Jetts4u2

Hey,
After owning 3 78's, and a 36k 77, I bought an 86 vette... After 2 weeks of fixing and this thing unfixing everything I do, I am ready to blow this POS into many little plastic pieces. This is by far the WORST car I have ever owned and would not put the burden of ownership on any one else out there. I will give it credit though, it looks dang good on the side of the road, or stuck in the Autozone parking lot. If any of you have had the problems I am having, I would really appreciate a response other than buy a manual on it, like I got last time... The stupid thing starts fine, then won't start when hot. Just for a laugh, I'll tell ya what it has done in 2 WEEKS of ownership. If I shift manually into low, 700R4, it stays in low and won't shift back out unless I (technical term) twang the TV cable like a geetar a few times, brand new tranny. I drove it off base over a tire strip, and the tire strip popped a hole in my oil pan, the car is not lowered. When I went to legal office after having the pan welded and reinstalled, the car just wouldn't start. I got some either and sprayed it, and the car runs, but now every other start I have to either it. I bought a new fuel pump relay, ignition module and rotor, trying to find the answer. Well, replaced the relay, put the old relay on the windshield wiper, closed the hood and broke the windshield... I have serviced the A/C twice with R134, and it leaks out within 2 days, gotta chase the leak. And the fan doesn't work in the high position, after changing the relay... The speedo and tach work, but ya can't see em because the backerboard stuff has seperated from the speedo, I think, anyone else have this problem, I checked the manual, doesn't say. Anyway, for the past few years I have been swapping between Vettes and 5.0 mustangs, I tell ya what the 5.0 guys help ya a lot more. Maybe I shouldn't of traded my nitroused 5.0 for this heap, and am looking for another 5.0. If you got one, I will gladly trade as I had a stock notchback 5.0 with 190k and ran a 14 flat without traction, and I don't get a check engine light and all the crap works for $2000. thanks for letting me vent, and if you see a guy with a certain look in his eye looking to smoke a vette, it may be me... See ya at Corral.com. :rant:

VetteNoob

Personally I think the initial no start when the car is warm may be injectors. I had an injector leak so bad that the car would sometimes just die for no apparent reason and wouldnt restart for 15 minutes.

There could be a kink in your tranny cable somewhere that is preventing the free movement required for you to upshift. If you just had it replaced, I'd take it back and ask them to check over their work.

AC, just got to track down the leak. Since the '86 came with R12, if it is R134a now, someone's already been there and you have to chase someone else's work to find the problem.

That's a start for ya.

CentralCoaster

Do you want use to help you, or just listen to you whine? :nopity


:seeya


[Modified by CentralCoaster, 7:49 PM 6/3/2003]

DiabolicalDave

Dude, that was a big post! I actually didn't even read it all. I read the end and you said thanks for letting you vent. That's pretty accurate I guess. My two cents: I've owned an '81 Vette and a '90 Vette. Both were very trouble free for me, and I drove both of them alot, not just sunny days. They sure never stranded me.

Every person will have a slightly different experience. I think you just got real unlucky with the particular car you ended up with.

I'll be looking for the Stang driver with the look in his eye. I like it when that happens. :chevy :thumbs:

hngacurv

I can't answer all your questions, but I know they have been answered here before. If you use the search function on the left you'll find a ton of info about the not starting while hot.

oldace84

Nothing really bad....you just bought a vette that needs some TLC.....easy does it......Did you check it out before you bought it....How many miles?????
Lots of potential.....this is really a good car...just hang in there....This vette is worth fixing.......don't despair.....
Good Luck
tony
:eek: :cheers: :eek:


[Modified by oldace84, 8:17 PM 6/3/2003]

radwebster

stop whining and go buy a mustang then. :cuss


oh yea, what a bad car...you shut the hood on a relay that was resting on the winshield and it cracked....totally the car's fault :rolleyes:

someone installed the trans and didn't adjust the cable correctly..again, all factory vettes must suck because of that :nonod:

YOU drove over the tire strips...people in McLaren F1's don't drive over big speed bumps, thats just something you have to be careful of in a low car.

and the A/C leaks? it's a 17 year old car that has been converted to 134A, so someone had been messing with it, probably damgaged a line somewhere.

and why don't people help you? perhaps it's because you type in one giant block of words, and you don't ask nicely. if you started a thread like "hey, my car won't start when it's warm" and listed some details why, i'm sure you would get dozens of responses.

go back to 5.slOw land if you can't participate nicely on this forum :nono:

Strick

Sorry for your bad luck. :( Maybe the Vette senced your love of the muztangs :skep:

As far as help-----you won't find a better bunch of guys ready, willing, and able to help or share knowledge. :thumbs: This forum is almost family.

