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- Secrets of the C5
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c5 secrets un-covered
11-07-2008, 05:08 PM
#21
Advanced
Thanks now I know
Here you go:
Competitive Driving Mode
The Corvette Active Handling system will be the first of its type to offer dual mode operation. In addition to an "OFF" mode, in which Active Handling is disabled, the system also allows the driver to select a "COMPETITIVE DRIVING" mode for autocross or gymkhana competitions. In this mode, the Active Handling system remains fully-functional -- measuring steering, yaw rate and lateral acceleration inputs as well as applying individual wheel brakes as required -- but the traction control system is disabled, allowing for some wheelspin and oversteer that skilled drivers often find beneficial in competitive driving.
Summary of Active Handling System Modes
• ON - Active Handling is automatically enabled when the car is started. This is also true of the ABS brake and traction control systems.
• OFF - Like traction control, the Active Handling system may be manually turned off if the driver so desires. This is not true of the ABS brake system which is always enabled.
• COMPETITIVE DRIVING - In this mode, Active Handling and ABS are both enabled, but traction control is shut off.
The "OFF" and "COMPETITIVE DRIVING" modes are important features on a high-performance sports car like the Corvette. As mentioned earlier, skilled drivers may find that some wheelspin and oversteer can be beneficial to their lap times in competitive events, and the Corvette system allows them to operate the car in this fashion when appropriate. Chevrolet recommends against selecting these modes for street use.
Competitive Driving Mode
The Corvette Active Handling system will be the first of its type to offer dual mode operation. In addition to an "OFF" mode, in which Active Handling is disabled, the system also allows the driver to select a "COMPETITIVE DRIVING" mode for autocross or gymkhana competitions. In this mode, the Active Handling system remains fully-functional -- measuring steering, yaw rate and lateral acceleration inputs as well as applying individual wheel brakes as required -- but the traction control system is disabled, allowing for some wheelspin and oversteer that skilled drivers often find beneficial in competitive driving.
Summary of Active Handling System Modes
• ON - Active Handling is automatically enabled when the car is started. This is also true of the ABS brake and traction control systems.
• OFF - Like traction control, the Active Handling system may be manually turned off if the driver so desires. This is not true of the ABS brake system which is always enabled.
• COMPETITIVE DRIVING - In this mode, Active Handling and ABS are both enabled, but traction control is shut off.
The "OFF" and "COMPETITIVE DRIVING" modes are important features on a high-performance sports car like the Corvette. As mentioned earlier, skilled drivers may find that some wheelspin and oversteer can be beneficial to their lap times in competitive events, and the Corvette system allows them to operate the car in this fashion when appropriate. Chevrolet recommends against selecting these modes for street use.
11-07-2008, 05:19 PM
#23
Melting Slicks
Member Since: Feb 2004
Location: ATL
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St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10
The Build Sheet is located inside the front "bumper" under the bumper cover.
I found mine on the passenger side where the arrow is pointing.
I found mine on the passenger side where the arrow is pointing.
11-07-2008, 06:52 PM
#24
Burning Brakes
Member Since: Jan 2003
Location: New Smyrna Beach Fl
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Some of these are repeats of some of the above posts........but,,,,,here are some more I
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This thread is an evolution of a couple old threads, and topics that
come up over and over and over again. I’ve compiled most everything I
know into this one thread. I’m always expanding and correcting this
information; if anything is incorrect or missing, please post and
point them out or PM me. I know I’m extremely fallible, yet humble,
so feel free to shred this post to shreds, but do it constructively.
As many of you have surely noticed, I’ve posted up lots of garbage
in the past, but I’ve learned and will continue to learn. Because of
the constant updates, posts down the road may get confusing, but
just remember the information at the top is my latest and greatest.
Enjoy!
Common Problems
Leaking Battery
Many C5's came with AC Delco Freedom batteries that had a tendency
to have it's case crack open near the battery posts. The leaking
battery acid would drip down the side of the battery, down the
funnel-like battery support, straight down onto the PCM and the
wiring loom. It can also get onto the A/C lines. I believe they are
the vacuum lines that control the movement of the interior vents,
and usually the system will default to blowing out the defroster
vent. Sometimes car crippling damage would occur, sometimes not.
It worst it would mean replacing the battery, the PCM, the wiring
harness, grinding the rust off the frame to repaint it, changing
the A/C lines and possibly swapping out another computer as well.
This mostly happened on early C5’s because later C5’s used a
gel-type battery that cannot leak, but I believe the problem
resurfaced on ’04 or ’05 models again.
Check this out on any car you look at. Use a 8 mm wrench,
preferably a ratcheting closed-end version, to removed the battery
cables. You also remove a holding block on the front side of the
battery. You will need a long extension to reach it. The battery
basically lifts right out. Also remove the black plastic battery tray.
Look beneath the tray for rust or white powder. Signs of both are
evidence of battery acid damage. It would probably be best to move
to the next Vette unless you don't mind possibly tackling this repair
in the future. It's possible that the car will throw codes for no
apparent reason.
No matter what Vette you buy, just make sure you replace the battery
with a gel-type battery, like the Optima Redtop, sold at CostCo for
$100.
Grounding Problems aka CRAZY electrical gremlins!
Bill Curlee has a great thread on the problems that corroded ground
connections can create, and how to clean out the grounds. The most
problematic ground connections are behind the headlights on both
sides. Check out Bill’s thread for detailed info: Go!
Here’s where all the grounds are: Go!
Water Intrusion
Water leaks have several ways of getting in the car, and none of
them AFAIK are very difficult to fix. Proper adjustments and
maintenance will prevent most leaks.
Bill Curlee’s thread abouting locating & cleaning the udders, and
sealing the door hinges.
Here’s a few TSB’s from the CorvetteActionCenter.com:
1997-1998: Service Bulletin: Waterleak Above Door Glass (Reseal
Blowout Clip)
1997-2002: Service Bulletin: General Waterleak Guide
1997: Service Bulletin: Water Drips into Rear Compartment After
Hatch/Glass Has Been Opened
Seats
Corvette seats are delicate.
Sliding hard across the bolster can break it, causing it to flap
side-to-side.
The leather is cheap, and there's little protection for it. It
will wear out and form cracks, which is normal…for cheap leather.
The wire springs in the seat bottom, and the bars in the bolsters
can also wear thru the foam and leather, but that can be fixed by
placing layer of burlap between the springs and the foam.
Check the black plastic surround on the bottom of the seat to make
sure it fits snugly against the leather, and isn't cracked. Older
style plastic surrounds had a tendency to separate from the seat,
but could be pushed back in. The newer style plastic surrounds
can be used as a direct replacement, but one of the plastic studs
may need to be ground off, or a hole will need to get punched
into the leather.
The seats tend to rock back and forth by about a 1/4" during
acceleration and braking. It can be fixed, but GM will not fix it.
Some lucky owners can get the dealer to replace the frame under
warranty. The seat backs swinging forward under braking is normal,
and not considered a problem.
Here are a couple fixes:
Corvettemechanic.com --- must be a member
Rocking Seat Fix
Seat choice
Get the sport seats. The sport seats have a hole under the headrest.
Some people put racing harness belts thru those loops. The seat
frames and foam in both seats are interchangeable. Harness belt
holes can be installed using Ford harness cutouts. Ask the dealership
for them, they should know what it is without a part #. The foam in
a standard seat will need to be cut, and sewing will have to be done,
but it’s an easy job.
Headlight bezel plugs
There are 1-1/2" plugs that are located on the headlight bezels that
would fall off on the older Vette's. The new style plugs, have a
twist-lock to prevent them from falling out, but also requires new
bezels. Only the new bezels & plugs are available now, and they are
compatible with older C5’s.
Headlight gears
The gears in the headlight motor are plastic, and wear out over time.
Ice, heavy Euro or projector headlights and twilight sentinal will
cause the gears to wear out quickly. Fortunately a few years ago,
Rodney started selling replacement brass gears, check out his
website. Corvette America and probably a few other vendors now sell
their own copy of his brass gears. Here’s a thread that shows how to
replace the gears.
Roof noises
If you buy a coupe with a removable roof, you can expect wind noise
and some creaking. The wind noise will never totally go away, but if
there's creaking, you can eliminate that by thinly applying dielectric
silicone grease to the weather-stripping. It also prevents cracking,
so do this to all weather-stripping, on any car.
Hood rattles
During cold weather the rubber hood stops can also rub and rattle
against the hood. Adjust and lubricate the rubber stops so when you
pull the corner of the hood up, it doesn’t pull up, but the hood
still closes.
Drivetrain rattling
The valvetrain makes a significant amount of noise at idle. It may
sound like sewing machine. Converting the valve rockers to true
shaft-mounted adjustable roller rockers with may help eliminate the
valvetrain noise if adjusted properly. Installing a big cam and
stiffer valve springs will make the noise louder.
On manual transmission cars (M6 or M12), the transmission sounds
like it is rattling when leaving the line. It is normal. It is the
clutch throwout bearing rattling around. Sometimes you'll hear a
horrible rattle if you shut off the engine. If you press the clutch
pedal in while shutting off the car, you won't hear it.
Shaky breaking
The front brake rotors warp easily under heavy braking…or at least
that’s what uneducated drivers think. I tend to believe StopTech:
http://www.stoptech.com/whitepapers...rotors_myth.htm
I verified this by lightly grinding my rotors with steel wool.
Garnet paper is recommended, but I haven’t tried it.
