Red91Vette

I had a problem a few months back, where my car would not get any power. It turned out to be a bad positive connection. Well last night I go to pull my car into the garage and it got power when I turned the key on, then when I went to start it, everything just shut off completely. I tried the battery connections, I disconnected them then connected it back. The car got power then when I go to start it, it would shut off completely again. Could it possibly be the VATS? I have no clue what it is this time. I thought it could have been my alternator or starter, but that doesn't explain why when I have power, then go to start it and everything completely shuts off and I have no power whatsoever? It doesn't make sense. After it shuts off, I hear this clicking noise coming from underneath the glove box on the passenger side. This car is pissing me off to the point where I might sell it! If anyone can help or had similiar problems please help! Thanks.

Ender85

That clicking noise means that the car is trying to start, but the battery doesn't have the juice to start the car. How old is your battery? It probably means that your alternator is dead. Try jump starting/recharging your battery and starting the car. Keep a close eye on the voltage reading. If it is steadily dropping (below ~11 v) then your alternator is dead. Don't lose hope - replacing battery/alt is fairly simple. Any local auto parts store will check your battery/alternator for free, and you can get alternators with lifetime warranties and batteries with 3 yr full replacement (7 yr limited) warranties.

good luck
marthpodi

hngacurv

I haven't had this problem on my vette, but I did on my Ferrari err....Fiero GT. I lost power just like you described and I found a bad positive connection also. After tightening the cable the problem still surfaced. It turned out that my positive cable wire was getting corrosion inside the rubber. Replaced positive wire altogether and she runs like a new car. It might not be your problem, but something worth checking.

Mr Mojo

When you replace your battery, do not replace it with an AC Delco battery. They are notorious for having the positive terminal fall off the battery.
I know this because it happened to my car at least twice and to many people I know, C4 and C5 people.

Oly

Had a very similar problem about a year ago. A new battery fixed her right up.

:yesnod:

marrepka

Smells like bad battery to me as well.

C4Dreams

Might be, but in my case it was loose starter wires, it wouldnt even click, then sometimes it would..Come to find out the damn wires are loose. Shake and wiggle thy wires, and BRRUMMM...Sounds like u got a crappy bat though....Just my .02.. you think u hate your vette, man you should try mine. Mine looks like somone gave a monkey a knife, some bolts, and some electrical tape and said goto town on this motor. I got hoses wit screws in them , wires that are electrical taped together, crap that just simply isnt plugged in. I mean u name it...I got it...But my car hasnt really let me down yet...Knock on thy wood.
C4Dreams

randy814u

I would look for loose wires first, and corrosion on conections. Then check the battery, date, condition etc...
Also as a side note, I would like to add,,ac-delco buys their batteries from a company that makes them, like exide, johnson controls, gnb, etc...
The only difference is the plastic case, or labels, insides are the same.
A bad delco, could just have as easily been a bad wal-mart battery, they are the same on the inside and the case comes from the same manufacturer. I know, I make the darn things,,,,

Just a side note.....
:seeya

Steel Blue 91

Just had this happen to me. Any battery can suffer the same thing if the cables are too tight. I think there is a service bulletin out for the C5s saying that the pos. terminal was too tight from the factory causing premature terminal failure. Just my .02

Red91Vette

Ok well tommorrow im going to try to get my car started. I was told by my boss at a local mechanic shop that it is either the battery ground to the frame is loose or the positive cable connection to the starter is loose. He told me corvettes are known for electrical problems because there is nothing to ground to, since the cars are made out of fiberglass. Well I will give these suggestions a shot, hopefully it works, im sick of problems with my vette!!!!! Thanks for everyone who replied, I appreciate it. :chevy

guywade

i'd be willing to bet you have a bad battery, probably a dead cell, not to mention the faulty + post. get the car started, put a VOM on the battery and run car up to 2500 rpms check reading on VOM should be 14 or 15 volts, if not you need an alternator also, how old is the battery? good luck but never say i hate my vette, ! :D

Phil-tha-Rush

I would agree.
I had the same prob about a month ago on our Mopar car.
No matter how long it charged, it wouldnt work. Im so hardheaded, that I only realized the problem when I connected a good battery for a test.

Same thin happened to my nieghbor 2 weeks ago!

Must be contagious! :(

rcolling

I couldn't pass this up. You are whining about "selling" your 12 year old car because it had to have a battery cable and a battery replaced? :nopity

Try buying a new Honda, put nitrous on it and then you can shoot for the low 15s.

Drewdog

:lol:

mullinrdriver

How many miles??? Dude, with a car that is that old (don't feel bad, mine is a 92), lots of little things are going to start to go out and do weird things. However, you shoulda known this when you bought the car...just don't give up. Ya gotta love a vette not hate it. No flame intended, and hope ya didn't take it that way.

Later

Derck

Red91Vette

I know what your saying, none taken. I just get pissed at it, its my only car so when its not running im screwed. Once it gets running again ill love it, im not going to sell it, I am just mad at it. I think I found the problem, it looks like the ground from the battery is all frayed and messed up. So I cleaned it all off and im about it get that all fixed up. Also im cleaning the rubber ends on my battery wires and replacing the terminals.

Daniel DK

Your autotrans has a switch mounted to the shifter witch won't allow the car to start unless it's in [P]. On my car.. that wire had shorted out against the frame under the shifter boot and made the LCD go out and the lights to go really dim... so i tried to hold the key in the "start" position for about 20 sec... then i had smoke comming from behind the cluster :eek :conehead..... I took out EVERYTHING to trace that hot wire... :rolleyes: so check your battery terminals and if they are good then try to put the car in [D] and start it. If everything goes dark again you have a shorted wire... if not.. then it's most likely the return wire from the switch under the shifter boot.

:seeya
Daniel