My 2000 Corvette (a daily driver) has an intermittent starting problem now for over 2 months. Sometimes it will crank, at other times it won't. It always cranks when the car is warmed up. But sometimes when it has sat long enough to reach ambient temperature (Ohio) it will not crank. So far repeatedly turning the key will eventually start it, but it has taken up to an hour of repeated starting attempts to get it to crank.

Right before the starting problem developed. The dealership repaired the steering lock, which locked up on me. I had it towed in, and consequently they charged me to do the rebate repair, telling me they had to replace an "actuator" in the steering column - $500. Next the battery got noticeably weaker and tested bad at Autozone. I replaced the battery. Shortly after, on a cold morning it wouldn't crank at all. I had it towed to the dealership. They kept it for 3 days telling me it was an electrical problem that they couldn't find. Eventually they told me they replaced a switch in the transmission - another $500. Knowing what I know now about repeated starting attemps, I assume the car probably started right up the minute the tow truck dropped it off, and that they just snowballed me for three days and charged me $500 for nothing. When I got the car back the console and gearshifter boot (automatic) showed no signs of being worked on - all the junk in my console was just like it was when I had the car towed in.

Last Friday afternoon I replaced the starter with a remaned starter from Napa. The new starter started it right up. Saturday morning, again it started right up. Started fine all day Saturday. Wake up today, a cold Sunday morning, and the car won't crank.

I am at my wits end. Can anybody think of anything else I can replace? I will replace parts till I hit the jack pot. I have lost all confidence in Byers Chevorlet in Dublin, OH. I think they blatantly ripped me off twiced now.

The fact that temperature seems to effect the problem tells me that the problem is mechanical. A switch or solenoid somewhere that locks up when it contracts in the cold. Does anyone have any suggestions other then parking it in front of a fast moving semi?

 

Sounds like the dealer shorted something out.

 

I'm calling BS on the dealer shorting something.

Either you've got bad battery cables, bad battery (seen it a few times, NEW does NOT = good), or possibly something in the column is loose.

 

Got CODES??

 

It could be the ignition switch or the theft deterrent relay. Either has a direct impact on the starting circuit. Since they would have had to remove the lower knee panel to perform the CL recall, it's possible that the ignition switch harness was loosened.

 

Possibly, but why is it never acting up when the car is warmed up? A short is a short no matter if the car has been running or has been sitting over night.

 

I've had Autozone test the new battery, it tests ok. Possibly an intermitent bad battery? But when it acts up jumping the battery doesn't start it. All cables and connections look good. Again, if it is something in the column loose why doesn't it act up when the car is warmed up?

 

No, I haven't pulled the codes.

 

This sounds very plausible, but why is it only acting up when it sets overnight? Once it starts in the morning it is ok for the day and sometimes for a couple of days.

Moving the steering wheel around doesn't get it to crank. Using the spare key doesn't either. When it doesn't crank I am not getting the "pull key for 10 sec" message.

 

This sounds to me as bad battery cables, or as previously mentioned a column issue after column lock was serviced.

 

Last night the Corvette was parked outside in the employee parking lot, the outside temperature dropped, and at 11:30pm the vette wouldn't crank. I lifted the passenger side floor board and while I was turning the key with one hand and hanging over the console standing on my head in the passenger side trying to get a good listen to the relay the metal flash light in my other hand touched the metal of BCM box and the car cranked. I don't know why. Maybe the metal flash light and my body created enough of a ground? Or the slight bump of the flash light against the box was enough to jar the relay into working. Or the BCM itself is faulty or has a bad plug. Don't know. This morning I replaced the Theft Deterrent Relay. Will give it a couple of days to see if it acts up. The dealership had obviously been working on the relays. The clips where broken off the plugs. The old relay gives a good healthy click when the key is turned. Although it still may not be making good contact, don't know. But I am pretty sure that the mechanic at Byers Dublin Chevy knows about as much about Corvettes and their starting problems as a beauty queen.