If you insist the problem is warping, don’t turn the rotors since
thinner rotors warp more easily. Resurfacing the rotors is only a
temporary fix, one that is less effective each time your resurface
the rotors due to the reduced thermal capacity of the rotors.
Rotors are available for $25 at Napa and RockAuto.
Scraped front ends and rocker panels
Checking for scrapes is an easy way to tell if the car was treated
well. It's almost impossible not to scrape the front end, but there
are two metal crash bar loops that should prevent the bumper from
scraping. The bumper itself should not have scrape marks on it. Check
the underside of the tip of the bumper, and the bottom corners of
the bumper. If the crash bar gets scraped enough, eventually it will
wear down to the point where it needs to get replaced. It costs
about $220 for the crash bar, nut-serts, bolts and insulators, and
can be replaced in a couple of hours, just be sure to hook the hoses
and electric connector back to the A.I.R. pump.
Here’s a list of ALL the parts you’ll need to replace the impact bar
and the side air deflectors:
Part #------Qty---Description
10188023---001---Insulator (goes to bottom of radiator)
10278679---001---Insulator (goes to bottom of radiator)
10278679---005---Nut
10400765---001---Plate (the actual impact bar, unpainted)
10419312---001---Panel (air deflector)
10419313---001---Panel (air deflector)
11515638---010---Nut-speci
11515757---010---Bolt-Metr
10281487---010---Nut
Not all of these parts need to get replaced, and there will be a few
leftovers, but it will get the job done.
The rocker panels tend to get scraped on lifts and big speed bumps.
A & A Corvettes invented two products to prevent damage from both
kinds of scraping. They have wheels that attach to the crash bar,
allowing the car to roll on driveways instead of wearing down the
crash bar. It will still scrape the spoiler, but the spoiler is a
cheap wear item that takes only 2 minutes to replace without a lift
or jack. They also make two aluminum strips that attached the frame
next to the rocker panels, and they take the scrapes themselves
instead of the rockers panels. Neither of the devices are visible
unless looking under the car, and they are discreet enough to
possibly be missed anyway. If you see these devices installed, you
can be pretty sure the owner took good care of the car. Without this
extra protection, you can expect to replace the crash bar and repair
the rockers several times over the life of the car. WARNING: It won’t
stop all scraping damage, just reduce the possibility of it
happening, and reduce the damage when it does happen. Low hanging
headers will probably still scrape.
Hood seal weather-strip
The sides and back of the hood compartment have weather-strip
installed from the factory. The front is left open. Many owners
install weather-strip along this front edge. You may not even notice
it since it looks identical to rest of the weather-stripping. This
extra weather-strip helps keep the engine compartment clean, and may
also help the air intake system work better. This is another sign
that the owner took good care of the car. The engine compartment
stays pretty clean, but this the "extra step".
A/C System
There are two kinds of climate controls. One is manual with *****,
and the other is a dual-zone electronic system. The dual-zone system
did cost more, but is not as reliable as the manual system. A leaking
battery can affect both systems. A strong system is when the vents
cannot be switched.
Over time, and especially in humid climates, the system can cause
condensation to leak onto the passenger side carpet. There are three
udders under the driver’s side cowl. There are slits on the bottom,
much like real udders. Vigorously squeeze and massage the udders
until the debris has fallen out. Stop laughing!
If the vent settings cannot be changed, the vacuum line is probably
loose, clogged or broken. Read more!
Squeaky steering wheel
When you turn the steering wheel, you may hear a squeak. It's just
the plastic surfaces rubbing against each other. A shot of lubricant
fixes this.
Squeaky/chirping/grinding wheel bearings
Drive slowly, better yet, coast along at low speeds with the windows
open in a quiet location. Listen for a squeak from the wheels. Try
turning in different directions. If you hear the rear wheels squeaking,
you may have a worn wheel bearing. A replacement bearing costs $600
list, but you can usually find it for $400-450. I've heard that
AutoZone has a better replacement for $126 by a company named Timken.
The part is easy to replace if you can separate the ball joints.
I had to buy a special Kent-Moore tool to do mine. This problem may
persist safely for a few months, but eventually will become annoying.
It seems to be a common problem, and more so for the rear wheel
bearing. I've never heard of it happening twice to the same car,
so if you fix it once, you're probably good for life. Several racers
replace their wheel bearing every year.
A broken emergency drum clip may cause a false diagnosis. Be careful
when removing & replacing the rear rotors.
Oil woes
Many late 2000 thru 2001 Vette's burn a lot of oil when the engine
is kept constantly over 4,000 rpm's. This is caused by ring flutter,
which allows extra oil to seep past the oil control rings, but
doesn't seem to cause any extra wear to the engine. Chevrolet has
rebuilt and replaced engines for owners that complained about
excessive oil consumption. Their policy is that while the engine
isn't normally operated like that outside of racing, it is the
owner's prerogative to drive around in second gear all the time if
they want to. It is covered under the warranty.
The PCV system also has a tendency to suck oil back into the intake
at high rpm's. It doesn't seem to cause any problems, other than a
slight mess inside the intake manifold. The newer style PCV system
can be installed, but this requires removing all the components in
the top of the engine valley. Usually only racer's bother with the
hassle. Several generations of PCV systems have had the problem,
and at this time, December 2004, the PCV system still sucks oil into
the intake.
The oil-sucking problem will cause carbon buildup in the cylinders.
The dealership sells GM Top End Cleaner, and Napa sells SeaFoam. The
Top End Cleaner is not available in some smog states like California.
Run a tube from the bottle into the hole for the PCV system behind the
throttle body on the passenger side. Start the car, then start
slowly sucking the solution into the engine. Don’t go too fast or the
engine could lockup. As soon as the solution is gone, stop the motor
for >4 hours, but preferably 12 hours. Be aware that when the engine
is restarted, there will be a LOT of smoke!
The oil-sucking can be prevented by installing a catch can. AMW and
Greddy make catch cans, but a homebuilt catch can may be built using
a Campbell-Hausfield air tool oil separator from most tool stores,
including AutoZone. The AMW and Greddy cans are ~$100, but look
great. The CH can is $15-25 for all the parts, and you can see how
much oil is in it.
Overheating & burning smells
Even though the engine can heat up to 220, even 240 degrees
Fahrenheit, this is normal. The radiator will keep the engine cool
enough unless the radiator is blocked. Reprogramming the PCM can
allow the fans to turn on earlier. If the fans also cool an
aftermarket oil cooler, make sure the oil occasionally gets to 220
degrees to allow condensation and fuel to evaporate away. Fan
settings and oil thermostats are two different ways to do this.
It's not uncommon for plastic bags to get sucked up under the front
bumper, and cover the radiator, thus causing the car to truly
overheat. If this happens, take a quick peek under the bumper, and
remove anything under there. Sometimes bags get stuck to the exhaust
pipes too, causing quite a stench as they burn away.
Locked steering column
All C5’s, particularly manual transmission C5’s, and early C6
steering columns have a tendency to lock and stay locked. Usually it
can be unlocked once, but just once. Some owners claim that
vigorously shaking the steering wheel can unlock the steering wheel.
Dealer's are able to disable the locking mechanism with a modified
locking plate. Currently this is the only real method to disable the
locking mechanism. Basically the wheel will still try to lock, but
there will be nothing for it to lock to. It’s like a door dead bolt
with a slot cut into the door jamb. There is a $100 kit that disables
the steering column lock, and can be installed easily, but enough
car vibrations can cause the lock to fall into the locking plate,
even while driving!
GM has a part (#88952428 or 88952428) that has a harness wiring
jumper and different lock plate. Not sure what the difference in
the kits are.
After reading a few posts, manual transmission C5’s & C6’s are still
in danger, even if the lock is disabled. The lock can vibrate out
over time and get trapped in the locking plate. Auto transmission
cars that have undergone the recall and new auto’s will not have the
locking plate at all, so they are safe. More information about
COMPLETELY disabling the steering column lock will be forthcoming
from other’s on the forum, and by my own personal project. Until
then, here are a few links about the topic:
Corvette Forum - Column Lock Harness K Installation
Corvettemechanic - A4 non locking column plate --- must be a member
Corvette Forum - Column-lock again even with CLB!
Corvette Forum - Has anyone ELSE beat column lock?
Faulty gas gauge
If you have bad gas (phew!), the fuel sender can be affected by the
high sulfur content in the fuel, and cause the gauge to read empty.
They car will still operate normally, and the gas gauge will work
again if you use better gas, and will usually start again when you
restart the car. It's just better to use good gas. Some people have
had luck with running fuel filter cleaners thru the gas tank. New
fuel senders sometimes fixes this problem. This thread has a LOT of
ideas about what could be causing the problems, how to avoid
problems, and how to fix it. It also points out how the late C5 fuel
tanks and crossover tube is different.
Noisy fuel pump
There are two fuel tanks, and two fuel pumps. One fuel pump
continually pumps gas from the passenger side tank into the driver
side tank, and is quiet. The main fuel pump is directly behind
the drivers seat, and can be annoying loud, especially on early
C5’s. It's normal, and not a sign of a failing fuel pump. Chevrolet
does have a bulletin out instructing how to better insulate against
the sound of the fuel pump. This is merely an annoyance. A newer,
quieter pump can also be installed.
Extremely high oil pressure reading
The oil pressure sensor can fail, but it is still okay to drive.
