Car won't start
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 7,978
Likes: 1,846
From: North/Central NJ - a.k.a. Gotti in the CFNE section
St. Jude Donor '05
Car won't start
I noticed that when i locked the car it didn't make the beep noise. So i went to start it and sure enough it was dead.. I can turn it over but have no power.. The battery is 5 days old - Optima Red Top.. my father thinks its the battery cable possibly or the altenator.. but the cable seems to short.. when we mess with the battery cable the light will go out and on.. its not making proper contact so we might think its the cable.. any suggestions?
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 7,978
Likes: 1,846
From: North/Central NJ - a.k.a. Gotti in the CFNE section
St. Jude Donor '05
I have an optima red top is it safe to leave my terminals connected to the negative and positive but use the top ones to jump it? Does that make sense? Leave everything connected as is but use the top positive and negative to jump it with jumper cables.
Drifting
Joined: May 1999
Posts: 1,976
Likes: 0
From: Herndon Va
That should be O.K.
That was how I recharged my Optima over and over and over and over and over 
What does your DIC say the voltage is of the battery when the car is not running.
My Optima Yellow Top lasted almost 3 years
before it developed a bad cell 
No more $100 plus Optima's for me. I'll stick with the $40 battery from Costco
What does your DIC say the voltage is of the battery when the car is not running.
My Optima Yellow Top lasted almost 3 years
before it developed a bad cell No more $100 plus Optima's for me. I'll stick with the $40 battery from Costco
Drifting
Joined: May 1999
Posts: 1,976
Likes: 0
From: Herndon Va
Well
If you have no power at all, then the battery is really dead or you have a bad connection.
Either way you won't be able to bring up anything on the DIC.
When I was having my problems I either got that, nothing, and then when I started recharging the battery, if the Vette sat for a couple of days, I would get the Low Voltage message on the DIC when I tried to start it. Then I would see something like 9 or 8 or 7 or less.
I assume no interior light even comes on in yours ?
I would try jump starting it. Good luck.
Either way you won't be able to bring up anything on the DIC.
When I was having my problems I either got that, nothing, and then when I started recharging the battery, if the Vette sat for a couple of days, I would get the Low Voltage message on the DIC when I tried to start it. Then I would see something like 9 or 8 or 7 or less.
I assume no interior light even comes on in yours ?
I would try jump starting it. Good luck.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 14,440
Likes: 3
From: MD
St. Jude Donor '11
Hey, man how's it going?? Sorry to hear about your car. I'm at Ft. Drum, NY at the moment. Try starting it with another battery and go get that car checked out ASAP, especially the battery and the cables. I'll be here until 27 May. I'll look you up as soon as I get back to NJ. Good luck with your car.
Mark
Mark
Drifting
Joined: May 1999
Posts: 1,976
Likes: 0
From: Herndon Va
Turn it over
I just noticed you said you could turn it over which to me means the battery has enough power to slightly crank the engine. If that is the case then if you leave the ignition on you can push the buttons until voltage comes up, I can't remember which of those buttons brings it up. It is the same one that shows oil temp., pressure etc.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 24,129
Likes: 1,038
From: The Beautiful Pacific Northwest
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08-'09, '14-'15-'16-'17-'18
Seems like CF member jrose7004 had the same problem a couple of days ago. Another member suggested that he clean the connections of any hidden corrosion and as I recall, that did the trick.
Good luck.
Good luck.
Last edited by ExRedRacer; May 19, 2005 at 08:06 PM.
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Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2004
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From: Oklahoma City OK
C6 of Year Finalist (appearance mods) 2019
My car did the same thing on Monday! I too had just got a new Optima Red Top. I got my car home and found corrosion under the positive cable, I cleaned it with a wire brush and some sandpaper and it was fixed!
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 7,978
Likes: 1,846
From: North/Central NJ - a.k.a. Gotti in the CFNE section
St. Jude Donor '05
Originally Posted by Red Racer
Seems like CF member jrose7004 had the same problem a couple of days ago. Another member suggested that he clean the connections of any hidden corrosion and as I recall, that did the trick.
Good luck.
Good luck.