my 92 corvette has had its first seemingly major problem..... ever since i bought it (about 1 month ago) it has had rough starts.....but the engine always turned over, even if it took about 2-4 seconds to do so.....

well today, i drove it to school and everything was fine.
after school i brought it back home to get ready for work.
when i came back to my car to get ready to drive to burbank, i turned the key expecting another rough start ( it usually started rough on hot days) but instead, when i turned the key nothing happened........all that happened is all my electronics went on and nothing more...the engine didnt even attempt to turn over.......
I NEED MY CAR TO COMUTE TO SCHOOL AND TO BURBANK...and right now MY MODE OF TRANSPORTATION is sitting useless in my driveway, Please you guys, i need your help now more than ever....

is it a dead starter like i suspect??
possibly a bad starter solenoid?
what should i do???

would this be an easy fix and how much would it cost if i was to do it myself as aposed to having someone do it for me??

im desperate right now..... :confused: :confused:

thank you all soooo much for your help

james

 

I know this sounds simple, but first order of business is to check your battery cables - at the battery and where the negative connects to ground. Check your connections at the solenoid and starter to make sure they are tight. My next question is how strong is your battery? These cars take ALOT of juice! Check these and let us know.

 

Welcome to the forum. Nice to see Southern CA. People on here.
tony

 

okay, i just checked my batttery connections, all seems normal....

i turned on the car and it says it has approximately anywhere between 10.5-12 volts right now,.....

i also checked my spare key cuz i heard something about a dirty chip might disalow the engine to start, but also, that didnt work....

and yes, i am a 18 year old from southern california and i love my baby vette......im just really sad its not working right now

im freakin out right now, i need this car to get to work and college.....i hope it will be an easy fix but my gut instinct is telling me this will be a 200$ adventure.....:eek:
james

 

OK, the battery connections seem normal. I assume you checked for corrosion at these connections. I am thinking that juice was interrupted because of "all my electronics came on". Did the radio reset or did you lose your stations? And did you check the connections at the solenoid? The key is the VATS thing and there is a starter interrupt built into that system which you can bypass, but you're gonna have to call in sick if you want to try that today. Oh yeah, one other thing. Don't be insulted, but make sure that transmission is in park or neutral (another safety switch to mess with you) and believe me, this is a common mistake. Ok, you're done reading, get your butt out there and check!!

 

If you have a buddy and a test light, cut to the chase and see if power gets to the solenoid when you turn the key to start.

 

its a bit too late to do all that i got class earrrrrllly tommarow mornin' got a ride with g/f ......... im a novice when it comes to knowledge about fixing things on my car......is this a job that i could do with a buddy with a jackstand and 100 bucks or what?

anyways, im off to sleep..thanks for your help

 

We all are at some point.

Check the volts at the batters, should be 12+.

Do you hear anything when you turn the key? clicking or do the lights dim?

Try jump starting the car, the extra volts from another car may be enough to overcome a battery problem with your car.

Your rough start may be a different problem, LT1's should fire right up in less then a second of turning the key.

You may need to remove the starter and have it tested.


[Modified by Aaron71771, 7:40 AM 9/4/2003]

 

Looking at the battery cables isn't good enough! Remove the battery cables (neg first) and clean the cable lugs and the battery posts and replace the cables (neg last). Can you hear the start enable relay click when you attempt a crank? If not, VATS or the clutch safety switch (gear selector sw if an automatic) is preventing a crank. You can prove the starter is ok by jumping 12 volts to the large purple wire on the clutch switch which will cause the starter to crank. Jump the clutch safety switch and attempt a crank. Measure the voltage on the jumped clutch safety switch. You should measure 12 v when the ign sw hits crank position, if not VATS is not working. Find the wires from the ign sw that go to the VATS module and unplug their 2 pin connector. Measure the resistance on the wires from the ign sw with the key in the ign. It should measure the same resistance as the pellet . If over 12 k ohms, you need a new ign switch tumbler. You can bypass VATS temporarily by clipping a fixed resistor the same value as the pellet onto the wires going over to the VATS module. Don't do this permanently because 99% of thefts are done by bashing the column and jumping the ignition.

 

my car had a rough clanky start about 70% of the time, which was a lot better than whats happening now.......i turn the key.....i hear absoulutely nothing besides all the lights going on (including after market stereo and whatnot).......the engine does'nt make a peep or even an attempt to start.....

vats?.....sorry, thats kinda over my head.....
i appreciate how nice you guys are about all of this stuff,
james

 

VATS - Vehicle Anti Theft System (the little resistor in the key)

There is a very quick thing you can check on that to see if it might be the problem. When you get in the car and turn on the key is the SECURITY light on? If it is then the car is not reading the proper resistance for the key and it will not start. Now here's the real fun part. If you try to start it with the wrong key or if it just doesn't read it right, it starts a 3 minute timer.