Turn the car off, but with the key in the “on” position and check
the oil pressure gauge. It should read “0”. If the oil pressure
sensor is bad, it will show a positive reading. The oil pressure
sender is located behind the intake manifold, and will require
moving the intake manifold. The sender costs about $40 and part
# 12573107 or 12562230.
How-to
Suspension squeaking
In cold weather you may hear the suspension creak when you go over
speed bumps. To fix this, clean (optional) and lubricate the sway
bar bushings. The adjustable metal sway bar end links on Hotchkis
and T1 bars can also create loud clicking sounds. Most adjustable
end links are quiet initially, but wear out and get noisy over
time. Greasing and protecting the end links from dirt may prevent
wear.
Tough shifting
The shifter in manually shifted Corvette's takes a strong arm to
get it into gear. You really have to make sure that the shifter
is fully in 1st and Reverse, or it will pop out of gear when you
let the clutch out. This is not the fault of the car, but rather
the fault of the driver.
Manual transmissions -- Replacing the transmission fluid often
helps shifting. Early transmissions have paper blocker ring that
require Dexron III compatible (usually organic) fluid because some
synthetics will destroy the paper blocker rings and subsequently
the transmission. Later transmissions, and all rebuilt transmissions
, have Kevlar/carbon fiber parts that allow the use of synthetic
fluids. I believe the 98-00 transmissions have the paper blocker
rings. The safe transmission fluids seem to be: GM Synchromesh
PN #12345349, Honda ATF-Z1, Royal Purple Synchromax, Amsoil ATF,
O’Reilly Dexron III ATF. The following transmission fluids may be
unsafe for early transmissions: Redline D4 ATF, Mobil 1 ATF, Royal
Purple Max ATF.
Related threads:
LS1.com - Ending the speculation: Blocker rings, who's had them
fail?
LS1Tech.com - Ending the speculation: Blocker rings, who's had them
fail?
Mobil 1 Synthetic ATF for a M6?
If it is especially tough to shift into 2nd or 4th gear, it's
possible that the synchro's are worn out or the forks are bent.
Do NOT force it into gear. Abuse creates and aggravates this problem.
You can still drive, even quite well, without synchro's....or a
clutch for that matter if you know how to rev match.
Some aftermarket shifters make it easier to make sure you're fully
in gear, and prevent gear grinding, but they also vibrate, and
require more effort to shift. The stock shifter has a tuned weight
damper that changes the vibrations to a non-audible frequency. The
shaking doesn’t annoy some people, and there are some fixes.
Leaky butt
The differential can leak from the side covers. The problem has to
do with the design. The lip on the casing is not wide enough to
create a proper seal with the cover. Resealing the covers can be
successful, but many dealers do not use the correct sealant.
Inside/outside tire spinning
If one tire spins while turning, adjust the friction modifier ratio.
Aftermarket gear fluid from Royal Purple, Amsoil and Redline do not
require additional friction modifier. GM’s friction modifier is
PN #12377916. Too much friction modifier and the inside tire will
spin/skip/hop. Too little friction modifier and the outside tire
will spin/skip/hop. -- Thanks Russ!
Tire hop
Tire hop during hard acceleration in cold weather is common, even
if the same tires don’t hop in warmer weather. Tire rubber when
viewed thru a microscope looks like a web. Normally parts of this
web grabs onto objects on the ground and stretch until either the
car moves forward, or the web breaks, resulting in tire spin. I
believe in cold weather, the web is too stiff for either of these
events to occur, so the tires hop. To find out more, read Racing
& High Performance Tire: Using Tires to Tune for Grip and Balance.
I haven’t read it, but if you do, please let me know if my guess
is correct. I found a couple stories on Google about people curing
wheel hop with stiffer bushings and/or (jounce) shocks.
Interior rattles
The visors may rattle when they are put up, but if you flip them
down, the rattle goes away. Squeezing the mirror lid down seems to
take care of it. Try glueing a piece of felt or velcro between the
mirror and lid to see if that fixes it. Caravaggio also makes
replacement leather visors, but they go for $400.
The stereo is Bose, and to go along with the historically crappy
build quality of Bose products, Bose has graced the Corvette with
Bose emblems on the door speaker covers that rattle when you play
music with bass. A Bose system doesn't exist that puts out good
bass, but the system still manages to rattle the emblems when
playing Country, Hip Hop, or Techno at moderate volumes. Check
this problem by having a passenger and yourself putting a finger
on the emblems with music playing. Glue the emblems down to fix it.
If the roof isn't tightened down enough, it will rattle. There are
some adjustment screws in the roof to make this adjustment.
Belt Chirping
During cold weather, the belt can chirp. Goodyear Gatorback belts
from AutoZone don’t chirp.
Sticky Hatch
During cold weather, the hatch may pop up slowly, or not at all.
Spray the latches with silicone grease until they come up properly.
If the struts do not hold up the hatch, try lubing the strut bars.
1997: Service Bulletin: Hatch Will Not Pop Up When Activated in
Cold Weather
Rocker failure
The needle bearings in the OEM rockers have been known to fail.
Usually the problem is noticed with extra valvetrain noise and
needle bearings stuck to a magnetic oil plug. Nasty Performance
will rebuild OEM rockers with Harland Sharp bearings. This seems
to be one of the better solutions since the stock rocker is very
good at high rpms. Most aftermarket rockers are nose heavy and
require grinding the heads and valve covers to fit. Currently
Harland Sharp rockers are having problems with c-clip retainers
falling off and causing problems on the way. I’ll be following
this issue since I have a set of HS rockers on my shelf waiting
for this issue to be resolved. Here are some links:
LS1Tech - EMERGENCY!! ROCKERS! Help ASAP!
LS1Tech - Harland Sharp Rocker Failure
LS1Tech - Install or not install HS rockers?
Other Information
Active Stability Control
This allows you to keep some control of the car even when you do
really stupid stunts. It doesn't bend the laws of physics, but will
keep the car pointed where you are steering; you may still slide off
the road, but at least the car will be pointed in the direction you
were steering! One of the sensors is located around the passenger
seat, and needs to be considered when installing a racing bucket.
If you move that sensor, Active Stability will not know how to
balance the car, and can be very dangerous. Active Stability came
out around '99.
Jacking
The C5 was the first car to use hydroformed frame rails. Hydroformed
rails are quickly becoming a common platform for new cars, but not
many shops are prepared to lift these vehicles. The C5 requires an
adapter for regular jacks and lifts to fit the jacking points. Make
your own adapters with a hockey puck (or two) with a 1 1/2" eye bolt
screwed thru the center. Stick the eye bolt thru the slit in the
jacking point, turn 90 degrees, place jack under adapter and jack
away....if you can get the jack under the car. You may have to use
ramps. The C5 is so low that most people make their own wooden
ramps....rhino ramps are too steep.
Key Fobs
There are basically two different kinds of key fobs, and they are
not compatible with each other.
97-00, but 00 does not have the Passive Lock feature
01-04
Spark plugs
The OEM platinum plugs, along with other plugs have had problems
with the pucks falling off. I have a picture of missing pucks in
this thread. This thread outlines some of the problems with using
platinum, and a recommendation for using silver tipped plugs.
Basically, of all spark plug tips, platinum is the worst conductor,
copper is good, iridium is even better and silver is the best. Don’t
take my word for it, do a little research, starting with this
review. As for longevity, platinum, iridium and silver do have an
advantage over copper, but plugs foul up after ~10K negating any
difference corrosion would cause, and no plug will run well after
100K miles.
To make the spark plugs easier to change, get the Snap-On
double-swivel sparkplug tool and remove the coil packs. Here’s all
you need to know about sparkplug changes: Go!
________________________________________ _______________________
These problems, and many others, are addressed at the
www.corvetteactioncenter.com in the Tech Center -> Knowledge Base.
While these problems do sound numerous and severe, just remember
that JD Power considers this a very reliable car. If you buy a
Corvette, consider yourself fortunate that there are many resources
available to help you locate and correct problems.
Secrets of the C5
Copied from www.corvettemechanic.com
Quote:
● The little yellow “helper light” on the bottom of the rear-view
mirror that illuminates the shifter area.
● That you can put your key in the driver’s door and turn it twice
towards the front to unlock the passenger door and a third time to
pop the trunk.
● That you can pop the trunk and also pop the gas cap cover by
pulling on metal lines hidden in the back.
● The little slotted cover on the dash behind the steering wheel is
where the inside air temperature sensor is located.
● All of the option codes are in the glove box.
● Tire inflation recommended pressures are on the driver’s door.
● The thing that looks like a little LED near the DIC buttons is a
light sensor.
● The thing that looks like a little LED near the defroster vent is
a UV sensor for determining A/C usage to compensate for the heating
effect of the sun.
● The build sheet is in the front re-bar.
● If you leave your turn signal on, in about 1 minute it will start
to ding (loud enough to hear over the stereo) to let you know you
have old timers disease.
● You can reset the oil life by pumping the gas pedal 3 times (but
not with the engine running).
● Hold down the reset button while on one of the trip odometers and
it changes that reading to the miles you’ve traveled since last
starting the engine.
● Hold down the Active Handling button for 5 sec. to engage
“Competitive Driving” on cars equipped with active handling (2000
and previous years must be stopped.)
● If you pull the seatbelts all the way out while you’re buckled in,
they ratchet back in to hold you tighter into the seat. (then move
the seat forward to make it extra snug -- Leafty)
● Simply remove fuse #2 under the hood and your DRLs will be out
permanently. Only thing affected is that when you unlock at night
using the key fob your front turn signal lights and back up lights
will not flash. Your front turn signals will operate normally,
however.
