now works because I grounded the wire with a splice, not the relay...what do you thinK???
keeps the vette between 175=185 in traffiic or at idle... it just has to be a bad switch...relays must be working if fans are coming off/on??
I/m going to jump a/b today again to see if both fans come on now..before, only the main fan did.. I've been reading that these fan relays can be bad...thinking the aux relay is bad and now works because I grounded the wire with a splice, not the relay...what do you thinK???