Been thinking about the lack of support for so many parts on our cars. I keep seeing thread after thread where someone is in dire straights to get their car back on the road. EBCM, of course, is the most hateful situation. It appears we will not get any results out of GM or Delco, or anyone else working the problem on an individual basis. We need to get smart and pull together and approach GM as a group. There has to be a way in to express our needs. To me there is no excuse for GM abandoning their flagship vehicle on the basis of age. I just met a guy with a 1940 Chevy, and he needed a critical part. He bought it off the shelf at a parts store the same day. So, we need a Champion, perhaps one of the forum's administrators, and we need a process to get heard as a large group.

So, if you have any contacts, insider knowledge, are a GM retiree with unique knowledge, currrently work for GM in engineering, know someone in the supply base, etc....post what you can here. Regarding the limitations on revealing names and contact info...just PM and I will prepare a list to be used once we are ready to tackle this knotty issue. Also, we need to continue compiling a detailed list of the affected parts...and the horror stories, big and small, behind the problems. There are previous threads on these subjects...if you've held back, for whatever reason, please go in and express your situation.

When members begin to feel it is time to rid themselves of an otherwise perfect C5, to part it out, to trade it in, due to an inability to fix the car, then something is clearly wrong. I personally, believe GM would not be proud of the situation they have created, and would have no desire to alienate the customer. I hope I am right, but the way this is going...I could be way wrong...

 

And to think, I used to work for Penske Logistics, and had an inside track (and the private phone numbers) for everyone who worked for GM that had any kind of pull. I don't know what my now limited knowledge might do in the way of helping the cause, but I'd be more than happy to spill the beans on anything that I'm able.

 

Your peeing in the wind dude. GM has NO reason to do this, they would rather sell you a new car. GM didn't even build most of the tech in their cars. Delphi is a seperate company anymore so even if you do get GM to even return your call (unlikely), they can't really do much for you.

I had a Crossfire Vette long ago, talk about an Orphan-and look at the 90's version of the ZR1-they were barely supported when they were new.

 

Do you believe that this is the "new" attitude of GM? Back in 1988, I bought a new '89 Vette with the 'new" 6 spd manual. I had to wait for my car to be built for 5 1/2 months because all the 6 speeds (from germany) were going to the Z's. Car came in April '89. Got a recall notice that the rear wheels/suspension were potentially defective and need to have replacements done immediately otherwise death while driving could result. Called my dealer and he did not know about it; he checked with GM and the parts would not be available for 60 days. I called GM Customer Service who told me not to drive the car and they were very sorry. Back then the vette was a "mere" $36K but it didn't matter to GM to keep their customers happy and serviced properly. So why do you think they would be better today? BTW, I had decided to get a C7 and then I remembered my experience 20+ years ago and so I bought an '04 last year with all the recalls done and almost a clear slate to do what I want to mod the car. And if the computer goes (I had three computers go on my '89-thankfully during warranty), I guess we'll just have to modify the total engine bay with a more current setup.

 

We don't stand a chance of getting GM to either continuing to make parts or start making them again but I like your spunk!

 

I think you would be more successful finding a private company/person to rebuild them. With the possibility of so many people wanting them, it should be a semi-lucrative venture.

Rochester Products or now known as Delphi (along with Delco) were both local companies to me. Delco is now defunct but I believe Delphi is still here, just much smaller than it was.

 

The argument will be that we are to small a market for GM to invest in manufacturing and keeping inventory on hand. Then it will be said that we are also to small a market for an independent aftermarket manufacturer to want to invest in either. Eventually we will all need replacement parts and maybe our escalting demand will finally be the impetus to spur a supplier to act. Or we will all be looking to move up to a newer generation of vette. Its somewhat depressing, but your attitude is good.

 

Economically I suspect it will be a smaller after market company that would address the demand when they think they can get a return on it.

 

Has anyone contacted the big Corvette aftermarket vendors to see what they're thinking? 250K or so C5s is a pretty decent market...

 

fitting response to the thread title.

 

Okay, now for some of the dumb questions:

1) What is an EBCM (I presume E=electronc, CM=control module...don't know the "B") and what does it do (if its name itself doesn't imply its use)?

2) Assuming the EBCM, why not just go to a boneyard and get one? A ton of C5 corvettes were manufactured. One advantage I suppose for once.