● The side-view mirrors can twist both forward and backward,
decreasing the chance of damage if struck.
● There is a release opening with a flap to let air out of the car
when the hatch is closed. It is located just above the driver side
rear compartment behind the carpet and on the side of the car. Not
that it really works well.
● Also you can ground your amp to a screw/bolt that holds the rear
middle compartment to the frame.
● If you have a 6-speed car you can pop the trunk when the car is
running by lifting the e-brake.
● There is a spot on the driver side just out of the middle
compartment under the carpet for the lug nut key. You should have a
compartment on the drivers & passenger’s side (in the trunk) and a
center compartment. On the left (drivers) side of the center
compartment, on the left side where the center cover fits, there is
an ‘indent’ that holds the wheel lock key.
● If you turn on the headlights, then go to parking light position,
the lamps remain up but the headlights are not left on.
● If you have the passive entry feature: If you lock the keys in the
car, wait a few minutes and then shake the car. That will unlock the
car.
● HUD has a shift light for the manuals.
● You can easily shift the M6 trans up or down without the clutch if
you match revs. (Not great for longevity, however.)
● You can eject the cd from the in-dash player without turning on any
power. Don’t even need key in the ignition.
● The cruise will disengage if you purposely make sharp side to side
turns while cruising at say 60-80 mph.
● When the engine is shut off, you can get the odometer reading by
turning on the parking lights.
● You can program setting #3 (both memory buttons at once) in the
seat memory to run the seat back and steering wheel forward for
getting in/out of the car with the engine running.
● If you hate DRLs you can pull the e-brake ONE click and they go off.
Power
First you need to know how your car is doing. A trip to the dyno can
give you quick answers.
Tuning software can diagnose and tune your car. LS1Tech and HPTuners
are two popular tuning packages. At some point in the future, both
packages will be able to do scanning with incorporated wideband
sensor support. At this time, December 2004, only HPTuners can do
both.
Popular upgrades:
Cold air intakes: Vararam, Halltech, Blackwing, zip-tie
Intake manifolds: LS6, LS2, LSX, Wiend, sheetmetal
Cat-back exhausts: B&B, Borla, Z06 Ti, Corsa
Long tube headers: LG, Kooks, TPIS, Stainless Works, Breathless,
Jet-Hot, GHL, QTP
Superchargers: ATI (go to A&A), Vortech, Magnacharger
Turbochargers
Stroke & bore
Head & cam packages: TEA, AFR, TSP, Patriot, Cartek
Tires: Kumho Ecsta MX, Nitto Extreme RII
Quote:
The convertible and coupe (it's really a targa) come with run-flat
tires, with 17" wheels in the front, and 18" in the rear, with tire
pressure sensors. The Z06 comes with non run-flat tire, but has a
tire repair kit. Switching from run-flat tires to regular tires
typically allows the C5 to ride softer, accelerate faster, and corner
harder, but if you use the tire repair kit (goo) on wheels with the
unobtainium tire pressure sensors, you'll destroy the sensors. No C5
has a spare tire. The best way to improve the handling of any car is
usually thru the tires.
Aerodynamics, gearing and top speed
The hardtops and Z06 have shorter rear windows, are less aerodynamic,
noisier, and weigh less than the standard C5 couple like mine. Even
though the Z06 has more hp than standard C5’s, they have a lower top
speed than manual Z51 C5 coupes. This is due to both aerodynamics
and gearing. All C5’s top out at redline in 5th gear, so a taller
5th gear, or much shorter 6th gear, or taller redline is required to
go faster. All else being equal, a Z51 coupe will still go faster
than a Z06. Above 190 mph, air builds up under the front of the car.
This can be solved with a vented hood like the ACP C5-R or MCM hoods.
Weight reduction
You can achieve substantial weight reduction with the following
modifications, while still having a car that's very comfortable to
drive. Most of these modifications will directly increase (and
decrease in a few cases) the safety of the car, while safety is
indirectly improved due to the better handling and limits of a
lighter car. Fighter pilots say "speed is life". Acceleration,
deceleration, and lateral acceleration are all forms of acceleration,
and lighter cars accelerate better in each of these ways because the
tires have less mass to control....thus a lighter car is a safer car.
Lighter cars have better moments of inertia which allows them to
turn in more easily and roll less. Lighter cars are also easier on
the tires and gas.
All the stage weight estimates are typically wild butt guesses, but
it makes it easy to see what is possible. The weight listings in the
separate weight posting is MUCH more reliable.
Stage I: Streetable weight reduction mods
Non-popup headlights (~40 lbs)
Braking rotors with an aluminum hat, or titanium rotors (unproven on
street cars) (~20-30 lbs)
Carbon fiber hood (~12 lbs)
Z06 (thinner) windshield and side windows (~5.7 lbs)
Non runflat tires (~20 lbs)
Slicks (~30 lbs)
Z06 wheels (~4 lbs est.)
Corsa titanium exhaust (~35 lbs)
Long tube headers (~20 lbs)
Halltech aluminum alternator & bracket (10 lbs)
Carbon fiber driveshaft (~2 lbs)
Newer torque tube
Less options [HUD, elec AC, Active Stability, seat/mirror/steering
wheel memory, cd changer] (~50 lbs)
Less gasoline & wiper fluid (No wiper fluid=9lbs, 6 lbs for every
gallon of gas in that 18 gallon tank....~81 lbs for autocrossing)
Remove cargo net
Remove targa top (~20 lbs)
Remove BCM’s
Remove C5 "appearance mods" - exhaust plates, doorsill covers, etc.
Remove fuel rail covers
Replace stock crank pulley with aluminum aftermarket pulley
Replace steel dampener with aluminum dampener
Replace stock targa top with lexan piece (coupes)
Replace water pump with electric water pump
Replace battery with smaller battery
Replace non-stressed fasteners with aluminum or titanium fasteners
Replace leaf springs with coil over shocks with titanium springs
Replace steel shifter with aluminum shifter and delrin or titanium
shift ****
Remove all loose change, CD's, golf clubs, misc. items, from center
console, hatch area, and glove box
Empty your pockets of extra change, PDA's, cell phones, keys, lead
plates, or whatever other junk you lug around
Go on a diet =p
Stage II: Hardcore semi-streetable weight reduction mods
Aluminum flywheel (~10 lbs)
Lighter clutch like Exedy or Quartermaster (~10 lbs)
Racing buckets (40-50 lbs)
Remove tire repair kit (Z06)
Off-road x-pipe (10 lbs)
Remove floor mats
Remove fog lights
Replace stock hood, fenders, doors, roof, hatch and bumpers with
aftermarket carbon fiber pieces
Stage III: Track only weight reduction mods
Racing steering wheel & delete both airbags (~30 lbs, but get a
4-6 point harness)
Use unpadded aluminum or carbon fiber steering wheel
Run open headers
Remove column locking hardware
Remove interior – passenger seat, carpets, speaker panels, head
liner, dash, center console, glove box, door panels, sun visors,
rear view mirror, insulation, etc.
Remove A/C Compressor
Remove A/C controls and ducting
Remove AIR pump system
Remove factory radio, speakers, and/or CD changer, and unnecessary
wiring
Remove HUD projector
Remove windshield wiper fluid reservoir and pump
Remove windshield wipers and motors
Remove stock cat back
Remove power steering pump
Remove front sway bar (drag only)
Remove ABS, TC, AH hardware and sensors (drag only)
Remove fender wells
Remove headlight assembly, turn signals, taillights and reflectors
Remove/shave side mirrors
Remove torque tunnel cover
Remove seat belts
Remove parking brake
Remove side windows and motors
Remove power locks and power windows
Remove side impact beams
Replace stock front and rear glass with polycarbonate “glass”
Rebuild motor with Al or Ti connecting rods, Ti valve spring
retainers and pushrods
Port the heads
Remove all flashing from the engine, then polish
Replace valve covers with magnesium or carbon fiber parts
Strip entire car, acid wash chassis, put car back together.
Reducing unsprung weight—not all is streetable
Replace stock wheels with forged 1-piece wheels
Use 3-piece wheels by Jongbloed, Kodiak, CCW, BBS
Skinny front wheels (drag only)
Use Ti fasteners on 3-piece wheels (~1 lbs per wheel)
Use lighter non-runflat tires, or even Hoosier nylon corded slicks
Use lighter calipers
Replace stock rotors with 2-piece, unvented or titanium rotors
Replace wheels studs with titanium studs
Replace lug nuts with aluminum or titanium lug nuts
Remove tire pressure sensors
Use rubber valve stem without a cap
Balance the wheels without tires or balancing weights, and then mount
tires
Great literature for hardcore techies
Helm’s Service Manual --- this should come with every Corvette IMHO
Key Design Developments of the 1997 Chevrolet Corvette (SAE SP-1282)
GM eSI Techline Service Manual
Nuts, Bolts and Fasteners and Plumbing Handbook, Carroll Smith
Drive to Win, Carroll Smith: The Essential Guide to Race Driving
Engineer to Win: The Essential Guide to Racing Car Materials
Technology or How to Build Winners Which Don’t Break, Carroll
Smith
Tune to Win, Carroll Smith
Fiberglass & Composite Materials: An Enthusiast’s Guide to High
Performance Non-Metallic Materials for Automotive Racing and Marine
Use
How to Make Your Car Handle, Fred Puhn
Race Car Vehicle Dynamics (SAE R146)
Racing & High Performance Tire: Using Tires to Tune for Grip and
Balance (SAE R351)
had on file.....
