Looking to turn to the darkside and get a 2002 z06. I dont really know much about these cars so was just posting up to see if i could get some advice on them. What are some common problems with them? What should i look for when buying? ect. ect.

Any help would be great guys!

thanks-

 

Tons of good info in the FAQ (and the forum itself)

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-z...tions-faq.html

Start reading!

 

Hi,
I have owned 2 02's now and both seem to be really good cars overall. The funny part is the first one I bought had only 15k miles on it, and the one I have now has 76k miles on it. Its real hard to tell the difference in the two as far as performance.

The normal problems with most Z06's are:

The rear diff sometimes has a slight leak at the axle seal. My first car had that for a while, but it seemed to go away around 19k miles.

Column Lock, which is a $50. fix with a bypass unit.

Seat rocking issue, which most C5's develop. I havent had this problem, so I dont really know the fix. A search would give you the info.

Clutch fluid needs pretty consistent changes to maintain top operating condition. Easy to do with the "turkey baster" method.

CD player in C5's is a weak spot.

In looking for a Z, use common sense. Try to find a local or close by seller. Look for cars with good history of maintenance, and as few owners as possible. Of course get a vehicle history report (carfax or the like)

Dont be afraid of a higher mileage car with all the above criteria. Many low mile cars have had the snot beat out of them and look beautiful, while there are some high milers that have been babied and cared for and could pass for a low miler.

You can get a feel for a car that has been cared for. The seats tell you alot, the carpet wear tells you alot. The center console lid wear. etc. etc. I think getting a feel for the seller is also as important as the car itself.

Does the seller seem honest? Do some detective work using the cars condition and appearance against what the sellers story is. For instance, the seller of my car told me the car spent most of its life on the highway doing interstate travel. Upon looking the car over, this seemed to be the case judging from the amount of stone chips on the driver mirror vs. the passenger side. The rear brake rotors and pads had never been changed at 75k miles, and while needing to be changed, they still had a bit of meat left on them. The seat and carpet wear was very minimal, telling me that there was a lot of seat time, but little in and out of the car time. Just a lot of small pieces of the puzzle that will add up backing up the story the seller tells.

At any rate, both of my Z06's have been very reliable and just pure fun to drive. Theres a bunch of them available at some real decent prices compared to a year ago. The hunt is 1/2 the fun, so take the time to investigate the cars and seller. Once you get one, you'll wonder what took you so long to do it.

Without looking at my profile, can you tell which one has 22k on it & which one has 76k on it?

 

Cool thanks for the info. The car im looking at has 44k miles and has been cammed for less than a year guess ill have to go take a look.

 

I'm gonna guess the red one simply because it is a tad higher and has the mud flaps on it. Both look awesome.

I just bought my 02 Z06 and I have loved every minute of it. There's a little bit to deal with on a cammed car like a little bucking at very low rpms when the car is cold. I have to say I'm really glad I bought my car with the H/C already done so I don't have to pay for it! I just need to save up for a 402!

The issues my car has is the seat rock issue mentioned which is the next one I'll be looking at a fix for, and the trunk doesn't pop open. That's one's simple because you jsut put a spring by the latch and it works fine. I also have the problem where the passenger door doesn't lock when I hit lock. I looked at the fix for that and you have to get a new part or re-soder something in the door panel. Nothing too serious really. Otherwise it's been running great!

 

I own my 02 for about 4 years the only regret is there are not enough nice days to drive it, my car only leaves the garage under the best conditions, no rain or chance of rain.

If you get one even if you have to do minor repairs you will still love it, but for me I'm going to move on, I always wanted a new corvette and this may be my year, if I get what I want for may car, I'm not getting any younger and my odometer of life hits 60 this year.

 

my traction control/ABS module went out. took it off, sent it to ABS fixer, put it back in and no problems. its a do-it-yourselfer job.

had the column lockup on me and thank god for this site. i called someone and had them look it up. you have to turn the steering wheel to the left and right real hard. good thing or i would have had to have it towed. went and picked up the bypass part and fixed it the next day.

HUD has dropped too low to see, havent had time to fix it but ive read its something to do with springs and requires you to take the dash apart, i'll tackle it this summer.

both my seats rock and again, i'll tackle it this summer. the bushings wear out and need replacing from what ive read. all day job.

i have a leak on the passenger side, i believe its the pillar and not the window as previously thought. there are threads here on a fix.

replaced the battery 2 weeks ago. i learned it takes two sets of jumper cables hooked up from another vehicle if your battery is completely dead lol. my cables are quality cables and it still took 2 sets.

i find its very hard to keep the tires from spinning and never whatsoever get too hard on the pedal while turning the steering wheel lol.

one thing about this car, this site offers so much info and help, that if your somewhat mechanically inclined, you can fix a lot of the minor issues. read this site before you take it to a shop.

good luck