What is wrong with my vette?! I have a 95 C4 with approx. 45k miles on it, excellent condition HOWEVER...lately in the last few weeks it will not fire up consistently. I crank it and crank it and crank it and nothing. THEN...all of a sudden it will fire up! When it fires up and I drive it, it drives just as great as it ever has but kill the engine and "well you better plan on sitting there for hours and hours before it will start again. One thing to note about. One day It was having one of its fits and so I decided to listen very carefully to hear anything normal or abnormal that might give it away to why it wont start or will start for that matter. After about the 4th crank, I turned the key all the way back…waited a sec or two then turned it forward (without hitting the ignition just yet) and I heard something. It sounded like something just kicked itself on over by the passenger side around the dash area and when I hit the ignition, it started right up. But what is odd about that is I dont hear that sound anymore (or notice it). It has started a few times without me hearing the "noise' coming from the dash area. I left the vette outside one night and it rained like youve never seen before so I thought it was water in the lines but the mechanics at the dealership said there was no water in the fuel pump. (Of course it started when it was at the dealership every time!!!!) L Imagine that! Does anyone know what this is? There is no engine check light coming on and when I start it all the lights on the panel come on just as usual (before ignition) nothing abnormal. Fuses over by the passenger side dash all are ok. It will start an average of 1 out 20 or 30 cranks.

 

Have you checked for;
The presence of fuel? (fuel pressure guage)
Or spark? (timing lite)

-JRC-

 

[COLOR=Red]Full tank

 

Yes there is a full tank.

 

It may be the fuel pump relay. I just finished an answer to a similar problem. Read post no. 11 on this thread:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/showthread.php?t=864015
Starting will be more difficult when the engine is warm. It takes longer to build pressure with hotter, thinner, oil.

RACE ON!!!

 

I'd guess you heard the fuel pump prime when you turned the key all the way and this is why it started.
I'd be checking the oil pressure switch next to the dissy, and the fuel pump.

 

You didn't read the post I referenced. The relay and the switch are wired in parallel. If the relay is working, the switch doesn't even have to be there. It sounds like his relay MAY be working intermittently. Or the "clicking" behind the dash isn't the fuel pump relay.

RACE ON!!!

 

Ok, lets get a little more technical than this.... If your going to attempt to troubleshoot this problem we need to know a few things to help get us all started. Fuel pressure means installing a temporary guage to ensure your getting the proper amount of fuel pressure. Should be around 35-40 (approx) pounds of pressure when the key is in the ON position. Next is to have a timing light to ensure there is spark when the engine is cranking. You can pull the wire off any plug to hear the spark "pop or snap" by placing the removed boot next to a header bolt or equivilent.

Once you have determined that fire and fuel are present (or not) when attempting to start the engine, we can dig further into your problem.

-JRC-

 

Excellent! Trouble shoot the problem, before jumping in and start replacing every possible part.

RACE ON!!!

 

looking for answers, just bought car drove around few hours,and drove it in driveway, went to restart and no power at all, turn key all the way, all dashboard lights up and thats it, like there was a kill switch

 

Engines need spark, and at the right time, fuel and air, and in the correct ratio in order to start and run. When it won't start is the time to make some measurements and find out what is missing! Already mentioned is check for fuel pressure on the shrader valve on the end of the fuel rail, it should be approximately 40 psi. When cranking, use a timing light to see if you have spark and that it is at the right time. Next, turn on the ignition and then turn it off and watch the fuel pressure. If it drops rapidly, you may have leaky fuel injectors causing a mixture so rich the engine won't start. Unplug an injector and clip a low power 12 volt lamp across the injector plug and crank the engine. The lamp should pulse showing that the ECM is pulsing the injectors. No pulsing, no fuel and therefore, no starting. Let us know what you find.

 

Robert aroian,
You have classic symptoms of a poor cable connecton to your battery terminals. Remove the battery cables (neg first) and clean the cable lugs and the battery posts until they are bright and clean, then reconnect your cables to the battery (neg last).

 

If your C4 is an '87 (I think) or newer this may be the PassLoc system kicking in on you. It is designed to work like a kill switch for 3 min if the correct ignition key isn't inserted when trying to start. Make sure the slug/resistor in your key is clean. My '87 had a bad wire to the ignition that would occasionally cause the PassLoc system to lock me out...frustrating as hell when you're late for an appointment!