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This thread is an evolution of a couple old threads, and topics that
come up over and over and over again. I’ve compiled most everything I
know into this one thread. I’m always expanding and correcting this
information; if anything is incorrect or missing, please post and
point them out or PM me. I know I’m extremely fallible, yet humble,
so feel free to shred this post to shreds, but do it constructively.
As many of you have surely noticed, I’ve posted up lots of garbage
in the past, but I’ve learned and will continue to learn. Because of
the constant updates, posts down the road may get confusing, but
just remember the information at the top is my latest and greatest.
Enjoy!
Common Problems
Leaking Battery
Many C5's came with AC Delco Freedom batteries that had a tendency
to have it's case crack open near the battery posts. The leaking
battery acid would drip down the side of the battery, down the
funnel-like battery support, straight down onto the PCM and the
wiring loom. It can also get onto the A/C lines. I believe they are
the vacuum lines that control the movement of the interior vents,
and usually the system will default to blowing out the defroster
vent. Sometimes car crippling damage would occur, sometimes not.
It worst it would mean replacing the battery, the PCM, the wiring
harness, grinding the rust off the frame to repaint it, changing
the A/C lines and possibly swapping out another computer as well.
This mostly happened on early C5’s because later C5’s used a
gel-type battery that cannot leak, but I believe the problem
resurfaced on ’04 or ’05 models again.
Check this out on any car you look at. Use a 8 mm wrench,
preferably a ratcheting closed-end version, to removed the battery
cables. You also remove a holding block on the front side of the
battery. You will need a long extension to reach it. The battery
basically lifts right out. Also remove the black plastic battery tray.
Look beneath the tray for rust or white powder. Signs of both are
evidence of battery acid damage. It would probably be best to move
to the next Vette unless you don't mind possibly tackling this repair
in the future. It's possible that the car will throw codes for no
apparent reason.
No matter what Vette you buy, just make sure you replace the battery
with a gel-type battery, like the Optima Redtop, sold at CostCo for
$100.
Grounding Problems aka CRAZY electrical gremlins!
Bill Curlee has a great thread on the problems that corroded ground
connections can create, and how to clean out the grounds. The most
problematic ground connections are behind the headlights on both
sides. Check out Bill’s thread for detailed info: Go!
Here’s where all the grounds are: Go!
Water Intrusion
Water leaks have several ways of getting in the car, and none of
them AFAIK are very difficult to fix. Proper adjustments and
maintenance will prevent most leaks.
Bill Curlee’s thread abouting locating & cleaning the udders, and
sealing the door hinges.
Here’s a few TSB’s from the CorvetteActionCenter.com:
1997-1998: Service Bulletin: Waterleak Above Door Glass (Reseal
Blowout Clip)
1997-2002: Service Bulletin: General Waterleak Guide
1997: Service Bulletin: Water Drips into Rear Compartment After
Hatch/Glass Has Been Opened
Seats
Corvette seats are delicate.
Sliding hard across the bolster can break it, causing it to flap
side-to-side.
The leather is cheap, and there's little protection for it. It
will wear out and form cracks, which is normal…for cheap leather.
The wire springs in the seat bottom, and the bars in the bolsters
can also wear thru the foam and leather, but that can be fixed by
placing layer of burlap between the springs and the foam.
Check the black plastic surround on the bottom of the seat to make
sure it fits snugly against the leather, and isn't cracked. Older
style plastic surrounds had a tendency to separate from the seat,
but could be pushed back in. The newer style plastic surrounds
can be used as a direct replacement, but one of the plastic studs
may need to be ground off, or a hole will need to get punched
into the leather.
The seats tend to rock back and forth by about a 1/4" during
acceleration and braking. It can be fixed, but GM will not fix it.
Some lucky owners can get the dealer to replace the frame under
warranty. The seat backs swinging forward under braking is normal,
and not considered a problem.
Here are a couple fixes:
Corvettemechanic.com --- must be a member
Rocking Seat Fix
Seat choice
Get the sport seats. The sport seats have a hole under the headrest.
Some people put racing harness belts thru those loops. The seat
frames and foam in both seats are interchangeable. Harness belt
holes can be installed using Ford harness cutouts. Ask the dealership
for them, they should know what it is without a part #. The foam in
a standard seat will need to be cut, and sewing will have to be done,
but it’s an easy job.
Headlight bezel plugs
There are 1-1/2" plugs that are located on the headlight bezels that
would fall off on the older Vette's. The new style plugs, have a
twist-lock to prevent them from falling out, but also requires new
bezels. Only the new bezels & plugs are available now, and they are
compatible with older C5’s.
Headlight gears
The gears in the headlight motor are plastic, and wear out over time.
Ice, heavy Euro or projector headlights and twilight sentinal will
cause the gears to wear out quickly. Fortunately a few years ago,
Rodney started selling replacement brass gears, check out his
website. Corvette America and probably a few other vendors now sell
their own copy of his brass gears. Here’s a thread that shows how to
replace the gears.
Roof noises
If you buy a coupe with a removable roof, you can expect wind noise
and some creaking. The wind noise will never totally go away, but if
there's creaking, you can eliminate that by thinly applying dielectric
silicone grease to the weather-stripping. It also prevents cracking,
so do this to all weather-stripping, on any car.
Hood rattles
During cold weather the rubber hood stops can also rub and rattle
against the hood. Adjust and lubricate the rubber stops so when you
pull the corner of the hood up, it doesn’t pull up, but the hood
still closes.
Drivetrain rattling
The valvetrain makes a significant amount of noise at idle. It may
sound like sewing machine. Converting the valve rockers to true
shaft-mounted adjustable roller rockers with may help eliminate the
valvetrain noise if adjusted properly. Installing a big cam and
stiffer valve springs will make the noise louder.
On manual transmission cars (M6 or M12), the transmission sounds
like it is rattling when leaving the line. It is normal. It is the
clutch throwout bearing rattling around. Sometimes you'll hear a
horrible rattle if you shut off the engine. If you press the clutch
pedal in while shutting off the car, you won't hear it.
Shaky breaking
The front brake rotors warp easily under heavy braking…or at least
that’s what uneducated drivers think. I tend to believe StopTech:
http://www.stoptech.com/whitepapers...rotors_myth.htm
I verified this by lightly grinding my rotors with steel wool.
Garnet paper is recommended, but I haven’t tried it.
If you insist the problem is warping, don’t turn the rotors since
thinner rotors warp more easily. Resurfacing the rotors is only a
temporary fix, one that is less effective each time your resurface
the rotors due to the reduced thermal capacity of the rotors.
Rotors are available for $25 at Napa and RockAuto.
Scraped front ends and rocker panels
Checking for scrapes is an easy way to tell if the car was treated
well. It's almost impossible not to scrape the front end, but there
are two metal crash bar loops that should prevent the bumper from
scraping. The bumper itself should not have scrape marks on it. Check
the underside of the tip of the bumper, and the bottom corners of
the bumper. If the crash bar gets scraped enough, eventually it will
wear down to the point where it needs to get replaced. It costs
about $220 for the crash bar, nut-serts, bolts and insulators, and
can be replaced in a couple of hours, just be sure to hook the hoses
and electric connector back to the A.I.R. pump.
Here’s a list of ALL the parts you’ll need to replace the impact bar
and the side air deflectors:
Part #------Qty---Description
10188023---001---Insulator (goes to bottom of radiator)
10278679---001---Insulator (goes to bottom of radiator)
10278679---005---Nut
10400765---001---Plate (the actual impact bar, unpainted)
10419312---001---Panel (air deflector)
10419313---001---Panel (air deflector)
11515638---010---Nut-speci
11515757---010---Bolt-Metr
10281487---010---Nut
Not all of these parts need to get replaced, and there will be a few
leftovers, but it will get the job done.
The rocker panels tend to get scraped on lifts and big speed bumps.
A & A Corvettes invented two products to prevent damage from both
kinds of scraping. They have wheels that attach to the crash bar,
allowing the car to roll on driveways instead of wearing down the
crash bar. It will still scrape the spoiler, but the spoiler is a
cheap wear item that takes only 2 minutes to replace without a lift
or jack. They also make two aluminum strips that attached the frame
next to the rocker panels, and they take the scrapes themselves
instead of the rockers panels. Neither of the devices are visible
unless looking under the car, and they are discreet enough to
possibly be missed anyway. If you see these devices installed, you
can be pretty sure the owner took good care of the car. Without this
extra protection, you can expect to replace the crash bar and repair
the rockers several times over the life of the car. WARNING: It won’t
stop all scraping damage, just reduce the possibility of it
happening, and reduce the damage when it does happen. Low hanging
headers will probably still scrape.
Hood seal weather-strip
The sides and back of the hood compartment have weather-strip
installed from the factory. The front is left open. Many owners
install weather-strip along this front edge. You may not even notice
it since it looks identical to rest of the weather-stripping. This
extra weather-strip helps keep the engine compartment clean, and may
also help the air intake system work better. This is another sign
that the owner took good care of the car. The engine compartment
stays pretty clean, but this the "extra step".
A/C System
There are two kinds of climate controls. One is manual with *****,
and the other is a dual-zone electronic system. The dual-zone system
did cost more, but is not as reliable as the manual system. A leaking
battery can affect both systems. A strong system is when the vents
cannot be switched.