:flag :flag :flag

Jetts4u2

Here is the response I got to the first post I put on here asking 4 questions,

The following reply was posted by arbee:

Welcome to the forum. There's probably several reasons that could be
the fault for your problems. Use the search feature on the left of your
screen to check past postings. Also, if you are going to be doing your
own work, you should get a GM shop manual which shows step by step
troubleshooting.

Didn't really answer my questions, did it? That was the only response. This angle got a lot more replies, lol. Thanks all that helped, and I may just keep it when I get it straight, but my god, this thing has been a trip and will stay in the garage for a while. thanks all. :boxing

FD2BLK

For your first problem sounds like you need to replace the TV cable. For the starting problem on a 86 you probably have a problem with your cold start injector. As for the how many sticks of dynomite I would say one carfully placed under the gas tank should do it. :D I have owned a 68, 74, 75 , 78 and now my 84 and have had my own thoughts of dynomite with all of them but untill you experiance the crossfire hell :mad ( I'm not trying to start any trouble with you crosfire guys I know you guys love them things and more power to you) you wont understand how good you have it with the TPI setup.

Jetts4u2

I realize this is an older car, and needs some TLC, but I need some questions answered, like:
Can I take all the exhaust stuff going to the intake off of it? Or do I need it for cold weather starts?
I live in Florida and it is hot already, I want my AC to blow snow. I did the 134 conversion.
I live for projects and love working on cars, if I am asking a question in this forum, it is probably because the book didn't tell me straight and if someone else had the same problem, they can help me fix it. I am a diehard Corvette/Mustang guy and want a 63-67 so bad I can taste it, or a Z06, but can't swing it/find it, with a wife and house payment. Maybe someday I will realize my dream and be able to own cars that I have no intentions of ever driving, but untill then, I will be forced to learn from people in the same boat as me who are REAL MOTORHEADS, NOT CHECKBOOK VETTE OWNERS!!!!! Thanks to all the enthusiasts for there help and happy motoring. :cheers:

radwebster

yea, some people are just post horses :lol: offering no real advice, just generic answers.

anyway, i find it best to make seperate threads for each problem, and to give a nice detailed description of the problem and the conditions surrounding it. then people can offer better advice and there are alot of people on here that are brilliant when it comes to diagnosing any corvette difficulties.

and i probably came off as a d!ck in my other post, but i am just annoyed that my vette is not running at the moment (fuel problems)

:D

radwebster

most of the exhaust components going to the intake are for emissions, i wouldn't recommend removing them if they do emissions tests where you live

actually, R12 is colder than 134A, so if you really want the coldest air, R12 is best (but 134 is cheaper, so probably better bet since you already upgraded)


and i didn't type horses in the earlier post!! :D (this forum has some censoring)

jmr302

Honestly I think C4's are like Porches & Ferraris. You really need to shop around and find a good one because fixing all the little problems with a basket case is going to eat your wallet and calendar alive. I'm usually a very technical person but I can't tell you why some cars are like that. I know this doesn't help you but there are plenty of people on this board that have successfully solved a slew of irritating problems. We all need to vent sometimes and I hope you feel better. Stick with us and we'll help you figure this stuff out.

CarAteMyMoney

can we get a group purchase going on that dynamite???

i have this bizarre electrical problem, mine doesnt interface with the scanner, and now the tach jumps around! :mad

CorvetteZ51Racer

Jetts, welcome to the forum, and I hope you find better luck both with the car and the forum shortly. Believe me, I know what you are going through with a tired car. My '87 has 175k+ miles on it, is on it's 4th motor and 9th tranny (the car's been raced since '86..those are some HARD miles). I'm buying a truck in a few weeks so my car can be retired to track duty only because I'm tired of constantly fixing a daily driver.