Now, during this 3 minutes, even if you insert the correct key and try to start it again it will reset the 3 minute timer. So as you can imagine this sucks. Check to see if the security light is on. If it is get your other key, wait 3 minutes and try again. If the security light is still on then the car is not reading your keys properly.

If there is no security light at all either time then it's probably not your VATS anyway. Then I would start looking at the battery cables, starter, etc. You can test the battery by using a volt meter. Put the meter on the battery and see what you have, it should be something over 12 volts, around 13.5 would be normal. Then while you keep the volt meter connected to the battery have somebody try to start it. If the battery voltage stays the same or doesn't fall very much then you've got a conneciton problem. If the battery voltage falls to damn near nothing then you've got a dead battery.

You said it shows 10.5 volts just sitting there? My gut says that you don't have enough juice to crank it.

 

These guys are all on the right track, but don't forget to do one of the easiest tests. Get a hammer, locate your starter and hit it!

When a GM starter starts going (or appears to be gone) a good hit will get it working again (9 times out of 10). This is not a cure but if the car then starts you know you need a new starter and with the car running you can drive over and get the part - don't turn it off at the parts store.

This trick is best done with two people, one to turn the key and the other to hit to starter a few times. You should be able to hit the starter without raising the car. You don't have to hit it like you're driving a 3" spike onto hardwood, just hit it a little harder than a tap.

This trick has saved me many times over the years, including just 2 months ago on my 87 vette.

Best of luck!

 

i jus checked....the security light isn't on when i put the key in


hitting the starter with a hammer will fix it temporarily??? are you serious?

 

Yup. Sounds bad but it isn't. If the starter is bad hitting it will usually make it work, but it will still need to be replaced. As I mentioned I've had to do it many times over the years, including on my vette.

 

hey, i just got outside on the ground with a hammer in my hand...got under the right passenger side...and was lookin for the starter...

im gonna sound like a moron, but WHERE IS IT?...i cant hit it with the hammer if i cant find it :confused:

 

Its up high sorta hard to see and its in front of the right passenger side convertor right next to the oil pan. The best way is jack it up, have some one at the key and be sure to use some jack stands. There is a single 12ga purple wire going to the solenoid which is mounted on top of the main starter motor. Probe this wire with your test light connected to ground. First probe the battery cable and make sure your test light works and that there is battery power at that battery cable connection there at the starter. If that is OK then have your friend crank the key while you probe that purple wire. If there is no light when he hits start, then there is a problem with wiring or the clutch safety switch or if you have an A4 car then there is a problem with nuetral safety switch. If there is a light then starter solenoid is bad. And you may as well get a new starter. No sense just replacing the solenoid.

You can get a brand new starter from your local dealership or go to NAPA and request a new starter, or if funds are not there you can get a reman unit. I suggest a new one if you can afford it.


[Modified by tjwong, 12:23 PM 9/4/2003]

 

I'm going to assume that on your 92 it's in the same place as on my 87 - which is where they have been forever on all GM V8s...

The starter is located passenger side of engine above the exhaust manifold about in line with the back of the front tires. If you still can't find it I'm sure someone can send you a picture from a manual for your year.

It's a black cylinder which you should see some wires connected to the back of it. It has two vertical bolts mounting it to the engine block and has a nose the goes in to the bell housing (to engage the flywheel). The main battery power runs to the soleniod which is mounted to the top of the starter, but you probably won't see this.

 

i think my final thought on this matter is that im going to have a local auto repair place that i trust do the work.....they give me a napa starter which is a lifetime warranty starter....and atlesat i know im not messing with something that i could easily break

as we speak a tow truck is on its way to pick up my vette :( sadness.......
it should be fixed for about 240 for the part and 85 for 1 hour of labor so about 325 which all in all ....aint....too bad.....and atleast i know it will be getting the proper service and whatnot....

thank you all for your help and suggestions, i really appreciate it
james

 

i just read your post. i had a similar problem about 4-5 months ago. i thought it was the starter, and it turned out to be the neutral safety switch.
(the car would not start in park, but it did in neutral)
i don't know if yours is an auto, but if it is, when you get it back and it still doesn't start up as quick, try putting the gear selector in neutral, and see if it makes any difference.

good luck,
joel

 

^i was just going to suggest this because i have the same problem in my other car

"and atlesat i know im not messing with something that i could easily break"

to be totally honest, they beak just as easy but you DO get a free replacement