Over time, and especially in humid climates, the system can cause
condensation to leak onto the passenger side carpet. There are three
udders under the driver’s side cowl. There are slits on the bottom,
much like real udders. Vigorously squeeze and massage the udders
until the debris has fallen out. Stop laughing!
If the vent settings cannot be changed, the vacuum line is probably
loose, clogged or broken. Read more!
Squeaky steering wheel
When you turn the steering wheel, you may hear a squeak. It's just
the plastic surfaces rubbing against each other. A shot of lubricant
fixes this.
Squeaky/chirping/grinding wheel bearings
Drive slowly, better yet, coast along at low speeds with the windows
open in a quiet location. Listen for a squeak from the wheels. Try
turning in different directions. If you hear the rear wheels squeaking,
you may have a worn wheel bearing. A replacement bearing costs $600
list, but you can usually find it for $400-450. I've heard that
AutoZone has a better replacement for $126 by a company named Timken.
The part is easy to replace if you can separate the ball joints.
I had to buy a special Kent-Moore tool to do mine. This problem may
persist safely for a few months, but eventually will become annoying.
It seems to be a common problem, and more so for the rear wheel
bearing. I've never heard of it happening twice to the same car,
so if you fix it once, you're probably good for life. Several racers
replace their wheel bearing every year.
A broken emergency drum clip may cause a false diagnosis. Be careful
when removing & replacing the rear rotors.
Oil woes
Many late 2000 thru 2001 Vette's burn a lot of oil when the engine
is kept constantly over 4,000 rpm's. This is caused by ring flutter,
which allows extra oil to seep past the oil control rings, but
doesn't seem to cause any extra wear to the engine. Chevrolet has
rebuilt and replaced engines for owners that complained about
excessive oil consumption. Their policy is that while the engine
isn't normally operated like that outside of racing, it is the
owner's prerogative to drive around in second gear all the time if
they want to. It is covered under the warranty.
The PCV system also has a tendency to suck oil back into the intake
at high rpm's. It doesn't seem to cause any problems, other than a
slight mess inside the intake manifold. The newer style PCV system
can be installed, but this requires removing all the components in
the top of the engine valley. Usually only racer's bother with the
hassle. Several generations of PCV systems have had the problem,
and at this time, December 2004, the PCV system still sucks oil into
the intake.
The oil-sucking problem will cause carbon buildup in the cylinders.
The dealership sells GM Top End Cleaner, and Napa sells SeaFoam. The
Top End Cleaner is not available in some smog states like California.
Run a tube from the bottle into the hole for the PCV system behind the
throttle body on the passenger side. Start the car, then start
slowly sucking the solution into the engine. Don’t go too fast or the
engine could lockup. As soon as the solution is gone, stop the motor
for >4 hours, but preferably 12 hours. Be aware that when the engine
is restarted, there will be a LOT of smoke!
The oil-sucking can be prevented by installing a catch can. AMW and
Greddy make catch cans, but a homebuilt catch can may be built using
a Campbell-Hausfield air tool oil separator from most tool stores,
including AutoZone. The AMW and Greddy cans are ~$100, but look
great. The CH can is $15-25 for all the parts, and you can see how
much oil is in it.
Overheating & burning smells
Even though the engine can heat up to 220, even 240 degrees
Fahrenheit, this is normal. The radiator will keep the engine cool
enough unless the radiator is blocked. Reprogramming the PCM can
allow the fans to turn on earlier. If the fans also cool an
aftermarket oil cooler, make sure the oil occasionally gets to 220
degrees to allow condensation and fuel to evaporate away. Fan
settings and oil thermostats are two different ways to do this.
It's not uncommon for plastic bags to get sucked up under the front
bumper, and cover the radiator, thus causing the car to truly
overheat. If this happens, take a quick peek under the bumper, and
remove anything under there. Sometimes bags get stuck to the exhaust
pipes too, causing quite a stench as they burn away.
Locked steering column
All C5’s, particularly manual transmission C5’s, and early C6
steering columns have a tendency to lock and stay locked. Usually it
can be unlocked once, but just once. Some owners claim that
vigorously shaking the steering wheel can unlock the steering wheel.
Dealer's are able to disable the locking mechanism with a modified
locking plate. Currently this is the only real method to disable the
locking mechanism. Basically the wheel will still try to lock, but
there will be nothing for it to lock to. It’s like a door dead bolt
with a slot cut into the door jamb. There is a $100 kit that disables
the steering column lock, and can be installed easily, but enough
car vibrations can cause the lock to fall into the locking plate,
even while driving!
GM has a part (#88952428 or 88952428) that has a harness wiring
jumper and different lock plate. Not sure what the difference in
the kits are.
After reading a few posts, manual transmission C5’s & C6’s are still
in danger, even if the lock is disabled. The lock can vibrate out
over time and get trapped in the locking plate. Auto transmission
cars that have undergone the recall and new auto’s will not have the
locking plate at all, so they are safe. More information about
COMPLETELY disabling the steering column lock will be forthcoming
from other’s on the forum, and by my own personal project. Until
then, here are a few links about the topic:
Corvette Forum - Column Lock Harness K Installation
Corvettemechanic - A4 non locking column plate --- must be a member
Corvette Forum - Column-lock again even with CLB!
Corvette Forum - Has anyone ELSE beat column lock?
Faulty gas gauge
If you have bad gas (phew!), the fuel sender can be affected by the
high sulfur content in the fuel, and cause the gauge to read empty.
They car will still operate normally, and the gas gauge will work
again if you use better gas, and will usually start again when you
restart the car. It's just better to use good gas. Some people have
had luck with running fuel filter cleaners thru the gas tank. New
fuel senders sometimes fixes this problem. This thread has a LOT of
ideas about what could be causing the problems, how to avoid
problems, and how to fix it. It also points out how the late C5 fuel
tanks and crossover tube is different.
Noisy fuel pump
There are two fuel tanks, and two fuel pumps. One fuel pump
continually pumps gas from the passenger side tank into the driver
side tank, and is quiet. The main fuel pump is directly behind
the drivers seat, and can be annoying loud, especially on early
C5’s. It's normal, and not a sign of a failing fuel pump. Chevrolet
does have a bulletin out instructing how to better insulate against
the sound of the fuel pump. This is merely an annoyance. A newer,
quieter pump can also be installed.
Extremely high oil pressure reading
The oil pressure sensor can fail, but it is still okay to drive.
Turn the car off, but with the key in the “on” position and check
the oil pressure gauge. It should read “0”. If the oil pressure
sensor is bad, it will show a positive reading. The oil pressure
sender is located behind the intake manifold, and will require
moving the intake manifold. The sender costs about $40 and part
# 12573107 or 12562230.
How-to
Suspension squeaking
In cold weather you may hear the suspension creak when you go over
speed bumps. To fix this, clean (optional) and lubricate the sway
bar bushings. The adjustable metal sway bar end links on Hotchkis
and T1 bars can also create loud clicking sounds. Most adjustable
end links are quiet initially, but wear out and get noisy over
time. Greasing and protecting the end links from dirt may prevent
wear.
Tough shifting
The shifter in manually shifted Corvette's takes a strong arm to
get it into gear. You really have to make sure that the shifter
is fully in 1st and Reverse, or it will pop out of gear when you
let the clutch out. This is not the fault of the car, but rather
the fault of the driver.
Manual transmissions -- Replacing the transmission fluid often
helps shifting. Early transmissions have paper blocker ring that
require Dexron III compatible (usually organic) fluid because some
synthetics will destroy the paper blocker rings and subsequently
the transmission. Later transmissions, and all rebuilt transmissions
, have Kevlar/carbon fiber parts that allow the use of synthetic
fluids. I believe the 98-00 transmissions have the paper blocker
rings. The safe transmission fluids seem to be: GM Synchromesh
PN #12345349, Honda ATF-Z1, Royal Purple Synchromax, Amsoil ATF,
O’Reilly Dexron III ATF. The following transmission fluids may be
unsafe for early transmissions: Redline D4 ATF, Mobil 1 ATF, Royal
Purple Max ATF.
Related threads:
LS1.com - Ending the speculation: Blocker rings, who's had them
fail?
LS1Tech.com - Ending the speculation: Blocker rings, who's had them
fail?
Mobil 1 Synthetic ATF for a M6?
If it is especially tough to shift into 2nd or 4th gear, it's
possible that the synchro's are worn out or the forks are bent.
Do NOT force it into gear. Abuse creates and aggravates this problem.
You can still drive, even quite well, without synchro's....or a
clutch for that matter if you know how to rev match.
Some aftermarket shifters make it easier to make sure you're fully
in gear, and prevent gear grinding, but they also vibrate, and
require more effort to shift. The stock shifter has a tuned weight
damper that changes the vibrations to a non-audible frequency. The
shaking doesn’t annoy some people, and there are some fixes.
Leaky butt
The differential can leak from the side covers. The problem has to
do with the design. The lip on the casing is not wide enough to
create a proper seal with the cover. Resealing the covers can be
successful, but many dealers do not use the correct sealant.
Inside/outside tire spinning
If one tire spins while turning, adjust the friction modifier ratio.
Aftermarket gear fluid from Royal Purple, Amsoil and Redline do not
require additional friction modifier. GM’s friction modifier is
PN #12377916. Too much friction modifier and the inside tire will
spin/skip/hop. Too little friction modifier and the outside tire
will spin/skip/hop. -- Thanks Russ!