I really do like the approach of this thread. I for one am a person who keeps my cars for ever. Before my C5Z, I had 85 300ZX which I kept for 16 years. Assuming this item is electronic and are hard to acquire from a boneyard, I wonder if somehow it possible to the get the schematics for this item from GM? If it is an obsolete part, it shouldn't matter, right? The part could be reversed engineered but it would be quite an undertaking I imagine.

 

 

What happened to ABSFixer?

 

I would think someone like GMPARTHOUSE or GMPARTSDIRECT would have some idea how to take care of this problem. They buy parts from these manufacturers every day. They have people calling them every day asking for parts they can no longer get. They have an idea what the demand for these parts would be. I have my doubts the demand would be strong enough right now for the manufacturers to start production again, especially on parts they just stopped making. But, the big manufacturers might know smaller electronics places capable and willing to build them.

If all else fails, send a good part to China and ask them how much for 1000 of these.

 

They could all get together at their union hall and start their own company manufacturing new brake control modules...

 

EBTCM = Electronic Brake Traction Control Module

 

I would think some 3rd party resellers like Ecklers, WCC, PFYC, etc. would have the contacts and the most motivation (GM would not care - they only call it a "flagship" product when they are trying to unload new ones). Not only is that a big part of the 3rd party resellers businesses, but every time someone decides to part-out their car because they cannot find one necessary part, that takes the car completely out of the market for needing any other parts they already stock.

I have had 10 new Corvettes in my life and I am pretty sure this is my last for several reasons. I am looking for a second car now and as much as I would like to buy at least another GM, they just cannot compete on included warranties for low-mileage drivers like I am now. If you are going to drive the wheels off a car and dump it every 3-4 years (like I did all my previous Corvettes and other vehicles), then it would not matter, but in the case of my 2001 C5, I drive it every day and it still only has 52,000 miles (and a new engine replaced under extended warranty) - so at this rate, I would keep the car the rest of my life if I could get parts or someone did not slam into me.

The way the C5 was designed and built it is a shame this is an issue as currently mine runs/drives better than the day I bought it (and looks better too). GM does not realize that people like us that drive and maintain Corvettes like the C5 are some of the best marketing they have for their new models. Almost every day someone says something about how my car looks and when I tell them it is 12 years old, their jaw drops. Some of those people have gone out and purchased C6s based solely on the fact that my C5 looks so good after 12 years on the street - WHAT A SALES TOOL! Corvette owners in general take exceptional care of their cars and won't even drive them if there is a speck of dust on the hood - that is a big reason why so many people lust for a Corvette - they nearly ALWAYS LOOK LIKE NEW driving around town! If Corvettes were generally treated like most cars on the street, the demand would drop like a rock. Some people that are going to spend that kind of money on a car like this anticipate keeping it a long time (I did). When I see C3s on the street, most of them are trashed completely and having owned some of C3s and C4s in the past, they simple were not built to last like the C5 - in fact they were leaking/rattletraps new, but even they deserve to have replacement parts available.

 

It's already been said, but I'm going to say it too:

GM's not going to support a car that's about to be 3 generations old. They stopped making a lot of parts for the C5 half-way through the C6 era. Try to get a clutch safety switch. LOL

GM knows there's TONS of wrecked C5s to scavenge parts from out there. They'd rather you go find parts for old cars to make you feel like you have an old car so you buy a new car from them. And lets be honest, wouldn't we all like to just buy the newest year every year?

Some of us have older Vettes because that's what we can afford while some of us have older Vettes because that's what we want. GM doesn't care because they know there's enough parts out there and enough aftermarket to keep us going for the most part. Lots of used Vettes to pick from and pick off of. At some point, C5s will be as seldom seen as a 63 is today. And the guys that still own C5s then will be the cool guys with their classic Corvettes. But those will still be the guys always looking for a part here and there.

That's all there is to it. It's evolution and progress. Nothing is going to stop that and GM shouldn't be obligated to do so. They built us an amazing car that lasts longer than any Ferrari, performs just as well, and did it for relatively cheap. You honestly can't ask for more than that.

On the flip side, they owe us for the column lock issue they refused to fix correctly.

 

ive been working in the auto industry for the past 11 years. i have never seen so many issues with the same model like ive seen with the c5 ie ebcm and column lock

 

Guess you've never heard of all the issues the Z32 300zx had. LOL