Anyhow, on to your quesions:

Being in Florida (I'm in Orlando) we are blessed with a lack of all inspections. The air pump, AIR injection tubes going to the exhaust manifolds, and the AIR tube going to the main cat can all be removed with no problems whatsoever. If you ever move to an emissions area, the lack of this equipment will show up as increased HC emissions...nothing else. The main piece of equipment that is on your '86 for cold starts which is unique to the '85-'88 TPI motors is the presence of a 9th injector. It's located on the driver's side behind the (Chevy ;) ) #3 intake runner. It is programmed from the factory to fire only when the coolant temp is below 100 F. With some ECM tuning, that injector can be removed (the '89-'91s had cold start fuel tables to deal with the same issues).

Not being familiar with auto trannies (I'll tear into and rebuild manuals all day long, but don't put me near an auto :) ) I can't help with the shifting problem, but there are some guys on here that are very good with the 700R4s.

On your hot start problems, is the engine turning over when hot and not firing, or is it having trouble turning over?

On the digital dash thing, they are not known for their reliability. Mine gave up on me about 1-1/2 years ago, and I fabricated a full Autometer gauge cluster to replace the digital piece. The cluster is lit primarily by 4 halogen bulbs under the lens of the dash. If the upper two are burned out, you will have trouble seeing any of the gauges except for the speedo and tach. There is also a ground circuit which sometimes burns out and will cause you to lose the halogen bulbs AND the LCD backlighting. If you feel like digging into the solid state electronics, there are some folks on here who have rebuilt their own clusters.

Good luck with the repairs, and I hope you get it on the road soon. I'm sure you'll enjoy it once the repair worries are behind you.

VetteNoob

You can remove all the smog stuff and it wont affect diddly (other than emissions). Ive got a service manual for an '86 and a digital camera for the summer. I'll be glad to take pics of anything you may need to see, including pages from the service manual if it will help.

Phil-tha-Rush

I am by no means an expert on anything, but will try to answer SOME of your questions


________________________________________ _____________________
I will give it credit though, it looks dang good on the side of the road, or stuck in the Autozone parking lot. If any of you have had the problems I am having, I would really appreciate a response other than buy a manual on it, like I got last time... -
________________________________________ ______________________


enter some car shows, so that more of us can appreciate your car

________________________________________ ______________________
If I shift manually into low, 700R4, it stays in low and won't shift back out unless I (technical term) twang the TV cable like a geetar a few times, brand new tranny. _
________________________________________ _____________________


Buy a service manual, as suggested earlier, or take it to a shop to have the TV cable properly adjusted


________________________________________ _______________________
I drove it off base over a tire strip, and the tire strip popped a hole in my oil pan, the car is not lowered.
________________________________________ _______________________

SLOW DOWN when crossing speed bumbs....thats whhy they are there.


________________________________________ _______________________

put the old relay on the windshield wiper, closed the hood and broke the windshield..
________________________________________ _____________________


redo this job, and relocate the relay into the proper position


________________________________________ _______________________
I have serviced the A/C twice with R134, and it leaks out within 2 days, gotta chase the leak.
________________________________________ _______________________


the ONLY proper way to service the AC is to perform a pressure check.
If this is not being done, it is not being serviced properly!
The pressure test will locate the leak...then install the necessary gaskets, and you are ready to go


________________________________________ ____________________
And the fan doesn't work in the high position, after changing the relay...
________________________________________ _____________________


sounds like you have maybe solved your problem already...... incorrect relay, or incorrect installment....again...buy a manual.


________________________________________ ______________________
The speedo and tach work, but ya can't see em because the backerboard stuff has seperated from the speedo,
________________________________________ _____________________

you have an 18 year old car, and stuff happens.
remove the dash and fix it. I am assuming that you were aware of this problem when you test drove the car???


I would also advise you to use the search feature of the forum.

jtfrog

I own an 86 coupe and just love the car. I have replaced the radiator water punp rack and pinoin in one year but the car is 16 years old. i just did the r134 conversion and it went great. i bout a vaume pump for 10.00 at harbor freight tools and evacuated the system to check for leaks. Do a die test you can buy the kit at pep boys if you want. The r 134 will eventualy leak out throug the hoses in about two years but then just recharge it. R143 is only 8.00 per can.

Aaron71771

If you don't have a Helms Service manual for that car, you should get one. All people who work on their own Corvettes should get one. They are a big help.