Tire hop
Tire hop during hard acceleration in cold weather is common, even
if the same tires don’t hop in warmer weather. Tire rubber when
viewed thru a microscope looks like a web. Normally parts of this
web grabs onto objects on the ground and stretch until either the
car moves forward, or the web breaks, resulting in tire spin. I
believe in cold weather, the web is too stiff for either of these
events to occur, so the tires hop. To find out more, read Racing
& High Performance Tire: Using Tires to Tune for Grip and Balance.
I haven’t read it, but if you do, please let me know if my guess
is correct. I found a couple stories on Google about people curing
wheel hop with stiffer bushings and/or (jounce) shocks.
Interior rattles
The visors may rattle when they are put up, but if you flip them
down, the rattle goes away. Squeezing the mirror lid down seems to
take care of it. Try glueing a piece of felt or velcro between the
mirror and lid to see if that fixes it. Caravaggio also makes
replacement leather visors, but they go for $400.
The stereo is Bose, and to go along with the historically crappy
build quality of Bose products, Bose has graced the Corvette with
Bose emblems on the door speaker covers that rattle when you play
music with bass. A Bose system doesn't exist that puts out good
bass, but the system still manages to rattle the emblems when
playing Country, Hip Hop, or Techno at moderate volumes. Check
this problem by having a passenger and yourself putting a finger
on the emblems with music playing. Glue the emblems down to fix it.
If the roof isn't tightened down enough, it will rattle. There are
some adjustment screws in the roof to make this adjustment.
Belt Chirping
During cold weather, the belt can chirp. Goodyear Gatorback belts
from AutoZone don’t chirp.
Sticky Hatch
During cold weather, the hatch may pop up slowly, or not at all.
Spray the latches with silicone grease until they come up properly.
If the struts do not hold up the hatch, try lubing the strut bars.
1997: Service Bulletin: Hatch Will Not Pop Up When Activated in
Cold Weather
Rocker failure
The needle bearings in the OEM rockers have been known to fail.
Usually the problem is noticed with extra valvetrain noise and
needle bearings stuck to a magnetic oil plug. Nasty Performance
will rebuild OEM rockers with Harland Sharp bearings. This seems
to be one of the better solutions since the stock rocker is very
good at high rpms. Most aftermarket rockers are nose heavy and
require grinding the heads and valve covers to fit. Currently
Harland Sharp rockers are having problems with c-clip retainers
falling off and causing problems on the way. I’ll be following
this issue since I have a set of HS rockers on my shelf waiting
for this issue to be resolved. Here are some links:
LS1Tech - EMERGENCY!! ROCKERS! Help ASAP!
LS1Tech - Harland Sharp Rocker Failure
LS1Tech - Install or not install HS rockers?
Other Information
Active Stability Control
This allows you to keep some control of the car even when you do
really stupid stunts. It doesn't bend the laws of physics, but will
keep the car pointed where you are steering; you may still slide off
the road, but at least the car will be pointed in the direction you
were steering! One of the sensors is located around the passenger
seat, and needs to be considered when installing a racing bucket.
If you move that sensor, Active Stability will not know how to
balance the car, and can be very dangerous. Active Stability came
out around '99.
Jacking
The C5 was the first car to use hydroformed frame rails. Hydroformed
rails are quickly becoming a common platform for new cars, but not
many shops are prepared to lift these vehicles. The C5 requires an
adapter for regular jacks and lifts to fit the jacking points. Make
your own adapters with a hockey puck (or two) with a 1 1/2" eye bolt
screwed thru the center. Stick the eye bolt thru the slit in the
jacking point, turn 90 degrees, place jack under adapter and jack
away....if you can get the jack under the car. You may have to use
ramps. The C5 is so low that most people make their own wooden
ramps....rhino ramps are too steep.
Key Fobs
There are basically two different kinds of key fobs, and they are
not compatible with each other.
97-00, but 00 does not have the Passive Lock feature
01-04
Spark plugs
The OEM platinum plugs, along with other plugs have had problems
with the pucks falling off. I have a picture of missing pucks in
this thread. This thread outlines some of the problems with using
platinum, and a recommendation for using silver tipped plugs.
Basically, of all spark plug tips, platinum is the worst conductor,
copper is good, iridium is even better and silver is the best. Don’t
take my word for it, do a little research, starting with this
review. As for longevity, platinum, iridium and silver do have an
advantage over copper, but plugs foul up after ~10K negating any
difference corrosion would cause, and no plug will run well after
100K miles.
To make the spark plugs easier to change, get the Snap-On
double-swivel sparkplug tool and remove the coil packs. Here’s all
you need to know about sparkplug changes: Go!
________________________________________ _______________________
These problems, and many others, are addressed at the
www.corvetteactioncenter.com in the Tech Center -> Knowledge Base.
While these problems do sound numerous and severe, just remember
that JD Power considers this a very reliable car. If you buy a
Corvette, consider yourself fortunate that there are many resources
available to help you locate and correct problems.
Secrets of the C5
Copied from www.corvettemechanic.com
Quote:
● The little yellow “helper light” on the bottom of the rear-view
mirror that illuminates the shifter area.
● That you can put your key in the driver’s door and turn it twice
towards the front to unlock the passenger door and a third time to
pop the trunk.
● That you can pop the trunk and also pop the gas cap cover by
pulling on metal lines hidden in the back.
● The little slotted cover on the dash behind the steering wheel is
where the inside air temperature sensor is located.
● All of the option codes are in the glove box.
● Tire inflation recommended pressures are on the driver’s door.
● The thing that looks like a little LED near the DIC buttons is a
light sensor.
● The thing that looks like a little LED near the defroster vent is
a UV sensor for determining A/C usage to compensate for the heating
effect of the sun.
● The build sheet is in the front re-bar.
● If you leave your turn signal on, in about 1 minute it will start
to ding (loud enough to hear over the stereo) to let you know you
have old timers disease.
● You can reset the oil life by pumping the gas pedal 3 times (but
not with the engine running).
● Hold down the reset button while on one of the trip odometers and
it changes that reading to the miles you’ve traveled since last
starting the engine.
● Hold down the Active Handling button for 5 sec. to engage
“Competitive Driving” on cars equipped with active handling (2000
and previous years must be stopped.)
● If you pull the seatbelts all the way out while you’re buckled in,
they ratchet back in to hold you tighter into the seat. (then move
the seat forward to make it extra snug -- Leafty)
● Simply remove fuse #2 under the hood and your DRLs will be out
permanently. Only thing affected is that when you unlock at night
using the key fob your front turn signal lights and back up lights
will not flash. Your front turn signals will operate normally,
however.
● The side-view mirrors can twist both forward and backward,
decreasing the chance of damage if struck.
● There is a release opening with a flap to let air out of the car
when the hatch is closed. It is located just above the driver side
rear compartment behind the carpet and on the side of the car. Not
that it really works well.
● Also you can ground your amp to a screw/bolt that holds the rear
middle compartment to the frame.
● If you have a 6-speed car you can pop the trunk when the car is
running by lifting the e-brake.
● There is a spot on the driver side just out of the middle
compartment under the carpet for the lug nut key. You should have a
compartment on the drivers & passenger’s side (in the trunk) and a
center compartment. On the left (drivers) side of the center
compartment, on the left side where the center cover fits, there is
an ‘indent’ that holds the wheel lock key.
● If you turn on the headlights, then go to parking light position,
the lamps remain up but the headlights are not left on.
● If you have the passive entry feature: If you lock the keys in the
car, wait a few minutes and then shake the car. That will unlock the
car.
● HUD has a shift light for the manuals.
● You can easily shift the M6 trans up or down without the clutch if
you match revs. (Not great for longevity, however.)
● You can eject the cd from the in-dash player without turning on any
power. Don’t even need key in the ignition.
● The cruise will disengage if you purposely make sharp side to side
turns while cruising at say 60-80 mph.
● When the engine is shut off, you can get the odometer reading by
turning on the parking lights.
● You can program setting #3 (both memory buttons at once) in the
seat memory to run the seat back and steering wheel forward for
getting in/out of the car with the engine running.
● If you hate DRLs you can pull the e-brake ONE click and they go off.
Power
First you need to know how your car is doing. A trip to the dyno can
give you quick answers.
Tuning software can diagnose and tune your car. LS1Tech and HPTuners
are two popular tuning packages. At some point in the future, both
packages will be able to do scanning with incorporated wideband
sensor support. At this time, December 2004, only HPTuners can do
both.
Popular upgrades:
Cold air intakes: Vararam, Halltech, Blackwing, zip-tie
Intake manifolds: LS6, LS2, LSX, Wiend, sheetmetal
Cat-back exhausts: B&B, Borla, Z06 Ti, Corsa
Long tube headers: LG, Kooks, TPIS, Stainless Works, Breathless,
Jet-Hot, GHL, QTP
Superchargers: ATI (go to A&A), Vortech, Magnacharger
Turbochargers
Stroke & bore
Head & cam packages: TEA, AFR, TSP, Patriot, Cartek
Tires: Kumho Ecsta MX, Nitto Extreme RII
Quote:
The convertible and coupe (it's really a targa) come with run-flat
tires, with 17" wheels in the front, and 18" in the rear, with tire
pressure sensors. The Z06 comes with non run-flat tire, but has a
tire repair kit. Switching from run-flat tires to regular tires
typically allows the C5 to ride softer, accelerate faster, and corner
harder, but if you use the tire repair kit (goo) on wheels with the
unobtainium tire pressure sensors, you'll destroy the sensors. No C5
has a spare tire. The best way to improve the handling of any car is
usually thru the tires.
Aerodynamics, gearing and top speed
The hardtops and Z06 have shorter rear windows, are less aerodynamic,
noisier, and weigh less than the standard C5 couple like mine. Even
though the Z06 has more hp than standard C5’s, they have a lower top
speed than manual Z51 C5 coupes. This is due to both aerodynamics
and gearing. All C5’s top out at redline in 5th gear, so a taller
5th gear, or much shorter 6th gear, or taller redline is required to
go faster. All else being equal, a Z51 coupe will still go faster
than a Z06. Above 190 mph, air builds up under the front of the car.
This can be solved with a vented hood like the ACP C5-R or MCM hoods.
Weight reduction
You can achieve substantial weight reduction with the following
modifications, while still having a car that's very comfortable to
drive. Most of these modifications will directly increase (and
decrease in a few cases) the safety of the car, while safety is
indirectly improved due to the better handling and limits of a
lighter car. Fighter pilots say "speed is life". Acceleration,
deceleration, and lateral acceleration are all forms of acceleration,
and lighter cars accelerate better in each of these ways because the
tires have less mass to control....thus a lighter car is a safer car.
Lighter cars have better moments of inertia which allows them to
turn in more easily and roll less. Lighter cars are also easier on
the tires and gas.
All the stage weight estimates are typically wild butt guesses, but
it makes it easy to see what is possible. The weight listings in the
separate weight posting is MUCH more reliable.
Stage I: Streetable weight reduction mods
Non-popup headlights (~40 lbs)
Braking rotors with an aluminum hat, or titanium rotors (unproven on
street cars) (~20-30 lbs)
Carbon fiber hood (~12 lbs)
Z06 (thinner) windshield and side windows (~5.7 lbs)
Non runflat tires (~20 lbs)
Slicks (~30 lbs)
Z06 wheels (~4 lbs est.)
Corsa titanium exhaust (~35 lbs)
Long tube headers (~20 lbs)
Halltech aluminum alternator & bracket (10 lbs)
Carbon fiber driveshaft (~2 lbs)
Newer torque tube
Less options [HUD, elec AC, Active Stability, seat/mirror/steering
wheel memory, cd changer] (~50 lbs)
Less gasoline & wiper fluid (No wiper fluid=9lbs, 6 lbs for every
gallon of gas in that 18 gallon tank....~81 lbs for autocrossing)
Remove cargo net
Remove targa top (~20 lbs)
Remove BCM’s
Remove C5 "appearance mods" - exhaust plates, doorsill covers, etc.
Remove fuel rail covers
Replace stock crank pulley with aluminum aftermarket pulley
Replace steel dampener with aluminum dampener
Replace stock targa top with lexan piece (coupes)
Replace water pump with electric water pump
Replace battery with smaller battery
Replace non-stressed fasteners with aluminum or titanium fasteners
Replace leaf springs with coil over shocks with titanium springs
Replace steel shifter with aluminum shifter and delrin or titanium
shift ****
Remove all loose change, CD's, golf clubs, misc. items, from center
console, hatch area, and glove box
Empty your pockets of extra change, PDA's, cell phones, keys, lead
plates, or whatever other junk you lug around
Go on a diet =p
Stage II: Hardcore semi-streetable weight reduction mods
Aluminum flywheel (~10 lbs)
Lighter clutch like Exedy or Quartermaster (~10 lbs)
Racing buckets (40-50 lbs)
Remove tire repair kit (Z06)
Off-road x-pipe (10 lbs)
Remove floor mats
Remove fog lights
Replace stock hood, fenders, doors, roof, hatch and bumpers with
aftermarket carbon fiber pieces
Stage III: Track only weight reduction mods
Racing steering wheel & delete both airbags (~30 lbs, but get a
4-6 point harness)
Use unpadded aluminum or carbon fiber steering wheel
Run open headers
Remove column locking hardware
Remove interior – passenger seat, carpets, speaker panels, head
liner, dash, center console, glove box, door panels, sun visors,
rear view mirror, insulation, etc.
Remove A/C Compressor
Remove A/C controls and ducting
Remove AIR pump system
Remove factory radio, speakers, and/or CD changer, and unnecessary
wiring
Remove HUD projector
Remove windshield wiper fluid reservoir and pump
Remove windshield wipers and motors
Remove stock cat back
Remove power steering pump
Remove front sway bar (drag only)
Remove ABS, TC, AH hardware and sensors (drag only)
Remove fender wells
Remove headlight assembly, turn signals, taillights and reflectors
Remove/shave side mirrors
Remove torque tunnel cover
Remove seat belts
Remove parking brake
Remove side windows and motors
Remove power locks and power windows
Remove side impact beams
Replace stock front and rear glass with polycarbonate “glass”
Rebuild motor with Al or Ti connecting rods, Ti valve spring
retainers and pushrods
Port the heads
Remove all flashing from the engine, then polish
Replace valve covers with magnesium or carbon fiber parts
Strip entire car, acid wash chassis, put car back together.
Reducing unsprung weight—not all is streetable
Replace stock wheels with forged 1-piece wheels
Use 3-piece wheels by Jongbloed, Kodiak, CCW, BBS
Skinny front wheels (drag only)
Use Ti fasteners on 3-piece wheels (~1 lbs per wheel)
Use lighter non-runflat tires, or even Hoosier nylon corded slicks
Use lighter calipers
Replace stock rotors with 2-piece, unvented or titanium rotors
Replace wheels studs with titanium studs
Replace lug nuts with aluminum or titanium lug nuts
Remove tire pressure sensors
Use rubber valve stem without a cap
Balance the wheels without tires or balancing weights, and then mount
tires
Great literature for hardcore techies
Helm’s Service Manual --- this should come with every Corvette IMHO
Key Design Developments of the 1997 Chevrolet Corvette (SAE SP-1282)
GM eSI Techline Service Manual
Nuts, Bolts and Fasteners and Plumbing Handbook, Carroll Smith
Drive to Win, Carroll Smith: The Essential Guide to Race Driving
Engineer to Win: The Essential Guide to Racing Car Materials
Technology or How to Build Winners Which Don’t Break, Carroll
Smith
Tune to Win, Carroll Smith
Fiberglass & Composite Materials: An Enthusiast’s Guide to High
Performance Non-Metallic Materials for Automotive Racing and Marine
Use
How to Make Your Car Handle, Fred Puhn
Race Car Vehicle Dynamics (SAE R146)
Racing & High Performance Tire: Using Tires to Tune for Grip and
Balance (SAE R351)
had on file.....
11-24-2008, 03:09 PM
#27
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Some really interesting info on the C5 here. 
11-24-2008, 05:52 PM
#28
Drifting
Mode
You can steer it with the throttle..... Yikes
Sport = Magnetic Selective ride control "On"
mrgil
11-25-2008, 06:51 AM
#30
Melting Slicks
● If you have the passive entry feature: If you lock the keys in the car, wait a few minutes and then shake the car. That will unlock the car.
I know for a fact, that does work. For some reason, one night my car locked up with the keys in it, and the passive part on. I rocked it pretty hard (which is kind of difficult, because these things don't have any roll in them, plus a very stiff suspension) and the doors unlocked!
I know for a fact, that does work. For some reason, one night my car locked up with the keys in it, and the passive part on. I rocked it pretty hard (which is kind of difficult, because these things don't have any roll in them, plus a very stiff suspension) and the doors unlocked!
11-26-2008, 09:27 AM
#33
Safety Car
Generation I Active Handling can only be engaged while the car is stopped...although you can begin the 5 second countdown while the car is moving, the car must be stopped at the point of timeout. So, you can hold the button down while coasting up to a light, for example, for approximately 4 seconds, but at that 5th second when it times out for Competitive Driving to engage, the car must be stopped or it will not go into Competitive Driving mode.
Generation II Active Handling can be engaged while the car is moving.
With Generation I, you cannot powerbrake with Active Handling engaged, either with Traction Control activated, or in Competitive Driving. The further you depress the accelerator, while attempting to powerbrake, the more the engine will downpower (torque management). In order to powerbrake, you will have to turn off both Traction Control and Active Handling.
This is not true with Generation II Active Handling. That system will allow you to powerbrake in Competitive Driving.
There are some other differences, also, such as Generation II Active Handling is also a little less intrusive than Generation I.
Generation II consists of different components and programming than Generation I. A Generation I car cannot be converted to a Generation system (at least for anything near a reasonable price).
Suspension settings have nothing to do with the Competitive Driving mode, other than affecting handling.
Maybe more than you wanted to know, but there it is.
Ed
Last edited by C5XTASY; 11-26-2008 at 09:41 AM.
11-28-2008, 11:27 PM
#35
Safety Car
One other thing I remembered from replying to another thread. At WOT the A/C does not operate, thereby removing that load from the engine. The computer turns it off. When driving sometime, turn the A/C on and then go WOT. You will see the A/C light turn off. When you return to zero, or partial, throttle, the A/C light will turn back on, signifying that A/C is functional again.
Ed
Ed
11-29-2008, 12:11 AM
#36
Team Owner
12-01-2008, 07:22 PM
#38
Drifting
12-01-2008, 11:28 PM
#40
Drifting